The Show
Begins

Chef Shinichiro Takagi has dedicated his life to his family restaurant Zeniya, growing it from a modest local eatery to a world-renowned dining experience. Zeniya has earned two Michelin stars and is named by LA LISTE as one of the world's top restaurants.

Bentonville is the latest destination in a career built across Kanazawa, Kyoto, and Singapore. His presence shapes everything that comes out of the Bentoville kitchen — every recipe developed at Bentoville is workshopped, tasted, and approved by him before it reaches the table.

Chef Billy Kong has launched several acclaimed restaurants in San Francisco, including the Michelin-starred Kinjo and Saru Sushi Bar. Trained in San Francisco, Kanazawa, and Kyoto, he now spends time in Arkansas where he helps lead Bentoville's culinary projects.

At Bentoville, Chef Billy brings the same precision and care that built his San Francisco reputation — now applied to a performance-based format that reflects how he believes food should be experienced. His influence is present in every detail: every dish that leaves the pass has been workshopped, tasted, and signed off by him.

Chef Justin Murrah trained in some of San Francisco's most demanding Michelin kitchens — under Laurent Manrique at Aqua and Roland Passot at La Folie, both two-star destinations — before a season cooking for an Antarctic research station shifted his relationship to food and purpose. He made a deliberate move to Arkansas, building a French-Ozark concept rooted in accessibility and the belief that how people move through an experience matters as much as what is on the plate.

At Bentoville, Chef Justin leads the Center Stage — a role he has grown into through years of training under Chef Billy and hands-on work across many of Bentoville's past performances. The precision he built in fine dining and the openness he found afterward are both present in everything he puts forward.

Chef Corrin Ellis came up under chefs Michael Hung and Danny Elmaleh in Los Angeles, opening restaurants and developing her craft and leadership in tandem. She went on to open four restaurants as executive chef in Dallas, earning a Rising Star Chef nomination from Taste Makers Dallas in 2023 and best-in-food-quality recognition at the Sinclair Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Fort Worth.

At Bentoville, Chef Corrin leads the commissary and all grab-and-go programming — the bentos, onigiri, and carefully designed provisions that carry the Bentoville experience beyond the stage. It is high-volume, exacting, and unforgiving work, and she is the reason every detail arrives exactly right.

Chef Koki Shabanguh trained alongside Chef Masashi Nabeta at Yakyudori before serving as Executive Chef under Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto at Momosan Ramen & Sake. He brings a culinary voice grounded in Japanese tradition and shaped by omotenashi — the understanding that great food is a gift given without expectation.

At Bentoville, Chef Koki leads the Fire Stage — yakitori, bincho, and live-fire Japanese cooking that demands both technical command and an instinct for the moment. It is elemental work, and he brings exactly the mastery and presence it requires.

Chef Keisuke Yanagimoto is a product development specialist who has built a career of over 20 years with IPPUDO, one of Japan's most iconic ramen brands. He has led the development of numerous products and menus for both domestic and international markets, playing a key role in supporting and shaping IPPUDO's global expansion.

At Bentoville, Chef Keisuke leads and oversees all IPPUDO operations, bringing two decades of precision and cultural fluency to a program where authenticity is non-negotiable. Every bowl he shapes reflects the same exacting standard he has spent his career perfecting.