The empire of one of Sydney’s most talented Japanese chefs is in tatters, with Chase Kojima’s two Senpai restaurants closing and his departure confirmed as executive chef at the hatted Pyrmont restaurant Sokyo.

Kojima etched his name on the Sydney food psyche at the age of just 29 as founding chef at The Star’s upmarket Sokyo restaurant in 2011. His recruitment ushered in a delicious mix of edgy Japanese food – partially picked up working at Nobu restaurants – coupled with the traditional Japanese tutelage of his chef father in San Francisco.

Kojima was active with his own projects outside of his day job with The Star, introducing Sydney to his bunless rice burgers and rolling out two restaurants, in Chatswood and Burwood, under the Senpai brand.

Both Senpai restaurants are listed online as temporarily closed, but an ASIC filing shows Senpai Dojo, in which Kojima is listed as a director, as in liquidation.

Joint liquidator John Refalo from insolvency practitioners Moore Australia, says a report is currently being finalised outlining what creditors are owed. He declined to give an estimate on where that amount will sit.

“At this stage both restaurants (Chatswood and Burwood) are closed,” Refalo told Good Food. “While we are looking at options, it’s a liquidation, which generally means it’s terminal.”

It’s a sad juncture for Kojima, who continued to garner good reviews, rewriting the script with Sydney’s first ramen omakase when he opened Chatswood’s Senpai Ramen in March last year. Despite his growing demands elsewhere, Sokyo didn’t miss a beat as he spread his wings. It retained its prestigious chef’s hat, the Good Food Guide 2023 praising Sokyo’s balance of “tradition and inventiveness”.

A spokesman at The Star confirmed Kojima’s “long-term” relationship as executive chef at Sokyo and (Gold Coast restaurant) Kiyomi had come to an end.

“This decision was reached by mutual consent and will see Chase pursue other opportunities,” the spokesman added. Sokyo and Kiyomi continue to trade as usual and have no financial link with Kojima’s other venues.

Kojima’s next move isn’t known. The chef could not be reached for comment before publication.

The Star spokesman stressed they wanted to thank Kojima for his contribution to their fine dining restaurants; indeed, at Sokyo he helped create a brand that outlasted high-profile neighbours including David Chang’s Momofuku Seiobo and the Stefano Manfredi eatery, Osteria Balla. Hopefully Kojima’s cooking talent isn’t lost to the Harbour City.