Hi! I'm Marc Matsumoto, a Tokyo-based food writer and recipe developer dedicated to helping you become a better cook. I began my culinary career as a private chef, but I wanted to use those skills to help more people eat well. Over the past 18 years, I've created over 1,500 recipes designed to help you cook smarter while feeling more confident in the kitchen. My goal is simple: give you the tools and knowledge to make good food part of everyday life!
A Few Quick Facts
- Host of Bento Expo (NHK World, 9 seasons)
- Author of Ultimate Bento (Tuttle)
- Recipes featured on PBS Food, The New York Times, Food52, and Food Network
- Collaborated with Hakutsuru Brewing, Hikari Miso, and more
My Culinary Roots
My story began in a quiet fishing village in southern Kyushu. It was there that I first tasted vegetables pulled from the earth before sunrise, miso aged through the seasons, and fish that I caught myself. That fresh, seasonal, deeply local connection to food stayed with me.
After moving across the Pacific to California, I cooked alongside my mother, who taught me that cooking isn't about memorizing recipes: it's about understanding basic techniques that let you make good food with what you have.
From Silicon Valley to Saucepans
Before pivoting to food, I worked in tech, including a stint at Netflix (back when DVDs came by mail). I loved building new things, but I missed making them with my hands. That pull toward tangible, creative work led me back to food. One lesson I carry with me from this time is to test everything iteratively. I test, tweak, and refine all of my recipes until they're consistent and reliable, offering big flavor with minimal effort.
Why "No Recipes"?
Most recipes tell you what to do, but they don't teach you how to cook. No Recipes is about helping you build the knowledge and instincts that make cooking joyful, creative, and second nature. By breaking down the science and reasoning behind each technique, I want to show you how cooking works and make you a better cook every time you step into the kitchen.
Where I Am Now
Since launching No Recipes, I've shared over 1500 recipes with tens of millions of home cooks around the world-through recipes, videos, and nearly a decade of hosting Bento Expo on NHK World.
These days, I split my time between the test kitchen and creative collaborations: developing new recipes, consulting with food brands I admire, and creating content that bridges traditional Japanese techniques with modern home cooking.
Some days, that means refining a 20 minute ramen recipe or troubleshooting a fermentation project. On other days, it's about helping a brand tell a more authentic story about its passion. After all these years, I'm still learning, still testing, and still just as excited to share what I discover.
Work With Me
I collaborate with brands, publishers, and creators as a recipe developer, food stylist, and culinary consultant. From strategic content creation to advising on product development, I bring deep cross-cultural experience and thoughtful storytelling to every project. If you're interested in working together, get in touch here.
Weekly Inbox Inspiration
Sign up for my FREE weekly newsletter, where I share new recipes as well as nearly 2 decades of culinary insights that will help you become a better cook.
Become a Member
Check out my member site for access to my personal cookbook of easy original recipes that I cook for my family!
Happy cooking!
-Marc
