Jessica Thompson
Cook · Food Writer · Recipe Developer
I grew up in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, where temperatures sit around 28ºC (80ºF) and gardens grow wild, and have been cooking since I could reach the stove. I ran a food blog with my sisters, which turned into a published cookbook, moved to Tokyo to study patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu – then stayed for nine years.
In Japan, I foraged for wasabi, picked grapes for natural wine, made my own miso, and had conversations with obaasan (grandmothers) in supermarkets about how to use local ingredients. I covered food and drink for both Time Out Tokyo and Metropolis Magazine Tokyo, as well as other international publications (below).
I now live in Guadalajara, Mexico, with my wife Sofia, a ceramist and creative director. Together we run NOMI, roaming popup inspired by Tokyo tachinomi culture that started in a Harajuku loft in 2017. Speakeasy-style settings with one-off menus and sake from independent Japanese breweries. → nominominomi.com
For commissions, collaborations, events, or anything food-adjacent, I’d love to hear from you at jessica.jt.thompson@gmail.com
Between courses, I've spent 10+ years in digital product management and ecommerce → More about that here
In Japan, I foraged for wasabi, picked grapes for natural wine, made my own miso, and had conversations with obaasan (grandmothers) in supermarkets about how to use local ingredients. I covered food and drink for both Time Out Tokyo and Metropolis Magazine Tokyo, as well as other international publications (below).
I now live in Guadalajara, Mexico, with my wife Sofia, a ceramist and creative director. Together we run NOMI, roaming popup inspired by Tokyo tachinomi culture that started in a Harajuku loft in 2017. Speakeasy-style settings with one-off menus and sake from independent Japanese breweries. → nominominomi.com
For commissions, collaborations, events, or anything food-adjacent, I’d love to hear from you at jessica.jt.thompson@gmail.com
Between courses, I've spent 10+ years in digital product management and ecommerce → More about that here
FOOD & EVENTS
Private dining & catering: Curated, multi-course meals for small groups.
Sake curation & pairing: Selection, sourcing and guided experiences for events, restaurants, dinners and retail.
Menu & concept development: Building menus around a point of view – seasonal, regional, thematic. Adapting Japanese culinary ideas for new markets, audiences and ingredients.
Event collaborations: Concept through to execution for food-focused programming.
WRITING
Bylines: NYT · Saveur · Time Out Tokyo · SBS Food · Vice · Lonely Planet ・Metropolis Magazine · Intrepid Travel · APPETITE
- Three Neighbourhoods in Tokyo Where Old Meets New – NYT
- Japan’s Bread Shokunin – Saveur
- This Formula 1 Aerodynamicist Turned Baker Is Creating The World’s Best Croissants – Vice
- Breweries, wineries and distilleries worth a day trip from Tokyo – Time Out Tokyo
- Japan’s shokupan is the upper crust of loaves – SBS Food
Books: The Bookery Cook: Art to Eat (Murdoch Books, 2013), PALATE JOURNAL (Self-published, 2015. Premiered at Brooklyn Food Book Fair)
