Meet Chika
Certified Sake Sommelier | Bilingual Consultant | Cultural Educator
Hi! I’m Chika (Ohata) Martino — a bilingual sake specialist originally from Japan, now based in San Francisco. I started this freelance project to share my love for Japanese sake, hospitality, and culture through tastings, education, and consulting.
I believe sake is more than just a beverage — it’s a bridge between people, places, and traditions. Whether I’m leading a private tasting, training restaurant staff, or working with brewers on international projects, my goal is always the same: to create joyful cultural experiences that bring people together through sake.
My Cultural Background
I was born in Iwate, a region rich in seasonal flavors and heartfelt hospitality. My childhood was filled with shared meals, local ingredients, and an appreciation for food as a source of joy and connection. My family deeply shaped my philosophy around food and drink: good meals and good company are the fuel of life.
Every evening at my grandmother’s house felt like a feast — 20 small dishes prepared with love, using homegrown vegetables, hand-picked seafood, and of course, several kinds of sake and beer. Our home was always buzzing with flavor and laughter. I truly believe that’s the secret to my family’s happiness and longevity.
Interestingly, my first culture shock wasn’t abroad — it was returning to Japan. After spending my early childhood in Germany, I moved back at age six. Everything felt unfamiliar and magical: high-tech toilets, beautifully packed cities, and a countryside filled with kind people and delicious food. As a little girl, it all felt like stepping into the world of Totoro. That experience helped me understand how Japanese culture can feel both enchanting and overwhelming to newcomers. Since then, I’ve loved traveling, learning about other cultures, and sharing mine — planting the seeds for what I do today.
(↑ Interviewing the rice farmer. Every time I go to Japan, I visit sake breweries and farmers for research)
From Japan to San Francisco
After moving to the U.S., I naturally found myself drawn back to food and hospitality. I worked for years in restaurants and sake retail, eventually earning my sake sommelier certifications. That hands-on experience — from production knowledge to customer education — helped me create a style that’s informative, approachable, and full of heart.
Founder of Chika & Sake
In 2022, I opened Chika & Sake — a cozy bar in San Francisco that focused on sake and koryori (Japanese small plates). I curated a sake list highlighting small, family-run breweries and created a freestyle pairing program and flights that blended education, storytelling, and culture. The response was incredible — I realized how many people were eager to connect with sake in a warm, personal way.
That chapter inspired the next: to help grow the sake industry and culture here in the U.S.
What I Do Now — Serving Everyone
Today, I continue sharing the spirit of Chika & Sake through personal, flexible sake tastings, workshops, and consulting. I help restaurants build thoughtful sake programs, and I support Japanese brewers in navigating the U.S. market — from translation to promotion and brand-building.
And my secret dream? To pour sake for my idol, Stephen Curry.
To make that happen, I’m on a mission to explore the possibilities of sake — wherever they take me.
👉 Check out the Services page to see what I offer — and let’s raise a glass together. Kanpai!
こんにちは、マルティーノ知佳です。
岩手県出身、現在はサンフランシスコを拠点に活動する、バイリンガルの日本酒ソムリエです。
日本酒や日本文化、そして“おもてなし”の心をもっと多くの人に伝えたいという想いから、テイスティングや教育、コンサルティング、さらにはディストリビューション（流通）などの活動を行っています。
私にとって日本酒は、ただの飲み物ではありません。
人と人、文化と文化、そして時間をつなぐ“架け橋”だと信じています。
祖母の家で囲んだ賑やかな食卓。
「おいしいごはんと家族との晩酌が、人生のエネルギーになる」——そんな家族の哲学が、私の原点です。
6歳のとき、幼少期を過ごしたドイツから日本へ戻った私は、日本文化の豊かさに驚き、感動しました。
あのとき感じた“魔法のような体験”が、今でも私の活動の原動力となっています。だからこそ、海外の人々が日本に抱く不思議さや美しさへの感動に、心から共感できるのです。
アメリカ移住後は、レストランや酒販業界での経験を積みながら、ほぼすべての日本酒資格を英語で取得。
2022年には、サンフランシスコ初となる日本酒バー「Chika & Sake」をオープンしました。菩提もとやどぶろく、超高級大吟醸など、幅広いスタイルの日本酒を、さまざまな温度帯・酒器で、現地のお客様と会話を楽しみながらご提供してきました。
現在はフリーランスとして、より自由で柔軟な形で日本酒の魅力を発信しています。
テイスティングやワークショップの開催、レストランの酒リスト監修、ペアリングイベントの主催、日本の蔵元の通訳や海外展開サポートなど、活動は多岐にわたります。
そして、ひそかな夢は——
私が大ファンであるNBAのスーパースター、ステフィン・カリー選手に日本酒を注ぐこと！
その夢に向かって、日本酒の可能性を世界に広げる旅は、これからも続きます。