FRIDA RONGE

I’m an award-winning chef and creative leader with a little piece of Japan in a big Nordic heart. My cooking lives in the meeting point between Japanese craft and Nordic ingredients — guided by precision, seasonality, and deep respect for the raw material, while I’m always looking for new expressions.

 

Over the past decade, I’ve developed my own Nordic–Japanese style, which has become my signature. My interest in food started early in Gothenburg, where my father ran a fish shop. At first I was drawn to flavor and visual presentation, but over time sustainability has become a natural core of my work as a chef and food inspirer — especially connected to the sea and our marine resources.

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In 2022, I became a co-owner of the Swedish startup Kobb, which focuses on sustainable seafood with seaweed at the center. For me, it’s a way to turn vision into practice. 

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I’ve written several cookbooks, appear regularly on Swedish TV, and have hosted an international TV series produced in Norway. I’m also frequently invited as a guest chef for events and summits, and I’ve done a range of exciting commercial collaborations with brands across the Nordics.

 

At the end of 2024, I began a new chapter as Creative Leader for Sustainable Food Experience at Strawberry. Previously, I served as Culinary Director for TAK and UNN in Stockholm and Oslo, where I led the gastronomic and conceptual development — continuing to make Japanese cuisine feel more Nordic. I’m also the founder of the Gothenburg restaurants Råkultur and vRÅ.

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On December 15, 2025, I was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the Promotion of Japanese Cuisine in Sweden by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) — an honorary role I see as both a privilege and a responsibility.