Abé Hiroki was born in Fukuoka, Kyushu, in 1976, where his family owned a sushi restaurant and he started helping at a young age. He graduated from culinary school and since age 19 he spent his time working at different Ryōteis (upscale, exclusive restaurants), Ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) and restaurants.

In 2001 he moved to the United States. After building his experience at several restaurants in New York City, he was asked to join the opening team for EN Japanese Brasserie. In 2009, he became the Executive Chef, where he still oversees the kitchen today.

Chef Abé's passion for food is not limited to only Japanese cuisine. He makes it a point to learn from his chef friends at restaurants like Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, Blue Hill and Chikalicious and expose himself to more Western culinary ideas as well as baking techniques. By doing so, Chef Abé continues to create a New York-inspired, modern Japanese cuisine at EN Japanese Brasserie.