Notoko Sesame Soy Sauce & Marinade - Original drizzled over dumplings
NEW YORK, NY — Notoko Sauce was barely a month old when it first showed up at the Summer Fancy Food Show. A year later, it’s coming back with three new flavors and a story most new food brands spend a decade trying to write — one recently featured in the Queens Chronicle.
"It is just such a testimony to the leap of faith I took into my cooking career," said founder Chef Chris Notaro. "What a blessing to be a part of people sitting down together at the dinner table and giving families and friends another reason to come together."
Crafted by Christopher “Chef Chris” Notaro, a private chef in New York trained in Florence, Italy, Notoko Sauce puts an Italian twist on Japanese-inspired flavor — a sesame soy marinade rooted in imported Italian olive oil that sets it apart from anything else on the shelf.
What makes Notoko different is what's in the bottle and the story behind it. Natural honey replaces refined sugar as the sweetener, and imported Italian olive oil gives the sauce its signature silky texture — together creating a deep, umami, flavor-forward taste with 3x less sodium than leading soy sauce brands.
"I want people to know that Notoko is a sauce and a brand you can count on," Chris said. "One that is made by someone who cooks with one main secret ingredient: love. This brand has a family behind it that truly always does their best to care and succeed in whatever they do. That flavor, paired with a family business based in NY, helped Notoko build quick traction in just one year.
It's a versatile sauce built for quick, easy meals: marinate it, drizzle it, dip in it, and any home cook can turn out a dish that tastes chef-made. “This is a sauce that can make friends with just about any ingredient in the kitchen,” Chris said.
Under a year after launching, Chris went up against 15+ other chefs to win the 2025 Top Grill Master People’s Choice Award at Dan’s Grill Hampton in East Hampton, NY, hosted by chef Michael Symon, for a grilled hanger steak over fried rice marinated in his very own Notoko Sauce — giving him the validation he needed.
The buzz didn’t stop there. BJ’s Wholesale Club came knocking first, bringing Notoko into its roadshow program.
“Cake Boss” sisters Maddalena (@maddalenaandmauro 610k+ followers on Instagram) and Lisa (@cakebosslisa4811 295k+ followers on Instagram) discovered Notoko soon after, when his twin sister reached out and shared the story — and the sisters went on to film a chicken lettuce wraps video together with him using Notoko Sauce. Content creator Lisa Arce (@kitchenkillalisa 747k+ followers on Instagram) found the sauce and went viral taking multiple “swigs” of Notoko Sauce straight from the bottle on camera.
“My favorite part about having this business is the light it has shined over my friends and family,” Chris said. “My twin sister always said she wished she had her own brand to market, and it’s such a blessing to see her using her gifts to help Notoko flourish — this business would not be where it is today without my sister, no question.”
From there, in May 2026 distributor Ace Endico and food broker B&A Food Brokers came on board, helping take Notoko even further. Today, Notoko is in almost 100 stores across New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
Now Notoko is adding three flavors customers have been asking for: Spicy Jalapeño, with a slow building heat; Pineapple Habanero, hot with real pineapple sweetness; and Gluten-Free, made with Tamari soy sauce. All three flavors are made based on the original recipe, with imported Italian olive oil giving every bottle its signature silky texture.
“Customers asked, and we listened,” said Chef Chris Notaro, founder of Notoko. “I crafted all three of these off our original recipe, so it’s still that same flavor at the core — just more ways to use it.”
People are using Notoko on everything — chicken, steak, shrimp, dumplings, vegetables, rice bowls. Some call it “hibachi in a bottle.” One customer, @carolmitchell88810, put it simply: “I’m a star now cause my food tastes great. I marinated ribs with it!” Another, @orisa, wrote: “So delish!! This can be put on literally anything and make it taste amazing.”
Notoko is currently shipping across the U.S, with shipping to Canada launching this week at notokosauce.com. Notoko will be exhibiting at the Summer Fancy Food Show Sunday, June 28 through Tuesday, June 30, at the River Pavilion, Booth 7032A.
Get in touch to meet at the food show or meet our team virtually.
About Notoko Inc.
Notoko is a family-owned sesame soy sauce and marinade brand founded by Chef Chris Notaro. Made with real, recognizable ingredients, Notoko works as a marinade, dipping sauce, or finishing drizzle on chicken, steak, seafood, and vegetables. The lineup includes Original, Spicy Jalapeño, Pineapple Habanero, and Gluten-Free, available at notokosauce.com and almost 100 retail locations across New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
Contact: Marissa Notaro
Director of Marketing & Operations
[email protected]
347-233-1513