1.
chef, cook (especially of Japanese cuisine)
A professional chef, particularly one trained in Japanese cuisine (washoku). Refers to a skilled cook who works at a counter or in a kitchen of a Japanese restaurant. The term carries connotations of craftsmanship and traditional skill.
あの店の板前は腕がいい。
The chef at that restaurant is very skilled.
父は寿司屋の板前をしている。
My father works as a sushi chef.
一流の板前になるには、何年もの修業が必要だ。
It takes many years of training to become a top-class chef.
ETYMOLOGY:
板 (board, cutting board) + 前 (in front of). Originally referred to the person standing in front of the cutting board — the cook.
USAGE:
板前 specifically refers to chefs of Japanese cuisine and carries a sense of traditional craftsmanship. For Western-style chefs, シェフ or コック is more common. 料理人 is a more general term for any professional cook.
CULTURE:
In traditional Japanese restaurants, the 板前 often works at a counter ({カウンター}) in view of customers, especially at sushi restaurants. The term implies years of apprenticeship and mastery of knife skills.