We recently connected with David Yoshimura and have shared our conversation below.
David , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
A lot of my work ethic comes from my upbringing. Both of parents were very hard workers, and from the age of 15 I have always worked in restaurants. I began as a dishwasher and eventually worked my way up to better kitchens throughout my life. I’ve always been surrounded by hard workers, including my closest friend who is a U.S. Marine and a parent of many children. Whenever I feel unmotivated I think of the people who are working harder than me each day for a better life, and it inspires me to push myself harder just like them.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am the Chef & Owner of Nisei Restaurant in San Francisco, California – a Michelin starred Japanese California fine dining restaurant. The cuisine at Nisei reflects my own personal journey as a half Japanese American and the cuisine reflects that. What is special about Nisei is the pride in Asian American culture. I named the restaurant Nisei because it means second generation. Growing up as Asian American can feel very divisive, not being entirely American or 100% Asian, so the food is a testament to my pride of walking the middle line between both cultures. Almost all the products comes from the Bay Area, but the cuisine I cook is Japanese. Similarly, next door I own Bar Iris – a high end cocktail bar with Japanese influenced cocktails which shares the same refined Japanese aesthetic.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Humility. Every restaurant, every task and every day is a different experience and one chef can not be a master of all cuisines. Finding humility day to day and starting with a beginners mind is crucial for growth.
2. Balance. As I’ve gotten older, the importance of a balanced lifestyle really means a lot for the success of my career. Without balance physically, emotionally and mentally my work is greatly effected.
3. Teamwork. A kitchen team is like sports team and in sports, you are only as strong as your weakest player. Developing a strong team and camaraderie amongst your peers is essential to any business.
My advice for anyone in beginning stages of their career as a chef would be this. Stay humble, work your ass off and don’t forget to have fun while you do it.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Currently I am obsessed with making an impact in the AAPI community. Recently for AAPI month, Nisei held a fundraiser dinner with other AAPI Chefs which raised money for local AAPI non-profits. I love collaborating with any and all AAPI artists, investors, chefs, or people in general to work towards strengthening our community. If anyone reading this is interested in collaboration or support, please reach out to my email. [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.restaurantnisei.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nisei_sf
Image Credits
Photo Credit:
@xninjason
@Adahlia Cole
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
