David Yoshimura

Nisei - San Francisco

Chef David Yoshimura began his professional career as a cook in New York City, working at wd~50 for several years up until its closure. He has also staged abroad at many notable restaurants such as Kagurazaka Ishikawa, Nihonryori Ryugin, and Asador Etxebarri. After NYC, Chef David joined the team at Californios in the restaurant's first year open and helped attain their first Michelin star within six months. With the help of his team at Californios, David Yoshimura later passed his Certified Sommelier exam to expand his knowledge of wine and beverages. Upon leaving the now two Michelin star restaurant Californios, David has focused his goals on opening this restaurant with his eclectic experience to bring the Bay Area a new approach to Japanese-American food.  

Nisei began as a pop-up restaurant in 2019, hosting a 10-course tasting menu around the Bay Area for two years. Pop-ups included collaborations with other rising and prominent chefs in the greater bay area in various locations around San Francisco. Throughout 2020, Nisei partnered with Mister Jiu's, selling elevated bento boxes and providing charity lunches to the senior community through the Japantown Community Center in San Francisco.