Today we’d like to introduce you to Kuniko Yagi.
Kuniko, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I got here 16 years ago after I quit my job as an (unhappy) banker in Tokyo, and started working in restaurants out of necessity because I couldn’t get any other job. I first worked as a waitress at Ubon by Nobu Matsuhisa, but when the restaurant closed, I realized that being a waitress didn’t have the career longevity I wanted… but cooking could take you anywhere in the world. So I set my sights on the kitchen.
I didn’t know it at the time, but one of my regulars at Ubon was David Myers, a prestigious chef at Sona, one of LA’s first Michelin-starred restaurants. I showed up at the restaurant looking for a job, and when he recognized me, he said I could start in the kitchen at $7/hour. That was the best thing I’d heard in a long time, and I took it. From the first day, I knew it was the right decision. Kitchen jobs are all about the skillset you can perform, and if you cook better and work harder than others, your chance will come. I worked my way up and eventually became the chef de cuisine at Sona and, later, head chef at David Myers’ restaurant Hinoki and the Bird. I was really happy there but, after I left, I realized that if you don’t own the concept or restaurant, you don’t have control. I decided my next goal would be owning a restaurant.
I knew I wanted to cook for as many people as I could, so fast-casual made the most sense. I thought of foods that had comforting and nostalgic qualities, and I kept coming back to the idea of fried chicken. So many people have experiences and memories tied to fried chicken (for me, it was my weekend cheat meal with my grandma in Japan) and the concept for Pikunico — my very own restaurant! — evolved from there. We opened our doors a year ago at ROW DTLA.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The beginning was hard. For the first six months, we struggled to get things right: our systems, culture, clients. But after that period, we had an “aha” moment, and we really started to get a grasp on our identity, and how we need to perform on the quality and quantity side. It’s all about getting into a certain rhythm, and we’ve found our stride. We have also found the right people to work together, which has helped things go more smoothly. I learned to keep hiring until the right people showed up to work with me!
Please tell us about Pikunico.
Pikunico is a Japanese fried chicken concept that’s for everyday lunch and dinner. Pikunico means “picnic” plus “Kuniko” — so the menu is rooted in the idea of picnic food: easy, delicious items you can take it on the go and eat it outside with family and friends. We use the highest quality ingredients and make everything from scratch, from our aioli to our fried chicken batter. I also wanted to make sure I was inclusive of all palates and diets, so all of the fried chicken is naturally gluten-free, and we have a lot of options for vegetarians and vegans, like our curry rice bowl and fried kabocha squash (our vegan alternative to fried chicken).
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Right now. Because I feel like I’m achieving my goals step by step, year by year. Sometimes I feel like I’m going backwards or not moving, but when I take a step back and look at myself from the perspective of a third person, that’s not the case. My goal was to be the owner of the business and it took a while to get here (and there were a lot of setbacks and struggles), but I’m so proud to now have a shop of my own where I can take care of my employees and my customers. It doesn’t need to be big or fancy; it just needs to me. And it is. So I’m really proud of where I am.
Contact Info:
- Address: ROW DTLA
767 S Alameda St.
Los Angeles, CA 90021 - Website: www.pikunico.com
- Phone: 213-278-0407
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pikunicola
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PikunicoLA
Image Credit:
DYLAN+JENI
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
