Chef
Toshiya Umeda
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Los Angeles, California, United States
i. Biography
Toshiya Umeda has been Executive/Master Chef at Miyabi Uni in Torrance, California, since 2017. The work reads as a long apprenticeship put to use: patience in the line, discipline in the pass, and a fixed eye for refinement. Across kitchens in Japan, Hawai‘i, and Southern California, the throughline has stayed the same—balance, control, and a measured approach to service that keeps the room moving quietly around the plate.
Coming Up
The craft began in 1993 as a Line Cook at Hot pot/Japanese restaurant in Japan, where timing and repetition are part of the job description. From there, Toshiya Umeda moved into chef roles at High-end French/Japanese fusion restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, and Italian/Japanese fusion restaurant in Kyoto, Japan, work that required handling two traditions without flattening either one. Those kitchens shaped a style built on contrast: Japanese discipline alongside French polish, then again against the structure and texture of Italian influence. From 2009–2013, Umeda served as Executive Chef at Mimasuya Italiano in Honolulu, HI, United States, carrying that range into a larger service context. The next step was Opening Chef at Teppanyaki Onodera in Honolulu, HI, United States (from 2013), a role that calls for standards to be set, held, and repeated. He later worked as chef at Miyabi Uni (until 2017), bridging earlier experience with the leadership post that followed. The rise from Line Cook to chef to Executive Chef has been steady rather than theatrical, built on consistency and a clear command of the work.
Where They Are Now
Since 2017, Umeda has held the role of Executive/Master Chef at Miyabi Uni in Torrance. The title reflects the weight of the earlier posts across Japan and Hawai‘i, and the working method they produced: careful contact between culinary languages, with elegance and restraint kept in view. In Torrance, that history shows up as continuity rather than reinvention—a kitchen led by someone whose standards were formed over time and kept intact.
Profile updated August 2026
FAQ
Asked of Toshiya
What is Toshiya Umeda's current role?
As of 2026, Toshiya Umeda is Executive/Master Chef.
Where did Toshiya Umeda work before?
Toshiya Umeda's earlier career included Hot pot/Japanese restaurant, High-end French/Japanese fusion restaurant, and Italian/Japanese fusion restaurant.
