Hiroo Nagahara

Chef Hiroo Nagahara was born and raised in Tokyo but spent most of his adult life honing his culinary career in the United States. He’s worked with some of the finest chefs and restaurateurs in the industry including the late Charlie Trotter. His career blossomed when he landed the executive chef position at Bar Charlie in Las Vegas. Working with Trotter’s team opened doors for Hiroo to stage with some of the world’s most talented Michelin-starred chefs like Guy Savoy (Restaurant Guy Savoy ***), Hideki Ishikawa (Kagurazaka Ishikawa ***) and Yoshihiro Narisawa (Narisawa **).

In 2010, Nagahara moved to San Francisco and partnered with Mobi Munch to launch The Chairman, an award-winning food truck that blurred the lines between fine-dining and street food. After the success of The Chairman, Hiroo went on to open Nomica, a modern Japanese restaurant serving refined rustic cuisine in the heart of the Castro District. And in 2019 with Bao Hiroo, Nagahara brought his pedigreed resume and mother’s cherished recipes for stuffed bao to the Arts District in DTLA. His menu offered a unique mix of sweet, savory, steamed, baked and fried bao, all hand-crafted and delicious. Since then, he has consulted at two 5-Star Hotel Properties in Santa Monica, consulted for the Award-Winning Culinary Program at UMass, cooked privately for high profile clients, and ran numerous successful Residencies at Kimpton La Peer Hotel and The Restaurant at Japan House LA. In May of 2025, he taught a Master Class on the Fundamentals of Japanese Cuisine at West Africa’s largest annual Food & Drink Festival in Lagos, Nigeria. Currently, he is the Executive Chef for Club Hue, a very exclusive ultra high-end private club in the heart of Korea Town in Los Angeles.

Chef Nagahara has earned a number of accolades including a Michelin 1 Star Award while working for Charlie Trotter in Las Vegas within its first year. With The Chairman, his truck was named one of America’s Top Asian Food Trucks by Details Magazine as well as Most Mouth-Watering Food Trucks by Maxim. He also competed on Iron Chef Showdown in 2017.