Meet The Fiercely Talented Women Transforming L.A.'s Food Scene: The Woman Who Broke Barriers In Tokyo

There have been countless news stories highlighting just how few women—only 6.3%, in fact—hold executive chef roles in the U.S. But taking a bird's eye view of the local culinary landscape, there appear to be heaps of immensely talented female chefs breaking the mold, paving the way for a new generation of young women aspiring to pursue a career in the kitchen. We've sought out to showcase their stories through a video series called "Women in Food."

The first female chef on deck is Kuniko Yagi of Hinoki & The Bird, the stunning Silk Road fusion restaurant that's one of the best in Los Angeles. She tells us about her internship in Tokyo, where she was the first woman to wear a chef's coat in a traditional kaiseki restaurant that had been open for over 50 years. (She was still not allowed to cook, however.) When she returned to L.A. to open Hinoki, Yagi employed almost 70% women in her Century City kitchen. There, she shares her immense knowledge of world cooking with a budding group of talented young chefs, many of whom are women as well.

You can watch Yagi's story below. And be sure to check back with our next video in the series, where we'll be featuring chef Nyesha Arrington, a "Top Chef" alum and entrepreneur building her own food empire.

Women in Food: Kuniko Yagi of Hinoki & the Bird by laistvideos