Yuka Ioroi's family name dates back to the 700s.

She grew up in Shizuoka prefecture in Japan with Mt. Fuji nearby. Her parents ran a business, and Yuka sees some of their ways of operating reflected in her own running of Cassava.

She moved to Los Angeles when she was 15. In the podcast, she describes some culture shock she experienced as well as a diversity she didn't see at home. After college, she worked an office job but got burnt out on that. From strip club bartending to waiting tables at a country club, she moved on to manager at a new restaurant. And that's where she met her future husband, Kris.

Yuka ends this episode talking about what brought the couple north to San Francisco in 2008.

Check back Thursday for Part 2, when Yuka will share the story of opening Cassava on Balboa.

Unfortunately, Cassava is closed temporarily. Please follow them on social media or check their website to learn about their reopening.

We recorded this podcast at Cassava in the Outer Richmond in August 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather