Interview with Chef Ethan Yang

Posted on March 30, 2026 by Local Fish

Kate: Hi, Chef Ethan. How are you?

Chef Ethan: I’m good. How are you?

Kate: Good. Thanks for taking some time today. We’re really excited to put together a storytelling piece. I’ve got some questions prepared, but feel free to let the conversation take us anywhere. This is our first time meeting, so I’m excited to get to know you better.

Chef Ethan: Yeah, absolutely.

Kate: I wanted to start with your backstory. How did you get into cooking, and how did you end up in San Diego at Glass Box?

Chef Ethan: I’m a third-generation chef. My dad, my grandpa, and my grandma are all chefs. I was born and raised in San Diego, specifically in Poway. My parents had restaurants in Clairemont and Rancho Bernardo, and we moved around a bit.

I told myself I was going to get out of the kitchen, but I love cooking. I love what I do.

Before Glass Box, I was working in the casino business. COVID happened, and I saw all these layoffs, and it broke my heart. I thought, what can I do? I got an opportunity from a landlord who loved my food and suggested I open my own restaurant. I kept thinking about it, and then my brother and I said, ” Okay, let’s do it.”

Before that, my dad had a small Chinese restaurant, and my brother and I helped him open it. We did everything ourselves, even painted the floors.

Kate: That’s awesome. What was the inspiration behind Glass Box? How did you decide on the vibe and atmosphere?

Chef Ethan: Glass Box has always been my baby. I used to tell people, I live in a glass box. What you see is what you get.

I love doing Asian food. I grew up making sushi. My dad would wake us up in the morning to make sushi for stores. I just fell in love with fish. You can do so much with it.

He would take us to the market, and we would walk around. I fell in love with the variety of fish and everything you can learn about it. It is so intriguing.

Kate: Why is sourcing local fish important to you? And how has that translated into your restaurant?

Chef Ethan: Supporting local fishermen is important. It is like if we lived in Hawaii, we would go fishing every day and want fresh fish. San Diego is the same.

There is so much excitement around local fishing. It is sustainable, and it is something you want to support. Local fish is fun to work with. Everything has a vibe. I love it.

I love it when someone calls and says, I have tuna for you. What are you going to do with it? It is so cool. Being able to do tuna-carving dinners or say that this came from my backyard is special. I was born and raised here, so it means a lot.

Kate: How do your customers respond to local fish and those stories?

Chef Ethan: Customers get excited. They want to taste the quality.

Some people think local fish is too fishy, but it depends on how you prepare it. How you brine it, salt it, and handle freshness makes a big difference.

When we do omakase or make something like rockfish crudo, people are blown away. They ask where it is from, and we tell them it was caught locally that day. That connection is huge.

If you do it right, people always say this is amazing.

Kate: There is such a difference between fish that has been shipped and something caught locally.

Chef Ethan: Exactly. And you build relationships with fishermen. You know where it was caught, when it was caught. That relationship is everything.

Kate: Do you have a favorite species to work with?

Chef Ethan: I love working with local saba, mackerel, aji, and rockfish.

Some people think mackerel or aji are too fishy, but if you salt it, brine it, and dry age it, it is incredible.

Rockfish is amazing too. It has a nice texture, almost like sea bass.

Spiny lobster has been great this year. I did not get to work much with spot prawns this year, but last year they were incredible.

Kate: Do you have advice for young chefs getting into seafood?

Chef Ethan: Go to the market. See what local fish is available. Pick one or two species and practice.

Start with scaling fish. Then learn how to break it down and maintain it properly.

Temperature is crucial. A lot of people overlook that. You cannot just break fish down and throw it in the fridge. You need proper icing and handling.

Learn the basics, and always control temperature.

Kate: As a newer buyer on Local Fish, what would you like to see from the platform?

Chef Ethan: I think Local Fish is exciting. I would love to see a bigger chef community.

It would be great to have videos showing how to break down fish or prepare different species. That gets people excited.

Some chefs think if it is not from Japan, it is not as good, but you can achieve the same quality locally. It is about how you curate and prepare it.

Kate: Anything else you want to share about Glass Box or Local Fish?

Chef Ethan: I think Local Fish can become a real chef tool. Almost like an encyclopedia. Recipes, techniques, how to prepare fish, how to dry age.

The more knowledge people have, the more they want to try.

It would also be great to do events, like a dinner with multiple chefs each making a dish. The chef community is small, and the fish community is even smaller, so it is all about supporting each other.

Kate: Last question. Favorite places to eat in San Diego?

Chef Ethan: That is a tough one. There are so many good spots.

Travis’ restaurant, Mike’s place, Kingfisher, Aiden at Herb & Sea, Davin at Wrench and Rodent, Lily at Matsu. There are so many talented chefs here.

Kate: Amazing. Thank you so much for your time.