Rising Star Chef John Daley of New York Sushi Ko - Biography

John Daley has two tattoos (well, eight, technically) that literally spell out his career: “rice” and “fish,” both words written out, finger by finger, on the sushi chef’s knuckles. Fists clenched, it’s as if Daley could basically punch his way into the future of his chosen, beloved cuisine.

Daley isn't a pugilist. He’s just obsessed with sushi. He got his start cooking in a Chinese restaurant at 15, and when the Time Warner Center welcomed a host of high-end restaurants, Daley went resume-dropping. Let down at Per Se, Daley moved on to Bar Masa, where a great interview turned into a great, if unexpected, career path.

Tattooed and aproned (and Caucasian), Daley doesn’t come across as the traditional sushi master. But his output is built on a foundation of serious tradition and a rigorous work ethic gleaned from the mentorship of StarChefs.com Rising Star Chef Masato Shimizu at 15 East. Tradition grew even deeper roots when Daley moved to Tokyo, working under Shimizu’s mentor Rikio Kugo at the renowned Sukeroku. And while he probably would have liked to stay in Tokyo longer, Daley brought one important thing back with him: connections with the Japanese fishing community, which serve him (and the lucky diners who claim Sushi Ko’s eleven seats) very well indeed.

Photo credit: Ashley Gilbertson