Glass Box isn’t your typical sushi restaurant. Tucked inside the Sky Deck in Del Mar, chef and owner Ethan Yang serves omakase from inside a literal glass box—a transparent kitchen built around the idea that what you see is what you get.
It’s a fitting philosophy for a third-generation restaurateur whose food is rooted as much in family as technique. On this week’s Happy Half Hour, Yang joins host Troy Johnson to talk about growing up in his family’s Rancho Bernardo restaurants, learning to make dumplings and sushi rice alongside his dad and grandmother, and why one bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup still anchors everything he cooks.
The conversation is equal parts family history and sushi master class. Troy breaks down why the best sushi isn’t necessarily the freshest, the surprising journey of bluefin tuna from cat food to luxury ingredient, and why aging fish can actually improve its flavor. Yang shares the techniques behind his omakase, the dishes that have earned Glass Box back-to-back competition wins, and the philosophy that has made the Del Mar restaurant one of San Diego’s most underrated sushi destinations.
Naturally, the conversation turns into a friendly debate over the sushi rolls that introduced so many Americans to raw fish. Troy and Ethan draft their gateway favorites—from crunchy rolls and California rolls to spicy tuna and eel avocado—proving that even the chef behind one of the city’s best omakase counters still has plenty of love for the classics.
This summary was provided to you by AI. To hear from the humans, listen to Happy Half Hour wherever you get your podcasts.
