Hi, we’re Little Nishi.
It’s nice to meet you.
Founded in September 2023, Little Nishi is an Austin-based food truck with two locations, offering premium hand rolls, fresh sashimi, and inventive Japanese-inspired small plates infused with local flavors.
Core values - gratitude, commitment, and humility.
Joel Taylor - Chef/Owner
Joel's love for Japanese cuisine blossomed during his childhood when his parents hosted Japanese exchange students who introduced him to Japanese culture. Learning about sushi and Japanese cuisine, inspired him to pursue a sushi apprenticeship at a Japanese restaurant in Chico, CA.
In 2020, Joel began working at Uroko, training under chef and owners Takehiro Asazu and Masaumi Saio for 3 years fine tuning his skills, allowing him to pursue his own creative ventures.
In July of 2023 we held the first tasting event for Little Nishi, following it with a pop-up event at Shiners downtown Austin in August.
Then, in September 2023, the Little Nishi trailer opened in South Austin.
After a year of growing business we were able to open a second trailer in October 2024.
We are currently exploring our options for a Brick and mortar in the south Austin area.
thank you so much for taking the time to learn about who we are, hope to see you soon!.
Continuing his culinary journey, Joel took on the role of head chef at Roll On Sushi Diner in Austin, dedicating three years to the company. His experience then led him to Kome Sushi, where he trained under chefs Toshiake Irie and kazuaki Shimizu for 5 years.