How This Female Sushi Chef Garnered Success in a Male-Dominated Field

27-year-old Oona Tempest is one of just a few female sushi chefs in the field. But her success hasn't always been linear.

Sitting at the helm of New York's Sushi by Bae, Oona Tempest stands out as one of the rare women sushi chefs. Earning her stripes in a profession predominantly controlled by Japanese men and as an American woman no less, wasn't without its challenges. The 27-year-old had to devote more than 90 hours per week towards rigorous training. All this while unknowingly fighting against Hashimoto's disease—an autoimmune condition where the body turns against the thyroid gland. Enduring constant exhaustion, muscle aches, and joint pain accurately illustrates her perseverance. "I was perpetually tired," confesses Tempest, "But I didn’t let it stop me."

Once she was diagnosed with the condition, the chef had to overhaul her diet and become gluten-free. That experience became the backbone of Tempest's MO for Sushi by Bae: Eat to feel good.

"As a chef, it's my job to nourish guests—both from a hospitality perspective and by using the best-sourced ingredients," says Tempest. The inspiration behind her flavors, though, comes from the ocean, which she grew up near while living on the coast in Massachusetts.

When not crafting exquisite sushi at Sushi by Bae, her establishment which started operations last year, she prefers to unwind with simple home-cooked meals. The grueling 14-hour workdays don’t provide much leeway for elaborate culinary creations. "With just pantry essentials, I'll create a miso soup," Tempest shares. Her key ingredients always include miso paste, kombu, and katsuobushi or bonito flakes - the fundamental elements of a flavorful broth. She keeps her kombu soaked in cold water, a process that helps avoid any bitter taste. Grated daikon radish and wakame seaweed are added to the soup for enhanced texture. To make it a wholesome meal, enoki mushrooms lend their crunchiness.

Alternatively, she relishes tossing seasonal vegetables with high-quality Italian extra-virgin olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper. This uncomplicated preparation allows the inherent flavors of the vegetables to stand out, rendering a quick, nutritious, and tantalizing dish perfect for a weekday. "My current craving is a heap of veggies or fish served over rice," she admits.