Los Angeles Times

Vegan sushi is booming. This dancer makes the most swoon-worthy in Los Angeles

“This is what a female sushi chef does.” A vegan sushi platter by chef Yoko Hasebe, photographed at the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen.

LOS ANGELES — Growing up in Saitama, Japan, Yoko Hasebe didn't dream of sushi. From the age of 7, she studied ballet and later jazz dance at the Nihon University College of Art in Tokyo. Fate brought her to California and a series of jobs at Japanese restaurants, where she found her way into the kitchen, rolling maki alongside sushi chefs such as Kimiyasu Enya at Enya and Morihiro Onodera of Morihiro.

"I loved being in the kitchen," says Hasebe, 29. "At first I didn't think I would be able to do both — being a dancer

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