David Pšeja

Sushi chef · itamae

I'm a Czech sushi chef. Behind the knife since seventeen – in Tokyo from October 2026.

David Pšeja – sushi chef

About

I found my way to Japanese cooking at seventeen. I started at Manya in Brno; today I work the counter at Yamato in Prague – one of the finest Japanese restaurants in the Czech Republic. At eighteen I went to Japan for the first time, alone, to see the craft where it comes from. I've been going back regularly ever since – for the ingredients, the kitchens, the people, and above all to understand the culture sushi grows out of. I speak Japanese and keep getting better.

behind the knife since seventeen · regularly in Japan · I speak Japanese

Path

  1. Manya, BrnoJune 2022 – January 2024 · Czechia

    First years in Japanese cuisine.

  2. Bango, BrnoFebruary 2024 – June 2024 · Czechia

    Further experience in Japanese cuisine.

  3. Yamato, PragueJune 2024 – present · Czechia

    One of the finest Japanese restaurants in the Czech Republic.

  4. Tokyofrom October 2026 · Japan

    Moving to Japan and working there directly.

Craft

In Japan, a craftsman who devotes his life to a single trade and does it as well as he can is called a shokunin (職人). It isn't about perfection at any cost – it's about returning to the same tasks day after day and taking them seriously. Sharpening knives. Knowing the fish. Cooking rice that's worth eating. Most of the craft no one sees. Only the result on the plate. That patience makes more sense to me than anything fast.

Work

A selected look at the work – technique, plating, the room.

To Tokyo

I've been traveling to Japan since I was eighteen, and every time I come back knowing less than I thought I did – which is the point. From October 2026 I'm moving to Tokyo for good, to learn there day in, day out, not for a few weeks a year. The goal isn't quick success. It's to stay long enough to actually be taught – and to become the best Japanese chef to come out of the Czech Republic.

More of the journey on Instagram
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Catering

Sushi for your event

Corporate dinners, family celebrations, intimate tastings – a menu shaped around your occasion. Omakase for a small group or catering for larger events. Based in Prague and the surrounding area.

Contact

Collaborations, questions, or just to say hello.