Oishii opening farm in Los Angeles

Oishii is opening its newest farm in Los Angeles, making Oishii’s strawberries available outside of the greater New York area for the first time, per a press release.

Oishii - which means ‘delicious’ in Japanese - is known for its Omakase Berry, a strawberry varietal from the foothills of Japan regarded for its sweetness, aroma, and creamy texture. Oishii’s pollination method is conducted naturally with bees, delivering ripe fruit year-round.

“Since our earliest days, consumers, chefs, and retailers have all been asking us to bring our berries to L.A. We can’t wait for more people to experience the Omakase Berry as our company reimagines the future of farming,” said Hiroki Koga, CEO and co-founder of Oishii. 

Oishii’s berries will be available for sale at Destroyer, the Culver City cafe atelier from Chef Jordan Kahn.

The Omakase Berry was first introduced in 2018 and is used by several Michelin-starred chefs in New York. Beyond retail options, the berries will soon be served on the menus of L.A. restaurants. 

In March, Oishii closed a $50 million Series A, with funding dedicated to opening new markets and investing in R&D for new technologies. The vertical farmer is currently developing new strawberry varietals, as well as other types of flowering produce, such as tomatoes, melons, and peppers.