Hi, we’re Little Nishi.
It’s nice to meet you.

Little Nishi, founded in September 2023, is a food truck located on South 1st Street in Austin, Texas.

Our core values are gratitude, commitment, and humility. We are excited to announce plans for a second truck in North Austin. Thank you for learning about us—we hope to see you soon!

Joel Taylor is the founder, owner, and executive sushi chef for Little Nishi.

Joel's love for Japanese cuisine blossomed during his childhood when his parents hosted Japanese exchange students. This passion led him to pursue a sushi apprenticeship at a Japanese restaurant in Chico, CA.

A year into his training, Joel faced a personal tragedy, prompting him to return to his hometown, Hesperia, CA, where he joined a sushi/teppanyaki restaurant under Chef Patrick Acunia, allowing him to be near his family.

Continuing his culinary journey, Joel took on the role of head chef at Roll On Sushi Diner in Austin, dedicating three years to crafting exceptional dishes. His expertise then led him to Kome Sushi, where he trained under chefs Toshiake Irie and kazuaki Shimizu. He worked his way up and he served as an Ichiban chef for two years, contributing significantly to the restaurant's culinary excellence during his five-year tenure.

In 2020, Joel further honed his skills as a sushi chef at Uroko, training under chef and owner Takehiro Asazu for 2 years. Then, in September 2023, the Little Nishi trailer was opened, marking the next chapter in Joel's culinary adventure.

Joel then trained Mychal Guzman to be the chef/manager of the first trailer and opened up the second trailer in October of 2024.

We are looking for a good location for a brick and mortar, by winter 2025.