Meet Our Team
Meet the brilliant minds behind Midori.
Sarah Liu
Executive Chef
"Cooking is an art of balance—fresh vegetables, bold flavors, and tradition come together to nourish both body and soul."
Eric Wu
Founder
"In every dish, we honor nature's gifts—simple ingredients, prepared with care, to bring harmony to the table."
Anton Ross
General Manager
"Great vegetarian cuisine isn't just about taste—it's about sustainability, honoring the land, and cooking with respect for future generations."
Our Timeline
Scroll down to view Midori's Past & Details
Origins
Midori, the Japanese word for "Green", was an inspiration for Eric Wu and two of his friends (Sarah Liu & Anton Ross) from culinary school to found a restaurant. Each of these people is interested in making the world a happier, more sustainable place via vegetarian cuisine.
Scaling up
In 2015, Eric Wu & his friends started his adventure to scale up the restaurant. They started hiring qualified chefs who could cook Authentic East Asian Food in a timely manner. From a humble beginning in 2015, they started to turn a profit.
An Expanding Menu
Sarah decided to expand the menu by diversifying the cuisine. Pho Chay was a Korean Cuisine that she remembered growing up. By knowing organic buckwheat farmers in Japan, the restaurant was able to get fresh & organic noodles. With this, they also added Japchae & more recognizable menu items.
Delivery System
Up until 2017, they decided to use gas-powered deliveries to engage customers who wanted to order in. It's when Anton put his foot down that they made a decision to sacrifice profits while saving the environment. They decided to use an electric-powered fleet of vehicles to help the environment.
The Switch
Up until 2018, they had used vegetables from domestic sources. However, we they decided to go international when it came to their food ingredients. They decided to use more of their overseas connections to get more amazing ingredients.
Wind Energy
There was another problem, however. The restaurant itself still used plenty of energy that came from coal mining. With yet another large investment toward a sustainable restaurant (with them investing in solar energy), they showed weren't sacred of the economic turmoil of COVID-19.
Expansion
Do they expand? That was a pertinent question that Midori faced a few years into the pandemic. Although it seems like a good idea, the Anton, Sarah, and Eric all thought that expanding meant consuming more energy & environmental resources, so they decided to stay local to protect the environment and the sanctity of the restaurant.
Acclamation
At this point, Midori was receiving widespread acclamation for their "climate-first" approach to the food business. They are proud to boast a Michelin Green Start that they got awarded in 2023. With this, journals like the New York & LA Times, CNN, & NBC gave Midori widespread attention across climate activists.
Overseas Transport
They had all of the ingredients from Asian local markets, but they had a problem: how would they get the food to us in an eco-friendly way? By looking at the Duffy Electric Boat Company support along with large investments from those sharing Midori's vision, they used electric boats (which is an emerging technology, like Byferga's electrical ferries) to give us the taste we all love in a sustainable manner.
The Future
Midori has bright plans for the future as they don't plan to stop being sustainable. As of recent, they decided to donate two hundred thousand dollars to the Arbor Day Foundation in an attempt to tell the world that one can make money while still giving back to mother nature. They hope this message resonates with the younger generation as they continue to make waves.