Andrew Debellis came to Honolulu with dreams of becoming a traditional sushi chef, and before long landed a job as sous chef at Margotto, the Honolulu branch of Margotto e Baciare, which is featured in the prestigious Michelin Guide to Tokyo.
Instead of learning fine art of Japanese cuisine, the 23-year-old aspiring culinary artist says he ended up with lasting physical pain and emotional trauma from being repeatedly physically assaulted by chef Yohei Yagishita.
In one instance, Debellis says, Yagishita punched Debellis so violently that the senior chef tore Debellis’ rotator cuff. The final blow came on Christmas Day 2023, when Yagishita punched Debellish so hard in the face that it caused whiplash, rendering Debellis unable to work.
Even after physical therapy, Debellis says, he can’t fully use his arm…