David Bazirgan is a Newbury, Massachusetts native whose passion for cooking was sparked early, inspired by his mother’s home cooking, his father’s shish kebab, family trips to Watertown for Armenian staples, and his grandmother’s borek. Those formative experiences fostered a deep love for food, hospitality, and the power of cooking to connect people.
In 1996, Bazirgan pursued formal training at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, where he met his first mentor, Barbara Lynch. He quickly rose through Boston’s culinary ranks, working under Todd English before becoming Chef de Cuisine at No. 9 Park when it opened in 1998, helping define one of the city’s most influential restaurants.
In 2003, Bazirgan relocated to San Francisco, where he spent 14 years refining his craft across a wide range of concepts. During his time with the Kimpton Group, he became the first chef of the now-closed Fifth Floor, a restaurant that helped launch the careers of many notable chefs. While with Kimpton, he also served as a task-force chef, opening restaurants and leading kitchens in Amsterdam, Washington, D.C., Portland, and Palm Springs, building a strong foundation in leadership and globally influenced cuisine.
Bazirgan returned to Boston in 2016 to lead Bambara in Cambridge, where his Mediterranean-inspired cooking earned widespread acclaim and reestablished him as a defining voice in the local dining scene.
In 2021, longtime friend Ken Oringer invited Bazirgan to lead the kitchen at Uni, one of Boston’s most celebrated dining destinations. While at Uni, he traveled extensively throughout Japan to deepen his understanding of Japanese ingredients, technique, and culinary philosophy. He continues to push boundaries there, blending tradition with global influences and refined execution.
Bazirgan is also a partner in Hayz Dog in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley, a boutique hot dog concept known for its irreverent, chef-driven “loaded” dogs, reflecting his ability to move seamlessly between fine dining and approachable, creative concepts.
