Brian Lea is the co-chef and co-owner of Kisser in Nashville, a concept he developed with his wife, Leina Horii, as an homage to the Japanese kissaten.
Born in California, Lea began his culinary career working for chefs including Charlie Palmer, José Andrés, and Jordan Kahn. He later moved to Charleston to cook at Husk under Sean Brock and was promoted to sous chef as part of the opening team at Husk Nashville.
Lea then returned to Los Angeles, where he served as chef de cuisine at Trois Mec. It was there that he met Horii, with whom he would later build Kisser.
After relocating to Nashville, Lea and Horii worked together in the kitchen at Bastion before launching their own projects. In 2021, the pair began hosting a series of pop-ups alongside a weekly farmers market stand, laying the groundwork for their first restaurant.
In 2023, Lea and Horii opened Kisser, a neighborhood restaurant inspired by Japanese comfort food traditions, designed as a space for guests to eat, drink, and gather. They have since expanded their work with a second concept, Babychan, a daytime bakery and coffee shop in Nashville.
