By 1987 I opened Ginza Sushi-Ko in a strip mall on Wilshire Boulevard. It had 10 seats. I did everything by myself – running all over the place. I’m making sushi and taking orders. I had a great memory in those days. I had to remember what people liked and what they didn’t.

This was an Omakase-only sushi counter where I could provide the omakase experience. This was something new and special. Fish was not imported from Japan to Los Angeles in those days and all I could find was often three or four days old. This led to me getting on a plane every Saturday, flying to Japan to the fish market, packing several boxes of fish on ice and coming back the next day. They knew me well on Northwest Airlines. Customs was easy, it was 100% just fish. It was hard work but it was fun though.

‍

‍