Construction delays have slowed the reopening of Zen Sushi at 15th and I streets, but owner Jason Hom said remodeling work should be completed within a few weeks.

“We’re 80 percent done with the interior, and we’re painting the outside today,” he said Monday. “I am hoping we can reopen in two weeks.”

The restaurant closed in early December for a remodel whose main feature is a new bar and an upgrade to a full liquor license, Hom said.

The 3,200-square-foot space has been in operation as Zen Sushi since 2007, and Hom said he expects the remodeled restaurant to hold about 60-70 patrons, about the same as it did before the remodel.

Bar specials will be offered, but the details have yet to be determined.

“We will have cocktails and a happy hour menu, but we are still working on it,” Hom said.

In addition to the full bar, the interior has also been opened up. Walls have been knocked down to give a more spacious feel. Where small doors used to allow passage into side dining rooms, large sliding glass doors have been installed. The sliding glass doors can be left open or shut to provide a more intimate, quieter dining experience, Hom said.

Lighting has been upgraded to LEDs for energy efficiency, and Hom said the two main rooms – a dining room to the right of the entrance, and the bar and sushi bar to the left – will have different moods.

“The dining room is more warm, with warmer colored LED lights, and the bar is going to be cooler colors,” he said.

The LEDs are being incorporated into ceiling décor as well, with a lighted piece of ceiling art hanging prominently in the main dining area. The art will feature stylized trees.

Hom said he learned how to prepare sushi in 1998 from friends at Taka Sushi at 18th and S, which his father owned until it closed in 2007, and he started Zen Sushi.

His favorite dish?

“I like sashimi,” he said.

Originally, Zen Sushi was scheduled to reopen shortly after Christmas, but construction delays pushed the date back.

“We are just waiting on our final inspection now,” Hom said, adding that it should come within days.

“I want people to know we will be back,” he said.

Next door to Zen Sushi is the Torch Club, and owner Marina Texeira said she looks forward to the reopening.

“A lot of my customers love their food, and they deliver here, so it keeps my customers here instead of going to outside and heading to other restaurants,” she said. “I’m excited for them to reopen, because they’re definitely missed.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.