Nagato Sukiyaki's recipe for success is simple. The restaurant has over 100 years cumulative cooking experience and has been around for 42 years. Because of these two simple ingredients, Nagato's regulars continue to return. Nagato Sukiyaki is owned by Fumie and Yoshio Kawano, and is now managed by their son, Don Kawano, 38. The Japanese restaurant, on the corner of Fulton and El Camino Avenues, has a menu with both traditional Japanese kitchen-prepared items and sushi. Nagato didn't start with an exclusively Japanese menu. When they opened in 1970, they started with two menus – one with American food and the other with Japanese. The American menu included items such as hash browns, hamb

Jiro Dreams of Sushi Directed by David Gelb Back when their economy was booming, and the Japanese were snapping up real estate in Hawaii and golf club memberships in Arizona, there was a joke that suggested that you only needed to be able to say three things in Japanese: 1) No, it’s not for sale 2) Can I play through? 3) Cook the fish! For the uninitiated, this always seemed like a gag about sushi, but it’s sashimi that’s always raw whereas sushi comes in assorted forms based around the common element of rice that has been cooked and then flavored with vinegar. The art of sushi preparation has been mastered, and perhaps perfected, in a small restaurant tucked away in the basement of an

Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar will celebrate a quarter century in business May 15, and co-owner Taro Arai said that after the touch-and-go nature of the first five years, the business has come a long way. “The first five years, the more we worked, the more money we lost,” he said. “I still cannot believe it’s been 25 years. We’re so lucky to have all the support we’ve had.” Now with nine restaurants in the greater Sacramento area, Arai said the business will be expanding in 2012, and while more brick-and-mortar restaurants are likely in store, the next thing people will see is a food truck. There is no set timeline for rolling out the food truck yet, but Arai said he and his

Zen Sushi, located at the corner of 15th and I streets, has re-opened after weeks of construction and renovations. Days following it's grand re-launch, I ventured in and sat down to talk with my favorite sushi chefs: Michael Kwong and Lou Valente, and to meet the owner and Master Chef, Jason Von Hom. Gone was everything. All the orange and brown lacquered wood and Formica had vanished. Short, white leather chairs standing neatly at attention alongside uber-thick marble counters replaced the old, rickety, high-seated counter stools. Large flatscreens behind the new glass sushi cases made the room look bigger and drew more attention to the ceiling. Now affixed to the ceiling of each room

Downtown’s Zen Sushi restaurant recently finished a remodel to add a full bar and redecorate its interior in the style of modern sushi restaurants found in San Francisco. The restaurant was closed from early December until Feb. 11 for the remodel, according to owner Jason Hom. Hom said he is most excited about bringing in a full bar as part of the remodeled space. “Everyone is surprised at the change,” he said. “The whole style of the restaurant is a little bit more modern.” Hom said that business isn’t as good as it was before the closure, but it is picking up. He added that some people thought the business had closed permanently.   Manager Quyen Luong said she is most excited abo

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

Long before Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar existed, co-owner Taro Arai was an 11-year-old paperboy with big dreams. He saved $6,000 over five years to move his family from Japan to the United States. Arai wrote and published his first book, “Abundance: Finding the American Dream in a Japanese Kitchen,” in hopes that he will inspire other Japanese youths. The book is set to be released Wednesday and combines his family’s history with recipes for some of Mikuni's customers’ favorite dishes. “It’s not just a recipe book,” Arai said. “It has my life story in it.” The book’s 12 chapters tell different stages of Arai’s life and include recipes named to coincide with their themes.

After hearing from PETA that scientific studies show that prawns feel pain, Nishiki Sushi restaurant in Sacramento has informed PETA that it will no longer serve a cruel dish that's often called "dancing prawns." The dish's name is a reference to the writhing that the animals engage in when their protective shells are ripped off and acidic lemon juice is squeezed onto their raw flesh before they are eaten alive. PETA contacted the restaurant after receiving complaints from several patrons. "We [were] not aware that prawn[s] can feel pain," wrote Danny Leung, president of Nishiki Sushi Inc. "[W]e will no longer serve … prawn[s] alive. … Thank you for bringing this to our attention." "By ag

It wasn’t hard to find the Japanese bazaar’s location. Once within a few blocks of the Buddhist Church of downtown Sacramento, one could simply follow the mouthwatering aroma of teriyaki chicken rising from the barbecues. A tent canopy lined with lanterns was stretched over the Buddhist church’s parking lot. This makeshift construction presented a nomadic food court of delicious proportions. Booths with games and food lined the area’s perimeter as rows of tables and chairs filled in the center. A stage sat prominently in the large outdoor area in view of hundreds of spectating diners. Hundreds more made there way slowly through crowds of hungry people, drawn out to the bazaar by their app

An event so big that it’s in the phone book? Believe it. The Japanese Food and Cultural Bazaar has been up and running for 64 years. Those three score and four years have provided plenty of time for great recipes to be shared through the generations and are now made available for your tasting pleasure this weekend from noon - 9 p.m. at the Sacramento Buddhist Church, at 2401 Riverside Blvd. Steve Kawano has been involved in the event for the last 13 years and now acts as chairman. Since his youth he has had the opportunity to sample the great variety of food available at the bazaar and confessed that the “teriyaki beef sandwich is to die for.” What began as Japanese-Americans gathering

by Tony Sheppard Originally Published in Capitol Weekly This may be the least comprehensive restaurant review ever. So don’t be surprised if I go off on a tangent or two. Good Friends is located in South Natomas, in a small shopping plaza on the south-east corner of the I5 and West El Camino intersection. The location is close to several housing complexes and also the campuses of the University of Phoenix and the Art Institute of Sacramento. It’s a faculty favorite for the Arts Institute and, given that the Capital Film Arts Alliance meets there, also for some of the filmmaking community. For that reason, I’ve eaten there multiple times in the last couple of years, but I’ve never actuall

 I love baseball.  I love watching it, playing it, listening to it on the radio – whatever.  So when the Sacramento Press editors asked me if I wanted to cover any games, I jumped at the chance.   All right, maybe they didn't so much ask me as I harassed them until they gave in. They finally tired of the flow of sad, slightly creepy voicemail messages I'd been leaving on their machines:   "Hi, it's Lindol. I just wanted you to know that I'm free for every River Cats home game, and if you want, I could, maybe, I don't know, go and write about it?"   “Hey, Lindol again. I just wanted to say that I had a really nice time at the Kings game, and I really like baseball, and if you wanted I

Dragonfly Restaurant has closed its doors after five years in Midtown. Owners Glenn and Rosa Rivera-Lew quietly closed the Asian-fusion restaurant at least two weeks ago. They are now considering other options for the 3,500-square-foot space at 1809 Capitol Ave., whose lease they still own, said Ernesto Jimenez, an owner of the building and Zocalo, the restaurant next door. Dragonfly — whose menu included sushi, noodles and tapas such as sesame seed cones and taro chips — struggled for some time. "That's a sad one for us," said Rob Kerth, executive director of the Midtown Business Association. "I think they just couldn't draw enough people in to keep it going." Dragonfly opened about a

Downtown Sacramento has so many popular sushi destinations — Mikuni, Nishiki, Sakura, Zen.  Each Japanese restaurant has its own creative dishes, but most also offer only standard boiler plate menus of sushi rolls, teriyaki plates, and soup-based udon and sukiyaki.   John Voong, owner of Shabu Japanese Fondue, believes Sacramentans are hungry for change. "I see it this way.  It's a new concept here in Midtown," Voong said.  "Sacramento is ready for something like this." Shabu did a soft opening Nov. 30 to gauge diners' interest and it will continue until Thursday.  According to Shabu's Twitter page, the first night was a "great success" and boasted a "packed house the entire night."  

A large wooden cask, with kanji characters written in heavy black ink brush strokes, sat alone in the middle of the stage — but not for very long. "On the count of three," said the announcer, "these men will break the top of the cask, symbolizing happiness and good luck. Ready? Ichi ... ni ... san!"  Right on cue Jimmy Yee, County Supervisor, Ryan Garner, Community Outreach Coordinator at the Office of Mayor Kevin Johnson, and Dr. Gary Raff, UC Davis Medical Center Pediatrics, shattered the top of the casket with their wooden mallets.  Several watchers exclaimed "Kanpai!" officially kicking off the Fifth Annual Northern California Premium Sake Fest on Wednesday.  Harley and Judy Inaba c

"Kanpai!" You may hear a few attendees joyously exclaim this Japanese phrase, equivalent to the English "Cheers!" at the fifth annual Northern California Premium Sake Fest. The event kicks off Wednesday at The Sheraton Grand. North American Food Distributions — importer and wholesale distributor for Asian food retailers — hand-selected over 100 of the finest sake, shochu and Japanese beers to be presented and tasted for this event. "Shochu is a distilled spirit," said Judy Inaba, event manager for North American Food Distributions Inc. "It is an old-style beverage, very popular in Japan." The drink can be mixed with different juices, much like vodka, for a desired taste, Inaba said. Ea

So I have a confession......nothing too earth shattering, mind you; I don't use Miracle Whip instead of Best Foods, or margarine instead of butter.  It's a small thing in the grand scheme of life, a palatable shortcoming that gives me pause every time I'm with a group faced with the decision of where to grab a bite. Invariably, someone suggests sushi, and the majority of the group enthusiastically agrees. Then there's me..... I don't like raw fish; I don't like cold rice; and seaweed? Well, let's just say I'd rather eat the stuff I feed my goldfish----oh, wait; it's the same stuff. Sushi is HOT; in fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone under the age of 70 who doesn't love the stuf

I was shocked to hear the reason Jeremy Piven will no longer be in the Broadway play, Speed-The-Plow: mercury poisoning. According to People magazine, he has been experiencing extreme fatigue lately and his doctor attributes this to high levels of mercury in his system caused by his regular diet of tuna and sushi. I don't know about you but this makes me think twice about choosing a sushi restaurant for dinner when going out with friends. There was an article written in The New York Times in January of this year that tested the levels of mercury in various sushi restaurants in Manhattan. The New York Times tested tuna from 20 sushi restaurants. The tests revealed that some restaurants'