A decade in the making, the chef owner of Rakiraki Ramen & Tsukemen is opening Matsuoka Sushi, a Japanese restaurant devoted to multi-course bento boxed meals set to unveil later this year in San Diego's Kearny Mesa.
A collaboration between RakiRaki founding chef Junya Watanabe and executive sushi chef Hajime Matsuoka, Matsuoka will open in the space that currently houses The Yasai on Convoy Street. The whole space will soon be called Rakiraki Commons and feature menus from The Yasai, Matsuoka, JCK and Rakiraki and also offer cocktails. Matsuoka will be devoted to the Japanese tradition of Kaiseki, a multi-course sushi meal where each preparation is served within an artfully plated bento box. With Kaiseki, each bite is meant to be eaten a specific way - left, right, middle and then, finally, back.
Junya Watanabe’s vision behind Matsuoka is to transport guests straight to Tokyo, where he spends time each year in research and development with his chef friends. Matsuoka will offer a menu of top-grade sushi based around seafood and ingredients procured at the height of freshness and seasonality. Fish will be flown in daily from all over the world and hand-selected by Chef Junya himself. Due to these steep standards, only five to eight fish will be selected and highlighted daily. Starting this summer, Matsuoka will operate on a reservation-only basis from 5-10pm. The intimate venue seats 16 people comfortably for the perfect private dining ambience.
Matsuoka is expected to open as early as this July at 4646 Convoy Street, Suite #101-B, in San Diego's Kearny Mesa. For more information, follow Matsuoka's Instagram page.
