After more than 3 years in development, the owner of San Diego's omakase-only Hidden Fish sushi bar has outfitted a neighboring space to open Hitokuchi, an experimental small bite Japanese concept and sake lounge set to grand open very soon.
Hidden Fish opened in September 2018 within a small retail plaza off San Diego's bustling Convoy Street. The restaurant offers an intimate experience with only 13 seats and 50 or 90-minute seating options. Owner and chef John "Kappa" Hong has made a name for himself by offering a sushi experience where each piece of fish is hand crafted as an exhibition of culinary art, so much so that the New York Times published a glowing review of the 1,000 square-foot, omakase-exclusive restaurant. In later 2019, Chef Kappa over the neighboring retail unit last occupied by a massage parlor for the opening of a sister concept dubbed Hitokuchi.
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| Bluefin tuna poke toast |
Hitokuchi, which loosely translates to "one sip, one bite" in Japanese, will serve shareable, amuse-bouche-sized dishes of luxurious Japanese cuisine, with ingredients sources from around the globe including direct from Japan’s renowned Tsukiji Fish Market. There will also be a menu of specialty beers, including exclusive Japanese varieties, as well as wine and an expansive list of sakes and shochu that will be paired with each bite. All reservations will have a limit of 1 hour and 45 minutes, and there will be a 48-hour cancelation policy of $100 per person and a 10 minutes grace period from a customer's reservation time.
"For the raw side of the menu, we'll focus on all my specialty dishes over my 19 years as a chef," explained Chef Kappa. "Basically sashimi dishes all bite size with a modern twist. For the hot food, we will focus on small bites pairing with a large variety of sake. As a chef, I focus a lot on umami and how to bring out the best flavors on ingredients I use. Each bite at Hitokuchi will be umami."
Hitokuchi will grand open on January 5, 2023, at 4764 Convoy St., Ste B, in Kearny Mesa. For more information and to make reservations, visit resy.com/cities/sd/hitokuchi and check out the sample menu below.
"For the raw side of the menu, we'll focus on all my specialty dishes over my 19 years as a chef," explained Chef Kappa. "Basically sashimi dishes all bite size with a modern twist. For the hot food, we will focus on small bites pairing with a large variety of sake. As a chef, I focus a lot on umami and how to bring out the best flavors on ingredients I use. Each bite at Hitokuchi will be umami."
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| King crab & uni toast |
