Showcasing San Joaquin’s Beauty Through Japanese Cuisine
By Melissa Hutsell
Authenticity and elegance tastefully come together at Lodi’s Komachi Sushi. The Japanese style restaurant promises some of the best cultural cuisine outside of Toyko, and dishes that taste as good as they look. While many eateries focus on fusion food, Komachi Sushi stays trues to its roots by delivering a genuinely Japanese menu.
Tim and Sunny Chong opened the restaurant on August 9, 2013. With more than 30 combined years experience in the food industry under their belt, Sunny pursued her dream to open a Japanese restaurant in Lodi. As Chef and co-owner, Sunny says her “first priority is to select and provide a quality meal at its best to my guests at all times.” She adds, “Our passion is all about people, quality food and good service.”
Sunny says that while other Japanese restaurants are so caught up in fusion style Japanese cuisine and tend to blend in with the big crowd, “we run away from the crowd to find our own niche.” As a testament to their authentic menu, Komachi’s frequent guests consist of retired Japanese Chefs who led the first generation of the market in this area, describes Sunny.
Also impressive is the restaurant’s broad range of menu items, which cater to almost every palate and include home-style cooking, and rolls a plenty. In fact, the menu has more than 60 different rolls to choose from! “We have so many menu items, we’re not able to include all of them into our menu so some remain as hidden menu items,” adds Tim, “We offer customized true Japanese meal experiences (with reservations). It can be up to 24 courses in one meal.” If smaller portions are your preference, Komachi has you covered with Bento Boxes that serve healthy portions of a variety of menu selections.
Another goal for Komachi is to reflect the community’s best features – its rich beauty and agriculture. Their motto, ‘Actualizing Lodi’s Town Beauty Through Japanese Cuisine’ appropriately demonstrates this commitment. “’Komachi’ means ‘town beauty’ in Japanese,” adds Sunny, “We wanted to be one of beautiful features of this town.” In addition, the restaurant’s menu showcases locally sourced vegetables and fruits. Customers can also toast their meals with a glass from Komachi’s extensive list of locally made wine. “We’ve become one of the favorite stops for European wine makers when they’re visiting Lodi vineyards,” says Sunny.
The owners take inspiration from San Joaquin County while highlighting Japanese culture, and give back to the community that has helped them thrive. Tim and Sunny share their generosity both inside and outside of their restaurant by working alongside local churches to support missionary work in third world countries, which they often travel with each year. He adds, “We received, therefore we give…”
[pullquote]Must-try customer favorites: Flaming Dragon Roll & Spiderman Roll.[/pullquote] [pullquote]In the month of November through December, purchase $100 gift card for $90.[/pullquote]For More Information:
Komachi Sushi
307 S. Lower Sacramento Rd., Suite D, Lodi
(209) 334-3131
SushiKomachi.com