Hikari Sushi & Omakase officially opened its doors on May 3
By SOFIA BIREN — city@theaggie.org
Hikari Sushi & Omakase, a new sushi restaurant in Davis, opened in late April. The restaurant began offering take-out on April 29, before officially opening for dine-in on May 3. It is located on F Street at the storefront that used to house Cookies N Cones.
Hikari Sushi & Omakase is dedicated to making sushi with ingredients of the highest caliber. According to their Instagram page, the word Hikari means light in Japanese. Omakase, the second part of their name, has a more intricate meaning.
“Omakase means a meal consisting of dishes selected by the Chef,” the owners wrote on their Instagram page. “The chef will create some courses with seasonal and best available ingredients”.
Natalie Glassman, a third-year student on the pre-med track, is an avid sushi fan. Coming from Los Angeles, Glassman said she has been exposed to sushi for as long as she can remember. The idea that a high-quality sushi restaurant is in Davis is a complete game-changer.
“I’m really excited to try it,” Glassman said. “There was this documentary called Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which I saw a few years back that really opened my eyes to sushi as more than a cuisine. There is a real art that goes into it, which I found really amazing.”
The owners of Hikari Sushi & Omakase have paid attention to every detail in their restaurant. They documented the transformation from ice cream parlor to sushi restaurant on their instagram page, which lasted about four months.
For example, they shared in a post that it took them three weeks to find the best design for the chairs that would be in their restaurant. Furthermore, they built the kitchen counter twice, because the first one did not fit their vision for the design.
In addition to remodeling the space, local artisans in Davis contributed to the aesthetic of the restaurant. According to their Instagram page, Lily Watkins, a local potter made a sake set for the restaurant and Dave and Jenny Nachmanoff gave the owners of Hikari Sushi & Omakase hand made dishes as well.
The menu is another aspect of the restaurant that the owners take great oversight in. They take the meaning of Omakase to heart and base the menu on whatever ingredients they happen to get, according to their Instagram. On May 6, they served Wagyu beef imported from Japan and made their wasabi from scratch.
Gabriel Andres, a graduate student from Southern California, says that he’s excited that a restaurant like Hikari Sushi & Omakase is in Davis.
“I love restaurants such as these because they are a reflection of the diversity in California and in Davis,” Andres said. “Although it’s a little pricey, I’m ready to try it. I’m sure it’s definitely worth it.”
The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sithu Tun and Zin Khine, the owners of the restaurant, were contacted but unable to provide comment as of May 10.
Written by: Sofia Biren — city@theaggie.org
