Bites Nearby: Kaisen Sushi

Kaisen is the Japanese word for revolution or battle.  Kaisen Sushi’s owner, Ryo Iwabuchi has started a revolution of sorts with his passion for providing Carrollwood residents the most authentic, fresh fish he can get his hands on.

Tokyo-born Iwabuchi has owned Kaisen Sushi for 15 years. Customers return to his restaurant for the experience of a casual Izakaya style sushi bar that features Japanese sushi, “American” sushi, soups and salads.

Patch’s Gina Melton stopped by the sushi bar at 14841 Dale Mabry Highway this week to get to know more about Kaisen’s owner.

Patch: How did you get involved in the restaurant industry?

Iwabuchi: Since I was in high school, really. I started as a dishwasher in a Fukuoya, Japan restaurant and later learned about how to clean and cook fish at other restaurants. I moved to California and applied for a dishwashing job- when they found out how much I knew about seafood, they hired me as a cook. There, I learned more about the art of sushi.

Patch: Do you like to cook at home?

Iwabuchi: Yes, very much. Lots of Italian and all the different Asian cuisines like Chinese. On my day off, I like to go to the grocery store and see what looks fresh and plan the week’s menu for my family from that.

Patch: What’s the best part of being a small business owner?

Iwabuchi: Watching families grow. The regulars are like family. Sometimes, I get to meet kids’ boyfriends and girlfriends before their families do, and get asked for my opinion like, “What do you think of them?”

Patch: When you eat out in Carrollwood, where do you like to go?

Iwabuchi: Vizcaya.

Patch: What makes your sushi restaurant stand out?

Iwabuchi: My goal is to present our customers with very good fish choices. As a sushi chef, my job is to keep fish as what it’s meant to be. The fish should taste like fish and not be covered up with mayonnaise or cream cheese!