Chef Katsuya Uechi's foreword from my new coffee table book, Sushi Row. Rest in peace, Chef Katsuya Uechi, 1959 - 2026. Read his full story in the book.
Foreword
When I arrived in America at 24 years old, after six years of training in Japan, I could not have imagined what would happen in this stretch of Studio City. What we now call "Sushi Row" began with just a few of us—Teru Sushi, Sushi Nozawa, Kazu, Asanebo, and myself—bringing our craft to a place where many people had never even heard of sushi, let alone tried it.
When I opened my restaurant in Studio City in 1997, it was the third Japanese restaurant in that location. I found the space in a Japanese newspaper, and even though I hesitated, I told myself, "If I don't stand up now..." After working at several restaurants, including Kabuki in Northridge (which I later purchased from my previous boss), it was time to create something of my own.
I always wanted to keep everything authentic, but this is America. The challenge was finding balance—respecting traditional Japanese techniques while creating dishes that Americans would enjoy. This led to me being credited with one of my most popular creations. My spicy tuna on crispy rice came from trying to please a regular customer whose boyfriend loved sushi, but she could barely eat a bite of spicy tuna. It was boring for her to visit every week, so I made something special. When other customers saw it, they wanted to try it, and the trend spread from the sushi bar to all tables.
Instead of deep-frying rice until it became too hard, I thought: in Japan, our number one ingredient is soy sauce. In America, it's butter. Why not cook the rice with butter and soy sauce? Small innovations like this helped introduce many Americans to Japanese flavors.
As word spread, people came from farther away to visit us. This led me to open in Encino and then expand to other locations. By 2006, our reputation had grown so much that I was named Chef of the Year by Angelino Magazine, though I didn't even know until much later!
What concerns me today is that we lack adequately trained chefs as sushi's popularity continues to grow. This is why I worked with Mr. Kanai of Mutual Trading Company to start a sushi school, teaching everything from basic hygiene to the art of feeling the fish. An authentic sushi chef can tell quality just by touch.
When I look at Studio City now, I see how this small stretch of restaurants became something special—a destination where people come to experience Japanese cuisine at its finest. Some places feature celebrities; others offer traditional omakase, but we all contributed to creating this unique culinary landmark.
This book captures the story of Sushi Row—not just my story, but the story of all the chefs and restaurants that transformed this unlikely location into one of Los Angeles's most treasured food destinations. It is the story of Japanese cuisine finding its place in America and of the beautiful possibilities that emerge when cultures meet through food.
I am honored to be part of this history and proud to share it with you.
Chef Katsuya Uechi
March 2025
