Tokyo Restaurant Sushi Zanmai Is Opening Its First U.S. Location in Los Angeles | Eater LA
"Opened in 2001 by Kiyoshi Kimura in Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market in response to falling traffic there, the original restaurant quickly set itself apart by operating 24 hours, feeding hungry locals and tourists looking for sushi at all hours of the day and night. Since the first location, the chain has expanded to dozens of locations across Japan, becoming well known for reasonably-priced sushi and a smiling statue of Kimura that welcomes guests at the front door. Kimura is known as the "tuna king" in Japan and paid a record 333.6 million yen (more than $2 million USD) for a single bluefin tuna at a New Year’s auction in 2019. The first U.S. location will open in Koreatown’s Chapman Market, taking the former Sake House by Hikari space at the corner of Sixth Street and Alexandria Avenue; initial signage went up in late May 2025, a liquor license was filed in February 2025, brown paper remains up in the windows obscuring the interior, and no opening date has been announced. If the Los Angeles offerings mirror those in Japan, guests can expect affordable nigiri, hand rolls, tempura, sashimi, chawanmushi and more served in a lively dining room; it will enter an already competitive field of sushi restaurants in the city, and hopefully the statue of Kimura will make the trip over as well." - Rebecca Roland
