As a reviewer – whether it is restaurant reviews, food truck reviews, music reviews or any other kind of review – I strive for neutrality and objectivity.
On this one I cannot rightly say I am fully neutral, though I will try to be objective. I have known Kiyo since I was a kid. He is nearly family. I am his lawyer. And, oh by the way, he makes the best Sushi I have ever eaten.
Kiyo is, quite literally, the dean of San Diego sushi chefs. He has been at his current location in the Gaslamp District since 1987 and had a restaurant for half a decade before that in Hillcrest. When that Hillcrest restaurant opened there was only one other sushi bar in the city.
What Kiyo does best is traditional Japanese sushi and cuisine. He can be amazingly creative and does not necessarily see himself as being bound by the strictures and traditions of the Edo-style.
But it is when Kiyo is creating at or, at the very least, reasonably close to those traditions – a dash of lemon juice or a slice of lemon on the salmon, some sprinkles of salt on the scallops, a dot of Srirachi on the sea bass or a tangle of green onion and a dot of a proprietary sauce (Srirachi and Kewpie mayonnaise?) on the snapper – that he really shines.
These garnishes are not just for aesthetics. They are for flavor. Each enhances the Neta (topping), bringing out its natural flavor – popping it – and coaxing it into being as much itself as it possibly could be.
Kiyo’s Japanese Restaurant is not, as it could never be, all things to all people – not even all sushi-eating people. It is not a hipster joint. It is not anything remotely close to the height of contemporary urban design. It is not a hyper-modern palace. If you want those things you’ll have to go elsewhere. Kiyo’s is exactly what it purports to be, nothing more. It does what it says on the label. It is as close to a traditional Japanese Restaurant as you’ll get in San Diego today.
But for me the crowning glory of any trip to Kiyo’s is the Uni – sea urchin gonads (yes, some call it “roe” … but its not). Uni, this fresh, is a heady combination of sweetness and the essence of sea foam, arrayed on a savory matrix. There is no better place on the rock to experience Uni.
The quality of Kiyo’s Uni is, quite literally, unparalleled in my experience (and I’ve had a lot of it). It goes back to his days as an Uni packer, before he sold the company and trained his replacement in exchange for a perpetual deal of first pick at any time on any day. It is a deal he has occasionally had to enforce by threatening to train a competitor.
I have known Kiyo for what seems like my whole life. What’s to stop you from meeting him tomorrow?
Hi, I’ve loved dining @ Kiyo’s for over 30 years. He is family to me. My Dad used to take me to his place on 5th next to the Safari Lounge. He and his wife came to my wedding. I am so sad he closed down. Please let me know if he starts up a new location.
I certainly will, Susan. I will try to find a way to contact him. My folks also took me to the place on 5th. Before closing down, Kiyo had talked about opening a new place — possibly back in Hillcrest — after taking a break.
Let’s hope Kiyo will open up a new place soon!! I also hope that when/if he does, it will have the same charm as the place on F St. I found the place when I first moved to SD back in 2002, and I loved it. Was so sad to see it closed down. 🙁
Where is Kiyo’s new location or when will he open again?
I don’t believe Kiyo has opened a new location…yet. His even older place — on 5th in Hillcrest — was, if anything, even more charming. When last I spoke with him he seemed to be looking towards Hillcrest rather than the Gaslamp.
I really miss my friend Kiyoto. Mag, please contact me through my website so I can reconnect with Kiyo and have a cup of tea with him.