“Misaki means cape in English,” said Kiyomi Yamanaka about his new restaurant, Misaki Sushi in the York Beach Mall in South Bethany.
Special to the Coastal Point • Christina Weaver
Shin Konno and Kiyomi Yamanaka at their new South Bethany restaurant Misaki.“We also picked the name, Misaki, because it is easy for English speakers to pronounce,” added Shin Konno.
Yamanaka and Konno both come from Japan, are expert sushi chefs, friends and now co-owners of South Bethany’s latest business. (The location is between McCabe’s gourmet shop and Grotto’s Pizza and adjacent to the newly re-opened bait and tackle shop.)
The two chefs met while they both worked at Ocean City’s renowned Yokozuna restaurant, before Yamanaka left to become head chef at the Cultured Pearl in Rehoboth. Konno, who is the younger of the two men, is the one who had the idea for them to own a restaurant together.
“When I came to America,” he said, “I had this dream, to be a restaurateur.”
Whenever they had free time, the two would fish together at the Indian River Inlet and, gradually, Konno convinced Yamanaka that their fishing friendship should evolve to a business partnership.
“Misaki is a real asset to the town and the whole area,” said South Bethany Mayor Gary Jayne, who recently tried the town’s newest restaurant. “I’ve never eaten sushi before, and am so surprised by how much I enjoyed my meal.”
Jayne tried a sample of sushi for his appetizer, valiantly using his chopsticks, but settled on chicken teriyaki for his entrée.
“Next time, I’ll order sushi for the whole meal, but its nice to know they have a variety of choices for the less adventurous,” he said.
Jayne’s wife, Barbara, agreed.
“I was brave and tried the seaweed salad. It was absolutely delicious.”
She also enjoyed one of the restaurant’s specialties, beef tataki. It is a thinly sliced filet mignon served with an ayuzu garlic sauce that was pronounced by fellow diners at the table as “excellent, an exquisite flavor.”
Jayne added, “Next time I want to sit at the sushi bar, so I can watch the food prepared. It is a real art.”
Indeed, technique, presentation, speed and, of course, taste are the criteria by which sushi chefs are judged in competition. Yamanaka should know. He recently competed in Tokyo’s famed Sushi Olympics, so called because they occur every four years and in Japan carry the same level of prestige as the international sports competition.
Encouraged by Konno to tell more, Yamanaka bashfully explained, “I won the national sushi competition at Washington, D.C.’s Cherry Blossom Festival five years ago and was selected to represent the United States. It was such an honor.”
Competing against three other representatives from the U.S. and 168 chefs from Japan, Yamanaka was awarded a silver medal. When his prize-winning sushi was sliced open, it revealed mirror images of the American flag — red, white and blue, stars and stripes.
Oh, yes, South Bethany doesn’t have just any old sushi chef. It has an Olympic winner!
Jeremy Gould, who works at Misaki’s fair-trade neighbor, Made By Hand, was as impressed with the restaurant décor as with the food.
“They have done a great job creating an elegant, relaxing atmosphere, and the food is presented so beautifully, you have a work of art on each table!”
On one wall is an abstract oil painting of bamboo reaching high toward the sky. It is the work of local artist Lindsey Richardson and is the perfect home for her piece.
“We are looking for ways to support our new community,” said Kanno.
Misaki is open from 5 to 10 p.m., seven days a week until the end of the season. A full menu carry-out service is available. The servers at Misaki are very knowledgeable about the menu and most willing to help diners who are unfamiliar with the cuisine to make just the right selection.
“We are hopeful we will develop enough clientele to keep us open through the winter,” said Yamanaka.
“I hope so, too,” said Jayne. “This is a restaurant that deserves to succeed.”
To make reservations or get more information, call (302) 539-0500.