Shiro Kashiba To Open Sushi Kashiba In October

It's almost time, sushi lovers. Last December, happy word came that Seattle sushi legend Shiro Kashiba was working on a new restaurant in Pike Place Market. There has been little word on the project since that announcement, but now the 74-year-old Kashiba reports that he expects to open Sushi Kashiba by the end of October.

"I still have sushi power!" Kashiba says. "I'm healthy, I don't care about the age. I like to work and like challenges."

For those unfamiliar, Kashiba trained with Jiro Ono (of Jiro Dreams of Sushi) in Japan, then came to Seattle in 1966, and worked in the International District for several years (the now shuttered Tanaka Restaurant, the century-old Maneki) before running Nikko from 1972 to 1992, which he ultimately sold to the Westin Hotel. In 1994, Kashiba opened his namesake restaurant, Shiro's, in Belltown and just phased out of that restaurant completely last fall, telling Eater he was looking for a new place where he could "do his own thing."

He's found it in a 2,200-square-foot space at 86 Pine Street (former home of Marche), where he plans to serve traditional Japanese sushi, sourcing ingredients locally as much as possible. He says we can also except a small bar with local wine, local and Japanese beer, sake, and a cocktail program. The chef/owner is not ready to announce major hires yet, but plans to bring on cooks he's worked with at Shiro's and Nikko.

"I still have sushi power!" Kashiba says. "I'm healthy, I don't care about the age. I like to work and like challenges."

In terms of decor, "sushi is very simple," Kashiba says, so the space will be, too: light and bright with 70 seats inside and 30 in the courtyard. He plans to open Sushi Kashiba with dinner service first (probably 5 to 10:30 p.m., nightly), then add on lunch several months later. Come on, fall.