After 30 years of family gatherings and late-night happy hours, the blue curtains emblazoned with the iconic Sushi King name are coming down in Moiliili.
The creation of Akihiro and Shu-Lee Kondo, Sushi King will shut its doors at 2700 S. King St. on June 20. Originally from Japan, the Kondos met in San Francisco in the 1970s and opened their first restaurant together in 1980, according to an interview in Dining Out.
New Akasaka was a success in downtown San Francisco, but the Kondos knew they wanted to live in Hawaii, moving to Oahu with their two daughters in 1990. Sushi King opened in 1991 and remains a favorite among local residents for casual, family-style Japanese cuisine.
Under the leadership of Sylvia Kondo Akaka and Tez Hartney, the restaurant managed to hang in there during COVID-19, with head chef Edgar San Juan and crew pivoting to takeout orders during the pandemic.
According to a recent post on Instagram, the closure is not permanent.
Do you have a favorite Sushi King memory? Share it in the comments!
