Restaurant Shakes Off Fire
Popular Houston restaurant returns from the dead: Sushi haven fights back from fire shutdown
MF Sushi will begin its soft reopening Saturday night, chef/owner Chris Kinjo tells CultureMap. A fire damaged the well-regarded sushi restaurant in September, but the time has come to throw open the doors.
"I've got to get open. I ordered fish from Tokyo," Kinjo says. "It takes a week to get in." That week is up, and the fish will arrive today.
Kinjo says he's been working 14 to 16 hours per day to prepare finishing touches. He'll spend Friday conducting inventory and preparing to open.
"When he comes back, he's going to be a monster. He cannot wait to show Houston what he's all about."
"I want people to know it's not full blown ready," Kinjo adds. MF Sushi will be open to the public on Saturday, but it will only have approximately 80-percent of its usual menu. Kinjo anticipates a friends and family atmosphere centered around his most regular customers.
The restaurant will close Sunday then continue the soft re-opening Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday, Kinjo thinks MF will be ready for full-time operations.
In March, Kinjo's brother Alex predicted the chef would have some new tricks after his time away from the kitchen.
"When he comes back, he's going to be a monster," Alex Kinjo said. "He cannot wait to show Houston what he's all about."