The son of a former west suburban sushi restaurant owner is entering the restaurant business for himself. After 20 years of working at other restaurants, Min Kim said he wanted to work in an environment tailored to his taste.
Neta Sushi, which recently opened at 35 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, will be a full-service restaurant with a bar, sit-down dining and a sushi counter. Kim, the chef and owner, said he wanted to create an environment that focuses on connecting with his patrons.
Kim, who has worked at Starfish and BluFish, told Pioneer Press that he wanted to work in an environment that was cozier and more personal because of his past experiences working with bigger restaurants.
“I felt like (those) restaurants felt like a factory, just pumping out food. Maybe the owners like it because they’re making money, but as a chef, this is not something I want to do with the rest of my life.”
Kim said the best way to eat sushi is at the counter immediately after the chef prepares it, when customers have the chance to ask questions.
“I’m more of a silent type, but I like to talk to people who are interested in how their food is prepared and stuff like that,” he said.
Neta Sushi’s menu is inspired by chefs Kim has worked with and sushi he has seen on the internet.
“There are a lot of talented chefs out there, and I’ve worked with a lot of good chefs… I got into the restaurant because of my father. He used to have a restaurant back in the day, and I saw him in the restaurant.” His father was the chef and owner of Wild Sushi and Grill in Wheaton, and he also worked in the family business when he was younger.
Kim said he didn’t immediately want to work in sushi with his dad, but over time, when he needed a job, he found one at a sushi restaurant. “I didn’t think I would love it, but I fell into it and loved it, and then just kept doing it ever since.”
Neta Sushi’s menu will focus on fresh fish, which Kim said he will buy from an out-of-state vendor that gets its fresh fish directly from Japan. He said he would have bluefin tuna, which he said is a better quality fish compared to the more common bigeye tuna served in restaurants.
“Bluefin has a little bit more of a softer tuna,” he said. “Bluefin has the best fatty belly, it has a higher fat context… it basically melts in your mouth.” Staples like Japanese red snapper and yellowtail will also be on the menu.
The bar will also be stocked with Japanese whiskey and sake, a Japanese rice wine similar to vodka, but lower in alcohol content and smoother, Kim said.
Kim will measure the success of his business through two metrics: “Obviously, on the business side, you gotta make money. You’ve gotta be positive to give employees money and stay open. But if I see repeat customers, if I have a lot of repeat customers, that means I’m doing something right.”
“Making money is important, but I don’t want to sling stuff out. I want to be creative, I want to take more care into the food,” Kim said.
In the lead-up to opening, Kim said his father planned to help him with the restaurant.
“He’s proud of how far I’ve come. He’s worried at the same time because this being my first solo venture, so he’s definitely worried. But I’m excited, and there’s definitely some worry, but I’m pretty confident that I’ll do okay here,” he said.
“It’s like a full circle, right? Now he wants to help, even like just washing dishes if I need it,” Kim said. “I’m gonna try my best for him not to come, but if he wants to help, he can do a little bit here and there.”
“It’s funny how everything worked out. Him helping me out, instead of you know, me helping him out,” Kim said.
The restaurant’s hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday hours are from 1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
