Sushi Samurai

Sustainable sushi on Queen Anne

Leaps of faith. Sometimes you've just got to take them. Ray Maranon took one when he opened a sushi restaurant on top of Queen Anne. He took another when, after two years, he remodeled the interior. Both have paid off.

Ray worked at Chinoise at Uwajimaya for four years, then at Chinoise on Queen Anne for 10. He loved getting to know the people on the hill. He left to work for Bon Appétit at Amazon in South Lake Union, staying two years. "It was a great experience. Everyone cares about where ingredients come from, the quality, and consistency. We served 4,000-6,000 employees between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. I got lots of experience in putting sushi out fast, but my heart said 'this is not how it should be done.' My goal became offering high quality product at a pace that allows people to slow down, take time with family and friends, enjoy a meal. I jokingly tell people 'this is a work-free zone.' We close at 9 p.m. so I can get home and read to my boy before he goes to sleep. Some of the staff members have families and they want to be home. It's important."

Ray's first leap of faith was how he opened his own place. When meeting a friend for coffee, he walked past the space. "It was bright pink. But I called and thought it might work. Everyone says you have to have an 8-9 month cushion before opening, as a minimum. I didn't have it. I chose to go ahead anyway. It was the scariest thing I've done except for the birth of my son. Ototo sushi on Queen Anne had closed, and I had left Chinoise (it is gone now). I think those things created a sushi void." Fortunately, it worked for Ray. The restaurant took off. They had the traditional sushi case at the bar with a few tables scattered through the small space.

Big success contributors were the artistry and quality of his food. "I love art and creating something beautiful on a plate. My mentor, Taka, once plucked flowers from an arrangement and added them to the plates. It really opened my eyes to creating a beautiful dish." Ray creates celery art, carrot birds, and puts fruit on plates of sushi. "Traditional sushi plates are very simple. But peoples' palates have changed, so we offer more than traditional items. Our biggest seller is the Karen Roll and we sell more than 80 a day. It's a party on a plate with flavors and textures: salmon (fresh and seared), fried green onion, avocado, cucumber, tempura flakes."

 Sushi Samurai is one of two sushi restaurants in the state of Washington that uses 100% sustainable seafood. "Mashiko in West Seattle was the first fully sustainable sushi bar, starting in 2009. In 2013 when I opened, I was the second. When my son was younger, we watched "Jiro Dreams of Sushi." At the end, my son asked what it meant when Jiro said we have to do our part, big or small. It made me think, because up until then it was all about the numbers. My eyes were opened at Amazon where it was about quality. The Monterey Aquarium Seafood Watch group called me and within two minutes, I was on board. I knew it would be a challenge to be 100% sustainable, but they gave me all the resources I needed. In the first few weeks, I had a customer who said he didn't care if his kids or mine didn't have toro in the future, he wanted it right then and I should have it. I was just hoping he was one of the few that felt that way. It's about education. Sushi is eaten globally and we have to take care of the fish population."

As Sushi Samurai became more popular, Ray started losing business because there weren't enough seats. He worked with friends Lisa Kohl of Nob Hill Style and Rick Bourgoin of 2500 degrees. They had a budget and a week to work their magic. They love building one-of-a-kind things and that matches Ray's desire to offer food you don't see anywhere else. Together, they removed the sushi case and put in a new sushi bar (both it and the long table down the middle of the room are burnt wood that has been lacquered). That opens the space between guest and chefs. They found wooden cases that Boeing used to ship parts, and turned them into booths. Rick found rolls of wire next to a barn, overgrown with grass. He sandblasted and hung them over lights above the sushi bar. Inside are several different bulbs. "For me, the different lights represent the characters we have here, all working together for the common goal." Finding a cedar fence from Magnolia, they left it out to weather naturally. It is now the back wall of the restaurant. White tile on the kitchen wall taxed their abilities, but the staff did it together. Ray's early dream was to play in the NBA. For all the players, he has left a basketball on top of the pipes at ceiling level.

"Being able to create this space within two years of opening is so exciting. It's allowed us to triple our business. Now I want to take what goes on the plate up another level. Michael Jordan once said that some people have never seen a basketball game, so if they come, he has to give them the best experience ever. It's the same for me. I'm making up for not being in the NBA by creating the best food experience I can."

Sushi Samurai
1817 Queen Anne Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
206-766-0298
www.thesushisamurai.com

October 2015