Sushi Masters competition sponsored by California Rice Commission, Apr. 20

 

Cultural News, March 2007

 

 

Los Angeles regional competition of Sushi Masters sponsored by the California Rice Commission will be held on Sunday, April 20 in Little Tokyo. (Courtesy of the California Rice Commission)

 

    Five of the top sushi chefs in Southern California have been selected to put their culinary skills on display at the upcoming Los Angeles Sushi Masters Regional Competition.

 

    The event will be held on Sunday, April 20, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Aratani/Japan America Theatre in Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles.

 

     “We are fortunate to have these talented chefs in the competition,” said Tim Johnson, President & CEO of the California Rice Commission, which is hosting the event in partnership with the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles.  “They illustrate the skill and expertise that this culinary art form requires,” noted Johnson.

 

     Finalists for the Los Angeles Regional include: Song Kim, Head Chef, Gugu Sushi & Roll, Hermosa Beach; Takuya Matsuda, Executive Chef, Sushi Bar Nippon, San Diego; Toshihiko Seki, Chef/Business Owner, Sushi Catering Toshi, Los Angeles; Aung Soe, Head Chef, Geisha House, Alhambra; Kenny Yamada, Executive Chef, Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant, Los Angeles. 

 

    A high-profile panel of sushi instructors, chefs and culinary leaders will

serve as judges for the competition, which will yield two winners, who will then compete in the State Sushi Masters Finals on June 10 in Sacramento.

 

     In addition to viewing the live, 45-minute sushi making competition, those attending the Los Angeles Regional will also be treated to cultural

entertainment, a reception-style sampling of cuisine from Southern

California’s best Japanese and Asian restaurants, as well as beer and sake

tasting.

 

    This is the first time a Sushi Masters Regional competition takes place in Los Angeles, the sushi capital of the nation. Sushi Masters brings this

trendy cuisine back home to Little Tokyo where the first U.S. sushi bars

opened in the 1960’s.

 

   The 2008 Sushi Masters Regional Competition at the Aratani/Japan America Theatre in the Little Tokyo area of downtown Los Angeles is truly a match made in culinary heaven.

 

    Tickets are on sale and are $65 general admission and $75 reserved seating. For tickets, call the box office at (213) 680-3700 or email info@jaccc.org  For event information, go to www.sushimasters.com 

 

   A portion of the ticket sales will aid cultural programs at the JACCC, the largest Asian American cultural center in the nation and the preeminent presenter of Japanese and Japanese American arts and culture.

 

   The California Rice Commission established the Sushi Masters competition in 2005, to highlight the growing interest in sushi and showcase the important role of rice in this and other world cuisine. Every piece of sushi made in America comes from California rice.