New Downtown Sushi School Plans to Teach Traditional Skills

by Richard Guzman

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES – Master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi admitted that as a kid, he wasn’t exactly a great student, which makes his role as the head of a new Downtown Los Angeles school somewhat ironic.

But this is a school where Uechi is right at home doing what he does best: preparing sushi.

There is also a noble purpose, implied Uechi, who founded the small Katsu-ya restaurant chain in 1998. He has partnered with Noritoshi Kanai, president of the Japanese food-importing business Mutual Trading Company and a pioneer in bringing sushi to America, partly because he is concerned about maintaining the authenticity of traditional Japanese sushi. He also noted a shortage of qualified chefs.

Located at 843 E. Fourth St., in a gritty industrial section of the Arts District, the Sushi Institute of America opened this month and will teach a maximum of 20 students per session