Ramen and Sushi restaurant to open in Downtown Squamish

The man who gave Sushi Sen to Squamish is now working on opening a new Japanese ramen-and-sushi restaurant in town.

David Yuji Kite says he is excited about serving authentic Japanese ramen noodles and sushi in Downtown Squamish.

Taka Ramen and Sushi will open at the former Random clothing store on Cleveland Avenue in Downtown Squamish.

It will be a 26-seat restaurant with an 8-counter sushi bar and a patio and parking for customers at the back.

David is hoping to open it by September this year.

“I’m happy to open the first authentic ramen and sushi restaurant in Squamish, and I will be going back to the basics to provide some fine-tuned authentic Japanese cuisine,” he says.

Kite received his first cooking lessons from his grandmother when he was just three, although he started working as a sushi chef formally when he was 16 years old.

After moving to Canada, he worked at Japanese restaurants in Vancouver before starting the Taka Sushi on West 4^th Avenue in Kitsilano.

After selling that restaurant, he moved to Squamish with his wife and a newborn son to take a break from the big city. In 2007, they started Sushi Sen in Garibaldi Estates. He sold the popular sushi spot last year to spend more time with family.

After a year’s break, he decided he needed to get back to doing what makes him happy: cooking authentic Japanese ramen and sushi.

Taka Ramen and Sushi will offer the traditional pork and chicken bone and broth ramen, but David says he also plans to offer vegan ramen to satisfy those who are vegetarian and gluten free.

Homemade gyoza and sushi box along with homemade bean curd sushi, and wild fish carpaccio are some of the other offerings, although a full menu has to be finalised yet.

“Everything will be home-made, and the sushi and soup will be all fresh and the sauces will be made from scratch here,” he says.

Taka, which is Kite’s last name in Japanese, means eagle, and he says it matches with the character and the soaring popularity of Squamish.

“Downtown Squamish is a very vibrant place and I’m very excited to serve authentic Japanese ramen and sushi here,” he says.