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The name of St. Helier's newest sushi bar, Kyomu, translates from Japanese to "dreams that come true" - and this is exactly what its launch has meant for its owner.
Chef Luis Manuel De Freitas had always wanted to open his own traditional sushi bar.
Mr De Freitas moved to the Channel Islands around five years ago, living first in Guernsey and then in Jersey with his family for the past two-and-a-half years.
He has more than seven years' experience working as a sushi chef in various different restaurants around the island, including Soy.
However, his ultimate dream has always been to open his own sushi bar which is truer to the traditional Japanese-style sushi that he was trained to cook.
Pictured: Mr De Freitas has also been doing all of his own marketing and photography.
Mr De Freitas explained: “I am trying to create something different that people haven’t done before with sushi in Jersey. We are trying to make people happy through food, by putting all of our effort and passion into the food and the service that we provide.
“I have been taught before how to make sushi as fresh and tasty as possible, and that is what I am trying to achieve here at Kyomu. I am trying to play with the way that food is served to the customer in order to achieve the freshest and best dishes possible.”
Kyomu has initially opened for takeaway only, but Mr De Freitas is hoping that they will be able to offer eat-in service within the next few weeks.
Like all hospitality businesses, they are struggling with lack of staff. Mr De Freitas is currently the only sushi chef, whilst his father is helping him out with some of the service and organisation.
Mr De Freitas said: “I am basically running everything on my own, so it’s a big responsibility. I am the chef, the person dealing with the suppliers, and doing all the marketing myself too.
“We are currently looking for some waiters as I don’t even have time to serve coffees during the day! I can’t stop all the sushi prep that I have to do or, when I open later in the evening, I won’t be ready for service.”
Pictured: Kyomu is located on St James Street, in St Helier.
Despite the lack of available hospitality staff, there has been no lack of enthusiasm for the new sushi bar, with the takeaway service receiving positive feedback from customers in the two weeks since opening.
Mr De Freitas said: “It’s nice that people seem excited about Kyomu as they walk past and are curious to look in. Since day one, it’s been very busy considering there is only one sushi chef. I have basically been non-stop!”
Once Kyomu has secured extra staff, the aim is to expand into a traditional Japanese-style sushi bar, where the customers are seated at the bar where they can watch the sushi chef prepare their dishes.
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Mr De Freitas explained: “In Japan, they don't have menus at sushi bars. The chef chooses which ingredients are the freshest from markets on that particular day, and that is what they prepare and serve to the customers as that's what is going to be the nicest tasting.
“The chef can then see the reaction of the customers seated at the bar and see what they like in order to adjust the next dish to their tastes. It’s really interactive and that’s what I love; that’s proper sushi.”
Although Mr De Freitas is passionate about traditional sushi, he has not been afraid to modernise his menu at Kyomu to ensure that it is inclusive to the wide variety of modern dietary requirements.
Pictured: Kyomu also offers vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
Mr De Freitas said: “In my last five years working in restaurants in the Channel Islands, I have seen what people like.
“When I first came here and saw beef and chicken in sushi I was like ‘what?!’ because I was convinced that sushi was supposed to only be fish and rice. But then my mind expanded! I tried it and thought: ‘why not?’. If it tastes good and people enjoy it then I am happy to serve it!”
He added: “We are trying to offer something to please every pallet here, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options. And, of course, it has to be enjoyable. If it’s not something that I think tastes good, then I won’t include it on the menu.”
Apart from the staffing issues facing the hospitality industry as a whole, the opening of Kyomu has been relatively smooth sailing for Mr De Freitas so far. However, his main concern is that people won’t appreciate what he is trying to achieve as Kyomu gains more customers.
He said: “I hope people are patient and understand that quality sushi is a different type of food service than other restaurants.
“For example, if you opened a burger place, you could spend the day cutting the vegetables and preparing the meat and buns. Then later, when someone comes and orders ten burgers, everything is ready to go and you can make them all quickly at the same time.
“However, with sushi it’s different; you have to make the rolls fresh. As soon as you put the rice next to the seaweed, it starts to dry out. In order to keep it fresh, you have to make it one-by-one and on demand. So, if someone orders 40 rolls, they might need to wait two hours for their food.
“Some customers think that is too long to wait, but that is how we ensure that it is fresh and made for each person individually. However, people who love sushi understand that it takes some time to make properly and they appreciate that.”
Pictured: "I hope people are patient and understand that quality sushi is a different type of food service than other restaurants".
As suggested in the name, Kyomu “is indeed a dream that came true” for Mr De Freitas, who’s unabated enthusiasm is clear whenever he speaks about his sushi bar.
“I personally believe that sushi is a kind of art, more than just food,” he gushed.
“The presentation and the taste are both equally as important. Every dish I serve to the customer, even if it is something small and cheap, I try to make special. Every day, I try to be a better chef than the day before.
“You can feel the different tastes and textures in your mouth when care is taken in the way you cut the fish and prepare the rice; that’s what we’re trying to achieve here.”
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