Edomae Spirit in Texas: An Interview with Chef Leo Kekoa of Kinzo Sushi
Written by Team MUSUBI
Jewel-like ikura fish roe bright against thin white slices of fish and a white chrysanthemum dish. Delicately crafted nigiri that pop against black plates. A luscious construction of flaky fish, mushrooms, and yuzu on a bed of ice in a turquoise bowl.
These are just some of the gems you might find around the omakase counter at Kinzo Sushi, a fine-dining establishment located in the vibrant north Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas. It consistently ranks on lists of must-visit Dallas restaurants, and no wonder—with fish flown in every day from Toyosu Market in Japan, an intimate chef tasting of eighteen courses, and a classic offering of top-shelf nigiri and sashimi, Kinzo Sushi is a place to remember.
At the center of it all is owner-chef Leo Kekoa.
Sushi is in Kekoa’s blood. After working at his grandfather’s small sushi restaurant in Hawaii, he took a ten-year break to dive into the Korean music industry—yet ultimately was drawn back, once again, to sushi. Kekoa spent eight years at the renowned, Michelin-starred Nobu Dallas before taking the leap and opening Kinzo Sushi. His edomae-inspired menu has resonated so much that he is now on the cusp of opening his second restaurant, Ichika, in Plano, Texas this fall.
Team Musubi sat down with Kekoa to talk about his philosophy behind ingredients, how he uses MUSUBI KILN dishes to create just the right atmosphere, and how his musical sense influences his approach to hospitality.
Table of contents
From Humble Beginnings to Michelin Star
“Cooking came down from my grandfather,” Kekoa says. “All the things he told me now make sense.” But that wasn’t always the case.
As a high schooler working in his family’s restaurant, Kekoa says, “I did a lot of cleaning, making rice, cutting vegetables, and scaling fish. At the time I felt like I was just doing all the dirty work.” He laughs, looking back at his inexperienced self. “Now I know that prepping is everything.”
Not wanting to be tied down, he made a pact with his grandfather. He would be allowed ten years to do what he wanted with his life: travel and make music. Scouted by a production company, Kekoa spent those ten years as a music producer in Korea, sometimes traveling to Japan for work. While he was at it, he sampled as much good food as he could and kept his knife skills sharp by working at the occasional restaurant abroad. When he was ready to move on from music, he turned right back to cooking and sushi.
He applied to work at Nobu—a Michelin-starred group of fine-dining sushi restaurants with locations all over the world. With a position open at Nobu Dallas, that’s where Kekoa went next. He would stay at Nobu Dallas for eight years.
There, Kekoa says, he learned leadership, consistency, and speed. “We’d get paid from two pm on, but for three years I used to go in at twelve to practice and learn…Nobu is like the Harvard of sushi.”
Then, when it came time to consider moving up to restaurant manager, the ever-independent Kekoa decided instead to take yet another leap: open his own sushi restaurant.
Edomae Style: A Living Tradition
That brings us to Kinzo Sushi. Featuring edomae-style cuisine, Kekoa explains what that means to him. Turns out, it all comes down to ingredients.
“So completely breaking down my style, we’re talking about the Edo period, where sushi is proven to have originated.” At that time, the fish in Edo—present-day Tokyo—would have been caught in Edo Bay and served with soy sauce or vinegar. Continuing in that tradition, the majority of Kinzo’s fish, too, are caught in Tokyo Bay. So it’s truly Japanese sushi that Kinzo’s guests in Texas are eating.
It’s more than just the origin of the fish. “As a chef, you’re trying to understand the ocean’s circle of life. You need to respect the seasonality of the fish. That’s one side of the edomae style.” Being aware of how flavors change from fish early to late in the season influences the kinds of salt or vinegar Kekoa uses.
“The other side is keeping it simple. Lemon, salt, soy, vinegar.” He finds value in learning from sushi elders and being centered in the old ways of doing things. Keeping with tradition, Kekoa sticks to the four edomae-style condiments, but diversifies within those categories to create a variety of flavor notes. One of his omakase menus might involve as many as four to six salts and six to seven soy dressings, each carefully chosen to match each fish and the temperature of each dish.
The tradition of edomae is clearly alive and well in the modern world, even an ocean and half a continent away from Tokyo Bay.
Where Plating, Story, and Hospitality Meet
In omakase, if food is the masterpiece, then tableware is the canvas. So how does Kekoa choose the backdrop for his cuisine?
“I like the story behind the craftsmanship, and where it comes from,” Kekoa says of choosing MUSUBI KILN tableware. “Those types of things connect to me, because now I know I’m putting my food into a certain craft. It has a story and I love the background of it. The craftsmanship that Musubi offers is Michelin-level consistency.”
These kinds of details make a difference. “You guys [MUSUBI KILN] played a big role in making us shine in Frisco. Because we’re not in Downtown, it’s harder to be on the suburb side, and Musubi’s tableware does a great job of representing us as fine-dining caliber.”
As someone who adjusts salt and soy sauce so minutely, perhaps it should be no surprise that Kekoa changes it up with tableware, too.
“I feel like repeating is cheating,” he laughs, then gives an example of his plating thought process. “I start with what fish I’m going to use. Since this is a white fish I think I want some color so I’ll go for a traditional type of dish from MUSUBI, versus scallops I might use a dish with an aqua feel.”
Some tableware just begs to be used for certain seafood. “There’s a gold spoon I use for oysters. A cooler holds the spoon and I put the oyster inside, so customers will have ice-cold oysters.”
Are there any workhorse pieces that Kekoa really likes?
“There’s a circular ceramic, stone-looking black plate and a square black plate. Very simple, but the customers love those ones. And the red, gold, and blue bowls. We use those with flounder, and it gives the contrast of the original, the old-school. People love that plate.”
Bringing it back to his former music career, Kekoa says, “I take it as a mini concert when I do an omakase session. It’s not just food, but I think a lot of my regulars connected with me because of emotion. I'm a way more sensitive, emotional person than just a regular chef because I think music opened me up to that way of understanding.”
He goes on, “I'm not afraid to use different types of plates. As a musician, I always try to be a step ahead. Music helps me understand life and see different angles.”
It’s all about story, feeling, and the multi-sensory joy of good food.
Opening a Highly-Anticipated Kaiseki Restaurant
Kekoa comes across as low-key, but when asked about upcoming projects he excitedly showed this writer a towering pile of boxes in his entryway. “These are all for the new kaiseki restaurant!”
Ichika Kaiseki, set to open this October in Plano, Texas, will serve kappo-style kaiseki cuisine, focusing on a “traditional taste balance.” “Everything will be made in front of the customer. The grill is right behind me and the sushi counter right in front.”
Kekoa says it’s the first of its kind in Texas. With a mix of tempura, nigiri, and cold dishes, there will be plenty of room for both Kekoa and the customer to create and experience all kaiseki has to offer. “I’m excited to bring a different type of artistry behind the food.”
Not even open yet, Ichika is already prebooked for four months out. Keep an eye out for this exciting addition to the Texas restaurant scene.
Bringing together menus and storytelling, atmosphere and connection, Chef Leo Kekoa’s work continues to make a splash in Texas. MUSUBI KILN is honored to be allowed to join in on just one small part of that—connecting Japanese craftspeople to the chefs whose culinary prowess makes each piece shine, and finally to the palates and hearts of the customers who make it all possible.
If you are a restaurant, hotel, or other business owner, please feel free to reach out to our Concierge Team. We would be delighted to assist you.
Kinzo Sushi
14111 King Rd, Suite 2200
Frisco, TX 75036
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