Katsuya Uechi, pioneering sushi chef and creator of spicy tuna crispy rice, dies
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- Okinawa-born master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi, whose inventive creations redefined L.A. sushi, has died at 67.
- Uechi’s signature dishes — spicy tuna on crispy rice and jalapeño-topped yellowtail sashimi — are now standard menu items on Japanese restaurants across the U.S.
- From Studio City’s original Sushi Katsu-ya to sleek Katsuya outposts worldwide, plus izakaya and omakase spinoffs, Uechi built an empire that endures.
Katsuya Uechi, the master sushi chef behind Katsuya restaurants, has died, his team confirmed on Instagram. He was 67.
“Katsu-San helped shape the Los Angeles sushi landscape and beyond, making Katsuya a household name. Today, we honor his life and legacy by proudly carrying forward the vision he spent a lifetime perfecting,” SBE Group wrote in its statement.
The Okinawa-born chef altered the DNA of the L.A. sushi scene with his innovative, genre-bending creations. Spicy tuna crispy rice, which he debuted in the early 2000s, has since become a modern staple in sushi restaurants across the U.S.
Uechi also spun his own signature style of yellowtail sashimi with citrusy ponzu sauce and a fiery disc of jalapeño or serrano.
From vegan sushi to hand rolls, modest supermarket sushi to high-end omakase — the greater-than-ever scene in L.A. has what you’re looking for.
After immigrating from Japan to Los Angeles in the 1980s, Uechi opened the first Sushi Katsu-ya in Studio City in 1997. It was the right place at the right time — most of the Japanese restaurants on Ventura Boulevard’s Sushi Row were traditional, quiet and rigid.
When Uechi walked in with world-class training and boundary-pushing ideas, a loyal audience quickly grew, drawn in by his inventive yet still polished flavors.
After expanding Sushi Katsu-ya to additional locations in Studio City, Encino, Northridge and Woodland Hills, Uechi struck a partnership with Sam Nazarian of the SBE Entertainment Group and French designer Philippe Starck. The parallel Katsuya brand was born, bringing sleek, high-end outposts to Brentwood, Hollywood, downtown and Century City. In the 2010s, the brand went international with locations in the Bahamas, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.
“He will go down as my best partner,” Nazarian said. “He was the one foundation that enabled me to really grow and learn and understand another master’s vision. ... My job is to continue building that legacy around the world and execute his vision globally.”
Along the way, Uechi founded a sushi school with Noritoshi Kanai, the man largely credited with bringing Japanese sushi to Los Angeles. In doing so, Uechi said he hoped to address a shrinking pool of professional sushi chefs in the U.S.
“It’s very hard to find good sushi chefs, especially nowadays,” he told The Times in a 2008 interview. “If I can teach how to make sushi well, that’s good.”
An unlikely pair of Southern California businessmen paved the way for the sushi revolution in Los Angeles, upending American dining — and their own lives.
Uechi opened pub-style Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya in Beverly Grove in 2007. A second location followed in Manhattan Beach in 2010. Just down the street from the original Katsu-ya, he launched upscale Kiwami in Studio City in 2008, where he personally presided over the sushi bar.
Uechi’s cause of death is currently unknown.
“Rest in peace, Chef. Your legacy lives on in every guest we welcome and every dish we serve,” the SBE group statement reads.
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