Sushi at Kasen continues an evolution that began thirty years ago with Shinji Murata. The best seasonal local ingredients meet the daily offerings of Japan’s live fish markets, bringing the strengths of both to the counter in Saigon.
Trusted markets and premium ingredients remain the foundation. Technique stays open to question: Kasen reexamines conventions including the temperature and seasoning of shari and explores elements beyond the usual Edomae repertoire. Tradition is a starting point for investigation and innovation.
That innovation has a purpose. Randomness and spectacle do not define the experience; the ingredients and the eating do. The chef carries this approach forward at Kasen’s ten-seat counter in District 1, serving sushi through a fifteen-course omakase progression.
What seems familiar feels different at Kasen: warm shari, soft, fresh and delicate fish, and premium wasabi, soy sauce and ginger. The care extends even to the wet napkin offered at the counter. These details are part of the experience of eating sushi here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kasen a sushi restaurant?
Yes. Kasen is a sushi restaurant built as a sushiya — the counter the chef leads follows the same discipline of rice, knife work and fish handling a sushiya is built on, expressed through a fifteen-course omakase progression rather than an à la carte sushi menu.
What's the difference between sushi and omakase at Kasen?
Sushi is what's served. Omakase is how it's served — the chef selects and serves each course in sequence, built around the best ingredients available that day, rather than guests ordering individual pieces from a menu.
Where can I find authentic sushi in Ho Chi Minh City?
Kasen's ten-seat counter in District 1 has served a Saigonese expression of Japanese sushi since 2018, built on the training Shinji Murata brought from Hiko Sushi in Los Angeles.