MF Sushi officially returns to Atlanta in early 2015

Owner Alex Kinjo promises the best of MF Sushi and MF Buckhead
1965
Courtesy of MF Buckhead
Courtesy of MF Buckhead

For years when Atlantans wanted sushi, it was hardly a question of where to go. Led by brothers Alex Kinjo and Chris Kinjo, MF Sushi in Midtown was the obvious choice. The spot was so popular that the Kinjos opened a swankier sister spot, MF Buckhead, in 2007. But hard times hit, and the restaurants closed in 2012. The Kinjos escaped to Houston, where they opened a MF Sushi outpost that thrives to this day.

For a while, Atlantans mourned their loss. Then last year, former MF Buckhead executive chef Fuyuhiko Ito opened Umi, which has quickly risen among the ranks as one of the stand-out sushi spots in the city. And now, just when Atlantans were starting to move on, the Kinjos announce their return to the city. They will open MF Sushi at 280 Elizabeth Street in Inman Park in late January 2015.

“We never wanted to leave Atlanta but situations come up…” Alex explains. “[Now] I’m going to stay here and cater to the people of Atlanta and do my best every day to make them happy.”

The new restaurant will combine the best aspects of MF Sushi with the best from MF Buckhead, says Alex, who had his mind set on this for the past five years. It will have a similar menu as the original with some additions.

Chris will serve as executive chef, training a staff that includes many original members, but he will spend most of his time in Houston. He will, however, come to Atlanta two to three times a month to make his famous omakase dinners.

The new MF Sushi will be under 3,000 square feet. “Sophisticated, but not overwhelming,” Alex says. It will seat sixty-five to seventy diners and feature a patio, full bar, and sushi bar.

It will also have an adjacent retail space, tentatively called MF Products, where the Kinjos will sell handmade Japanese glassware, gift sets, and sake.

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