When chef Hiroyuki Makino, owner of the former Sushi 69 in San Anselmo, closed his 17-year-old restaurant and retired to Japan late last year, he looked for a buyer close to home. Six months later, Jackie Suthon, his loyal customer and owner of The Baan Thai Cuisine next door, breathed new life into the spot with Kuro Nami Japanese Kitchen.
Chef Miyuki Acevedo, who trained under Makino and was at Sushi 69 for more than a decade, is at the helm in the kitchen and has revamped some of his classic rolls, including the Hiro’s Roll (spicy tuna and avocado topped with salmon, sesame seeds and ponzu sauce), the Akira Roll (shrimp tempura, unagi and red crab meat wrapped in avocado) and the Super Nova (unagi, avocado and cucumber topped with albacore tuna, tobiko, scallions and garlic ponzu).
He adds that they offer some unique dishes that can’t be found anywhere else in Marin, such as the Kuro Nami Roll (negimaki topped with maguro, sake, hamachi, albacore tuna, ikura, tobiko and unagi sauce), Kani Miso (grilled miso paste and crab meat, tobiko and scallions) and Hambagu, a Japanese hamburger steak made with pork and beef.
“We don’t call our restaurant a sushi restaurant, but a Japanese cuisine restaurant, because we represent many things, not just sushi and sashimi,” says Suthon.
The name “Kuro Nami,” which means “black wave” in Japanese, is not only reflected in the elegant, atmospheric interior, with textured thin-stone walls, monochrome furniture and accents, and soft lighting, but also alludes to the deep-sea origin of the fresh seafood on the menu.
In contrast to the darker interior, the terrace, with its rows of artificial white flower petals hanging from the ceiling, gives the impression of a festive wedding reception, as Suthon describes it.
Suthon, a Novato resident, moved to the United States from Thailand with his family in 2012 and made deliveries for Baan Thai before moving up to server and manager and purchasing the business in 2020.
Kuro Nami is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at 69 Center Blvd. in San Anselmo. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday. Reserve a table and order takeout at kuronamimarin.com or call 415-459-6969.
Local Food Festival
Tickets for the Point Reyes National Seashore Association’s 15th annual Pacific Plate Party on Sept. 21 at the Bear Valley Visitor Center go on sale this week.
Join a naturalist-led hike, walk or tour along the National Seashore from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. before enjoying cocktails, appetizers, dinner, dessert and live music from SambaDá and the San Francisco Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Local food and drink options include fermented seasonal fruit sodas from Wild West Ferments (Point Reyes Station), seasonal shrubs from Between Heaven & Earth (Bolinas), caffeinated beverages from Cute Coffee (Inverness), raw oysters from Hog Island Oyster Co. (Marshall) and grilled oysters from Saltwater Oyster Depot (Inverness).
Dinner will consist of fisherman’s stew with local white fish and mussels and creamy polenta with wild mushrooms from catering company A Fork Full of Earth in San Anselmo, and Nadia’s Dessert in San Rafael will handle the sweets.
Tickets ($250) for the fundraiser, which begins Wednesday, can be purchased at ptreyes.org/party-on-the-pacific-plate. Proceeds will benefit the organization’s conservation, education and community-building efforts.
Dinner in the garden
The Marin Art and Garden Center in Ross will host its second annual Edible Garden culinary fundraiser on September 15 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Explore the 11-acre historic property with a botanical cocktail or glass of wine, enjoy gourmet bites in the garden, and as darkness falls, settle in at farmhouse tables under bistro lights for live music, savory fare and desserts.
Local food and drink providers include Left Bank Brasserie; Il Davide; Bistro Viz; Kientz Hall; Debbie Ghiringhelli Catering; Comforts; Tony Tutto Pizza; Fiorello’s Artisan Gelato; CaterMarin; Insalata’s; Burmatown; Dee’s Organic Catering; Creekside Pizza & Taproom; Casablanca Moroccan & Mediterranean Food; Carrie Dove Catering & Events; Sage Catering Co.; A Fork Full of Earth; Babaloo Bakes; Classic Culinary; Midsummer Kitchen; Perry’s; Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese.
Co.; Pond Farm Brewing Co.; Free Spirits; Sean Minor Wines; Reeve Wines; Bartholomew Estate Winery; Fork & Spoon Productions; and Rise Up! 94965 Foundation.
Tickets start at $200 ($250 after Sept. 1), and sponsorship opportunities are available at maringarden.org/ediblegarden. Proceeds benefit community gardens, historic buildings, and educational and cultural programs at the Marin Art and Garden Center at 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Ross.
Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer and restaurant columnist. Email her at [email protected] for news and recommendations and follow her on Instagram @therealdealmarin for more local food and updates on the launch of The Real Deal Marin restaurant search guide.
