Thuan Pham, a 20-year veteran in the restaurant business, said he first tried sushi 15 years ago and was hooked from the first bite.

“That was the beginning of a journey,” he said.

Pham and his wife, Vivian Pan, opened Misu Sushi in October 2017 on North Austin Avenue north of downtown Georgetown. The restaurant is in the former location of the ChineseFood.com restaurant, which closed in mid-2017.

The couple initially looked at opening in Austin but had trouble finding a location they could afford, Pham said.

After deciding to open in Georgetown, the new owners spent several months cleaning their new space and setting up the restaurant’s kitchen and dining area.

Pham, who handles the sushi preparation, said Misu Sushi was initially intended as more of a fast-casual concept but has evolved over the past year to suit customers’ tastes.

“Elegant, modern, abstract—those are the three words that would describe everything about my restaurant,” Pham said.

Sushi is offered in several styles, including the traditional sushi rolls, which generally include ingredients wrapped in thin, edible seaweed called nori; nigiri, which features a slice of raw fish or other seafood placed on top of a hand-formed rice ball; and sashimi, which refers to sliced pieces of raw seafood without rice or other ingredients.

In addition to sushi, the restaurant offers Chinese dishes and bento boxes, which are packaged meals common in Japanese cuisine.

Misu Sushi also has lunch and takeout menus with a mix of items.

Pan said she and her husband designed a menu to cater to an array of likings and dietary needs, including vegan and gluten-free dishes.

Pham said Misu Sushi’s varied menu lets him offer several different options to diners who are new to the sushi experience.

He can also make suggestions to regular customers interested in trying something new.

“Each roll has a different taste,” Pham said.