Judy Yoon and Mike Kim were South Austinites, but the couple chose to open a sushi restaurant in Leander because of the city’s growth and its lack of options beyond fast food or Mexican cuisine, Yoon said. 

“It’s really exciting to be out here in this area,” she said.

The couple now lives five minutes from their restaurant, Kai Sushi, located on US 183. Yoon said the restaurant draws Leander residents as well as diners from Georgetown, Marble Falls, Burnet and Lampasas.

“We have a lot of regulars, but we’re still getting a lot of new customers coming in,” she said. “It’s awesome to see that they make that drive here.”

Yoon said she and Kim first met while working at DK Sushi in Austin in the early 2000s, and they have been together since 2008.

By the time the couple decided to open Kai Sushi, Kim had worked as head chef at Maiko Sushi Lounge, Mikado Ryotei and Yanagi Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar, all in Austin, and Yoon had experience as a sushi restaurant manager.

“He finally wanted to venture out and open his own restaurant,” Yoon said.

Yoon and Kim opened Kai Sushi in 2015. The restaurant celebrated its one-year anniversary July 30, and three times the normal amount of customers for a Saturday walked through the doors that day, Yoon said.

Kim creates most of menu items, including all of its sushi and sashimi options. Yoon cooks the Korean dishes, such as beef bulgoki ($13)—a Korean barbecue dish—and bibimbap ($12)—a dish of beef, rice, vegetables and a fried egg—based on family recipes.

“We are primarily sushi-focused, but we also have Japanese entrees and Korean entrees,” Yoon said.

Kai Sushi’s new menu, which debuts in October, includes a wider selection of sushi rolls, such as the Godzilla Roll—made with lobster tail and shrimp tempura, avocados, cream cheese, jalapenos and a salad mix with spicy mayonnaise and sweet dill sauce on top, Yoon said.

“All of our rolls are pretty equally popular. Everyone has their own favorites,” she said. “We also customize [sushi rolls].”

Kai Sushi offers gluten-free, non-genetically modified and organic menu items, she said.

Kai Sushi

1805 S. US 183, Ste. 400, Leander 512-456-0147 www.facebook.com/kaisushiatx Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 4-9:30 p.m.; Sat. noon-9:30 p.m.; closed Sun.