Ken Kim, Kotta Sushi Lounge owner, has been in the restaurant business for more than 20 years.[/caption]When Ken Kim talks about food, his face beams. He said working with food or even discussing food makes him happy.
"Food gives me passion," he said. "I think food is one of the most important elements in life."
Though not a chef himself, Kim has been in the restaurant business for almost 20 years. His last business venture was a successful Japanese restaurant in Maine.
But Kim's wife was ready for warmer weather, so they moved to Texas and brought Kim's passion for sushi to Frisco.
Kotta Sushi Lounge opened about eight and a half years ago. The restaurant focuses on fresh and traditional Japanese dishes. Kim said the key to great sushi is a good chef and fresh ingredients. Kotta imports its ingredients from countries across the globe each week.
Kim said he has a great interest in knowing the origin of the fish served at Kotta.
"We work very closely with [the distributor], and we talk to them every day," he said. "We ask them, 'Where do you pick up the fish?' which not every restaurant asks for."
The restaurant provides a unique selection of fish, Kim said, including madai, aji and striped jack from Japan. Only a handful of sushi restaurants in the area offer such a wide selection of fish, he said.
"We are really doing an extra effort to bring in a variety to introduce to the people here," Kim said.
To ensure the food is at its freshest, Kim said the restaurant has to remain busy. Otherwise, the meat will not get used and will remain on the shelves.
To draw a large crowd, Kim said he has remained sensitive to the clientele's palate, understanding that not everyone will enjoy the traditional flavors of sushi.
Kotta's two most basic foods include sushi dishes, which are raw or cooked sliced fish on a bed of rice, or sashimi, which is just the fish without the rice. The sushi rolls, which are sushi wrapped in seaweed, are also popular, Kim said.
But some of the other dishes, including the filet mignon teriyaki and the miso glazed Chilean sea bass, appeal to guests who might not enjoy sushi. Kim said this was not done intentionally. Rather, he just wants to have delicious dishes on his menu, he said.
"I put myself in the customer's shoes," he said. "I go to different restaurants to eat, and I know what I'm looking for when I go to a restaurant."
Besides the food, Kim said he receives compliments about his restaurant staff, saying customers note how much the employees seem to enjoy their jobs.
Staffers at Kotta aim to have customers leave happier than when they came into the restaurant through good service and quality food, Kim said.
"I want the customers to experience this as a home," he said. "When you have visitors in your home, you know how to take care of them. That's what I tell my staff."
