Yong Wu has opened an omakase outpost in downtown Redwood City, after a decade spent on the Bay’s high-end omakase sushi restaurant scene.

The restaurant is named Sushi Ai — Ai means love in Chinese and Japanese.

Sushi Ai owners Nick Chan and Yong Wu share a drink to celebrate their business. (Courtesy Jess Leung) 

As a college student, Wu worked as a part-time server at San Bruno’s Sushi House, which was owned by a friend’s family. One day when the kitchen was short-staffed, he got his chance to help and quickly decided sushi, not engineering, was his future. Since then, he’s worked at the now-shuttered V16 in the Mission, followed by and , where he met his now-business partner, Nick Chan began to work together. Chan is now chef and part-owner at Sushi Ai.

KusakabeJu-Ni

What sets Sushi Ai apart is Wu’s emphasis on dry-aging process, he says. Fish is sourced from Japan’s , then much of it is dry-aged, a process that creates more umami flavor and a more buttery texture.

Toyosu Fish Market

One of Chef Yong Wu’s signature dishes at Sushi Ai is Zuke Chu-toro, soy-cured medium fat blue fin tuna that’s half seared, half cold. (Courtesy John Chen)