Though owners have no sign yet for their new teppanyaki and sushi restaurant at the Riverview Shopping Center, the dining establishment quietly opened last Thursday.

The husband-and-wife duo behind north Fresno’s Namikaze opened Teppan Tora, a more upscale restaurant, said Sayuri Edwards, co-owner of the restaurant near Woodward Park with husband James.

“We’re trying to bring up a fancier side here, Namikaze is very casual,” Sayuri  Edwards said.

Edwards Suggests Opting for the Omakase

Edwards was not looking to open a new restaurant when she was approached about taking over the space next to VYXN and The Standard. Though the space still had the 12 teppanyaki tables, Edwards said it still took a lot of work to bring the kitchen and dining room up to where she wanted it.

Teppan Tora took over the space where Sakanaya Japanese Restaurant was.

Beyond the teppanyaki, the restaurant also has a full bar and a sushi bar. Chefs will not only serve the standard teppanyaki fare, but they’ll also offer lamb chops.

Edwards takes pride in their omakase — a chef’s choice of the best the restaurant has to offer that day. Literally meaning, “I trust you, chef,” diners get a six-dish or nine-dish option.

“We have an omakase box and chef’s choice of six different dishes,” Edwards said. “They’re all small, but it could be A5 premium Wagyu, shrimp — those premium items that you get to try a little bit of.”

Edwards Has Extensive Restaurant Experience

Most of Edwards’ career has been in Japanese cuisine, she said. Even when she was living in Japan, she spent her time working at restaurants. Before starting Namikaze in 2018, she was general manager of Wassabi To Die For.

Surprisingly, Edwards turned the COVID-19 shutdowns into an opportunity for Namikaze. While many restaurants struggled, their pivot to take-out food allowed them to double revenue, she said.

Even though the new restaurant had a soft opening, work continues at Teppan Tora. The final furnishings and decorations need to be put in, and they need some final permits for the signs. She expects it to be fully open in three months.

By summer, she plans to have their patio finished.

Much as the opportunity came to her to open Teppan Tora, she said the same happened to becoming a restaurant owner.

“That was an opportunity, too. My husband wanted to do something on his own,” Edwards said. “And I just jumped right into it. He was very determined.”

Teppan Tora is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 9447 N. Fort Washington Road, Suite 116.

Namikaze sushi is at Champlain and Perrin avenues.