Japanese and Asian cuisine restaurant Tokyo Monster Sushi opened on Thursday, Feb. 1 in Birch Bay Square in Blaine.
The restaurant’s menu lists a wide variety of items including Chinese wok and Korean specials, Vietnamese pho, Japanese ramen and udon, teriyaki, sashimi and sushi rolls. The interior features a sushi bar, wraparound cocktail bar, booths and an entertainment stage, according to owner Philip Kim, and has a capacity of 165.
“We’re going to have many different kinds of fish that aren’t offered by any other Japanese restaurant around here,” Kim said. “Fresh bluefin tuna, we offer toro and we offer snapper and bass. You’ll see topnotch fresh sushi.”
The “monster” of the restaurant’s name, Kim said, is a large 12-piece signature roll that a pre-opening menu described as having shrimp tempura, crab meat, salmon, cucumber, avocado and tempura flakes. Perhaps not surprisingly, the restaurant also has a Godzilla roll.
Kim previously operated Tokyo Monster Sushi in Maple Valley, but said he closed the King County restaurant in August 2022. He said the Blaine interior and menu are similar to the earlier location, and he was attracted to the Birch Bay Square area because of the lack of Asian or sushi restaurants.
The restaurant will initially be open only for lunch and dinner, but Kim said after a couple of weeks it will expand its hours to include breakfast and serve from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Live jazz will play Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
If you go: 8125 Birch Bay Square St., #202, Blaine; Phone: 360-526-5047
Frank Catalano writes about business and related topics for CDN; reach him at frankcatalano@cascadiadaily.com.
