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Toshio Suzuki - A "master sushi chef" - is a scientist, artist, psychologist, host, and performer all in one. He is only one of a handful of master sushi chefs in New York City who prepares sushi in the traditional Edo-period style.

Biography
Born in Tokyo, Ota-ku, Japan, November 1946. He intimately knows the art and science of preparing fish at its most minimalist and pure, from traditions passed down over the last 300 years. Suzuki was going to become a monk before he entered the sushi world.

Beginning: Sushi Zen
Sitting down with Suzuki at his restaurant Sushi Zen, just west of Bryant Park, is an instructive, serene affair. Suzuki has been around long enough to see the evolution of attitudes toward sushi in New York City. When his restaurant first opened in 1983, diners didn’t know what to make of sushi, much less how to eat it. Just to illustrate, diners just couldn’t deal with the texture of seaweed. It’s was long way from the ubiquitous snack it’s become, but that was then. He had to create rolls inside out (rice outside, seaweed inside) so people could eat them. He was one of the first creators of fusion sushi rolls. His son, Yuta Suzuki, who runs the business with his father, recalls that his father “added the sesame seeds because he saw the burger buns at the time.”

Out of Retirement: Satsuki, Suzuki and Three Pillars
It wasn’t until 2000, and at a new location, that Suzuki reverted back to his traditionalist roots. His style goes back to the modern Edo period in 18th-century Japan, when sushi as we know now just came into being. Now, at this new midtown Manhattan restaurant, Suzuki is bringing something more to the game. He’s coming out of retirement to open the spot with his son, Yuta. Fittingly, for someone who has been in the sushi business for 50 years, his weapon of choice is old school. Satsuki is a 10-seat sushi bar, one of three restaurant-within-a-restaurant concepts in the space; there’s also the larger kaiseki restaurant and a small bar called Three Pillars, from noted mixologist Alex Ott. In space-starved Tokyo, where the saying is, 'The best sushi spots are the ones you can't find,' the places would be stacked on top of each other in a high-rise building. Here, they're below an office building, spread out over 6,500 square feet.