Today we’d like to introduce you to Tai Kim.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Tai. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am the head of my lovely family and share four boys, Alex, Evan, Able, and Eric, with my wife, Ariana. I go by the name Tai and am the owner of a small but precious restaurant called Taizzi Sushi.
My culinary journey starts in 2003 as a chef in Las Vegas, and it’s this job that really opened my eyes to what I could do with food. As I cooked in a number of high-quality restaurants, I had the urge to create my own dishes and eventually decided to open up my own restaurant in 2017. I love developing new dishes and all sauces used in our food are made in-house. Although I love different ethnic styles, I have a real love for Japanese flavors. It’s so versatile, and I have fun coming up with new menu items each week. The most important aspect of any of my dishes is that it is always fresh and in perfect harmony with each other.
It’s so important to me that I serve a quality dish each time. Over the years, I have learned that it takes more than just creating an amazing dish. It’s about customer care and making sure each customer walks out the door satisfied. I am detail-obsessed and put myself into each dish, sauce, ingredient, and decor. For my family and customers alike, I will continue to work hard so that I can continue to bring fun, exotic dishes that can help grow Taizzi Sushi to be the great restaurant that I envision it to be: customer-oriented and just amazingly delicious.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For sure, it most definitely was a roller coaster ride. After opening up my restaurant, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, and the post-Harvey dining experience was not good. Everyone was busy figuring out what the next step was, and I, too, wasn’t sure if I could keep the restaurant doors open long enough.
However, our regulars kept coming, and their love for my family and Taizzi helped us to get by long enough till the city was ready to start dining out and enjoying sushi again. I couldn’t be more thankful to my customers who kept coming out and supporting us. They were our lifesavers. While the city was in recovery mode, I and my wife Ariana started to advertise and began to build a buzz about the exceptionally high-end AYCE sushi restaurant. People began to check us out, and we finally began to see an increase in a number of customers, and before I knew it, I had reservations lined up and a mountain full of regulars. Another storm hit in when my wife just had our fourth child, and we were short-staffed.
It was tough running a restaurant and looking after my newborn all whilst my wife was in recovery. However, our love for each other grew and we, as a family of six, became stronger for it. Somedays, I had to carry my newborn to sleep while cooking, and those days reminds me of how much love we had for each other. I realize Taizzi wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the trials we went through, the love my family had for each other, and the love our loyal customers had for Taizzi.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Taizzi Sushi – what should we know?
In short, it is a high class All You Can Eat (AYCE) Sushi restaurant.
Taizzi is a sushi bar that maintains the freshness of the sushi by making it at the time of order, rather than simply serving ready-made sushi like a regular buffet. In addition, there is a CYOR (create-your-own-roll) option, designed to suit the taste of each customer.
Customers can add their favorite ingredients and sauces to rolls, allowing them to personalize their selections. I have occasionally had some unusual requests, but it’s my pleasure to make individualized dishes for my customers. I like to keep it fun, light, and fresh by keeping the ambiance positive and always using the freshest available fish, meat, and produce. We maintain the highest standards in our food selection, preparation, and service and are dedicated to satisfying each customer’s needs.
When the Covid-19 pandemic began, we determined to accommodate our customers’ needs, providing car-dining service and reducing our prices by 50%. We remain dedicated to customer satisfaction and enjoyment.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I have always been inquisitive by nature, and I feel that part of me has always kept me reading, traveling, and exploring different parts of the world.
I loved finding new things as a child, and it was important for me to always be doing something different. Growing up, I dared myself to try new things, whether it be a game or activity, and it gave me a sense of accomplishment. I believe it was my love for a challenge that has cultivated the chef spirit in me.
I am currently developing and researching various dishes by incorporating ingredients you don’t normally find in your rolls such as peanut butter, cilantro, bacon, egg roll, various vegetables, fruits, etc. Also, we have Keto option as well. My mission is to create a sushi menu that is one of a kind.
Pricing:
- • COVID TOGO: Everything 50% OFF / $1 One piece nigiri sushi
- • COVID AYCE: AYCE in the CAR (All Day & Only Dinner Price Provided)
- • Alacarte: $1 ~ $19.99
- • AYCE (All You Can Eat) Lunch: $19.99 (Gold) / 27.99 (Diamond) / 35.99 (Taizzi)
- • AYCE (All You Can Eat) Dinner: $25.99 (Gold) /32.99 (Diamond) / 39.99 (Taizzi)
Contact Info:
- Address: 1997 Katy Mills Blvd #900, Katy, TX 77494
- Phone: 832-437-8780 / 737-781-3901
- Email: taizzi2017@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taizzisushi/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taizzi2017
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/taizzi-sushi-katy-9
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
