More Fire
Local favorite spices things up with a more personal dining experience
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| CHRIS RIEDEL / The Free Press |
| Brent Jung lights the fire on the hibachi grill to ready it for cooking. |
Story and Photos Amy Majerowicz / The Free Press
A favorite Santa Fe sushi spot now has an added element sure to delight: hibachi cooking with a personalized flair.
Izmi Sushi was started seven years ago by a mother and her son, and at the time was dedicated to serving excellent sushi. Founded on the catchphrase “more fish, less rice,” Brent Jung and his mother, Hyunsook Lee, are still defining their establishment.
“We opened as sushi only but extended three years ago and added hibachi tables,” said Jung, founding son and selfproclaimed “CEO, CFO and dishwasher … wherever they need me!”
Jung talks rapidly, his heavily accented English punctuated with laughter. Originally from Korea, Jung came to the U.S. and attended UNM, eventually earning a degree in accounting.
Now, instead of counting the money (a task he leaves to his accountant) Brent laughs and says “I count every single grain of caviar. Every rice kernel.”
His mother, on the other hand, is credited by Jung as the one who “built the hibachi tables.” Jung gestures at the six tables in the lower dining area, but elaborates no further.
Initially, the hibachi tables were only used for conferences and large gatherings but as of two weeks ago they’re open to the public for what Jung and Executive Hibachi Chef Brian Nelson call “a personalized dining experience.”
“Every table is a chef’s table,” said Nelson, “so instead of spending $400 to sit at the chef’s table in the kitchen, we bring the kitchen to you.”
Nelson, formerly the sous chef at Bishop’s Lodge and still an instructor at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, started cooking at Izmi Sushi three weeks ago. He came on board because Jung “wanted to take the food for this experience and change up the flavors. Make it more local in some ways,” said Nelson. They already incorporate green chile into some of the dishes—with the green chile tempura being a favorite among many of their clientele — but have plans to include more chile into their hibachi cooking. They also hope to broaden their vegetarian selection.
“A vegetarian friend tells me it’s hard to get a good vegetarian meal here,” said Nelson.
Not hard, however, to get personalized and speedy service. When a group of four friends come in for a hibachi dinner, Jung and Nelson both whisk away to prepare. Nelson does the cooking, once all the orders are placed, and starts the personalized dining experience off with the requisite blaze of fire on the grill.
“We don’t do as many of the tricks here,” Nelson said, “but we definitely do the volcano … and the fire.”
Laughing, he adds, “My son loves that part. ‘More fire, daddy, more fire’ he tells me.”
For a restaurant with a name that means “spring waters,” more fire has lent a nice balance.
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| CHRIS RIEDEL / The Free Press |
| You can enjoy the amazing sushi at your hibachi table too. The Super Dragon Roll is tasty — and pretty as well. |
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