Shogun Sushi Carmichael, Carmichael

Young, ambitious, and passionate about Japanese cuisine, Chef Alexander Chong takes to sushi the way an artist takes to canvas. He lords over his open bar, nimbly slicing up rolls with ultra-fresh fish and innovative ingredients such as jalapeños, deep-fried yam, and barbecue sauce, arranging pieces to complement the ingredients’ colors and flavors. Behind him, deep in the kitchen, chefs fillet fresh seafood for sushi dinners and labor over stoves, stirring pots of udon noodles and sizzling up poultry, pork, and steak teriyaki dishes for those who shy away from seafood since they were raised by fish. Out in the chic dining room, diners clink glasses of sake amid clouds of conversation and red walls adorned with angled accent pieces.