New Makino Restaurant Opens in Puente Hills

The buffet line at Makino Puente Hills is 150 feet long and features 120 types of dishes.

INDUSTRY — The opening of a new Makino restaurant was celebrated Oct. 27 at Puente Hills Mall in City of Industry.

Invited guests enjoyed the 150-foot-long sushi and seafood buffet, which offered 120 different dishes, the night before the restaurant opened to the public.

Ribbon-cutting by owner Kaku Makino and Ron Whittemore of the Industry Manufacturers Council.

Owner Kaku Makino, who previously opened Makino restaurants in Irvine in 2012 and in Las Vegas in 2004 and 1999, took part in kagami-wari and ribbon-cutting ceremonies with Ron Whittemore, executive director of the City of Industry Manufacturers Council, who presented Makino with a proclamation wishing him success and prosperity and thanking him for contributing to the local economy and job creation.

After the barrel of Hakutsuru Sake was broken open, Makino and Nick Kuroda, Makino controller and general manager, led everyone in a toast. Entertainment was provided by Taiko Center of Los Angeles, led by Tom Kurai.

Owner Kaku Makino (right) and Controller/General Manager Nick Kuroda lead a toast after the kagami-wari ceremony.

Staff member Hiromi Kikkawa gave a brief history of the restaurant, noting that Makino, an internationally renowned sushi chef, had a successful catering business in Tokyo for 15 years before opening Todai, an all-you-can-eat Asian fusion restaurant, in Santa Monica in 1987, followed by 15 branches in the U.S. over the next 10 years.

The chain of restaurants that bear his name is dedicated to serving higher-quality selections of sushi and seafood, plus an array of original desserts. The menu includes crab, oyster, shrimp, scallop, gyoza, udon, ramen, takoyaki, sukiyaki, tempura, tonkatsu, sushi roll, nigiri sushi, salad and miso soup.

Makino Puente Hills is located at 1600 S. Azusa Ave. (entrance is between Macy’s and 24-Hour Fitness) in the City of Industry and can be reached at (626) 581-2226. Lunch hours are Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Friday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner is served every day from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.makinobuffet.com.

Photos by J.K. YAMAMOTO/Rafu Shimpo

Tom Kurai (left) led a performance by Taiko Center of Los Angeles.

Selections of seafood and sushi.

The new restaurant features an octopus design.