Business, Passion and Sushi
“My husband always had a dream of opening his own sushi restaurant, this was always the vision he had for himself.”
Sushi is still a fairly new type of food in Africa, yet in a leafy suburb in Windhoek, one man’s dream of owning his own sushi restaurant has resulted in a place that is seldom empty and usually adorned with all walks of life that meet and dine on incredible sushi on a regular basis.
99FM’s MYD Smart sat down with the team behind Daisho Restaurant, a booming sushi bar situated in Ludwigsdorf in Windhoek.
Daisho Restaurant was started by Master Makoshi (he’s called Master because he became a Master of his craft) who moved to Namibia 8 years ago. His long career in Sushi has seen him perfect his art to become one of the most well-known sushi chefs in town.
When asked how this restaurant came into being, Master Makoshi’s wife, Tandie, proudly explains that “My husband always had a dream of opening his own sushi restaurant, this was always the vision he had for himself. He wanted to be creative with food and be his own boss.” She goes on to explain that “Master Makoshi has a passion for food and especially how it’s made and presented.” A daunting task especially when you hear how the young couple had to overcome worry and doubt not only within themselves over the starting of their own sushi restaurant, but also within their family. Tandie laughs and explains that “our family was very worried when we said we were opening this restaurant. They couldn’t understand how we thought we would be able to make a living selling food that was uncooked. Our mothers even phoned each other to discuss their concerns over us, their children.”
Tandie says “There were a lot of worries involved in this venture. Questions over whether it was going to work, if customers will come and if the customers will be happy with what they offer.” When asked how they overcame these worries Tandie explains that “Master Makoshi was determined in his dream.” Master Makoshi notes that his plan was always “To give it my best, serve the perfect product and never compromise on standards.”
One year ago, the doors of the Daisho restaurant in Ludwigsdorf opened. Today you’ll find a booming restaurant with many regulars. A community restaurant that has become a meeting point in the neighbourhood and a central beacon of quality food that is known for its standards and consistency. What you find when talking to the people behind the Daisho name is passion and determination as well as warmth and care.
Testimony to this lies in the story of John Shilongo, the second in charge sushi chef at Daisho who started out washing dishes but who Master Makoshi trained and groomed to now stand proud as a sushi chef to rival most top sushi chefs in the world. When asked how he overcame worries on his personal journey, John explains that “it is important to have a strong support structure. This is what my sister is to me. When I told her of the day I wanted to upgrade my career, she supported me. After that it was all in the learning, and I loved that.”
You’ll find the team, Master Makoshi, Tandie and John awaiting your arrival and ready to serve you up some incredible sushi at Daisho Sushi Restaurant situated in Ludwigsdorf, Windhoek. They are open for dinner on Mondays, and every other day of the week (except Sunday) from 12pm t0 10pm. Call them on 061-249502 or take a look at their Facebook page here : Daisho
