Sushi is coming back to Tower District, as new Japanese restaurant prepares to open in Fresno
A Japanese bar and restaurant is in the works for the Tower District.
Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen is working on opening at 609 E. Olive Ave. in the former Casa de Tamales space. Casa de Tamales has moved down the street to the Tower Theatre building, using the back patio as its entrance.
The Japanese place is owned by one of the partners behind nearby The Lincoln Pub & Grub, David Rasavong, and his family.
He’s also friends with the owners of Tower Sushi, which closed earlier this year. Its owners opened a new restaurant serving international cuisine — L’Apéritif Bistro Fusion — at Herndon and Cedar avenues.
Rasavong wanted to bring Japanese food back to the area – with his own twist on it.
“We knew there was a void for that in Tower,” Rasavong said. “When the opportunity came, being that it’s 20 feet away from my door at the The Lincoln… we went ahead and jumped on that.”
The bar & restaurant
The owners are shooting to open in early or mid March.
When it opens, you might not recognize the space.
“We really changed the interior, the layout,” he said. “We wanted to make it feel communal so no matter where you are seated, you really felt like you are part of the whole room.”
Rasavong is partnering with his wife, Anna Nguyen, and brother-in-law Wesley Nguyen to open the restaurant.
The restaurant is currently hiring for kitchen, serving and bartender positions. Applicants can email BanzaiFresno@gmail.com.
Food & drinks
The restaurant will feature sushi, of course.
But it will also have options for people who aren’t into sushi, including bento boxes, rice bowls, and udon noodle dishes. Kamikaze fries – loaded fries smothered in ingredients like spicy mayo, crab mix, garlic aioli and avocado – will also be on the menu.
It will also have a full bar, including cocktails and Japanese whiskeys.
The name Banzai – not to be confused with the potted trees called bonsai – is a shouted Japanese cheer or war cry.
This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 11:22 AM.
