Billy Kong

The Beginning

Billy Kong was born in Hong Kong, the son of a master cabinet maker, and spent 5 years on the island of Guam, before eventually arriving in the Bay Area. Though expected to follow in his father’s footsteps, he worked instead in the food industry—initially in a bakery and then in food delivery— before finding his calling in sushi and Japanese food. Despite not becoming a cabinet maker, he shares a dedication to craftsmanship with his father, and it is the hallmark of his career.

Adventure in Japan

Kong worked at a variety of sushi bars for seven years before landing at San Mateo’s venerable Sushi Sam where he was the only non-Japanese chef, and the intensity of the job propelled him in new ways. He describes the experience as if “starting from the beginning” and says the year and a half there felt more like 10 years. He adds, “They taught me that when it comes to Sushi, you need to be more ambitious.” Wanting to become a better chef led him to travel to Japan. A backpacking trip around the country solidified his commitment to Japanese cuisine and culture and in 2012 he opened Saru Sushi in Noe Valley. The restaurant quickly gained the respect of Japanese ex-pats and locals alike for its high quality.

Sushi Chef

Striving for perfection when it comes to sushi, will be familiar to anyone who has seen Jiro Dreams of Sushi but that kind of attention to detail is rare outside of Japan. Kong has brought a much higher level of dedication to each of his restaurants. In 2016 Kong partnered with Kua Chuang to open the omakase restaurant Ijji (which is now Ken) and Kinjo in 2017. Both restaurants have been praised for their classic approach and Kinjo was awarded a Michelin star for three years running. It was also at Kinjo where he captured the attention of Japanese officials who urged him to apply to a program designed to bring foreigners to Japan to study cuisine. Kong was the only chef from the West Coast to be accepted into a program. In Japan he became even more immersed in the culture, studying cuisine for 9 months including working under Chef Takagi at the Michelin 2-star Kaga Ryori restaurant Zeniya in Kanazawa for 6 months.

Present

Currently Kong continues to run Saru Sushi as well as Ken and Saru Handroll Bar, in the former Kinjo space. The modern handroll concept is innovative, but also feels truly Japanese. Says Kong, "I like the classic Edo Mae style sushi. I’ve always stuck very close to the original. That means perfecting the rice and only using blended soy.” Kong explains his philosophy as “Knowing what you can change while still being true to the essence of Japanese cooking.”

Hitoshi Hokamura