Kin2Kin celebrates 12 years as Morganton's premier sushi spot

You either love it or you hate it. Or maybe you’re just afraid to try it.

The mere mention of sushi typically brings forth a huge smile (yum!) or a decidedly sour face (yuk!). The staple food in Japan is also quite popular in the United States, but many sushi lovers admit the food can be an acquired taste. 

In Morganton, the go-to restaurant for sushi is Kin2Kin, located at 103 S. Green St., on the square downtown. The eatery will celebrate 12 years of business on Feb. 25.

Owner Shoyeh Moua knows his sushi and says his business doesn’t cut corners when preparing food for customers. Moua has four trained chefs behind the bar, turning out colorful and delicious entrees, such as the tangerine dragon roll, the volcano roll, and the green lady.

Not just anyone can be a successful sushi chef. Moua says it takes up to two years to become proficient in the art of creating sushi. “Making a good sushi roll is difficult,” he said. “Every little step takes time.”

Time and lots of practice. According to Moua, some of the most difficult parts of the process are mastering the art of cutting fish correctly and creating thin spirals from cucumbers. Everything at Kin2Kin is done by hand – no shortcuts allowed.

“To roll up the roll is hard, but the hardest thing is learning to cut fish,” Moua said. “Cutting fish is the biggest part of the training. I have some guys here, they still don’t cut the fish,” he laughed.

Moua said creating finger-sized portions of fish, cut on a clean diagonal line, is an acquired skill. 

“You actually slice down,” he said, “and don’t turn the knife. You cut slanted.”

And because the knives sushi chefs use are razor sharp, Moua said there is no room for error. 

“Not a single wrong move!” he cautioned.

Kin2Kin’s most popular offering is the brown dragon, which contains shrimp and cucumber, with salmon on top. The roll is finished with eel and sauce, then sprinkled with tempura flakes, scallions, and garlic.

Moua said customers who are sushi novices typically begin with a California Roll, a mild combination of crab meat, cucumber, and avocado. 

“That’s the basic,” he said. “A lot of people like that one.” Customers may also ask to have their sushi in a soy wrap, rather than the traditional seaweed covering.

For hard-core, adventurous, sushi daredevils, Moua recommends the Sashimi Deluxe, 16 pieces of “straight-up raw fish.”

There are plenty of other choices on Kin2Kin’s menu, including rolls containing eel, octopus, salmon, tilapia, and yellowtail tuna, served with an assortment of fresh vegetables. 

There are even choices for diners who want sushi, but prefer that their fish spend a little time in the oven or fryer.

The popular Sunset Roll contains ahi tuna, cream cheese, avocado, spicy mayo, and masago (fish eggs). Chefs bake the Sunset for a couple of minutes before serving it.

Restaurant-goers who prefer to steer clear of raw fish will be pleased to know there are plenty of cooked dishes on the hibachi/teriyaki section of the menu. Diners may choose from a variety of stir-fried meats such as chicken, steak, shrimp, and salmon. 

Kin2Kin is open seven days a week, from 5 to 9 p.m. They also serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays.

Sandra Wilkerson Queen is the education and business reporter for The Paper. She may be reached at 828-445-8595, Ext. 2002, or via email at sandra@thepaper.media.