Rice Kitchen Sushi & Hibachi opens in former iKook location
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Server Francisco Perez works the lunch hour at the new Rice Kitchen Sushi & Hibachi restaurant on Monday (July 17) on Oak Ridge Highway in Clinton. - G Chambers Williams III
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The Rice Kitchen Sushi & Hibachi restaurant opened this week at 1625 Oak Ridge Highway, in the former location of iKook Sushi. - G Chambers Williams III
Rice Kitchen Sushi & Hibachi opened this week in the former location of iKook Hibachi Steak & Sushi restaurant at 1625 Oak Ridge Highway.
The restaurant began serving on Sunday from the location that has also in recent years housed barbecue and Indian food restaurants.
Carlos Hernandez of Tellico Village is the owner, and he said this is the second Rice Kitchen location. He opened the first one about a year ago in Tellico Village, called Rice Kitchen Thai, Sushi & Hibachi.
Although he’s not Asian, Hernandez said he has trained as a sushi chef and has been running sushi and hibachi restaurants for about 20 years.
Rice Kitchen serves a full menu of Japanese-style sushi, hibachi and teriyaki dishes, along with some Thai entrees and appetizers.
The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. for now, but Hernandez said he does plan to begin closing on Sundays after a few weeks.
He has a staff of about five for now, but is still hiring, he said.
Sunday was the restaurant’s grand opening.
The location formerly was occupied by River View Grill, which closed in late 2020.
Rice Kitchen offers dine-in and take-out food, with full table service.
Hernandez said he has no connection to the owners of the former iKook restaurant in the same location.