East Sacramento Hawaiian restaurant to close, replaced by a Japanese restaurant
Hawaiian restaurant Kau Kau is closing, with plans in place to transform the East Sacramento establishment into a Japanese eatery by the fall.
Owner Lynn Fu, an experienced restaurateur in the region, and partners Johnny Lin and Steven Luong of Tanuki Izakaya & Ramen in Elk Grove are developing the upcoming Genki Kitchen at 855 57th St., Suite C., replacing the Hawaiian eatery currently operating there.
Fu purchased Kau Kau from its former operator in June, and she said she quickly realized the existing restaurant’s “fusion” Hawaiian food was not resonating with potential customers in the area. She decided she wanted to take a more familiar approach, pivoting to a Japanese comfort food concept, she said.
“It’s hard for me, (Kau Kau’s food) is not something that I want to serve,” Fu said. “I want to serve something that I like ... that I’m proud of.”
Fu has operated Japanese restaurants in the capital region since 1993 with her now-ex-husband Sai Vong, including multiple Edokko locations in Sacramento, Akebono in Granite Bay, Banzai Sushi in Greenhaven and Tenjin Ramen House in the Pocket neighborhood.
Luong and Lin formerly worked at some of Fu and Vong’s restaurants, and Fu said they had been hoping to collaborate on a venture for a long time.
“(Lin and Luong), they are the right (people) for me to partner with,” she said. “I’m very comfortable to ... hand (Genki) to them to run the place, I’m just being the silent owner.
“They have energy, they have a passion, and I think they can make this place more successful,” Fu said.
According to Lin, Genki’s menu will have existing dishes from Tanuki — including curries, rice dishes and tempura — and original items meant for nearby Sacramento State students to easily take away, such as croquettes, katsu plates and bento boxes with a few small entree portions and a side dish.
Lin said the Genki team is inspired by the now-closed Evan’s Kitchen & Catering, which operated in the same unit as Kau Kau and Genki Kitchen for more than 15 years until 2021, according to previous Bee reporting.
“It’s kind of sad to see, Evan’s Kitchen closed down ... we want to bring back the ‘Kitchen’ name and then bring back the memories for the people in the neighborhood,” Lin said.
Fu said she will be closing Kau Kau at the end of August, just over three years after it opened in the antique mall between 57th Street and Elvas Avenue. Kau Kau originally opened in 2022 under Amanda Bridger and Chris Tocchini, focusing heavily on brunch offerings for college students hungry after a late night out, The Bee previously reported.
Fu said the restaurant will have a brief remodeling to update flooring and parts of the kitchen, but expects to be able to launch Genki Kitchen in September.
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