Just two weeks after Sushi Confidential closed in downtown San Jose, a new restaurant has moved into that prime spot at San Pedro Square.
Ignite, now in the soft-opening phase, is the brainchild of entrepreneur Hima Adusumilli, who developed a concept that combines live-fire cooking and late-night cocktails.
“San Pedro Square has plenty of places to start the night and not many built to hold it,” Adusumilli said in a statement explaining her vision. “Ignite is meant to be both. You come for the skewers, you stay for the second round, and on Friday and Saturday we’re open till midnight.
“I wrote every recipe on this menu and the whole thing is built to hit the table and get passed around.”
Head chef Felipe Chen leads the kitchen. The signature skewers are seasoned in a variety of global flavors, including — for the inaugural menu — Korean Heat, Nashville Hot or Tandoori for chicken; Chimichurri for steak; Garlic Herb Shrimp; and Hariyali Paneer or Street Corn for vegan/vegetarian guests. Other flavors will be introduced in the coming weeks.
Filling out the early menu are the Ignite Smash Burger, Loaded Nachos, Truffle Parmesan Fries, Bold Balsamic Wings and more.
Read more The ‘slow economic recovery of Oakland’ blamed for this restaurant’s planned closure
The restaurant space, which features a large patio that opens onto the traffic-free San Pedro Square, became available when longtime South Bay entrepreneur Randy Musterer decided to close this Sushi Confidential site in favor of expansion elsewhere in the Bay Area.
He owns restaurants in Campbell, Morgan Hill and San Jose’s Willow Glen, and his staff also serves fans at San Jose Sharks hockey games at SAP Center.
Musterer told this organization that the San Pedro decision was a strategic one intended to take advantage of Sushi Confidential’s “highly scalable model” and increasing demands for corporate catering. He envisions opening five new restaurants in the next five years.
Details: For Incite, the inaugural hours are 4-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 4-midnight Fridays-Saturdays and 3-9 p.m. Sundays at 26 N. San Pedro St., San Jose; www.eatatignite.com
About the Author
