Masaaki Uchino

The Path

Early in his career, Masaaki Uchino held both executive chef and head chef responsibilities at Sushi Nakazawa DC in Washington, DC, before later becoming associated with KATSUMI and opening Kiyomi by Masaaki Uchino in Washington, DC, a pairing that signals the level of control and consistency demanded in that kitchen. In a service built on repetition, timing, and exact handling, the work required steadiness more than flourish. Those years formed the base of his approach: disciplined, composed, and attentive to the small variables that shape the final result. Chef / owner of Kiyomi by Masaaki Uchino (2025–present), where that same rigor carries into a more personal setting. With his own name on the door, he brings the same standard to the room while making the kitchen unmistakably his own.

The Work Today

“So, that's why we care about so much detail for rice, how to handle, how to cook, how to mix rice.” The line is plainspoken, and that is exactly where its value sits: it shows how Masaaki Uchino treats sushi as a system of control rather than a place for decoration. The work starts well before service, with rice handled as a central component rather than a backdrop. Water, heat, seasoning, texture, and temperature are all part of the same chain, and each one has to land in relation to the next. There is no slack in that kind of kitchen; every movement has to be deliberate, and every adjustment has to earn its place. The effect is a restrained, focused style in which technique is carried by discipline, and the most important decisions are often the least visible.

Signature

Masaaki Uchino works in omakase sushi, a format that depends on trust, sequence, and close attention from both sides of the counter. It suits a kitchen language built on restraint, where the chef’s judgment carries the meal from course to course. The format leaves room for subtle shifts in taste and texture, and it rewards the kind of precision that registers in the hand as much as on the plate. Within that structure, Masaaki’s cooking is organized around balance and control, with each course reflecting the same exacting attention that shapes his wider approach.

In Their Words “So, that's why we care about so much detail for rice, how to handle, how to cook, how to mix rice.” “The rice for sushi is the most important things. I would say more important than fish.” Read together, the two lines set out the hierarchy clearly. For Masaaki, rice is not support work; it is the anchor of the meal. That emphasis points to a kitchen culture built on patience, method, and consistency, where the structure of the dish begins with disciplined treatment of the core element.

Acclaim

Masaaki Uchino has received Michelin Guide — three consecutive stars. Masaaki's honors include Michelin star. In a field that rewards repetition done well, that recognition reflects the level of exactitude behind his work: steady, controlled, and built to a standard that leaves little to chance.