Charlotte native Gene Kato brings serious Asian cuisine to Upstream with a fully revamped menu

James Beard semi-finalist Gene Kato was born and raised right here in Charlotte but gained his culinary recognition in Chicago. There, he opened Sumi Robata Bar (where he specialized in robata grilling) and Japonais (a modern Japanese spot with two additional locations in Las Vegas and New York.)

When Chef Kato was presented the opportunity to return to his Charlotte roots, he jumped.

“I think Charlotte is ready for [serious Asian] cuisine,” he said.

Chef Kato, who went to Central Piedmont Community College and did his apprenticeship in Japan, strives to not be a “copycat chef” and to find a connection with his customers.

“It’s a chef’s job to make food enjoyable every single bite,” he said.

Oh, and that food he speaks of? Amazing.

I did an omakase tasting (meaning chef selected the menu) and was blown away. Take a look.

Upstream is the place to be any day of the week. On Mondays, get $5 glasses of wine and $1 oysters. Select bottles of wine are half-off Tuesday – Sunday. And on Thursdays, you can feast on unlimited sushi for $24.95.

SouthPark locals may be bummed to see the loss of some of their favorite signature items at Upstream, but trust me — y’all won’t have a hard time finding something else to love.

Upstream is located at 6902 Phillips Place and is open Monday – Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Header photo via Facebook