Try a special sushi and Japanese-inspired menu on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.
Hill’s Kitchen, which opened in 2022, is the little sister to the ever-popular Hearth and Hill a few doors down in Newpark. The cafe has coffee shop vibes, with a much more robust menu. It’s packed on weekend mornings with locals who have made this a regular spot. Since Hill’s Kitchen closes at 3:30 p.m., Hill Top Hospitality Culinary Director Eric Hill saw an opportunity to explore some new ideas in the space at night.
The restaurant is known for many things: indulgent pastries, giant breakfast burritos, homemade ice cream and grab-and-go family dinners. But sushi? Not yet! But Hill hopes to change that with an upcoming sushi popup.
The chef has an extensive culinary background and years of experience in Japanese cuisine, including Yama Sushi and several O-KU locations in the Southeast. His wife is from Japan, so he’s spent a lot of time exploring the food scene in her hometown of Kobe and beyond.
As he settles into a relatively new role with Hill Top Hospitality, Hill sought to rekindle old industry connections. He was eager to work with IMP, a fresh seafood purveyor in Salt Lake City. Hence, the idea of the sushi popup was born. The Hill’s Kitchen sushi menu will include a curated selection of approachable items, served Izakaya style. There’s enough variety on the menu to satiate both sushi newbies and connoisseurs.
The exclusive Asian-inspired menu will feature dishes like miso sea bass with sesame bok choy and sunomono; as well as a selection of sushi rolls and sashimi. The hamachi crudo with yuzu miso, myoga and jalapeño melts in your mouth, and the poke tuna tacos are a perfect blast of flavors, with bigeye tuna, avocado and Asian pear in a crispy wonton shell.
Hill’s visits to Hokkaido’s Ramen Alley inspired a Sapporo-style ramen on the pop-up menu. King crab and sweet corn make this comfort dish stand out from other styles of ramen. Sake and Japanese beers will complete the experience.
This special menu is only available on Friday, Jan. 31, and Saturday, Feb. 1 from 5 to 9 p.m. They are not taking reservations, so get there early for what is sure to be a busy night!
