Talented Sushi Chef Finds New Home At European Pub In Montclair

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A sushi chef from a shuttered, beloved restaurant in Montclair has found a new home in an unexpected place, a report says: De Novo European Pub.

When the Kaneda family announced they were closing Daikichi last year after more than three decades in Montclair – with owner Aki Kaneda and his wife, Mutsumi, moving back to Tokyo and selling their Essex County home to New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers – it left many local foodies in mourning.

The restaurant’s top sushi chef, Kenny Mar, reportedly “packed his knives and disappeared” after the restaurant’s closing. But he has since re-emerged as a chef at De Novo, an Italian-inspired bistro with locations at 275 Bellevue Avenue in Montclair and 1257 River Road in Edgewater, according to New Jersey Monthly.

Demetri Malki, the owner of De Novo, said many of its customers were also regulars of Daikichi. Now, they have a new sushi bar inside De Novo where talented chefs such as Mar can show off their skills – a win-win for everyone involved.

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