Kazuhito “Kaz” Mabuchi

Born in Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture in 1980, Kazuhito “Kaz” Mabuchi grew up around food. His family owned an izakaya, and Miyazaki’s renowned A5 Wagyu and coastal produce shaped his early understanding of quality ingredients.

After a high school exchange program brought him to Los Angeles, Mabuchi moved to the United States and began cooking professionally in Seattle. He worked in teriyaki and teppanyaki kitchens, cooked at Maneki, and spent thirteen years at Benihana, eventually becoming Head Chef. During this period, he broadened his training by studying liquor sales, practicing sushi techniques in a conveyor-belt sushi shop, and observing French technique in a French-Asian restaurant.

In 2018, Mabuchi was recruited to audition for Sushi Ginza Onodera in Los Angeles, where he worked under Chef Yohei Matsuki. The restaurant held two Michelin stars during his four-year tenure, and the experience sharpened his knife work, fish preparation skills and high-level omakase standards.

In 2022, restaurateurs Henry and Brandon Cohanim recruited Mabuchi to Dallas to lead Namo. His disciplined technique, Edomae background and commitment to omotenashi hospitality have helped establish Namo as one of the city’s most respected sushi destinations.