At least six sushi and teppanyaki restaurants rolled Inland this year.

Photo By Dan Elliott Executive Chef Kaoru Ishii prepares sushi during lunch at Mikan's Sushi Bar in Redlands.

Shogun Japanese Restaurant hired more than 50 waiters, sushi and teppan chefs, managers and dishwashers and opened its doors in Corona Sept. 27.

Bruce Kanenobu and John Myung own the 8,000 square-foot restaurant, which features sushi, teppanyaki and steak. Teppanyaki is food cooked to order in front of customers on a teppan grill. Chefs entertain guests with tricks that include flaming onion volcanoes and jokes.

The Corona Shogun is the third in a chain of four restaurants that Kanenobu started in Pasadena in 1980. Kanenobu plans to open another Shogun restaurant in Temecula by December or January, Myung said.

The region's growing population has an appetite for sushi and teppanyaki and other fine dining options, Myung said.

"There are not too many fine dining options here and there has to be with population growth because people want more than just fast food," Myung said.

Riverside and San Bernardino counties were home to 3.8 million people in July 2004. The Inland Empire is projected to add nearly 1.8 million new residents between 2000 to 2020, according to economist John Husing.

Shogun charges $7 or more for lunch specials and $14 or more for dinner.

Kanenobu will hire up to 80 people including chefs, hostesses, waiters and managers to staff the 9,000 square-foot Temecula restaurant.

"We have plans for more restaurants in the coming year, although we haven't finalized anything yet," Myung said. "We wanted to expand because our customers drive from all over to come here and we want to serve our customers where the demand is."

Kasha Shahabi opened Mikan Teppan and Sushi Lounge in Redlands Nov. 4. Shahabi hired 40 waiters, sushi chefs and managers to run the restaurant.

The 3,400 square-foot restaurant serves Kobe beef flown in from Kobe, Japan, sushi and teppanyaki.

"We've been busy," Shahabi said. "I love this food and I'm excited about the opportunities. Teppan is the most social type of eating you can do, and turns dinner into an event."

Photo By Dan Elliott Owner Kasha Shahabi, left, and Executive Chef Kaoru Ishii at Mikan Teppan and Sushi Lounge in Redlands.

A growing population supports the growth of restaurants in the Inland Empire, said Mark Basye, division manager of Pacific Wine & Spirits. Headquartered in Cerritos, Pacific Wine & Spirits distributes alcohol to the food and beverage industry. Basye manages Pacific's Inland Empire/Palm Springs division.

Basye supplies liquor to Mikan.

"The influx of people and money into the [Inland Empire] can sustain these types of restaurants," Basye said while eating lunch at Mikan Nov. 28.

Mikan serves 25 brands of sake. There are four types of sake including high-end junmai as well as honjozo, ginjo and daiginjo, Shahabi said.

Basye sells 100 bottles of sake for an average of $1,000 to his customers, he said. Some of that sake is imported from Japan or bought from U.S. sake manufacturers.

"Business is good," Myung said.

"December will be our busiest month because of the holidays, corporate and family banquets."

Shogun features a 40-seat banquet room for private parties.

Rolling out

Super Sushi Japanese Cuisine opened Nov. 1. in Redlands. The 68-seat restaurant employs seven people.

Benihana Inc. in Miami opened a 5,000-square-foot RA Sushi Bar Restaurant in Corona Oct. 30. Benihana operates teppanyaki and sushi restaurants.

RA Sushi is a subsidiary of Benihana.

Ocean Blue, a bistro, opened in Redlands in July with 20 employees serving sushi and Japanese cuisine.

Tokyo Wako opened at Ontario Mills in March this year.

Tokyo Wako Ontario is the fourth in a chain of sushi and teppan restaurants owned by Kam Sang Co. Inc.

"I've seen lots of these teppan and sushi restaurants opening lately, a lot more than there was a few years ago," Basye said. A few years ago "these types of restaurant openings used to be stagnant."