Our History

Chef Sam Liew came to the United States from Thailand in 1988. His first job was at Redding’s Sakura Sushi on East Street. It was there that Sam began to learn about what is involved in running a successful restaurant; how important the quality of the food is and good customer service. Chef Sam’s interest in excellent Japanese food was now set in motion!

Chef Sam then moved onward in his culinary training by working with Takaaki (“Randy”) and Tamaki (“Jamie”) Shinose who owned Kampai Sushi in Redding. Kampai had a fantastic reputation in the community with their superb menu & unique style. Chef Sam was able to learn what made Kampai Sushi stand out above the rest, and incorporated this knowledge of cooking into his own creative mastery.

The following 14 years proved exciting for Chef Sam, as head Chef of a well known Japanese restaurant in the area, Tokyo Gardens. It was there he further developed his skills & knowledge of all aspects of Japanese cuisine. He began to create his own specials, using flavors & ingredients never before tried... the result was remarkable! Chef Sam developed a following of customers who absolutely LOVED his Fusion Specials and creative finesse... leading to his current style of ‘Edible Art’!

The Move!

A wonderful opportunity came up in August 2011 for Chef Sam to finally have his own restaurant. This had been a 20 year dream for him & his wife Mae. Chef Sam took the leap of faith to become the new owner of Kampai Sushi! With his fabulous ‘Edible Art’ culinary creativity, and incorporating all the different types of Japanese cooking he learned over the decades, Chef Sam’s new Kampai Sushi is FANTASTIC!