A favorite NJ sushi spot closes after 35 years

It’s not like I’ve been there and it was some favorite of mine. That's not it. It’s how long they were a favorite of so many others.

In the mid-80s I frequented open mic comedy nights in small clubs in the Montclair, Bloomfield area. Just after, in 1988, Daikichi opened. And when I think how long ago that feels it makes me sad to hear it’s ended for them.

Daikichi was an outstanding sushi restaurant. They were on Valley Road in Montclair. It was a place so popular that NJ.com ranked it among the 35 best in the state. They served your traditional as well as specialty sushi rolls, platters, and other food the locals loved.

According to NJ.com earlier this week Daikichi’s website had the message ”Daikichi will be closing its doors this Saturday, 9/16 after 35 years of business. This was an incredibly difficult decision to make and while we are sad to say goodbye to this era, our family is ready to move on to its next chapter. Thank you for your support, thank you for the wonderful memories created together, and thank you for allowing us to build a
home here. We are forever grateful.”

Now that the date has passed, a simple website message reads:

daikichimontclair.com/

Thirty-five years. Ronald Reagan was still president when they opened. No one thought of having a cell phone. Online ordering wasn’t a thing because there was no online.

I’ve said this before. When a long-standing place that was part of the mosaic of New Jersey goes away, it’s not that there won’t be other choices. It’s just that those touchstones of how you got where you are go missing when you look back over your shoulder. Things that were so important suddenly seem cheap, and our past is not so immortal after all.

RIP Daikichi.

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