Sushi 1 closes in Westhampton Beach 

Westhampton Beach, a revolving door of hip eateries, has lost one of its true culinary treasures: After 29 years, Sushi 1 has closed. Chef Kimi Osaki, who owned the restaurant with his wife, Yoko, said that, at age 73, "I can’t move like I used to." Especially during the busy summer season, "dine-in customers have to wait to get served, takeout customers sometimes have a one-and-a-half to two-hour wait."

The dining room at Sushi 1 was devoid of flash and, in the kitchen, there was no army of prep cooks and assistants; Osaki and his small team of Japanese-trained chefs made everything the old-fashioned way. The menu featured traditional rarities such as gomaae (steamed spinach with sesame sauce), oshinko (pickled vegetables) and kimpira (sautéed burdock root and carrots). The sushi selections were focused more on a variety of fish than elaborate rolls, and the regular list of almost 20 species was supplemented by daily specials such as red snapper from Japan, sea urchin from California, fluke fin or butterfish. The attention to detail extended even to the rice: Sushi 1 served haiga rice, milled to remove the bran but not the germ, so that it’s more nutritious than white rice and better tasting than brown rice.

After emigrating from Japan, Osaki worked at Benihana before venturing out to Westhampton in 1981 to work at a sushi restaurant on Montauk Highway with the improbable name of Krugerrand. After that he operated a small sushi takeout in the village before opening Sushi 1 in 1995.

"I’m still fine," he said, "but I said to myself, ‘take a little break, my wife felt the same." They made no grand announcement but, when they served their last meal on Nov. 24, "lots of people were shocked and cried, and so did I."

Osaki said he was negotiating with another Japanese restaurant to take over the spot "so that people can still get Japanese food."