On Food: Hand roll pioneers celebrate anniversary with expansion

Some pioneers of the Orange County sushi scene are celebrating their fourth anniversary this fall with an expansion.

Temakira serves temaki, the Japanese word for hand roll.

When Temakira opened in November 2014 in Costa Mesa’s East 17th Street, it was the first of its kind in O.C. to focus its menu on the sushi-stuffed hand rolls, which are a popular on-the-go item in Brazil.

The rolls are wrapped in nori (seaweed) or soy paper. White or brown rice is added, followed by a protein (like tuna, salmon or shrimp tempura), fillings (which include avocado, cucumber, green onions, fish eggs or tempura flakes) and, to top it off, a sauce (spicy mayo, mayo, eel sauce, sriracha or wasabi cream).

One of the photogenic, Instagram-ready rolls (which end up with a shape reminiscent of an ice cream cone) is a snack; two or three can be a meal.

Temakira — a made-up word that combines temaki with kira, which means “coming of hope” in Japanese — has three locations: East 17th Street, the OC Mix, also in Costa Mesa, and Irvine.

In time for the chain’s fourth anniversary, a fourth restaurant is planned to open later this year near the Long Beach Airport, breaking Temakira into the Los Angeles County market.

Some of Temakira’s menu temaki (they can also be customized) use American palate favorites, such as avocado and shrimp tempura, while others take their cues from traditional Japanese food, namely the Negi Hama (yellowtail and green onions with olive oil, lemon and daikon sprouts) and the Yuzu Tuna (seared tuna, mixed greens, sprouts, Yuzu chili sauce).

The chain has also caught onto the poké craze, offering its hand roll options in a bowl with base options, such as rice, cucumbers, sprouts and ginger.

And, for its managing members who founded Temakira — Hugo Komatsu, Ilka Komatsu, who are brother and sister, and Natsuko Travioli — that newness extended to themselves. They had never run or started a restaurant before.

Rather, the trio, who all live in Costa Mesa, where their company is based, came from the finance world.

Hugo and Ilka were born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. Travioli grew up in Irvine and Japan, where she met Hugo. At the time, both were working in a Japan office of Newport Beach-based PIMCO, the investment management company.

But they weren’t meant to stay in the investment sphere too long.

Hugo harbored culinary dreams that eventually translated into becoming a founding member of a sushi hand roll shop in Costa Mesa, an area with which he was already familiar, with Travioli, a person whose friendship with him continued back in the United States. Ilka joined the business after its founding.

When planning Temakira, they could imagine the benefits of temaki: affordable price points, healthy options and its ability to be a gateway food that points some eaters toward more Japanese cuisine.

“I thought it would be really interesting,” Hugo said.

He had no restaurant experience, however. Hugo jokes now that the only culinary experience he had was running a food trading company in Brazil, a far cry from the restaurant operations required of him now.

It was Travioli who brought some restaurant experience to the fold.

They chose Costa Mesa as a starting point, partially because they predicted it could be a success there. With the influx of stylish and popular eateries popping up along East 17th Street — from the Crack Shack and Sidecar Doughnuts to Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop and Pitfire Artisan Pizza — their predictions came true.

Like others have been along the street, their restaurant was a hit.

“We were part of the wave,” Travioli said.

Initial marketing was limited. People, it turned out, were curious and came in on their own.

“Getting exposure was pretty easy,” Hugo said.

It has also come with an unexpected bonus. Temakira never intended to convert fans of traditional sushi fare. Turns out, they’re doing just that.

“They see it’s different,” Travioli said, “and they seem to like it.”

Temakira is located at 259 E. 17th Street, Costa Mesa; the OC Mix, 3313 Hyland Ave., B5, Costa Mesa; and 4237 Campus Drive, B164, Irvine.

Bradley Zint is a contributor to Times Community News.