Chef Kekoa brings the traditional Japanese kaiseki dining experience to Plano, Texas, with the opening of Ichika, a high-end restaurant focused on fresh, seasonal ingredients and artisanal preparation. The intimate space seats only eight diners, offering a kappo-kaiseki dinner experience with dishes prepared right before their eyes. The menu features imported ingredients alongside local produce, with a focus on seasonal changes. The restaurant's opening was a success, and it was booked within days. Chef Kekoa collaborated with Chef Chikao Kikuchi, a veteran in North Texas Japanese cuisine, to make the restaurant a reality.
Chef Chikao Kikuchi uses a lump of charcoal to sear sashimi at Ichika on Monday, March 9, 2026, in Plano ., at a location in Headquarters Village on Preston Road, the Japanese restaurant Ichika offers a dining experience far from the typical sushi bar.
, set out to establish this high-end restaurant with one goal in mind: Bring the Japanese tradition of kaiseki — one of the most refined forms of the country’s haute cuisine — to North Texas., nigiri and sashimi, a kaiseki dinner features dishes as varied as soups and rice dishes that follow the five cooking techniques: raw, grilled, simmered, steamed and fried. “We just want to be humble and represent the food in the right way,” Kekoa said. “Because kaiseki originated in temples and began with something like a tea ceremony, it is kind of sacred.”Chef Chikao Kikuchi sears sashimi with charcoal as chef Leo Kekoa looks on at Ichika on Monday, March 9, 2026, in Plano.Ichika’s space is intimate, seating only eight diners for a kappo-kaiseki dinner, where everyone can watch their dishes being prepared right before their eyes.The ingredients are of the highest quality. Although most are imported from Japan — such as the rice or a 20-year-aged vinegar — and from Hawaii — such as a type of water — they also use some local ingredients, like oranges or Wagyu beef. That said, nothing is processed, and everything is prepared in an artisanal manner. The fish is brought from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market and has never been frozen, ensuring the utmost freshness possible. Since the ingredients are hyper-seasonal, Ichika’s menu changes with each season. There are eight courses, ranging from the starter to dessert.“Even though here in Texas we don’t have as distinct seasons as in other places, I still wanted to make that distinction, and we’ll have four different menus throughout the year,” Kekoa explained.Reservations are opened one month in advance. In March, within days of opening, Ichika was booked for the month. Originally from Hawaii, where he worked for years at his grandfather’s sushi restaurant, Kekoa took a different path before returning to the kitchen. “I worked and learned everything about sushi throughout middle school and high school, but I really hated it,” Kekoa said with a laugh. “I wanted to party, and after high school, I moved to Japan, where I used to produce music professionally.”During his time as a producer, Kekoa visited numerous restaurants and interacted with many chefs — whom he describes as artists — and it was then that his love for cooking was reignited. A bottle of Yokoi Black Vinegar is prominently displayed as you enter Ichika on Monday, March 9, 2026, in Plano.. In Frisco, the chef doubled down on omakase by opening Kinzo in 2022, and in 2025 he opened casual sushi eatery He is not alone in the Ichika venture. He is joined by veteran chef Chikao Kikuchi, one of the pioneers of Japanese cuisine in North Texas and one of the reasons Kekoa opened Ichika in Plano.Kikuchi is over 70 years old and lives in Aubrey, so commuting to Dallas is difficult for him. That’s why Kekoa decided to open the restaurant in Plano — to look out for his colleague and friend and spare him the long drive. “He mattered more to me than Michelin,” Kekoa said. “I just hope Michelin turns its head to see us, even though we’re not in the city of Dallas.”Imelda García is a journalist covering Hispanic food and Latino culture trends. She previously worked as a reporter for Al Día, the Spanish-language publication of The DMN. Before working at The DMN, she developed most of her career in national outlets in México.Lanes of SH 114 in Irving reopen following police activity closure Monday night
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