Former Kegon Owner Has New Place in Highland Park

The newest place to grab some sushi in Highland Park is downtown, with an owner that was lured to the area after a successful stint owning a Japanese restaurant in Northbrook.

But Mizuki Grill, 474 Central Ave., isn’t your typical Japanese restaurant. Owner Joe Choy says it is a place to get almost any kind of grub, specializing in American and western foods in addition to the Japanese fare.

“Once people come here, they see they have a selection and always want to come back,” said Choy who owned Kegon Japanese Restaurant in Northbrook for 15 years.

One of his regulars at the Northbrook location, Choy said, is the daughter of the owner of the building in Highland Park that is now home to Mizuki Grill (which translates to water and tree), which opened about a month ago.

“I had a lot of customers from Highland Park (at Kegon), so they are all happy I have come here,” said Choy, a Northbrook resident. “The people are so nice and a lot are already coming back.”

The sushi, of course, is a hot ticket item - but so are the burgers and rack of lamb. Other Japanese and American dishes are also starting to take off, he said.

“With this new location, we are looking to host company parties, bar mitzvahs and other, bigger events,” Choy said.

With 11 employees on board so far, Choy said he is looking to grow and already has openings for kitchen and wait staff.

“We would also love more customers,” he quipped.