Inside Mujō—MICHELIN Star Sushi with a Southern Spin

Atlanta’s culinary landscape is steeped in Southern traditions, but more recently, global flavors have sprouted across the city.

For over two decades, the Castellucci family has led the way enhancing Atlanta's gastronomic scene with a global approach. Riffing off their family's Italian and Greek heritage (and recipes), their first venture, Sugo in Johns Creek plays up these flavors. Next came Spanish and Basque cuisine at The Iberian Pig and Cooks & Soldiers helmed by culinary director (and Three MICHELIN Star Arzak alum) John Castellucci. 

Japanese cuisine is the family’s latest endeavor, driven by veteran sushi chef J. Trent Harris. A meal at Two MICHELIN Star Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongiten in Tokyo left Fred Castellucci in a state of euphoria. His desire to recreate that feeling led him to chef Harris in New York. Castellucci praises, “A lot of that had to do with not just his skill and technique, but also his hospitality and guest interactions.”

Before long, the duo became friends and took a leap of faith for Harris to spearhead Mujō in Atlanta, right next door to Cooks & Soldiers in West Midtown. Castellucci reflects, “At the time, there were no omakase-only sushi restaurants. I never imagined that a restaurant like this would actually survive financially in Atlanta.”

With Atlanta being over 200 miles from the nearest ocean, Harris needed to find ways to bring fresh seafood to the inland city. Unlike New York, where chefs can get anything delivered (even a single tomato), minimum quantities for less common ingredients are more difficult to meet in Atlanta. “We had to create the whole supply chain," explains Castellucci. "These products were not being brought in.” Using his connections to the best seafood suppliers, Harris, at first, drove to the airport to pick up fresh fish.

His commitment to the highest quality ingredients comes from his childhood. Growing up in a small Kentucky town, Harris picked fresh local produce from his backyard. He says, “Obviously, I wasn't really eating sushi growing up. One of the things that I really liked about Japanese cuisine [was] that focus on the purity of the ingredients,” which he likens to Appalachian cuisine including his favorite venison stew.

After giving cooking a try in Ohio, he was hooked and soon became a chef in Japan, the Hamptons and New York City. In Manhattan, he trained under Chef Masaki Saito of Two MICHELIN Star Sushi Masaki Saito and alongside Chef Kazushige Suzuki of One MICHELIN Star Icca. Being on this small team, Harris quickly learned a lot (including some Japanese) and earned recognition from Saito for his passion and hard work.

For his Mujō team, Harris assembled a dream team comprised of seasoned New York professionals who trained at Marea, Atoboy, One MICHELIN Star Sushi Nakazawa and Three MICHELIN Star Eleven Madison Park, as well as emerging, local Atlanta talent. Together, the team excels through drive, determination, and spirit.

With a splash of Southern hospitality, Mujō's team takes the dining experience to new heights activating every sense. The Sid Mashburn suit-clad maître d'hôtel or general manager greet guests by name before proceeding to a dimly-lit cocktail bar serving bespoke drinks and playing eclectic music. The soundtrack includes Atlanta hip-hop, rock, 70s Japanese fusion jazz, and city pop, atypical of the traditional Japanese sushi restaurant.

“It disarms people and makes them realize that they're in for a unique experience," says Castellucci. "We wanted to create an amazing Atlanta fine dining restaurant, not a New York or Tokyo version.” Harris adds, “I'm not Japanese, we're not in Japan. We want to be respectful of that, pay homage to that cuisine, but in a way that makes sense as an Atlanta restaurant.”

Over an oak dining counter, the meal begins. Chef Harris’ omakase experience constantly changes, but typically features three small plates and ten pieces of sushi. The cooked dishes are Japanese with a Western flair and can include marinated grilled naga negi (Japanese leek) with mussels steamed in sake, fried eggplant topped with Maitake mushrooms, braised abalone or lightly seared shime saba (cured mackerel).

Sushi is served Edomae style with a joyful purity of flavor. “Typically a lot of the items are aged or cured. It's not exactly what a lot of Americans are used to in terms of sushi. Once they taste it, they get it,” affirms Harris. “Edomae sushi is all about the rice, seasoned with Akazu (red sushi vinegar). It's all about the nigiri. It's about the ingredients, how they're prepared. There's a lot of skill that goes into that. It's not just buying fish and cutting it up.”

Seasoned and adventurous guests can request off-menu supplemental dishes. Harris says of the bespoke meal, “That's what the omakase experience is. [Diners] are putting [their] trust in us, and we're having a little bit of a dialogue with them about what kind of experience they want to have.”

The only menu constant is a roasted sesame ice cream sundae, atypical of traditional Japanese omakase. “We're in Atlanta, and people want to have dessert,” explains Harris. “We make miso, rum, caramel, roasted fried Japanese sweet potatoes with kinako soybean flour and puffed rice on top.” According to the chef, the taste is akin to funnel cake from the fair, mochi or a Wendy’s frosty with fries.

Harris’ one-of-a-kind fine dining experience is the perfect Southern comfort. “I grew up in Eastern Kentucky. I don't ever want someone who comes in here to feel like they're not welcome, or they don't belong, or that it's intimidating,” he expresses humbly. “This should be about joy, having a great experience with someone that they care about, or maybe they're just by themselves. They belong here. This is for them. We're here to take care of them.”

For many guests, Mujō is their first taste of Edomae sushi. After dining there for the first time, Nancy Castellucci said to her son Fred, ‘Honey, it made me realize…what else have I been missing in my life?’

Hero image: Andrew Thomas Lee/Mujō