ST. LOUIS — The Hill is getting a sushi restaurant this fall. Sado, a new sushi-focused restaurant, comes from Nick Bognar, the chef and owner of indo on Tower Grove Avenue.
Sado will fill the space of former Italian restaurant Giovanni's On The Hill and will feature an expanded menu from his family's other restaurant, Nippon Tei, according to a news release about the restaurateur's plans. Nippon Tei will remain open on Manchester Road in Ballwin until the fall.
The release said Sado will feature many of Nippon Tei's trademark sushi rolls and "an expanded experience with a large sushi bar, front bar and lounge, and more." Sado will give Bognar a chance to display his experience in modern Japanese cooking and allow him and his team to seek more in the world of sushi from the omakase sushi experience and other techniques.
Bognar said Sado will have omakase dinners, which will include a multicourse meal with dishes selected by the chef. But the restaurant also will have some of his Nippon Tei favorites like Crab Rangoon and California rolls, according to the release.
Bognar said 'sado' is the Japanese word for 'tea ceremony,' and he chose it to represent his and his mother's commitment to providing a place for the community, the release said.
“Japanese tea ceremonies are all about beauty, respect and harmony - honoring the general welfare of people," Bognar said in the release. "We want to extend that care and hospitality to our guests at Sado.”
"I want my mom to have the limelight. She’ll be the one taking care of the guests, which is what she loves to do,” Bognar said in the release.
Bognar was a semifinalist in the James Beard Awards in 2019 and 2020.
