Sushi Mambo chef and co-owner, Jose Cazares, 61, has spent his adult life mastering the art of sushi-making, cooking Japanese food professionally, first in San Francisco’s Japantown, then in Napa, and for the last decade, in Calistoga.
In 1981, at age 18, Jose immigrated to San Francisco from the town of Tarimoro in Michoacan, Mexico and began working as a dishwasher at Miyako Sukiyaki, a Japanese hot pot restaurant in Japantown.
His first boss, head chef Koichi Inagawa, ran a tight ship. And when one line chef cracked under the pressure and quit during Jose’s early days, the no-nonsense Inagawa – whom Jose referred to as his “sensei” and as a sign of respect, calls him “Koichi-san” – asked Jose to take his place. Jose rose to the occasion.
“He was very tough, but somehow, he took a liking to me,” Jose remembered. “He did not believe in making a single mistake.” At Miyako Sukiyaki, Jose learned English, which he speaks with a subtle Japanese accent, as well as Japanese. It was also where he developed the culinary skills, precision and showmanship that has made Sushi Mambo a success.
Also at Miyako Sukiyaki, in 1988, Jose met Renee Cazares, who became his wife and Sushi Mambo business partner. She had moved to San Francisco and had taken a job as a server at the restaurant to further immerse herself in Japanese culture and language after studying abroad in Japan during college.
Renee had earned a bachelor’s degree in Japanese language and literature from the University of Oregon and later worked for the Japan National Tourist Organization out of San Francisco. She was only at the restaurant for a few months, but it was long enough, she said, for Jose to make an impression.
“Koichi-san would only let us eat albacore for meals,” she recalled. “He was very strict about that. But Jose would sometimes sneak us the good fish,” she added with a smile.
Working his way up the ranks, Jose learned how to cook the rice, an essential component to making sushi, and then worked rolling sushi in the kitchen. Eventually, he became a manager. In 1992, the restaurant changed ownership and was renamed Yakitori West. The new management put a sushi bar in the front of house and appointed Jose head chef, much to the chagrin of other chefs who had worked at the restaurant for longer.
“At first, I refused,” Jose recalled. “I said, ‘Please put someone else behind the bar.’ But they said, ‘No, no, no, we want you.’” He shrugged and laughed.
“Supposedly I had potential,” he said, and speculated that it was likely his positive attitude and friendly demeanor that landed him the role.
This was the first time Jose was able to interact with the customers, and he honed his showmanship. He was well received by patrons, and the experience gave him the confidence to open his own restaurant.
“The difference between someone who goes to school and somebody like me is I learned it from the inside out,” Jose said. “It’s something I can do now without thinking.”
Renee would occasionally browse the San Francisco Chronicle classifieds, and in 1997, she found a restaurant space in Napa available to rent. That year, the couple, with two small children, moved to Napa to open Sushi Mambo, first on Coombs Street then at a larger First Street location, which they operated at until 2014, when the South Napa Earthquake hit.
It has been 10 years since the Aug. 24, 6.0-magnitude quake. The damage to the First Street restaurant, coupled with a concern about whether their new landlord would renew their lease, prompted the Cazares family to leave Napa for Calistoga. They opened in Calistoga later that year. And in addition to bringing with them their loyal down-valley customers, they have also accumulated plenty of in-town regulars who patronize Sushi Mambo for its family atmosphere and for the Cazares’ takes on Japanese classics, which strayed slightly from the traditional fare Jose was limited to under Koichi-san.
Popular dishes include Whatever’s Clever, Jose’s take on the classic chef’s choice omakase, and the Fungus Among Us sushi roll.
“With any kind of foods, you always learn the basic foundation,” Jose said. “From there, you can do whatever you want. Koichi-san taught me the basics. He didn’t do any of these fancy rolls. For him, it was more maki rolls and nigiri, less sauces.”
A big part of the restaurant’s success is the Cazares’ locals-first ethos. “We believe if locals like it, the tourists will come,” Renee said. “I feel like when you have a good work environment, it shows to the customers. The customers can feel it when you’re kind to people and when you treat people well.”
Jose and Renee, their four children, Jose’s brother (who was also trained by Koichi-san), and his brother-in-law all have worked at the restaurant, making it a true family operation.
“I believe we are here to provide a service to people,” Jose said. “A lot of people, they come in here, they sit down, they enjoy the company and the food, and it’s
all good.”
On any given day, Jose can be found behind his sushi bar, delivering friendly banter as he rolls and shapes sushi to order.
Calistogan Geraldo Alfaro said he dines at Sushi Mambo most Mondays and Fridays for lunch, and always orders the Whatever’s Clever. Unfamiliar with the flavors of Japanese cuisine when he moved to the U.S. from Mexico at age 14, Alfaro said Sushi Mambo has expanded his palate and exposed him to new flavors.
“All I know is that everything Jose makes, I like,” Alfaro said.
Calistogans Rick and Kristine Patton also make a point to dine at Sushi Mambo on a weekly basis, opting to sit bar-side when seats are available.
"We just love these guys. They’re all great. Renee, Jose, their kids who work here some times,” Rick Patton said.
And while tourists and locals flock to Sushi Mambo on weekends, on a Monday lunch hour, it’s locals at the bar.
“It’s our Cheers,” said Patton, referring to the ‘80’s sitcom with the theme song, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name.”
“I’m very fussy about where I eat my food,” Patton said. “To me, a lot of a restaurant is about the vibe. And I don’t want to eat sushi unless I’m at a sushi bar, because that is where the fun is.”
