This chef opened a ‘risky’ Boise restaurant in ’92. Now his last one will close
A chef whose name is synonymous with sushi in the Boise area is preparing to say goodbye.
Shigeki Matsuzawa, who opened his first Boise restaurant 33 years ago, will close his final one this month — in Meridian.
Located in a strip mall at 520 S. Meridian Road, Shige Sushi Express will shutter June 27.
“Shige is retiring,” explains a farewell announcement on social media attributed to Matsuzawa, his wife Deborah and daughter Shirah.
A native of Hokkaido, Japan, Shige sharpened his culinary skills in Tokyo before moving to the United States and eventually settling in Boise. He worked as a chef at the city’s lone sushi bar at the time, Tsuru, before launching Shige Japanese Cuisine in 1992 with Deborah. “It was kind of risky,” Matsuzawa told the Statesman years later. “At that time there were only two Japanese restaurants in town.”
Perched on the second floor of what is now called Main + Marketplace, Shige Japanese Cuisine endured for more than a quarter century — with Shige dependably greeting customers with a loud “Irasshaimase!” (“Welcome!”).
Shige Japanese Cuisine was followed by Shige Express, Shige Japanese Steakhouse and Shige Saketini Bar, according to the social media post, “which also featured his French Japanese menu. What you might not know is, Shige was trained in the French Japanese cuisine before he started making sushi.
“Debbie and Shige closed their Boise restaurants 26 years later, but not before opening Shige Express in Meridian in 2011.”
Now that chapter will end, too.
“... Words can’t describe how grateful we are for this community and the relationships we’ve built over the years — especially those of you who came in as customers but turned into friends and family,” the Matsuzawas wrote. “We are beyond thankful!”
This story was originally published June 16, 2025 at 2:18 PM.