A First Look at Shokudô

An izakaya and beer garden has opened its doors in downtown Charleston, serving more than just sushi to diners on King Street. Shokudô joined Indigo Road Hospitality Group in 2025 with a menu crafted by chef Masatomo “Masa” Hamaya that goes beyond your typical Japanese restaurant in the US, combining bold flavors and time-honored Japanese techniques with Charleston-area ingredients for a unique dining experience.

Chef Masa was born and raised and received his culinary education in Japan. In the US, he was head sushi chef at Uchiko in Austin, and in San Francisco, he served as executive chef at Ozumo and executive sous chef at Michelin-starred Ame. Today, he is culinary director at O-Ku and chef partner at Shokudô on King Street.

The menu is a journey of yasai (vegetables), kushiyaki (skewers), kozara (small plates), men (noodles), tenshin (dumplings), temaki (hand rolls), and yaya oki (slightly larger plates). Chef Masa describes the food as approachable, but elevated. “How do you make Japanese cuisine? How do we build a flavor? It’s based off umami factor,” says chef Masa. This is evident in the vegetable starters like aona, or bok choy in a spicy chili crisp with lime zest, and crispy, thick shaka shaka fries that are shaken tableside in a paper bag of Shokudô seasoning.

When it comes to ramen, the chef says, “My style is more savory. I’m used to building flavor with a little bit more Chinese technique…so making just regular ramen, and on top of it adding stir fried vegetable produce from a local source—then you’re adding more flavor to it.” The nagoya mazesoba is a standout, a brothless noodle bowl with wild boar, pork butt, shrimp miso, green onion, and crispy chili for a kick.

The temaki handrolls are served deconstructed, a spoonful of rice and fish or meat on a seaweed wrap for the diners to roll themselves, with options like the market catch, with sashimi and lime kosho. Among larger plates, the crab-fried rice is a Southern seafood classic with a Japanese touch, with blue crab, crab butter, ikura, Carolina gold rice, and Tokyo negi sesame. 

Then comes dessert, which delivers sweetness with unexpected plates like the Golden Arches Hand Pie, Masa’s take on McDonald’s famous apple pie with roasted South Carolina apple, butterscotch, and miso caramel. The Honey C(ube) is a honey-glazed milk bread topped with ube custard and taiyaki, little fish-shaped cakes. 

Cocktails are creative and delicious with highlights like the Matcha Nolada coconut matcha mocktail and Yuku-al Suspect with vodka, green tea, and absinthe. The sake flight paired well with all of the savory dishes and reset the palate.

From vegetables to dessert, a meal at Shokudo is savory, seasonal, and approachable. “And fun,” Masa adds.

Shokudô’s Opening Menu

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