A new eatery has found its home along the busy avenue of N Main St: Kent Kitchen.
Replacing the well-loved JP Gifford’s, a formidable predecessor, Kent Kitchen faced high expectations. Yet, scoping out the town of Kent, co-owner Suko Lugito noted the ways Kent felt like just the right place for the restaurant. With plenty of hungry Kent students and residents in town, he saw the customers and community he could serve. In addition to this, there was a noticeable lack of Japanese food in the area. Lugito explained, “My partner and I visited Kent, and we saw all the things the town did have: pizza at KPG and Cozzy’s, chocolate at 45 on main, Chinese food at Shanghai. We saw what Kent doesn’t have, and we hoped to bring that.”
With a blend of American and Japanese cuisines, Kent Kitchen serves a variety of dishes, ranging from the spicy miso ramen to the caramelized brisket and short rib Kent Burger to the crispy rice tuna. This rich cultural blend was born from the areas of expertise of the two co-owners, Suko Lugito and Alberto Schenck. Lugito worked for over twenty years specializing in sushi and Japanese cuisine, having served as a Japanese kitchen chef in New York City’s Nobu. Schenck brings the other half of Kent Kitchen’s dual cultural identity, with his work as a chef and culinary artist in restaurants across the country. Though his specialty lies in American dishes, he has over twenty-five years of experience with a range of cuisines, including French, Chinese, Spanish, and Italian. These two well-seasoned chefs brought their unique vision to life in Kent. Their talents have attracted Kent students, tourists, and town residents alike, all of whom savor the culinary experience the restaurant brings.
However, there were initial challenges that came with opening the restaurant. “It was messy,” Lugito explained with a laugh, “and fixing it took almost three months.” His work began in April, extending through late June. Their work also involved connecting with multiple international suppliers like True Worlds Foods and New York Mutual Trading for various components of dishes, bringing in ingredients from around the world, including Australia, Japan, and Spain. After months of hard work and careful curation, the Kent Kitchen we now know emerged for its inaugural opening on June 28th.
Open every day from 11am to 8pm except Tuesdays, Kent Kitchen has put down roots in Kent, working its way into the hearts of every hungry student and resident who visits.
