Geneva couple offer sushi 'not the old-fashioned way' at new restaurant

You think you might know sushi, but according to Khine Zaw, what he and his wife Cho Wai offer at Zen's Sushi Express is different.

"There is no sushi bar like us around here," Zaw said. "It is not like the old-fashion way. It's hybrid - contemporary. We create whatever people like. If they want something different like a combo, it's freshly made. People can see how fresh."

Zaw said he and his wife moved to Geneva from Wisconsin after doing sushi franchise work for supermarkets for almost 10 years.

According to the restaurant's website, the couple started their first franchise sushi at Woodman's Market in Onalaska, Wisconsin, near LaCrosse, in 2014. They opened a second the next year at a Woodman's in Altoona, Wisconsin, near Eau Claire.

The Zaws moved to Geneva in 2021, for their children's education, Khine Zaw said. Zaw and his wife have two daughters, age 6 and 3.

The couple created sushi at the Geneva Fresh Market before opening Zen's Sushi Express in late February, tucked into a small strip mall behind the Shell Station at Illinois Route 38 and Kirk Road.

"This is our first restaurant," Zaw said. "It's very convenient for a small business like us. Geneva is friendly and we have local support. We can survive easily."

On a recent weekday, the couple were rolling sushi and slicing pieces for a large order.

Zaw said sometimes they work more than 12 hours in a day, coming in early to prep all the items that go into sushi - and then getting ready for the lunch and dinner crowd.

"You have to, when you have your own business," Zaw said, as he sliced avocado and cucumber, then diced fresh garlic into tiny pieces into a poke bowl.