Latin Japanese Fusion Sushi at Keyaki: How a Family-Owned Restaurant Turned Street Food Into Utah's Most Viral Sushi

There's a crispy rice patty sitting in a pizza box on Fort Union Boulevard that's making people do double-takes. It's topped with spicy crab salad, fresh salmon, and—here's where it gets interesting—crumbled Hot Cheetos. Welcome to Keyaki Sushi, where a small family decided that traditional sushi rules were more like guidelines, and Utah's Latin Japanese fusion sushi scene would never be the same.

Located at 777 E Fort Union Blvd in Midvale, Keyaki occupies an unassuming strip mall space that belies the creativity happening inside. The smell of panko-fried rolls mingles with the sweet-tart punch of fresh mango, while orchid blossoms arrive tucked into takeout boxes like small gestures of celebration. One customer who identifies as "not a sushi person" admits they've "been craving this again since I went," while their friends ordered the Hot Cheeto roll, Fuji roll, Hawaiian roll, and Sakura roll and haven't stopped talking about it since.

From Commissary Kitchen to Fort Union: The Keyaki Family's Fusion Journey

Established in September 2022, Keyaki Sushi started as a family-owned business in a tiny storefront on a commissary kitchen in Murray. What began with catering events and weddings has evolved into something more permanent—and decidedly more adventurous. The family created Keyaki with the purpose of innovating and creating while working on what they are passionate about.

In September 2024, Keyaki was able to expand and find a new home in their current Midvale location. The move represented more than just additional square footage. It was validation that their approach—melding Latin street food sensibilities with Japanese sushi techniques—resonated with Utah diners looking for something beyond yet another California roll.

The fusion makes cultural sense when you think about it. Latin Japanese fusion brings interesting flavors by incorporating fresh tropical fruits, spicy salsas, and extensive vegan options into traditional sushi. Rice and avocado anchor both cuisines. The family's Venezuelan and Mexican heritage shows up in unexpected places: fried plantains crowning a Monkey roll, Takis providing textural crunch on sushi pizza, jalapeños adding heat to the Hot Cheeto creation. This isn't fusion for fusion's sake—it's the natural expression of a family cooking what they know, filtered through the discipline of Japanese sushi craft.

The Sushi Pizza Experience: Where Crispy Meets Controversy

Let's address the elephant in the room—or rather, the crispy rice patty shaped like a pizza. The sushi pizza features a "crust" made of sushi rice that gets a nice crispy exterior, similar to the crunchy rice at the base of good Korean bibimbap. One reviewer described their sushi pizza with crab as "excellent," while another calls it "a must" that's "fresh and crunchy all at once."

Here's how it works: that crispy rice base gets topped with your choice of spicy crab salad or keep it plain, then comes salmon or tuna, sliced avocado, sesame seeds, spicy mayo, and the signature move—crumbled Takis or Hot Cheetos cascading over the top. The sushi pizza represents the importance of rice and avocado to both Latin and Japanese cuisines, while appreciating the Italian innovators who created pizza, with the Takis or Cheetos serving as clever nods to Latin street food traditions like Sonoran hot dogs or elotes.

The presentation alone justifies the Instagram follows. One customer raved about receiving their order: "The PIZZA and Monkey were in a pizza type box with an orchid blossom. Gorgeous! Delicious food and incredible presentation!"

Then there's the Hot Cheeto roll, which might sound gimmicky until you actually taste it. The roll features thinly sliced jalapeño pepper topped with sriracha, spicy crab salad, fried shrimp, and that crispy, slightly acidic coating of hot Cheetos—described as "a monolith of spicy flavor." One group of friends got the Hot Cheeto roll along with the Fuji, Hawaiian, and Sakura rolls and "can't stop talking about how good this place was."

For those seeking texture beyond what traditional sushi offers, the Idaho roll delivers with curly fried potatoes on top, while the Tanuki roll stuffs fried chicken inside and finishes with curry sauce. The Monkey roll comes topped with fried plantains, which reviewers call "brilliant." One customer lists the Tanuki chicken curry roll, mango roll, vegan monkey, and vegan Tiger roll among their favorites.

The sushi nachos deserve their own paragraph. Keyaki's version uses fried wonton wrappers as chips and doesn't skimp on toppings—mango, tuna, avocado, green onion, and cilantro get hit with spicy mayo, signature K sauce, and sweet chili sauce. One reviewer proclaimed, "The sushi nachos rocked my world. There was plenty of ahi with avocado and mango and jalapeño with different sauces, eel sauce, sweet chili, spicy mayo, all on top of crispy wonton."

Here's where Keyaki truly distinguishes itself in the Midvale sushi scene. While most sushi restaurants offer a token vegetable roll, Keyaki built an entire dedicated vegan section that actually excites people.

One reviewer notes: "Many places that have vegan options for sushi are pretty same-y and get a little boring (some don't even try to be creative), but that's not the case for Keyaki!!! They have a dedicated vegan section on their menu, as well as clearly labeled vegan options/subs/apps/desserts."

The vegan Monkey roll exemplifies the approach. It features asparagus, crunchy zucchini, vegan cream cheese, avocado, topped with fried plantains and goma, served with K sauce. One gluten-free diner who converted to sushi at Keyaki ordered the vegan Monkey and Yummy rolls, noting "the rolls are so big, maybe 10 pieces each," and has been craving them ever since.

A pregnant customer who tried veggie rolls at many sushi places found them "always disappointing," but at Keyaki, even after being able to eat raw fish again, still orders the vegan rolls "because they are that good!" The restaurant even prepares vegan items separately from raw fish to prevent cross-contamination—a detail that matters to people with dietary restrictions or ethical concerns.

One DoorDash reviewer summed it up: "Love their vegan roll. Even my omni parents like them more than the non-vegan rolls. The Coco roll is my absolute favorite! Best sushi I've ever had."

The vegan pizza option exists, too, proving that even their most viral creation accommodates plant-based diners. For a community with a significant LDS population that often avoids certain meats, plus growing numbers of ethical vegetarians and health-conscious eaters, this isn't just nice—it's strategic community service.

Beyond Sushi: Mocktails, Churros, and the Midvale Food Scene

In addition to sushi, diners can grab fruity mocktails ($4-$5) and crispy churros drizzled with chocolate ($5), and the restaurant will even bake custom cakes for special occasions. The mocktail menu reads like a vacation: fresh blueberries with lime and mint, blackberries with lemon juice, lime juice with guava nectar and ginger ale, fresh kiwi with orange and lime juice, fresh strawberries with lime juice and grapefruit soda.

These aren't just beverage options—they're cultural markers. In a state where a significant portion of the population doesn't drink alcohol, offering thoughtful, fresh-ingredient mocktails rather than relegating non-drinkers to soda shows the family understands their market.

The Fort Union corridor where Keyaki sits isn't exactly known as a culinary destination. It's strip malls and chain restaurants, the kind of area where you stop for errands, not experiences. But one regular says "Keyaki Sushi is the place I love introducing other people to. I've probably brought 6+ friends/acquaintances and all of them leave very happy and very full. It's a win with everyone!"

Another customer describes it perfectly: "Small, quite fantastically well prepared fresh sushi. We went on a Saturday just before they closed around 820 and sat and ate immediately. Great atmosphere and experience. Love this place. Will be returning many many times."

Planning Your Visit to Keyaki Sushi

Keyaki Sushi sits at 777 E Fort Union Blvd in Midvale, on the stretch between the Shops at Fort Union and the I-15 corridor. They're open Monday 12pm-9pm, closed Tuesday, Wednesday-Thursday 12pm-9pm, Friday-Saturday 12pm-10pm, and Sunday 1pm-8pm. Call ahead at (385) 787-4409.

The space itself is small and cozy—this is primarily a takeout operation that happens to have a few tables. One reviewer describes it as having "stylish décor that creates a cozy yet sophisticated dining experience," though most agree the food quality exceeds what you'd expect from the location. As one customer puts it: "Really innovative sushi spot offering takeout and casual dine in. The food is better than the location so I'd recommend taking it out."

If you're going for your first visit, the Munchies Box combo ($30) offers solid value: sushi pizza, gyoza, edamame, and chocolate churros. It's basically a tour of what makes Keyaki different. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, they run a special where you buy two rolls and get a free Vegas Roll.

For the vegan-curious, multiple reviewers specifically praise the Tiger roll, Monkey roll, and Yummy roll as "super creative, super delicious." The Chata roll earns obsessive fans—one customer notes "we always get the Chata Roll* (Hot) then try a new roll with it and i have liked every single roll we have tried. they never disappoint!"

Order online through their Toast site, DoorDash, or Uber Eats. The packaging holds up remarkably well for delivery, which makes sense given the family's pandemic-era origins perfecting takeout presentation.

Follow them on Instagram @keyaki_sushi for specials and new roll announcements.

Why Keyaki Matters to Utah's Evolving Food Scene

One review captures Keyaki's broader significance: "The best sushi we've had so far in salt lake. Everything was perfect and delicious!" That's not just about fried plantains on rice. It's about a family that saw an opportunity to bring their actual heritage into a cuisine not traditionally associated with Latin American flavors, and did it with enough confidence and skill that it works.

Utah's food scene has long struggled with the perception—sometimes deserved—that it's either bland Mormon comfort food or chains. Places like Keyaki push back against that narrative. Here's a family-owned spot in a Midvale strip mall serving sushi pizza that's genuinely innovative, not gimmicky, backed by a vegan menu that vegans actually want to eat, priced reasonably enough that families return regularly.

The culinary fusion creates "a glorious union of several delicious cultural influences," reminding us that the best food often emerges when people stop worrying about authenticity police and start cooking what makes sense to them. The family behind Keyaki took their Venezuelan and Mexican backgrounds, learned Japanese techniques, and created something that could only exist here—in this moment, in this community, on this particular stretch of Fort Union Boulevard.

As one customer sums up: "Delicious sushi! With lots of amazing options and vegetarian options." Sometimes the best recommendation is also the simplest: it's good, there's something for everyone, and you should probably just go try it.

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