Ballard's Moshi Moshi Opening Thursday

Kevin and Tracy Erickson, owners of Queen Anne wine haunt Bricco, will open their long-awaited sushi bar, Moshi Moshi, this Thursday, February 5th.

Tracy tells me they're aiming for a casual vibe in their contemporary space.

"We will have an 18 foot steel LED Japanese cherry blossom tree that anchors the bar and sushi bar (see sneak-peek pictures of the interior on Ballard Gossip Girl.com). While the food is serious, we intend for the atmosphere to be fun and relaxing. We hope to attract many different demographics, while catering to Ballard residents. In contrast to Shiku, we will offer a traditional sushi program, with a Japanese/Pacific NW dinner menu."

As for who's in the kitchen, it's a pretty impressive lineup:
"Kataro Kuhmita is our sushi chef. He trained under Shiro for 5 years and is focussed on implementing a very traditional sushi program. Dan Miller (Cascadia, Wasabi Bistro) is our executive chef. His food will also be traditional Japanese but incorporating a NW flavor (see the menu here).
Erik Carlson is our bar manager. He is a Seattle native, but has been in S.F. for several years. He has managed The Red Red Room at the Clift Hotel and also the bar at Umami."

As for those TWO happy hours: Think $1 edamame, $3 agedashi tofu, $4 California rolls, plus $2 PBRs.