Reality star turned restaurateur: A family man’s recipe for success

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MANILA, Philippines – On the corner of Tordesillas Street in Salcedo Village, Makati City, Izakaya Hamachi is a quaint Japanese gem you might overlook at first glance.

With only five to six tables, a small outdoor seating area, an intimate sushi bar, and quirky yet curated decor, stepping into the cozy space feels like entering someone’s home.

With the warmth of the staff and the comforting simplicity of the ambiance, Izakaya Hamachi immediately makes you feel welcome, offering a sense of class yet casualness that reflects its mission: no frills; just high-quality, honest food.

IZAKAYA Hamachi combines wooden elements with white bricks, personalized by hand-picked decor. All photos by Steph Arnaldo/Rappler

Izakaya Hamachi’s journey is just as honest — beneath the simple charm lies a rich story, one shaped by hard work, family values, and an entrepreneurial spirit. At the helm is Kian Kazemi, whose path from glitz and glamour to family-centric, culinary passion has been anything but ordinary.

Grounded by his roots

“Growing up in two cultures, my dad being Persian and my mom Filipina-Spanish from Aklan, shaped my worldview,” Kian told Rappler. “I grew up a Manila boy but enjoyed Persian and Ilonggo heritage — from its recipes to dialect and culture.”

BABY Kian and his parents during his childhood. Image from Kian Kazemi

Kian also adopted both of his parents’ work ethics. Kian’s parents, Ali and Chat Kazemi, worked tirelessly to rebuild their lives after hitting rock bottom, and as a child, Kian — who is the eldest of four siblings — would watch his parents discuss business over dinner, lunch, and at the breakfast table.

KIAN’s parents are both of Kian’s role models in life. Image from Kian Kazemi

“My parents taught me how to earn my keep, and that hard work beats talent any day if the talent doesn’t work hard,” he said, admiring their resilience and perseverance up to this day.

“I saw the true meaning of dedication, perseverance, and hard work through the everyday actions of my mom and dad.”

Inspired by their grit, young Kian worked at his father’s carpet shop in Pasay Road, earning his arcade money from sales. Later, he took to selling NBA cards and even sandwiches in school to support himself. He even tried out for TV commercials. “I remember giving my mom my first paycheck from my first TV commercial and saying with conviction, ‘There is more to come,’” he recalled.

KIAN’s showbiz career began doing commercials and advertising his family businesses. Image from Kian Kazemi

Kian’s entrepreneurial fire led to the opening of his first Persia Grill restaurant, but it was his love for his family that kept it alive.

“We always keep an optimistic mind, and until today, it helps us make our dreams come true. Family is above everything. We work to create intergenerational wealth and security for our generation and the next,” Kian said.

A showbiz plot twist

After graduating with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Kian’s journey into the culinary world began with a dream of opening a restaurant that celebrated his Persian roots.

KIAN, his parents, and his siblings. Image from Kian Kazemi

“My graduation gift from my parents was a startup business to create a 12- to 15-seater restaurant in Salcedo Village,” he shared.

But as the construction of Persia Grill was underway, life threw him an unexpected curveball.

“I got a call from ABS-CBN to try out for Big Brother Season 2,” Kian said. “I asked my mom, ‘Should I take this?’ She said, ‘You’ve got nothing to lose.’”

Encouraged by his mother’s advice, he took a leap of faith and joined the reality show in 2007. The decision paid off.

When he got out of Big Brother’s house, a lot of media opportunities snowballed his way — teleseryes, movies, hosting gigs, travel shows, talk show invites, interviews, magazine features, and more. Kian’s showbiz career took off, and with it, the visibility of Persia Grill.

KIAN and his father Ali, the owner of Kazemi Carpets. Image from Kian Kazemi

“We also had the leverage to promote our business. It was our bread and butter, and it got mileage. It synced and benefited with the timing of both sides of my career,” he said.

He made sure the food was “consistently delicious,” attributing the brand’s staying power over the years to “not cutting corners, using quality ingredients, and offering value for money.” At the center of it all are his parents, who supported a young man’s dream and goal to run a family-run business that would stand the test of time. For that, Kian is forever grateful.

THE cozy space has a sushi counter and bar, offering cocktails and sake flights until 12 midnight.

“Life is about the people you meet and the things you create together.”

Building (and rebuilding) something new

Kian is now a family man of his own and has intentionally stepped away from the spotlight to focus on the more important things in his life.

With his wife Nikole and four young kids, he decided a few years ago to make something truly of his own, too. He wanted to put up his own Japanese restaurant.

“The conceptualization and development of Izakaya Hamachi was by far the most tedious and challenging projects we have undertaken,” he said. But fueled by the couple’s love of Japanese food and culture and Kian’s obsession with the yellowtail tuna hamachi, all hands were on deck for the birth of Izakaya Hamachi.

HAMACHI is the star of the show, and a personal favorite of Kian.

By fate, Kian was able to befriend a Japanese chef in Manila, who opened up his kitchen for Kian to train under him.

“He showed me the way to achieve authenticity and preserve traditional techniques in handling sushi and sashimi using the freshest and quality ingredients,” Kian said. He also delved into natural farming and learned more about the importance of food’s origin — from the soil to the fermentation processes that create nutrient-dense food.

FRESHNESS is the standard of Izakaya Hamachi when it comes to its ingredients and produce.

“We are inspired by Washoku (和食) which means traditional cuisine of Japan, that focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients and a harmonious balance of flavors, colors, and textures. Washoku reflects the deep connection between nature and culture,” Kian said.

HAMACHI can be enjoyed as a maki roll, sashimi, or grilled.

The dishes reflect the heart of the place — a favorite among regulars (including me) is the hefty Spicy Salmon Sushi — moist Japanese rice generously stuffed with a creamy, slightly spicy salmon mixture, topped with even more of the addictive fish, accentuated by a crunchy layer of tempura crumbs. The sashimi here is fresh, buttery, and thick-cut; it melts in your mouth, and so does the hamachi sashimi.

SPICY Salmon Sushi is one of our favorites: Izakaya Hamachi doesn’t compromise on ingredients and serving sizes.

It’s simple, straight to the point, but easily craveable food with hardly any embellishments served at prices that won’t make you gawk.

WELL-MADE gyoza for appetizers.

Appetizers like the steamed gyoza (slightly crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside) are easy crowd-favorites, and the wagyu cubes with uni on top provide an interesting twist without disrespecting any ingredients. At its core, Izakaya Hamachi delivers on its promise: authentic Japanese comfort food.

JAPANESE wagyu cubes topped with fresh uni is an indulgently fatty treat.

“Japanese cuisine is all about the freshest ingredients so we are happy to work with the best kind, some air flown from Japan and sourced locally from the best our provinces can offer,” Kian said. They recently started planting naturally grown vegetable produce on their family farm in Kalipayan Farms, Alfonso.

Once again, Kian echoes one of his life lessons – “life is about the people you meet and the things you create together.” Even the restaurant’s logo was a chance of fate — as he was watching his kids play football one day, he met a fellow parent who happened to be a Japanese calligraphy teacher. She helped them create the restaurant’s logo. They became and remain family friends.

But transitioning from Persian cuisine to Japanese was no easy feat; it was a complete 360-degree shift, Kian admitted.

WILD steak: medium-rare steak served on a sizzling platter with white onions for crunch.

“The hardest part was staying focused on building the brand while tuning out the doubters. I had to drown out the noise and trust that it was possible to create my dream passion project, even though it was well outside our comfort zone in terms of cuisine,” Kian said.

NIGIRI sushi can be enjoyed raw or torched – either way, the buttery consistency stays the same.

He embraced the challenges head-on, with limited capital but unsatiated curiosity, and continued to learn the intricacies of Japanese culinary art, drawing from his travels and the mentorship of family, friends, and the Japanese chef.

Hands-on, day-to-day

Kian managed the construction on his own, which was a “blessing in disguise” that allowed him to infuse his personal touch into every inch of the restaurant. “Challenges often lead to fresh perspectives and innovations,” he said.

Today, Kian and his wife run the business together — Kian oversees the dishes, ingredients, and execution, while Nikole helps in sourcing ingredients, inventory keeping, staff training, establishing procedures to ensure quality of food and service. With over a decade in the industry, the couple wears many hats, from cook to cashier, and even to marketer and social media manager. Using technology, they also optimize inventory, resources, and marketing.

Izakaya Hamachi just celebrated its first year last October, and is preparing for new branches.

The hands-on approach extended beyond food. Kian and his family diversified their investments, venturing into hospitality with the soon-to-open K Hotel in Buendia, Makati. “The hotel will feature a rooftop garden where we plan to introduce an Izakaya Hamachi as part of our expansion,” he revealed. “It’s all about constant growth, learning, and reinventing our approach.”

Lessons for life

For Kian, Izakaya Hamachi is more than a restaurant; it’s a legacy. “I want this to grow with my kids and hope they’ll carry on the torch,” he shared. His vision for Izakaya Hamachi? To remain a sustainable enterprise where happy memories and nutritious and good food are served, at reasonable prices.

Even if the journey has been anything but stable, Kian keeps in mind a few valuable lessons he’s learned so far: that profit is in the buying (always aim for the best value); practice leads to progress; what isn’t measured can’t be improved; and ikigai: improve by 1% daily — that will be 365% by year’s end.

And above all, customer feedback is everything — he always listens. He aims to treat every customer that walks in Izakaya Hamachi like family, serving each one with “honor and grace.”

“Food fuels people, and we take this responsibility seriously. Our success is rooted in delivering high-quality food that offers great value. We pride ourselves on consistency, serving carefully prepared dishes without cutting corners,” he said.

For aspiring restaurateurs, his advice is simple: challenge yourself, create a unique product, and serve food you and your family would enjoy. Trust in your taste and instincts, and success may be closer than you think.

“In our home, we thrive by working together, combining our talents, and supporting one another. While it’s not always easy, we’ve learned that a good meal can solve almost anything.”

For Kian, Izakaya Hamachi is the culmination of a life shaped by culture, family, his experiences, and his drive to create. “Once you see it in your mind, you will hold it in your hands,” he said with conviction. And that is how his vision became a reality. – Rappler.com

Izakaya Hamachi is located at GF, Finman Centre Bldg, 131 Tordesillas, Makat City. It is open daily from 11 am–2 pm, and 5 pm–12 am.