There was a time, over half a decade ago, when sushi in Malta just was not a thing. There might have been a few places selling the stuff, but Maltese people didn’t know what it was, and were definitely not interested in paying for raw fish when they could catch it themselves for free #islandlife.

Then, a trippy little Japanese man came to Malta, and became the catalyst for a sushi revolution the likes of which Malta had never seen.

Miro Gochi set up Gochi in the sweet spot between Paceville and Spinola Bay, and brought an alternative type of food to Malta light years ahead of other sushi bars, or indeed, health-focused eateries.

With a mixture of tasty sushi, affordable prices, and a cool, slightly weird, and down-to-earth vibe, Gochi the restaurant quickly spawned countless copycats. 

But all good things must come to an end. It has just been announced that Gochi, one of Malta’s first, most affordable, and most beloved sushi places, will be closing down.

Of course, Malta’s sushi-loving population were less than pleased at this news, and reacted accordingly.

Gochi will be open for the near future, and there is hope that it re-opens in some incarnation, but you can expect to start finding their brown wooden doors permanently closed after January.

And with that, I have one final message to Miro Gochi. On behalf of all the people who first tried sushi in your hallowed establishment, we salute you, and may you bring that glorious green-tea cake thing to another small island somewhere else in the world. 

Let us know how much you are going to miss Gochi in the comments below. 

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Johnathan Cilia

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]