Aaliyah Xu opens gourmet Sushi HWA store in Ipswich’s Top of Town precinct

An Ipswich mum and her 16-year-old son once travelled from Springfield to Brisbane to work as sushi chefs for other bosses. Now, they have their very own shop at Ipswich.

An Ipswich mum who worked for years as a sushi chef for other bosses has opened her very own restaurant close to home and at the top of town.

Aaliyah Xu of Springfield said the response to the opening of her new store, Sushi HWA at 7 West St, Ipswich, had been overwhelmingly positive and she and her family were run off their feet making and preparing orders.

“People are very kind around here,” Ms Xu said.

“During lunch times they come here, drop in and take some lunch. Lunch time is pretty busy, from 11am to 2pm.”

Sushi HWA owners Aaliyah Xu and her husband and their two sons, aged 16 and 13 years. Picture: Facebook / David Martin: Ipswich

Ms Xu said she and her husband and their two boys, aged 13 and 16, moved to Ipswich from New Zealand in 2019. She travelled to Brisbane to work as a sushi chef for other people ever since.

“When I was working for the other shops I enjoyed it, making sushi,” she said.

“(My) older son, he used to work with me at the previous work.

“He doesn’t know how to cook, but he knows (how to make) sushi.”

Both of Ms Xu’s children will now work part-time at their parents’ sushi shop, around their school and sporting commitments.

Located at 7 West St, Sushi HWA is open seven days a week, from 10am to 5.30pm. Picture: Facebook / David Martin: Ipswich

The family business will take on additional staff from next week so it can work more efficiently to serve its quickly-growing customer base.

Tables will also be installed at the West St site next week so customers can enjoy their extensive offerings — ranging from grilled nigiri sushi to udon noodles — in-store.

While this is only the beginning of the Xus’ first business venture together, they hope that they are one day able to open Sushi HWA stores in other locations across Ipswich.

The store is open seven days a week, from 10am to 5.30pm, though its closing time is likely to be extended in the near future due to popular demand for Sushi HWA dinners.