As a founding member of alt-rock group the Wallflowers, guitarist Tobias Miller fulfilled his musical passions as part of one of the seminal bands of the 1990s.

Now decades later, driven by his love of Asian cuisine, he’s making a name for himself through another passion — as a rising restaurateur — with the opening of his second modern Japanese barbecue and sushi spot in Long Beach, dubbed Sosogu Sushi & Japanese BBQ.

“Sosogu means to pour it up, so that’s sort of celebratory. This is a place to come and celebrate, but you don’t necessarily need a celebration. We’re very approachable; we’re not white table cloth. It’s modern, sleek, the music is always on at a pretty good level. Especially with my background I make sure the music is always heard,” said Miller, who along with business partner Richard Gottlieb held a grand opening last weekend.

The new, approximately 3,500-square-foot restaurant is serving Japanese barbecue using Japanese and American wagyu meats as well as skirt steak, rib-eye, brisket, beef tongue and other cuts, plus sushi courses and house-made noodles. Eighteen infrared grills allow guests to cook their own meats tableside. The menu also offers a large selection of sake.

The restaurant in the Long Beach Exchange mall is opening three years after the first Sosogu in Redlands.

However, Miller considers the new place his flagship restaurant. “It’s very immersive with the self-cooking barbecues; it’s full service; it’s really an elevated experience,” he said.

Miller formed the Wallflowers in the late 1980s with childhood friend Jakob Dylan, the son of legendary musician Bob Dylan. The band found success with its self-titled 1992 album, then went on to worldwide fame thanks to its second album, “Bringing Down the Horse,” which earned the band a Grammy Award.

Back then, right along with his love for music, Miller developed his love for food, often cooking for the band and discovering new dishes on the road. And after his time with the Wallflowers and other musical projects he decided to transition from making music to running restaurants, which he said wasn’t a big stretch.

“They may seem like different worlds at a first glance but I think there’s a lot of connection,” Miller said.

“They both require creativity, attention to detail and bringing people together to create an experience,” he added.

The food

Besides getting barbecue, diners at Sosogu can order dishes like the garlic noodles, which are wok-fired with green onion. Miller also hopes Sosogu becomes known for its sushi, since the menu offers nigiri, sashimi, hand-cut and roll options and curated sushi coursing.

“You don’t have to think about what goes with what or what to order first; we’ve already planned that out for you. And it starts with the milder fishes first and it gets a little stronger as the course goes on,” Miller said of the curated option.

“Other Japanese barbecue places may or may not have sushi on the menu, but it’s a complete afterthought. You can come here just for sushi and completely ignore the grills and you’re going to have the best sushi you’ve ever had. We pay extreme attention to the rice. Our rice is served with the right amount of seasoning and the right temperature,” he said.

While Miller may not be back on the stage anytime soon with the Wallflowers, the rocker turned restaurateur said he’s feeling right at home in this field.

“For me it’s a continuum of really the same thing. What we’re doing is telling stories just like you do in music.

“It’s a collaboration. In music every note in a song has to matter, and there’s texture and you’re telling a story and we’re also doing that in the restaurant industry; that’s what a recipe is; that’s what a great restaurant experience is,” Miller said.

Sosogu Sushi & Japanese BBQ is at 3860 Worsham Ave., Long Beach. 562-421-5166, sosogu.com