By Cameron Lee
August 26, 2026
Photo: Jo Hayes / CLTure
In just a few years in Charlotte as a restaunteur, Chef Robin Anthony, a native of the Indonesian island of Java, has built a remarkable résumé, earning recognition as a James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast, while his restaurant concepts, Prime Fish and Omakase by Prime Fish, have received Michelin Guide recommendations. Anthony is the only sushi chef in the Carolinas to earn both distinctions. Meanwhile, his path to becoming an acclaimed sushi chef is anything but conventional. Born in Indonesia, Anthony spent much of his youth in Bali and Singapore before immigrating to the United States in his early 20s. He wasn’t even in the restaurant industry until he arrived in Raleigh, where he began working at a modest neighborhood Japanese restaurant, where his passion for sushi first took root.
Photo: Jo Hayes / CLTure
But his his meticulous approach to learning the craft of the Edomae-style of sushi-making, has propelled Anthony to one of the region’s premier chefs after years of investing in the craft he became obsessed with after his first taste of sushi, learning the the techniques and processes that emphasize preparation, aging, curing, marinating, and seasoning to enhance the natural flavors of some of the best quality fish in the region.
Anthony would spend his own money on the best equipment and ingredients, working tirelessly after hours while serving as head chef at Yama Waverly in Charlotte. He also traveled to Michelin-starred restaurants in New York to study and analyze some of the country’s leading sushi chefs.
Photo: Jo Hayes / CLTure
“I’m learning as a customer — the taste, how the temperature is, how thick the fish is, and how they prepare it. When I come back to Charlotte, I’m training again,” Anthony said. “I would buy more fish. After the restaurant closes, I would still try to train myself how to make the sushi with the leftovers. Basically, at one point, I’m making almost a thousand nigiri just to train, almost every night.”
That dedication to his craft, along with multiple visits to Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City, including Sushi Sho in Midtown and Sushi Noz on the Upper East Side, helped Anthony develop the expertise to open his first restaurant, but getting there wasn’t easy.
“So in 2019, I actually wanted to open my own restaurant already, but nobody wanted me. No landlord wanted to sign a lease with me, because I only had a little money,” he said. “I have a good resume, but they don’t care about that. They only care about how much capital you have. They only care about their financial security.”
Chef Anthony opened his first restaurant, Prime Fish, in 2021.
While the pandemic shuttered countless restaurants and caused widespread supply-chain disruptions and rising food costs, it also unexpectedly opened a door for Chef Anthony. As businesses closed and commercial vacancies increased, he seized the opportunity to secure his first lease in Ballantyne, off Johnston Road, where he began building his first restaurant, Prime Fish.
What has set Prime Fish apart — and helped earn Anthony and his restaurants unprecedented recognition in the region — is the quality of the fish and ingredients, coupled with his meticulous attention to detail. Rather than relying solely on traditional frozen tuna sources commonly found in the Carolinas, Prime Fish sources premium seafood from around the world, including Balfegó Atlantic bluefin tuna from the Mediterranean coast of Spain, Oma wild Pacific bluefin tuna from Aomori Prefecture at the northern tip of Honshu, and Ehime-farmed Pacific bluefin tuna from southern Japan.
Photo: Jo Hayes / CLTure
Each is prized for its distinctive qualities, particularly in the chutoro and otoro cuts, where the tuna’s high fat content produces a rich, silky texture and buttery mouthfeel, though the flavor and balance of fat can vary depending on the fish and its origin. Oma tuna, in particular, is renowned for its well-balanced fat and deep flavor, while Balfegó is known for its carefully managed fat content and consistent quality. Prime Fish also sources salmon from the Faroe Islands, prized for its rich flavor, firm texture, and distinctive fat distribution.
“Most of the time, the fish comes in, and what they do is they just fillet it, and then either they freeze it, or they just fillet it and serve it to you,” Anthony said. “And that’s not Edomae… we have to process the fish first.
Photo: Jo Hayes / CLTure
Edomae, the traditional style of sushi that originated in Edo (present-day Tokyo), emphasizes the careful preparation of fish through techniques such as curing, marinating, and aging, along with the use of seasoned vinegar in the sushi rice. Prime Fish offers a variety of cuts through traditional nigiri, sashimi, and hand rolls, as well as crudo, tataki, and beef carpaccio. The menu also includes classic sushi-bar staples such as miso soup, ginger salad, seaweed salad, and edamame — all thoughtfully elevated through Chef Anthony’s meticulous approach.
The beverage program is equally deliberate, with Anthony — a Certified Sake Adviser and Level 1 sommelier, whose wine program was recently awarded Wine Spectator’s 2026 Award of Excellence — curating an extensive selection of premium sake and wine thoughtfully paired with Prime Fish’s carefully sourced sushi and seafood, from lean akami to rich, buttery chutoro and otoro cuts. The sake list is every bit as nuanced as the fish, with flavor, aroma, texture, sweetness, acidity, and complexity shaped by factors such as the rice, degree of polishing, yeast, brewing method, water, and aging. There are no sake bombs or traditional hot-sake carafes in sight; instead, each pour offers layered flavors and a refined mouthfeel that may make you reconsider everything you thought you knew about sake.
Omakase by Prime Fish, offers an unparralled dining experience in Charlotte
In 2022, Anthony expanded the concept with Omakase Experience by Prime Fish, introducing North Carolina’s first dedicated Edomae-style omakase experience — an intimate eight-seat sushi counter featuring seasonal seafood menus ranging from 10 courses at lunch to 15 courses at dinner. Guests can enhance the experience with curated sake and wine pairings, guided by Charlotte restaurant-industry veteran and sommelier Terrell Johnson, who helps lead diners through the carefully crafted culinary journey.
Photo: Jo Hayes / CLTure
Omakase is Chef Anthony’s true passion, and watching him work at his newly renovated sushi counter, surrounded by light, natural wood paneling and a white brick backdrop and accompanied by serene classical music, is like watching an episode of Chef’s Table — a master of his craft in a zen-like state, grating fresh wasabi in precise circular motions with just the right amount of pressure, scoring seasonal cuts of fish vibrant with rich color, and brushing, dabbing, and shaping different styles of sushi while seasoning the rice with akasu, an aged red vinegar made from sake lees. For the omakase experience, he uses Niigata rice, considered among the finest in Japan and sometimes as prized (and expensive) as the fish itself. Its texture is distinctly different from typical sushi rice: plump, moist, delicate, and tender, yet still pleasantly sticky without becoming congealed or gummy.
Photo: Jo Hayes / CLTure
But the fish is what truly stands out. Each piece is handcrafted and delicately placed on a glass plate by the chef, while the omakase host on this day, Santiago Arenas, general manager Kendra Kong, and sommelier Terrell Johnson guide you through the experience — wiping the plate after each serving, replacing your napkin, and refilling your water. It’s a level of attentive, personalized service that many, myself included, may not be accustomed to.
From the fresh sea bass and creamy salmon to the various cuts of tuna — from lean, clean akami to the richer, more luscious and buttery chutoro, and the silky, melt-in-your-mouth otoro — each bite offers a distinct expression of the fish and the chef’s craft. It’s a level of sushi that is difficult to find anywhere else in the Carolinas, let alone the Southeast.
Photo: Jo Hayes / CLTure
We opted for the Kobe beef upgrade during our visit, and while the experience is undeniably pricey — with a $100 upgrade on top of the $175 lunch prix fixe ($350 for dinner) — the beef was unlike any Wagyu. Omakase by Prime Fish is the only restaurant in the Carolinas currently registered to serve Kobe Beef with their A5 Kobe is presented as nigiri, gently poached in a traditional Japanese sukiyaki-style broth, almost like shabu-shabu, then served over akasu-seasoned Koshihikari rice, finished with a sukiyaki reduction and a touch of Japanese sea salt.
Photo: Jo Hayes / CLTure
Rather than simply delivering an overwhelming hit of fat, the Kobe allows you to appreciate the depth and character of the beef itself, with the marbling providing richness without completely overshadowing its flavor. It’s decadent, but remarkably balanced.
It may not fit everyone’s dining preferences — or budget — but for those who appreciate slow food, exceptional ingredients, and highly personalized service, it is undeniably an experience. It’s an opportunity to savor ingredients and techniques that you simply don’t encounter every day.
Photo: Jo Hayes / CLTure
“When people enjoy and celebrate a special occasion, when they’re paying a lot of money to come to Omakase, they enjoy the perfect pairing between food, wine, temperature, and atmosphere,” Chef Anthony said. “That’s why we have three restaurants, different concepts. If you would like to get the best sushi, without paying for the whole experience, you can come to Prime Fish Cellar, or Prime Fish Ballantyne. And if you have a special occasion, you want to treat somebody to the best, or treat yourself to the best ingredients, the best sushi, come to Omakase.”
Prime Fish Cellar: A Sushi, Sake, and Wine Bar Offering a More Accessible Taste
In 2024, Chef Anthony opened Prime Fish Cellar, just a few doors down from Omakase in the Providence Park shopping center near Cotswold, occupying a sweet spot between the approachable sushi experience at Prime Fish Ballantyne and the highly curated, chef-driven Omakase Experience. The Cellar offers many of the same premium ingredients — bluefin tuna, Hokkaido uni and scallops, Faroe Islands salmon, A5 Wagyu, caviar, and fresh wasabi — but allows diners to experience them à la carte, through tastings, hand rolls, and specialty dishes, without committing to a multi-course omakase.
Led by sommelier Derek LeClair, a WSET Level 3-certified wine professional, Prime Fish Cellar’s wine and sake program includes a selection of rare and distinctive bottles, including Daimon 55 Junmai Ginjo from Osaka’s Daimon Brewery, founded in 1826. Made with 100% Hyogo Yamada Nishiki rice — one of Japan’s most esteemed sake-rice varieties — Daimon 55 is just one example of the Cellar’s carefully curated selection. Patrons can sit at the bar or one of the intimate tables, browse the offerings, and chat with knowledgeable staff about the sake and wine, available by the glass, bottle, or flight, while enjoying many of the same premium ingredients found at Prime Fish and Omakase.
Chef Anthony has built a small empire of distinguished food and beverage establishments in Charlotte in a remarkably short period of time, earning a growing list of honors and industry recognition along the way. But beneath the accolades is something more fundamental: an almost obsessive curiosity about ingredients and a relentless desire to source and showcase the best products he can find. His appreciation for history, craftsmanship, and the people behind the food has introduced Charlotte to flavors and techniques that have long been difficult to find locally.
The experiences may be more expensive than what many diners are accustomed to paying for sushi, but Anthony believes the quality of the ingredients and the care behind them justify the investment. His restaurants can, at times, feel grand or highly refined, but there is little pretension behind the chef himself. Anthony is deeply devoted to his craft, while remaining genuinely curious about food in all its forms. Korean cuisine, he says, is his second favorite, and he is just as enthusiastic about sitting down at local spots such as Anju, Choi’s, or Joa for a cold beer and a bowl of budae-jjigae, galbitang, or bibimbap as he is discussing the intricacies of bluefin tuna or sake. Ask him about the food, and he can spend hours explaining the history, techniques, ingredients, and traditions behind it.
Photo: Jo Hayes / CLTure
When asked about his future ambitions after becoming a successful restaurateur while still in his 30s, his answer remains remarkably simple: keep cooking.
“I just keep cooking. Keep cooking, keep improving. I’m not satisfied yet,” he said.
Get more information about Prime Fish, Omakase by Prime Fish, and Prime Fish Cellar on their official websites and Instagram.
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