Watching Shiki Chef James Park make nigiri — sushi rice topped with sliced raw fish — is like watching a great maestro conduct an orchestra.
He gently shapes the rice with a turn of his wrist so it maintains a lightness and does not become overly compressed. It is this attention to detail and mastery of craft that make a seat at East Bay Street’s Shiki one of the best in Charleston.
Shiki opened in 2001 when Park’s parents — Misa and Hae Gon — bought the space at 334 East Bay St., after his dad worked in the existing restaurant there and the owner was looking to sell. Misa ran the front of the house while Hae Gon ran the kitchen and sushi bar. James grew up like many children of restaurant owners do — reading, doing homework and keeping busy.
“I grew up in this restaurant pretty much,” said Park. “I’m sure you’ve been to other restaurants where you see kids running around in the back. That was my life growing up. Seeing what your parents do, you get interested.”
Today, Park, 33, runs Shiki and employs a team of 23, including six other chefs behind the sushi bar. His dad comes in early to help prep the fish and his mom tends to the plants in the restaurant, most of which are from her garden. She also grows the Shiso (Japanese mint) that is used at Shiki as a garnish on many dishes. Much of the food waste at the restaurant is turned into fertilizer for her garden.
Lifelong learning
Being a sushi chef is not something that people generally learn at a culinary school. It is something studied through apprenticeship and osmosis. Park learned the tools of the trade from his dad and the many chefs who worked at Shiki over the years.
“I learned a lot from my dad,” Park shared. “And just over the years, we had a lot of chefs come and go. Everyone gives something really good to take away and everyone has something to teach you.”
It was a combination of this plus books, YouTube videos and trial and error that helped him develop his skills.
“If you’re willing to put in the time, you’ll get there,” Park said about his training.
Sourcing the freshest fish
Park said he sources fish from abroad to get the best of the best. Ora King salmon comes from New Zealand. Atlantic salmon is sourced from the Faroe Islands. And much of the off-menu fish comes from the famous Toyosu fish market in Toyko, which allows Park to offer products that are rarely found elsewhere. This includes selections like Managatsuo (silver pomfret), Shima Aji (striped jack), Akamutsu (rosy seabass), Kinmedai (golden eye snapper), Kuromutsu (Japanese bluefish), Kamasu (barracuda) and more.
Park works with a vendor to order fish from Japan that is in season, and deliveries arrive at least twice weekly. The fish is shipped fresh — not frozen — by air in styrofoam containers, packed with ice.
Locally, Park sources produce for salad as well as fresh eggs (the Tamago — a Japanese rolled omelet that is slightly sweet — is unmissable at Shiki).
“I think people don’t recognize how different it is getting fish from Toyosu than from other vendors,” he said. “A lot of the fish is line-caught. When they deliver it, there’s a system. The fish is always laid on the right side, and the reason for that is that the ice only touches one part of the fish. If we always keep that consistent, we know what part of the fish to cut from.
Obviously, you cut from the other side that’s less cold. That part of the fish goes out first and the bottom part goes out second.”
Much of the fish is caught using the ikajime method. Once a fish reeled in, the fishermen bleed it out and that almost triples the shelf life of the fish and takes away some of the funkiness from the meat. This technique is also considered the fastest and most humane way to kill a fish, and it allows the fish to develop more umami — or savoriness — when aged.
All these small things add to building the bigger picture of what Park is doing at Shiki and help set the restaurant apart.
The changing sushi scene
Over the last 25 years, Park has seen the evolution of the Charleston dining scene.
“I think Charleston has grown a lot,” he said. “When I first came down here, there wasn’t much variety. I think with the influx of people coming in from elsewhere, they just have higher expectations for more diverse foods. I think Charleston has grown and I think people just want better stuff.”
And where does sushi, specifically, fit into this evolution?
“I think there is a trend going back to the basics and more traditional stuff.” He referenced Jiro Dreams of Sushi, the 2011 Netflix documentary that followed Jiro Ono, a then-85-year-old sushi master and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, then a Michelin three-star restaurant.
“Ever since that movie was released, there has been a huge interest in Omakase [which means “chef’s choice”] food, Edomae-style sushi [a traditional Tokyo-based preparation that enhances the flavor and texture of fish through aging, curing and marinating], the more traditional stuff. A lot of peoples’ minds were expanded by that film and are seeking that sort of food. I think people are just getting smarter.”
A neighborhood joint that is approachable for all
Shiki’s clientele is mostly locals, and Park sees this as the restaurant’s edge. Since fish has a quick expiration date, a sushi bar needs to have loyal diners who show up week after week.
“If you don’t have the clientele who knows what [the fish] is and appreciates it, you’re just going to lose all that product,” he said. “I think that, over the years, because we have a lot of people who trust what we do and recognize what we did, they come to us.”
And Shiki is not just for the sushi connoisseur; those that are new to the cuisine or are wary to try it can confidentially dip a toe at the restaurant. Park suggests people start with a roll like a shrimp tempura roll with sweet sauce.
“Once you get comfortable with that flavor profile, maybe try some rolls that have raw fish in it,” he suggested. “From there, try some easier nigiris like Hirame, Japanese halibut, a white fish.”
Everything made at Shiki can be made without wasabi for those that need to ease into spice. “I think that once you start eating sushi, one day you’re like ‘Wow, this is good,’ and you try the funkier stuff,” said Park.
The next 25 years
As Shiki approaches its 25th anniversary in December 2026 — a truly noteworthy feat in Charleston — Park has no plans to slow down. If a space in town became available that gave him more capacity in the kitchen and for storage, he might make a move. But until then, you can find him and his team serving some of the best food in Charleston, sourced from around the world, within the walls that his family has occupied since 2001.
Shiki is located at 334 East Bay St. and is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. More: shikicharleston.com
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