Chef Robin Anthony, the self-taught sushi mind behind Prime Fish and its spinoffs, has landed a semifinalist slot for the James Beard Awards' Best Chef: Southeast. The nod is the latest sign that Charlotte's restaurant scene, often overshadowed by bigger Southern food cities, is finally getting national attention. Anthony's unlikely path from East Java to running an intimate, reservation-only omakase counter has helped push Charlotte’s sushi scene into a different league, as reported by James Beard Foundation.
The James Beard Foundation included Anthony on its 2026 semifinalist list for Best Chef: Southeast, according to the James Beard Foundation. Restaurant and chef finalists are set to be announced on March 31, with winners celebrated at a June 15 ceremony in Chicago, per the foundation.
Anthony currently runs three Prime Fish-branded ventures in Charlotte: Prime Fish in Ballantyne, the reservation-only Omakase Experience by Prime Fish in Providence Park, and the newly reworked Prime Fish Cellar near Cotswold. As reported by Axios Charlotte, Prime Fish opened in May 2021 and Omakase followed in 2022; the cellar started as a market in 2024 and later shifted into a sushi-and-wine bar.
Inside the omakase counter
Omakase Experience by Prime Fish runs as a snug counter with very limited seats and a menu that leans on fish imported from Tokyo’s Toyosu market plus seasonal Japanese rice. The restaurant's website lists a 15-course dinner at about $325 per person and a 10-course lunch at roughly $175, with advance reservations and full-payment bookings handled through TOCK, per Omakase Experience. Early coverage flagged intense demand and lengthy waitlists when the Providence Park counter first opened, according to Charlotte Magazine.
National recognition keeps stacking up
Both Prime Fish and Omakase landed on the MICHELIN Guide American South selection as "recommended" entries in 2025, per the MICHELIN Guide. Paired with the James Beard semifinalist nod, that attention has nudged Charlotte's tasting-menu scene into the national conversation for food writers and travelers.
From East Java to the chef's counter
Anthony immigrated to the U.S. roughly 12 years ago from East Java and has described himself as a "spoiled boy" who "never worked" growing up, a detail noted in reporting by the Charlotte Observer. The story traces his climb from line cook to a chef who trained as a level-one sommelier and earned certification as a sake adviser while building a reputation for meticulous Edomae sushi.
"This recognition belongs to my team," Anthony said after the semifinalist announcement, a short statement published by Axios Charlotte. Local coverage and early reviews have consistently noted how booked the omakase counter is; Charlotte Magazine reported significant waitlists when the counter first debuted.
Finalists for the James Beard Restaurant and Chef awards will be announced March 31, and the winners will be revealed at a June ceremony in Chicago, per the James Beard Foundation. For Charlotte diners, that means a few more months of watching to see whether a hometown omakase chef can turn local buzz into one of the industry’s highest honors.
