Prime Fish

Food + Drink

Dec 3

Andrewloves Nigiri at Prime Fish - This is an off menu special consisting of otoro, uni, caviar, and black truffle.. Chef Robin used a special caviar, so there was no black truffle on the pictured version.

Folks, a new sushi restaurant opened in Charlotte called Prime Fish, and I could not be more thrilled! I honestly think it’s the only sushi restaurant in Charlotte that could hold its own against the quality you’d find in Boston or NY (but let’s be clear: LA is still in its own stratosphere).

Comfortable contrasts

I very much enjoyed the interior of Prime Fish! The decor is casual, while still providing a nice atmosphere. Through their renovations, it still has more character than I was expecting. It manages a comfortable contrast, feeling new and yet somehow traditional. It’s light and bright and airy, with weathered wood cladding the back wall and bamboo lantern pendants hanging over the sushi bar. The counter seats 10 people, and there are a few small tables inside and a few more outside. Please note, Prime Fish does not accept reservations – walk-in or takeout only.

Before we continue, a couple of notes:

1. Be aware that the quality of the fish is reflected in the price at Prime Fish. Do NOT expect to find $1 nigiri at Prime Fish, just as you should not expect this to compare to a 3 star Michelin restaurant in NYC. That said, I find the quality to be excellent, and prices to be extraordinarily reasonable for the quality. If price is still a concern for you though, Prime Fish offers an AMAZING lunch deal (Wednesday-Saturday) - basic rolls are $6!

2. You MUST like sushi to eat at Prime Fish. It is not like the other Japanese restaurants in Charlotte, which offer a variety of other dishes like noodles or chicken.

3. Circling back to the casual vibe, they serve everything on disposable bamboo plates. I’ve been to many a sushi restaurant using plastic plates (from Hong Kong to LA to Boston), so I guess I’ve normalized this in my head already. With that said, I know many people who are surprised and dissatisfied by it.

4. The menu at Prime Fish has continued to expand over time, largely via specials; however, the goal is for the menu to grow over time. Eventually, Robin will also offer an Omakase, featuring creative flavor combinations and pairing them with sake. I am SO excited for this!

With that in mind, here’s what I’ve tried:

Truffle Edamame – This is exactly what it sounds like. Truffle flavored edamame. The flavor is pronounced, but not overwhelming. Served hot. A great start to any meal.

Black Truffle Salmon – There was a delicate truffle flavor and nice hit of salt. It fades into sweet salmon, lightly seared. Served on ice.

Hamachi Pesto – I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about pesto and sushi, but this actually works really well. It’s bright. It’s crisp. It packs a bit of citrus. Yet despite all the flavors, it still remains very delicate. Not sure how they managed it, but I was impressed!

Crispy Spicy Tuna – I LOVE this! It’s basically Prime Fish’s take on a tuna wonton. But instead of a wonton they serve the spicy tuna on a thin, crispy hashbrown. Amazing, right? It’s seriously excellent.

D’Quack – A lot of my friends love this dish. Personally, I could take it or leave it. It’s thinly sliced, smoked duck breast served on a bed of crispy sweet potato shavings, and topped with chimichurri. My tip would be that you definitely need to get everything in one bite to properly experience this dish, and balance out the smokiness of the duck.

Beef Carpaccio – Super tender filet mignon with truffle salt, ponzu, and arugula. It’s good, but admittedly a bit on the acidic side for my taste.

Crispy Curry Crab – I’m normally not the biggest soft-shell crab guy; I usually find the shell too firm no matter how it’s cooked. Texturally it throws me off. Not my thing. With that said, this was excellent! It was tender, suited me just fine. The exterior wasn’t overly crunchy, it was the perfect amount! And the curry dipping sauce was incredible. High marks from me, and no one is more surprised than I am.

Crispy Shumai — OMG YUM. All the best textures in one bite: Hot. Crispy. Tender. Not at all “shrimpy” tasting, this was super fresh. I LOVE the sweet chili so much I could bath in it!

Crispy Calamari — Crispy and tender fried calamari. It’s served with a creamy aioli. It’s a great pre-sushi snack on those nights you just want a little something fried and crunchy.

Tuna Tasting - Akami, chu toro, otoro. Soy sauce brushed on.

Akami Nigiri: Tender, silky. Classic bluefin.
Chu toro Nigiri: My personal favorite. Silky smooth, yet also falls apart in the mouth. Flavorful without that strong flavor of tuna fat.
Otoro Nigiri: Savory, with a buttery richness. Slightest sear. Melts in the mouth without being too oily.

Nigiri Tasting – A mixed assortment of nigiri (Chef’s Choice). Usually, you’ll get a piece of Otoro, Bluefin, Salmon, Salmon Belly, and then depending on the day, Amber Jack, Japanese Snapper, Yellowtail, Fluke, or Striped Jack.

Uni, wrapped in filet, topped with caviar and black truffle – This was a special at Prime Fish; it’s never on the menu. It should be, in my opinion! Tender, flavorful beef. The uni adds floral brine, and the caviar contributes a nice complexity as well.

Freshwater Eel (Unagi) – A light drizzle of BBQ sauce, just the perfect amount. Not too much. The eel itself was tender; if you’ve been disappointed by eel before, you might want to try this. It didn’t have the gritty texture that some eel has.

Saltwater Eel (Anago) – I’ve never known how to describe anago to someone, as it’s the same, but different than unagi. Anago has that unmistakable eel flavor, but the texture is firmer. Anago has about 1/2 the fat content as unagi, so it’s also not quite as rich. Personally, I like anago more in nigiri, but unagi more in a roll with other toppings. Regardless of how I enjoy it, I definitely recommend trying anago when Prime Fish offers it.

Japanese Snapper Nigiri – This was EXCELLENT! Slight citrus with a peppery bite at the end, and a beautifully silky texture. Yum!

Long Tooth Grouper – This was a special. I would describe this as a cross between Japanese Snapper and Spanish Mackerel. It’s delicate, and a little citrusy. Honestly, I would recommend it as a nigiri rather than sashimi.

Uni Nigiri – Sometimes it’s California uni. Sometimes it’s Japanese uni. The California uni is always floral, sweet, or briny, and Prime’s was super delicate and floral with the slightest taste of the ocean in the finish. The Japanese uni that Prime sources has generally been less floral and tastes a bit more like the ocean (which, frankly, I love).

AndrewLoves Nigiri – This is an off menu special that the chef at Prime Fish makes specifically for me! It’s an otoro nigiri, topped with uni, caviar, and fresh black truffle. It’s my all time favorite! There’s a rich fattiness from the tuna, a great creamy, brininess from the uni, and a slightly salty crunch from the caviar. Throw in some black truffle, what’s not to love? The only time I order it without all the toppings is when Chef Robin is using a special caviar, and that’s the ingredient that should really shine. Regardless, I’ve been rallying to get this on the menu.

Prime Nigiri – Inspired by my off menu nigiri, Chef Robin has added the Prime Nigiri to the menu. It is chef’s choice, and always changes. I’ve seen toro used, A5 Wagyu, Fluke, Uni, Caviar - regardless of what chef creates, it’s always phenomenal.

Spicy Tuna Roll – I LOVE spicy tuna, and this one is excellent! Super tender. Perfectly cooked rice. Just the right amount of bite and shiver of heat to it, the kind where it adds flavor but does not overwhelm the tuna.

Spicy Scallop Roll – They can make this in two ways. There’s the “new” way, which uses spicy mayo. It’s rich and creamy with a delicate heat. I do like it, but the creaminess covers up some of the delicate scallop flavor. The “old” way is much spicier, but I don’t find it too spicy. I prefer the old way, because even though there’s heat, the flavor and texture of the scallop still really shines through.

Prime Salmon Roll – ALL the salmon! Salmon. Seared Salmon. Salmon Roe. Served with avocado, dill, lemon zest, and a spicy aioli. It’s very good, but I would consider this a higher end, Americanized roll. Honestly, the quality of the fish is so good here that I try to steer away from these.

Prime Tuna Roll – Seared tuna, jalapeño, and avocado, and topped with tuna, honey wasabi, and caviar. It’s great! It has a nice crunch and a mild wasabi heat to it. It hits a good balance, though: the wasabi flavor is definitely prevalent, but the tuna flavor really shines, as it should.

B Town Roll – Prime Fish has made this roll two ways. I personally preferred the old way, which consisted of lobster and asparagus, topped with filet mignon, demi-glace, and truffle salt. This roll is essentially a surf and turf steak dinner made into a sushi roll, and let me tell you I’m HERE for it. It was very good, and very interesting. The new way is more popular, and the asparagus was replaced by spicy tuna. It’s very good, but I miss the crunch of the asparagus. Either way, it’s worth a try, if it piques your curiosity the way it did mine!

Royal Lobster Roll – Lobster, mango, avocado, dill, beurre-blanc, and caviar. Sign me up for this, or really any roll with mango! It’s delicate, slightly sweet, and serious gluttony at its finest. Not to be missed!

Villian Roll – This is very similar to the Royal Lobster Roll. Instead of lobster, the roll is filled with tuna, and topped with scallops. Instead of dill, the roll uses micro greens. I’m not sure which I prefer more, as while they are very similar, they are different. Regardless, the pop of mango makes it one of my favorite special rolls on the menu.

Truffle Crab Roll – This roll, like the B Town Roll has an old and new version. The old consisted of lightly fried soft-shell crab, fatty tuna, asparagus, and truffle. I like this roll, but be warned: it is SUPER rich between the fatty tuna, crab, and truffle. The new way is more popular, and I prefer it on this one. That said, regardless of the version - new or old - it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.

Mad Goblin Roll – Spicy tuna and cucumber, topped with avocado, scallion, and eel sauce. Definitely more on the American side for sushi, but VERY delicious nonetheless.

Abalone – This was a special. The abalone was braised in sake and cooked. Chef Robin then created a sauce from the abalone’s liver, that was reminiscent of a BBQ sauce. It was rich and delicious. The edible flowers on top were a nice touch too.

Live Scallop – This was a special; a live scallop, sliced, and served on the 1/2 shell. It had the silkiest, buttery texture. It then had a pop of citrus and pop of salt from the vinegar sauce the chef created, and the touch of caviar.

Live Uni – This was a special; live uni from California. Honestly, this is one of the best things I’ve had on the menu. Presentation was excellent. There was no crazy special preparation. Chef let the raw ingredients shine - and shine it did. The texture was firm, yet melt in your mouth (almost like custard, but less gelatinous). It was extremely briny - like a burst of ocean in your mouth. It was perfection - to the point I immediately ordered a second.

Seared Kama Toro – This was a special, but is often available when they get a shipment of tuna in. A much lesser known cut than otoro, this comes from a small piece of meat near the collar. It is highly fatty, but has a stronger flavor than otoro. Chef Robin sears this and serves it as an appetizer - it MELTs in your mouth. I’m a big fan.

Hokkaido Roll: salmon, tuna , yellowtail, avocado & honeywasabi. THIS ROLL IS FANTASTIC. It’s my favorite roll on the entire menu. It’s so fresh and clean tasting, with the slightest sharpness from the honeywasabi. I’ll be ordering this every time I go to Prime Fish moving forward.

No. 1 Roll: scallop and seared tuna topped with seared wagyu, microgreen, pepper threads, and bottarga powder spicy truffle aioli. It’s super savory and peppery. If you like sushi, but love meat, this is the roll for you. If I have a friend that thinks sushi is just ok, this is the roll I’d use to get them to fall in love with sushi.

Prime Fish knows what it’s doing

All of the sushi rice was made to perfection and served chilled. It had the right bite to it, not overcooked at all. Not too much vinegar was used, yet it was flavorful and complementary to the fish. The ginger in between bites was excellent as well. It was sweet, crisp, and had the classic, peppery bite in the finish. I ate every piece they served me!

The ABC license is in! And that means Sake!

Now that they have their ABC license, Prime Fish is serving a limited selection of beer, and a HUGE (and ever growing) selection of sake.

I know nothing about sake, but I know what I like and don’t like in a bottle. Fortunately for me, and any guest at Prime Fish, the staff is super knowledgeable. They have yet to steer me to a bottle of chilled sake I didn’t like:

Azure: This bottle is hands down my favorite! It is super smooth and goes down way to easy - you can drink it like water. It is probably the cleanest tasting sake I’ve ever had. It has very subtle citrus and floral notes, without having any domineering flavor.

Pearls of Simplicity: This bottle is also very smooth, but has a much stronger flavor. It is slightly sweet with fruity notes (like a pear), a it of a floral aroma, and sits heavy on the tongue with a mineral like quality.

Tenryo Hidahomare: Known as “The Pride of Hida”, I found this sake to be very mineraly, with a tart apple like quality to it. It was very smooth, and drinks somewhere in between the Azure and Pearls. I definitely recommend this bottle.

Dassai 23: This bottle is very highly regarded, being from one of the best sake houses. It is a very clean and crisp sake, with melon notes. It sits very light. I like it less than the previous two bottles I mentioned; however, it would be great with spicy food - like a curry.

Wandering Poet: A much smaller bottle than the others I’ve tried, it’s perfect for 1 person. The mouth feel is similar to the Pearls of Simplicity, with a heavier, mineral like quality to it. With that said, the flavor is completely different. It has a very distinct, vegetal, honeydew melon flavor to it.

Kasumi Tsuru Extra Dry: This, like the Wandering Poet, is another bottle that is perfect for 1 person. As the name suggest, this is a very dry, crisp sake. It reminds me of the Dassai 23 in that sense; however, even though it is clean and crisp, it has an earthy, salty umami quality to it that is very familiar. I can’t quite put my finger on it - almost like a miso honey, but less sweet.

This is only a fraction of the offering at Prime Fish. I’m personally not a fan of hot sake, so I have only really explored the chilled selection. With that said, talk with the staff, ask for suggestions, and figure out what you like!

Final thoughts

I love Prime Fish. I go 2-3 times a week, always changing my order, and have since the soft opening. While the restaurant was very good from the start, it has continued to evolve and improve since opening. Prime Fish has added a huge list of sake, and some beer. An omakase is in the works. The menu continues to be updated. There are new specials every weekend. And on top of excellent food, the service is great. Everyone here is so friendly; I love it! It’s definitely a 10/10 for me.

Update

Chef Robin and the team at Prime Fish have officially launched their Omakase Dinner Series. It is a high end dining experience, featuring Chef’s selection of the freshest, seasonal fish. If you want to read about the full experience, you can find my review here.