The chef and owner of Nami, Tao Chen (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
On a recent Friday night, an intimate group of diners waits excitedly at Nami, a Japanese eatery at 218 E. Main St. in the former Third Street Diner space. On the agenda: Experiencing a 13-course chef-curated tasting, or omakase, which translates as “I leave the details up to you.”
Richmond isn’t necessarily synonymous with high-grade sushi. The question of where diners should head for the freshest nigiri or sashimi typically leads to answers like “Washington, D.C.” or “save that for New York City.” With its recently debuted omakase service, Nami hopes to change that perception.
Opened in 2022, the restaurant is helmed by chef-owner Tao Chen and his wife, Song Li, who decorated the interiors. In December, the duo converted the second level of their business into an intimate omakase lounge.
At 6:15 p.m., Li leads diners upstairs into a tiny sushi den. The meal begins with the presentation of a sensuous oyster, a Japanese Kumamoto that is cool and pleasantly sweet, like a refreshing slice of melon on a summer day.
Next, a small bowl swimming with three delicate baby scallops gently swaddled in uni (sea urchin roe) appears. The ingredients come together seamlessly, creating a custardy, luscious bite that’s gone far too quickly.
While omakase is known for being interactive, Chen remains focused, and I get the impression the chef would rather let his sushi do the talking. But watching him, it’s clear he is a master in methodical movements. It’s easy to sit back and become entranced as he scoops portions of rice, placing them between his hands and patting them back and forth, shaping them with long-practiced motions.
Chen, 29, grew up on the southern coast of China, with Taiwan visible from his homeland. His father owned a sea cucumber farm, and when Chen was young, he ate fish plucked straight from the sea daily.
Upon graduating high school, Chen went to Japan, where he had his first foray with omakase. He became infatuated. Initially moving to New York for college, he quickly found himself drawn to its kitchens instead. There, he also gained a mentor, a chef who had worked for the acclaimed Japanese restaurant Nobu, which has outposts across the globe, for a decade.
In 2018, Chen relocated to Richmond. That same year, Li came to Richmond from China to study art education at Virginia Commonwealth University. The pair met while working at another sushi restaurant. When Chen’s mentor encouraged him to start a venture of his own, they took the leap.
Regarding her husband’s dedication, Li says, “Daily life is sushi. Work is sushi. After work is sushi.” She describes him as responsible and passionate.
Throughout the evening, each course is an adventure. On this night, diners are met with mackerel topped with soy truffle, striped jade accented with a green onion soy sauce, amberjack laden with wasabi salsa, blue fin tuna with a touch of truffle, torched king salmon with yuzu and dry miso, shrimp with caviar and wasabi soy, red seabream, and A5 wagyu beef.
Li says sourcing was initially a challenge, but they have connected with a purveyor and are focused on importing high-quality fish and maintaining reasonable prices. With reservations for the omakase experience filling up quickly, it seems this is a moment Richmond diners have been waiting for.
“I thought that not a lot of people know about omakase, but most of them know, and they really love it,” Li says.
Reservations ($85 per person) are required for omakase service at Nami.
