Last updated: December 2, 2025

In The Weeds

by TM Petaccia

Omakase by Prime Fish in Cotswold typically gathers the most public and media attention of owner/chef Robin Anthony’s restaurants. With its elaborate 16-course upper-upper-tier offerings of rare ingredients, skillfully prepared and executed, it has been oft-mentioned as possibly one of the Charlotte restaurants to capture that inaugural Michelin star rating.

But what if you don’t want to spend upwards of $600 per person (with pairings) for a meal?

For significantly less (on average, $50-$70/person, plus beverages), you can head to Ballantyne and go to Anthony’s debut restaurant, Prime Fish, located in the Ballantyne Town Center plaza. There, you’ll find the same high quality fish as Omakase, albeit not maybe quite as rare, with many of the same touches as its more haughty sibling concept. You’ll also find a solid choice of grilled and fried small plate items — many you would expect in a sushi restaurant, again, with some more refined options.

Make no mistake, you can quite easily bust the budget here, too, but Prime Fish gives you better control to set your level of indulgence.

The interior of the restaurant is small, a sushi counter seating twelve with a small side dining area that can fit about eight more. There is also an enclosed outdoor patio that seats about twenty. The overall feel is lunch counter chic, which can be fun, but if you are looking for hushed, white tablecloth service, this isn’t it. And it shouldn’t be. The restaurant also doesn’t take reservations, so on busy nights, there may very well be a wait for a spot.

The counter, of course, is where all the action is; you’ll want to watch the show when you can. On nights when Omakase is closed, Anthony will often roll up his sleeves and work the line with his chef team, lead by chefs Leo Zhang and Edwin Williem, but there is very little, if any, fall-off when he isn’t there. Prime Fish sushi chefs and cooks are a buzz of activity as they form, roll, and plate with precision.

Any sushi spot is only as good as the quality of its raw fish, and Prime Fish’s fish is as flawless as one can get 300 miles inland, or 6,900 miles away from Japan, which is where a fair amount of the fish comes from. It’s flown here fast and fresh. As a result, the nigiri and sashimi are clean and pristine. The menu allows you to pick and choose your favorites, but the go-to here are the tastings. Unlike many spots, these mini-omakase plates are not a collection of “what’s not selling today.” What you’ll typically get is a showcase of what the chefs are most proud of — eight different fish on the nigiri plate while the sashimi also gives you eight fish, two slices each.

Prime Fish also allows you to explore the nuances within two popular fish types: tuna and salmon. You can order nigiri or sashimi flights of each, featuring different cuts or breeds, and discover how each varies in flavor and texture.

In addition, you’ll get to order specialty nigiri plates where you can get a peek at what’s going on at Omakase: scallops three ways with caviar, unagi (freshwater eel) with foie gras, A5 wagyu beef with grated truffles, and other ethereal choices. This is where the possible busting of the budget comes in, but you can share the splurge with your dining mate (or not, hey, it’s your money).

If you prefer to roll with rolls, Prime Fish offers a nice selection of basic and specialty rolls, again with some top shelf options, many including lobster, bluefin tuna, and crab, often with a touch of caviar or truffle.

The cooked items also shine. As mentioned, several dishes are pretty standard for such an establishment, but with Prime Fish twists. Highlights here are the edamame is topped with black truffle salt (house made), crispy shrimp shumai (dumplings) with sweet chilli sauce, and seared bluefin tuna tataki. And then there’s the hamachi kama. This is a very simple Japanese street food dish: collar of yellowtail, salted, peppered, and grilled. Nothing fancy needs to be done with this, and Prime Fish respects that. It is sublime in its simplicity.

When it comes to beverages, this is a sake joint. There are some nice wine and beer offerings, but sake is front and center. Most of the staff can help explain the extensive sake offerings across all price points for those who are just starting on their sake journey. Plus, when Omakase is not serving, sommelier Terrell Johnson is often on hand to offer his expertise.

Service is very efficient and friendly, offering explanations of the daily specials and very good about answering questions.

The restaurant is also open for lunch, Wednesday – Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., offering an abbreviated menu of sushi rolls, soups, and salads in the $8-13 range, plus nigiri and sashimi combo lunches (with soup) for $25.

Prime Fish may not carry the lofty pageantry of sibling Omakase, but it delivers the same impeccable quality with a more relaxed spirit, making world-class sushi both more approachable and rewarding.