Tomiko-San Invites Diners to Expand Culinary Horizons

At the heart of the newly opened Tomiko-San, a sleek and intimate Japanese restaurant from the Giorgios Hospitality and Lifestyle Group, are chefs James Nash and Bobby Watkins.

The two met while working at The Bento Box and share an appetite for precision and creativity. The result is the new Japanese restaurant in Lumina Station at 1904 Eastwood Road, Suite 109.

Nash is originally from the Baltimore area and began working in Japanese cuisine in Los Angeles in 2010, where he gained a wealth of experience studying under master sushi chef Andy Matsuda at the Sushi Chef Institute. After several years in LA, he returned to Baltimore, where he worked for the acclaimed Atlas Restaurant Group at Azumi, a fine-dining Japanese concept located in the Four Seasons Hotel. When the pandemic hit, he returned to LA, where he taught at the Institute while biding his time to return to restaurant life. Childhood ties to Wilmington as a vacation destination eventually led him back East, where he worked at The Bento Box and several other restaurants before connecting with Giorgios Hospitality and Lifestyle Group owner Giorgios Bakatsias.

Nash signed on to help launch G Prime, a Giorgios concept that opened in late 2023, and it was during that time that he brought Watkins on board, as conversations started to take shape around launching a Japanese concept.

Watkins’ culinary journey began in the home kitchen, and he cut his teeth working in Asheville kitchens. He felt hindered by his lack of experience with seafood, however, and relocated to Wilmington to expand his knowledge of the local bounty.

“I needed to be near the coast so I could learn everything I could,” Watkins said. “I started at Bento Box, which is where James and I met, and I was there for quite a while until I became the executive chef at Ceviche’s. I was there for five years so everything I’ve done since I moved down here has been revolving around seafood and just learning every skill set possible.”

Together, the duo spent over a year running G Prime and simultaneously working with Bakatsias to develop Tomiko-San behind the scenes. With a compact kitchen and limited equipment, they built the menu to fit the Lumina Station space that previously housed Grand Cru Food & Wine.

“It’s been an interesting challenge, not having some of the traditional equipment, but it’s all paying out right now,” Nash said, emphasizing how the limitations have pushed his team to really focus their recipes and presentation.

What sets Tomiko-San apart is the duality of authenticity and creativity and the philosophy of respecting tradition while making it your own. While many sushi spots mix pan-Asian flavors, Tomiko-San’s foundation is firmly rooted in Japanese technique, albeit with a modern, playful twist.

“The beautiful thing with Japanese food that attracted me to it is the simplicity,” Watkins said. “But it’s the complexity within that simplicity of making sure everything’s balanced perfectly and treated correctly.”

This balance is especially evident in their approach to omakase, a traditional Japanese chef’s-choice tasting experience. While Nash and Watkins originally envisioned the majority of diners choosing the omakase tasting menus, guest expectations have prompted a pivot.

Nash explained that many of the initial guests were expecting to order a variety of their favorite sushi rolls and shied away from the tasting menu. In an attempt to meet customers where they’re at, Nash and Watkins have moved the omakase experience to the sushi bar, which allows for more interaction with the chefs for those who select that option. Due to limited seating, reservations are required for the $125 12-taste experience. Each 12-piece omakase offering will reflect not only seasonality and availability but also the chef’s inspiration in the moment, ensuring a unique tasting each time.

Watkins understands that when it comes to sushi, people tend to favor what they’re accustomed to and can sometimes be leery of trying something new. He and Nash hope to gain the trust of diners and encourage them to try something new.

“Hopefully we can show people that as delicious as tuna and salmon are, there’s an entire ocean full of fish,” Watkins said. “We can guide you towards things that you will love and that you might not have even considered.”

Tomiko-San sources much of their fish from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, one of the most celebrated seafood markets in the world. Nash and Watkins are able to order and receive fresh fish from several times a week from Toyosu and also incorporate local seasonal, local seafood whenever possible.

“It’s really cool to bring in fresh fish that people here don’t see on a day-to-day basis,” Nash said. “And for Wilmington’s diners, it’s only just beginning.”