Behind the Sushi Bar: Chris Chern’s Recipe for Umami’s Success
I’m here with Chris Chern, the owner of Umami Restaurant and Sushi Bar, at his brand-new beachside location set to open at the end of August 2024. The new restaurant is located at 971 E Eau Gallie Blvd, Suite F, Melbourne, FL 32937. Earlier, we talked with Chris about his childhood and how he grew up working in family restaurants. Now, we’re excited to learn more about him and his second location.
Halim: So, Chris, can you tell us about your journey into the culinary world? How did you get started with sushi?
Chris: I moved to Orlando for college and worked doing sushi while going to school. Somewhere around there, I just decided I wanted to take it seriously. I wanted to learn as much as I could, so I worked under a Japanese chef. He was super strict but incredibly talented. He really helped me hone my skills and build a strong foundation. Because when it comes to sushi and Japanese cooking, you have to have very strong basics, like knife skills and stuff like that. It made me fall in love with it. When I was a child, I did martial arts and was always fascinated with it, and to me, it was almost like martial arts, where it’s something you have to practice, pay attention to the details, and fine-tune. And then everything else is just being creative and adding new things. But as long as you have that strong core, you can spin on it. Growing up in Orlando and training with a Japanese chef was pivotal. It really set the stage and foundation for opening a sushi restaurant.
Halim: What made you decide to open your first restaurant (Umami)?
Chris: Well, I had been the executive chef at Saito Sushi for two or three years—I can’t really recall—and then I got really sick one day. I was in the hospital for, like, a month. Laying in bed, you know, in your late twenties, you’re like, “Hey, what are you doing?” I felt like I needed more growth, and I wondered how much more I could grow. At the same time, my mom had been working at Haru (now Umami Restaurant and Sushi Bar, located at 3042 W. New Haven Ave., West Melbourne, Florida, in the former space of Haru in the Metro West Plaza) for a long time. She was a server managing the front of house, and we were just talking one day. She said they were selling it for a really good price. I thought, “Oh, really?” That opportunity was just there. I knew how to run a kitchen and a sushi bar. For the most part, I knew how to run the front of the house, kind of, but my mom’s been doing the front of the house for years, and I knew everything about the back—or so I thought. So I said, “Let’s try it.” It wouldn’t be a huge loss if I didn’t succeed. So we tried it. It was all family at first. My aunt, my uncle, and my dad helped me. They’re all older, you know, just like your parents, right? So it was slow in the beginning, and everyone just kind of helped each other.
Halim: Was it always called Umami?
Chris: When I took over, I changed it. Choosing a name was really hard for me. Back then, a lot of chef shows were popular, and “umami” was one of the buzzwords because it was still a fairly new concept to the Western palate. But growing up, that’s always been something we’ve known in our food, like the mouthfeel of soy sauce and that savory profile it creates. So it just kind of popped into my head.
Halim: When did you really start to find your stride with Umami?
Chris: A local newspaper critic came in and wrote a review about us, and right there, we got super busy. That was a pivotal moment for us.
(You can find the review by visiting Florida Today).
Halim: Your restaurant is known for high-quality sushi, especially things I love like Bluefin and Toro. How did you establish that reputation?
Chris: When I was in Orlando, we used a lot of better fish, but at the same time, my boss would say, “Hey, this one’s too expensive. We have to watch the cost.” For me, I slowly introduced stuff to see how it moved. We kind of built a reputation for bringing in all the exotic fish and stuff you don’t typically see. So we started doing that, and me being the main chef there, I was able to set it apart. I could educate people on it. Most people are gonna listen to me because I’m the one making the food. That face-to-face interaction really helps sell that stuff, rather than a server saying, “Hey, we got this fish. It’s $10 a piece. It’s really good,” but they don’t really know how to describe it. So we kind of had a little reputation for that.
Halim: What made you decide to open the second location here?
Chris: Well, our business has been doing well for quite some time. I think in 2020, even with the shutdown, we were still able to stay afloat. In my life, I’m all about growing at different stages. I feel like you always gotta try to keep climbing, you know? That restaurant there, I don’t even have to be there, really. My mom’s there doing the front of the house. I have enough staff, and they’ve all been with me for a long time. I don’t really have too much of a turnaround. So it’s kind of running itself for the most part. I still have to check in and see. And then, you know, I’ve gotten comfortable, getting a little complacent. So, you know, there’s time left, and you’re not gonna grow without putting yourself back into that uncomfortable position.
Halim: So, is this gonna be the same menu, same style?
Chris: For the most part. But, of course, we’ll learn and adapt with the new location.
Halim: When do you plan on opening?
Chris: We are really hoping to open in late August.
Halim: I think that touches base on everything, Chris. Is there anything you’d like to let our readers know before closing this interview?
Chris: We just want to say thank you for all the support over all these years and for having the ability to serve. We are extremely grateful.
Chris Chern’s passion for sushi and dedication to quality have made Umami Restaurant and Sushi Bar a standout dining experience. With the new beachside location opening soon, we can’t wait to see what Chris brings to Brevard County.
Halim Urban, the owner and founder of Village Food Tours, enjoys sharing authentic and unbiased stories of local restaurants. His dedication to promoting the vibrant food culture ensures that readers and tour guests alike enjoy genuine culinary experiences as they explore the best culinary spots in the area.