On the Palouse, more than 300 miles from the ocean, exceptional sushi might seem out of reach. But to Leon Chi, fresh fish is the only standard he knows, and he is not skipping any steps to bring it to Pullman.
Chi and his family own and operate Pullman’s newest spot for the traditional Japanese dish. On the corner of North Grand Avenue and East Main Street in the heart of downtown, Shiki Sushi is hard to miss.
“I love this area,” Chi said. “Our location is good, the community is good, and the college is good for business.”
There is not necessarily a shortage of sushi restaurants in eastern Washington. Shiki is now one of six sushi spots in Pullman. But Chi believes his commitment to freshness and detailed preparation sets his dishes apart from the rest.
“Our fish company we do business with is in Seattle,” Chi said. “They have the best quality fish I have seen. They know exactly what I need, and they are very friendly to me. The high quality is worth the price. Fresh fish is very, very important.”
Chi had his sights set on bringing a new standard of sushi to eastern Washington when he first moved to the Evergreen State 10 years ago.
Chi started his career in the restaurant business in 2001 in New York City. He landed a job at a traditional Japanese restaurant, where he learned everything he knows about the art of fish preparation.
“They had a really good system. I learned how to keep everything fresh and how to make good sushi,” Chi said. “After a couple of years, my master chef had taught me everything.”
After five years of mastering his craft, Chi became a head chef at a high-end sushi restaurant in Manhattan. He worked in that role for 10 years before an old friend convinced him Washington was missing his skills.
“There is not so much good sushi in Walla Walla,” Chi said. “I had a friend over there that opened a Chinese restaurant. They knew about me and my sushi, and they love sushi, so they said, ‘Hey, come over here and do sushi,’ so I did.”
Chi opened his first restaurant in Walla Walla in 2015 and has since expanded to six locations across the Inland Northwest. After repeatedly hearing from parents of WSU students that Pullman needed a quality sushi restaurant for them to enjoy when visiting, Chi began searching for the ideal spot in town.
When Chi found the downtown location that Shiki now occupies, he jumped at the opportunity. The restaurant has now been open for three months and continues to build a loyal base of regulars.
Chi told The Daily Evergreen his business plan is simple: “Good location, fresh fish, preparation and the customers keep on coming.”
Chi oversees the preparation and process of every dish at his restaurants, working alongside Ethan Chi, the head chef at the Pullman location.
Shiki Sushi is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with slightly adjusted hours on weekends.
“Big city you can go to one or two times, but I am really enjoying the small town. I love Pullman,” Chi said.
Dining and Cooking