Sushi makes its debut in Sammamish
Many residents of the Sammamish plateau are probably celebrating that there is now, finally, a sushi restaurant within city limits.
Big Fish Sushi officially opened its doors on Sunday, April 18. It took over the commercial space that was formerly occupied by Lamponi, a Thai restaurant, which closed in 2020.
The family-owned restaurant rounds out a diverse array of dining options now available in Sammamish, which also includes Indian, Vietnamese and Lebanese cuisine.
Big Fish serves traditional Japanese fare like sushi, nigiri and sashimi, with expansive menu additions such as ramen and teriyaki bento boxes. An extensive list of chef specialty rolls also includes Osaka-style pressed sushi.
Andy Chen, 34, the manager of Big Fish, opened a first location in Bothell during the summer of 2019. During the past year, the restaurant has been lucky because sales have been almost the same as usual, Chen said.
When looking for a new location to expand to, Sammamish caught his eye for its strong community feel and growing population.
“Location is the number one factor when looking to open a new restaurant,” Chen said. “I knew Sammamish had a really good community, so why not come here and give it a try?”
After their grand opening, demand was high in the first couple weeks. Until a liquor license is approved, the restaurant is closed for in-person dining. But online and over the phone orders have provided more than enough volume to keep them busy.
It actually proved difficult to keep up with the high volume of incoming orders, especially with a small staff of five working. This past Mother’s Day, 90 orders had to be canceled by 6:00 p.m. because the staff did not have enough time until closing to prepare the rest of the orders.
“We’re still trying to hire more and more people and get orders out faster,” Chen said.
Big Fish has sparked attention from residents, garnering many positive reviews and reactions from the community since it opened. With his second location off to a great start, Chen is already considering his future ambitions.
Catering to frontline healthcare workers, food donations, and other community-focused endeavors may become a big part of Big Fish’s focus down the line.
“Once we have everything going smoothly, we want to take part in giving back to the community,” he said. “The community is supporting us all the time, so we want to give back. When you have the ability to, you should help.”
Big Fish Sushi is located at 22639 NE Inglewood Hill Road, Sammamish, Washington (by Mercury’s Coffee). Orders can be placed over the phone at (425) 896-8063 or on their website.
