Partners Bring Sushi Back To Fenwick Island

FENWICK ISLAND – Flying Fish Café & Sushi Bar has rolled up to Fenwick Island, offering Japanese cuisine but with a twist.
Barry Kruemmel and his partners Lisa Heart and Miyuki Akamatsu have been bringing sushi to the Ocean City-Bethany area for over a decade and have officially brought the Japanese cuisine back to Fenwick Island where they opened The Flying Fish Café & Sushi Bar in the Village of Fenwick a couple of weeks ago.
The partners started their sushi endeavor in Fenwick Island but moved their services to Yokozuna in Ocean City followed by Misaki in South Bethany.
“I live in Fenwick, and in my heart I always knew I wanted to bring sushi back to Fenwick Island,” Kruemmel said. “There was a void, and so many of our customers in Bethany came from Fenwick and Ocean City. I have lived here for 20 years … and I had a good feeling about bringing sushi back here.”
When the space became available in the Village of Fenwick Kruemmel knew it was the right opportunity with the amount of foot traffic and the younger crowd in the small resort community.
“The village is cute and quaint, not your standard strip mall, and we wanted something with a little bit more character,” he said. “Sushi is so popular now but we wanted to mix the concept with a cafe environment, so when people are here they still feel like they are at the beach, so we added a funky and eclectic atmosphere.”
The menu follows the same theme by offering a traditional sushi menu with a diverse list of premium rolls prepared by an authentic Japanese chef, but to complement the café atmosphere a soup du jour, a variety of salads and a small plates section has been included.
“It is the best of both worlds,” Kruemmel said. “We wanted to try something new by having the standard sushi and sashimi menu but with really exciting and new style of rolls. We eliminated the traditional entrees of a restaurant and added a bistro style with small plates where everything is under $15.”
Two premium rolls that have become popular in the short time Flying Fish has been open is the Red Dragon made of shrimp tempura, avocado, and wasabi mayo draped with fresh tuna, eel and avocado, and the Mobster Lobster made of spicy tuna, jalapeno, and tempura bits roll, draped in thin sliced avocado and topped with a chunk of lobster salad.
“It’s a fusion style restaurant that features authentic Japanese but also modern sushi as well,” Kruemmel said. “We use a lot of ingredients that are not traditional, such as jalapenos, coconut, and roasted garlic that make the rolls new, fun and exciting.”
An example of small plates currently being served is the Filet of Beef Negimaki, which is thin sliced beef wrapped around fresh spring onions and marinated in homemade ginger hoisin sauce and flash seared, as well as the Panko Crispy Oysters with Asian slaw.
The small plates menu intends to change with the seasons throughout the year, plus a couple specials. Winter specials are planned to start in early October.
Flying Fish offers a full spirit and beer bar that serves wine, local craft beer, Japanese small batch craft Saki and spirits.
Another against the grain option is authentic Coca-Cola soft drink imported from Mexico served in the classic green bottles. All desserts are made by local pastry chef Casey Vosverg.
Flying Fish has 35 indoor seats available between tables and the sushi bar as well as 16 additional seats on the outside deck overlooking the canal.
Flying Fish offers lunch on the weekends from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner nightly from 5-9 p.m., except on Mondays when the restaurant is closed. Reservations are accepted and carryout is available.