Park keeps family tradition alive at Charleston’s Shiki

Watching Shiki Chef James Park make nigiri — sushi rice topped with sliced raw fish — is like watching a great maestro conduct an orchestra.

He gently shapes the rice with a turn of his wrist so it maintains a lightness and does not become overly compressed. It is this attention to detail and mastery of craft that make a seat at East Bay Street’s Shiki one of the best in Charleston.

Shiki opened in 2001 when Park’s parents — Misa and Hae Gon — bought the space at 334 East Bay St., after his dad worked in the existing restaurant there and the owner was looking to sell. Misa ran the front of the house while Hae Gon ran the kitchen and sushi bar. James grew up like many children of restaurant owners do — reading, doing homework and keeping busy.

“I grew up in this restaurant pretty much,”