WILMINGTON — Johnny Chen, the master sushi chef behind Wilmington’s Nikki’s restaurants, is bringing made-from-scratch Ramen and poke bowls downtown with his new place, Fun Bowl.
The restaurant, located in the former Crescent Moon location at 24 N. Front Street, will feature Ramen noodle soup and poke bowls (if you’re not familiar, think deconstructed sushi roll — in a bowl).
Fun Bowl will offer gluten-free, low-sodium, low-fat, vegan, and starch-free noodle options. The poke bowls will offer a range of options, including rice, salad, proteins, and more. According to Eliza Santos, an agent for Re/Max who represented Chen, customers at Fun Bowl will be able to watch chefs make both noodles and Ramen’s notoriously complex broth.
The new restaurant location was brokered by Momentum Companies. Broker Joan Loch said she had a personal connection to the spot.
“I’ve had a personal interest in the 24 N. Front St. location having once owned The Crescent Moon retail art gallery located there from 2012 to 2017. I was personally pleased to help my former landlord, Ed Peacock, sell the building. Ed’s grandfather, along with partners, built the building in the late 30s for their Freeman Shoe Company which closed its doors in 1986. Later it was home to Nautical Hangups,” Loch said.
Santos, who has represented Chen with his real estate acquisitions for the last eight years, said “this is a new concept for Johnny, but not a new venture. I have seen him create fantastic restaurants and this will be no exception.”
Johnny Chen has honed his craft at restaurants around the world; he came to Wilmington in 2004 to take over Nikki’s from former owner (and namesake) Nikki Spears. The subsequent success of Nikki’s Gourmet and Sushi Bar led to four additional locations throughout Wilmington. His success has even become a family affair; his nephew, Yu-Fan Chen, opened his own sushi restaurant – Nigori, north of Wilmington in the Wrightsboro area – after years of working at Nikki’s.
In 2014, Chen extended his sushi empire to Southport and Calabash. According to Santos, during his recent travels he “discovered the desire and convenience of the eatery experience and the conscious food decisions that are being made today,” which led to the creation of Fun Bowl.
Fun Bowl is located at 24 N. Front Street and plans for an April 2019 (or sooner) opening.
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