Japanese Concepts Bring Tokyo-Sourced Sushi and Michelin-Recognized Ramen to Ponce City Market NoriFish and Okiboru will open Friday, August 28, in the Central Food Hall at Atlanta's Ponce City Market. Both concepts are co-founded by Chef Sean Park, a formally trained sushi chef with 15 years of experience in traditional sushi making, and Justin Lim, a restaurateur focused on ramen. NoriFish sources fresh seafood directly from Tokyo's Toyosu Fish Market and offers a rotating menu of hand rolls, signature sushi rolls, and Japanese small plates. The beverage program, developed by certified sake advisor Hendry Kurniawan, includes craft cocktails, house and premium sake, local and Japanese lagers, and wines. The concept already operates locations in Buckhead and Sandy Springs. Okiboru, co-founded by Park and Lim in 2018 in Los Angeles, has been recognized as a Michelin Bib Gourmand award winner. The Ponce City Market outpost will feature a focused menu of tsukemen (dipping noodles) and ramen with collagen-rich broths and house-made noodles, plus appetizers and rice dishes. Okiboru currently operates locations in Sandy Springs, Buckhead, Duluth, and Buford, Georgia, and three locations in New York. "I've always believed you can respect Japanese tradition while still finding ways to make it your own," said Chef Sean Park. "That's really what these two concepts represent. NoriFish is our expression of sushi, and Okiboru is our take on ramen and tsukemen. We've spent years refining both, and we're excited to finally share them together at Ponce City Market." The Central Food Hall now hosts over 25 concepts representing cuisines from around the world, including Puerto Rican, Mexican, Vietnamese, Italian, Thai, American, Persian, Chinese, and Korean. Recent additions include Terminal 26, a Thai street food restaurant; La Cueva, a cocktail lounge and listening room; and Three Taverns Brewery's Ponce Brew Terminal, a brewery, distillery, and taproom partnering with DAS BBQ for food.
Why It Matters
The dual opening strengthens Ponce City Market's position as a major food hall destination in the Southeast and demonstrates sustained growth in the Japanese dining segment across Atlanta's casual and elevated foodservice segments. The Tokyo-sourced ingredient model and Michelin recognition signal competitive differentiation in increasingly crowded sushi and ramen markets.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
