The Biz Beat: One Fish Raw Bar in Campbell pairs fresh fish with fine sake

The ever-changing selections at One Fish Raw Bar in Campbell offer a daily adventure for customers, not to mention for chef and owner Trent Lidgey and General Manager John VanBuhler, who finalize the menu half an hour before they open.

“We have standing orders for lots of things,” VanBuhler told San José Spotlight, “but for the most part, we get whatever the ocean provides that day, and then decide what makes it on the menu. It keeps us on our toes.”

On any given night, the restaurant might be sourcing ocean trout from Scotland, scallops from Japan, sea urchin from Fort Bragg or squid from Monterey, along with whatever else it can get from a network of suppliers built up over the last two years. VanBuhler said the restaurant works with “peak-of-season produce and proteins.”

Lidgey spent years working at upscale eateries like L’Espalier and UNI in Boston, Atelier Crenn in San Francisco and Brae Restaurant in Birregurra, Australia, before meeting VanBuhler in 2020.

“I learned a lot from those places,” Lidgey told San José Spotlight, “but I also learned that I didn’t want to be in fine dining anymore. I wanted something casual, but still with great service and to be able to have a good time with it.”

Initially envisioned as a casual order-up-front place, the pair made a quick pivot within the first week. The restaurant is dominated by the chef’s counter — where Lidgey prepares his dishes — which has a small number of seats that can be booked for an 11-course tasting menu.

Tables are also available, and for those who are not sure where to start on the menu, One Fish Raw Bar offers a five-course family-style meal with a selection of shellfish, sashimi, an item from the snacks menu, a cooked dish and dessert. A more elevated version offers five different sake pours paired to each course.

“It’s a ‘chef’s choice’ tour of the menu,” VanBuhler said. “There is an elegant progression, with some off-menu offerings as well, highlighting our culinary vision.”

Small dishes might include Korean fluke matched with a Rangpur lime sauce and pickled Asian pear, Tai snapper with agua chile and shishito peppers or hamachi with bacon and smoked cashew.

“I love sashimi,” VanBuhler said, “but, usually, the flavors you get are all very linear. Trent has a really fresh take, pulling from many global cultures, which makes it exciting.”

Slow braised short ribs served with eel kabayaki and butterball potatoes highlight the hot dish menu, along with a seafood cassoulet made with local Dungeness crab, lobster, uni and kohlrabi or One Fish chowder with cornbread croutons.

“We want you to feel satisfied when you leave here, but still feeling good,” Lidgey said. “I want the food to be fun and light. You don’t leave here feeling bogged down.”

Sake has become increasingly part of One Fish Raw Bar’s identity, almost accidentally. VanBuhler said neither he nor Lidgey knew anything about sake when they opened the restaurant.

“We figured since we’re slicing raw fish, we might as well have sake on the menu,” VanBuhler said. “But it seemed there was an opportunity there, so I developed some technical knowledge and learned to talk about it.”

A certified sake sommelier, VanBuhler hosts “Sake 101” events at the restaurant. The next event on Feb. 4 from 1-3 p.m. will focus on its seasonality with crisp and light winter sake, floral and sweet spring sake, sparkling summer sake and umami-driven autumn sake, all accompanied by a sashimi platter.

Contact Robert Eliason at [email protected].

Editor’s Note: The Biz Beat is a series highlighting local small businesses and restaurants in Silicon Valley. Know a business you’d like to see featured? Let us know at [email protected].