“Southern Living” Names Gas Station Sushi “One of the Best” in the South
APEX, NC—Southern Living magazine says Akami Sushi Bar, located in the BP gas station (on the backside of a Handee Hugo) in Apex, is serving some of the South's best sushi. After driving by the location for two years, owner Birdie Owattragool (better known as “chef Birdie”) opened the restaurant in 2021. He completely transformed what had been the gas station’s Subway restaurant.
After moving from Thailand to the United States at 21 and attending college in Virginia, Owattragool relocated to South Florida and set off on what would become a years-long journey to mastering sushi. He sources his fish straight from Japan, and according to Akami’s web site, the restuarant is “all about that exquisite, rich taste in every bite, just like the heart of the tuna.” Akami is the lean, reddish flesh from along the spine of the tuna. It is taken from the Japanese language: literally, “lean meat" from aka and “red" from mi. The restaurant recommends calling to reserve a spot.
While sushi might be a bit unusual for gas station fare, Southerners have long enjoyed gas stations as a cultural experience and as a place to find surprisingly good food—though the usual finds tend to lean more towards traditional Southern culinary experiences, such as barbecue or fried chicken.