By Amiee Zhao
I did not expect to find an Asian restaurant in Watkinsville, a predominantly white city just outside Athens, GA. Therefore, when I saw the excellent reviews of Sushi One & Bobalicious on Google Maps, I was dying to pay a visit.
Boba plushies and a Maneiki-neko (lucky cat figure) welcomed me into the restaurant. The menu had every Asian cuisine I craved: pho (Vietnamese rice noodles), sushi rolls, teriyaki chicken (Japanese grilled chicken), sake, boba and more. Starving, my boyfriend and I started with two orders of the Filet Mignon Pho. Shortly after we ordered, the chef showed up to our table and asked, “You both pho lovers? I have everything to make you the deluxe version.”
He came back with two bowls of pho that surprised me: in addition to the traditional filet and spices, there were also tripe and meatballs. The noodles sat in a simplistic, white china bowl that reminded me of a homemade dinner from my childhood. Looking around the restaurant, I noticed that the chef and the restaurant owner chatted with each table about food and life, a rare hospitality. Their kids sat at the back of the restaurant, doing homework, while sometimes hopping in to help with cleaning.
Julie Nguyen, owner of the restaurant, shared that this is a family business. Nguyen runs the restaurant with her husband, and they have four children who go to schools in Oconee County. Recently, the restaurant celebrated its two-year anniversary.
Nguyen immigrated into the U.S. from Vietnam through the Indochina Migration and Refugee Act with her aunt’s sponsorship in Alabama. After graduating from the University of South Alabama, she continued to pursue a Master’s degree in school counseling and worked as a school counselor, moving from Alabama, to Florida and finally to Georgia. Her husband owned a branch of Ru San’s, a franchise sushi restaurant. Yet, due to the expiration of the lease, the family decided to start anew and open their own restaurant. Seeking an affordable location, they came to Watkinsville. That was when Nguyen quit her job as a school counselor and helped build Sushi One & Bobalicious.
Due to the family’s Vietnamese heritage and previous working experience at a Japanese restaurant, it seems only natural that they combined the best of both cuisines. Yet, Nguyen did not stop there. Inspired by a restaurant they frequented while living in Florida, Nguyen wanted to incorporate boba into the menu as well. Without previous experience in making tea, she even flew to Toronto and took a course on tea with a Taiwanese tea master. Now, the restaurant offers a robust collection of 28 different boba, tea and slushies, all of which are fantastic.
I was also amazed by the different sushi options and frequent new dishes. During my second visit shortly after the first one, I noticed even in that short time the restaurant had already updated their sushi roll menu. Specifically, Nguyen shared the backstory of the new Warrior Roll with sushi rice, spicy salmon, tuna and yellowtail, topped with crunches, masago (orange fish eggs), tobiko (red fish eggs) and sprouts.
“My kid goes to Oconee County high school,” she explained. “Their mascot is a warrior, and that’s why I wanted to make a Warrior Roll. I am a seafood lover, so I incorporated my favorite things in this roll.”
Nguyen also used her personal experience and the love for her family in creating other dishes such as the Samurai Roll and the 2 to Tango Roll. This is her favorite part about running a restaurant.
“My favorite part is that I have an idea and it actually works out,” Nguyen said. “The feeling of being an entrepreneur.”
Of course, entrepreneurship also comes with its challenges, especially for an Asian family in a small town in Georgia. Running a small, local business, Nguyen found it challenging to know when her investments will pay back. Even though there are initiatives to support local businesses, she thinks that people outside the industry hardly have an idea of how much financial assistance is needed. Moreover, the location of the restaurant also requires more work in advertising compared to locations with more Asian communities.
“It definitely takes more leg work, twice as much of marketing, because the population here is mostly Caucasian,” she said. “They already have a fixed diet and don’t usually venture out as foodies.”
Nevertheless, Nguyen did not succumb to these difficulties. Recounting her journey, she chuckled lightly and described these challenges as opportunities, emphasizing the importance of “putting yourself out there”.
“I used to be a very shy person as the only Asian in a lot of situations,” she said. “But now I have become an advocate for myself. The more you do, the tougher your backbone grows.”
Looking ahead, Nguyen hopes that they will be able to acquire a franchise for the restaurant, meaning that they need to open another two locations. With the unstable economy and political situation after the COVID-19, she desires a location with steady foot traffic, such as in downtown Athens, where University of Georgia students frequent. But she also cherishes the community she has here in Watkinsville and the bigger Oconee County. Talking with customers here makes her feel at home, and as a previous school counselor, she also generously offers teachers’ discounts at the restaurant.
Leaving the restaurant, I noticed a cartoon-styled family photo of six at the door. This served as a symbol of how Nguyen wove in the stories of her family in creating dishes and incorporating different Asian cuisines for the restaurant.
