Peggi Whiting: she sells sushi by the inland sea.

• Author: Christopher, Elisha
• Position: People - Ichiban Sushi - Brief Article

One fish, two fish, raw fish, blue fish. Meet Peggi Whiting, wife and mother of three, who has been fondly described as "Utah's own white woman sushi chef." Whiting has co-owned and operated Ichiban Sushi with her husband, Clint, for 15 years. Four years ago, after wore than a decade in Park City, they relocated their Japanese restaurant to 336 S. 400 East in Salt Lake City, and turned what was once a Lutheran Church into an atmosphere brimming with mood, color and excitement. The glass, woodwork and atmosphere of the historic building blends the feng shui motifs of mirror, metal and water to create an ambiance unique to Ichiban Sushi.

How is it that Whiting, now 42, immersed herself in the art of Japanese cooking and turned her skills into a profitable business? It all began with Master Inou, a mentor and teacher living in Japan. "I was working at 47 Samurai in Trolley Square," Whiting recounts, "and I had some Japanese customers that kept coming in and saying, 'you really should go work in Japan.' And I thought, no one is going to take on a white woman. Later, they came back to me and said, 'Okay, we have a job for you.' They sponsored me and introduced me to the Sushi Master and sent me to Japan." Master Inou proved to be a life-changing mentor for Whiting. "I remember one day when we were filleting a tuna," she says. "It was an hour and a half lecture on becoming one with the fish before we even touched it." Ten months later, Whiting had completed her training and was ready to return to Utah and put her skills to use.

Those skills have proven very profitable. Ichiban Sushi is open seven days a week from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Whiting works five of those seven nights. Almost every night, the restaurant is packed with an...