Justin Huffman came to the kitchen through the people in it. His first real kitchen job was at Uchi, working alongside some of the most talented cooks he has ever known, including Paul Qui, Phillip Spear, Yoshi Okai, and Tyson Cole. He started out in the front of house, but the dedication and attention to detail he saw in the back, in both the food and the work ethic behind it, pulled him across the pass for good.

That early education stayed with him. Justin builds menus the way he has built his career: from experience. Travel, meals out, and friendships all feed into what ends up on the plate, and he describes his approach as a constant search for connections through food. Nowhere is that clearer than in the San Ua Schnitzel, the dish he's proudest of right now. It takes what he loves about Thai food and remixes it into another culinary tradition. It's a little irreverent, he admits, but dynamic and fun, and it captures what he loves about cooking in a single plate.

At Fish Shop, sourcing is the foundation. Justin gets his seafood from the Pacific Ocean through Monterey Seafood in San Francisco, and the team picks up their boxes three times a week from the airport cargo area. It's extra effort, but it means Fish Shop serves seafood that other Austin restaurants don't have access to, and works directly with West Coast small fisheries that use the best practices and sustainable methods for catching fish and shellfish.

"We source our ingredients from the best places that we can. It is and will always be the most important thing that I can do."

For first-time guests, Justin's order is simple: the Halibut Crudo, made with small, impossibly tender Pacific halibut from San Francisco, a Fresno pepper aguachile, and a chili crunch built from the byproduct of making the aguachile. Pair it with a tangerine sangria oyster shot, and you're set.

Behind the scenes, the culture is as intentional as the sourcing. The Fish Shop team is kind and humble, and constantly teaching staff about new seafood products and marine biodiversity you won't find elsewhere in Austin. And when Justin isn't in the kitchen, he's usually eating tacos or cooking Thai-style smoked chicken at home for himself and his dog, Ellie, who he'll tell you eats better than most humans.

In this Chef Series interview, Justin talks about the Uchi kitchen that changed his path, the dish that sums up how he cooks, and why the best advice for a young chef is to hang in there.

INKIND: What first drew you into the kitchen, and what continues to inspire you today?

JUSTIN: I was first drawn to the kitchen by the inspiring people around me. My first real kitchen job was at Uchi with some of the most talented people I've ever worked with. Paul Qui, Phillip Spear, Yoshi Okai, Tyson Cole, and many others pulled me from the front of house to the back of house when I saw the dedication and attention to detail in incredible food and dedicated work ethic.

INKIND: How do you create menus that reflect each concept while staying true to your culinary voice?

JUSTIN: I create menus that reflect my experiences. Whether through travel, dining experiences, or friendships, I am constantly searching for connections through food.

INKIND: What's one dish you're especially proud of right now, and why does it matter to you?

JUSTIN: I am especially proud of the San Ua Schnitzel. It is more or less what I love about cooking wrapped up into one dish. It's taking what I love about Thai food and remixing it into another culture of food and its traditions. It's a bit irreverent, but it's dynamic and fun.

INKIND: From sourcing ingredients to building your team, what principles guide your approach?

JUSTIN: We source our ingredients from the best places that we can. It is and will always be the most important thing that I can do. We source our seafood from the Pacific Ocean via Monterey Seafood in San Francisco, California. We pick up our seafood boxes three times a week from the airport cargo area. It's a bit more work, but not only do we have seafood that other people in Austin don't have access to, we are able to work directly with West Coast small fisheries that use the best practices and sustainable means of catching fish and shellfish.

INKIND: For a first-time guest, what's a must-order combo that captures the spirit of Fish Shop?

JUSTIN: Get the Halibut Crudo. It's made with Pacific San Francisco halibut, which is smaller and impossibly tender. We mix ours with a Fresno pepper aguachile and chili crunch made with the byproduct salsa from making the aguachile sauce. Pair that with a tangerine sangria oyster shot and you're killing it.

INKIND: What's something guests might not realize about what happens behind the scenes in your kitchen?

JUSTIN: Behind the scenes at Fish Shop we are kind and humble and constantly teaching our staff about new seafood products and marine biodiversity that can't be found in Austin outside of Fish Shop.

INKIND: What has partnering with inKind meant for your restaurant and your team?

JUSTIN: Partnering with inKind has allowed us to reach new markets and bring in guests that are seriously excited and dedicated to food.

INKIND: What one piece of advice would you share with a chef or restaurateur just starting out?

JUSTIN: I would tell someone just starting out to hang in there. It might not get easier, but the clarity starts to present itself and you'll know what you have to do to make things work pretty fast.

INKIND: When you're not in the kitchen, where do you love to eat or what do you cook for yourself?

JUSTIN: When I'm not at Fish Shop I'm basically eating tacos and Thai-style smoked chicken that I cook at home for me and my dog Ellie. She eats better than most humans.