Even before he could see over a kitchen countertop, Nikhil Abuvala seemed destined for a culinary career.
He remembers standing in a chair to help his grandmother roll out Indian flatbread.
“My love of cooking has been with me as early as I can remember,” he said. “The way my grandmother moved about the kitchen, like a general of an army commanding spices and herbs, sparked a passion for food in me that is unmatched.”
When he turned 13, he took sushi classes. In a matter of weeks, he was doing an apprenticeship with that chef.
Now, the 35-year-old Abuvala is the chef and owner of four local restaurants that showcase his diverse culinary tastes, honed through his travels around the world. He has worked in kitchens in more than 30 countries.
But he said his career path wasn’t always clear to him.
“It’s not what I always planned on doing, but it’s always been a part of my life,” Abuvala said. “I started just because it was always something fun. It took me two different career paths to realize you can do a job that is fun, and that’s OK.”
He spent his childhood in Atlanta with his Indian father and American mother. But his family moved to the Emerald Coast when Abuvala was about to turn 13.
“I was a pretty avid hockey player in Atlanta,” he recalled. “We moved to Florida, and I thought my world was ruined because I knew my future was pro hockey.
“I got my first introduction to sushi with a hands-on sushi class just before my 13th birthday. I was the only person in that class under 35. The chef thought it was so funny and so awesome that I was there.
“I loved it, and he loved it as well. Well, we figured out how to do a legal apprenticeship, and I was doing that a few weeks later. And I’ve basically been in restaurants ever since. It’s always been a part of my life.”
Still, he didn’t see it as a career. It was just a job.
“After going to school for music, I realized maybe being a symphonic woodwind player was not the best career choice for me,” Abuvala said. “It’s a lot of hard work. You’re alone a lot in a dark room playing. I realized that wasn’t going to work for me. So then, I went to school for business.
“But I soon realized I had fun when I was in the kitchen, and that I could make a career out of this.”
So, Abuvala was on the road to a culinary career. And part of that journey took him around the world on a path of discovery.
“Inspiration comes from everywhere,” he said. “There are so many different cultures and cuisines that exist. Most cultures are defined by their cuisines. I love learning about the reasons why … finding the correlations between a culture and its cuisines. Every culture has the same foods. They just are changed by these little elements, such as where they source their food. It all defines the culture.
“For example, every culture has its own version of grits. Or its own type of porridge. Or its own types of soups. It’s just all of these little different things that make them unique. It’s fascinating to me to see the correlations and the tiny differences, and the best way to see all of it is by traveling and experiencing it all.”
Those travels and experiences are evident in Abuvala’s restaurants.
“I just looked at the needs that were in this area,” he said. “I thought to myself, ‘What do I want to eat, and where do I have to go to get it?’ If I have to go all the way to, say, Pensacola, then maybe I could do something about it here.”
Abuvala opened Roux 30A in 2013. Located in Grayton Beach, the restaurant was built on the idea that the most intimate thing you can do is break bread with family. With community tables and seating for only 44 guests, the restaurant has a chef’s table concept and uses locally sourced ingredients to create meals inspired by its coastal roots. It also offers private dining, tasting menus and regular dining series.
“It’s a very unique type of concept,” Abuvala said. “There’s no menu. What we serve changes daily, sometimes twice a day, when we are getting new ingredients in. We source from local farmers. We use local fish. One of the farms we use is a 10-minute bike ride from the restaurant. It’s all based on availability of what’s coming to us.”
He said it isn’t unusual for him to find vegetables or herbs left on his porch. He loves that because it means people are growing food and creating a vibrant local food scene that benefits everyone.
“The purpose of Roux was to help develop community,” Abuvala said. “We have these big, long dining tables. I believe in that idea. It’s about breaking bread among family, and I think community is a part of that. That restaurant helped push and expand that.”
Nanbu Noodle Bar opened in 2019. Originally located in Grayton Beach, the restaurant was born from Abuvala’s love of Asian food, primarily Japanese ramen. Nanbu means “Southern” in Japanese.
“We take those broths that take 18 to 24 hours to make and create what I call bikini ramen,” he said. “It’s a lighter ramen because we are here at the beach. We also have a small sushi program. It’s not a sushi restaurant, but I do think there is a potential down the road for a full-on sushi bar.”
In 2023, Abuvala opened The Daytrader Tiki Bar & Restaurant in Seaside, Florida.
“It’s a Polynesian concept,” he said. “And we lean heavily into the Poly aspect of Polynesia. There are dishes from Korea, Hawaii, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and more. And, we have a damn good smashburger as well.”
And earlier this year, Abuvala opened Saladita in the original Nanbu location in Grayton Beach. The restaurant is a Mexican taqueria that specializes in street tacos.
“One of the core basics behind it is that we make tortillas to order,” he said. “We are cooking to order using traditional methods of cooking in Mexican style with real dried peppers. Everything is made in-house from scratch.
“To me, inspiration comes from everywhere.”
That inspiration led to Abuvala being named a semifinalist earlier this year for the 2025 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef of the South. Often called the Oscars of the culinary world, the awards recognize chefs, restaurateurs, authors and journalists.
Abuvala didn’t make the final cut for the award, but he still was honored to be recognized.
“It honestly was shocking when I found out I was a semifinalist,” he said. “A former employee texted me the morning of the nominations to congratulate me. I didn’t know what she was talking about, to be honest. It just blew my mind.
“I am proud of my restaurants, and I feel confident in my abilities, but I wasn’t expecting it. I thought maybe we were in too small of a market for something like that.”
With all of his success, Abuvala has a strong sense of community and loves to give back. He said his favorite charity is the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation. April’s event raised $3.5 million, which all goes to 14 local charities. He has also worked with Alaqua Animal Rescue, Food for Thought, and has donated time, money and meals to those affected by natural disasters such as Hurricane Michael.
“This is a really amazing community of entrepreneurs,” he said. “There are a bunch of people who are here to lift up everyone. I truly believe this is one of the easiest places to succeed because of how collaborative and welcoming everyone is in this area. I know that’s a big statement. But I have worked for people in Miami and South Florida, and there was collaboration. But it was nothing like what we have here.
“Also, people who come here are on vacation. They’re already happy. They’re happy to be here and at the beach. That’s a better customer. It’s paradise. We travel all over. I love traveling, but it’s nice to come home. We live in a beautiful place.”
Abuvala, his wife Hannah Grace, and their infant son have established roots along the Emerald Coast.
“This area is growing so fast, and the developments are becoming so amazing,” he said. “We’re dealing with challenges. There’s so much growth, and we’ve had a few storms come through here in recent years. But we are finding the solutions, and we are bouncing back. I think people who came here for spring break this year were able to see the seaside and 30A as they remember from back in the day. It really is incredible here.
“My wife and our beautiful baby boy … that’s my life right now. I love being a dad. We travel. We hang out with friends and chill on the beach. I can’t ask for anything more.”
And while his son isn’t even close to standing on a chair to peer over a countertop and watch his dad prepare a meal like he did with his grandmother, Abuvala wants his boy to have a world full of opportunities.
“My goal is to build a life where our son has the options to choose a life he wants for himself,” he said. “If he wants to go into the restaurant business like me, that’s great. If not, that’s great, too. It’s whatever he wants to do. I’m a big believer in that.”
Written by Chris Dickerson, special to NICHE
