ABOUT US
寿司
歴史
Shiki history
Where Wishes Leave Imprints on Flavor
Shiki is an Asian-inspired restaurant and bar featuring sushi, libations, and hot Japanese food with a twist. The sashimi, nigiri, and sushi-maki forward menu is enhanced with small plates and entrees that blend elements of Japanese and American cuisine with Cajun, Korean, Thai, Italian, and Indian influences and is complemented with a curated wine list and house made cocktails. Chef Tom Buder’s vision brings a taste of Asia to Omaha in ways that will feel comfortable and familiar with award-winning sushi recipes but also adventurous with a creative flare that introduces fresh takes on Asian-fusion recipes, delicious alternatives to sushi and seafood, and combinations of flavor and texture that will leave you motivated to return.
Owner of Shiki
新鮮 | Our Chef
Meet Our Chef Tom Buder
With over three decades of dedication to his craft, Chef Tom Buder is widely recognized as a pioneer of sushi in Nebraska and the longest active sushi chef and mentor in Omaha.
His culinary journey began at home, where a love for cooking was nurtured alongside his family. In 1998, he formally entered the world of sushi through an apprenticeship at Sushi Ichiban, where he mastered the fundamentals—starting with rice preparation and evolving into advanced techniques under the guidance of Chef Tony Asanuma.
In 2002, Chef Tom co-founded Blue Sushi and Sake Grill, which quickly grew into the successful Flagship Restaurant Group. Throughout his career, he has mentored and trained numerous chefs who have gone on to achieve remarkable success in the industry.
Approachable
Enjoys teaching, catering, and connecting with guests
Passionate
Deep love for sushi, creativity, and craftsmanship
Committed
Dedicated and hardworking in every aspect of his craft
新鮮
Our Chef
Meet Our Talented Chef
シェフ
Chef
Kenji Sato
Diana Beeson (General Manager)
Diana’s passion for hospitality began at a young age while volunteering at a family-owned café
in Solvang, California, where she learned how powerful a warm, welcoming environment can
be and how meaningful genuine connections with guests truly are. She was also deeply
inspired by her grandmother, Nonna Francesca, who created incredible meals out of very little.
Nonna taught her that food is more than just what is served on the plate. Food is care,
comfort, and bringing people together.
Starting at the host stand, Diana built a career in the food service industry at Cheesecake
Factory, working her way into senior management. Along the way, she gained hands-on
experience across nearly every role in the restaurant, shaping her leadership style around
teamwork, consistency, and leading by example. Diana has also helped open and support
concepts like Blue Nile Café in Inglewood and Industry Café & Jazz in Culver City, as well as
curating personalized dining experiences alongside Chef Eros at which they served a wide
range of guests that included figures like Wolfgang Puck.
As General Manager, she is passionate about creating an environment where guests feel truly
welcomed and teams feel sincerely supported. Honored to help bring Shiki to life and
introduce it to Omaha, Diana looks forward to creating meaningful experiences for the
community with a sense of genuine hospitality that would make Nonna proud.
Chef
Kenji Sato
Rocendo Rodriguez (Kitchen Manager)
Rocendo began his journey in the kitchen over 24 years ago while searching for a job
as a dishwasher. There were no openings for that position at Sushi Ichiban, but they
needed chefs. Trusting in his ability to learn on the job, Rocendo decided to accept the
challenge and quickly discovered a true passion for sushi. Sushi became more than
just a job; it became an art form to him.
After working as a maki chef and gradually advancing within the kitchen, Rocendo spent
the next twelve years developing his skills and refining his style as Sushi Chef at Sushi
Ichiban. The timing was just right when former colleague, Tom Buder, invited Chef
Rocendo to join him in a new opportunity with an innovative concept called Blue Sushi.
He started again as a sushi chef, expanded his knowledge, and explored different
culinary approaches, over time advancing to the role of Regional Culinary Director for
the restaurant group.
After taking some well-deserved time away to focus on his family, Chef Rocendo
received an unexpected call from his old friend Tom, inviting him to consider another
collaboration. The opportunity to work together again, close to home, made Shiki feel
like the perfect fit.
We welcome Chef Rocendo and acknowledge his story – a journey built on hard work,
perseverance, and a deep passion for the culinary arts.