O-Ku opened across from the Jacksonville Beach pier in February 2022, the first Florida outpost of Charleston-based Indigo Road Hospitality Group and one of the few rooms at the Beaches with an ocean view and a coveted rooftop bar. The concept began in Charleston in 2010 and is guided by culinary director Masatomo "Masa" Hamaya, a Japan-born chef whose résumé includes the Michelin-starred Ame in San Francisco. The 4,400-square-foot space leans modern and coastal, built around sushi, sashimi, and robata, with a $125 omakase for those who want the kitchen to lead. Founder Steve Palmer is a four-time James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur. Approachable rather than austere, lively rather than hushed. Come for waterfront sushi with the rooftop as the draw.