Peak tourism season is not over in Bermuda, with cruise ships still arriving, but restaurateur Maz Shabdeen already feels the coming chill.

“We have already seen a drop in tourism,” he said. “It is getting quiet now.”

Labour Day on September 1 is the turning point in the season — for him.

“Before that kicks in, people come and have fun with their kids before school starts,” he said.

“After that there is a dip in tourism.”

To keep interest up, particularly with locals during the winter months, he has expanded his menu to include sushi.

“Other people in Dockyard might have sushi, but we are sushi,” Mr Shabdeen joked.

Rene Reneiro, from the Philippines, is the sushi chef.

He moved to Dubai to work as a chef in 2003 and two years later went into sushi.

“It is not as easy to make sushi as it looks,” he said. “You need to work with a Japanese chef because sushi is their food.”

He said the man he trained under was a tough teacher.

“Working with him was very beneficial,” Mr Reneiro said. “He was very exacting about the quality of the fish, the precision of the cutting, the cleanliness of the work station, my dedication to sushi. Japanese chefs do not play around.”

Now, Mr Reneiro is so particular about his work and workspace, that some of his colleagues tease him about it.

He said any sushi chef can cut fish, serve sashimi or roll maki.

“The great ones put love into their work,” he said. “They need to be passionate. They need to think outside the box, because people can eat California maki anywhere.”

In addition to sushi standards such as spicy tuna maki, Mr Reneiro has created several signature sushi dishes for Anchor, all with nautical names.

For example, The Captain is a tempura fried roll with a spicy tuna cream cheese and avocado inside, with Anchor’s signature special sauce. The Portside Roll has salmon, spicy mayo, pickled cucumber inside, and yellowfin tuna on the outside with wasabi mayo, ginger teriyaki, wakame salad and sesame seeds.

The restaurant gets fresh fish every three days.

“We do not keep much in stock,” head chef Nevil Sanjeewa said.

Anchor has said no to food delivery services for its sushi, fearing that once out of their control, it might sit around before being delivered. The restaurant on 1 Freeport Road, offers takeout, but customers must come to the restaurant to collect it.

So far, the sushi menu has been well received.

“We are doing good,” Mr Reneiro said. “We have a big impact from tourists, but we are also building up a good local following. We are fortunate to have them.”

Assistant restaurant manager William Magno said a sushi lover could come to Anchor and enjoy sushi, while their companion had something completely different.

“If you don’t like anything you see on the menu, we can make a dish up for you, within reason,” he said.