Master Sushi Chef Kaze Chan and the team behind Sushi-san will bring a new omakase experience to Chicago with the opening of The Omakase Room at Sushi-san. Opening February 10 in Chicago’s River North, the ten-seat, 18-course omakase restaurant will showcase Chef Kaze’s inventive Japanese cuisine in a convivial and intimate setting. Reservations are available here.
Image Credit: The Omakase Room
Veering away from the formality of a traditional omakase experience, The Omakase Room is meant to feel like a dinner party hosted at Chef Kaze’s home. Alongside Chef Kaze will be Master Sushi Chef Shigeru Kitano, who has more than three decades of experience working at some of Chicago’s most prominent sushi bars including Momotaro, Japonais by Morimoto, Sushi Samba, and Hatsuhana. Luxury bites from Chef Kaze and his team will showcase the day’s freshest and most unique and interesting ingredients which can be complemented with hand-selected sake and wine pairings, Japanese whisky, or specialty cocktails.
“We wanted The Omakase Room to be a departure from the traditional omakase experience,” said Amarit Dulyapaibul, Partner, The Omakase Room at Sushi-san. “From the design of the space and playlist, to the way our chefs will interact with each guest, our intention is to break down the formality that usually accompanies this style of dining. The menu and service will pay homage to the spirit of Japanese omakase without being bound by its tradition.”
The evening will begin as guests enter through Sushi-san and are guided upstairs to The Omakase Room, where they are invited into a space reminiscent of a modern loft. Lively music will set the backdrop as a welcome drink is enjoyed in a living room setting before moving to the omakase room for dinner.
Great care and consideration were taken when designing the space for The Omakase Room, including partnerships with local ceramicists and stone masons to create one-of-a-kind service pieces including custom-made Lazy Susan’s which will be placed at each guest’s seat. The raised Japanese Hinoki cutting boards at the sushi bar will provide unobstructed views putting guests at eye level with the team of Master Sushi Chefs so they can observe all of the action and easily interact with the chefs.
The Omakase Room will source the best ingredients from across the globe relying on a partnership with the Yamasaki family at the Toyosu Fish Market. Daily fish deliveries, with a focus on wild line caught fish, will provide the freshest seafood available.
In addition to the world-class cuisine, The Omakase Room will boast a highly curated beverage program joining together award-winning Beverage Director Kevin Beary (Three Dots and a Dash and The Bamboo Room), Sake Sommelier Daniel Bennett, and Wine Director Richard Hanauer (RPM Restaurants). The beverage menu will include a list of more than 100 bottles of whisky celebrating whisky houses throughout Japan, as well as an extensive sake list and hand-chipped ice.
Beary’s a la carte cocktail menu is influenced by refined Japanese cocktail bars combined with his signature technique-focused drinks. Cocktails will include the Japanese Whisky Old Fashioned with Banana-washed Nikka Yoichi Single Malt Japanese Whisky, fresh banana cordial and okinawa sugar, the Borrowed Brass with blanco tequila, Espadin Mezcal, white port, and pandan, and the Guilty by Association with pineapple-infused Armagnac blanche and cold-pressed honeydew melon juice.
The Omakase Room at Sushi-san (63 W. Grand Ave.) will offer two seatings every Thursday – Saturday at 5:30 PM and 8:30 PM that can be booked for parties of 1- 4 guests. The 18-course omakase is priced at $250 per person, plus tax (gratuity not included) with the option to add on beverage pairings. Sake pairings will include the classic which will feature rarities and icons ($75, plus tax) or the premium which will give diners a chance to sample exclusive selections ($125, plus tax) or choose a wine and sake pairing ($175, plus tax).
For more information, visit www.theomakaseroom.com. The restaurant also is available for private parties (for more information reach out to [email protected]). Follow The Omakase Room at Sushi-san on Instagram and Facebook. To make a reservation at The Omakase Room at Sushi-san, click here.
Featured Image Credit: The Omakase Room