Sushi by Scratch, a cozy speakeasy dining spot by Chefs Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee, offers an unforgettable omakase experience packed with fresh, artfully crafted sushi and delightful cocktails.
"In 2023, chefs and spouses Margarita Kallas-Lee and Phillip Frankland Lee unveiled an outpost of their opulent Michelin-starred omakase spot Sushi by Scratch to great fanfare, tucking the 10-seat spot inside the burger-focused Not A Damn Chance bar. Their team applies a creative approach to its 17-course menu, which features dishes such as roasted bone marrow (soy, wasabi, sea salt) and garlic and sea salt-rubbed Canadian albacore that’s wrapped in sake-soaked nori, and roasted over almond wood." - Naomi Waxman
"Originally from California (with locations in Texas, Seattle, and Miami), Sushi By Scratch is known for its non-traditional omakase. The $165 Chicago experience is no different—this great sushi spot is hidden behind a password-protected door in the basement of The Drop In bar. An amuse-bouche in a tiny waiting room kicks things off, and the 17-course event happens at a 10-seat chef's counter. The omakase has personable chefs and a delicious mix of simple and less conventional nigiri (like unagi with melted bone marrow), making it worth spending two hours in a basement." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru
"Jeffy Mai, editor Time Out Chicago: Omakase by Phillip Frankland Lee at Sushi by Scratch." - Ashok Selvam
"Originally from California, and with locations in Texas, Seattle, and Miami, Sushi By Scratch has a reputation for its non-traditional omakase. The $165 Chicago experience is exactly the same—this great sushi spot is hidden behind a password-protected door in the basement of the Drop In bar in River East. An amuse-bouche period in a tiny waiting room kicks things off, before the main event at the spotlighted chef's counter. 10 seats wrap around it, ensuring prime viewing of all the sushi action (including five blowtorch appearances). With personable chefs and 17 courses of simple and less conventional nigiri (like unagi with melted bone marrow), you'll forget that you've been stuck in a basement for two hours." - John Ringor
"After debuting their flagship restaurant Scratch Bar & Kitchen in Los Angeles a decade ago and several spots nationwide since then, Michelin-starred chefs, owners, and husband-and-wife team Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee debuted their Chicago Sushi by Scratch location, where they put forth a 17-course tasting menu for 10 diners per seating (three times a night). Guests enter via a secret door within a bar called The Drop In, where they’re then greeted in an intimate, speakeasy-style space for a welcome cocktail and beginning bites. Guests are guided to a main dining space, meet the three dedicated sushi chefs, and settle in for an impressive array of cocktails and sake and a multi-course omakase that features fish flown in from Tokyo's world-famous Toyosu Fish Market." - Nicole Schnitzler, Brad Japhe
