Sushi Oku
Sushi restaurant · Chinatown ·
Hidden omakase counter in former pizza parlor with rap music
Hidden omakase counter in former pizza parlor with rap music
"When Scarr’s announced their move, we spent sleepless nights wondering what would become of their original spot. Enter Sushi Oku. Scarr Pimental, the guy behind Scarr’s, teamed up with Taikun to open this eight-seat counter, where you can get a $165, 15-course omakase. The space hasn’t changed much, so it might be the only place in the city where you can eat uni in the presence of pizza parlor booths while listening to some very quiet rap. After you’re done, the new Scarr’s is right down the block in case you need a post-fish slice." - neha talreja, will hartman, bryan kim, willa moore
"It’s not enough to just open a sushi restaurant these days. You have to do something new, and different, like open it in a former pizza shop. From the teams behind Scarr’s and Taikun, Sushi Oku serves a $165, 15-course omakase meal inside the back of the old Scarr’s space, so you can eat uni in the presence of pizza parlor booths while listening to some very quiet rap. Around the eight-seat counter, you’ll be handed a tender scallop with charcoal salt,a piece of mackerel so smooth and mild, and more than one course with uni and caviar, because we know you’re wondering. After you’re done, Scarr’s is right down the block for a post-fish slice, which might just become a LES tradition. It’s almost like they did this on purpose." - Willa Moore
"An omakase counter from Scarr Pimentel and Ryan Chadwick that opened on the Lower East Side offering a 17-course omakase priced at $165 per person with Taikun's executive chef Kei Yoshino running the kitchen and preserving the ’70s-styled interiors." - Emma Orlow
"Opened this weekend at 22 Orchard Street after Scarr Pimentel relocated his pizzeria across the street and converted the original space into an omakase counter, it offers a 17-course omakase priced at $165 per person. The restaurant is a partnership between Pimentel and Ryan Chadwick (owner of Taikun), with Taikun’s executive chef Kei Yoshino running the kitchen; the ’70s‑styled interiors have remained intact and reservations are open online." - Emma Orlow
"Housed in the original Scarr’s storefront transformed into an eight-seat omakase counter, the new concept pairs Scarr Pimentel with restaurateur Ryan Chadwick and chef Kei Yoshino and retains the venue’s retro, suburban-’70s feel—from wood paneling and Tiffany lamps to two original booths—while swapping in Japanese movie posters, records and memorabilia. Service is a 17-course set menu priced at $165 with three nightly seatings (5:30, 7:30 and 9:30), centered on nigiri with a couple of hand rolls and beginning with soup and a starter such as Hokkaido uni and marinated ikura topped with a dab of Ossetra caviar and freshly grated wasabi served over a small piece of mochi (used in lieu of scallops). A $75 beverage pairing offers three sakes and a red wine selected by Yoshino, whose philosophy emphasizes that sushi should be about the fish, though he may include a special kobe-beef piece on the à la carte menu for guests seeking something extra. The counter is separated from the unchanged front of the shop by a curtain so the pizza ovens remain visible and will be used for future pop-ups, and hungry diners can still grab a slice across the street. Reservations are available on Resy." - Tammie Teclemariam
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Yin Y.
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Roxy R.
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