One of New York Cityâs top sushi chefs is back with her well-received omakase pop-up. Oona Tempest will revive Sushi by Bae next month â except this time it will be a permanent sushi counter in Union Square.
Sushi by Bae initially began as a sister pop-up to David Bouhadanaâs proliferating Sushi by Bou back in 2017, and the idea is similar here. Sheâll open a six-seat counter at 118 East 15th St., near Irving Place, on May 1, with a Sushi by Bou to open at the counterâs other six seats later in the month.
Sushi by Bae will follow a timed format, with a 90-minute, 15-course Edomae-style omakase, priced at $110. Diners can expect pieces of fish sourced from both Japan and the U.S. like a Japanese sea bream aged in kelp, cuttlefish, rosy seabass, and Hokkaido uni, though the menu will constantly evolve, Tempest says. Joshua Batista, who has worked with Sushi by Bae partner Simple Venue for a while, will lead the beverage program, which includes cocktails â an unusual element for omakase.
Tempestâs Sushi by Bae brand began as a pop-up inside Bouhadanaâs Sushi by Bou within Meatpackingâs Gansevoort Market in 2017. Tempest, 26, was an apprentice of the late chef and respected NYC sushi master Toshio Oguma, working under him at acclaimed Upper East Side restaurant Tanoshi Sushi.
Though sheâs most recently spent time at high-end, pricey sushi counters like Shoji at 69 Leonard Street and Sushi Ginza Onodera, she aims to keep things more casual at her own restaurant. She plans to follow Ogumaâs philosophy in that it shouldnât cost New Yorkers âan arm and a leg to have good sushi,â she says, one of the reasons sheâs pricing the 15-course menu at $110 â to make it âmore accessible.â
Sushi by Bae is located in the same space as sports bar Sidebar, though it has a separate entrance. Itâll be open from Tuesday to Saturday with three seatings per night, at 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 9 p.m. Reservations are now open.