Everything You Need to Know About Fishtown’s New Sushi Speakeasy

SBB ikura / Photograph courtesy of Sushi By Bou

Howdy, buckaroos! And welcome back to the Foobooz food news round-up. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, everyone in the industry is focused on getting prepped for one of the single biggest services of the year. But just because the industry’s attention is elsewhere, that doesn’t mean we don’t still have a few quick things to catch up on before we all get on with our weeks. So let’s kick things off with …

Mysterious Omakase Sushi Speakeasy Opening in Former Omakase Sushi Bar

Sushi By Bou made a name for itself in New York City by opening small sushi pop-ups in strange places. Basement storage rooms, mop closets, hotel rooms — they’ve done all of those, each with its own, unique theme. But now, in their first foray into the Philly market, SimpleVenue (the company behind Sushi by Bou) and Glu Hospitality are teaming up to open their brand-new omakase sushi speakeasy in the same place that they had a different omakase sushi restaurant (Sushi Suite, also marketed as a “sushi speakeasy” experience), which opened over the bones of the old Omakase by Yanaga space behind Izakaya Fishtown (back when that place was called Izakaya by Yanaga).

That’s confusing, right? Put simply, they’re opening a new omakase restaurant in place of their own existing omakase restaurant which, previously, had taken the place of a totally different omakase restaurant. None of which feels very mysterious or speakeasy-ish and would, in fact, be the exact opposite of transforming underutilized real estate into revenue-generating spaces — which is the stated raison d’être of SimpleVenue. I mean, this could not possibly be a more utilized space. You guys were literally utilizing it yourselves just last week.

Anyway, none of that is really important. What is important is that the new Sushi By Bou will be replacing Sushi Suite behind the closed door at Izakaya Fishtown beginning May 10th. And frankly, the place sounds kinda cool.

The theme for this particular iteration of the concept is ’90s hip-hop, so we’re talking big murals, graffiti and vinyl on the walls, and a killer throwback soundtrack paying tribute to some of Philly’s finest hip-hop icons. The menu will be $60 for a 12-course, 60-minute omakase experience. Want booze? They got that, with sake and cocktail pairings. Want something fancier? They got that, too, with an upgraded, 17-course “Bou-gie” option for $125 that includes five extra seasonal courses. It’s basically a funked-up and pared-down version of the whole Sushi Suite experience meant to get people in and out quicker, and at a lower price point.

But speaking of Sushi Suite …

SimpleVenue and Glu aren’t done with that concept at all. Almost every seat for the $185, 17-course, and hand-picked sushi experience was booked during Sushi Suite’s run in Fishtown, and no one is going to turn their back on that kind of money, so it looks like Sushi Suite will be moving into a new, larger location in Center City later this summer.

And there’s a second Sushi By Bou location already in the works, but no location has been announced yet.

Now what’s next?

There Are Two New Members of the Bird Gang

Bird Gang Silver Tequila / Photograph courtesy of BOLTD

So here’s a weird coincidence. In the same column that I talked about the opening of Sushi Suite in Fishtown, I also talked about the initial release of Bird Gang Spirits — a collaboration between the Eagles and local bottler and distiller, BOTLD. And now here we are this week, talking about the replacement for Sushi Suite and announcing the next round of Bird Gang spirits.

It’s strange how these things work out sometimes.

Anyhoo, Bird Gang already had vodka and bourbon available, the bottles decked out in their finest kelly green, and available at BOTLD locations in Rittenhouse, Midtown Village and King of Prussia, or online. But now they can add two tequilas to the mix — a standard-issue silver, and a chile-infused spicy variety. Both are 80-proof, both are imported from the historic Orendain Distillery in Jalisco, and both are available for pre-order right now (though they might not ship for another week or so). Check it out right here.

Pub & Kitchen Team About to Hit the Main Line

It looks like the Pub & Kitchen family is about to get bigger. The team’s casual Italian concept, Trattoria Carina, has been up and running for a few years now at 22nd and Spruce (in the old Fitler Dining Room space), and they’ve been killing it there. So naturally, the P&K team is looking to make another one.

Carina Sorella — that’s the name of the new spot. And it’ll be opening at 864 West Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr. It’ll be Italian — I know that much. But there isn’t much else in the way of details just yet.

One thing I do know: It looks like the place is going to be opening pretty soon. They started hiring for all positions back at the beginning of April (had a job fair and everything), and posts on Facebook, Instagram, and on Pub & Kitchen’s Instagram feed have all said that the new spot will be opening very soon.

Needless to say, I’ll be keeping an eye on the place.

Meanwhile, Right Down the Street …

Luisa Sandwich, a skandi-style open-faced sandwich with chicken salad, blueberries, and fresh greens. / Photograph courtesy of Pinwheel Provisions

Right next door to the new Carina Sorella location, Bryn Mawr’s Pinwheel Provisions has a new menu, a new chef, and some new sandwiches to talk about — all of which is good news.

Anjali Gupta’s healthy, multi-accented lunch spot at 860 West Lancaster Avenue used to be a place focused on supplying the Main Line with frozen meals freshly made from local produce and grab-and-go foods for making meal times easier. And while that is still a major component of Pinwheel’s business, Gupta has recently picked up chef Colin Mason (ex of Fork, Kanella, Lola’s Garden and elsewhere, and fresh off his gig as chef de cuisine at the Pullman) to update her menu for spring and to add a whole new line of fresh, healthy, international sandwiches to the board as a draw for lunchtime crowds.

The new menu draws on influences from Italy, Denmark, India, Morocco, Great Britain — all places that take their lunches seriously. There’s minted pea soup, za’atar-roasted carrot salad with toasted chickpeas, a British ploughman’s sandwich with ham, cheese, tomato chutney and mustard butter, Bombay toasties with spiced potato filling, and a Scandinavian-style open-faced sandwich with chicken salad, blueberries and red onion.

The newly expanded space also has room now for fresh pastries from local bakeries, ice cream from Milk Jawn, and some international pantry items. Now that the weather has turned nice, there’s shaded outdoor garden seating for about a dozen people, too. If you’re down, you can see the new menu and check out Pinwheel’s expanded hours here.

Now, who has room for some leftovers?

The Leftovers

It looks like local distiller Stateside Vodka is upping stakes and pulling out of its home in Olde Kensington. The Philadelphia Business Journal is reporting that they’ve already found a new location in Northeast Philly that’ll give them acres more room for both production and office space. You can read all about it right here.

Meanwhile, after some pretty long delays, the Southeast Asian Market at FDR Park opened over the weekend. Saturday was its first day back, and at least for now, it looks like the schedule will be Saturdays and Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., until the end of October.

If you’re planning on going, remember three things: Go slow, pace yourself, and bring cash. The market is bigger than you think. You will want to eat half of everything you see. So let’s be careful out there, okay? And maybe check out this piece by Chloé Pantazi-Wolber on the history of the market’s beloved lemongrass cheesesteak before you go.

Speaking of cheesesteaks, guess who else is back in the game this week? After months of renovations and operating out of a giant food truck, Pat’s King of Steaks will be reopening on Wednesday in its original home at 9th and Passyunk.

The South Philly staple has been dark since January while it underwent a major remodel. And when it comes back this week, it’ll be doing so with a youthful glow, boundless energy, and a new breakfast sandwich.

No, for real. For the first time in like … ever, Pat’s is adding an egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwich to the board, mounted on an Aversa roll and stacked with bacon, sausage, pork roll, or steak. There’s also an option to get everything on a single sandwich, plus onions and hash browns — which is good to know in case of some kind of emergency where I need to raise my cholesterol, blood pressure, and pants size all at once and immediately.

Every day, from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. — that’s when you can get breakfast at Pat’s. I also hear that they’ve added a chicken cheesesteak to the menu, but I don’t think anyone will notice. I mean, it’s Pat’s, right? Even the cows order steak sandwiches when they come here.

Anyway, you can find all the details on the grand opening here. I imagine the line is already forming, so we’ll see y’all down there.