PHLReview
Sakana Omakase Sushi
Sometimes you spend extra money at a hotel to get a California King and feel more catered to than Lizzo before the Grammy’s. Other times you don’t need all the extras. For those situations, there’s Sakana: a toned-down version of a high-end sushi place with an excellent omakase.
photo credit: GAB BONGHI
Sakana is a casual BYOB in Queen Village with a 12-seat sushi counter and a couple of tables for overflow. There’s a host upfront who manages the seating situation, two chefs working their magic, and whimsical flute music playing overhead. The spa-like ambiance continues when you’re handed a small cotton roll that expands in the accompanying water bowl. The only thing that brings you back to restaurant reality is the sound of “oohs and ahhs” when a filet of salmon gets torched.
photo credit: GAB BONGHI
Because there’s just one menu option, the only choice you’ll have to make is who gets to take home the leftover riesling. The $148 omakase menu is 19 courses, and includes classic sushi and sashimi along with swankier bites, like wagyu topped with gold flakes and caviar-filled extras. You’ll have everything from hamachi and tiger shrimp topped with grated egg yolk to firefly squid with green pepper salsa and uni with seared foie gras. Throughout the meal, the chef checks in with you to ask what you like and what you don’t (on the off chance uni reminds you of a wet dish sponge). But if you’re a fan of high quality, expertly prepared fish, you won’t have any objections.
photo credit: GAB BONGHI
photo credit: GAB BONGHI
photo credit: GAB BONGHI
photo credit: GAB BONGHI
Sakana offers a seamless dinner of hand rolls, uni bowls, and nigiri that tests your stomach real estate like no other omakase in the city. It’s a great choice for a date night or birthday where you want to feel fancy without having to wear a pricey outfit to look like it.
Food Rundown
The menu here changes every week, but these are a few examples of things you might see.
Oyster With Yuzu Foam
Saba With Green Pepper Jelly
Grilled Octopus
This has to be ordered in addition to the omakase. Get it if it’s available.
