photo from the June pop up.
California based Sushi | Bar did a pop up Omakase dinner that featured 17 courses this past June. Omakase is a form of Japanese dining in which guests leave themselves in the hands of a chef and receive a meal which is seasonal, elegant, artistic and uses the finest ingredients available.
The original pop up was scheduled for 3 nights, but due to the popularity of the event they added 2 additional nights and still didn’t clear the wait list, according to Tender Mercy co-owner Chris Dimmick. So they’ve decided to bring the 17 Omakase dinner for a return engagement Sunday, December 3rd through Tuesday, December 5th. Three seating for up to 10 guests will be offered each night at 5pm, 7:15pm and 9:30.
This extraordinary culinary journey begins 15 to 20 minutes prior to the scheduled seating time in Tender Mercy Bar. Upon checkin you will be greeted with a complimentary welcome cocktail while we wait for the entire seating to arrive to begin the experience. Chefs prepare a playful reverie on modern nigiri and other delicacies from both land and sea in a free form interpretive take on the traditional sushi counter experience where you can expect unexpected riffs on beloved standards.
You can book your ticket online for $195, scroll down to the Tender Mercy listing to purchase. Additionally, a 22% service charge will be applied.
The pop-up will take over the newly opened Dōzo space in the back of Tender Mercy. Dōzo is Tender Mercy’s permanent 38-seat sushi restaurant led by Chef Lawrence Hahm, serving a prix fixe tasting menu every Wednesday-Saturday that rotates monthly. Sourcing the best quality fish in the region, Dōzo’s December menu is launching next week.
The relationship between idea collective (of which Dimmick is one of 4 owners) and sushi|bar has led to a development deal for their forthcoming flagship location in 2024.
