After an eight-month hiatus following the closing of the Jue Lan Club location, Sushi Chef Oona Tempest is back and opening a new location of Sushi by Bae. Oona presides over a six-seat counter serving a 15-course, 90 minute, Edomae-style omakase. Oona, who grew up in Massachusetts, is known for being one of only a very few female sushi chefs in New York. After originally moving to the city to pursue art, she began working at Tanoshi Sushi where she was trained by respected chef Toshio Oguma, and where she subsequently fell in love with crafting the perfect piece of sushi. Tempest went on to work at Sushi Ginza Onodera and Shoji at 69 Leonard Street.
Oona is chatty behind the counter, discussing her custom made, ice hiding fish boxes, her cats, and her love of art as she prepares each piece. Some dishes are more traditional, like simply served uni over rice and three cuts of tuna from the same fish, while others are bold like the Japanese mackerel with house cured kelp or a ring of sushi rice surrounded by Ikura and topped with an egg yolk. Each bite is brushed with sauce and hides just a slight amount of freshly grated wasabi, which is almost prohibitively expensive in the US but definitely worth it.
At Sushi by Bae, Oona make every dish approachable without diminishing the luxury of each bite. Fish is sourced both locally and from Japan with ratios and varieties changing as the seasons change. As summer approaches, Oona is planning on serving fresh fruit at its peak for dessert. Make your next dining experience an intimate omakase at Sushi by Bae!
Sushi by Bae
118A East 15th Street
Tuesday–Saturday: 6:00, 7:30, 9:00 PM
