Review: With The Omakase Room at Sushi-San, Lettuce Entertain You swings for the fences again

To reach The Omakase Room at Sushi-San, Lettuce Entertain You’s most expensive restaurant, one must first brave the wilds of Sushi-San. As rap booms from the speakers at this boisterous and packed River North spot, the young and hip crowd around communal tables and snack on sushi rolls.

It’s not exactly how one would imagine beginning a meal costing $250 per person. But step through a back door, ascend a flight of stairs, and you’re instantly transported.

At first, I thought I had slipped into someone’s outrageously expensive condo complete, with sleek furniture, oversized art, and expertly manicured plants. (They are real, by the way. Look up, and you’ll see tiny growing lights positioned above each one.) The dim golden atmosphere is so alluring, and the cocktail menu is so well crafted, I momentarily forgot the main attraction. But 15 minutes later, someone pulled a curtain, unveiling a 10-seat sushi counter where chefs Kaze Chan and Shigeru Kitano stood ready to prepare the night’s meal.

The chefs have more than a half-century of sushi experience. Chan is a longtime Chicago sushi veteran, championing celebrated spots such as Mirai, Heat, Sushi Samba and Kaze Sushi. Kitano spent years working in Japan, before spending time at Hatsuana, Kamachi and also Sushi Samba. Now they have a jewel box of a room for crafting one of Chicago’s most singular sushi experiences.

You can tell the staff obsessed over the details of the space. A tiny spotlight hangs precisely in front of each guest, so when either chef presents a dish on the pedestal, the food is perfectly lit. Unlike downstairs, the music is always present, but never overwhelming. “This room is very important for me,” Chan said. “It’s very peaceful to have your own kitchen, and just focus on what you do.”

The seats and counter are also raised slightly higher than the chefs, allowing you to easily watch them prepare each course. “We tried our best to create a space where every seat has a great view,” restaurant partner Amarit Dulyapaibul said. “We want guests to see every knife cut, every ingredient. Nothing is hidden.”

The room is so captivating, I worried during our first courses, it might overshadow the food.

The meal starts oddly heavy. Otoro tartare, made from the fattiest bits of tuna, pops up in the second course, resting on a bed of grated duck egg. It’s topped with one of the heftiest spoonfuls of caviar I’ve ever seen. The two toasted pieces of bread on the side certainly don’t lighten the load. While everything is well done, it’s a puzzling way to begin an omakase experience.

More successful, though no less heavy, is the somen course, where you’ll find noodles in an ultra-creamy sauce made of uni and egg. While thick, the uni lends a gorgeous seaside breeze to each bite. That said, the truffle shavings felt like there were there merely to justify the price of admission, rather that enhance the dish..

The sashimi course in between allows a much-appreciated breather. Arriving in a rectangular stone box, you might find thick slabs of tender tachiuo (beltfish); firm-fleshed goma saba (mackerel) with skin so silvery, it glistens in the light; and tender pink-hued kanpachi (greater amberjack).

Of course, the fish featured in your meal might be different depending on what Chan is able to acquire. He said The Omakase Room will only use the freshest fish he can track down. “I’ve known my fish distributor for 20 years, and he’s one of my best friends,” Chan said. “He knows the people in Japan to get the best fish.” Chan said it’s also helpful to be a part of a large organization like Lettuce Entertain You, because the company orders so much fish, he’s able to get someprized offerings.

The meal hits its stride when sushi becomes the focus in course five. I’ll save you the exhaustion of reading through details of 12 subsequent courses (especially since the fish you get might be different), but highlights abound. I loved the sweet and delicate kinmedai (goldeneye snapper) capped with the tiniest bit of umeboshi (a pickled fruit) and grated lime zest. The botan ebi (a bright-red spot prawn) has an irresistible sweetness and a pleasingly plump texture. Hamachi toro (yellowtail belly) has an ultra buttery and creamy texture that melds beautifully with a torched nibble of banana pepper.

Great sushi depends as much on the rice as what goes on top. While not quite as notable as the kind served at Kyoten, the rice is distinct and delicately seasoned, with a nice balance of tart and sweet.

Throughout, Chan and Kitano act as ringleaders as much as chefs, happily discussing each course’s fish, along with any other questions you have. The seating encourages guests to interact instead of gazing at their phones. In fact, the atmosphere is so congenial, you shouldn’t be surprised if you end up chatting with your neighbors throughout the meal.

The meal winds down with three tuna courses, each featuring a progressively fattier cut. It starts with crimson-colored akami (lean bluefin tuna) topped with earthy shiitake mushrooms. My favorite, the chutoro tataki (medium fatty bluefin tuna), takes the most liberties, presenting a couple of generous slices in a fortunately subtle truffle vinaigrette. Caviar appears on the otoro (fatty bluefin tuna), but this time the more measured amount provides a thrilling salinity to balance the creamy fattiness of the fish.

Completing the reversed journey of a meal that began with heft, dessert lands with levity.After the requisite tamago, the rectangular fluffy egg dessert served at many omakases, there’s a refreshing uni ice cream topped with crackly arare (tiny spherical crackers).

There are beverage pairings, but if you only want one or two drinks, there are some lovely sakes offered by the glass. I was particularly taken with the dreamy, velvety Wakatake “Onikoroshi” junmai daiginjo. Glassware is as delicate and beautiful as you’d expect for the cost of admission. Service was also as polished and helpful as I’ve experienced this year.

The Omakase Room certainly won’t please everyone. If you’re a sushi traditionalist, you may balk at some of the more elaborately topped sushi courses, preferring places like Kyoten or Mako where minimalism reigns. The high price of the omakase menu means most simply won’t be able to afford it. (Because of the cost, I only dined once for this review.)

But I can’t be the only one thrilled to see Lettuce Entertain You swinging for the fences again. This is the restaurant group of L2O, Tru and Everest — three now-closed projects that once garnered national recognition and, for two of them, multiple Michelin stars. The restaurant group still opens fascinating and very popular projects. But I keep thinking of the late Anthony Bourdain visibly convulsing with pleasure on his TV show “No Reservations” while eating at L2O back in 2009. The Omakase Room is ambitious, and while it’s not yet flawless, it’s already close.

nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com

63 W. Grand Ave.

312-766-7899

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theomakaseroom.com

Tribune rating: Between very good and excellent, 2½ stars

Open: Thursday to Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Prices: $250 per person

Noise: Conversation friendly

Accessibility: Elevator available to the second floor, with bathroom on the same floor.

Ratings key: Four stars, outstanding; three stars, excellent; two stars, very good; one star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.