The most amazing omakase experiences in Chicago are known for their intimate tasting counters and high-end sushi, but the latest newcomer to the scene seriously ups the ante. Opening on February 14, Sushi Suite 202 transforms a 500-square-foot guest room inside Hotel Lincoln into a six-seat sushi counter that serves a 60-minute, 17-course omakase menu for $125 per person.
Guests with reservations can access Sushi Suite by checking in with the first-floor concierge and claiming their key to the room. Inside, the space looks a lot like a typical hotel room—except for the fact that there's a six-seat sushi counter where the bed once sat and a posh cocktail bar just off the living room area. Once service begins, New York chef Kin Wangchuk churns out 17 varieties of nigiri sushi topped with everything from ruby-red shrimp to creamy hunks of uni.
Thirsty? The suite is also equipped with a self-serve sake vending machine, from which guests can choose a trio of fish-friendly pairings for $30. The aforementioned bar offers a curated menu of cocktails for guests who are waiting for their turn at the tasting counter.
Like its counterparts across the country, Sushi Suite is a timed experience that lasts for just 60 minutes (don't worry, the skilled chefs here are trained to keep you on track). For sushi enthusiasts who don't want to be confined by the clock, there's always the option to rent out the suite for 29 of your closest friends. When the evening is over, you'll have access to a hotel room next door so that you don't have to go far to hit the hay.
Though the concept is new to Chicago, Sushi Suite has locations inside the NoMad Hotel in New York as well as the former Versace Mansion in Miami—both operated under parent company SimpleVenue. A spokesperson was quick to point out that Chicago's outpost of Sushi Suite is in no way connected with oft-controversial chef David Bouhadana of Sushi by Boū fame, which also has plans to open in Chicago later this year.
Sushi Suite 202 is open Sunday through Thursday from 5pm to midnight, with seatings at 5, 6:15, 7:30, 8:45 and 10pm; as well as Friday and Saturday with seatings at 5, 6:15, 7:30, 8:45, 10 and 11:15pm. Reservations are live now on OpenTable. Take a look around Chicago's first omakase counter inside a hotel room below.
Photograph: Courtesy Sushi Suite 202
Photograph: Courtesy Sushi Suite 202
Photograph: Courtesy Sushi Suite 202
Photograph: Courtesy Sushi Suite 202
Photograph: Courtesy Sushi Suite 202