#CHIRASHI SUSHI KONA HOW TO#
#CHIRASHI SUSHI KONA PLUS#

Phan and Ramos are working to open their own restaurant, which would serve as a cafe with pastries in the morning and chirashi for lunch. One time a chef told me, вЂHey, you should just do pastry because it would be easier for you.вЂ™ Little did he know youвЂ™ve got to be extremely determined to be a pastry chef, because that stuff is hard.вЂќ IвЂ™m very soft-spoken and quiet and petite, but I still love to learn about food. вЂњThereвЂ™s always this stigma where you have to act tough and be like a man in a manвЂ™s world, especially in the food industry.вЂќ Phan says. For her, itвЂ™s a chance to embrace her love of pastries, while also being a rare female sushi chef. SheвЂ™s been baking them since she was a 14-year-old following recipes from YouTube. All the pastries will be turtle shaped вЂњIn Japanese and Hawaiian culture, the turtles symbolize longevity and good luck,вЂќ Phan says. In mid-April, Ama Ami will begin offering cream puffs in Asian-American flavors such as chocolate with macadamia-nut cream or mango-passionfruit lassi. For now, pre-orders are available beginning Sundays at 8 PM through their website. TheyвЂ™re working to set up a point-of-sale system that will make deliveries possible soon. Wednesdays, they move to rotating pick-up points in Maryland.

Tuesdays are for DC pick-ups from Mess Hall, where Phan and Ramos prepare their food (and have hosted tuna-butchering events in the past). The jewel box-like selections of raw fish-including premium fatty tuna and sea urchin-range from $30 to $65. The вЂњhomakaseвЂќ dinners are now limited to weekends to make time for a weekday chirashi-bowl вЂњpop-up tourвЂќ Phan and Ramos launched at the end of February.

#CHIRASHI SUSHI KONA HOW TO#

Zach Ramos and Amy Phan demonstrate how to butcher a tuna at Mess Hall. The dinners have run the gamut from people wearing pajamas to those celebrating anniversaries in fine-dining attire. Everything is highly customized: вЂњWe had one family that didnвЂ™t even like raw fish, so we seared every single course for them,вЂќ Phan says. For an additional $40, the duo will bring a live lobster then break it down for lobster nigiri, sashimi, and miso soup. вЂњHomakaseвЂќ prices range from $120 to $205 per person, depending on the level.

#CHIRASHI SUSHI KONA PLUS#

On the other, expect plenty of seasonal imports from TokyoвЂ™s Toyosu Fish Market plus вЂњfunky stuffвЂќ like cod sperm.ДЄma Ami has relationships with the same distributors as Sushi Taro, allowing it to score top-quality fish. On one end of the spectrum, youвЂ™ll find your introductory sushi staples like salmon and tuna. Within both, customers can opt for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. The couple called it Ama Ami as a play off PhanвЂ™s name and favorite sushi, ama ebi (or sweet shrimp)-hence,вЂќsweet Amy.вЂќДЄma Ami offers two different packages-one with sushi only and another kaiseki option that includes small composed dishes, sushi, and dessert. By the end of the summer, they were booked every single weekend. In late May, they launched вЂњhomakaseвЂќ-an in-home omakase experience. The pair were delivering meals during the first few months of the pandemic when clients started asking whether they might come into their homes to cook. That developed into a small catering operation called Aloha CR3W, which focused on Hawaiian food. In 2017, they used their limited spare time to start a sushi supper club, which they usually hosted in an apartment buildingвЂ™s community room, with live music. The two met-and started dating-while working at Sushi Taro. Ramos cut his teeth cooking Hawaiian regional cuisine at acclaimed RoyвЂ™s in Honolulu before coming to DC where heвЂ™s worked for AbunaiвЂ™s Hawaiian food truck and (now-closed) Sei Restaurant & Lounge. PhanвЂ™s resume has spanned from sushi-and-steak chain Kona Grill to DCвЂ™s fast-casual Donburi. Phan, a 25-year-old Virginia native, and Ramos, 30, from Hawaii, have both been working in restaurants since they were teenagers. What started with Hawaiian and Japanese meals delivered to friends has since snowballed into private in-home omakase tastings-booked up weeks in advance-along with luxe takeout chirashi bowls that have become an Instagram hit. Suddenly out of work, they began thinking more seriously about running their own business. Amy Phan and Zach Ramos had been working at Sushi Taro and running a catering side hustle when the pandemic hit a year ago.

Chirashi sushi kona