Resy: How did you decide on just six seats for Omakase Yume? 

Kate Park: We actually originally opened with eight seats in 2018. After the pandemic, we reopened with just four seats at first and then when we increased to six seats, chef felt like this was the most comfortable number. Since we’re just 300 square feet, it’s a tight space for eight people, and with six people it felt more relaxed.

We have an assistant sous chef working with us too, so there are two chefs behind the sushi counter. He’s been working with us for three years now and he is Korean as well, so the chefs will be speaking Korean to each other.

When do reservations drop on Resy? 

Every first of the month, reservations open for the following month. We always book out for two months. Bigger restaurants might be able to hold a few tables for last-minute VIP reservations, but we are such a small restaurant that we can’t do that. I feel very sorry for that, but it’s simply not possible. That’s the only problem because our restaurant is very small.

How quickly do seats usually book up? 

Weekends book up very quickly, within just two or three days. Weekdays will book up within a week of when reservations are released. But people are always in and out, and cancellations happen. A lot of people call to try and get a reservation but I always tell them to use the Notify button, because that really works well for us. You don’t need to keep calling and checking. When a guest cancels, you’ll get a notification right away, even before me. Sometimes people think if they call or email me, I can squeeze them in, but I can’t. 

When is a guest most likely to receive a Notify alert? 

The Resy system works really well, so a guest receives the alert right away. Once somebody cancels, you’ll automatically receive the alert. If you can’t get through with the booking online, then somebody else already took it. Maybe they pressed the button one second faster and got the seat. 

Do you allow guests to buy out the entire counter?

We are definitely doing buyouts and usually do them a few times a month. For buyouts, we can book out further in advance. If you have a party of more than four, please email us and we can discuss and coordinate with you. If it’s a party of five, we technically think of that as a buyout, too, because otherwise, it would be your party celebrating something special and then one solo diner who might feel awkward.

Let’s talk food. Where are you sourcing your fish from? 

Most of the fish comes from Japan, but some specific items we might get from elsewhere, like bluefin tuna from Spain. Chef orders directly from Toyosu Fish Market every week and they ship to us in Chicago. We work with two different vendors at Toyosu in case they have different fish available, and the fish comes three times each week. We go to Japan once a year, too, although it’s been difficult in recent years. Our vendors have visited us here, and brought us some samples. 

Do you have a signature nigiri bite that you are best known for? 

My husband has a signature bite with three different types of tuna served as a series — akami, chutoro, and otoro. He wants the guests to compare the difference, how the taste and texture vary. For the akami, he puts chopped toro and negi on top, with a special soy sauce blend. Then he serves a bite of chutoro, which is a hard one to get just right. We order blocks of tuna rather than a whole tuna, and he’s always careful to get enough of the middle part because it’s a good balance — not too lean and not too oily. Finally, there’s otoro, which he only dresses with a little black salt and a light brush of soy sauce. Guests really enjoy the progression.

Another signature bite is his kanpachi. Everyone loves this one and tries to order more at the end of the meal. We get our kanpachi from Kyushu in Japan, which is oilier than the Kona kanpachi. He uses sesame oil on top of this one, and sea salt with aonori, green seaweed powder.

Do guests have a chance to request additional pieces at the end of the omakase?

Yes, there is always enough time to request additional favorites at the end. We build that into the seating time. It’s very precise. Every course is served between six to eight minutes apart, and the guests are watching the chef make and prep everything in between. We don’t want to offer a 22 or 24-course omakase, so everybody can enjoy the 16 courses and then whomever wants more, can order more.

Do most guests elect to order additional bites?

Yes, most of our guests order more at the end, because they want to try more. Our guests love Wagyu, and they want to try the A5 Wagyu from Kagoshima. We also have, seasonally, some rare fish like nodoguro, black throat sea perch, which chef torches to bring out a smoky flavor. It’s a very fatty white fish because it lives so far under the sea. 

It depends on the day, but most of the time, we have about four to seven special items available à la carte for a supplement. Usually, we leave about 20 minutes at the end of the meal for additional pieces before we serve dessert. Guests are presented with a menu of supplements available à la carte at the beginning of their meal.

How much of the menu is nigiri? 

Mostly it’s nigiri, but we will start with a seasonal appetizer. For example, right now we are serving octopus and Okinawa pickled seaweed that’s only harvested once a year from March through June, so it’s very limited. During wintertime, we serve a chawanmushi for our appetizer. Then nigiri and then another signature black cod, and then finally dessert. Right now, we have a matcha panna cotta for dessert.

Amber Gibson is a Chicago-based journalist specializing in travel, food, and wine. Her work has appeared in Departures, Food & Wine, Saveur, Bon Appétit, and Travel + Leisure. Follow her here; follow Resy, too.