By Richard Arebalo
I came to Austin in the early 80s to attend the University of Texas. As we are constantly reminded in one way or another, Austin has grown. Every day in the news or online, people bemoan the loss of the funky little town of the 1960s and 70s, “Austin is ruined,” etc.
Indeed, traffic is rotten. There is far less open space than in decades past, and the “weird” that once was Austin is much harder to find. But, in one unique way, Austin is better than ever. For foodies, particularly those of us that like sushi, Austin is doing amazingly well.
Favorites like Uchi, Uchiko, Fukomoto, and Soto have been in Austin for many years, but recently I came across a “top 10 best Omakase” list for Austin. While many Japanese restaurants have offered omakase in the past, having a “top ten” list means that the experience is much more common, and the level of sophistication has grown considerably.
Omakase is literally, “I leave it up to you.” At a sushi restaurant, it is a compliment to the chef and implies faith that the resulting meal will be exceptional.
A 2021 Michelin Guide feature stated, “Few formal dining experiences are as revered or as intimidating as omakase” and “The complete fate of your meal is in the hands of the chef.”
My first omakase meal was in a tiny restaurant in Tokyo many years ago, where I got the sampling of a lifetime. Though every bite was incredibly fresh and delicious, I will admit that items like squid ribbons and anglerfish liver might not have been my first choice then.
In 2020, despite the Covid pandemic, one wonderful thing happened in Austin. Chefs Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee brought their booming business concept, Sushi | Bar, to Austin.
The two chefs started Scratch Bar in Los Angeles in 2013. Their truly “everything from scratch” breads, cheeses, butter, and charcuterie concept quickly gained notice with food fans in the area. In 2015, Chef Philip came to national attention as a contestant on Top Chef Season 13.
Sushi | Bar first opened in 2017 in Los Angeles, and 2020 was also the year Pasta Bar opened in Encino. In 2021 to the delight of their owners, both Sushi Bar in Montecito and Pasta Bar in Encino were awarded their first Michelin stars.
Sushi | Bar was a huge success in Austin partly due to its siblings, but some powerful celebrity endorsements pushed the already hard-to-get reservations into the tens of thousands.
In 2022, Chef Lee and Sushi | Bar ATX investors decided to part ways, and the new ‘Sushi by Scratch Restaurants’ opened in Cedar Creek, about 20 miles east of town.
The current space is in the main building of the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa. An unusual location, undoubtedly, but no less popular than its original incarnation.
Reservations can still be challenging for peak hours and weekends, but flexibility in your schedule can earn a great payoff.
A friend of mine recently surprised me with one of the coveted ten spots mid-week, and I made my trek out to Cedar Creek after work.
In truth, the 183 and 71 toll roads put a big dent in the time it takes to get to Lost Pines. The only glitch was the property gate for the resort looking a bit like a dead end. Once I got my (refundable) parking ticket at the odd-looking gate, it was just a matter of locating the main building. Valet parking was fast and reduced the stress of getting to the restaurant on time.
The Lost Pines Hyatt Resort has been around since 2006. Its nearly 500 rooms and vast events spaces sit on over 400 wooded acres along the Lower Colorado River. It’s long been a convenient location for quick family getaways. It features a waterpark with a 1,000-foot lazy river, pools, and water slides, and the horseback riding trails are a big hit with kids.
When I arrived, I noticed the resort staff was well attuned to questions about the sushi restaurant. Several seemed to brighten up a bit when I asked for directions. I was kindly escorted to the restaurant’s waiting area through the lobby and up the stairs. We were warmly greeted by Lucie, our host, and Sake/Whisky Somm for the evening.
Each guest was presented with a small cup of ginger tea as we waited for the first sitting to begin.
When all the guests had arrived, we were ushered into a small unmarked dining room. It was dark and decorated with a Japanese sushi bar / 1930’s speak-easy vibe. The vintage 1920/30s styled music quietly added to the experience.
As we approached the bar, I noticed that each guest had a chalkboard tile with their name at one of the ten seats at the bar. The 16-course menu was presented similarly all along the back of the bar.
To me, this was when the magic started. Our two sushi chefs, Jack and Adam, greeted us again, and our meal and drink options were explained.
Drink selections were a Premium Sake / Cocktail / Beer mix or a discrete 6 Sake or 6 Whisky Pairing. Lucie neatly explained each.
The 16 items on the chalkboard behind them was to be the order of our courses.
The two chefs alternately make the courses, but Jack spent the evening at our end of the bar showing off some very skilled knife work and explaining the process.
To sushi purists, the simplest of our 16 courses would absolutely delight, perfectly made sushi rice topped with the freshest fish with just the lightest wash of Nikiri (sweet soy sauce) and the tiniest dab of wasabi. The high quality of the fish (much of it sourced from Japan) shines with the simple presentations.
But, to win a Michelin star, the items where the chefs get creative are (for me) the best part of Sushi by Scratch Restaurants.
Some of the creativity was featured with the very first course, bluefin “Tessin.” A tail portion of the bluefin had been ground with a mixture of soy, ponzu, matcha green tea salt, fresh wasabi, lemon, sushi rice, and puffed rice. Chef Jack then deftly rolled the mixture in nori (seaweed), forming the tightest of rolls. Once cut, he applied a line of avocado mousse to each piece and topped them with scallion and bright orange salmon roe.
As he placed the beautiful pieces on the small slate tiles in front of us, I knew the meal would be fantastic. As I picked up the piece (no chopsticks needed) and ate it, I knew I had to come back.
Our first sushi came with our first sake. Small cups within low bowls were sitting in front of us. Lucie poured each cup to just overflowing. We were then instructed to stand, bend at the hip, and slurp the smallest amount from the top to keep from losing further sake to the lower bowl. (After that, drink as usual.)
The meal proceeded with Hamachi (Amberjack with “sweet corn pudding”) Toro (Tuna,) Hotate (Hokkaido Scallop, and honestly, the only scallop sushi I have ever liked.)
The following line on the menu brought us Shima Aji (Striped Jack,) Medai (Sea Bream – a uniquely flavored favorite of mine,) Botanebi (delicate shrimp with matcha tea and pickled onions,) and a beautiful, simple King Salmon with the Nikiri wash and fresh wasabi.
The pace of the meal worked well with the sake pairings. Some sakes were dry and fruity, while others were more complex, with hints of spice and licorice.
The menu proceeded with Albacore (Longfin Tuna), Akami (leanest tuna, delicious simplicity,) torched Escolar, and Kani (Snow crab with threads of fried scallion.)
The bottom rung on the menu board got progressively decadent. Torched pieces of A5 Wagyu beef followed by pieces of bone marrow on sushi rice were outstanding. The Unagi (Freshwater Eel) was the best I’ve ever had. The wonderfully seasoned eel on sushi rice (already excellent) was topped by torching/dripping marrow from a large bone. Possibly a textbook example of gilding a lilly but with undeniable results.
Our final savory was luxurious Uni (Sea Urchin.) For this course, the chefs worked together in what almost seemed like a sacrament as they gently applied the sea urchin onto nori and rice.
Our last official course was a matcha teacake looking like a lovely petit fours.
At the end of the menu, the chefs were happy to create a second bite of any of the prior courses.
As filling and wonderful as the meal was, one thing Chef Jack mentioned at the end made perfect sense. A couple staying at the resort the prior week had booked back-to-back sittings!
Though pricey, the insane quality and flavor of this meal is a must repeat.
Reservations for Sushi by Scratch Restaurants are available through Tock.
Richard Arebalo
OTL Features Editor
