San Diego's Barrio Logan neighborhood is poised to welcome Hasekura, its first omakase-only sushi bar, by year's end. This venture will be a collaboration between sushi chef Ambrely Ouimette and restaurateur Pablo Becker per Eater San Diego.
Hasekura, located above Becker's restaurant Fish Guts, will offer an intimate dining experience featuring a curated menu by Ouimette. She has 16 years of sushi-making experience, which she brings to this venture.
In her early career, Ouimette was part of noted sushi establishments like Saiko Sushi in Coronado, Cannonball in Belmont Park, and Matsuhisa in Denver. She was also instrumental in catapulting Sushi|Bar in Austin, Texas, to nationwide recognition, resulting in a phenomenal waitlist of 20,000 patrons for the Omakase dining experience, highlighted by Eater San Diego.
In San Diego, native Pablo Becker transformed the space above Fish Guts into a sushi bar, a goal realized after meeting Ouimette. Becker's family also has a notable culinary presence; his cousin Richard Sandoval is known for modernizing Mexican cuisine. Key ingredients for Hasekura will be sourced from Tommy Gomes' Tunaville Market, ensuring a seafood-laden menu at accessible price points of $55 or $110 per person.
Ouimette's "new wave" sushi menu will feature a mix of tradition and innovation inspired by her extensive training in Japanese edomae sushi-making. Speaking to Eater, she revealed that Hasekura's menu will predominantly feature nigiri and sashimi, with a twist of French techniques and a touch of Mexican, Ukrainian, and Italian influences.
