A Californian sushi-show in Montreal

A new omakase (“chef’s choice”) experience, consisting of 17 courses, will be launched in Old Montreal on May 5. The Scratch group, established in California, chose the metropolis for its first address outside the United States. Chef couple Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee told us about it.

It is behind the Stillife bar that the 10-seat counter is set up, which will receive a maximum of 30 people per evening, at 5 p.m., 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sushi by Scratch promises an experience.

Among other things, expect eel fried in marrow fat, aged red tuna served simply with homemade soy sauce and fresh wasabi, and yellow corn “painted” hamachi with a pinch of breadcrumbs made from Margarita’s famous sourdough bread.

“We love to cook, but we also love creating memorable moments. Our omakase is almost a dinner show, ”says Phillip during our three-way videoconference. Margarita doesn’t often have the opportunity to say a word, but the pastry chef gets fired up when she begins to describe the course of an evening in one of the group’s many restaurants, all in tasting format.

Japanese cuisine is the great passion of Phillip Frankland Lee, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley surrounded by sushi restaurants. At 13, he had already decided that his job would be to perfect the art of laying raw fish on vinegar rice.

But before getting there, the dynamic 30-something worked at a number of top tables in Los Angeles and Chicago. During this time, the one who would become his wife transformed her favorite hobby into a profession and became a pastry chef. Originally from Latvia, where she loved picking with her grandparents, she has always cooked “ from scratch ” (from zero).

It was therefore together that Phillip and Margarita opened the Scratch Bar & Kitchen in 2013. Today made up of around fifteen addresses, the group includes seven high-end sushi counters, two Pasta Bars and three NDCBs (Not a Damn Chance Burger), among others. While we were doing the interview, a team was preparing the first service of a pop-up Sushi by Scratch at the Coachella festival.

It was precisely during a temporary private omakase in a garden in Miami that one of the owners of the Montreal bar Stillife met the couple. He had then invited the very charismatic duo to open a counter in Old Montreal. This was before the pandemic…

Since September 2022, Phillip has come to Montreal three times. He hired and trained a local team and started discovering local products that could possibly be on the menu. The majority of fish and seafood used by Scratch are imported from Japan, with city-specific exceptions. “You have great seafood products in Quebec. We are going to take advantage of it, ”points out the chef.

“At first, the bites served will be those that Margarita and I have developed, but once the team is well established, they can develop their own recipes,” explains Phillip.

There will always be three leaders and one bartender behind the desk. The group’s chief operating officer and sake specialist, Gavin Humes, will oversee the menu from a distance. Above all, you will find a (Japanese) selection of beers, sakes and whiskeys. Three proposals are made for the agreements, the prices of which range from $125 to $165. The omakase itself will cost $230 per person, before taxes. Note that the restaurant does not allow tips, but will automatically add a 20% service charge to your final bill. This one, with the cheapest agreement, taxes and service charges will therefore amount to $470 per person, a fairly hefty amount. Reservations open on the 1st of each month.

In a previous version of this article, prices listed for omasake and pairings were in US dollars. They have been adjusted in the current version. A clarification regarding service charges has also been added.