Sushi by Bou

I had an excellent experience at Sushi by Bou! It's a really great value omakase spot in Philly. I opted for the 12 course omakase which was $65. This was pretty fast paced, around ~45 minutes. There's also a 17 course option for $125. We also received a free sake shot as part of the meal. The omakase chefs were extremely kind and interactive. Each piece of fish was uniquely curated for interesting flavor combinations that played with both texture and taste. Each piece of fish was buttery, smooth and so savory. It kept me wanting more! After the omakase concludes, you can opt for additional pieces if you'd like, ranging from $12-14 each. This goes beyond the omakase menu if you want a type of fish that is available in the kitchen. I love uni so the chef created a cool Uni piece with foie gras that did not disappoint! If I were to revisit, I'd definitely go for the 17 course option as there is a lot more special fish to try. Ambience is hip. The environment is dark and moody, with hip hop tunes in the background.

A hidden omakase- literally have to go pass another Izakaya restaurant (tried to make it speakeasy vibe). The place was sushi Suite and changed branding, to be less expensive, and therefore less fancy options.Starting with $65 12-course basic, can upgrade to 17-course for $125 total, all within one hour.The basic ones were quite plain, but still pretty fresh. The chef tried to do a bit spin on the flavor with yuzu vs sauce vs smoke, but the cuts of fish were mostly basic (I mean it is just $65). The highlights were wagyu (American)&uni, and hotate.In the bougie added 5 pieces, we loved the amberjack, so fresh and clean; miso seabass was also very meaty and tender; chef also offered us shrimp or clam based on our preference - attempted to get closer to the omakase experience. Overall pretty good experience, a bit tight to fit all within ~45 mins actual eating time, and the basic fixed courses weren't quite hitting the spot, but considering the price point it was not horrible.

I'm surprised by all the negative reviews for sushi by bou. I've been to the sushi by bou in jersey city and really enjoyed it but the 1.5 hr drive there just for omakase was not worth it for me. So when I heard that they were opening one closer in fishtown, I was ecstatic. We went there for my birthday in July and had a great time. As a added bonus, we also received a sushi by bou bandana :). Chef Mitsu was very kind and engaged in conversation. I didnt feel like he was rushing or was rushing us. The nigiris were all sooo fresh and soooo delicious. My favorite was the maguro (chopped tuna), hotate (scallop) and Toro (fatty tuna). Now some cons. I understand that the restaurant was trying to create a comfortable atmosphere where you feel at home but in my opinion, I feel like it didnt work and wish it was more like the sushi by bou in jersey. Secondly, my fiance and I arrived early to our 7pm reservation but wasn't seated until 7:30pm. Besides that, I still enjoy the meal and the overall experience. I actually just booked sushi by bou again for this weekend

This new omakase spot just opened in the beginning of May and is located in the back of Izakaya Fishtown. The omakase space is intimate, personal, and hip-hop themed! The space is very well-designed, aesthetic, and clean. The sushi chefs were very kind and personable. The staff even gave us complimentary sake shots, which the sushi chefs joined us for. I would definitely recommend this omakase spot!

DO NOT GO HERE! 40 minutes for 12 courses & we felt extremely rushed. We had to basically chug our wine & the waiter hovered over us with our bill when our 60 minutes was up. Then he overcharged us by $10 for a $75 bottle of mediocre wine so make sure to check your receipt. What was supposed to be a fun experience was non existent. No vibe whatsoever & we felt like we were in a shady environment. Do not be late because you'll lose out on the so called "experience" & feel even more rushed. The 12 courses is basically 12 different pieces of sashimi dressed up. No soup, salad, rice, noodles, etc. Drinks were overpriced & terrible. Biggest waste of money ever.

Enjoyed our omakase experience at Sushi Suite Fishtown, which is in Izakaya by Yanaga: itamae (sushi chefs) Mitsu and Sam were charming throughout, engaging all 8 diners, and the rice was perfectly done.We found the 17-course omakase tasty, though a bit heavy on aburi ("flame seared" using a torch) for our taste--otoro is best when it melts in your mouth! However, we appreciated the Mitsu's creativity and the mid-way sake shots. (The pickled ginger was great for cleansing the palate between courses!)Was a bit surprised that for the NY price and the glam of the madeover Omakase By Yanaga space, the napkins were paper. Overall, service was friendly/solid.

Disappointed compared to my other Sushi by Bou (SbB) experiences in Jersey City and NYC and compared to other omakase SbB Fishtown has two main things going for them. 1)Atmosphere- 90's hip hop vibe with graffiti, murals of top artists and vinyl records hanging from the ceiling. This location is not as cozy as others and doesn't feel as special by a long stretch tho. The music was dope but too loud for the intimate, interactive experience I've come to recommend at other SbB locations. This is a HUGE miss. 2) Price point- when I arrived in Philadelphia 3 years ago and shopped for omakase I was surprised by the $ because I had come to appreciate the level of service, quality of sushi and price at SbB. This location delivers on price point and ambiance but doesn't deliver on quality product or experience. Our $65 omakase was underwhelming. Most of the 12 pieces were highly seasoned - with lots of salt or a wash. Good and great sushi doesn't need all of that. And again this has not been my previous experience elsewhere. Drinks selection was good. The bartender special was pretty much the lemonade drink from the mocktail list ($12) with vodka ($20). Basically paying $8 for vodka - served in the same size glass. Don't get me wrong, my drink was good. But not $20 good. The biggest miss for me was the overall experience. Like I said the music was loud so we couldn't always hear the chef when he served us. And what was really was missing for me compared to my other experiences was conversation w the chef. Often they describe what they are making - maybe why it's special- or just general banter and would answer questions. Nothing like that happened. Each chef was so busy and it was so loud they barely interacted w us. And the one chef kept looking at his watch- seemed preoccupied w time. So instead of feeling like a special experience, we felt like we were on a deadline. The hosts were ok- I'm guessing they were new to the concept. But a good host that welcomes you makes you feel taken care of makes all the difference. Jersey City staff nails this. Anyway, sorry SbB. I was so stoked to come. I've told so many people about my previous experiences. My partner thinks I'm crazy for talking it up so much after last night. Much room for improvement

if you're looking for a traditional omakase experience... or rather the experience they advertise that they deliver which is "the most comprehensive, elevated meal possible" as described on Open Table for the Bougie Omakase Experience ($125/pp), you are sure to be disappointed. To start, we arrived 15 minutes prior to our reservation as Open Table notes that you are considered a no-show 10minutes into your reservation and will be charged $50/pp. We arrived to the restaurant as designated by google maps with their logo above the door, only to find the door locked. Guess we were too early... a few minutes passed and another couple shows up for the same restaurant, waiting outside with us. Our reservation time finally arrives and the door is still locked. We come to find out that the entrance is on the opposite side of the building and that it was all the way in the back of another izakaya restaurant... there is nowhere that this is noted. We're surprised other people were able to find the restaurant. As soon as we were sat down, it was already 8 minutes into our reservation for us to find lo and behold SEVEN courses are already on our plate. I immediately pointed out that i listed a shrimp allergy on open table as requested to the host, for him to respond "are you familiar with omakase?" Uhm... I pointed out that my husband is allergic to the ebi on the plate and i pointed out that they advertise that they can accommodate shellfish allergies and that i noted it on our reservation. only then did the sushi chef speak up to grab a new plate and just replated the other sushi to the new plate without the ebi. After this, we carried on eating all courses as we played catch up. I gotta say, the food itself gets a 7/10 for me. The wagyuni, maguro and gindara were to die for. I'm personally not a huge wasabi fan and a few had huge dollops on them that i could barely taste the fish. Overall, the fish selection was pretty solid in my opinion.I only felt respected by the waitress that offered a drink on the house on the mix-up of their entrances. The drink she provided for us was the yuzu lemonade which was refreshing and perfect for the hot weather. She was very kind and attentive throughout the meal. Which couldn't be said the same for 2/3 sushi chefs. Only one stayed behind as people were leaving to say thank you and that they hoped we enjoyed our meal. Otherwise the other two just quickly exited as soon as they cleaned up their stations. Now... just imagine all of that within 25minutes of us being seated and eating. This experience was advertised to be for 60 minutes and in just 30minutes all food was already served and plates cleaned. There were three sushi chefs serving 8 seats and it felt like fast food. As soon as they finished the sushi they were making, it was immediately served. There was little conversation from the chefs. They only announced the sushi they set on to your plate or placed in your hand - not anything else more. It was very rushed and there was no personality. It certainly made us feel unwelcome and we certainly won't be returning again.

The new Sushi Suite in Fishtown is amazing! Chefs Mitsu and Samuel are so talented and made the whole dinner so much fun! It's an intimate seating with only 8 seats at the counter. The staff were so friendly and helpful with recommending drinks. The menu is carefully thought out and each dish is truly magical. Loved the pumpkin soup dish! I loved the vibe and the speakeasy feeling of walking through a restaurant just added to the experience.

Very rush, fish are not fresh at all, no conversation with the chef. They want you to eat the 12 courses and get the fuck out immediately. Trash place