Fashion plates
Sushi Park (1st arr)
RESTAURANTS • First Word
The Skinny: When Peter Park opened his sushiya in a quiet Los Angeles strip mall in 2006, collaborating with French fashion house Saint Laurent for a Paris restaurant couldn’t have been part of his long-term plan. But in 2022, after garnering the attention of Hollywood royalty (and the paparazzi that they come with), Park imported a pop-up of his restaurant to Paris during Fashion Week. It was his first time working with Saint Laurent, and a success. In February, Park opened a permanent, polished omakase outpost of Sushi Park on Rive Droite, in the basement of the Saint Honoré location of Saint Laurent, gifting the Parisian sushi scene another top-tier option.
The Vibe: French elegance meets Japanese-minimalism in a space that clearly connects fashion with high-end cuisine. An unassuming black door — not easy to find, around the corner from the store — leads diners to a rather dull corridor, at the end of which are stairs descending into a calm, softly lit bar area. Past it, an open dining room unfolds, flanked in the back by the open kitchen. Remi, the smooth maître d', attempts to touch every table at the beginning of the omakase experience. The staff wear casual-smart elegant black clothing with white accents, gliding around a room framed by brown wood panels and black dining tables anchored by leather banquettes. There’s no splash in the decor, just simple elegance.
The Food: Tuesday through Saturday, a meticulously crafted omakase is served for dinner (with no accommodations for dietary restrictions). We were served 11 courses of nigiri, preceded by a top-notch miso soup and edamame. Two pieces of nigiri were presented at a time, in crisp nori, featuring everything from sea bream to langoustine, akami and otoro, red mullet, brill, and amberjack. Some variety came via a well-seasoned oyster, an expertly cooked scallop in a pool of delicate ponzu, and a mini toro rice bowl topped with thinly sliced nori. A crab handroll was a last course for us, until we asked for one more thing and were presented with a flawlessly rolled toro temaki. Housemade mochi concludes the meal.
Custom plates and dishware were specifically designed for the project by Korean master ceramicist Daeyong Kim. Dinner in an omakase format only is 210 € for the regular 11- to 12-course experience, 260 € with the wagyu and caviar supplements (plus optional wine and sake pairings for 55/85 €). When lunch service arrives, as it soon will, the menu will start at 70 € with omakase options going for 110/160 € (plus wine and sake pairings for 45/75 €).
The Verdict: A stellar, intimate, and chic addition to the Paris sushi scene. –Andra Zeppelin
→ Sushi Park (1st arr) • 8 Rue du 29 Juillet • Tue 7-11p, Wed-Thu 7-1130p, Fri-Sat 7p-1230a • Book (required).