I first tasted Chef Ambrely Ouimette's cooking in Austin at Sushi Bar ATX in 2022, and it stayed with me long after the meal ended. So when I began planning a spring trip to New York City earlier this year, booking a seat at her new omakase restaurant, Anbā, on NYC's Lower East Side felt like the natural next step.
When I arrived, the omakase counter had been open for just five weeks.
My brother lives nearby, so I invited him to join me. We settled in at the counter for the 16-course omakase, both curious to see how Ouimette's cooking had evolved in a new city, with a new team, and in a space she helped design.
There's always some unpredictability with a new restaurant, but I find that early energy and excitement can often lead to remarkable meals. The setting here is intimate, centered around a warm Italian travertine counter sourced from near Cambria, Italy.
Behind the counter, Ouimette and her team moved with focus, guiding the meal with confidence. We opted for the sake pairing, with pours chosen to complement each stage of the omakase.
What followed felt rooted in traditional technique, but there were enough unexpected touches to make it feel distinctly her own.
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About Anbā in New York City
Anbā is built around a 16-course omakase served at a small counter. With only a handful of seats, the meal feels cozy, and the interaction with the chef becomes a highlight of the evening.
The menu draws on Edomae-style techniques like aging, curing, and careful seasoning. There's also a lighter, modern touch: subtle fermentation, the occasional unexpected ingredient, and a willingness to step just outside tradition.
The pacing was deliberate but relaxed. Each course arrived with enough time to talk and enjoy a sip of sake before the next bite. A small dish of lacto-fermented pickles marked the start of the nigiri portion.
The sake pairing followed the meal closely, with pours that brought out the tastes and textures of each course without eclipsing the food.
What stood out most at Anbā was the attention to detail, both in the food and in its presentation. With so many omakase options in New York, execution really matters. Even in its first weeks, Anbā already felt well-tuned.
The Experience at the Counter
From the start, the evening felt personal. Chef Ambrely Ouimette invited my brother and me to sit right in front of her, which made it easy to chat and ask questions as the meal unfolded.
I found myself asking about the bowls and plates as they appeared, each bearing its own texture and shape. Ouimette explained that many came from a family-owned Japanese shop in the city-a thoughtful detail that added to the experience.
At one point, I couldn't help but notice the large sushi knife in front of her. When I asked, she told me she's had it for about 20 years and that it's lost nearly 2 inches in length from sharpening over time.
These small moments shaped the meal as much as the food itself. The conversation felt natural, adding context without breaking the meal's rhythm. That's what I remembered most from dining at her Austin sushi spot five years earlier.
Standout Courses
Rather than describe every course, I'll focus on a few dishes that really captured Ouimette's style-rooted in technique, but open to thoughtful risks.
The meal found its footing early with a Hokkaido scallop course that set the mood. Served with a pecan miso, grated black truffle, and rice underneath, it balanced richness and restraint in a way that immediately caught our attention.
In one bite, there was sweetness from the scallop, depth from the miso, and an earthy lift from the truffle-composed, but not fussy.
The nigiri courses opened up creatively from there. A prime example was Spanish mackerel with blueberry and huckleberry. The bright, tart fruit played off the oily fish in an unexpected yet beautiful way.
Next came a 14-day-aged Ora King salmon, which turned out to be one of my favorite bites. Paired with a pour of Gozenshu 1859 Omachi Bodaimoto, one of my favorite sakes of the night, the bite felt especially complete.
The sake's bright, clean finish balanced the salmon's buttery richness and let the gentle heat from the habanero linger just a little longer.
Later in the meal, American unagi from Maine arrived, finished with an Oaxacan mole. It could have felt out of place, but instead, it was one of the most memorable dishes of the night.
The eel was tender and savory, and the mole brought a layer of complexity that nudged the dish just beyond convention.
Toward the end, a larger course of aged medium tuna with Japanese sweet potato brought a more substantial, grounding element.
After so many precise bites, it was a chance to slow down. Simple and deeply satisfying.
Dessert was a shaved ice, which felt both refreshing and quietly intricate. Light and not too sweet, it was a clean finish after a rich meal, resetting the palate without feeling like an afterthought.
Taken together, these dishes show what makes Anbā special right now: respect for tradition, an openness to explore, and a steady, confident hand in the kitchen.
Chef Ambrely Ouimette's Style
What stood out most wasn't just the food, but how Chef Ambrely Ouimette ran the counter. With eight of ten seats filled for our 6 p.m. dinner, she stayed engaged, answered questions, and kept a calm, focused presence throughout the meal. Such a balance isn't easy to pull off in an omakase setting, where timing and precision matter.
Ouimette leads an all-female crew, with Chef Maya behind the counter and Audrey handling drinks and clearing dishes. They moved through the meal smoothly, creating an atmosphere that felt polished yet approachable.
It had been a few years since I last tried Ouimette's food in Austin, but that same ease with guests was still there. The interaction came across as natural, never scripted or formal-just part of the experience.
I'll update this story if Chef Ouimette shares more about her influences and approach in the coming days.
Final Thoughts
Dining at Anbā so soon after opening came with a feeling of anticipation. New restaurants usually need time to settle in, but here, the foundation already felt solid. The technique was precise, the flavors thoughtful, and the whole experience felt confident.
What sets the Anbā omakase in NYC apart isn't just the execution, but the balance. There's respect for traditional omakase: aging, seasoning, and progression, alongside moments that push just beyond, like the unagi with mole or fruit in the nigiri.
The setting matters, too. The small counter, the chance to interact with the team, and the ability to watch each step up close all make the experience feel personal without ever feeling stuffy.
The sake pairing added another layer to the experience, reinforcing how carefully the meal had been paced from first bite to dessert.
At roughly $220 per person before the automatically added 20% service fee at the time of booking, Anbā falls firmly into special-occasion territory, but the level of technique, hospitality, and intimacy justifies it.
For one of the most thoughtful new omakase experiences in NYC right now, Anbā is absolutely worth booking.
Anbā
92 Ludlow St
New York, NY 10002
anbanewyork.com
