During the pandemic, over-the-top dining experiences were largely put on hold, leaving diners to celebrate special occasions with delivery or whatever they felt comfortable cooking themselves. But last spring Amy Phan and her business partner-boyfriend Zach Ramos decided to pivot against the times by offering diners a restaurant-level sushi tasting in the comfort of their own homes.
A kitchen island, dining room table, or a picnic table on the back patio can serve as a makeshift sushi counter for the couple’s “homakase,” where the pair serves a meal over the course of two to three hours.
Some guests dress up for these extravagant private dinners, others keep it casual. “They can wear pajamas or a bikini, it doesn’t matter,” Phan says. “It’s their house.”
The couple’s service Ama Ami features two types of dining experiences. Straight sushi starts at $140 per person with a two-person minimum for 13-16 pieces, and is divided into three levels. Beginner is “very easygoing,” says Phan. “If you don’t like anything that’s too fishy, we can just do tuna, white fish, fatty tuna, and salmon.”
Diners who are looking to experience more unique selections can opt for the advanced level, which features imported Japanese fish sourced from the Toyosu Wholesale Fish Market in Tokyo. “They create a ‘mystery fish box’ for us so we never know what we get until it arrives,” Phan says.
These delicacies are complemented with “all the decadence,” as Phan puts it, which means lots of caviar, and fresh truffles when they’re in season.
The intermediate level sushi arrives with a blend of the beginner and advanced selections.
The second dining experience is to complement any of the three levels of sushi with kaiseki courses, which adds on small plates, a warm dish, and dessert (up to $205 per person, including the sushi). A passionate baker, Phan handles the sweets, turning out Instagram-ready cream puffs sometimes decorated like cute animals, burnt cheesecake, and Hawaiian butter mochi.
The offerings are a blend of the couples’ backgrounds and expertise. Ramos was born and raised on Oahu in Hawaii, where he learned the art of sushi making at Roy’s Ko Olina. He moved to the District in his mid-twenties, and worked at SEI and Sushi Taro. Phan’s first food industry job was at a frozen yogurt stand, but when the Falls Church native went on to work at the now-shuttered Kona Grill in Fairfax’s Fair Oaks Mall, she discovered her love of sushi. That lead her to a serving job at Sushi Taro. After earning a slot with the kitchen crew, she met Ramos and the two began dating.
Currently waiting for their second dose of vaccination, the couple wears masks throughout the visit, stays socially distanced as much as they can, and washes their hands frequently. “We don’t even touch their door handle until we’ve washed our hands,” Phan says.
Guests have been overwhelmingly appreciative of the dinners. “They tell us they haven’t eaten anything special in so long,” says Phan. “They’ve been working so hard and they want to treat themselves.”
The couple is willing to travel across the region to execute the meals, and has driven north of Baltimore for clients. Homakases are currently sold out through April, but May and June bookings will go live on the website on April 15.
However, the couple is selling ever-changing chirashi bowls every week. The traditional Japanese dishes feature sushi rice topped with raw fish, roe, and other delectables. One of their more popular creations comes coronated with uni (sea urchin), shirako (cod sperm sacks), ikura (salmon roe), toro (fatty tuna), and uzura (quail egg).
Pre-orders for chirashi bowls go on sale every Sunday at 8 p.m. on Ama Ami’s website, and are available for pickup on Tuesday through Thursday evenings at Mess Hall in Edgewood. Additionally, the couple sometimes offers pickups in Fairfax and Rockville. And soon they will sell Phan’s turtle-shaped cream puffs. “In Hawaiian culture they symbolize longevity and good luck,” she explains.
After the pandemic is in the rearview, the couple hopes to open a brick and mortar location of their own. They are currently looking at spaces in Georgetown.
Ama Ami is located in Mess Hall at 703 Edgewood St. NE. Pickups are Tuesday-Thursday 4 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
