Kosher omakase spot Fins and Scales is now a pay-what-you-wish charitable restaurant

Fins and Scales, the popular kosher omakase experience from Sushi by Bou that has been operating inside of the Chabad Loft at 10 East 8th Street for years now, has officially relaunched—with a charitable twist.

The sushi bar is now a “give what you can” restaurant, with a suggested donation of $150 per person, a price point in line with many other omakase experiences around the city.

For those unfamiliar, omakase is a Japanese dining style that translates to “I’ll leave it up to you.” It specifically refers to a curated, chef-driven tasting menu where guests are served a seasonal selection of sushi, chosen course by course by the chef. At Fins and Scales, that means a 75-minute, eight-seat dining experience featuring 13 courses of kosher high-end fish, such as bluefin toro, Japanese hamachi, kinmedai and more—a level of sushi that is certainly gaining popularity in the kosher dining scene but is still a rare occurrence.

For starters, the relaunched restaurant will continue to operate exclusively on Thursday nights, keeping the experience intimate and in demand. And, excitingly, similar charitable kosher omakase concepts are already being planned for Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.—with launches expected “soon,” according to an official press release.

All proceeds at the revamped Fins and Scales will benefit Chabad Friends, a new initiative that, according to the press release, is “dedicated to creating meaningful entry points for Jewish engagement through unique experiences.” It’s a mission that feels both timely and forward-thinking. The foundation was established, the release notes, “in response to the alarming rise in global antisemitism and the urgent need to foster meaningful connections and understanding of the Jewish experience.”

We’re curious to see what other programs will emerge under the Chabad Friends umbrella, an organization that seems to perfectly align with the very ethos of the Jews of New York.