Only 16 People a Night Can Eat This 17-Course Omakase | On The Line | Bon Appétit

“17-course, $300 omakase for 16 people a night, 8 people a seating.” Bon Appétit spends a day on the line with Chef Jesse Ito, owner of Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Philadelphia, as he prepares to serve his exclusive 17-course omakase to a lucky 16 customers a night.
Director: Ian Stroud
Director of Photography: Rob Marish
Editor: Morgan Dopp; Paul Tael
Featuring: Jesse Ito
Director of Culinary Production: Kelly Janke
Creative Producer: Lisa Paradise
Coordinating Producer: Tommy Werner
Line Producer: Jen McGinity
Associate Producer: Oadhan Lynch
Production Manager: Janine Dispensa
Production Coordinator: Elizabeth Hymes
Camera Operator: Tim Archibald
Assistant Camera: Alex Tichy
Audio Engineer: Paul Alfe
Production Assistant: Jack James
Staff Editorial Consultant: Ryan Harrington
Researcher: Vivian Jao
Post Production Supervisor: Andrea Farr
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araújo
Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds
Filmed on Location at Royal Sushi & Izakaya | 780 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? shop.bonappetit.com/?...
Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on KZbin? ►► bit.ly/1TLeyPn
Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! bit.ly/313UWRu
ABOUT BON APPÉTIT
Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

[@ItzBwo]

What’s fascinating to me is that this might be the MOST approachable any media has made high end Omakase, and yet watching the technical skills needed (as a chef myself) is still so intimidating. Absolutely love this series!

[@ihatethewind]

Pretentious chefs ruin food my guy

[@clarebear2803]

@@ihatethewindfood can be experienced in many ways that’s what makes food great

[@meonjeng]

I believe this is a digital genre, docu-advert. It's tastefully done, and it literally shows people why they pay over 37 bucks per bite of food. If it's your cup of tea, I definitely understand why we would watch a 20 mins commercial in it's totality

[@Im2Old4ThisShite]

​@ihatethewind This is not pretentious "my guy". You want to see pretentious, go to Japan. There, you will find pretentiousness in abundance. This chef however, has created an atmosphere of expertly guided indulgence of exquisitly prepared food, in an atmosphere of close family and friendship. He is sharing his skill and knowledge with his customers, in a way that enables his customers to feel comfortable and relaxed in a zen environment. Pretentious is when a chef kicks you out of his bar because you refuse to remove your watch.....

[@callsignsilk4180]

Agreed!

[@joshualee415]

I know I’m no restaurant owner but I’m a fisherman and the fact he is using high grade fish and takes care, love and makes sure to use the fish as a piece of himself. Beautiful.

[@StuninRub]

If you were actually a fisherman, you would be able to tell the fishes that he uses are low grade and about to go bad.

[@JohnDoe-gq9hp]

​@@StuninRubI'm no fisherman, can you point out the bad fishes on this video?

[@WWE2KUNIVERSEELITE]

And as a fisherman he shows respect to the fish that you hunt everyday.

[@mrwisher1250]

@@StuninRub please point out the specific fish that are about to go bad, and the indicators that tell you they are about to go bad

[@StuninRub]

@@JohnDoe-gq9hp The eyes. Fresh fish do not have cloudy eyes. Every single fish here has cloudy eyes. Go ask your fish monger if you don't believe me.

[@elkhunter76]

At first I thought $300 per person for 17 courses sounded expensive but after watching everything that goes into this I can see why it is worth it! Excellent video!

[@maximiliandort3489]

Same here. I started out saying 300 Dollars for 17 bites is outrageous. But seeing the quality and cost of the raw product, the effort, skill, experience, time and labour that makes this what it is, yeah, 300 bucks seems more than justified.

[@The_Savage_Wombat]

$4,800 gross minus labor, overhead and all the fish...I wonder what the profit is every night.

[@diggingmystyle]

@@The_Savage_Wombat Probably $48

[@dansmithbyu1784]

After watching the entire episode I still think $300 is outrageous

[@theherd5830]

How does he make a profit?

[@discoloured3492]

I actually really like this dude, tells you how long to salt the fish and lets you in on some techniques, was really happy he said what type of vinegar he used for the rice.

[@wolf-xf6hf]

The fact that his dad also cooks with him and that its a generational art is so incredible. You dont see much of that in the world anymore so its really cool to see that live on

[@Benjamin-zp5ds]

Lol you never see that in American familys.

[@wolf-xf6hf]

@@Benjamin-zp5ds yea you do? Traditional american cooking 100% gets passed down its one of the only arts and places where that still happens.

[@tannernatebryce6259]

It's a.. Family restaurant? Whats so new?

[@steppbrooEFT]

Straight up mastery! No bs gold leaf stuff to make things expensive and fancy but just straight knowledge and expertise on how to make use of immaculate ingredients!

[@BongChong69]

FACTS no BS just straight excellence!

[@JS-wp4gs]

Mastery? He used fish that had been dead for days without being gutted. He's incompetent and will end up seriously injuring someone sooner or later. Anyone who knows anything about safe handling of fish knows if it isn't gutted immediately, let alone before shipping its incredibly dangerous to eat. It'll end up riddled with all kinds of bacteria, among other things, due to decomposition

[@blue21-23a]

@@JS-wp4gsassuming he’s been doing this for 2 years using the same process 5 days a week 16 seats that means he roughly serves this 8k times and since there’s a video is safe to assume he hasn’t gotten into any food poisoning trouble. Which means if there is possibility of danger the odds are extremely low. Or hear me out people who’s been shipping these things for years knows what they’re doing.

[@KootsD]

Watching this, you really get a deep sense that this chef puts a lot of love and attention to detail into his restaurant. Looks delicious.

[@juliusrigorestrada6023]

I love how he flex but does not have a drop of arrogance in the way he talk. Respect for this guy not only as a talented chef but also as a person.

[@user-qf6mr2nc7j]

In Japan, it is said that you can tell the quality of a sushi restaurant by its omelet. The fact that his father entrusted him with the omelet shows the respect he has for his father.

[@JS-wp4gs]

He should have paid less attention to the omelet and more to basic seafood safety. He used fish that spent days in shipping without being gutted. He's going to poison someone eventually. If the health department finds out how he's handling fish they'll shut that place down in five seconds flat

[@cfplayssubjectalpha3168]

​@@JS-wp4gs you're literally hating on every comment i see here get help dude what are you on?😂

[@khycyclaire]

The personality of this guy is just amazing, kudos to the parents as well for bringing up such a pure hearted chef, willing to show how things is done to the world. His passionate to what he is doing😊❤

[@4g0ttn45]

He seems like the most professional chef on the one hand but also like your smoking buddy on the other. Such a nice guy.

[@PurpleLightningKing]

As a young chef and owner of an asian restaurant who's very cuisine to cook and eat this has been one of my favourite bon appetite sushi episodes due to chef Jesse Ito very friendly and knowledgable.

[@AH-xr5qj]

Where is your resturant?

[@roelmilan7315]

That's alot of talent

[@PurpleLightningKing]

@@AH-xr5qj It is a restaurant in Vancouver Canada!

[@lucas_1963]

@@PurpleLightningKingwhat’s the restaurant name?

[@anunbelievablyspicylambchop668]

as someone who has had the privilege of personally sitting in on one of Jesse’s omakase dinners, it is a lifechanging and incredible experience. Jesse is an extremely humble and personable guy, he works tirelessly to give people the best dining experience possible. royal izakaya is a must when youre in philly!!! and also GO BIRDS!!!!

[@ellea3344]

Life changing... 😂

[@traiwitz2736]

bro life changing is a stretch lmfao

[@KondimentColorz]

😂😂😂 "tHiS sUsHi Is LiFe ChAnGiNg!!!" 😂😂😂

[@dansmithbyu1784]

You paid $300 for two rolls worth of sushi 😂

[@JS-wp4gs]

You paid $300 for garbage tier fish that hadn't even handled in a safe manner. You're lucky you didn't end up in the hospital

[@mstrasser]

This series just keeps getting better and better. The passion, commitment, dedication. Just amazing. Great video - would love to go here. Also, even though i know how big tuna is, i'm still surprised when i see just HOW BIG tuna is

[@nom6758]

Nice bot comment.

[@mstrasser]

Huh? says the "person" hiding behind an avatar with zero content on their channel lol

[@yonatankarya]

ikr, that tuna is huge, and it's not even the full size

[@mstrasser]

@@yonatankarya totally. makes the tuna in can we (or i) normally think of seem so small!

[@Steve.._.]

​@@nom6758embarrassing for you

[@steeler7588]

Have been lucky to have his omakase 3 times so far. Each dish is amazing. Definitely one of my favorite dining experiences in Philly!

[@Raccoonopolis]

Is it $300 per person?

[@henryt9281]

@@Raccoonopolis Plus drinks, tax, and tips. So it comes out to nearly $400 per person per dinner. And having done it 4 times in the last 3 years, I have to say it was worth it.

[@timothycloutier4370]

How were you able to secure a reservation, I have been trying for months and its sold out as soon as the reservations release?

[@steeler7588]

@@timothycloutier4370 yeah, because they let you book a future date after you dine, I've never seen an available reservation when they open at midnight. you're better off looking for cancellations 24-48 hours beforehand.

[@TheLiberater13]

My question is, did you leave feeling any level of hunger? I love sushi, but I have to eat a lot of it to feel satiated.

[@Kn0bes]

Just in time for my lunch break

[@marylenehall405]

For real

[@bbt4980]

Same lol 😂

[@Dennis.Miller.Jr.]

I’m not alone 🎉

[@samueltyler1805]

somehow after watching this $300 a seat seems like a discount - he works so hard!

[@user-ez2ji8rd2f]

100%. Going in at 10 it's nothing. But his years and techniques of curing and timing are another. He's on stage later. And the profit margins for these restaurants are extremely slim.

[@serophina2857]

The fact he’s so confident in his very obvious skills makes me feel like he loves what he does and has a deep understanding of techniques most chefs may over look. And his sharing of all his tips and tricks for others is awesome as it shows anyone can do this given enough time and training, but I’d still come straight to him for this amazing meal! ❤

[@JS-wp4gs]

'Confident' No, he's too incompetent to realize he doesn't know what he's doing. Hence using the worst of the worst quality of fish and buying fish that hadn't even been gutted before being shipped. a big food safety and legal no no

[@OaklandTae]

I just love how he is teaching and growing the next generation as well, Great chef and leader.

[@AlexMarkTravel]

Extremely high level of skills and professionalism is behind this restaurant and the owner. Great and very interesting video.

[@markchristopher4165]

The "Go Birds" line was so great. Philly pride!

[@Lars16]

I just love his passion. Thanks Jesse for sharing your day with us.

[@williamparrish2436]

He looks like he works out at least 3 to 4 days a week too! Some people are exceptionally organized and driven. He deserves his success!

[@Dank_Giraffe]

If you go to Google street view to the corner of 2nd St and Fulton St you can see Jesse sit on a Bench taking a break in the same outfit he has in the video. Something about this scene makes him even more sympathic

[@flowerchild9672]

Oh my gosh!! Absolutely amazing. I wish I was able to go in-person so see such an extraordinary restaurant and experience like this. Just watching how he starts the day preparing and with his father and wonderful employees with him. Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing experience even if I’m not able to attend.

[@user-vw1si9xk4s]

I don’t live in Philly, but Royal is hands down one of the best spots in the country. I have not had the opportunity to try the omakase yet, but the normal walk-in dining experience is still phenomenal. The textures and flavors of some of the fish is something I haven’t had anywhere else before. I specifically remember the mackerel being so tender and unlike any other mackerel I’ve had elsewhere.

[@liquidtunes]

What a well put together episode with a solid chef. Hard working, down to earth and a consummate professional, esp in that last bit where he recognizes that he is a key part of the omakase experience and thus has to engage and interact with energy no matter what may be going on in the background.

[@cd-zw2tt]

12:35 you can see how his face lights up here, he truly loves his job

[@ArielK1987]

The chefs knife skills is just as amazing at the dishes themselves.

[@jimb5837]

What an incredible story and talent. Everything looks amazing and I love that father and son are working together.

[@dustinnguyen5901]

Woohoo! Jesse is such an amazing chef. Had the pleasure of having the omakase a few times and you can really tell the love and passion he has for what he does. Phenomenal experience!

[@stephenholden6150]

Go birds. I've been eating Chef Ito's food since he was with his parent at Fuji. One of my favorite meals of all time was a Kaiseki at Fuji. Another was the Omakase at Royal Sushi.

[@Justmebeingme37]

It's great watching someone so loving of their job and food. I love learning new things

[@thierrydugolf4705]

absolutely amazing to watch. Thanks for sharing!

[@user-jg4cw3mz3n]

The personality of this guy is just amazing, kudos to the parents as well for bringing up such a pure hearted chef, willing to show how things is done to the world. His passionate to what he is doing

[@captynrj]

Once dad popped in the scene..it completely warmed my heart - especially after hearing the brief history. Such a complete blessing. I wish you all the best of health, success, and happiness in 2024!

[@Sassyglbeauty]

Being a chef like this, has to be passion.

[@mezitavillalobos618]

bro really slipped a "go, birds" out of nowhere

[@raymondwu7495]

Thanks Jesse for sharing your day/prepping for the omakase that I hope I will get to experience personally - truly helps to make it more appreciable and appreciated!

[@manueldelacruz5737]

CHEF JESSE IS AN AMAZING CULINARY BEAST! 🍣🥢ALSO MUCH RESPECT FOR THOSE APPRENTICE!

[@johndeaux8815]

My favourite part about all these chefs is the European ingredient dealers that show up with some high end ingredient in some dodgy bag 😂

[@geeunit831]

It's amazing to see someone so passionate and talented at what they do. It would be an absolute honour to dine at Jesse's restaurant.

[@kingmondok2]

The produce itself is expensive,no cooking required,the method and the chef technique is priceless

[@alanrivas2950]

I love this man’s passion! I loved learning about the container that the freshly cooked rice goes in! Japanese cypress wood if I’m not mistaken

[@andrewsaulf]

REALLY well done guys, this is how videos should be made

[@nickdawn3985]

This was so enjoyable to watch, thank you for sharing, I would definitely put that on my bucket list.

[@HriturajDebnath]

So much he is doing in so perfect time management. Lovely.

[@Dechral]

love seeing passionate people living out their dreams, thx for sharing

[@Earth67Mars48]

Knowledgeable, humble, and well-spoken. I thoroughly enjoyed Jesse describing his process. And he has a great speaking voice.

[@bubkabu]

humble??

[@Earth67Mars48]

@bubkabu yes, humble. He didn't brag. Acted with air of authenticity.

[@bubkabu]

@@Earth67Mars48 i dont know. he seems cocky to me

[@maureenmurphy7817]

@@bubkabu Well deserved.

[@betsivanzyl]

I could watch this for hours. So fascinating. What an endearing and equally knowledgeable chef, too. Bravo!

[@noelmulkey0]

I love how he treats the apprentices 😊❤

[@EarlyNai]

Definitely a labor of love in everything they do

[@KalvinPatel]

Thank you for sharing this! Love the passion he has for Omakase and his craft!

[@petatrethewy2695]

I just discovered your channel. Its absolutely fascinating watching and listening to you explaining the Omakase process. Thank-you so much.

[@J.B.1982]

Staying consistent with that level of attention and passion is the real magic I'm seeing. His skill is extremely high, of course, but his commitment and consistency is the true professionalism and artist.

[@humor_mill]

Genuine AF. Dude is legit.

[@Trgn]

The energy and flow is insane

[@DarnellBates]

I do not eat sea food yet "Art is Art" and the story telling in this series is always so beautiful.

[@ohhsnapitstara]

Loved this video! Very interesting

[@infamousrainbow4692]

So much passion! I love watching this

[@urMYangel777]

Absolutely phenomenal and what dedication you exhibit both to the customer and to the product you use. Amazing

[@patrickharrison4763]

Quiet confidence, knows the exact cost of everything by heart and takes care of a lot of his own branding. This guy is legit and will be around for a long time.

[@hannahrobertson4769]

You know a craftsman is a master when they show you what they are doing, explain exactly how they are doing it, and you still know that it would take an incredible amount of skill and practice to get to their level.

[@joaoantoniorochapires915]

Outstanding worth every penny

[@user-je6dd3gg5b]

A culinary dream! Just imagining the experience of this 17-course omakase is making my mouth water. Limited spots, limitless flavors! The exclusivity of only 16 people a night adds to the allure of this extraordinary dining experience.

[@PeterKNoone]

That guy is amazing. You have to be so driven to pull off what he's doing.

[@TomTropicana]

Great production 🎬 Very well done.👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@ortommy]

Beautiful video and story telling. Thank you.

[@cut--]

I loved everything about this! Especially when Ito muttered under his breath, "go birds" 😋

[@kaihamasaki9307]

True Philly fan

[@jeffreylowe5672]

"Rice is more important than the fish." is my favorite comment in the video. He can spend so much money, present it in such an amazing way, use fantastic techniques, but knows that the "simplest" ingredient will make or break it all.

[@nicholasomalley8440]

Poetry in motion. High pace , no mistakes. So intense with so much precision

[@MrAnderson234]

Jesse is awesome, I did the Omakase once and was blown away. Haveee to get the Tuna Guac if you come here!

[@TipsyMcStumble82]

What an interesting video! I’m 2 hours north of Philly and I will make it to a point to visit for Omasake one day. 🍱

[@Xilladan093]

Careful of fentanyl

[@petergraphix6740]

Note that you typically have to get reservations months in advance for a place like this.

[@Ahayu-lindo]

Its an whole science in making the preparation, amazed how everything is in an perfect order.

[@user-ye2fw9mb7n]

the process behind all this is astounding

[@Chlo-ee]

How much do you like sushi? “I’ve got a mackerel allergy but I can still eat” 😂

[@lettuce1626]

Great video, loved the the way the guy spoke he clearly has a lot of passion for what he does and he speaks really well, everything is easily understandable Also love how we get to see every part of the day including the prep and the photography

[@peterbrittan4767]

3:41

[@Toohotmittens]

Much love. Thanks for sharing.

[@WillShattuck]

Thank you for sharing this experience with us.

[@fatimaboebina]

This guy is GOATED 💪🏻🫶🏻

[@houstonrealestates7124]

I love how in tune chef is with everything he does.

[@miloz1207]

I don’t even eat sushi but this guy was so passionate and well spoken and such a hard working, lovely guy, i couldn’t help but watch the whole video

[@teddyarcher3957]

a true chef, cares about his products, his craft and his customers...treats his employees well and with respect. you can see where the money is going...

[@mitchconnoly8058]

My Taco Bell five dollar box seems under par after watching this

[@onemightymill]

What a dream! This restaurant experience and the effort that goes into this is SO impressive. We love to see it. And if BA is ever interested in the love, care, and effort that goes into a mill and bakery... they know where to find us 😉❤

[@hexistenz]

Oh, this was pure joy 🥲 Cuisine might not be an art form, in the same sense as painting, theatre, literature or the others. That being said, the care, expertise, decades of training, learning & experience, the quiet pride and attention to exquisite quality and detail, all these make for an exceptional documentary. Japanese cuisine lends itself perfectly to this, as it’s so precise, delicate, detail-oriented, minimalist and beautiful at the same time. It’s been an enriching, very pleasant 20 minutes, thank you 🙏

[@STONERCREEK1]

Absolutely agree with chefs view on Mackerel. A very overlooked, very delicious fish.

[@charlieredeemed]

Guess it's Poke Bowl for me today😂👍🏼

[@plev10]

I'm semi-retired and on a fixed budget. But I'm determined to experience this omakase.

[@annajeanne8217]

I’m currently a sauté cook. I’m only 2 years into my culinary career, however- sushi, omakase, etc. has my heart. This video was so incredible and so inspiring to watch. Hopefully I can visit someday!

[@Wutwut1n1]

It ended too abruptly, wanted to see the customer's reactions/thoughts and the closing process and maybe some team comments

[@rainzerdesu]

The seafood guy, Nobu, looks like Chef Ito in a bad disguise.

[@KatyPerryShorts01]

Exclusivity at its finest! Only 16 people a night for a 17-course omakase - a true culinary experience!

[@jackeilhigh]

This was pretty cool. I actually learn a lot in this thank you so much. ありがと

[@jacquibradley1598]

If I could afford it I would be front of line. Wow, lovely. 🙏🙏👍👍

[@petergraphix6740]

Even when you can afford it, it can be quite difficult to actually get a seat in any place that is this level of quality.

[@stephanymartinez8197]

me watching this while i eat 711 pizza 💀😭

[@joshuajackson6442]

Beautiful dance of senses, thank you so much!

[@cmacuf]

This is easily my favorite one yet. Wow. Learned so much

[@matthewo.859]

Mackerel allergy is the most BS allergy I've ever heard LMAO

[@charliep9066]

That works out to almost $20 per course for 1-2 bites of food. I'm sorry, I do love sushi, and I appreciate the great deal of labor to breakdown and prepare fish, but at the end of the day, it's just raw fish paired with vinegar rice. I understand you're paying for quality, but it speaks to diminishing returns. I can get 17 pieces of delicious sushi for around $30 at my favorite local sushi spot. Do I believe each course at this restaurant tastes 10x better than my local spot? No. It may be marginally better, maybe even 3x better, but definitely not 10x. After having been to Nobu's omakase, I do not see the value in high end sushi places. I will go for omokase or 'chef's choice' at other restaurants where there's a lot more complexity to the dishes and pay more, but for sushi, I would never do that again. I find you end up paying more for the experience than the food itself.

[@Noobieedu]

if your only reference is nobu then i agree, nobu's menu is hella overpriced and more for its enviornment. however that is not the same for other sushi places that have omakase