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When Screaming Tuna executive chef Jason Morimoto returned to Milwaukee after winning Season 2 of Roku Channel cooking show “Morimoto’s Sushi Master,” he knew it was time to share his talents with the city at a more elevated level.
“You don’t win ‘Morimoto’s Sushi Master’ and then come back and start selling sesame chicken rolls,” said Cristian Vega, co-owner of Milwaukee’s Screaming Tuna and Mequon’s Lil’ Tuna.
In February 2024, Vega and Morimoto met for coffee at the Interval coffee shop on Milwaukee’s east side to discuss the award-winning chef’s next plan.
At the time, they didn’t know their next venture would find its home in that same space at 1600 N. Jackson St.
As soon as late December, Morimoto will open Nakama, an intimate omakase sushi restaurant with a separate space serving small plates and hand rolls. Vega is a minority owner of the restaurant, along with Daniel Beres and Tripper Duval of Bay View’s Lost Whale bar.
The lower level of the space will host an intimate, 11-seat omakase bar, where Morimoto will prepare and serve a 14-course fixed menu featuring handcrafted sushi. Upstairs, a more casual 14-seat space will serve cylindrical-style hand rolls and small-plate comfort fare.
The experience is an extension of a series of omakase pop-ups that Morimoto and Vega have hosted at Lil’ Tuna in the Mequon Public Market since early 2024.
Vega said Nakama will be refined, but “not too fancy,” offering seatings at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.
Over each two-hour seating, Chef Morimoto will prepare 14 courses for each guest while sharing life stories, creating an interactive, laid-back atmosphere that Vega said feels akin to a dinner party.
“We really treasure the time with our guests, so these longer-paced dining experiences give us a chance to make longtime friends,” Vega said.
Morimoto, who already travels to Chicago each week for ingredients, will craft an ever-changing menu, sourcing fresh fish and seasonal ingredients from across the world, including Japan.
“It’s a point of pride to be able to serve someone a cut of fish that maybe can’t be found anywhere else in the state,” Vega said.
But there will be an emphasis on sustainability, as well.
“When you have a fish that has an 80% depletion in its population, bragging about serving bluefin tuna is not the flex some people think it is,” Vega said.
Nakama will serve sustainably sourced bluefin tuna from Baja, Mexico.
Vega said Nakama’s curated atmosphere will be set to a HiFi sound system, offering a soundtrack of vinyl records most nights. Guests will be welcome to bring in their own vinyl records, too, to spin throughout the meal.
It’s a practice Vega, a former DJ of 15 years, started at the pop-ups in Mequon.
He recalled one night when a guest brought in a record by rapper Kendrick Lamar, then another followed it later with Berlin techno vinyl.
“It brings this fun twist to the night,” Vega said.
Vega said the space will be completely renovated from its look as Interval. The bar and cabinets have been removed, and the look will be minimal with a polished vintage feel.
Upstairs, a more casual small-plates space
The fun will continue in the restaurant’s upper-level space, fashioned like a Tokyo-style listening room.
“A little more vibe-y,” Vega said.
There, a focused menu of small plates and hand rolls will carry the same elevated experience of the omakase portion, but at a more approachable price point.
The small plates could include some of the dishes that Morimoto prepared on his path to winning the cooking competition judged by renowned sushi chef Masaharu Morimoto (no relation).
“Every dish that he cooked has a long backstory — this history or this inspiration, like from his grandmother,” Vegas said.
Eventually, on Sundays and Wednesdays, Nakama will open its bar for hand-roll nights, with its chef directly passing the rolls to each diner sitting at the bar.
“Those nights will be where we kind of let our hair down a little more,” Vega said. “The omakase is still a ton of fun, but Sundays and Wednesdays will be a different vibe.”
The upstairs level also will serve as a receiving room when the omakase’s second-seating guests arrive. They’ll be able to enjoy a cocktail and canapé there before moving downstairs.
Experimental cocktails will come from the owners of the Lost Whale bar
On the bar side, Lost Whale owners Beres and Duval will help craft drink pairings, made by a mixologist from a small cocktail “cockpit” in the restaurant.
“I told them, ‘I want the best of the best,’” Vega said. “They said, ‘We’ll give you better than the best. We’re that ambitious.’”
Beres and Duvall will bring inspiration to the bar program from world travels, including from the famed nameless London bar known as “the bar with shapes for a name.”
“They experiment with a different way of making cocktails that these guys are going to implement,” Vega said. “It’s like a science how they get it done.”
Omakase on Milwaukee’s east side
Vega said Nakama’s concept has been a long time coming, and when he and Morimoto dreamed of opening their space, they’d hoped it would be the first omakase restaurant of its kind in Wisconsin.
Omakase 1033 beat them to the punch when it opened in December 2024, but Vega said he’s happy to see that the Walker’s Point restaurant has been so popular.
“There’s room for all ships to rise,” Vega said. “We want everyone to do well.”
He said he feels fortunate to have found a home in a pocket of Milwaukee surrounded by so many of the city’s most respected restaurants, including Birch, Sanford, The Diplomat and Uncle Wolfie’s.
“It’s an honor and humbling to now be amongst them,” Vegas said. “This will be the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of.”
Though Vega is heavily involved in Nakama’s concept, he stressed that Morimoto is the lifeforce behind it all, bringing his dream to fruition after 14 years in the industry.
“This is the culmination of his career,” Vega said. “We’re the support, but it all starts and ends with Jason.”
For updates on Nakama, follow the restaurant on Instagram at instagram.com/nakama.mke.
This story was updated to add new information.
Dining and Cooking