Obon has all-day happy hour in July
Scottsdale sushi fans now have another place to get their fix. Obon Sushi + Bar + Ramen opens its second Scottsdale-area location June 27 at The Grove in the McCormick Ranch neighborhood.
Created by Fukushu Restaurant Concepts, Obon originated in downtown Tucson but has since become known in the Valley for the upscale yet casual take on Japanese food offered at its Scottsdale Quarter location.
The new restaurant at The Grove, located at East McCormick Parkway between North Hayden Road and North Via del Paseo del Sur, is a return to the neighborhood feel of the original location, says Fukushu co-founder Brandon Katz.
“We just knew right away it kind of fit what the Obon model looks for and what our natural progression is,” Katz says.
What to expect at The Grove location
The new space features a 3,200square-foot dining room decorated with local art. Guests can watch chefs cook their food through a glass wall that provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Obon’s kitchen.
The building features garage-doorstyle windows that open onto a 1,600square-foot patio, where guests can enjoy their food among Asian-inspired plants and enjoy a mural by local artist Price Goodman.
The windows and style of the new
OBON Sushi + Bar + Ramen
Open for dinner from 4 to 11 p.m. June 27-30. Starting Monday, July 1, hours will be 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
7300 N. Via Paseo Del Sur, #102, Scottsdale. 623-295-2002, fukushuconcepts.com/obon.
space gives it an ability to change, Katz says. It’s bright during the day, but when the sun sets and the lights dim, the space becomes more intimate.
“It’s a place that kind of transforms as the day goes on,” Katz says.
The new restaurant’s decor also pays homage to the video game and comic book culture of Japan. Katz says Fukushu designed the shelving above the bar to evoke a “nerdy den in somebody’s house in Japan,” complete with original Atari and Nintendo video game equipment.
And it’s not all just for show: Katz says the Atari is hooked up to a TV in case guests want to play.
Here’s what’s on the Obon menu
Chef Paulo Im is behind the menu at all three Obon restaurants. Guests can choose from a range of Japanese dishes, including shared plates, ramen, steam buns, salads, crudos and nigiri. In addition, the restaurant offers a selection of sushi.
Because the restaurant’s larger kitchen allows room for more woks, the menu also includes several new wok dishes — including Katz’s recommendation: the lemongrass chicken.
At the bar, guests have ample options from which to choose. In addition to wine, the bar offers eight draft beers, including two by Pinetop Brewing Company, which Kat’s cousin owns.
Obon bartenders also will serve up specialty cocktails, including the concept’s signature Black Tea Old Fashioned, which features bourbon, earl grey tea, sweetened condensed milk, honey and charcoal bitters.
Other cocktail standouts include:
❚ Revenge of the Nerd Lucks: vodka, sotol, crème de violette, grape soda and lemon topped with Nerds candy.
❚ I Want my Umami: house michelada mix, a shot of soju and Korean pilsner.
❚ Passion of the Spice: vodka, passionfruit, lemongrass, lime and hibiscus bitters.
❚ Chiltepin Cobbler: gin, lime, chiltepin pepper and cherry.
All-day happy hour deals in July
To celebrate its opening, Obon will extend its happy hour deals from open until close daily for the month of July at the new location. Deals include:
❚ $3-$6 drinks, small steamed buns and sushi rolls.
❚ $9 rotating signature sushi roll.
❚ $10 ramen.
After July, normal Happy Hour times will be:
❚ 3 to 6 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday.
❚ 3 to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday. plates,
Obon to open in Tempe
Obon Sushi is Fukushu Restaurant Concepts’ second project. The Tucsonbased company opened its original Obon location in the Old Pueblo in 2015 before adding a location at Scottsdale Quarter in the space formerly occupied by TK’s Urban Tavern in 2017.
A fourth Obon location (and third in the Valley) is slated to debut in spring 2020 at the Tempe Watermark development along Tempe Town Lake. Katz says the upcoming location is right along the water, giving guests a chance to experience an Arizona version of waterfront dining.
Fukushu is also behind Goodness, a juice bar and health-conscious restaurant serving up smoothies, salads, sandwiches and protein bowls in Tucson.
The restaurant group also launched another concept, Southern food restaurant Bird Bar and Chicken, in Tucson in 2017 but shuttered it a year later.