Courtesy of David Thompson Architect
The team behind Colletta and Oak Steakhouse at Avalon have their first in-town restaurant on the way, located on Howell Mill Road in Westside Ironworks. O-Ku will be a Japanese sushi restaurant similar to the Charleston outpost by the same name and is set to open October 1. Owner Steve Palmer says the restaurants will offer different experiences at each. “We’re not a chain restaurant group,” he says. “We’re hiring a sushi chef from Atlanta, and every chef has [his or her] own creative flair. We want to let that person express themselves.”
While the Atlanta menu will feature popular items from the Charleston menu, new items may include rock shrimp salad with spicy aioli, braised pork belly with kimchi cabbage, and a lobster temaki hand roll. The popular green eggs and Hamachi hako (spicy yellowtail tuna with asparagus and wasabi tobiko) will also be available.
In addition to local beer and sake, O-Ku will offer high-acid (read: thirst-quenching) white wines like Riesling, and lighter reds like Pinot Noir. Cocktails will have a sweet and spicy blend, made with flavors like lemongrass, basil, peppers, and Sriracha. Decor will feature exposed brick, oversized chandeliers, lavender banquettes, and a rooftop bar facing the Midtown skyline. It will be “a little more sophisticated in design” than the Charleston location, Palmer says.
“I grew up in Atlanta. I love the Westside and am really excited about this,” he adds, noting that gracious service and warm hospitality is his company’s calling card.
