COMING ATTRACTIONS

Former Sukeban chef to open new omakase in downtown San Antonio

Chef Frederman Macy is opening a new omakase downtown.

Photo courtesy of Frederman Macy

A familiar name in San Antonio cuisine is striking out on his own. Frederman Macy, an alumnus of The Argyle and Sukeban, will open Omakase Macy at 520 Bonham St. this fall.

In a text exchange, Macy says that the restaurant will offer prix-fixe menus, but he wants to give diners choices. Some will follow the traditional omakase format, progressing through multiple courses of chef-curated surprises. Other experiences will post the menu beforehand, so diners will know what’s on the plate.

Macy shares there will also be a “small, carefully selected menu for traditional sushi lovers.”

The restaurant will be housed in the historic Albert Moye house, a 19th-century Italianate cottage about two blocks from Alamo Plaza. Macy says diners can choose from a sushi counter or a private room.

“[The private room] will be the place for my most creative, multi-course menus, featuring exceptional seafood and ingredients from Japan, along with dishes that bring Japanese flavors and French techniques together,” he says.

Undoubtedly, the experience will showcase beautiful plating. In his previous gigs, he cooked some of San Antonio’s most photogenic dishes, such as a signature salmon tartare on sushi rice topped with a microgreen salad resembling a floral bouquet.

Macy says some of those calling cards will probably make it to the finalized menu — albeit in smaller form.

Macy says that he hopes to get the omakase up and running in late October or early November. CultureMap will follow up with more details closer to the debut.

SOUS IT BEGINS

San Antonio chef launches new nonprofit to train cooks for management

Photo courtesy of West Point Culinary Institute

A sneak peek at one of the dishes at the West Point Culinary Institute gala.

San Antonio’s chefs might be able to julienne a carrot in a few seconds, but few have been given the management training to match their culinary skills. Longtime local chef Brian West is looking to change that with a new nonprofit, West Point Culinary Institute.

West says the institute is aimed at a gap in culinary training. Line cooks frequently get promoted to sous chef without ever learning how to manage staff, control food cost, or handle the business side of a kitchen. The program plans to cover purchasing, sanitation, operations, and team management, along with culinary fundamentals.

"I've spent more than three decades in this industry, and I've watched talented cooks become great cooks only to reach a point where someone hands them the keys and says, 'You're the sous chef now,'" West said in a release. "Suddenly they're expected to lead a team, control food cost, train people and understand the business, but too often nobody has ever taught them how."

According to a release, the four-month program is designed for people already working in the industry. It consists of three months of classroom and kitchen instruction in small groups, then a one-month internship or externship in a commercial kitchen. The institute says it will operate primarily on scholarships.

West has been a fixture of San Antonio hospitality for years, opening Café Paladar in 2005 and cofounding Smoke: The Restaurant in 2017. He has also taught at the Culinary Institute of America's San Antonio campus, and he founded Fiesta event Taste of the Republic.

While the school does not yet have an address, it is preparing for the future. Tickets are now on sale for the institute's first fundraiser, "From Fire to Future: A Culinary Journey Through Time." The gala, held on November 18, loosely follows the history of cooking with guest chefs Nicola Blaque and Kristina Zhao.

Prices start at $150, and tables for eight start at $1,000. All proceeds will go to the institute’s $75,000 capital campaign, with instruction expected to launch in 2027.

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