The Omakase Experience

By her late teens and early twenties, Ouimette was already working with restaurant groups opening large-scale concepts along the East Coast before consulting as a sushi chef in San Diego. Her career continued in Denver, where she helped open Matsuhisa Denver under Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, an experience that further refined her commitment to precision, seasonality, and craftsmanship. She later returned to San Diego, working across a wide spectrum of seafood and sushi kitchens including Ironside Fish & Oyster, Saiko Sushi, and Cannonball, honing her ability to move fluidly between high-volume service and intimate fine dining environments.

In 2021, Ouimette became Head Chef of Sushi|Bar ATX in Austin, a discreet 10-seat omakase counter hidden within Bento Picnic, where reservations routinely sold out within minutes. Initially joining to consult and train staff, she quickly rose to lead the Austin counter, redefining its omakase experience and contributing to the opening and staff training of Sushi|Bar locations in Miami, Los Angeles, and Montecito. Her cuisine blends classical Japanese technique with subtle innovation, incorporating house-made ferments, salts, misos, vinegars, and kosho to create a deeply personal, ingredient-driven dining experience.

Today, Ouimette is celebrated not only for her technical mastery, but also for her role as a mentor and advocate, helping expand who feels seen and supported at the sushi counter. Having built her career in a traditionally male-dominated field, she is committed to fostering kitchens where craft, curiosity, and voice matter more than hierarchy. She is currently opening Anbā, an intimate omakase chef's counter on New York's Lower East Side, bringing her deeply personal, technique-driven approach back to the city where her culinary journey began.