The craft paper-covered windows of the restaurant space at 7th and Bainbridge has something to say: "Big Eye Sushi Bar Coming Soon." Scrawled by hand in black Sharpie, the message answered a question that has been on the minds of foodies all over Philly.
If the address sounds familiar to fish fans, that's because Ro-Zu, the short-lived yet critically-acclaimed sushi bar, made a home there until October of last year. The opening chef was the very talented Todd Dae Kulper, who most recently was at the helm of The Khyber's Izakaya pop-up.
Speculation as to who owns the space now is running rampant, but the name Stephen Simons has come up a few times. Simons, who owns the Khyber Pass Pub, had originally slated the Old City spot to become an Izakaya before deciding to make it hardcore Southern cuisine. Simons told The Feast he was still interested in doing an Izakaya with Kulper somewhere in the city during the pop-up, and that Queen Village was a possible landing spot. More details to come. [The Feast]
