La Jolla · San Diego, Calif. reservations@otoroclub.com @otoroclubsd

Otoro Club/The Ceremony/Run of show

The four movements

Forty minutes. One bluefin. No back-of-house.

An engagement runs about three hours in four movements, in the same order every time. Timings scale a little with the room; the sequence holds.

  1. Arrival · 0:00–0:30

    Whole, on ice.

    The bluefin is on the presentation table before anything is served. Guests arrive to it, walk past it, photograph it. Welcome pours as the room fills.

  2. The Breakdown · 0:30–1:10

    Forty minutes, in the room.

    The itamae opens the loin in front of the guests and names each cut as it is taken. Nothing is prepped out of sight. This is the movement the evening is built around.

  3. The Tasting · 1:10–2:15

    Served as it is cut.

    Akami, then chutoro, then otoro, portioned and passed in sequence off the board. Hand rolls made to order. Warm and rice courses follow where the format calls for them.

  4. The Close · 2:15–3:00

    The room, after.

    A final course, and the frame left on the table until the last guest leaves. The team breaks the station down and loads out; the space is handed back clean.

An itamae lifting a whole bluefin loin in front of the room.
the loin, off the frame.

Design the evening around it.

Compose a journey course by course, or send us the date and let us shape it with you.

Design your journey

Guest Notices

Raw seafood. Engagements serve raw and undercooked fish. Consuming raw or undercooked seafood may increase your risk of foodborne illness, particularly for guests who are pregnant, immunocompromised, elderly, or have certain medical conditions.

Allergens. Fish, shellfish, soy, sesame, wheat, and egg are present in our service. Notify us in writing of any allergy at least seven days before the engagement. We cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment.

Sourcing & substitution. Species, cuts, and portioning are subject to availability at market. Where a whole bluefin is unavailable, an equivalent grade may be substituted with notice to the host.

Photography. Engagements may be photographed for our portfolio. Hosts may opt out in writing before the event date. Alcohol service, where added, requires separate arrangement and licensing.

Full food safety & allergen notice