Paul Qui Will Unveil Otoko in March

Otoko, Paul Qui’s intimate Japanese restaurant within the South Congress Hotel, will make its debut on March 2. Starting next month, early and late seatings will be held between 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The hotel is also debuting a new bar, Watertrade, open to Otoko diners and the public.

Reservations for Otoko will be made using Tock, the dining ticketing system from Nick Kokonas, which Qui’s flagship restaurant already uses. Newsletter subscribers will get first dibs on Friday, February 5. The system will then be open to the public the following Monday, February 8, both starting at 9 a.m. Going forward, Tock will be open for reservations one month in advance (April reservations will be available on March 1). Update, February 9: March tickets are all sold out.

Prices for the omakase menu prepared by Qui and head chef Yoshi Okai will begin at $150. Dishes will include sushi Tokyo-style, and seasonal kaiseki made Kyoto-style. Paired drink options include menus focused on beer, wine, or sake for an additional $75, non-alcoholic for $50, and special wines and sake for $100.

New Waterloo’s South Congress Hotel opened last September with the brunch-friendly Cafe No Se, followed by Central Standard in December. Still to come is the juice and coffee bar Manana.