By Abby Bielagus By Abby Bielagus | May 8, 2024 | Food & Drink, Feature,
Inside the new three-concept eatery from Jamie Bissonnette, Babak Bina and Andy Cartin.
The interior of Temple Records
When it was announced this past fall that Jamie Bissonnette was ending his partnership with Ken Oringer, it was the restaurant industry’s version of an iconic band breakup. The city eagerly awaited to see what one half of the legendary foodie duo would do. When it was announced that Bissonnette was joining forces with another pair of industry giants, Babak Bina and Andy Cartin, the team behind jm Curley, Bogie’s Place and The Wig Shop, the hospitality super group called BCB3 hit the stage.
The trio behaves as a true collaborative, no decision is made without agreement from the others. After months of looking for a space to open their new restaurant, they all agreed 11 Temple Place was it. The three men saw the possibilities of the space that used to house Herrera’s Mexican Grill—it was just the right size and conveniently located to Bina and Cartin’s other Downtown Crossing ventures. But it was only after the three men walked into the basement that the concept for their new restaurant started to come into focus.
Somaek’s interior
“I turned to Babak and Andy and I said, you’re going to think I’m crazy, but we could turn this into a sushi bar,” says Bissonnette. They all started to see the moody, cozy, enigmatic vision at once. “In Japan, the sushi bars are usually concealed, so it really works,” says Bissonnette.
Soon, the idea for Temple Records emerged, a spirit-forward listening lounge off the sushi bar where vinyl, mostly records from Bissonnette’s immense personal collection, provides the soundtrack. “It’s eclectic but well-curated,” says Bissonnette. The team has two record players behind the bar to easily and quickly change out the vinyl. They also don't have any shaken drinks on the Temple Records menu to avoid distraction from the music. (Shaken drinks will be made at Sushi @ Temple Records instead).
The sushi bar at Sushi @ Temple Records
“The space lends itself really well to the three distinct concepts,” says Bina. “The upstairs is open, airy and bright.” A perfect spot for Somaek, the Korean restaurant Bissonnette has been dreaming of opening. His wife is Korean and after traveling to the country and cooking extensively with his mother-in-law, he was eager to bring the cuisine to Boston.
The intimate dining room seats 16 and at the center is a slab of unique marble that has been slivered in two to create a mirrored image across the 13-seat bar. Somaek is adorned with Korean art gifted by Bissonnette’s in-laws and the majority of the restaurant’s serveware and utensils were sourced from Korea on a recent trip by Bissonnette, Cartin and Bina.
Bissonnette cues up an album
The three concepts, although unique, are joined by a common ethos from East Asian culture that recognizes the significance of wood, metal, earth, fire and water. Bina led the architecture and design process with Lisa Davis Interiors, to artfully balance the five elements throughout to achieve a minimalist look that still exudes warmth.
Each space will stay loyal and true to its cuisine. Bissonnette is ready to leave his former reputation as a chef who does the unexpected and mixes and mashes until the dish is distinctly his. This time around he wants to be more of a conduit for the culture and he’s enlisted his mother-in-law as a consultant at Somaek. Helming the kitchen at Sushi @ Temple Records is Japanese chef Kenta Katagai who the team relocated from Hawaii.
As the curtain opens on this hospitality supergroup’s first act, the city is sure to be lining up to see the show.
Photography by: BRIAN SAMUELS