Sora Pop-Up Experience, a Sit-Down Version of the Popular Sushi Bento Box, to Launch Next Week in the Flats

If you’re on social media, you likely have seen people enthusiastically sharing pictures of their Sora sushi boxes. These colorful, delectable bento boxes arrive brimming with items like crispy rice, tuna, yellowtail and salmon nigiri, spicy tuna rolls, edamame and accompaniments such as spicy mayo, pickled ginger, wasabi, soy sauce and Sriracha. Artfully packaged for pick-up and delivery via third-party services, the sushi bento boxes have proven to be ideally suited to pandemic dining.

Since launching as a pop-up concept last summer, Sora has continued to grow its audience and expand its offerings. For its next move, the ghost kitchen will revive the pop-up model for a limited-run engagement in the Flats.

“It’s almost like the same experience you get when you open the box as what you’ll get when you come to the restaurant,” explains partner Kumar Arora. “We wanted to bring fine dining into the home in a way that’s upscale and fun. Now we want to take that experience and transfer it to a pop-up.”

Arora, along with partners Fabio Salerno and Kevin Wang, had been operating out of Lago restaurant’s catering kitchens in the Flats East Bank. Recently, the team moved production to the former Bold Food and Drink space next door. It is there that they will unveil the Sora Pop-Up Experience in a completely reimagined interior.

“It will feel like you’re dining at a proper restaurant, the only difference is that it’s finite, it might not exist in the future,” Arora explains. “My hope is that we do stay, but that will take some community support.”

Since launching the business, the team has continued to add new products and allow more customization from the customer. Newer items like gyoza, sashimi and more vegan and vegetarian options all will be available at the sit-down pop-up experience. Those items will be joined by heartier Asian-fusion dishes and a "whimsical" cocktail list. Also on tap is late-night dining and live entertainment.

Dine-in seating will begin Thursday, February 3rd. The initial engagement is set to last between 60 and 90 days.

"Since our launch a few months ago, we’ve taken an immense amount of pride in crafting an authentic sushi experience with freshly sourced ingredients that can be enjoyed at home,” adds Wang. “We cannot wait to elevate that concept into a full-service restaurant for our customers.”

Throughout the entire pop-up run, the traditional bento box sushi experience will continue for pick-up and delivery.