Whaling in Oklahoma Could Be Opening in Boston's South End in July

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like a Japanese restaurant with one of the region's best-known chefs behind it may be opening next month, replacing a landmark South End dining spot.

The Boston Herald is reporting that Whaling in Oklahoma may open sometime in July in the former Tremont 647 space on Tremont Street, with Tim Maslow, who comes from the soon-to-close Strip-T's in Watertown and Ribelle in Brookline (which closed in July of 2016) running the place. The article says that Maslow will preview the restaurant at a popup dinner this Sunday at Asta in the Back Bay and that Whaling will focus on "underrepresented" food items found in the central part of Japan once it debuts. The Herald says that the new spot will include a main dining room with a "soft, serene vibe" and a second area that will have the feel of a "Hokkaido hunting lodge."

Andy Husbands was behind both Tremont 647 and the adjacent Sister Sorel, which opened in 1996 and 2002, respectively; currently, Husbands operates The Smoke Shop, a pair of BBQ restaurant in Cambridge's Kendall Square and Boston's Fort Point along with a soon-to-open outlet at Assembly Square in Somerville.

The address for the upcoming Whaling in Oklahoma is 647 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02118.

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