The days of one-dimensional occasions lacking grandiose have fallen behind us like crepe paper streamers as we move full speed ahead into the dawn of the age of experiences. Anything worth celebrating deserves a unique experience, the more bespoke, the better. This is exactly what SuShe provides. SuShe is a live sushi catering service owned and operated by 24-year-old Sushi Chef Chloe O’Neil. The business began as all of the best things seem to, by accident. 

“In the summer of 2021 I began making sushi for myself at home,” O’Neil recalls. “I was a college student, so I thought it may be a little more cost efficient to start making sushi at home instead of going out for it. After the second or third time I started practicing plating it. I love making food look aesthetically pleasing on a plate and deem it an art form – one of my favorite art forms. I posted a picture of my plating on social media and a friend reached out to see if I would be interested in live-catering hors-d’oeuvres portions of sushi for her brother’s engagement party.” 

O’Neil approached the opportunity with her signature nothing-to-lose attitude. A confidence she gleaned from her six years spent working at Zea Rotisserie & Bar. She credits her experience alongside the catering manager Andy Boagni with laying the foundation to best understand how catering services should be conducted as well as the importance of consistency in the kitchen and customer service. 

“I really want my clients to feel like they are in good hands,” O’Neil says of her customer-centered service. “I want the hosts to be able to relax, the mamas or full-time workers to put their feet up and enjoy their company instead of worrying throughout the entire party. Of course, the other main goal is for everyone to enjoy the sushi and food I make, but I think what sets SuShe apart from other catering services is the levels we go to in order to make sure our customers are happy and do not have to lift a finger throughout and after the event. The goal is to take the pressure of hosting off of our customers and provide delicious food while ensuring that the kitchen stays clean. We provide almost everything you would need for an at home dinner party or event.”

Yes, she said, “ensuring the kitchen stays clean.” While you laugh with your guests and indulge in delicious sushi, O’Neil and her team will float around your kitchen cooking and cleaning like they own it. A synchronicity only executed by those who truly know kitchens – a choreography of chopping, rinsing, wiping, seasoning, rolling, serving and delighting. While they are in control of the culinary craft, the menu is very much a collaborative effort. 

“Our dinners can be as personalized as you may want,” O’Neil explains. “I have had parties where the host let me show up and do my thing in the kitchen, but I have also had parties with detailed menus for me to follow where everyone customized their own sushi rolls. We can happily do either one of those or find a middle ground. I don’t have a set menu for that reason – the options are endless.”

There is a strong likelihood that SuShe will don your kitchen with the most beautiful food that has ever graced your countertops, each one classically and elaborately plated. But it’s not just beautiful, it’s delicious. The traditional rolls, California, spicy tuna, are fresh and straightforward takes on the classics. O’Neil’s interpretation of sushi restaurant appetizer, edamame and crab salad, is party food perfection; it’s as easy to consume as it is exciting. One of the first things you may note about SuShe sushi is that it’s somehow….Cajun-i-fied? These are most certainly Louisiana-sized rolls. We’re talking “Jurassic Park” John Hammond “spare no expense” portions. 

Through her business O’Neil has been able to provide her clientele with upscale entertainment and a one-of-a-kind experience. But SuShe has given her something even greater, she hopes to be able to pass that gift along to another up-and-coming culinary artist. 

“Right now I am focused on graduating in May from UL with a degree in mechanical engineering,” O’Neil says. “But there is one goal for SuShe that sticks out the most to me. I would love to find college students like me who are driven, but do not have the financial support of their parents throughout college. It would be nice to possibly train employees so I could book more than one party on a Friday or Saturday night. This business has been a blessing to me and it has paid my bills through my second half of college. I would love to see it help someone else in the same way.” 

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3 MUST HAVE DISHES

1. Bite Me

Spicy Tuna Bites appetizers- these consist of an everything-seasoning rice cracker with a sweet chili glaze on top, then an avocado slice and a minced tuna mix that is prepared and seasoned by O’Neil. These bites are topped with spicy microgreens. They are a hit at every party.

2. Good Chives Only

The Chive & Onion roll is one of the more unique menu offerings. It consists of shrimp tempura that is fried on-site, cream cheese, avocado and green onion. It’s named after its flavor profile and it’s amazing. 

3. Fried and True 

For the Fried Sushi Roll, the batter is seasoned as if a big batch of Cajun food is going to be fired. It gives a new kick to the fried roll that you can’t find anywhere else. This roll is always a favorite. 

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What’s in a Name? 

“I wanted a name that would stick easily in everyone’s minds, but also make people curious. So, I started playing around with different sushi-related words and ultimately came up with SuShe. I love it because it is a female-owned business and lets you know exactly what I provide in one word. It stuck well and I love its simplicity.” 

 – Chloe O’Neil 

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What’s Kickin’ Chicken? 

“Once for a bridal shower the bride requested fried chicken sushi, so we literally fried chicken strips in their kitchen and made her fried-chicken-sushi. The bride gets what the bride wants! I still get a kick out of that every time I think of it. I know sushi chefs in Japan would lose it if they saw what we made that day. To my surprise, it was actually delicious. I feel like that is a testament to how far we will go to make sure clients are happy and how moldable the menu really is.”