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Omakase offers a variety of courses for one’s tasting.

Photos courtesy Takuya Suzuki

What is omakase?

By Samuel Cheng

Published 11:26 PST, Fri March 1, 2024

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As our lifestyle becomes more and more sophisticated, the ever-evolving food and dining culture has also gotten the attention of dining out. The process of creating, prepping, serving and presentation of the foods has turned into a form of art.

Omakase, or ㄺ훨ㅋ, is a form of Japanese culinary and dining experience like none other. The word “omakase” is derived from the verb “makaseru”, or 훨ㅋㅻ, which is the definition of to trust, or to leave it to someone else.

In essence, omakase is a series of small portions of each course served, which is mainly sushi and prepared entirely by the chef. The customers are in the dark as to what the menu will consist of until the very moment that the food is presented to them right in front of their very eyes, thus, entrusting the chef entirely.

Omakase didn’t popularize until about three decades ago in the 1990s. There are many popular speculations as to how the omakase culture solidified its place within the Japanese culture.

It is rumored that omakase tradition stemmed in Japan during the peak of its economic growth, when people were financially well off and looking for new experiences to spend their money. At the same time, the lackluster knowledge about sushi and the craving for a pleasant dining experience created a unique segment in the culinary world.

To hide their inexperience and lack of knowledge of omakase, leaving the menu up to the chef’s discretion was the obvious and simplest solution. In turn, this catering model greatly benefited the chef as well as they did not have to disclose to the customers if they were running low on a certain ingredient or that they were at the mercy of what was fresh from the fish market that day. This allowed the chef to be creative while using fresh produce.

More importantly, the lack of menu forces the chef to put on his or her creative hat and be explorative with the creative presentation of the day. The creativity can be anything from the theme of the courses, to working with seasonal ingredients, to pairing the right type of alcohol that compliments the course that is being served.

Today, omakase has evolved to more than just a type of dining experience. Omakase can be found in wine tasting, hairstyles, clothing and even vacation packages in Japan.

If you’re wanting to try out omakase for the first time, look no further. Being a multicultural rich city, Richmond offers several locations of Japanese restaurants that offer omakase services.

Recently added to Richmond’s dining experience is Masa Ishibashi with a Michelin Star Chef on Bridgeport and in Vancouver, Sushi Okeya Kyujiro, the newest addition to the Michelin starred restaurants, both offering a one-of-a-kind theatrical and interactive experience that elevates omakase to a whole new level. Other local restaurants like Msayoshi, Tojo’s Restaurants, Tetsu Sushi Bar and more offer omakase at different price points as well.

Next time you decide to have Japanese cuisine for lunch or dinner, be sure to give local omakase restaurants a try.