おまかせOmakase

WHEN I SAY THE PHRASE “OMAKASE”

at a restaurant, it's the beginning of a relationship between chef and guest. While I “leave the decision making to the chef,” it's not a Tasting Menu for which the chef is hidden from view. The Omakase Chef engages with me throughout the meal. A tasting menu tells me upfront what I can expect. The Omakase menu, thoughtfully planned and delivered with exquisite taste, is flexible. I am served directly by the chef who improvises à la minute, and there are often surprises. During the course of conversation the chef may be inspired to treat me to something particularly special. At a recent

omakase, the chef encouraged me to taste sardine sushi, which I told him I had never tried. It's about learning and tasting something new. “No soy sauce,” he recommends, “try this sashimi with sea salt.” I also did not believe the chef had authentic Kobe beef, and so, much to my amazement, he served me some. So, it's not only about deferring to the chef—there is mutual deference in which I entrust the chef, and the chef intuitively gauges what to serve me. That kind of experience is unique and makes me feel taken care of, as though the chef is preparing something just for me.

An authentic Omakase is intimate and artful; a conversation in shared appreciation and taste, with anticipation and excitement of what is to come.