Food

Omakase menus go beyond their Japanese roots into new culinary territory

Popular in high-end sushi restaurants, other types of concepts are now adapting these chef-driven multi-course tasting menus. Reservations required.
Konro
Konro is designed to provide an immersive, intimate 10-14 course omakase experience. | Photo courtesy of Konro.

The Japanese word “omakase” literally means “I’ll leave it up to you.” And when it comes to restaurants, the “you” is the chef. 

The most common application of omakase is in high-end Japanese sushi restaurants where the chef chooses multiple curated courses featuring small plates of artistically prepared seafood and top seasonal ingredients. Guests can pay as much as $500 per person for the experience, going in trusting the chef but not really knowing what they’ll be eating that night.

But now non-Japanese restaurants are adapting the format and spirit of omakase to their own culinary styles. And while some maintain the same rarefied, luxe experience, others are applying the concept to pizza, pasta, cocktails and coffee.

“Omakase everywhere” was one of the trends spotlighted in the 2025 Hospitality Trends Report compiled by AF&Co + Carbonate. [The menus] “are a sign of luxury and indulgence; a multi-course tasting menu journey with an element of surprise for the guest, who doesn’t know what’s coming until it arrives,” notes the report. 

Jacob Bickelhaupt opened the 10-seat Konro in West Palm Beach, Florida, with the omakase model in mind. Guests sit around a U-shaped sushi-style counter surrounding Chef Bickelhaupt, watching as he prepares and choreographs each of the 10-14 courses of the tasting menu. Customers prepay about $400 for the evening, not discovering what’s in store until the courses progress. But the six-hour egg yolk poached in duck fat and served in a nest of toasted barley and truffle risotto is a signature. 

Wine pairings are available for an extra $250 and chef-driven alcohol-free pairings for $175.

For a more down-to-earth experience, Pizzeria Sei in Los Angeles offers a pizza omakase every other Tuesday, charging $150 for eight to 10 courses. Last spring, the restaurant introduced it on Instagram, sharing some details. The omakase included some of Pizzeria Sei’s best specials, such as Pizza Y (tuna sushi pizza) and a Kakinuma san-style marinara special from Tokyo, plus different dough styles developed by the chef. It immediately sold out. 

Vetri in Philadelphia, an award-winning Italian spot from chef-owner Marc Vetri, launched a slightly pricier house-made pasta omakase for $375 in October. The 10+-course Vetri Omakase tasting for six diners included such whimsical creations as a Fork Full of Tagliolini with Uni topped with Osetra; Potato Gnocchi stuffed with Chanterelle Mousse with Castelmagno Fondue; and Braised Short Rib with Egg Yolk Carrot Raviolio. Dessert was served, too: Sorbetto and Pistachio Crème Brulee. 

steak

A steak omakase is served at Bonyeon in Chicago. | Photo courtesy of Bonyeon. 

Sangtae Park, an experienced sushi chef who operates Omakase Yume in Chicago, recently opened the first steak omakase in the city called Bonyeon. The menu takes guests on an exploration of the different flavors and textures of various cuts of beef, each treated to different preparation and cooking techniques. Some are steakhouse standards, like tenderloin, short rib and hanger steak, while others reflect Chef Park’s Korean and Japanese legacy, such as marinated galbi, wagyu sukiyaki and bibimbap. The price runs about $300 per person.

But the omakase idea is not limited to the food side. Tiger Sun bills itself as Atlanta’s first omakase-style cocktail bar. The intimate 18-seat bar is located inside a refurbished vintage tour bus, where guests can take part in a four-course immersive cocktail pairing experience for $75 per person themed to movies of the ‘80s and ‘90s.

During the recent Karate Kid-theme night, imbibers were treated to Sweep The Leg—a riff on a margarita shaken with house-made ponzu, shochu, mezcal, orange curaçao, Thai basil agave and lime juice, garnished with a basil leaf. The cocktail was paired with 
a birria potsticker with ponzu broth. Reservations drop every other Tuesday.

bar

Tiger Sun in Atlanta offers a cocktail omakase in a converted tour bus. | Photo courtesy of Tiger Sun.

And coffee is getting the omakase treatment at Cokuun, a speakeasy-like café in Tokyo. Once coffee connoisseurs make a reservation, they are informed of the secret location. In this experience, the menu is “left up to the barista” instead of the chef. Four coffees are served, with a sweet served as an intermezzo halfway through. One menu posted online started with Sangria Coffee enhanced with fruit, followed by an espresso mocktail, umami milk (close to mushroom coffee) and a classic Americano to wrap it up.

In the U.S., Tangible Gratitude in Redondo Beach, California, holds monthly coffee omakases in a private studio. Every four-course tasting is paired with its own small bite, beginning with a simple pour-over coffee, moving on to a hybrid brew with a blend of spices, then a milk brew and mocktail. 

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