{{short description|Japanese restaurant order}} {{Italic title|reason=:Category:Japanese words and phrases}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Nihongo|'''''Omakase'''''|お任せ|o-makase|lead=yes}} is a Japanese word meaning "I'll leave it up to you", derived from the Japanese {{nihongo|"to entrust"|任せる|makaseru}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ejje.weblio.jp/content/お任せ |title=お任せの英語・英訳 - 英和辞典・和英辞典 Weblio辞書 |trans-title=Omakase English Translation – English-Japanese and Japanese-English Weblio Dictionary |publisher=Weblio | access-date=20 May 2016 |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/御任せ-454386|title=Omakase|script-title=ja:御任せ|website=kotobank.jp|author=Daijisen|language=ja|access-date=11 July 2021}}</ref> It is most commonly used at Japanese restaurants as a form of gourmet dining in which the customer does not order from a menu and instead lets the chef decide which seasonal specialties to serve.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-29 |title=Omakase, The ordering style where you entrust your dish selection to the chef. {{!}} GOOD LUCK TRIP |url=https://www.gltjp.com/en/article/item/20748/ |access-date=2025-12-15 |website=www.gltjp.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Characteristics == thumb|286x286px|Part of a 12-course ''omakase''
The ''Michelin Guide'' has said that "few formal dining experiences are as revered or as intimidating" as ''omakase'',<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Kitchen Language: What Is Omakase? |url=https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/illinois/chicago/article/features/kitchen-language-what-is-omakase |access-date=2020-07-13 |website=MICHELIN Guide |language=en-US}}</ref> and called it the "spiritual companion and counterpoint" to ''kaiseki'', an elaborate multi-course meal.<ref name=":1" /> Customers ordering ''omakase'' expect the chef to be innovative and surprising in selecting dishes.
In 2016, food writer Jeffrey Steingarten wrote of his experience with a 22-course ''omakase'' in ''Vogue'', calling it a "memorable feast" that required several hours:
{{cquote|In the U.S., ''omakase'' usually refers to an extended sushi dinner, ideally eaten at the sushi counter, where the chef prepares one piece of fish at a time, announces its name and origin, answers your questions, and guesses what else you might enjoy and how much more you'd like to eat. You expect to be brought the most perfect seafood available at that time of year, fish that will be handled as carefully as a kidney awaiting transplantation and as respectfully as a still-living thing. You marvel at the endless training of the dedicated staff, the precision of their work, their incredible concentration for hours at a time, their lack of pretense, their quiet. And the beauty of their knives.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Steingarten |first=Jeffrey |title=Inside the Costly, Rarified World of the Omakase Menu |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/omakase-chefs-choice-menu-japanese-degustation-shuko-ichimura-nyc |access-date=2020-07-13 |website=Vogue |date=23 September 2016 |language=en-us}}</ref>}}
In 2018, food writer Joanne Drilling of ''WCPO'' compared her ''omakase'' experience to that of using a set menu, but said it was "slightly different" as it "involves completely ceding control of the ordering process and letting the chef choose your dinner".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2018-01-30 |title=Omakase dining lets the chef pick your dinner |url=https://www.wcpo.com/news/insider/back-of-the-house-for-a-unique-dining-experience-try-the-omakase-menu-at-ando |access-date=2020-07-13 |website=WCPO |language=en}}</ref> Like Steingarten, she recommended ''omakase'' dining at the sushi counter.<ref name=":0" />
== Preparation and serving style== Omakase is a multi-course dining experience that typically ranges from 10 to 20 courses.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Palmieri |first=Sabrina |date=2023-03-23 |title=Everything You Need to Know About Omakase – Japan's Unique Gourmet Dining Experience |url=https://tomorestaurant.com/omakase-post/ |access-date=2025-12-15 |website=Tomo Japanese Restaurant |language=en-US}}</ref> The chef will prepare the courses from inspiration, using only the finest seasonal ingredients available on that day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Is Omakase? Experience, Meaning & Etiquette {{!}} Fine Dining Lovers |url=https://www.finedininglovers.com/explore/articles/what-is-omakase |access-date=2025-12-15 |website=www.finedininglovers.com |language=en}}</ref> Diners are usually seated at a counter in front of the chef, where they can watch the chef prepare their food and be served directly.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singapore |first=Japanese Dining |date=2025-09-10 |title=The Essential Beginner's Guide to Omakase: What to Expect |url=https://japanesedining.com.sg/beginner-guide-to-omakase-singapore/ |access-date=2025-12-15 |language=en-US}}</ref>
The chef typically starts with the lightest fare and gradually moves on to more intricate dishes that highlight the depth of flavors achieved through traditional culinary techniques, to elevate the overall sensory experience. Palate cleansers are also usually served between courses to allow diners to fully appreciate each new dish.<ref name=":2" /> ''Omakase'' can incorporate grilling, simmering, and other cooking techniques.{{sfn|Corson|2007|p=98}}{{sfn|Corson|2007|p=113}}
== Dining experience == Omakase experiences are deliberately paced to be slow, to give diners enough time to savour each course.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Is Omakase? Experience, Meaning & Etiquette {{!}} Fine Dining Lovers |url=https://www.finedininglovers.com/explore/articles/what-is-omakase |access-date=2026-01-14 |website=www.finedininglovers.com |language=en}}</ref> The chef will observe diner’s reactions to each of the courses and adjust the remaining courses accordingly.<ref>{{Cite web |last=C |first=Lisa |date=2025-08-06 |title=Introduction to Omakase |url=https://www.thechoppingblock.com/blog/introduction-to-omakase |access-date=2026-01-14 |website=www.thechoppingblock.com |language=en-us}}</ref>
This personalized approach centered on the diner’s happiness is what makes Omakase dining distinctive.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kitchen Language: What Is Omakase? |url=https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/features/kitchen-language-what-is-omakase |access-date=2026-01-14 |website=MICHELIN Guide |language=en-US}}</ref> Diners also often get the opportunity to try out dishes not typically found on the menu, adding to the sense of exclusivity.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-29 |title=Omakase, The ordering style where you entrust your dish selection to the chef. {{!}} GOOD LUCK TRIP |url=https://www.gltjp.com/en/article/item/20748/ |access-date=2026-01-14 |website=www.gltjp.com |language=en}}</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|Food|Japan}} * List of restaurant terminology * ''Okonomiyaki''
== Notes == {{Reflist|2}}
== References == * {{cite book |last=Corson |first=Trevor |year=2007 |title=The Zen of Fish |publisher=HarperCollins |location=New York |isbn=978-0-06-088350-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/zenoffishstoryof00cors}} * {{cite book |last=Issenberg |first=Sasha |author-link=Sasha Issenberg |year=2007 |title=The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy |publisher=Gotham Books |location=New York |isbn=978-1-59240-294-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/sushieconomyglob00isse}}
{{Sushi}} {{Japanese food and drink}}
Category:Sushi Category:Japanese words and phrases Category:Restaurant terminology Category:Japanese cuisine Category:Japanese cuisine terms