What Is Omakase? Chef’s Choice Dining in Japan Explained
Oct 05, 2026
Omakase (お任せ) means leaving the choice to someone else. In a restaurant, it means trusting the chef to decide what to serve rather than choosing every dish yourself.
A kappō restaurant can offer omakase, but the terms describe different things: kappō is the chef-led cooking and restaurant style, while omakase means leaving the menu choice to the chef.
Omakase is strongly associated with sushi outside Japan, but it is not a type of sushi. It is a style of ordering and service that can appear in sushi restaurants, kappō restaurants and other Japanese dining settings.
What does omakase mean?
Omakase means “I leave it up to you” or “I’ll leave it to you.” The diner entrusts the choice of dishes to the chef.
The Japan National Tourism Organization describes high-end sushi omakase as allowing the chef control over the meal. The basic idea is trust rather than a fixed list of dishes.
Is omakase a type of Japanese cuisine?
No. Omakase describes how the menu is chosen, not one cuisine or cooking method.
A sushi chef can serve omakase. A kappō chef can serve omakase. A restaurant serving seasonal Japanese dishes can also use an omakase format.
Is omakase always sushi?
No. Sushi omakase is especially well known, but the word can be used well beyond sushi.
At a sushi counter, omakase may move through sashimi, small cooked dishes and nigiri. Elsewhere, it may include grilled, simmered, steamed or fried dishes.
How does an omakase meal work?
The chef chooses the sequence based on the restaurant’s style, available ingredients and the menu being offered that day.
At some restaurants the chef adapts the meal as it unfolds. At others, most guests receive a carefully planned set menu. Modern restaurant use therefore ranges from highly flexible to largely predetermined.
Is omakase the same as kaiseki?
No. Kaiseki is a style and structure of multi-course cuisine; omakase is a way of leaving menu choices to the chef.
The MICHELIN Guide summarises the distinction neatly: kaiseki is a style of cuisine, while omakase is a style of service. A kaiseki restaurant could offer an omakase menu, but the words still describe different things.
For the two Japanese traditions commonly written “kaiseki,” see Kaiseki vs Kaiseki.
Is omakase the same as a tasting menu?
They can look similar, but they are not exact synonyms. Both may involve a sequence of small dishes chosen by the restaurant.
“Tasting menu” usually describes a multi-course menu format. Omakase adds the idea that the diner is entrusting the selection to the chef.
Is the omakase menu always decided at the last minute?
No. Some chefs adjust courses to the day’s catch, the guest or the pace of the meal. Other restaurants prepare one omakase sequence for all guests.
Chef Shinji Kanesaka has noted that the modern word is sometimes used for a predetermined menu, even though older sushi-counter practice could be more flexible.
Can you tell the chef what you do not eat?
Usually yes, but important allergies and restrictions should be given before the meal, ideally when booking.
A small counter restaurant may buy and prepare ingredients specifically for the number of guests that day. Last-minute changes can therefore be difficult even when the chef wants to help.
Does omakase mean the chef ignores your preferences?
No. Entrusting the menu to the chef does not require silence about allergies, dislikes or appetite.
At restaurants with an interactive counter style, the chef may adjust the sequence after learning what a guest enjoys. At a more fixed omakase, there may be less room for changes.
Is omakase always expensive?
No by definition, although many famous omakase restaurants are expensive. The word itself says nothing about price.
High-end sushi omakase can cost a great deal because of ingredient quality, limited seats and specialist labour. Other restaurants use the term at lower price levels.
How do you know the price?
Check the restaurant’s booking page or ask before the meal. Many modern restaurants publish one fixed omakase price.
Where the meal is more flexible, supplements, extra pieces or drinks may be charged separately.
Why is counter seating common?
A counter lets the chef serve each item immediately and watch the pace of the meal. This is especially useful for sushi and kappō, where temperature and timing can matter from one bite to the next.
Counter seating is common, not mandatory. Omakase can also be served at tables or in private rooms.
What is served first in sushi omakase?
There is no universal first course. Some sushi restaurants begin with small cooked dishes or sashimi before moving to nigiri. Others begin the sushi sequence sooner.
The order belongs to that chef and restaurant rather than to one national template.
Does seasonality matter?
Often, yes. Omakase gives a chef room to use fish, vegetables and other ingredients that are good at that moment.
But “seasonal” should not be treated as a compulsory definition of the word. The defining feature is that the choice is entrusted to the chef.
What tableware is used?
There is no special omakase tableware set. The vessels follow the food and the restaurant.
A sushi counter may use small plates and individual sushi stands. A broader Japanese omakase may use bowls, lidded dishes, ceramics, lacquerware and glass across the meal.
For the vessel side, see What Is Utsuwa?.
Is sashimi part of omakase?
It can be, especially in sushi and Japanese seafood restaurants. It is not required.
See Sashimi vs Otsukuri for the difference between the general raw-fish term and formal restaurant presentation.
What is the etiquette for omakase?
The useful rules are simple: arrive on time, communicate dietary restrictions early, follow the restaurant’s instructions and eat dishes reasonably soon after they are served.
Do not invent a long list of “Japanese rules” that the restaurant has not asked for. House style matters more than internet folklore.
Can you order extra food after omakase?
Sometimes. Sushi restaurants may allow extra nigiri after the planned sequence if ingredients and time permit.
Other restaurants serve one complete menu and do not add courses. Ask the restaurant rather than assuming.
What is the difference between omakase and ordering à la carte?
With omakase, the chef chooses; with à la carte ordering, the diner chooses individual items.
A restaurant can offer both. Regular customers at a sushi counter may also move between the two styles depending on the visit.
Omakase in one sentence
Omakase is a style of ordering in which the diner entrusts the choice and sequence of dishes to the chef.
Where to go next
Continue with Kaiseki vs Kaiseki, Sashimi vs Otsukuri, What Is Utsuwa?, or the main Japanese Table guide.
For more close-up explanations of Japanese food and dining, visit Japan in Detail.
