omakase

1 of 2

adverb or adjective

oma·​ka·​se ˌō-mə-ˈkä-(ˌ)sā 

: according to the chef's choice

While Chef Hori's omakase menu will vary, there will always be a selection of hot and cold dishes.

—Loretta Ruggiero

When money's no object, order omakase and trust Tojo to prepare your meal …

—Mia Stainsby

This is the height of omakase dining, in which chefs prepare a daily tasting menu according to seasonal ingredients from fugu fish to citrus.

—Merrill Lee Girardeau

omakase

2 of 2

noun

plural omakases

: a series of small servings or courses (as of sushi) offered at a fixed price and whose selection is left to the chef's discretion

… for one of the most pristine omakases in town, book a seat at the sushi bar when legendary head sushi chef Yoshio Ono is working.

—Katie Chang

I was halfway through this year's premier food offering at the festival: a 17-course sushi omakase inside an air-conditioned tent complete with sake pairings.

—Jenn Harris

What's a pizza omakase, you ask? … Aside from the unique opportunity to dine on some truly one-of-a-kind dishes, key highlights of the changing menu here include a showcase of unusual, small-batch ingredients and processes.

—Don Mendoza

Examples of omakase in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Mori Nozomi is a serene, eight-seat sushi counter in the Sawtelle neighborhood in West LA, where the interior (blonde wood, ikebana flower arrangements, handmade ceramics from Japan) soothes and the food, a 26-course omakase, stands out even in LA’s highly saturated sushi scene. —Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025

Outside of the all-inclusive meal plan, guests can book Kaboku Restaurant for a seven-course omakase-style Japanese feast, including fresh fish and seasonal ingredients from the garden. —Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025

The vast sushi menu now also includes dumplings, salads, stir-fry dishes, pho and omakase. —Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2025

The omakase experience is $80 per person and will include 11 courses and a welcome drink. —Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb or adjective

from attributive use of omakase entry 2

Noun

borrowed from Japanese, literally, "leaving (a decision, choice, etc.) to someone else," from o-, honorific prefix + makase "leaving (something) to another," derivative of makaseru "to entrust, leave to"

First Known Use

Adverb Or Adjective

1969, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1967, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for omakase

• aldolase
• alleyways
• amylase
• anaphase
• anhydrase
• anyways
• arginase
• cabarets
• carriageways
• castaways
• catalase
• cellulase