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

Sushi by Bou joins Sushi | Bar and Kase as the only three exclusively omakase restaurants in Nashville. —Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

Meanwhile, Nando Chang, who earned the 2025 Best Chef: South award just a year after his sister, will continue to focus on his 10-seat omakase counter, Itamae Ao, which is located in a smaller room attached to the main Maty’s restaurant. —Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 26 June 2025

Aqua Kyoto’s new 77-foot sushi bar is now the longest in New York City, serving a 10-course omakase menu at its 22-seat counter. —Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

The invite-only club is accessible to guests staying in the resort’s Fleur de Lis suites, as well as those invited by a Poodle Room member and guests dining at 12-seat omakase restaurant Ito. —Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 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