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

There’s a daily 10-course set omakase menu as well as a somakase menu, which can be customized to the diner’s preferences. —Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025

While working in one of Tokyo’s leading omakase restaurants for three years, his only role was to clean the fish and make tea. —Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025

Located in the Continental Gin Building in the city’s historic Deep Ellum neighborhood, with 10 seats and two seatings per night, the omakase restaurant opens reservations on the first and fifteenth of each month. —Visit Dallas, AFAR Media, 6 Mar. 2025

Where once there was only a single spot for raw fish enthusiasts, there are now several restaurants scattered across the valley, serving everything from delicate nigiri to full omakase experiences. —Jenn Rice, Forbes, 23 Feb. 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