What Is Omakase? Japanese Culinary Tradition Now Trending In India

Picture yourself stepping into a pizzeria with your friends. Rather than ordering the usual Paneer Pizza or Cheese Overloaded, you complete a short form, and within moments, the kitchen serves a pizza specially made for you. This is called omakase, a food trend that gives you licence to enjoy a slice of everything.

What is Omakase?

The Japanese term "omakase" means “I leave it up to you.” In Japan, it is not a passing trend but a long-standing tradition. This dining style creates an interactive restaurant experience where the chef chooses the freshest seasonal ingredients and decides which special dishes to serve.

In a true omakase meal, the chef does not provide a menu. Instead, the chef builds each course around the best delicacies available and continues serving new dishes based on how guests respond to every plate.

As a broader idea of trusting the chef with your meal, omakase offers an intimate and often luxurious tasting experience that has become popular worldwide. It now goes far beyond sushi, including desserts and dishes cooked over fire. Omakase has also found its place in Indian bars and restaurants, where chefs present tasting menus featuring different slices, starting with appetisers and ending with desserts.

What happens in Omakase?

Diners often sit at a counter and watch the chef create seasonal, beautifully presented dishes—such as sushi, drinks, or pizza—served one at a time. This setup builds an interactive, close, and sometimes artistic or “meditative” dining experience. Guests must fill out a form to share what they want to taste as a level one.

Omakase gained popularity in Japan during the mid-to-late 20th century, especially as sushi culture developed. People once ate sushi as fast food while standing at stalls. When someone said “omakase”, they showed respect by trusting the chef’s judgement: you know better than I do. It also worked well because fish quality changes every day, and the best cuts depend on the season, weather, and market supply.

By introducing this style in India, Japanese restaurants are meeting the rising demand for experimental, exquisite dining. They are also benefiting from the growing obsession with Japanese culture, from skincare and food to anime, manga, and Japan as a popular travel destination.