Full Omakase Experience in 2021
After a year of staying at home and having either homemade food or take-out, I made sure 2021 was going to be full of not only good food but many new experiences! Let me start off my recap with all the Omakase experiences I’ve had in the past 12 months, and it spans from Vancouver to Toronto!
As good food increased in my life once more, so did other things… like happiness and my weight… but mostly happiness.
For those who have not heard of Omakase, it literally means “leave it up to you/me”. When dining in a Japanese restaurant, you leave it up to the chef to decide the fate of your meal. It is usually seasonal ingredients and the freshest fish, Omakase doesn’t just have to be nigiri but anything the chef decides to make. The number of courses is determined by the restaurant / chef / catch of the day and how much you can eat as well.
I went to 4 different places for Omakase this year and I will list them in the order that I went! I enjoyed each of them immensely and each offered their own unique experiences.
Maruju Sushi
Location: Calgary, AB.
Maruju is local and family-owned, they have been doing Omakase for a very long time, but only to VIP customers pre-pandemic. In the last 2 years or so, they started opening up Omakase Nights to the general public and it has been pretty popular. I think I’ve been back here at least 4 times this year and it was amazing every time!
What to Expect: There are no set days for Omakase, you will have to check their Instagram for any upcoming availability. There are 10-13 courses, and you should consider taking the night off because the whole experience will take around 3-4 hours. So get comfy! (Not recommended for first dates :P)
Ambiance: It’s a fine dining experience. Dim lights and cozy space – perfect for date night or a night out with friends to catch up and enjoy good food. Omakase Nights are reservations only, so the night won’t be interrupted by streams of people entering and exiting and the Chef focused on you.
The Food: We started off with an amazing salad and their version of a chicken karaage stuffed with shrimp paste, after that it’s anyone’s guess. There is usually Miyazaki A5 Wagyu as an add-on and the Chef, Dean, who is Wagyu Certified, comes out and sears it right in front of you. The wagyu literally melted in my mouth.
Most of their ingredients, if not all, are sourced fresh from Japan or around the world. Some nights I’ve had Hokkaido Bafun Uni (Sea Urchin) and let me tell you, even if you never really liked uni, you’ll like this one! Some other dishes I’ve had are (not in order of photos):
- Anago ( Saltwater Eel )
- Foie gras
- Chicken Pate
- Hotaro Ika w/ Miso
- Smoked Swordfish Tataki
- Aged Shima-Aji w/ Yuzu Kosho
- Seared Kinmedai w/ Yuzu Juice
- Bluefin Akami w/ Pickled Wasabi
- Bluefin Chu-Toro and/or O-Toro ( and sometimes with Truffle freshly shaved on top! )
For dessert, if you ever get ice cream, it’s always made in-house! I’ve tried their Hojicha and Black Sesame! So good, so full of flavour. I highly recommend it.
Omakase Price Range: $$$$ | @maruju_sushi
Tojo’s Restaurant
Location: Vancouver, BC
This is the first fine-dining Omakase I tried in Vancouver. Tojo’s has been around for more than 30 years. Chef Tojo claims to have invented the universally known California Roll (amongst other popular rolls), but with real king crab meat instead of imitation crab meat that we have nowadays! There’s a debate over who actually invented this roll but I’m not here to get into that.
What to Expect: Chef Tojo will ask you what type of fish/flavours you prefer to get an idea of what you’ll enjoy and cater to your palate. The experience was a little less than 2 hours, there isn’t a set number of courses because he will ask if you would want more or if you are content.
This place is also on the pricier side for Omakase and has different menu options:
- Seasonal Omakase
- Sushi Bar Omakase
- Japanese Wagyu Dinner
- Tojo’s Ultimate
- Holiday Omakase (limited time)
Ambiance: The space inside is a lot bigger, has high ceilings, and is very spacious. You can also see the whole kitchen behind the Sushi Bar. We went around 5 PM for our reservation, they just opened so it wasn’t very busy, therefore the place seemed even bigger when you’re one of the only customers inside. It’s not as romantic and cozy as Maruju but I enjoyed being able to see the Chefs at work!
The Food: I may have eaten the nigiri’s right when he placed it down for us and I may have forgotten to take photos of them… But here are some other dishes to see! We had sashimi, tempura, sashimi salad in a shell, smoked fish, and his famous original California Roll with real crab meat and caviar on top! Finished off with a dessert – matcha ice cream with red bean and I think it was a wrapped mochi ball? The only thing I remember about that part was it was a little harder than I’d expected and not too sure if I was a fan of it. I loved everything else about the dessert though.
Omakase Price Range: $$$$ | www.tojos.com | @tojos_restaurant
Yasu Sushi Bar
Location: Toronto, ON
I never knew I was going to check out Omakase when I was in Toronto, but thank goodness I did! Yasu is apparently the first Omakase Sushi Bar in Canada and they opened another location in California. Which I’d love to visit when we can start to safely travel again.
What to Expect: Yasu is an Omakase-only menu with reservations at 5 PM, 7 PM, and 9 PM. All seating is around the sushi bar with one table that is not. It was also a set course for everyone, at least it was the time I went, with a few sushi chefs to serve individual parties.
Ambiance: A very small space that seats around 12 people, and kind of a loft-style with the washroom upstairs. It is definitely very cozy, with clear separators between parties, of course, still have to be safe! Dim lighting and perfect view of the Chefs.
The Food: It . Was . Flavourtown. It was so delicious and so many new flavours. Fresh fish from across the world, and a lot of new fish I haven’t tried before. Hands down Yasu is one of our favourites! I was able to record a detailed list of what we ate this time (in order of photos):
- Sashimi w/ Fresh Wasabi
- Mexico BlueFin Tuna
- Japan Amber Jack Kanpachi
- Hokkaido Scallop
- Chopped BlueFin Toro, Hokkaido Uni, & Shiso Flower
- Shima Aji ( Striped Jack )
- Monk Fish Liver w/ Shiso Leaf, Radish
- Japan Sweet White Shrimp w/ Lemon Zest
- Seared BC Black Cod
- Norway Ocean Trout
- Nova Scotia Lobster w/ Yuzu Zest
- Fish Broth Miso Soup (no photo)
- Mexico BlueFin Akami
- Mexico BlueFin O-Toro
- Norway Saba w/ Daikon
- Nova Scotia Snow Crab w/ Crab Liver
- Smoked Japan Bonito
- Anago ( Saltwater Eel )
- Tamago w/ White Fish Paste
- Black Sesame Icecream
Omakase Price Range: $$$$ | www.yasu-sushibar.com/index.html | @yasu_toronto
Nupo
Location: Calgary, AB
Owned by Chef Darren MacLean, Nupo offers a refreshing plant and fish ingredient focused menu. I haven’t tried their regular menu yet, but it looks perfect for a pescatarian! I would love to come back and try that out.
What to Expect: You can make reservations through their website. Omakase is most nights with 2 time slots – 530 PM & 8 PM – and max seating of 6 persons each slot. So it’s a lot smaller and more intimate.
Ambiance: The Omakase counter is in the inside corner of the restaurant. Nupo is a small space but it’s bustlin’. Most of the time it was very hard to hear what the Chef was saying since they have regular seating and a cocktail bar going on as well.
The Food: I couldn’t recall the name of our Omakase Sushi Chef, but she is one of the only female sushi chefs in Calgary! It is a set course with a menu printed out for it – which was different from all the other places because we wouldn’t know what we’re getting until it’s in front of us. It was nice to have so I didn’t have to worry about not hearing what she said the dish was and have a record for later! We started off with some seasonal dishes, then a series of nigiri, and ended off with a miso soup and dessert! ( I may not have photos for all )
- Numata Nori & Rice
- Wild BC Spot Prawn w/ Yuzu Kosho, Lemon, Maldon Salt
- Isaki w/ Beet Juice, Lemon Zest
- Aged Ora King Salmon w/ Kaeshi Soy, Wasabi
- Haidacore Tuna Belly w/ Maldon Salt, Wasabi
- Wild NFLD BlueFin Akami w/ Kaeshi Soy, Wasabi
- Ora King Salmon Belly w/ Lemon, Maldon Salt, Chives
- Hira Aji w/ Nitsume, Ginger, Scallion
- Crab Leg w/ Singapore Chili Gravy, Chives
- Wild NFLD Uni w/ Maldon Salt, Wasabi
- Dungeness Osuimono w/ Chives, Crab Oil
- Lobster w/ Lobster Liver Sauce, Chive
- 15 Day Aged Wild NFLD BlueFin Kama Toro w/ Kaeshi Soy, Wasabi
- Gindara w/ Saikyo Miso Aioli, Togarashi, Scallion
- TKG – Uni, shrimp, butter rice
- Lobster & Dungeness Crab Miso Soup
- Sake Kasu Cheesecake w/ Spiced Pumpkin, Pistachio
Omakase Price Range: $$$$ | www.nupo.ca | @nupoyyc
Conclusion
Every Chef’s Omakase is unique. Out of the 4 that I’ve been to this year, from ambiance to food, Yasu Sushi Bar is on the top of my list. I look forward to traveling to more destinations (when it’s safe to do so), so I can experience what other Chefs have in store!
Thanks for reading!
