Ask George: What do you think of the one-hour omakase trend, so called ‘zoomakase?’

What do you think of the one-hour omakase trend, or so-called ‘zoomakase?’ —Matthew M., St. Louis

Before addressing any variants on the theme, let’s define the omakase experience, beginning with the pronunciation: It’s oh-MAH-kah-say, not oh-mah-KAH-say. Omaskase is a Japanese phrase essentially meaning, “I’ll leave it up to you.” In Japanese restaurants, it means the customer leaves the ordering, pacing, and number of courses up to the chef—a full-on “chef’s choice,” if you will.

The omakase dining experience traditionally takes place at the sushi counter, directly in front of a conversant chef, who will switch up offerings on the fly depending on guests’ reactions to prior courses. Omakase dinners tend to be expensive, because they feature many painstakingly prepared small dishes, which translates to another criticism: The meal lasts at least two hours and, in most cases, much longer. Diners have been critical of both the financial and time commitment, which is why, in recent years, according to this article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, New York City saw “an explosion of restaurants featuring omakase experiences completed in an hour, and for less than $100,” a phenomenon dubbed “zoomakase.” The article mentioned newly opened Kichi Omakase in Philly’s Washington Square West, which offers 15 courses for $95 and guests can bring their own liquor. The result: more revenue and customers, a new experience, happier guests—everybody wins.

Would zoomakase work in St. Louis? My gut reaction: yes, for all the reasons stated above. Sushi is still wildly popular, but when ordered a la carte, it tends to be expensive. I’ll generalize here and say that most of today’s diners continue to seek out new experiences and prefer small-plate “tastes” over traditional entrées yet must be mindful of how often they splurge. Zoomakase checks all of the boxes. I could see St. Louis supporting a dedicated zoomakase restaurant or patronizing that kind of an experience in a traditional Japanese/sushi restaurant.

We asked several local sushi chefs and restaurant owners for their takes, as well as SLM dining critic Dave Lowry, who wrote A Connoisseur’s Guide to Sushi.

Shayn Prapaisilp, Global Foods Group (King & I, Oishi Sushi, Oishi Sushi & Steakhouse, Chao Baan): “In my opinion, an hour-long omakase would be entirely appropriate. Not everyone has the time or means to spend two hours at an omakase. Some Michelin-starred restaurants even offer various tiers of omakase from a more abbreviated menu for lunch compared to a ‘fully omakase’ for their dinner service.”

Nick Bognar, indo, Sado: “Keep it fun and I’m sure it would work. It doesn’t have to be the absolute best quality, but it would still take someone with expertise to make it happen. St. Louis needs more things like this, but it’s not really my style. We put so much effort into our fish program, rushing people through in an hour wouldn’t be worth it…not to mention all the technique, fish butchery, and that everything is dry-aged, our baseline product is very expensive.”

Dave Lowry, SLM dining critic: “An hour to eat 15 pieces of sushi? Yep, that’s pretty much historically and culturally appropriate. Think of it this way: Is there connoisseurship in hot dogs? Absolutely. The differences in wieners, in toppings, in grilling versus steaming and so on… Aficionados make distinctions and defend preferences. To say, however, that there is a connoisseurship in the hot dog is not to say hot dogs are haute cuisine. Sushi is the same way. There are intricate, fabulously complex methods and presentations of sushi, but at its heart, it is still the informal, street-stall food that it has been for a couple of centuries. I’d no more spend two hours sitting in a sushi-ya than I would spend 30 minutes eating a hot dog, no matter how ‘gourmet.’ If you can’t appreciate the quality and craftsmanship of 15 bites of sushi in less than an hour, then you don’t have the requisites to appreciate it period. To be sure, the sushi industry has pushed this notion of sushi as a highfalutin dining experience, in Japan and elsewhere. The ‘innovation’ of having such a ‘speed omakase’ is really just a pleasant and welcome nod to the real tradition.”

Eliott Harris, The Benevolent King: “I’ve read about this spot. It definitely sounds like a cool concept. It doesn’t say how many seats the restaurant has and if this is something only offered at the sushi bar. One hundred dollars seems cheap to me. And although the concept sounds cool and it’s BYOB, I’d have to experience it myself to really evaluate it. We allow one hour and 20 minutes for a two-top, and that’s not always enough time. One hour seems a bit rushed for me, but considering it’s in NYC, I could see it working out, especially if you’re dining solo.”

Munsok So, So Hospitality Group (Drunken Fish): ” I see both pros and cons. I like the idea because it offers a condensed and efficient way to experience a curated sushi meal, making it more accessible for those with time constraints. But I also feel it might compromise the traditional omakase experience, which is often about savoring each piece and building a connection with the chef. It could potentially be seen as a passing trend due to its departure from the unhurried nature of traditional omakase. Pricing could be a concern, as well, as finding the right balance between affordability and quality might be challenging. Whether it would work in St. Louis depends on the local culture and diners’ preferences. So while it appears to be a great idea for quick, and possibly quality sushi, it might not fully capture the essence of a traditional omakase experience.”

George Kidera, Nobu’s: “’Omakase’ simply means ‘chef’s recommendation,’ or ‘leave it up to the chef.’ The word has nothing to do with the length of the meal. Somewhere along the timeline, the omakase ‘experience’ has become this lengthy, 90-minute-to-two-and-a-half-hour ordeal, and it doesn’t have to be. Omakase can be an hour or even shorter. It’s all controlled by the owner. For example, one can have a fast-casual omakase meal. Currently in Japan, there are more omakase restaurants that are offering inexpensive experiences that are much more affordable to the general public. ‘Coursed’ dinners have been around since forever. Omakase, in my opinion, is similar—just a buzz word that’s been trending in the U.S. for the past few years. For reference, Nobu’s current omakase style is a blend of ‘Kappo Kaiseki’ and ‘Sushi’ experience, where guests at the sushi counter can make requests and watch the chef prepare a higher end, multi-course Japanese dinner.”    

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