What is an Omakase Menu

Omakase is a Japanese phrase that means ‘I’ll leave it up to you’ or, in the context of ordering food at a restaurant, ‘I’ll trust the chef.’ Instead of choosing items from the à la carte menu, diners invite the chef to prepare a multi-course meal of his or her own choosing. At Notios, Almyra’s al fresco restaurant offering a fusion of Japanese and Mediterranean cuisines, there are several ways to enjoy the Omakase concept. The most elaborate requires consultation among the chef and the diners at least twenty-four hours in advance. In the consultation, the chef asks about culinary likes and dislikes as well as food allergies and dietary restrictions. Then the chef creates a tasting menu—it could be for five, seven, or nine courses—especially tailored to the diners’ wishes. If you wish, the chef can arrange a wine pairing for each course. It is also possible to enjoy Omakase menus without advance consultation. Order the Zen Meze menu, for example, and your servers will bring the table a succession of six to twelve small dishes in the sharing tradition of Mediterranean cuisine—you may enjoy sushi, starters, steak, and sauces as part of the meal. The Sushi and Sashimi Set offers a selection of the day’s sushi along with a soup. Other multi-course Omakase menus draw on the à la carte menu. So just utter the magic phrase ‘Omakase’and you’ll unleash the chef’s creativity to create a memorable meal suited to your culinary desires.