Where to look for Japanese omakase in Vancouver?

“Omakase” is Japanese for “I leave it to your discretion”. Order this dish at the restaurant if you want the chef to choose the food for you.

Omakase appeared at the end of the 20th century, when sushi bars became available not only to gourmands and samurai, but also to ordinary people. They didn’t know much about raw fish and asked the chef to pick the ingredients for them. Soon omakase, like other Japanese food, became popular all over the world.

In Japan we didn’t have a chance to try it. All of the tourist bars on Tripadvisor are booked out in a month, and getting a table at “sushi for locals” without knowledge of the Japanese language is almost impossible.

READ MORE: The Great Journey to Japan

It’s a good thing there are so many Asian immigrants in Vancouver. There are real omakase not in one place, but at several sushi bars! We went to Maumi to satisfy our curiosity and celebrate another wedding anniversary at the same time.

The restaurant, is tiny, as it should be, only for 10 people. The chef was wielding knives in the middle, and hungry customers sat around the bar.

As a rule, at omakase, you get the best fish and a carefully selected palette of flavors in exchange for your trust. Each piece of sushi is made in front of your eyes and served individually, in strict order. In Vancouver they put it on a plate, in Japanese sushi bars they threw regular sushi right on the bar.

The chef treated us to several types of fish, scallop, shrimp, eel and sea urchin. Everything was raw, interesting, delicious, with signature secret sauces. In the middle of the tasting, they served miso soup with shrimp. A total of 11 pieces of nigiri were included in the price of the session; afterwards, you could order more from the menu.

Omakase is not necessarily made with raw fish and rice. It may also include fried, boiled, and other ingredients. In addition to nigiri (thinly sliced fish with rice), they sometimes serve broth (dashi), sashimi (fish without rice), and hassun (small snacks). Maumi even had an omelet on the menu!

All in all, we liked the experience. My husband appreciated the bluefin tuna and sea urchin. And I especially enjoyed sea eel and mackerel. The interior could have been a little more traditional and cozy. But the chef’s graceful molding of the sushi took all the attention anyway, so it was great!

Omakase costs quite a bit ($100CAD/person on average), I advise it to the lovers of experiments, Japanese cuisine and raw fish. Book in advance by phone or online.