What omakase actually means
Omakase (お任せ) literally means "I'll leave it up to you." At a sushi counter, you're telling the chef that you trust their judgment for the day's selection. The chef chooses each piece based on the morning's market, the season, and the rhythm of your appetite. You eat one nigiri at a time, in the order it's served, while the temperature, the rice, and the topping are at their peak.
This is different from a menu meal where you point at items. There is no menu. The course is shaped in real time, and that is the whole point.
How much does omakase in Tokyo cost?
Tokyo omakase pricing is wider than first-timers usually expect. The biggest variable is whether you go for lunch or dinner, and whether you book a destination counter or a quiet neighbourhood one.
| Tier | Price per person | Where you'll find it |
|---|---|---|
| Lunch counter | ¥3,000 – ¥6,000 | Tsukiji, Shinjuku, weekday-only specials at edomae shops |
| Neighbourhood dinner | ¥8,000 – ¥15,000 | Most residential wards (Shibuya backstreets, Yotsuya, Kichijoji) |
| Destination counter | ¥18,000 – ¥30,000 | Ginza, Roppongi, Azabu, Toranomon Hills |
| Top-tier (multi-month wait) | ¥35,000+ | The famous chefs in Ginza and Hatsudai |
For a confident first omakase, the neighbourhood dinner tier (¥10,000–¥12,000) is the sweet spot. You get 12–18 pieces, you don't feel intimidated, and the chef has time to talk if you're curious.
Most counters take cash or major credit cards. A few of the older shops are cash-only, so it's a good habit to confirm when you book.
How to make a reservation
This is the single most missed step by tourists. Almost every omakase counter in Tokyo requires a reservation, and many of them are full 1–4 weeks ahead.
Three reliable ways to book:
- OMAKASE — an English-friendly platform where many Tokyo omakase shops accept credit card holds. Confirmation is instant.
- TableCheck — similar concept, widely used by Ginza and Toranomon counters.
- Your hotel concierge — high-end hotels (Aman, Park Hyatt, Andaz) have direct relationships with chefs and can sometimes find a seat the day-of.
If you're staying short and want to avoid the booking grind, consider an early lunch seating (11:30 or 12:00). They are the easiest to walk into without weeks of lead time.
What to wear
Smart-casual is fine for most counters. A button-down shirt for men, a dress or smart trousers for women, and closed shoes work everywhere. Top-tier Ginza shops appreciate a jacket but rarely refuse you without one.
One small thing — skip heavy perfume or cologne. Sushi rice and aged fish have delicate aromas; strong fragrance is the one piece of etiquette even Japanese diners get wrong. The chef will not say anything, but the people next to you will quietly thank you.
Counter etiquette, condensed
The rules that actually matter, distilled to the seven that will keep you graceful through dinner:
- Eat each nigiri immediately, in one bite. The chef sliced, seasoned, and placed the rice at body temperature for a reason. Photographing it for thirty seconds before eating breaks the entire course design.
- Dip the fish, not the rice. Tip the nigiri sideways and graze the fish on the soy sauce. The rice is already seasoned with vinegar; dunking it makes it fall apart and tastes salty.
- Use your fingers or chopsticks. Either is correct. Many edomae chefs slightly prefer fingers because they don't bruise the rice.
- Ginger (gari) is a palate cleanser. Eat a slice between pieces, not on top.
- Wasabi is already in there. The chef has placed exactly the amount the piece needs. Adding more is a quiet way of saying you don't trust their judgment. If you can't eat wasabi, say so when you sit down ("wasabi nuki de" = "without wasabi").
- Don't rub chopsticks together. This signals "these chopsticks are cheap" — only true at convenience stores.
- Photos: ask first. Most counters allow it. Quieter, more traditional shops prefer you don't. A short bow toward the chef with the camera in your hand gets a yes or a polite no.
Common neta you'll be served, with names
Knowing what's in front of you transforms the meal from a tasting menu into a conversation. These are the pieces you'll most likely see in a Tokyo omakase course, in roughly the order they'll appear:
| Japanese | English | What it tastes like |
|---|---|---|
| Hirame (平目) | Olive flounder | Light, clean, often the opening piece |
| Tai (鯛) | Sea bream | Subtle sweetness, springtime favourite |
| Akami (赤身) | Lean tuna | The leaner cut of tuna, a quiet first impression |
| Chu-toro (中トロ) | Medium fatty tuna | Marbled, soft, the gateway to otoro |
| Otoro (大トロ) | Fatty tuna belly | Buttery, melts in the mouth — usually the dramatic mid-course piece |
| Kohada (小鰭) | Gizzard shad | Vinegar-cured, sharp, very edomae |
| Uni (雲丹) | Sea urchin | Sweet, creamy, served as gunkan-maki |
| Ikura (いくら) | Salmon roe | Salt-bursting, gunkan-maki |
| Anago (穴子) | Sea eel | Brushed with sweet tsume sauce, often near the end |
| Tamago (玉子) | Sweet egg | The traditional closing piece |
If a chef serves you something you don't recognise, ask. "Kore wa nan desu ka?" ("What is this?") is a perfectly welcome question, and most chefs love answering. If you have an English-speaking server, even simpler: just point at it gently with a curious face.
Five Japanese phrases that go a long way
- Onegaishimasu (お願いします) — said when you sit down. Roughly: "Please take care of us."
- Itadakimasu (いただきます) — said before the first piece. "I gratefully receive."
- Oishii desu (おいしいです) — "It's delicious." Use it when you mean it; the chef notices.
- Kore wa nan desu ka? (これは何ですか？) — "What is this?"
- Gochisousama deshita (ごちそうさまでした) — said at the end. "Thank you for the meal." A small bow toward the chef on the way out completes it.
Fluency is not the point. Saying these five at the right moments tells the chef you respect the room. That changes the meal.
Five rookie mistakes — and how to avoid each one
1. Arriving late
Sushi counters serve in rhythm. If you booked 19:00, the chef has cut your hirame already. Five minutes early is ideal, on time is fine, ten minutes late means the first three pieces are rushed.
2. Mixing wasabi into your soy sauce
Common in Western sushi bars; rare at Tokyo counters. The wasabi has already been calibrated per piece. Mixing means you're seasoning everything identically.
3. Ordering drinks like you're at a bar
One light beer or one glass of sake to start is normal. A four-cocktail tour during a 16-piece course will mute your palate and slow the chef. Pace yourself.
4. Treating it like a tasting menu you can edit
If you don't eat shellfish, say so at the start. Skipping a piece silently in the middle is the only thing that genuinely annoys a sushi chef — the timing of the course shifts and the next pieces lose their place.
5. Trying to tip
Japanese restaurants don't accept tips. Leaving cash on the counter is awkward for everyone. A clear Gochisousama deshita and a small bow does what a tip would do in your home country.
How the Omakase Master app fits in
We built Omakase Master after watching too many travellers freeze at the counter — phone in one hand, chopstick in the other, trying to Google what just landed in front of them while the rice cooled. The app is the quiet pocket guide for exactly this moment.
- Etiquette guide — counter manners broken down into before-arrival, during the course, and after the meal. Skim it on the train.
- Sushi encyclopedia — photos, names, season and flavour profile for every neta on this page (and many more). Identify the piece in front of you in two taps.
- Native-recorded phrases — the five phrases above, plus a dozen more for allergies, drink ordering and small talk. Tap to hear native pronunciation.
- AI sushi chef chatbot — ask anything — "What is this?", "How should I eat this?", "Is this okay to share?" — and get a one-paragraph answer in English, Japanese, Chinese or Korean.
- Works offline after the first download. Useful inside small counters with no Wi-Fi.
As of June 2026, the app is 100% free with no subscription, no in-app purchases and no ads. You can install it from the App Store or Google Play, or read more on the Omakase Master landing page.
One last thing
The first time I sat at an edomae counter, I dunked the rice in soy sauce, mixed wasabi into the dipping dish, and photographed the otoro for forty-five seconds before eating it. The chef said nothing. The rice fell apart, the wasabi muted the tuna, and the temperature collapsed. That meal is the reason this guide exists — and the reason we built the Omakase Master app.
Omakase is not a performance test. Nobody is grading you. The chef wants you to enjoy the meal, and every Japanese diner at the counter has, at some point, made all the mistakes on this page.
Eat the otoro in one bite. Ask what the kohada is. Say oishii desu when you mean it. That's enough. The rest will follow.
Itadakimasu.