Omakase - when you place your complete trust in the chef.

Omakase originates from the Japanese word "Makasu," meaning "to trust or entrust something to." For the people of the Land of the Rising Sun, the Omakase culinary culture has become familiar, even essential. Join Travellive as we explore three unique Omakase restaurants in Hanoi.

Omakase and the trust diners place in their dining experience.

Omakase is not a long-standing cultural tradition in Japan. It only truly emerged and became popular in the 1980s and 90s, aiming to help customers avoid confusion when they didn't know what to order or lacked extensive food knowledge. They decided to let the chef "direct" their meal and simply enjoy it.

Omakase allows for greater interaction between diners and chefs. Unlike typical Japanese restaurants where customers order from a menu, wait for their food to be served, enjoy it, and pay, the Omakase model offers much more than that.

Restaurants operating under this model often invite you to sit at the counter (if you don't need a private seat or to entertain guests) to directly observe the chef demonstrating their skillful techniques. Simultaneously, while serving the dish, the chef will explain the origin of the ingredients or share valuable information about the dish. Diners can ask the chef directly about the dish they are watching, or even the cultural story behind it.

After finishing their meal, they would typically receive a bill detailing the total cost of the meal, rather than the price of each individual dish. Omakase emphasizes the experiential and unexpected aspects of each meal, rather than serving everything in an inflexible and uncreative way. This is considered a distinctly "edomae" style of dining – the refined dining style of ancient Edo.

Here are 3 suggestions for Omakase restaurants in Hanoi.

Sushi Uminohana

Located on the small, bustling Phan Ke Binh street, Umiohana impresses with its simple interior design, focus on food quality, and attentive, thoughtful service.

Uminohana excels in sushi and sashimi, using carefully selected imported ingredients. It also emphasizes freshness and the Japanese tradition of using seasonal ingredients. The fish at Uminohana are diverse and of high quality. Beyond fish, other seafood such as shrimp (ebi), crab (kani), scallops, oysters, black abalone, and sea urchin (uni) are regularly changed to add variety to each menu.

One aspect that might not appeal to many is the overly simple and uncreative presentation of the dishes. Uminihana adheres to a very "Japanese" principle with its simple presentation, focusing on the food itself rather than elaborate or extravagant displays.

Kappou Ishida

Kappou Ishida is located on the spacious Nguyen Dinh Thi street, right next to West Lake. It's also a place that attracts significantly more Japanese tourists than other Omakase (Japanese noodle soup) establishments in Hanoi.

Kappou stands out from other restaurants because of its incredibly beautiful and harmonious food presentation, in true Japanese style. Flowers and leaves are used extensively to make dishes more vibrant, and often edible ones are used. Regarding ingredients, Kappou emphasizes freshness and constantly changes its menu, creating many surprises for diners. Instead of focusing solely on fish and seafood, they also offer premium Wagyu beef.

The restaurant boasts a spacious setting with stunning views of West Lake. Instead of focusing solely on fish and seafood, they also sell Ozaki beef – a premium type of Wagyu beef.

Nuboko Sushi & Teppanyaki

This is a new restaurant in Hanoi, located on Ly Thuong Kiet street. By pursuing the unique Omakase model, Nuboko offers diners a rich and enriching dining experience.

Each meal is meticulously introduced by the waitstaff, followed by a "performance" from the chef. Even while focusing on cutting fish or shaping sushi, they can still tell diners many stories about the ingredients and the dish they are preparing. It's clear the restaurant places a strong emphasis on interaction between customers and the chefs. Besides fish and seafood, the restaurant also offers premium beef and homemade desserts.

One minor point to note is that the restaurant isn't very easy to find. However, the quality of the food and the friendly service will make you want to come back a second time.

A common feature of all three restaurants mentioned above is their relatively high prices compared to other Japanese eateries. This is not surprising, as they all target the high-end customer segment. The great thing about restaurants following the Omakase model is the absolute freshness of the ingredients, the skill of the chefs, and the tranquil atmosphere for diners to fully enjoy their meal.

Hopefully, with the addresses mentioned above, readers can have more choices for a diverse and unique dining experience, a place where you can place complete trust in the chef standing in front of you.

Ha Chuu