You love sushi, but have you taken your love to the next level?
To do that, you would be smart to try out omakase, “the purest expression of sushi, a chef’s choice of dishes, often delivered one piece of nigiri or plate of sashimi at a time,” former AJC food writer Wyatt Williams writes.
If you’ve been stuck in a spicy salmon or California roll rut, or looking for a special occasion activity for the sushi lover in your life, try out one of these metro Atlanta spots that offer a parade of dishes that might just spoil you for “regular” sushi.
Brush Sushi Izakaya. Omakase is typically not for the light of pocketbook, but Brush's newly-launched Sunday-Thursday omakase is designed for the budget conscious. The 10-course offering from chef Jason Liang is a piece--by-piece nigiri experience for $49 per person, with the option of a $13 sake or wine flight. On Fridays and Saturdays you'll find the traditional $150 omakase featuring 15 pieces of nigiri including bluefin tuna and uni, toro ikura hand roll made with fatty tuna and a dessert, with a $50 optional beverage pairing.
316 Church St., Decatur. 678-949-9412, brushatl.com
MF Sushi. Owner and sushi chef Chris Kinjo's omakase is the only way to go if you visit MF Sushi in Inman Park. Ranging from $75-$150 per person, the nightly omakase service offers rotating dishes including lotus root and seaweed salad, bites of nigiri, kampachi with yuzu zest and A5 Kobe beef. Williams called it "incredible" when he reviewed it in 2015.
299 North Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta. 678-575-7890, mfsushiusa.com/
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Sushi Hayakawa. Looking for arguably the most exclusive omakase service in Atlanta? Chef Atsushi "Art" Hayakawa personally guides just two diners each night through the multi-hour experience. AJC food writer Brad Kaplan described the experience in a recent story: "You sit at the counter, facing Hayakawa as he delicately slices deeply hued o-toro or precisely shapes the sushi rice so critical to each bite of nigiri...The honkaku (authentic) omakase stretches across 14 courses, driven by the market and the seasons, but always starting with a soup." The whole thing will set you back $185 per person.
5979 Buford Highway, Doraville. 770-986-0010, sushihayakawa.com
Taka Sushi and Passion. Chef Taka Moriuchi offer a variety of options if you're looking for omakase, starting with a 12-piece nigiri for $50 per person. If you're looking for a more traditional omakase experience featuring nigiri in addition to crudos and hot dishes, choose six plates for $65, eight for $75 and 10 for $85. All omakases are offered nightly.
4600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-851-1500, takasushiatlanta.com/
Tomo. Sit at the sushi bar as chef Tomo Naito guides you though an omakase experience put together based on a questionnaire about your dietary and budget restrictions, with a particular emphasis on aesthetics. On any night, dishes could include seared Spanish mackerel in a citrus-soy sauce, an oyster topped with caviar and a variety of nigiri.
3630 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. 404-835-2708, tomorestaurant.com
Umi. Put on your swankiest outfit and head to see-and-be-seen Umi for chef Fuyuhiko Ito's chef's choice dinner. Expect to see dishes such as Kobe beef, yellowtail jalapeno and black cod miso. Save room for a decadent dessert from Ito's wife Lisa, who serves as the restaurant's pastry chef.
3050 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. 404-841-0040, umiatlanta.com
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