In Atlanta, there are three restaurants in the same neighborhood all specializing in sushi omakase, featuring luxurious, pricey, chef-directed tasting menus.
Of the three, chef Leonard Yu’s Omakase Table probably provides the best bang for the many bucks you will spend. Dinner starts at $235 per person and includes 20 courses, with supplemental courses sometimes available.
The restaurant just received its liquor license in July, so the beverage program is still finding its footing, but a sake pairing is available for $115, the beers are all Japanese craft brews and the wine list has been curated thoughtfully.
Credit: Omakase Table/Brandon Amato
Credit: Omakase Table/Brandon Amato
Yu personally serves nearly every diner at Omakase Table, and the second course during both our visits was a uni tasting, featuring three different grades of ultra-fresh, Japanese sea urchin roe served simply on individual wooden spoons. A single bite of uni is a delicacy, but to have three different types in a row was a spectacular treat. Each had the unique, unctuous creaminess that makes good uni so special, and the side-by-side tasting allowed us to detect the minuscule differences in texture and flavor.
Like most upscale omakase menus, this one starts with several small nonsushi courses, called otsumami here, that show off the kitchen’s cooking skills. Omakase Table serves many of these in small, vintage Japanese dishes that require some minor but delightful interaction on the part of the diner.
Bigfin reef squid came in an adorable yellow vessel that looked like a lemon standing on its end. We had to remove the top before mixing the tender, thinly sliced squid into a tart tozasu dressing. Mahata sirumono, or Japanese grouper poached in bone broth, was served in a wide bowl with some of the poaching liquid. After eating the delicate fish with chopsticks, we lifted the bowl to drink the remaining warm broth.
Credit: Omakase Table/Brandon Amato
Credit: Omakase Table/Brandon Amato
During another course, a chef shaved thin slices of black truffle over warm A5 wagyu with a quail egg yolk and left the truffle container open to let the scent linger as we ate.
The final dish on the otsumami menu is one Yu said he can’t remove, for fear of complaints from his regulars: uni gohan with chu toro. The incredibly rich dish involves a layer of risotto-like rice mixed with uni and served with medium-fatty tuna. Incredibly decadent, the dish elevates rice to the pinnacle of luxury.
Next is the sushi portion of the menu.
At Omakase Table, this usually includes 10-12 nigiri and a hand roll. Each nigiri piece is formed by Yu and meant to be eaten within seconds of the chef placing it in front of you. Yu said he forms each piece to fit the individual diner. He and the staff notice whether each diner is left- or right-handed and adjust their service accordingly.
Credit: Omakase Table/Brandon Amato
Credit: Omakase Table/Brandon Amato
The nigiri menu featured some amazing, uniquely prepared pieces. Several were lightly cooked immediately before serving, as Yu held a grill topped with white-hot binchotan charcoal above the sliced fish. The karei nigiri, for example, was made with two different pieces of sharkskin sole. A slice of the filet was topped with a grilled hunk of flesh taken from near the fish’s fin. The much fattier chunk was grilled to a near-melting texture that dissolved over the leaner fish and rice as it was chewed.
Despite the number of courses, most diners don’t leave Omakase Table feeling uncomfortably full.
While the restaurant’s food was exemplary, a few other aspects felt like a work in progress. Parking was a bit of a hassle, with no valet or clear directions to the restaurant. The minimalistic decor is elegant but austere, and the lighting above the chef’s counter can be harsh or have an annoying LED flicker. Sometimes, the pace of the meal seemed a little relentless; on our second visit, we finished in about two hours.
Omakase Table is a good value, but it’s still an extremely expensive restaurant that should feel like a special treat on each visit. Along those lines, Yu said he is considering opening a new restaurant in Buckhead with a more refined space that could help bring the dining experience to the next level.
No restaurant is perfect, but Omakase Table serves incredible food. Thanks to Yu’s talent and attention to detail, his omakase truly is something special.
OMAKASE TABLE
3 out of 4 stars (excellent)
Food: sushi omakase
Service: polished, friendly and detail-oriented
Noise level: low
Recommended dishes: menu changes daily, but a couple of dishes are reliably offered: the sea urchin rice with chu toro and the tamago. Plan to order supplements, if possible.
Vegetarian dishes: the restaurant does not accommodate vegetarian diets
Alcohol: full bar, including a sake pairing
Price range: $$$$$
Hours: 5-8 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays
Parking: paid parking deck
MARTA: no
Reservations: required
Outdoor dining: no
Takeout: no
Address, phone: 788 W. Marietta St., Atlanta. 404-205-5876
Website: omakasetableatl.com
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