"Omakase" turns up on a lot of London restaurant listings these days, usually with a price attached and not much explanation. Since ALBA opened its ten-seat omakase counter in Knightsbridge, we've been asked the same questions again and again: what is omakase, exactly, what happens when I sit down, and is there anything I'm supposed to know before I go? Here are the answers, with a little less mystique than the word usually comes wrapped in.
What Does Omakase Mean?
Omakase means "I'll leave it to you." Say it to a sushi chef and you have handed over the menu. There is nothing to order and nothing to choose; the chef decides what you eat, in what order and at what pace, working from whatever came in that morning and whatever is at its best that week. It is the same instinct as asking a good fishmonger what to buy today, followed all the way to the table.
The format runs on trust, and it cuts both ways. The chef gets to serve each piece when it is exactly right rather than when it happens to be ordered. You get a meal you could not have planned yourself, and no decisions to make beyond what to drink.
What Happens at an Omakase Counter?
You sit at the counter with the chef directly opposite, close enough to talk. Courses come one at a time, usually a run of nigiri, sashimi and small plates, each made in front of you and passed across the moment it is finished. Nothing waits. You watch the knife work, the rice being shaped, the brush of soy, and then you eat it while it is still at the temperature the chef intended.
At ALBA the counter seats ten, which is small enough that Takuya Kaneko, ALBA's Japanese Head Chef, can talk to every guest through the evening and read the pace of the room. The meal moves at a conversational speed: quick enough that nothing sits, slow enough that you can ask what you are eating.
A Little Omakase Etiquette
There are fewer rules than people fear. Three are worth knowing.
Eat each piece as it arrives. Nigiri is made to be eaten within seconds: the rice is body-warm, the fish is cool, and the two start drifting apart as soon as it lands. If you are mid-conversation, finish your sentence, but don't let it sit.
Hands or chopsticks, either is correct. Sushi was street food long before it was fine dining, and picking up nigiri with your fingers is entirely proper. If a piece has been brushed with soy or dressed by the chef, it is ready as it is. If soy is offered, turn the piece and dip the fish side rather than the rice, so it holds together.
Tell us about allergies and dislikes when you book. This is the one that matters. Because the whole meal is planned around you, a note at booking lets the chef build a sequence that works; a note at the counter is much harder to work around.
That is the lot. Beyond those three, the only thing to do is settle in and follow the chef's lead.
Is Omakase Only Sushi?
Mostly, but not by rule. The word describes who is choosing, not what is on the plate, so an omakase meal can wander through cooked dishes, broths and grilled fish as easily as raw ones. At ALBA it stays close to the sea, which is where the restaurant's cooking has always lived: ALBA is first an Italian restaurant in Knightsbridge built around seafood, and the Japanese counter starts from the conviction that runs through its crudo and sashimi alike - the best fish needs very little done to it.
Experience Omakase at ALBA
ALBA's omakase counter is on Brompton Road, directly opposite Harrods, and runs Tuesday to Saturday with dinner seatings at 6:30pm and 8:30pm. There is a nine-course and a twelve-course tasting menu. If you have never done omakase before, it is a good place to start: ten seats, a chef who will happily explain every piece, and a room that never feels formal. Seats go quickly, so book the counter ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Omakase Mean?
"I'll leave it to you." Instead of ordering, you let the chef build the meal around the best ingredients available that day.
Do I Need to Know Any Etiquette for Omakase?
Three things: eat each piece as it arrives, dip the fish rather than the rice, and mention allergies or dislikes when you book. Beyond that, follow the chef's lead.
Can I Eat Nigiri With My Hands?
Yes. Hands or chopsticks are both correct.
Is Omakase Always Sushi?
Usually, but the word describes the chef choosing for you, not the food itself, so it can run across a whole meal.
When Is the Omakase Counter Open?
Tuesday to Saturday, with dinner seatings at 6:30pm and 8:30pm.
How Do I Book the Omakase Counter at ALBA?
Through the OpenTable link on the ALBA website. With ten seats across two seatings, booking ahead is recommended.
