Omakase, which translates to “I’ll leave it up to you,” is a way of dining in a sushi restaurant in which customers leave the choice to the chef and eat whatever is served. It’s a chance for the chef to show off his or her skills and showcase seasonal ingredients or an unusual flavor combination. Diners sit facing the chef, and the meal can be tailored to the diner’s taste or built around a certain ingredient. An omakase-style meal often invokes a fine-dining experience with seasonal and high-end ingredients. Omakase was once considered inaccessible and pricey, but this is not the case anymore. We’ve rounded up some popular sushi restaurants in North Jersey where diners can enjoy an omakase experience without traveling far.
Domodomo | 200 Greene Street, Jersey City
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Located in a well-lit, zen-vibes space, the restaurant is fancy enough for big occasions but also easy-going enough for casual dining. There are three tiers of omakase experiences. A sushi and handroll omakase is $49 per person and is only available Sunday through Thursday. The sushi omakase is $69 per person, and the Domakase, the restaurant’s signature omakase, is $89 per person. The regular menu serves a large variety of sushi bar choices as well as hot dishes.
Read More: A Guide to Sushi Spots in Montclair
Honshu | 95 Greene Street, Jersey City
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Honshu is one of the few local restaurants that serves omakase for delivery. It costs $75 and comes with eleven pieces of sushi, sashimi, and a roll. The fish selection includes many unique choices such as gizzard shard, bonito, and sea urchin. (no “general fish” such as salmon, tuna, or yellowtail, as the restaurant advertises.) Hot dishes and sake are also available on the regular menu.
Samurai Sushi | 245 Paterson Avenue, East Rutherford + 467 Communipaw Avenue, Jersey City
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Originally located in East Rutherford, Samurai Sushi serves up steamed buns, hot dishes, sashimi, rolls, and ramen. The restaurant also has a full bar, as well as an omakase tasting menu. Samurai Sushi recently expanded to Jersey City, with news of the expansion being shared back in February 2023. With two locations open, there is a lot of omakase sushi to go around for all to enjoy.
Sushi Kai | 206 Main Street, Fort Lee
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This restaurant has a multi-course seasonal tasting menu. The tasting menu is made up of appetizers, sashimi, nigiri, and dessert. The omakase experience at Sushi Kai is priced at $155 per person. This spot also uses different varieties of ingredients depending on the season. Reservations are required.
Sushi by Bou | 225 River Street, Hoboken
Hoboken’s latest addition has a timed Omakase experience, called Omakase at Sushi by Bou. There are 30- and 60-minute options which are served at an 8-seat counter and feature the freshest of fish, both locally sourced as well as brought in from all over the world. The seasoned sushi chefs serve directly, bite by bite during the experience (which ends up being about a roll and-a-half of delicacies including sea urchin, scallops, and more) with the menu being set and not shared till you’re there — via a sign to the right of the small bar.
Saku | 936 Park Avenue, Hoboken
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The long-standing Hoboken sushi spot is known for its innovative rolls, sake, Japanese whiskey, and craft cocktails. The 45-minute omakase experience is available every Wednesday and Thursday. It includes an hors d’oeuvre, sushi of the chef’s choice, a handroll, and miso soup. The sushi is of the same fusion style as Saku’s other dishes, featuring items such as salmon with truffle, or scallops with caviar. The price is $65 per person and reservations are required.
Shumi | 70 East Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood
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Hailing from Ridgewood, Shumi has a chef-selected tasting menu with seasonal picks of sushi. The menu also has a selection of sashimi from the day’s catch. Customers are in for a unique Japanese omakase experience here. Beginners or omakase connoisseurs are able to enjoy the wide range menu Shumi has.
Sushi Aoki | 215 Main Street, Suite104, Fort Lee
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Thrillist calls it “New Jersey’s most authentic option for traditional omakase sushi.” Owner and Chef Masashi Aoki was for many years executive chef at Sushi of Gari 46, a famous NYC establishment. The ten-seat sushi bar, which opened in February 2021 in Fort Lee, serves an intimate fine dining experience. There are three omakase choices, priced at $135, $150, and $200 respectively. Many seasonal ingredients are flown in from Japan three times a week. This spot is BYOB.
See More: The Best Sushi in Hoboken + Jersey City — A Definitive List
Yamagata | 1636 Palisade Avenue, Fort Lee
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Yamagata is a low-key spot for affordable sushi. It serves three omakase experiences, starting with ten pieces of sushi for $70. A la carte options are plenty, and there are also many homey Japanese dishes such as katsu, deep-fried cutlets, and totoro, a traditional yam soup.
