Kitchen Language: What Is Omakase?
"Conversely, chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi of Omakase Room by Tatsu in New York City provides one option: a set menu—which changes frequently—that includes 18 pieces of sushi, with the option of adding supplemental pieces à la carte. Sekiguchi will also tailor the menu to guests as he gets to know them over time. The use of a set menu is important for him though, as it it reflects his philosophy about how he wants the omakase experience to unfold. According to Sekiguchi, providing a set menu allows him to keep prices down, which he believes makes his own restaurant more accessible for people who are afraid of having an exorbitantly priced meal. But it's also important because his cooking is stylistically edomae. Edomae sushi is considered to be the most traditional form, dating back hundreds of years to when fish in Japan's capital city of Edo—now called Tokyo—was sold by street vendors as a snack and was stored in vinegar to keep it from spoiling. Having a set menu allows Sekiguchi the proper time to prepare his fish in the edomae style." - Jacob Dean
