Omakase vs Kaiseki: What the Difference Is, and Where Rōnin Fits
Omakase and kaiseki get used as if they were the same thing. They overlap, both are multi-course Japanese meals chosen by the kitchen, but they come from different places and feel different at the table. This page explains both and names the Melbourne rooms that serve each.
Rōnin is a ten seat Korean omakase at 445 Little Collins St in the CBD: about ten courses decided on the day by Chef Liam Lee, A$195 per guest (no prepayment required) paid at the end of the meal, Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm, dinner only, no dietary alterations, no BYO.
The Planned Sequence
Kaiseki grew from the tea ceremony meal and follows a structure: an appetiser, a soup, a sashimi course, a grilled course, a simmered course, rice, pickles, dessert, each with a set role and often its own tableware. The sequence is planned ahead and the same for every guest that night. In Melbourne, Ishizuka on Bourke Street is the clearest example, at a listed A$315.
The Chef Decides
Omakase means “I leave it to you”. The chef decides each course from what is best that day, usually at a counter, usually in front of you. It began at sushi bars and now covers many cuisines. Minamishima, Kisumé and Aoi Tsuki serve Japanese omakase in Melbourne; Rōnin serves a Korean one.
Where Rōnin Fits
Rōnin keeps the omakase format, chef’s choice, course by course, ten seats, and swaps the cooking for jang, fermentation, charcoal and banchan. It is not kaiseki, because nothing is fixed in advance, and not sushi, because there is none. The Korean omakase page and what omakase means go further.
By Temperament
If you want ritual and structure, kaiseki. If you want to watch a chef improvise within a tradition, omakase. If you want that with Korean food, Rōnin is the only counter in the city doing it.
FAQ
Is omakase the same as kaiseki?
No. Kaiseki is a planned formal sequence. Omakase is the chef choosing on the day. Some restaurants blend the two.
Is Rōnin omakase or kaiseki?
Omakase. The courses are decided on the day and the cooking is Korean.
Which Melbourne restaurant serves kaiseki?
Ishizuka on Bourke Street is the best known, with a sixteen seat room and a listed price of A$315.
Book a Seat
445 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Wed to Sat, 6pm to 11pm (dinner only)
0401 721 491 | info@roninomakase.com
Guides
Akaiito Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Aoi Tsuki Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Best Date Night and Romantic Restaurants in Melbourne CBD, Compared · Best Fine Dining and Fancy Restaurants in Melbourne CBD, Compared · Best Omakase in Melbourne: How to Choose · Best Private Dining and Group Dining in Melbourne CBD, Compared · Birthday and Anniversary Dinner in Melbourne CBD · Chae Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Chef's Table in Melbourne · Date Night in Melbourne CBD at a 10 Seat Counter · Degustation in Melbourne CBD: A Korean Degustation Menu · Dietary Requirements at Rōnin: What We Can and Cannot Do · Dinner Near Southern Cross Station: A 10 Seat Omakase Eight Minutes Away · Doju Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Intimate Fine Dining in Melbourne CBD · Is Omakase Worth It in Melbourne? An Honest Answer From a 10 Seat Counter · Ishizuka Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Kentaro Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Kisumé Chef's Table Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Komeyui Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Korean Fine Dining in Melbourne · Korean Omakase in Melbourne · Minamishima Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Modern Korean Restaurant in Melbourne CBD · Nobu Melbourne Omakase Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Omakase Prices in Melbourne: What A$195 Covers at Rōnin · Places to Eat Alone in Melbourne CBD: Solo Dining at the Counter · Private Dining in Melbourne for 10 People: Book Out the Counter · Rōnin on Little Collins Street: Getting Here · Sushi On Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Tasting Menu and Set Menu in Melbourne CBD · Tipping and Service Charges at an Omakase in Australia · Warabi Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · What Is Omakase? Meaning, Etiquette and How It Works · Work Christmas Party and End of Year Function in Melbourne CBD
Journal
Omakase Cancellation Policy at Rōnin: Why a Card Holds Your Seat · November at the Counter · What Is Banchan? Korean Side Dishes Made in House in Melbourne · 10 Seat Korean Omakase in Melbourne: Why Rōnin Keeps the Counter Small · What to Expect at Your First Omakase in Melbourne: Etiquette, Timing and Price · Korean Omakase vs Japanese Omakase in Melbourne: What Changes at the Counter · How to Book Rōnin Omakase in Melbourne: The Monthly Release on the 20th · What Melbourne's Food Press Says About Rōnin · Why There Is No Printed Menu at Rōnin Omakase, Melbourne