What Is Omakase? Meaning, Etiquette and How It Works
Omakase is a Japanese word that means “I leave it up to you”. At a restaurant it describes a meal where you do not order. The chef decides every course from what is best that day, serves it one plate at a time, usually across a counter, and you eat it as it comes.
The word has travelled well beyond sushi. In Melbourne it now covers Japanese, French-Japanese, wagyu and, at Rōnin, Korean cooking. The format is the constant: a small room, a chef in front of you, and no menu to negotiate.
How an Omakase Night Runs
You arrive at a set time with the rest of the room, because the chef cooks for everyone at once. Courses arrive one by one, each introduced in a sentence or two. A sitting runs about ten courses over roughly two hours. There is no printed list, so the only way to know what you ate is to pay attention, which is most of the pleasure.
At Rōnin the room is ten seats, the chef is Liam Lee, and the cooking is Korean. What a first visit feels like, from booking to the last course is written for people who have never sat at a counter before.
What You Do and Do Not Need to Worry About
Arrive a few minutes early. Service starts within fifteen minutes of the booked time and does not wait for late arrivals, because a late plate for one guest means a cold plate for nine. Eat each course when it is set down. Ask questions, the chef wants you to. Photos of the plates are normal at a counter; phone calls are not.
You do not need to know anything about Korean or Japanese food to enjoy it. You do not need to finish every course, though the chef will notice. Perfume in a ten seat room is the one thing worth going easy on.
Why Omakase Rarely Bends
Because one chef cooks a single sequence for the whole room, most omakase counters cannot swap courses, and Rōnin cannot either. Allergies and dietary alterations are not catered for. That sounds strict but it is what makes the night work. Read what we can and cannot do before you book.
What Omakase Costs
In Melbourne, published 2026 prices run from about A$165 to A$295 per person before drinks. Rōnin is A$195, paid at booking, every night. What that covers and how the city’s counters compare are on their own pages.
Omakase Without Sushi
Japanese sushi counters are where omakase began, but the format does not belong to one cuisine. Rōnin keeps the counter, the chef’s choice and the pacing, and swaps the cooking for jang, fermentation, charcoal and banchan made in house. How Korean omakase differs from Japanese goes course by course.
Common Questions
What does omakase mean in English?
Omakase translates as “I leave it up to you”. At a restaurant it means the chef chooses every course and there is no menu to order from.
Is omakase always sushi?
No. Sushi counters made the word famous, but omakase now covers many cuisines. Rōnin in Melbourne serves a Korean omakase with no sushi.
How long does an omakase take?
At Rōnin about two hours for roughly ten courses. Most counters run between ninety minutes and two and a half hours.
Can I choose my courses at an omakase?
No. The chef decides. If you need to control what you eat, an a la carte restaurant is the better choice.
Book a Seat
445 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Wed to Sat, 6pm to 11pm (dinner only)
0401 721 491 | info@roninomakase.com