Ask Eater Dallas: Which Expensive Omakase Service Should I Try?

Omakase service is having a moment in Dallas. Sushi lovers are lining up, so to speak, to make reservations for multi-course meals selected by the city’s best chefs that include nigiri, sashimi, maki, chirashi, and more. It’s typically served in a small room, sitting at a bar, while chefs prepare each course in front of you — the nigiri is hand-shaped, the sashimi is freshly cut, and the odd preprepared course with spectacular presentation flow out from the kitchen. Each course is no more than a bite or two, and created using fresh, seasonal fish and ingredients. No two omakase experiences will be alike. It’s also a communal experience, where one should expect to interact with the diners around them in an intimate space.

The catch is, these are extremely expensive meals, often because the fish is flown in and using the most expensive ingredients is a hallmark of this sophisticated service. Eater Dallas went to four of the most talked about omakese services in town to help you decide which is worth trying.

Tatsu

3309 Elm St., Suite 120

The brief: Tatsu is currently the most difficult reservation to get in Dallas — making a night there all the more covetable. It is also on the James Beard long list of contenders for best new restaurant of 2023. While all the services had fresh fish imported directly from Japan, Tatsu’s treatment of the fish overall was better. The temperature at service was just chilled enough to enjoy the flavor of the fish, and the preparations were all minimal, largely employing only additions of wasabi and/or a brush of soy sauce.

Ambiance: Simple and elegant describes everything about the space. It seats 10 diners and has minimal staff on hand — only chef Tatsuya, who prepares the vast majority of the food himself, and his sous chef are behind the counter. His wife, Hiroko, and Tatsu’s beverage director, Janice Brown, handled everything else. Tatsu kept the service simple, also without much fanfare — which meant not a lot of interaction to detract from conversation between diners, but with short asides about the dishes, and a brief moment when he pulled out an iPad to show how the toro is prepared.

Omakase highlights:

Courtney E. Smith

Courtney E. Smith

Courtney E. Smith

Firefly squid, a seasonal delicacy.

Value for cost: The meal cost $250 including an 18 percent service charge per diner before alcohol pairings — and the alcohol menu doesn’t have a lot of low-cost options. There is a good value pick though, with a “classic” sake pairing for $90.

Namo

3699 McKinney Ave. #305

The brief: This West Village sushi bar offers omakase service on Wednesdays at 6 and 8:15 p.m. And, it occasionally brings guest chefs to town. The night I went, there was a special service featuring both Namo chef Kazuhito Mabuchi and chef Kazushige Suzuki from Michelin-starred Icca in New York City, who created wildly creative bites. Check its Resy page for similar special events.

Ambiance: Namo has 12 seats that wrap in sets of four around the sushi bar. The chefs put on a great show while preparing, interacting with guests and making dad jokes. The room lent itself to socializing, so the diners were especially chatty here.

Omakase highlights:

Courtney E. Smith

Courtney E. Smith

Courtney E. Smith

Toro in a Panko-fried crust.

Value for cost: At $350 for service without pairings by a Michelin-starred chef, this was the most pricey omakase — more than the average service at this restaurant. And it featured 23 courses. It was worth it for the experience of eating and meeting such a well-respected chef, and for the excellent conversation with the staff and other diners.

Shoyo

1916 Greenville Ave.

The brief: This sushi counter is a collaboration between chefs Shin Kondo, formerly the head chef of Nobu in Las Vegas, and Jimmy Park, who also owned Nori Handroll Bar and Pok the Raw Bar in Dallas. It offers two seatings in the evenings, from Tuesday through Saturday.

Decor and ambiance: This small, dark space seats 12 and leans towards moody shades of black and gold for its decor and much of its atmosphere. Chef Park is an entertainer, flanked by two other chefs, who offer lots of jokes and insights on various ingredients throughout the service.

Omakase highlights:

Courtney E. Smith

Courtney E. Smith

Courtney E. Smith

Toro nigiri topped with caviar.

Value for cost: The service here is $195 per diner before alcohol pairings or add-ons. On the night we visited, it included 19 filling courses — no add-ons felt necessary but caviar and truffle options were offered, even though caviar was served with one piece of nigiri. We paired the meal with an affordable $13 cava and noticed other affordable options on the menu.

Kessaku

1401 Elm St., 50th Floor

The brief: This hot spot on the top floor of Downtown’s Thompson Hotel is a long elevator ride up to the 50th floor that pays off with amazing views. The space is hip and fun. This is an omakase service for a crowd who wants a rowdy night and isn’t hung up on tradition. And they only do it once a month.

Ambiance: The decor is busy and fun, but the restaurant’s layout prioritizes seeing and being seen, centering views of other customers and the city views rather than the chefs’ preparations of each dish. Diners sit at tables of four, with a total of 22 people in attendance this night, while the chef and sommelier speak loudly to the room as each course comes out. Our chef created a through line of spring and citrus in each dish that was enjoyable and creative.

Omakase highlights:

Courtney E. Smith

Courtney E. Smith

Courtney E. Smith

Salmon nigiri with a sprinkling of caviar and green onion.

Value for cost: $300 including alcohol pairings and the tip, and there were so many courses of alcohol that it was nearly impossible to drink all of them. Great value if alcohol pairings are important, but absolutely plan to Uber home.