What Is Omakase? A First-Timer's Guide to Dining at the Sushi Counter

If you've never sat at an omakase counter before, the concept can feel intimidating. No menu to read. No choices to make. Just you, the chef, and whatever arrives in front of you. That's exactly the point — and once you experience it, very few other meals compare.

What Does "Omakase" Mean?

The word omakase (お任せ) comes from the Japanese verb makaseru — to entrust, or to leave it up to someone. When you sit at an omakase counter, you're placing complete trust in the chef. There's no ordering. No deliberating. The chef decides everything based on seasonality, availability, and the progression of flavors for that evening.

It is a different rhythm from ordering a la carte: the meal unfolds one course at a time, directly across the counter.

What to Expect at the Counter

At Kawa, every guest sits directly at the counter facing the chef. This is deliberate. You're not just eating — you're watching the meal take shape in front of you. Each piece of nigiri is pressed to order. Each course is explained as it's placed in front of you.

A typical omakase at Kawa moves through 14 courses over roughly 90 minutes:

• Appetizers2 small courses — often a soup, a small bite, or seasonal vegetables
• Nigiri10 pieces — the heart of the meal, pressed to order
• Canapé1 course — a composed small bite between nigiri and the finish
• Handroll1 roll — always the final course, meant to be eaten immediately

Etiquette at the Sushi Counter

Eat each piece as it's served

Nigiri is pressed and seasoned to be eaten right away. Waiting even a few minutes changes the texture of the rice and the fish. When a piece is placed in front of you, eat it.

Hands or chopsticks — both are fine

In Japan, eating nigiri with your hands is common. At Kawa, do whatever feels natural. There's no wrong answer.

Skip the soy sauce on nigiri

Each piece of nigiri at Kawa is already seasoned — brushed with house-made nikiri soy or finished with the right amount of salt. Dunking it in soy sauce covers the flavor the chef intended. For sashimi courses, soy is appropriate.

Tell us about allergies before you sit down

Omakase menus are built as a progression. If there's something you can't eat, we need to know when you book — not when the course arrives. Email us or add a note on Resy when you reserve.

It's okay to ask questions

Chef Tony and the team explain every course as it's served, but if you want to know more about where a fish came from or how a dish is prepared — ask. That conversation is part of what makes the counter experience different from a regular restaurant.

What Makes Omakase Different from a Tasting Menu?

A tasting menu at a Western restaurant is usually fixed — the same dishes served to every table, every night. An omakase changes constantly. At Kawa, the menu changes with seasonality, quality, and availability.

That's why regulars come back. Every visit is a different meal.

Is $88 Omakase Really Worth It?

At Kawa, the core omakase is $88 for 14 courses in Manhattan’s East Village. The clear format makes it easier for first-time guests to understand the meal before they sit down.

For a first-timer, the counter setting, course-by-course pacing, and visible price can make omakase easier to approach.