Photograph by Martha Williams
I liked eating in Japanese restaurants better before the omakase frenzy took hold. Yes, it could be stressful to tell trusted chefs that you wanted to give them carte blanche: “Omakase,” you whispered (the phrase means something like “I leave it up to you”), and maybe a number between $100 and $200. The chefs then reached deep into their inventory to create menus reflecting the availability of products and their seasonality. When you grew satiated, you said, “I have had enough,” and that was it. Receiving every piece of sushi one at a time from the chef’s hand, you felt superior to the masses eating big platters nearby.
In recent years, though, omakase around these parts has morphed into something more like a prix fixe dinner, featuring a tasting menu with sometimes as many as 22 courses. Practically speaking, the formula makes economic sense. It requires a smaller staff and a smaller battery of cooking equipment than a conventional restaurant; the dining room is usually compact and features a single counter. Atlanta now has at least three dedicated omakase restaurants, all within striking distance from one another on or near Howell Mill Road. More are on the way.
I’ve already told you, in a December 2022 review, what I think of Mujo: It is the epitome of fine dining ($225, beverages excluded) and a fascinating showcase for the traditional Edomae style of sushi, which features cured fish that’s had time to relax and deepen in flavor. Let me add a few others for your consideration.
I had many delightful dinners at Sushi Hayakawa: For 15 years, the restaurant was a staple—and a famously difficult reservation—on Buford Highway, where its chef, Atsushi “Art” Hayakawa, was a jovial dude from Hokkaido who had the best salmon caviar in town. It relocated recently to the Star Metals development and streamlined its name to, simply,…
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