Omakase, a traditional Japanese dining experience, is a culinary journey that allows the chef to showcase their skills and creativity through a carefully curated menu of dishes. The term “omakase” translates to “I leave it up to you”. This means that diners place their trust in the chef’s expertise to deliver an unforgettable dining experience. There is no better place to experience omakase than at Tetsu Sushi Bar. Starting July 1st, Tetsu Sushi Bar will be launching their Lunch Omakase. You can experience the quality that Tetsu Sushi Bar is known for, for just a fraction of the price. The Tetsu Sushi Bar Lunch Omakase will be available Friday, Saturday and Sunday with two seatings – 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm. The lunch omakase will be available at $98 per person and require advance reservation.
Tetsu Sushi Bar Lunch Omakase – $98 Lunch Omakase (Appetizers)
When I do omakase I prefer a seat at the sushi bar to see the chef in action. So I highly recommend you make a booking for the sushi bar when you make your reservation. The new lunch omakase includes appetizers, chef’s selection of nigiri sushi and optional dessert add on.
The current menu starts with two appetizers:
- Ebi Chawanmushi
- Cold Inaniwa Udon
The Ebi Chawanmushi is a steamed egg with shrimp sauce. It is light, refreshing and jiggly! The custard is perfectly cooked and so smooth. A lovely warm start to lunch.
Next, we have Cold Inaniwa Udon which features quail egg, salmon roe (ikura), and seaweed with flat udon noodles from Akita, Japan. The quail egg is cured and creates a rich ‘sauce’ that coats the noodles. The ikura adds bursts of saltiness to the dish. I just wish it was a huge bowl for me to slurp up!
Tetsu Sushi Bar Lunch Omakase – $98 Lunch Omakase (Chef’s Nigiri Selection)
When you eat at the sushi bar, Chef will deliver each piece to you directly. But if you’re at a table seating it will be brought out two pieces at a time. The nigiri selection for my visit included:
- Hirame (Flounder)
- Hotate (Hokkaido Scallop with Yuzu Kosho)
- Shimaaji (Striped Jack)
- Local Botan Ebi (Spot Prawn marinated with Shaoxing Wine)
- Kanpachi (Amberjack)
- Sakura Masu (Smoked Cherry Trout)
- Honmaguro Chutoro (Bluefin Tuna)
- Honmaguro Otoro (Fatty Bluefin Tuna)
- Inari Sushi
- Foie Gras
- Tamago
It goes without saying that each piece is expertly made. There is just the perfect amount of rice for each slice of fish. Each piece is dressed according to Chef’s specifications and no additional soy sauce is necessary.
Although each piece was truly spectacular my personal favourite stand outs were Local Botan Ebi, Honmaguro Chutoro, Honmaguro Otoro and Foie Gras (with additional Bluefin Tuna Negitoro add on for $7.00). The Shaoxing Wine marinade for the ebi is so unique and something I have not seen before. The wine really accentuates the sweetness of the prawn.
The Sakura Masu is smoked in a box which really imparts a nice smokey flavour to the fish.
My favourite cut of tuna is otoro, and the Honmaguro Otoro was absolutely divine. It literally melts in your mouth from how fatty it is.
Chef made it extra special with the inclusion of Osetra Caviar (optional add on for $18.00). The caviar pops in your mouth and adds a slight saltiness to offset the incredibly fatty tuna.
The Foie Gras was another indulgent bite. Pairing with the negitoro, it was truly a decadent bite that just coats your mouth with fatty goodness.
The Tamago was very interesting, because it gets a coat of sugar and a generous torching. Essentially a mini dessert to end your meal.
Tetsu Sushi Bar Lunch Omakase – $98 Lunch Omakase (Additional Add On)
There are a couple of add on options available for the lunch omakase:
- Coffee Pudding ($12.00)
- Japanese Uni Nigiri ($20.00)
- Uni & Negitoro Hand Roll ($26.00)
One add on you absolutely need to try is the Uni & Negitoro Hand Roll . It features Japanese Uni from Hokkaido on top of negitoro and it is as delicious as it sounds. Pop that in your mouth and you will be sending your tastebuds straight to food heaven.
Worth a Try?
Absolutely! The omakase experience is definitely worth a splurge for a special occasion. I have been a fan of Tetsu Sushi Bar for a long time, and I am so glad that they brought back their lunch omakase experience. The fish is as fresh as it gets, and the portion of rice does not overwhelm. For this price point, it’s a good experience that I would recommend you try out.
Tetsu Sushi Bar
Address: 775 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2L6
Website: https://www.tetsusushibar.com/