Omakase has swept into South Florida like our rising tide. As with most food trends, it has trickled down from main markets like Los Angeles and New York City, slowly making the journey south, and now it’s here to stay. It actually made its way stateside from Japan, similar to izakaya (think Eric Baker’s AlleyCat), but where izakaya is rooted in casualness, omakase is its pretentious older sibling with impeccable taste.

So let us break it down for you. Omakase loosely translates to “I’ll leave it up to you,” so you yield your ability to choose directly to the chef. It’s both liberating and thrilling not to make any decisions while also knowing that a wizard of a chef will create a surprise (mainly sushi) tasting menu just for you.

Next, you need to know that it’s only counter seating. To facilitate an intimate setting, the counter seats 12-16 guests. And because there are set seating times, everyone is served simultaneously, so be on time. Finally, be prepared for an omakase experience’s cost. While yes, in recent years there have been new concepts that offer less pricy options, most omakase can run in the hundreds per person or even thousands for a couple who chooses a sake or wine pairing option.

Lucky for us, Taki Omakase, a shining example of omakase done right, has opened not one but two locations in our community. Its Delray Beach restaurant on East Atlantic opened earlier this year, followed by the Boca Raton space on Federal Highway several months later. The 18-course tasting menu in Delray is $160 per person; in Boca, 20 courses run $200 per person. And that excludes beverages, tax and gratuity. So, let me answer the question on everyone’s mind—is it really worth it? Absolutely!

Well, with one caveat: You don’t necessarily need to be a sushi connoisseur, but you must enthusiastically love eating raw fish. If you don’t, save your pennies. Most of the dishes are either sashimi, nigiri or sushi with beef lightly sprinkled in, but with that said, they can accommodate any food allergies or restrictions. So, if you do pine for the delicacies of the sea, buckle in and get ready for these talented chefs to guide you through a culinary journey unlike anything else.

Taki Omakase prides itself on importing fish, meat and seasonal ingredients from Japan that arrive daily. Every night is different, so I won’t go into detail about my dinner. However, I will say that processed wasabi was replaced here with the actual root grated onto our plate, caviar was spooned onto our otoro tuna, buttery ora king salmon melted in my mouth, silky chutoro was sprinkled with gold flakes, and Wagyu was tastefully presented before it was seared and topped with shaved foie gras and a black truffle puree.

To say that each dish is expertly crafted with sublime ingredients is an understatement. But what makes Taki Omakase extra special is its focus on its rich fare alongside the hospitable ambience created for each diner. Every detail—from the oshibori, or moist towelette, that was given to us between dishes (yes, you’re encouraged to grab the fish with your fingers) to the server instantly replacing my plate when I spilled a grain of rice—made us feel fêted.

My advice: Life’s full of reasons to celebrate, so pick one and head to Taki Omakase for a memorable feast.

IF YOU GO

PARKING: Street parking
HOURS: Sun.–Thurs., 6–10 p.m.; Fri.–Sat., 5–11 p.m.
PRICES: $160/person
WEBSITE: takiomakase.com

This article is from the November/December issue of Boca magazine. For more like this, click here to subscribe to the magazine.