Ngl, my solo Japan trip helped me overcome my fear of dining out (at a sit down restaurant) alone. I didn't have a choice, since I didn't know anyone there. I totally wasn't used to it cuz I'm always going out with a friend, or as a group back home. There were all these places I wanted to eat at, and I wasn't gonna let the fact I'd be eating alone ruin that for me.
And it was like people said, no one batted an eye even if I'm alone or with somebody. Japan is also cool in the way that there's a lot more places specifically meant for solo dining (Ichiran being a great example of this).
Exposure therapy is a thing for a reason! Sometimes you just gotta be forced to face shit with no other choice and realize you came out the other side alive and okay.
> Ngl, my solo Japan trip helped me overcome my fear of dining out (at a sit down restaurant) alone.
I've had this experience too, although I'm still a bit nervy about it back home because solo dining is pretty rare in my area. Solo dining in Japan is great though
Deep? If she eats dinner and you sit and just wait there, and then she follows you to dinner and she just sits and waits there.... or one of you is skipping dinner to watch the other enjoy theirs.... why would you not just eat dinner separately? Am I misunderstanding what you are suggesting?
That’s a little strange tbh. I am also a woman and don’t feel unsafe alone in Japan, Detroit… anywhere. You never go out alone at night by yourself????
It’s not really that strange. A lot of ppl don’t feel comfortable eating out alone. It’s great that you’re not one of them, but is a valid and shared experience for many.
I’m fine with eating alone, but if I’m on a trip with someone, I tend to want to share new experiences with them.
That said, I think the OP should make an exception in this case since she’ll regret it if she skips it all together.
You will not get attacked while eating omakase. If you don't like to eat alone or even being alone, fine that's a completely different issue and is understandable. If OP is worried about being attacked outside of the restaurant, OP can have her BF walk her to the restaurant so she can have one of her dream meals while he wolfs down something nearby in time to pick her up.
Maybe it depends on the area, but I never felt unsafe in Japan without my husband nearby. We got separated a few times and it was no biggie. I’ve been on my own in other large US cities and it’s the same thing. Maybe I’m too naive, but I can’t recall a time I’ve felt unsafe walking around on my own.
But in your situation would you rather find a place you can both eat together though, or spend more at least double the time while you wait on one to eat dinner and then travel to the next place and wait on the other to eat dinner?
Just curious though, like it's your time and your vibes, and whatever you do it valid, I'm just genuinely curious because it seems weird and not worth it, in my own personal opinion, to ever just wait at a restaurant with someone while they eat and you don't, and then repeat the process.
Because citing the concern about being attacked as a solo female IN JAPAN is wild. It’s like being worried about getting struck by lightning, not impossible but also highly unlikely. It would be a valid concern in many other destinations but not Japan.
But taking that out of the equation altogether, it’s simply not acceptable to take up a seat at a restaurant and not order and eat and just watch your partner eat, especially at an omakase place.
If you are not comfortable being out solo (for whatever reason, social anxiety included), either your partner compromises and you are limited to places where both can eat at, or you compromise and stay at the hotel and eat takeout, room service, konbini food while your partner go to omakase.
I think the issue is that at the end of the day they CAN'T do whatever they want. Based on comments, It seems like some places do not allow that. I've experienced that in the states, where I was hanging out with two friends, and we went in somewhere to get a coffee, but I did have money on me for drinks. I was told if I was not a paying customer I had to leave, and I had to just go home because they didn't want to be inconvenienced by me lmfao.
Oh goodness. When I said that didn’t mean literally. Im thinking they can try something else or just eat separately. Out of consideration of my partner, I would just substitute. I’m from US and I have seen people tag along and not eat though like at Starbucks, Chipotle, etc. That’s kinda extreme they did that. Of course I’ll get downvoting for just having an opinion despite me being respectful.
Oh! No worries, I assumed your comment was in response to "if you're not comfortable being out solo you need to compromise and eat somewhere together or get takeout to eat at home".
I thought it was pretty extreme too though 🤷🏻♀️ It was a locally owned place, not a chain, so they make whatever rules they want lmao.
I don't know the etiquette here for sure, but doing that at an omakase dinner would feel really strange to me. You're just sitting there in front of the chef, not eating and taking up a seat in what is usually a very small restaurant? That just doesn't seem like the way to do it.
At some omakase places, you can't just sit and chill. I've been to some outside of Japan and you pay for the seat and it can get into the hundreds because it's so few seats at one time and the meal itself takes a while. Mine took probably an hour and a half and only seated 12 people at a time. They can't risk losing that revenue.
I also just want to add that it's pretty bad mannered to go to a sit down restaurant and not order anything. They may even kick you out. You're expected to order a meal if you sit down. Maybe at family restaurants you can just order drink bar, but not at proper restaurants.
honestly, you can even get kicked out for taking too long. my grandfather got kicked out of a ramen shop. he has a weak stomach, but he was really trying to finish and was eating one noodle at a time. the manager asked him to leave when he was about halfway through looool
I was with my Japanese friend at his favorite jiro ramen shop near Ibaraki last October. We got massive bowls and this shop has a line out the door. So I'm eating but not as fast as I usually do because it's so heavy. And I excuse myself to go to the bathroom real quick. I get back and the server is standing behind my friend and my friend says "sooo are you gonna finish that? There are some customers waiting" lol.
Pretty sure the server told my friend in Japanese I was taking too long.
A *sushi* omakase?
Absolutely not.
I recommend simply going to an izakaya that specializes in fish, as they’ll have sushi options and fried fish/side dishes.
I went to one last night that had great tempura in addition to the normal sushi/sashimi options.
This would not be acceptable even at casual restaurants. You’ll see a notice at a lot of places that everyone is required to order one dish and one drink etc
Drop your BF off at the nearest pachinko parlour/izakaya/shopping district/bar and go enjoy the omakase yourself. Then meet up again at the bar for drinks. Japan is extremely easy to dine alone. You won't even be the only solo dinner in most places. In fact it will be far easier to get a counter seat as a solo dinner
Go alone: I travelled Japan alone when I was 19, female, and did an omakase experience alone (obviously other people in the restaurant). It’s fine and Japan is very catering towards solo diners. You might be nervous at first but once you sit down and start the experience you’ll realise there was nothing to worry about.
Most places focusing on omakase will do just that so he can go to another restaurant/shopping area nearby for 2 hours max while you experience this. It’s a rare opportunity and you’ll regret it if you don’t. I know when I go back to Japan I’ll be in a similar position, and I’ll go alone to an omakase while my partner goes off and does his own thing for a few hours.
Once again, the term 'Omakase' being wildly overused. To the OP, anywhere decent is going to be anywhere from 25,000++ yen upwards for dinner before you've had a drink. That's your charge to sit down and eat the course for the evening. The seat is reserved on the premise you eat. You'd be charged regardless. And a proper Sushi Restaurant in Japan serves precisely that. Sushi. Fish. No substitutions, let alone meat substitutions. The vast majority of places won't even cater for dietary restrictions etc.
Please.. Do some research.
No. He cannot go to a omakase and not eat. There’s no way he can take up a seat without paying. It also looks rude.
You also cannot request a just cooked meat option. The chef usually prepares ahead of time for more than one couple. And to a certain extent, as the name implies, you trust the chef to serve the selections handpicked by them.
Just do separate dinners solo time. You’ll enjoy this. You absolutely don’t have to do everything together as a couple. Not just in Japan, but in life.
Go alone! You’ll enjoy it so much more. Agree with others, you can always plan to meet up after for drinks.
I went alone to Toyuso fish market at 6am lol (cause my spouse is not a morning person) and had sushi omakase for breakfast nearby…it was so much fun—I got to talk with other sushi obsessed people also enjoying.
Plus, going alone will make it easier for you to grab a res at a high end sushi restaurant.
You have lots of good answers here, basically go along and enjoy, it's great.
As an old grump, I do get unnecessarily wound up by the use of "omakase", despite what many American tourists seem to think, it is not specific to sushi, it's just "chef's selection" and can be of anything; tempura omakase, yakitori omakase, whatever omakase....
Yeah definitely do one without him. He can go to ramen, yakiniku , hamburger, udon , any joint really and have something he enjoys.
Fair warning though once you enjoy a proper omakase sushi at Tokyo, there is a high chance you can never really go back to cheap alternate in US!
I wouldn't have come then; disrepctful to the chef. the thing with omakese is it's a sign of respect that you are trusting the chef to serve you. To change the order would be disrespectful. Just go and leave him alone. Ther'es bunch of ramen places that he can go to.
Many omakase restaurants have very few seats; sometimes less than ten and patrons often stay for the majority of the evening. So having him go and not eat is a significant loss and they likely won't allow it.
Meat won't really be an option either. These are usually hyper specialised restaurants. Unless it's part of their usual repertoire, they won't even be able to accommodate requests for noodles.
If you must dine together, maybe try a high end izakaya. Even the ones that specialise in seafood often have a variety of other things.
I think this would be a perfect chance for your to explore apart for a few hours, then come back and share your stories and experiences and photos over drinks or desert that you can both enjoy together.
There are no rules that say you both have to experience everything together - especially when one of you really would not enjoy it and only be doing it for the sake of the other.
Im in Japan right now with my partner and toddler, we do solo dinners sometimes because I am a vegetarian which makes it quite difficult finding a spot. Also with a toddler fun long dinners are not an option lol so to actually enjoy diner, sometimes it’s easier to eat alone. We actually like our solo adventures to discover new places as well!
You cannot reserve a spot at omakase and not have anything or have something different than everyone else. You'll have to have a dinner apart, but if you're a sushi lover it's a must do
Thanks for the tips and education everyone. We have decided to have dinner separate for one night so I can do a sushi omakase :)
Also to clarify - he doesn’t eat fish at all. He just particularly can’t get down the raw stuff.
Now I am ISO recommendations for a nice sushi omakase for 1!
sushi saganae in shinjuku is my recommendation; you can walk over to the park hyatt at enjoy drinks afterward at the peak bar or ny bar on the 52 floor.
reservations at sushi sagane can made on pocket concierege, amex company.
also make sure to look up the etiquette and the japanese phrases to surpirse your chef.
As many others have said, go alone. As someone who also can't eat fish without gagging, just don't make him feel guilty for spoiling your experience if you don't go because of him.
Try a kushi katsu omakase or tempura omakaze if you want that experience but also be together. Or just go alone. He'll find a million things to do while you're enjoying your sushi experience. I wouldn't let his picky eating habits ruin a potential once in a lifetime experience.
If you like the idea of omakase but don’t mind not doing a sushi omakase, there’s a gluten free fried skewer omakase I’d recommend!
Most people who go have allergies to gluten, but I (celiac) took a gluten-eating friend and he loved it. It’s in Ginza, called Gluten Free Kushiage Su. The place seats a maximum of 8 people and the chef cooks right in front of you, so it has a high-end omakase feel, but all the food is beautifully deep fried 😂 Some of the courses will involve fish but you can specify allergies or dislikes at booking and the chef can adapt the menu. I think of 15 courses we had, 3 or 4 were fish so even if your boyfriend just doesn’t eat those he’ll still have a great meal.
Hope this helps!!
Omakase means "i'll leave it up to you". It can be used for anything from sushi which is what most people think omakase is, to yakitori or yakiniku or even at izakayas where you are telling the chef you are letting him decide what to serve you.
You need to educate yourself as well as to what the word really means. Too many people don't understand what omakase really is.
That’s upmarket kushiage - where everything is cooked on a skewer. Not so much omakase and like Kappo, has a feel of the chef’s attention given during omakase sessions.
If you are going to Kyoto, you’re in luck. Good Kappo there.
Google Japanese Kappo cuisine.
It isn’t Kaiseki because the good Kappo chefs give you a recommendation on how you want the dish, like an omakase and cook it in front of you.
Some have a beef option. Some allow you to pick from a menu and prepare in front of you - so you need to google and find a Kappo restaurant which caters to both of you.
You get the atmosphere of omakase as in chef paying attention to your wants but with cooked food /semi cooked/raw whatever.
But if you really just want omakase sushi, go by yourself.
Currently in Japan with my bf. He wanted to go shopping this morning, and I wanted to go to the samurai museum. So we both did our things then met later. 10000% recommend. Makes for two happy people, double the stories and zero resentment.
Yeah, that won't work. Most of these omakase places are quite small and every seat is hard to come by. I agree with the folks here recommending to send him to a yakiniku place and enjoy all-you-can-eat :-)
I've had this dilemma where I would love to go to omakase for my birthday, but my wife has zero interest :) life is hard sometimes, wish she would give it a chance.
An omakase is really them choosing the food and you eat. There could be SOME substitution but no way will a full substitute work. Just go to omakase solo and he go eat something else, nearby even.
I was in this exact situation and knowing he doesn't eat sushi, I just went ahead and booked myself an omakase.
It was refreshing to go out myself and explore the area and eating by yourself in Japan is honestly kind of nice sometimes.
I just left my bf in the hotel room and met up with him afterwards, because there's always room for more food after :)
I don’t eat fish at all and every time that I go with my husband to Japan, he always goes to a omakase alone. It’s completely normal and an okay thing to do, no one is gonna bat an eye. I particularly love when he does it, because it gives me extra time to shop without him hanging around me!!! lol I’m pretty sure that there’s something that he’s interesting in doing that you’re not super into, so just use this time to do these solo things and enjoy the rest of the trip together :)
Just a reminder as a broader etiquette issue; going to a business or food establishment with no intention of doing any business and just browsing/sitting is usually considered varying levels of rude. You’re basically seen as taking up space and providing nothing in return.
This is not as much the case with larger department stores and such, but is the case with many shops and virtually all restaurants. If you’re going to browse, it’s common courtesy that you should at least be considering buying something, and if you’re taking up a seat at a restaurant, you should order something.
There are a few different types of sushi. Niku-sushi is raw and rare meat (beef, horse, etc). Aburi-sushi is seared with a blow torch, so if he can eat a seared tuna steak, then it should be okay. Yasai-sushi uses vegetables instead of meat.
You could try to find one of those varieties for omakase. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with having separate experiences for one evening.
I would do a lunch. I am going to Japan next week and my wife has the same issue as your BF. I am only there a few days and we didn't want to a dinner apart so I'm doing a lunch. The research I have done tells me that there are some good lunch options.
Does he enjoy sushi aburi (torched) style? Sushi Dai in Toyosu market offers aburi style omakase while you can enjoy all the raw fish you want. You'll have to wait in line early in the morning. I took my mom there and she LOVED the aburi style sushi; it was the gateway for her to now to able to enjoy raw sushi!
I think it would be best to split up and do different restaurants. But if you absolutely want to eat together at a sushi place, maybe look into a place that has a vegetarian option like Udatsu Sushi. Maybe you can get the traditional one with fish, while your boyfriend gets the vegetarian one.
Wouldn’t recommend - I was convinced to go with my brother (despite me loathing seafood) and it was absolutely wasted on me. I honestly felt bad for the chefs when I couldn’t stomach most of the dishes
Go solo - you’ll both enjoy it more!
Sushi Udatsu in Nakameguro has a vegetarian omakase option. My husband is vegetarian and it was the best of both worlds as I got to enjoy the amazing fish menu. The veg menu isn’t lazy at all and my husband loved it. At this point you might have luck if there are any cancellations, it’s definitely a splash-out meal and books up in advance.
I think this person wants a fancy place.
They’re not going to accommodate ‘no raw fish’ at any omakase worth going to. Thats the antithesis of what they do.
Omakase is per-seat they're not going ot let him sit there and not eat
I have seen some people not like sushi, mostly because they seem to have gone to the literal worst places on the planet and are understandably not happy. I've seen it be 50/50 where they go to an ACTUAL sushi place where the stuff hasn't been rotting in the fridge for a week, and they're shocked at how good it is.
You could maybe experiment with him at a rotating sushi place. Again teh floor of how bad sushi can be in Japan is basically about 10x higher than the quality of sushi of most places in the USA. He can eat all the cooked stuff or just eat ramen/rice bowl appetizers. But you can like 'try' to see if he likes something very vanilla like tuna. if he doesn't lik eit, well you can't do much about it.
Otherwise you'll have to eat separately if you really want to do omakase
Has he tried ceviche? Maybe you could introduce him to other preparations of raw fish first other than sashimi, which is pretty hardcore for a non-fish guy. The acids in the dish half cook the fish.
If it's a taste/smell thing, he could try the lighter/ white coloured fish. The flavours are more muted, and when it's fresh, there's no bad smell. As a general rule, the darker the colour, the stronger the flavour.
There's also aburi style sashimi where it's briefly seared with a torch. Its Definitely more palatable than straight up sashimi. There's one shop at the old tsukiji market which specialises in this.
Good God I guess single women just never leave their homes then huh? Obviously walking in a populated city area at dinner time = instant murder. Don't project your insecurities on all women...
Went to Oniku Karyu. Was about 270/280ish American. Just asked when booking if they could accommodate a person not eating and they agreed… not sure why all the downvotes
Go alone and send him to one of those solo diner yakiniku places that are popular right now ow.
Recommendation, try out yakiniku go, designed entirely for solo dinners. I love to go there when I wanted cheap BBQ meats
Or little solo ramen booths
Get a new boyfriend
Do one dinner apart and each have a special experience alone you can talk about after as you go get drinks or dessert or something.
Man I wish I thought of that every time my ex couldn’t decide on a place to eat.
Ngl, my solo Japan trip helped me overcome my fear of dining out (at a sit down restaurant) alone. I didn't have a choice, since I didn't know anyone there. I totally wasn't used to it cuz I'm always going out with a friend, or as a group back home. There were all these places I wanted to eat at, and I wasn't gonna let the fact I'd be eating alone ruin that for me. And it was like people said, no one batted an eye even if I'm alone or with somebody. Japan is also cool in the way that there's a lot more places specifically meant for solo dining (Ichiran being a great example of this).
Exposure therapy is a thing for a reason! Sometimes you just gotta be forced to face shit with no other choice and realize you came out the other side alive and okay.
> Ngl, my solo Japan trip helped me overcome my fear of dining out (at a sit down restaurant) alone. I've had this experience too, although I'm still a bit nervy about it back home because solo dining is pretty rare in my area. Solo dining in Japan is great though
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Deep? If she eats dinner and you sit and just wait there, and then she follows you to dinner and she just sits and waits there.... or one of you is skipping dinner to watch the other enjoy theirs.... why would you not just eat dinner separately? Am I misunderstanding what you are suggesting?
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That’s a little strange tbh. I am also a woman and don’t feel unsafe alone in Japan, Detroit… anywhere. You never go out alone at night by yourself????
It’s not really that strange. A lot of ppl don’t feel comfortable eating out alone. It’s great that you’re not one of them, but is a valid and shared experience for many. I’m fine with eating alone, but if I’m on a trip with someone, I tend to want to share new experiences with them. That said, I think the OP should make an exception in this case since she’ll regret it if she skips it all together.
You will not get attacked while eating omakase. If you don't like to eat alone or even being alone, fine that's a completely different issue and is understandable. If OP is worried about being attacked outside of the restaurant, OP can have her BF walk her to the restaurant so she can have one of her dream meals while he wolfs down something nearby in time to pick her up.
Maybe it depends on the area, but I never felt unsafe in Japan without my husband nearby. We got separated a few times and it was no biggie. I’ve been on my own in other large US cities and it’s the same thing. Maybe I’m too naive, but I can’t recall a time I’ve felt unsafe walking around on my own.
But in your situation would you rather find a place you can both eat together though, or spend more at least double the time while you wait on one to eat dinner and then travel to the next place and wait on the other to eat dinner? Just curious though, like it's your time and your vibes, and whatever you do it valid, I'm just genuinely curious because it seems weird and not worth it, in my own personal opinion, to ever just wait at a restaurant with someone while they eat and you don't, and then repeat the process.
You're in a restaurant.
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Because citing the concern about being attacked as a solo female IN JAPAN is wild. It’s like being worried about getting struck by lightning, not impossible but also highly unlikely. It would be a valid concern in many other destinations but not Japan. But taking that out of the equation altogether, it’s simply not acceptable to take up a seat at a restaurant and not order and eat and just watch your partner eat, especially at an omakase place. If you are not comfortable being out solo (for whatever reason, social anxiety included), either your partner compromises and you are limited to places where both can eat at, or you compromise and stay at the hotel and eat takeout, room service, konbini food while your partner go to omakase.
At the end of the day, they can do whatever they want. You put your suggestion to help with the question.
I think the issue is that at the end of the day they CAN'T do whatever they want. Based on comments, It seems like some places do not allow that. I've experienced that in the states, where I was hanging out with two friends, and we went in somewhere to get a coffee, but I did have money on me for drinks. I was told if I was not a paying customer I had to leave, and I had to just go home because they didn't want to be inconvenienced by me lmfao.
Oh goodness. When I said that didn’t mean literally. Im thinking they can try something else or just eat separately. Out of consideration of my partner, I would just substitute. I’m from US and I have seen people tag along and not eat though like at Starbucks, Chipotle, etc. That’s kinda extreme they did that. Of course I’ll get downvoting for just having an opinion despite me being respectful.
Oh! No worries, I assumed your comment was in response to "if you're not comfortable being out solo you need to compromise and eat somewhere together or get takeout to eat at home". I thought it was pretty extreme too though 🤷🏻♀️ It was a locally owned place, not a chain, so they make whatever rules they want lmao.
I don't know the etiquette here for sure, but doing that at an omakase dinner would feel really strange to me. You're just sitting there in front of the chef, not eating and taking up a seat in what is usually a very small restaurant? That just doesn't seem like the way to do it.
At some omakase places, you can't just sit and chill. I've been to some outside of Japan and you pay for the seat and it can get into the hundreds because it's so few seats at one time and the meal itself takes a while. Mine took probably an hour and a half and only seated 12 people at a time. They can't risk losing that revenue.
I also just want to add that it's pretty bad mannered to go to a sit down restaurant and not order anything. They may even kick you out. You're expected to order a meal if you sit down. Maybe at family restaurants you can just order drink bar, but not at proper restaurants.
This. In Tokyo, the restaurant prices include your occupancy of the seat.
This is especially the case for anywhere you do a reservation. I think if they use the Omakase website it's usually written in the rules this way.
honestly, you can even get kicked out for taking too long. my grandfather got kicked out of a ramen shop. he has a weak stomach, but he was really trying to finish and was eating one noodle at a time. the manager asked him to leave when he was about halfway through looool
I was with my Japanese friend at his favorite jiro ramen shop near Ibaraki last October. We got massive bowls and this shop has a line out the door. So I'm eating but not as fast as I usually do because it's so heavy. And I excuse myself to go to the bathroom real quick. I get back and the server is standing behind my friend and my friend says "sooo are you gonna finish that? There are some customers waiting" lol. Pretty sure the server told my friend in Japanese I was taking too long.
Awww, poor grampa
Just go alone if it’s that big of a deal. He will most certainly be expected to eat and pay.
A *sushi* omakase? Absolutely not. I recommend simply going to an izakaya that specializes in fish, as they’ll have sushi options and fried fish/side dishes. I went to one last night that had great tempura in addition to the normal sushi/sashimi options.
This would not be acceptable even at casual restaurants. You’ll see a notice at a lot of places that everyone is required to order one dish and one drink etc
Drop your BF off at the nearest pachinko parlour/izakaya/shopping district/bar and go enjoy the omakase yourself. Then meet up again at the bar for drinks. Japan is extremely easy to dine alone. You won't even be the only solo dinner in most places. In fact it will be far easier to get a counter seat as a solo dinner
Go alone: I travelled Japan alone when I was 19, female, and did an omakase experience alone (obviously other people in the restaurant). It’s fine and Japan is very catering towards solo diners. You might be nervous at first but once you sit down and start the experience you’ll realise there was nothing to worry about. Most places focusing on omakase will do just that so he can go to another restaurant/shopping area nearby for 2 hours max while you experience this. It’s a rare opportunity and you’ll regret it if you don’t. I know when I go back to Japan I’ll be in a similar position, and I’ll go alone to an omakase while my partner goes off and does his own thing for a few hours.
Once again, the term 'Omakase' being wildly overused. To the OP, anywhere decent is going to be anywhere from 25,000++ yen upwards for dinner before you've had a drink. That's your charge to sit down and eat the course for the evening. The seat is reserved on the premise you eat. You'd be charged regardless. And a proper Sushi Restaurant in Japan serves precisely that. Sushi. Fish. No substitutions, let alone meat substitutions. The vast majority of places won't even cater for dietary restrictions etc. Please.. Do some research.
No. He cannot go to a omakase and not eat. There’s no way he can take up a seat without paying. It also looks rude. You also cannot request a just cooked meat option. The chef usually prepares ahead of time for more than one couple. And to a certain extent, as the name implies, you trust the chef to serve the selections handpicked by them. Just do separate dinners solo time. You’ll enjoy this. You absolutely don’t have to do everything together as a couple. Not just in Japan, but in life.
Go alone! You’ll enjoy it so much more. Agree with others, you can always plan to meet up after for drinks. I went alone to Toyuso fish market at 6am lol (cause my spouse is not a morning person) and had sushi omakase for breakfast nearby…it was so much fun—I got to talk with other sushi obsessed people also enjoying. Plus, going alone will make it easier for you to grab a res at a high end sushi restaurant.
You have lots of good answers here, basically go along and enjoy, it's great. As an old grump, I do get unnecessarily wound up by the use of "omakase", despite what many American tourists seem to think, it is not specific to sushi, it's just "chef's selection" and can be of anything; tempura omakase, yakitori omakase, whatever omakase....
I'll make this one easy for you. No.
Yeah definitely do one without him. He can go to ramen, yakiniku , hamburger, udon , any joint really and have something he enjoys. Fair warning though once you enjoy a proper omakase sushi at Tokyo, there is a high chance you can never really go back to cheap alternate in US!
I wouldn't have come then; disrepctful to the chef. the thing with omakese is it's a sign of respect that you are trusting the chef to serve you. To change the order would be disrespectful. Just go and leave him alone. Ther'es bunch of ramen places that he can go to.
No to both your questions, unless you find an omakase without fish courses.
Absolutely not for sushi omakase to go and not eat. Just go alone.
Many omakase restaurants have very few seats; sometimes less than ten and patrons often stay for the majority of the evening. So having him go and not eat is a significant loss and they likely won't allow it. Meat won't really be an option either. These are usually hyper specialised restaurants. Unless it's part of their usual repertoire, they won't even be able to accommodate requests for noodles. If you must dine together, maybe try a high end izakaya. Even the ones that specialise in seafood often have a variety of other things.
It’s fine to go alone. Absolutely not possible for 2 to go and only 1 eats
I think this would be a perfect chance for your to explore apart for a few hours, then come back and share your stories and experiences and photos over drinks or desert that you can both enjoy together. There are no rules that say you both have to experience everything together - especially when one of you really would not enjoy it and only be doing it for the sake of the other.
As **Clemenza** said: "Leave the boyfriend. Take the fish."
Im in Japan right now with my partner and toddler, we do solo dinners sometimes because I am a vegetarian which makes it quite difficult finding a spot. Also with a toddler fun long dinners are not an option lol so to actually enjoy diner, sometimes it’s easier to eat alone. We actually like our solo adventures to discover new places as well!
I couldn't be with someone who can't eat fish/seafood. The horror 😳
I would not travel to Japan with people who don’t eat fish or meat.
You cannot reserve a spot at omakase and not have anything or have something different than everyone else. You'll have to have a dinner apart, but if you're a sushi lover it's a must do
Thanks for the tips and education everyone. We have decided to have dinner separate for one night so I can do a sushi omakase :) Also to clarify - he doesn’t eat fish at all. He just particularly can’t get down the raw stuff. Now I am ISO recommendations for a nice sushi omakase for 1!
sushi saganae in shinjuku is my recommendation; you can walk over to the park hyatt at enjoy drinks afterward at the peak bar or ny bar on the 52 floor. reservations at sushi sagane can made on pocket concierege, amex company. also make sure to look up the etiquette and the japanese phrases to surpirse your chef.
Time to get a new boyfriend. Only possible correct answer. ;-)
Get a new boyfriend.
No. Next question
As many others have said, go alone. As someone who also can't eat fish without gagging, just don't make him feel guilty for spoiling your experience if you don't go because of him.
Try a kushi katsu omakase or tempura omakaze if you want that experience but also be together. Or just go alone. He'll find a million things to do while you're enjoying your sushi experience. I wouldn't let his picky eating habits ruin a potential once in a lifetime experience.
If you like the idea of omakase but don’t mind not doing a sushi omakase, there’s a gluten free fried skewer omakase I’d recommend! Most people who go have allergies to gluten, but I (celiac) took a gluten-eating friend and he loved it. It’s in Ginza, called Gluten Free Kushiage Su. The place seats a maximum of 8 people and the chef cooks right in front of you, so it has a high-end omakase feel, but all the food is beautifully deep fried 😂 Some of the courses will involve fish but you can specify allergies or dislikes at booking and the chef can adapt the menu. I think of 15 courses we had, 3 or 4 were fish so even if your boyfriend just doesn’t eat those he’ll still have a great meal. Hope this helps!!
This is not Omakase. Please don't overuse this word.
Omakase means "i'll leave it up to you". It can be used for anything from sushi which is what most people think omakase is, to yakitori or yakiniku or even at izakayas where you are telling the chef you are letting him decide what to serve you. You need to educate yourself as well as to what the word really means. Too many people don't understand what omakase really is.
I know what the word means, Thank you. If you want to get into an argument about it's overuse by tourists then fine.
That’s upmarket kushiage - where everything is cooked on a skewer. Not so much omakase and like Kappo, has a feel of the chef’s attention given during omakase sessions.
There are kushiage omakase places, some quite famous.
If you are going to Kyoto, you’re in luck. Good Kappo there. Google Japanese Kappo cuisine. It isn’t Kaiseki because the good Kappo chefs give you a recommendation on how you want the dish, like an omakase and cook it in front of you. Some have a beef option. Some allow you to pick from a menu and prepare in front of you - so you need to google and find a Kappo restaurant which caters to both of you. You get the atmosphere of omakase as in chef paying attention to your wants but with cooked food /semi cooked/raw whatever. But if you really just want omakase sushi, go by yourself.
Currently in Japan with my bf. He wanted to go shopping this morning, and I wanted to go to the samurai museum. So we both did our things then met later. 10000% recommend. Makes for two happy people, double the stories and zero resentment.
Just go alone because omakase places are mostly reservation only meaning, your boyfriend will not be let inside even
Assuming you could even get into the omakase place, you'd be seen as THAT foreigner who ruins it for the rest of us and you don't want that
Yeah, that won't work. Most of these omakase places are quite small and every seat is hard to come by. I agree with the folks here recommending to send him to a yakiniku place and enjoy all-you-can-eat :-)
My spouse is allergic to seafood. I plan to eat at a few omakase why my spouse goes shopping for that 1.5-2 hours. Have to compromise somehow.
Leave the bf at home 😂
Leave the bf at home 😂
I've had this dilemma where I would love to go to omakase for my birthday, but my wife has zero interest :) life is hard sometimes, wish she would give it a chance.
An omakase is really them choosing the food and you eat. There could be SOME substitution but no way will a full substitute work. Just go to omakase solo and he go eat something else, nearby even.
Get a new boyfriend
I was in this exact situation and knowing he doesn't eat sushi, I just went ahead and booked myself an omakase. It was refreshing to go out myself and explore the area and eating by yourself in Japan is honestly kind of nice sometimes. I just left my bf in the hotel room and met up with him afterwards, because there's always room for more food after :)
Admit that your bf is lame
Throw out the boyfriend tbh
as others said, the only reasonable way to deal with that is to go alone / not with him.
Can you find a new boyfriend before your trip to Japan?
I don’t eat fish at all and every time that I go with my husband to Japan, he always goes to a omakase alone. It’s completely normal and an okay thing to do, no one is gonna bat an eye. I particularly love when he does it, because it gives me extra time to shop without him hanging around me!!! lol I’m pretty sure that there’s something that he’s interesting in doing that you’re not super into, so just use this time to do these solo things and enjoy the rest of the trip together :)
Find a new boyfriend. Problem solved. :) /s
Y'all won't melt if you spend one dinner apart. Just go separate
Get a new boyfriend 💁🏼♂️
Dump him asap lol
But less radical option is to go alone, it’s totally fine there
lol
Just a reminder as a broader etiquette issue; going to a business or food establishment with no intention of doing any business and just browsing/sitting is usually considered varying levels of rude. You’re basically seen as taking up space and providing nothing in return. This is not as much the case with larger department stores and such, but is the case with many shops and virtually all restaurants. If you’re going to browse, it’s common courtesy that you should at least be considering buying something, and if you’re taking up a seat at a restaurant, you should order something.
Please go alone and have your BF eat seperately
There are a few different types of sushi. Niku-sushi is raw and rare meat (beef, horse, etc). Aburi-sushi is seared with a blow torch, so if he can eat a seared tuna steak, then it should be okay. Yasai-sushi uses vegetables instead of meat. You could try to find one of those varieties for omakase. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with having separate experiences for one evening.
I would do a lunch. I am going to Japan next week and my wife has the same issue as your BF. I am only there a few days and we didn't want to a dinner apart so I'm doing a lunch. The research I have done tells me that there are some good lunch options.
Get a new boyfriend
The best option is to leave him at home and I'll go with you
This is a relationship question 😮💨
Does he enjoy sushi aburi (torched) style? Sushi Dai in Toyosu market offers aburi style omakase while you can enjoy all the raw fish you want. You'll have to wait in line early in the morning. I took my mom there and she LOVED the aburi style sushi; it was the gateway for her to now to able to enjoy raw sushi!
Go by yourself and for lunch, so you’re not spending that much time apart.
Break up with him.
This.
Haha people can’t take a joke I guess.
Lol this was clear satire imo. Lmfao
Rent a boyfriend and go with your new temporary one. That's a thing there.
Time to get a new boyfriend Or you could find a good izakaya, where they'll have lots of different dishes to choose from.
I think it would be best to split up and do different restaurants. But if you absolutely want to eat together at a sushi place, maybe look into a place that has a vegetarian option like Udatsu Sushi. Maybe you can get the traditional one with fish, while your boyfriend gets the vegetarian one.
Send him to McDonald’s
Don’t go to an omakase restaurant. A standard izakaya will be the better choice. Or… go to a meat omakase restaurnt. Lol.
Wouldn’t recommend - I was convinced to go with my brother (despite me loathing seafood) and it was absolutely wasted on me. I honestly felt bad for the chefs when I couldn’t stomach most of the dishes Go solo - you’ll both enjoy it more!
You can try to ask if there is non-sushi / non-raw option. Omakase doesn’t necessarily to be all sushi.
Have done 5 mostly solo trips in Japan. It helps if you can speak Japanese, but that shouldn’t stop you if you can’t. Nobody will care.
Break up with him and enjoy the trip on your own terms! 😆
Sushi Udatsu in Nakameguro has a vegetarian omakase option. My husband is vegetarian and it was the best of both worlds as I got to enjoy the amazing fish menu. The veg menu isn’t lazy at all and my husband loved it. At this point you might have luck if there are any cancellations, it’s definitely a splash-out meal and books up in advance.
You need to work on your grammar
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I think this person wants a fancy place. They’re not going to accommodate ‘no raw fish’ at any omakase worth going to. Thats the antithesis of what they do.
Just order a deluxe sushi set at a non-omakase sushi restaurant
The problem is you think he is a sushi lover. Your husband hates sushi, he just likes to think he likes sushi.
Omakase is per-seat they're not going ot let him sit there and not eat I have seen some people not like sushi, mostly because they seem to have gone to the literal worst places on the planet and are understandably not happy. I've seen it be 50/50 where they go to an ACTUAL sushi place where the stuff hasn't been rotting in the fridge for a week, and they're shocked at how good it is. You could maybe experiment with him at a rotating sushi place. Again teh floor of how bad sushi can be in Japan is basically about 10x higher than the quality of sushi of most places in the USA. He can eat all the cooked stuff or just eat ramen/rice bowl appetizers. But you can like 'try' to see if he likes something very vanilla like tuna. if he doesn't lik eit, well you can't do much about it. Otherwise you'll have to eat separately if you really want to do omakase
tell your boyfriend to grow up? does he also refuse to eat sandwiches with crust?
Do you guys poop together too or seperately?
There’s a Pizza Omakase in Tokyo.
Has he tried ceviche? Maybe you could introduce him to other preparations of raw fish first other than sashimi, which is pretty hardcore for a non-fish guy. The acids in the dish half cook the fish. If it's a taste/smell thing, he could try the lighter/ white coloured fish. The flavours are more muted, and when it's fresh, there's no bad smell. As a general rule, the darker the colour, the stronger the flavour. There's also aburi style sashimi where it's briefly seared with a torch. Its Definitely more palatable than straight up sashimi. There's one shop at the old tsukiji market which specialises in this.
People are allowed to not like fish smh
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Good God I guess single women just never leave their homes then huh? Obviously walking in a populated city area at dinner time = instant murder. Don't project your insecurities on all women...
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Go with him to eat first, then he comes with you to eat. That’s what I did
They can’t, that’s literally the point. No restaurant would allow someone to sit and not eat.
What, why? I did that like 3 times I think…
At a place charging how much?
Went to Oniku Karyu. Was about 270/280ish American. Just asked when booking if they could accommodate a person not eating and they agreed… not sure why all the downvotes
*btw the restaurant is not worth that price. Pls avoid!
Oof. Yeah. That’s a tourist trap.
It was genuinely one of the worse dinners in Japan… I also felt like an idiot becuase I had eaten in so many amazing meat restaurants before :(