You know it's bad when some restaurants even use the names kaiseki and omakase interchangeably. Besides expectations around decorum and both dining styles being Japanese, we can contrast the ceremonial world of kaiseki against the more playful and personalized omakase approach for a long time. But let's start off with one similarity — they're both way more than sushi. I would never say "more than just sushi" because sushi is a culinary galaxy all of its own, but sushi is only a small part of omakase and kaiseki.

While we're dismantling any preconceptions, let's remember that Chef Shota Nakajima says "Kaiseki is actually a type of omakase most of the time, but not all omakase menus are kaiseki." That's a real "every tiger is a cat, but not every cat is a tiger" statement, but it makes sense after reading up on the two traditions. Nakajima explains that, "kaiseki menus often fall under the omakase umbrella because they involve a chef deciding the progression and dishes. Not all omakase menus follow the rigid structure of kaiseki." So we're ready to leave everything we thought we knew about omakase and kaiseki dining and do some learning? Then itadakimasu!

If you look closely, the names omakase and kaiseki share rich stories about each dining style. Omakase translates literally to "as you like it," while kaiseki means "stones in the bosom" in English.