Origami

I recently experienced "omakase" at what is reputed to be the finest sushi establishment in the Twin Cities. If you are unfamiliar with the term, the essential meaning of the request is that you entrust the sushi chef to design your meal. I had always been a little hesitant to try an omakase experience, mainly due to the expense. You can normally get an adequate amount of sushi for between $15 and $25, depending on what you order and where. I had heard that it is not uncommon for omakase to run upwards of $70 or more, which is not a part of my normal every day dining experience. The other reason I hesitated was because I didn't know how it worked. A belated birthday celebration for my good friend Alan and I seemed the perfect opportunity to give it a try.

At Origami West, in the Ridgedale Mall, Minnetonka, MN, the way it worked was this: ask the server (or sushi chef) for omakase. At Origami West, at least for lunch, the minimum was $40, from which you could increment upwards in roughly $5 increments. While I wasn't certain if that was $40 per person I was pretty sure it was, so we decided to start at the bare minimum. The dialogue continued, do you prefer nigiri or sashimi, any particular items that you don't like, anything that you really like? We opted for a "nigiri, no uni or ikura, and please include some mackerel, and tobiko with a quail egg." The chef also asked if we might be interested in some toro. We increased our omakase order to $45 per person after toro was mentioned. I love toro.

We were presented with plate after plate of exquisite perfection. The first course was six pieces of nigiri; a pair of mackerel, a piece of fatty salmon, a pair of eel, and then some finely chopped toro with a small amount of green onion. I was extremely impressed with the way the flavor and texture profiles were designed in perfect harmony. The second course challenged my palate and sense of adventure. I had not had raw shrimp before, nor had I consumed a fried shrimp head. The raw shrimp, or ebi, was remarkably similar in texture to the piece of amberjack nigiri that came on the plate. Three pieces of marinated gourd in a maki roll, and a perfectly executed spicy scallop hand roll rounded out the plate.

The third course (pictured above, at the top) included a trio of roe; tobiko, wasabi tobiko, and masago (in a hollowed out cucumber end, no less!); tamago, and a piece of red snapper. Our meal concluded with the sweetest, freshest pineapple imaginable. All in all, I would have to rate the experience a perfect 10!

Update December 2012
A number of weeks later, I invited another friend to give "omakase" a try at the flagship Origami in downtown Minneapolis. It was every bit as delicious, but it ended up costing nearly double what we spent in Minnetonka.

Update February 2013
Origami West is no more. They have relocated to Uptown Minneapolis.