Naomi Sushi, Menlo Park: Redux

The last time I went to Naomi, I vowed to return and order the Omakase -- which literally means "entrusting" in Japanese (you're leaving it up to the chef to decide what to prepare for you). I made good on that promise when we stopped in for dinner the other night.

The menu indicates that to best create your Omakase meal, the chef needs to know how hungry you are, what you like/don't like, etc. But when I placed my order, no questions were asked. Luckily, I'm pretty open to all sorts of sushi. I did, however, ask how much food would be involved to make sure it matched my appetite. I was informed that the Omakase would include a couple of dishes, then 4-5 sushi pieces. Perfect.

Here's what came to the table:

• Thinly sliced scallop bathed in lemon juice and garnished with a dot of chile sauce.
• Yellowtail with black pepper and garlic chips.
• The sushi platter included toro (fatty tuna belly), white tuna (albacore), yellowtail and sea bream. On the side were a couple of pieces of fish tempura (possibly snapper?) and a few other veggies (cucumber, portobello mushroom).

All of the fish was fresh and very good. For future visits to Naomi, I think the Omakase is definitely the way to go. Even though it can be a bit riskier than ordering a la carte, you're likely to get the highest quality fish that the restaurant currently has available. And, you may end up trying lots of great things that you would have previously shied away from (although none of the sushi I was served is considered that adventurous!).

(Note: The Omakase price will vary, depending on what the chef makes. On the night I went, my meal was $33. If you have a specific budget in mind, it's probably a good idea to communicate that with the server.)

Naomi Sushi
1328 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA
(650) 321-6902