EtymologyMap
Back to all words

Trace the journey of words

Today it means

omakase

a dining style, especially at sushi restaurants, in which the chef selects the dishes for the guest

Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate

Where does the word "omakase" come from? It comes from Japanese omakase, and was adopted directly into English (1990s-2000s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "omakase" come from? It comes from Japanese omakase, and was adopted directly into English (1990s-2000s).

Omakase’s story begins in Japanese: omakase meant “leaving the menu choice to the chef.” Literally 'I'll leave it up to you', a customer's phrase entrusting the meal to the chef. It reached English by 1990s-2000s as omakase. Japanese 'I'll leave it up to you'. Today, omakase means a dining style, especially at sushi restaurants, in which the chef selects the dishes for the guest.

  1. Stage 1 · Japanese · 20th century omakase "leaving the menu choice to the chef", literally 'I'll leave it up to you', a customer's phrase entrusting the meal to the chef.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1990s-2000s omakase "a chef's-choice tasting menu, especially at sushi restaurants", Japanese 'I'll leave it up to you'.

Browse by origin