Paul Young
Educator, Designer, Culinary Explorer
@cooking.with.paul
@cooking.with.paul.young
cooking-with-paul.blogspot.com
info@cooking-with-paul.com
Chef's Table: Tokyo Omakase Experience
A unique "chef's choice" tasting menu of Japanese delights
Contrary to popular belief, the term "omakase" is not unique to sushi counters. The Japanese term simply means "let the chef choose," which is the smart way to order in Japanese restaurants because you'll always get the most interesting selections with the freshest ingredients.
Recently, omakase experiences have become the new gourmet trend at big city menu-less sushi counters. But here in Champaign, we're going to recreate this counter-style omakase experience without sushi. Instead, what you'll get is the freshest catch of the day served sashimi style. In addition, you'll also get to survey a wide range of tasty Japanese delights, from grilled meats to pickles to noodles. Tonight, the chef will serve up the ultimate Japanese tasting menu with whatever ingredients he chooses. Expect an exciting evening of creative surprises for adventurous diners.
This meze-style small plates dinner will be paired with imported sake, beer, and creative highball creations by Kiyla, our resident mixologist. Join us for this very special evening.
About our "Chef's Table" pop-up experiences: Ten lucky guests will be invited to sit right at the kitchen island in "The Nook" at Harvest Market. Every diner will have a front row seat to where the action is and you can watch your dinner being prepared right in front of your eyes. Each dish will be presented by the chef with notes on ingredients, preparation, flavor profiles, and background information about its cultural history. Cooking techniques and modern shortcuts will be also discussed and all your questions will be answered. Seating is strictly limited.
Here's a preview of what you might see on tonight's small-plates tasting menu:
Note: All of our pop-up events are all-inclusive prix fixe dinners. This means you get a multi-course dinner complete with wine or other beverage pairings all evening long for one fixed price. Unlike at restaurants, all taxes and tip are included as well.
