23 Bites: The Ryuko Omakase Experience
23 Bites that Define the Unforgettable Ryuko Omakase Experience
23 carefully and artfully curated and composed bites. 23 meticulously thought out and executed assemblages of premium components, chosen from various locales, sustainably sourced, and made with the utmost skill. It's a narrative of Chef Jun Young Park’s life journey, effort, emotions, and commitment, condensed into 2 and a half hours and 23 bites.
This is omakase. From the Japanese, “omakaseru”, which means, “I leave it up to you”, it commonly refers to a Japanese sushi dining experience, in an intimate setting, with the chef choosing and creating a tasting menu for your dining pleasure.
It is as much a play as it is a dining experience. As we seat ourselves at the bar, the stage is thoughtfully and carefully set, with all the players making their last-minute adjustments for a performance that will take the audience on a memorable journey. As we wait with baited anticipation, Chef bows and introduces himself and the team, a collective hush follows after polite greetings and seated bows, and a meticulously orchestrated presentation unfolds for us in the form of intricate and complex flavours.
But to describe omakase like a play is to describe it like many have already. The more I think about what I want to describe, the more my mind wanders to places where the real and intangible converge, comparing my experience to some sort of culinary alchemy where real ingredients intertwine with the ephemeral nature of flavour, creating momentary masterpieces that will only live in my memories long after each bite.
As I scratch the surface of bringing scope to this dinner, I think deeper about the comparisons that can bring some justice to this daunting task. As it begins, it’s much like a passionate and unpredictable romance, which has humble beginnings, like the daikon nimono in dashi with shredded bonito flakes and microgreens. This otherwise innocent introduction turns suddenly into a deep and sultry rendezvous with promises of what’s to come with the chawanmushi course, topped with fresh BC uni that is appreciated, but not necessary as it sits seductively atop an impossibly smooth and silky egg custard. A bit of excitement flares as infatuation intensifies in this love story.
As each course is presented to me, lovingly handled, assembled, and expertly seasoned, I’m taken through what amounts to be an epic journey through time. Each fish dry-aged for a specific number of days to bring them to what would be the apex of texture and flavour intensity, complemented by seasonings that could be simple or complex, depending on the type of fish and the direction that Chef Park chooses to take his diners. His journey, as he shares in his words, is shaped by his own experiences bringing together a world of ingredients, inspired by a cuisine from half a world away, but reflect a local nostalgia through the clever use of regional flavour notes such as hay smoke and maple.
As dinner nears its completion, we are fully immersed and entranced by the performance that seemingly transcends any sort of predictable comparisons that would honour this appropriately. As my blown mind lingers on the absolute pleasure I had just experienced and slowly starts to reassemble itself, we are presented with a bowl of what appears to be a standard post-meal miso soup. The moment I bring the bowl up to sip, the fish-laden aroma tells me that it is no mere utility-grade miso soup that we’ve become accustomed to from any everyday sushi joint. This is a crescendo of pure flavour that encapsulates Chef Park’s mantra of want not waste not, casually mentioned during the service. Though superior ingredients will make a better chef, achieving something as wonderful as those parting sips, only proves that humility sets some of those chefs apart.
Much like love, there are moments of intensity, shared moments of pure joy, and heavenly bliss that make you close your eyes so you can savour the moment. But also like love, it comes to an end, leaving me a little sad, but also so blessed that I had the privilege of being in that space for 2 and a half hours and 23 bites.