“Shiki Omakase”: Is This Sushi Worth the High Price?

Herbert Hacker on the new sushi venue “Shiki Omakase” on Krugerstraße.

What does “Omakase” mean and what kind of restaurant is it?

Japanese-born conductor Joji Hattori opened what is arguably the city’s best Japanese restaurant, Shiki, on Krugerstraße back in 2011. Now he has raised the bar once again, opening Shiki Omakase just a few steps away. “Omakase” means “I leave it up to you” — to the chef, that is. In the small back room of the Shiki Boutique, there is space for only eight guests, and all nigiri sushi and sashimi are prepared “à la minute” right before their eyes.

How does the evening unfold?

Dinner begins at 6:30 pm, lunch at 12:30 pm. Head chef Alois Trend and sushi masters Hiroki Takahashi and Ruben Gorcea introduce the current menu sequence. Then it begins — one course better than the next. Simply watching how the fish are cut is fascinating. What has previously been considered sushi in Vienna bears no comparison. Worlds apart — no, entire galaxies.