Creative seafood preparations abound at Jimoto Omakase. Credit: Ron Bechtol

The form of Japanese dining known as omakase is an act of trust.

In its purest form, diners put themselves in the hands of the chef to determine not only the content but also the flow of a dinner. The trajectory of an evening may change spontaneously midstream depending on the chef’s interaction with guests.

Outside of Japan, purity in omakase dining may be hard to come by, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

At San Antonio’s Jimoto Omakase, a “speakeasy” cloistered behind heavy wooden doors above ramen-redoubt Kimura, the flexibility to change course is retained, but it’s exercised prior to the guests’ arrival. Jimoto requires advance purchase of a “ticket” to dine. The ticketing process includes a survey of aversions and allergies, and this information helps inform that night’s menu — for everyone at the six-seat counter. Spontaneity may be sacrificed, but intimacy is not.

And intimacy sets the experience apart as much as does the menu. It’s not often that, with a few exceptions, every aspect of meal preparation takes place right in front of you. Diners are almost automatically led into interactions with the chef as well as co-congregants to either side. Discussions may veer off into dissertations on the use and care of different kinds of Japanese knives, all while a parade of tightly choreographed dishes appears at a measured pace.

The flag bearer in the parade during my visit was a surprisingly crisp and delicate oyster from the Texas Gulf Coast, its pristine quality amplified by accents of minced green apple, ginger and fennel. Following close behind came the first of many variations on a theme of nigiri sushi. The blushing slice of red snapper draped atop a lozenge of vinegared suishi rice had been lightly seared and topped with finely shredded mint. It arrived accompanied not with ginger but with pearly laminations of lightly pickled chayote.

The chef at Jimoto Omakase smokes fish under a glass dome with cherry wood shavings. Credit: Ron Bechtol

That this was not your everyday omakase became even clearer with the appearance of presentation No. 3 — there were eleven more to follow. This nigiri featured sea bream topped with sweet miso that the chef torched as we watched. There was just enough fire to warm the nutty miso and activate aromas.

Around this time, the topic of kaiseki came up.

Kaiseki resembles omakase mostly in that it is a traditional, multi-course dinner. However, it touches on many aspects of Japanese cuisine and may involve cooking techniques such as grilling and simmering. The dishes are frequently paired with sake, and they also may be seasonal and locavore in nature.

That noted, the torching of the sea bream became understandable, as did the substitution of chayote for ginger.

The next dish to appear evoked springtime. At least symbolically. White salmon is a rare, genetic variation of the King variety. Jimoto sources most of its seafood from a popular market in Tokyo where such esoterica are available. The chef symbolically evoked spring by smoking the fish under a glass dome with sakura (cherry) wood shavings. You first smell the smoke, then you taste its delicate kiss, not unlike cherry blossoms.

Regarding sake, you may want some. Jimoto doesn’t have a liquor license, but you can easily source it, along with wine and Japanese beer, from Kimura downstairs. Consider doing so before you ascend the stairs. The Tozai Snow Maiden jinmai nigari was especially good with some of the courses to follow.

Obviously, your omakase experience will vary, but these are some highlights of what we had: lean tuna with black garlic, soy and crunchy chile pepper; fatty tuna belly with red jalapeño marmalade; and a version of leche de tigre with sea bream, chive, shallot, habanero and basil.

Had there not been a pescatarian in the group we might have been treated to wagyu beef in one minimally manipulated form or another. Just the same, it wasn’t missed.

But wait, there’s more. In time, we graduated to cooked and assembled dishes, which included a fragrant “risotto” scented with shiitake and seaweed dashi; a savory and lush oyster-mushroom miso soup; and, at about 90 minutes from go, a variation on a theme of tiramisu with matcha-inflected lady fingers, mousse and more — all served in a wooden sake-drinking box.

The guiding light behind this dinner and a show is Chef Ruben Pantaleon, bearer of coveted culinary recognition from the Japanese government and currently pursuing a degree from San Antonio’s Culinary Institute of America. On this night, the experience was expertly hosted by Chef Taylor Manosca and Adrian Ramos, both of whom helped Pantaleon open 19 Hyaku in 2023. Presently operating as a pop-up on a month-to-month-basis, look for even greater things from the trio when they find firmer footing.

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This article appears in Apr 30 – May 13, 2025.