After years as a Pop-Up, Sushi Chef’s First Brick-and-Mortar Location Entices Guests in West Midtown
One of Atlanta’s finest sushi dining experiences can be found at the table in front of chef Leonard Yu at Omakase Table.
Yu hails from the rice fields outside of Jakarta, Indonesia, where his passion for rice and authentic food were born. He brings two decades of culinary experience to the Atlanta dining scene as he has practiced and perfected the art of sushi with stints at five-star restaurants and luxury hotels before coming to the United States to learn from sushi expert and rockstar chef Watanabe, a sushi veteran with more than three decades of experience. These experiences led to Omakase Table.
Omakase Table began as an intimately sized pop-up located inside Silom Thai & Sushi Bar before moving to Brush Sushi Izakaya. With its growing popularity, Omakase Table opened as a brick-and-mortar location on West Marietta Street in West Midtown in November 2022.
The sleek, modern restaurant offers an intimate dining experience with 12 seats circling the sushi bar. Yu works hard to ensure that Omakase Table stands out from the rest. He uses the finest ingredients to craft his simple courses, featuring impeccable detail that adds a level of exciting complexity. Items like artisan soy sauce and high-quality rice dominate the menu, with the fish serving as a perfect vehicle for the journey throughout the meal.
The restaurant features a variety of Japanese small plates. Yu is at home behind the bar, forming rice into a nigiri bed or explaining the discipline and patience the process takes to yield the ultimate taste. His intriguing take on Japanese-Indochinese sushi is now supported by a team of dedicated chefs learning from him.
The small things will always matter at Omakase Table. Taste, timing, order, menu format and the context in which his food is served remain his biggest priorities. He prioritizes the unity and togetherness between fish and rice, a relationship that only spurs his relentless pursuit of perfection.
“Omakase is the highest a sushi chef can achieve, the best representation of him,” explains Yu. “One piece of a perfect bite is my lifetime achievement.”
Omakase Table is located at 788 West Marietta Street in Atlanta. The intimate eatery serves a 20-course omakase experience Tuesday-Sunday from 5-8 p.m. Reservations can be made online. Learn more at omakasetableatl.com and on Instagram.
