Behold, the New Menus at Japanese Cuisine by Omae

Japanese Cuisine by Omae, the reservation-only omakase experience in Chinatown, has new business hours and two new menus to add to the mix.

The 12-seat restaurant from former Morimoto XEX executive chef Takeshi Omae adds lunch, which no longer requires a reservation. The restaurant will be open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. for the midday meal.

Lunch offers three choices of a main entree for $20 per person. It starts with an appetizer, then either udon with spicy roe cod (Mentaiko) and eggs, Japanese-style deep fried pork (Tonkatsu) and black curry over steamed rice or premium ground beef steak with foie gras.

Dinner is now served Tuesdays through Saturdays at 5 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. with reservations.

For February and March, Omae has two different menus starting this Friday.

Special No. 1 is four courses for $75 per person. Guests start with salmon trout and an organic vegetable terrine seasoned with crystal salt and light soy broth, followed by assorted appetizers including Sayori and seaweed, braised Kinmedai fish, crispy fried white fish and shrimp, Ikasumi, thin-sliced dried renkon, sweet plum, Gindara Saikyo Yaki and foie gras on oyster and fresh uni on teriyaki sauce.

The third course brings lobster risotto with Japanese rice and Wagyu teppanyaki. The dinner ends with mascarpone cheese ice cream over Matcha green tea.

The second choice features seven courses for $150 per person. This usually includes foie gras steamed with egg, omabi tartare, assorted appetizers, bagna càuda with crab meat, steamed white fish of the day, Wagyu teppanyaki and dessert.

Make reservations here.