Pizza sushi, anyone? Here are 5 fun "omakase" experiences to try

Small’s

Credit: Smalls

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Singaporean chef-owner of Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant Artichoke and Masterchef Singapore judge Bjorn Shen is known for his incredibly bold (and sometimes outrageous) creations on a plate. Small’s originally started as a 2m by 2m omakase pizza place in early February 2020. Dedicated to exceptional dough, the tiny joint was attached to Artichoke, and was really Bjorn’s R&D kitchen. There he would play host to four people at each time, a few days a week, dishing out fascinating mainstays born out of his wild imagination. Now, Small’s is located at King George’s Avenue, and its V2 menu kicks things up a notch.

It zooms in on – get this – bread sushi. The concept doesn’t veer too far off from the team’s dough-making know-how; after all, you can basically expect sushi to be served, except the raw, cooked, or cured seafood will not sit on rice, but on all sorts of bread that have a wide range of tastes and textures.

“Taking inspiration from Danish smørrebrød, Basque pintxos (a bread-based appetiser popular in Northern Spain), and Italian crostini, one can expect more than just fish on bread - condiments and other preparations join the party to give diners that riot of flavours they expect from a meal at Small’s,” explains Shen.

The tasting menu starts from $105++ and consists of three snacks, eight to 10 “bread-sushi”, one hotpot, and two sweets. Bjornshen.com/smalls.

The Humble Pit

Credit: The Humble Pit

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Eugene Sito keeps things chilled and laid-back with his private home dining venture. Tucked away in a quaint part of Kovan, The Humble Pit is situated at the fourth-floor rooftop of Eugene’s family terrace house. It’s open and airy enough for his fiery ambitions, as the barbecue-themed experience features smoked and grilled highlights – think grilled cod with soy bone sauce, and smoked siu yuk (aka bacon cured pork belly smoked low and slow with lychee).

“I wanted to fully incorporate the fire element in every dish but with good balance across the menu,” says Sito. “Fire is involved in many ways: grilling over charcoal, indirect charcoal cooking, wood smoking, roasting beside charcoal fire… whichever style suits the dish I’m cooking the best.”

The waiting list for The Humble Pit is currently over a year, so it goes without saying that you should really be thinking well ahead if you want a spot at this one.

Dinner consists of six courses and starts from $110 per person. Instagram.com/thehumblepit.

Restaurant Absurdities

Credit: Restaurant Absurdities

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Mysterious jungles in a remote part of the world, right-smack in the middle of a scorching desert, the swanky cabin of an ultra-luxurious private jet – who knows where you’ll end up with Restaurant Absurdities?

Created by Stuart Wee and Emily Png, the couple behind ANDSOFORTH, Asia’s largest immersive dining company, and powered by Chef Jason Ang, one of ANDSOFORTH’s most frequent collaborators, Restaurant Absurdities puts its heart and soul into two things: theatre and food. As a diner, you’ll be beckoned to a secret location and visit six unique spaces as you feast your way through a multi-course meal. Each room is specifically designed to enhance different gastronomic elements, and costume-donning hosts play their part to perfection, making this a uniquely sensorial play of sorts.

“We want to hear diners exclaim in surprise and be awestruck by the dishes in each room. After all, absurd times call for absurd experiences," says Stuart.

Restaurant Absurdities serves up a six-course meal with two alcoholic drinks; prices start from $678 for groups of four, and $348 for groups of two. Absurdities.com.sg.

Nomikase at Little Birdie takes the omakase concept beyond food and applies it to cocktails. There’s no menu to pore over here. Instead, you leave it in the hands of the bartender, who will serve up four bespoke cocktails in sequence, crafted around your palate.

What makes the experience particularly fun is how interactive it gets. As each cocktail is prepared, the bartender walks you through the inspiration and thought process behind the drink, so you get a better idea of what’s going into your glass and why. And you won’t just be sitting back and watching either. At one point during the night, you’ll be roped in to help shake up your own cocktail, which makes the whole experience feel more playful and personal.

Held on select Friday and Saturday evenings from 7pm onwards, it’s a fun alternative for anyone who loves the surprise of an omakase but would rather have their courses served in cocktail glasses.

The Nomikase experience includes four bespoke cocktails. Instagram: @littlebirdiesg.