From the elegant invitation to the last piece of sushi, this trip to Omakase no Mimi curated by Yakuza left us completely surrendered to what is possible to experience magnificently well prepared in our city? and for a price that isn’t even that high.
Entering the latest venture by one of our country’s greatest restaurant “creators”, Olivier da Costa, is an invitation to travel through Japan through a gastronomic ritual meticulously conducted by one of our favorite sushi chefs, Alex Hatano , who has been seizing this opportunity for a few months now to showcase all his art in the preparation of 12 moments that celebrate the fusion between Japanese tradition and contemporary cuisine.
In the words of Olivier da Costa himself, with whom we spoke during part of our experience,
Mimi is not a restaurant by Olivier, but a manifesto of our confidence, the know-how we cultivated at Yakuza and the desire to create something truly unique and memorable. More than a dinner, Mimi curated by Yakuza is a sensory journey designed down to the last detail.”
Omakase means “I leave it to you”, a rule materialized in a culinary performance of high mastery, innovation and absolute respect for Japan’s gastronomic tradition, as you will understand in the following lines.
The place, elegant and intimate
Those who see it from the outside can’t imagine the intimate and reserved space they’ll find inside.
At the entrance, there’s a bar and two tables where you can have a drink before you start enjoying this incredible experience.
You then pass through a small corridor to a curved wooden counter with seating for around 12. On the other side of the counter with high stools are the masters who will guide us through the 12 moments (each day is different, depending on the fish and ingredients of the day) and, behind us, a few tables for those who prefer to follow the à la carte menu, with a total of 30 seats available each night.
The Secret Lisbon experience
From the first course, it was clear that Alex Hatano’s proposal goes far beyond mere tasting: it’s a performance that combines respect for Japanese tradition with bold notes of contemporary sophistication.
And the start couldn’t have been more special, with the presentation of a Senbei of Salicornia with red bell pepper, a crunchy and surprising starter that opened the palate to the gastronomic nuances to come.
This was followed by the Asari Dashi Miso, a delicate broth full of depth, which balanced softness with a comforting touch of Japanese tradition.
The Truffled Maguro Kari-kari raised the bar with the intensity of bluefin tuna, enriched by the enveloping scent of truffle, while the Hagatsou Tataki brought lightness and freshness in a celebration of the texture and flavor of lightly braised raw fish.
Among the most memorable dishes was the Lobster in Beurre Blanc de Sake, where the delicacy of the crustacean found an unlikely and irresistible fusion with the classic sauce reinterpreted with the subtlety of sake.
If you like sashimi, you’ll love the next course, which once again filled our appetite with a mix of different species, with pure, precise cuts and impeccable freshness, which you can see in this photo.
The next moment was a real masterclass in how to prepare nigiris , highlighting what best defines the concept of omakase, the genuine celebration of fish in its most sublime state, with each piece being shaped by hand , right there in front of us, proving to be one of the highlights of the evening.
Meat… and a sweet ending
If you were hoping for a meaty moment, the arrival of the Wagyu Pastrami was undoubtedly another of the evening’s highlights.
It combines Japanese tradition with an out-of-the-box approach, revealing an extremely tender meat full of personality, where the trick is to dip the sandwich in the acrid sauce (based on Dijon mustard) and give it a big bite so that you absorb all the flavors simultaneously, from the sumptuous meat to the intense freshness of the caviar… it’s a simply divine and sinful sandwich.
The experience ended in the most delicate way possible, with the Sake Pudding, a dessert that closed the course in the same register of sophistication and subtlety, but which, in my case, didn’t fully satisfy, perhaps because I’m not such a fan of puddings... unlike Ringo (videographer for Lisboa Secreta) who ended up eating his and mine. Nothing is “spoiled” here! (laughs)
Finally, it should be noted that all 12 dishes were accompanied by the house white wine, which was very fresh and perfectly balanced for this type of meal… and we were also given two different types of sake, in a pairing that we thought was perfect and which perfectly enhanced the texture of the nigiris.
Our only regret was that our visit didn’t include the famous grills at Konro, using the traditional Japanese binchotan charcoal, which reaches high temperatures, giving the food a deep and distinctive flavor. Let’s hope we’ll be so lucky next time we visit.
All in all, it was €98 (excluding drinks) of a gastronomic experience that we will never forget, especially as it is an omakase 2.0 concept, with a more authentic and surprising vision of Oriental cuisine.
Address: Rua Rodrigues Sampaio 94
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 7pm to midnight (until Wednesday), and from 7pm to 1am (Thursday to Saturday)
Reservations: on the website
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