I went for the sushi bar omakase at Mako and had a lovely time. 8.5/10 overall.
Food – 8. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the sushi more than the kaiseki-style dishes! (I am not much of a sushi person, so I was expecting the opposite.) I enjoyed most of the bites, but my favorites were the seasonal sashimi, kamasu, kinmedai, and modori katsuo. I really didn't like the yari ika. I also opted for an extra off-menu nigiri and found it worthwhile. The fish was fresh, but I thought the quality varied a bit and some of the slices were a little thin. I didn't leave hungry though since there were many, many courses. The squab dish, while tasty, felt oddly out of place in a menu where almost everything else was seafood.
Drinks – 7. I started with the "Uchiwa" cocktail, which had gin, passionfruit, and lime. It was tart, refreshing, and a generous size, but not very strong. I chased this with the "Emperor's jasmine pearls" tea, which started off mild and pleasant but quickly oversteeped and was excessively bitter by the time I reached the bottom of the teapot. The emperor would not be pleased.
Service – 10. I chose to sit at the sushi counter, as I love to watch chefs in their element. There were 3 chefs preparing the meal, each with a distinct personal flair, but the final products all appeared impressively consistent and well-made. One chef in particular was mesmerizing to watch because of his smooth and elegant movements. The chef serving my section was very friendly and had a great sense of humor, and we chatted not only about this omakase, but also his experience working here and other food recommendations. The regular staff members were also attentive and efficient, but I found it difficult to hear them as they spoke from behind me.
Ambiance – 7.5. I completely overlooked the subtle sign at the entrance and ended up circling the entire block haha. Don't be like me. Once I eventually made it inside, I was greeted and escorted to my seat at the sushi counter. The restaurant requests that you arrive early, but I'm not sure why since service didn't begin promptly at the scheduled time anyway. I found the decor interesting, everything was clean and comfortable, and the chopsticks were perfect. The atmosphere was relaxed and quite social, with guests chatting amongst themselves and with the chefs. I did have a bit of trouble hearing the staff describe the dishes at times due to background noise. The main reason this score isn't higher is because of the smell – when I walked in, I immediately smelled fish, which made me very apprehensive. Fortunately, all of the seafood I was served was fresh, but the scent persisted throughout the meal.
Note: The bill includes an automatic 20% service fee which covers gratuity. There is space on the bill to provide an additional tip, but no expectation or pressure to do so. The initial deposit collected when making your reservation is deducted from your final bill.
Would I go again? I had a good time, but once was enough.
I'll put labels for the pictures into a comment below. I had to squish a few photos together to fit everything into this post, so just ask if you'd like to see the full individual photo of a certain piece.
by elynias