Hinoki Omakase

Hinoki Omakase offers an intimate, multi-course Japanese tasting menu - emphasizing fresh, high-quality ingredients flown in from Japan

After a wonderful afternoon of adventuring around Lake Tahoe and staying while at The Hanger taproom in South Lake Tahoe, it was time for me to meet Sonni for dinner.

She’d raved about how much she loved the omakase session at Hinoki O, so I was honored and delighted when she made reservations for us to dine together for dinner.

When I arrived, Sonni greeted me with her usual warmth, then introduced me to our chef for the evening: Francisco. From the moment I stepped inside, it was clear that Hinoki wasn’t just a restaurant. It was a stage, and we were about to witness something beautiful.

With only eight seats, every detail was intentional. Every movement behind the counter needed to be deliberate under our watchful eyes. It was part dinner, part performance, and all of it was oral art.

Francisco didn’t hand us a menu – he spoke it. Each course was introduced with the cadence of a storyteller. Over the course of the evening, he spoke the fish’s origins in Japan like characters in our dining story. His techniques turned into our plot twists.

And I savored every moment.

Hinoki Omesaki

Friday, May 2, 2025

Chawanmushi (Egg Custard)

Shima Aji (Striped Jack)

Hamachi (Yellowtail With Fresh Ginger)

Mebaru (Rockfish)

Madai (Japanese Sea Bream)

Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper)

Ishidai (Striped Beakfish)

Sakura Masu (Cherry Blossom Salmon)

Tuna Tasting:
3 Different Cuts of Exceptional Tuna

Now, this is where the dining experience at Hinoki O gets extremely special: the tuna tasting. I have never been able to compare the three different types of tuna so beautifully in one sitting.

Akami (Lean Tuna)

Chūtoro (Medium Fatty Tuna)

Ōtoro  (Super Fatty Tuna)

These were absolutely brilliant. I must say that I agreed with Sonni and will admit that my favorite piece was the Chūtoro. Its as melt in your mouth goodness – with a little bit of chew. I found it the best of both worlds.

Aburi Gohan to Karai Maguro (Crispy Rice With Spicy Tuna)

Kushi Oyster (WA) with Sturgeon Caviar

Dungeness Crab With Yuzu

Hotate (Scallop)

Uni (Sea Urchin)

Hotaru Ika (Firefly Squid)

A5 Wagyu (Japan – Ribeye Cut)

I absolutely adored this part of the experience. It was incredible. I’ve had wonderful experiences with A5 beef, from Per Se in New York to Kazahana in Japan and Beckon in Denver. This was right up there.

Toro Temaki (Hand Roll with Tuna Belly, Green Onion and Sturgeon Caviar)

Asari no Miso Shiru (Miso Soup with Clams)

Yuzu no Kasutādo (Japanese Sponge Cake with Yuzu Curd)

A Conversation

One of the most unforgettable moments of the night came from a conversationI didn’t expect to hear – and wouldn’t trade for anything. A diner – half Japanese – asked the chef what he was.

“I’m Mexican,” Francisco said, calm and open.

I was – shocked. Being used to Los Angeles politics, I was still not used to the political directness of Nevada. I mean, I’d gotten into a conversation with a Libertarian over a beer to try and understand his self centered political point of view. But, this was something else….

Then came the follow-up: Had anyone discriminated against him for being Mexican in a Japanese cuisine kitchen? Did people – patrons –  tell him that they felt he didn’t have the right to serve Japanese dishes, since he wasn’t Japanese?

The question hung for a moment. Then Francisco answered with honesty.

Yes. He’s faced racism. Prejudice. Skepticism from colleagues and guests alike. Not once or twice, but enough to leave a mark.

“But, I’d like to think that my work speaks for itself.” He said, confidently. I felt that, deeply.

Yes, initially the question and the subject felt too sharp, too exposed to the truth. But the longer I thought about it, the more it sank in.

Francisco poured himself into mastering one of the world’s most exacting culinary traditions and still had to prove he belonged, simply because of where he came from. His skill wasn’t questioned because it lacked depth. It was questioned because he wasn’t what some people expected to see behind the counter.

Here was a person, trained for years in a very specific cuisine style. But, because he’s not Japanese, he’s looked at differently.  And still, he shows up every day – putting his head down and working to the best of his ability. In this, he serves incredible food at a price to match.

So, why are humans trained to gate keep so many things – food included? Who is culturally allowed to cook what? Am I “allowed” to buy a Scandinavian cookbook and cook a meal for my friends? How about this – what about if I, as a black woman, fell in love with the cuisine and wanted to open a restaurant to share Scandinavian foods with paying customers? Am I allowed to? Or, am I only socially regulated to cook stereotypical Southern US African American based cuisine?

That night at Hinoki Omakase gave me more than just unforgettable flavors while dining with a dear friend. It handed me a moment that cut through comfort and politeness. It forced me to reckon with how quick we are to judge, how deeply race shapes perception, and how excellence sometimes still isn’t enough.

The food was stunning.

But the resonance of the resulting conversation?

That stayed with me.

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