To offer customers a variety of dining experiences for dinner, in December Soto began offering an omakase nine – to-12 course small-plate menu. Omakase means “trust the chef” in Japanese.

 The omakase menu was previously offered for only special events and holidays, but General Manager Jere Whiteside said the menu became so popular that the restaurant began offering it regularly for dinner.

The menu includes items such as kumamoto oysters served with a ponzu sauce and caviar as well as seafood ceviche-made items, including tuna, salmon, snow crab and scallops, and is finished with cucumbers, tomatoes and serrano peppers. The dish is also served with tangerine sorbet.

Whiteside said chef Andy Okamoto is consistently creating new dishes.

“Chef [Okamoto] is constantly developing [dishes] and putting together something new,” Whiteside said.

In addition to the evolving variety of foods offered, Soto is also focusing on sake flights, Whiteside said. Likely in the spring, the restaurant plans to offer sake-paired dinners—similar to wine-pairing dinners—that will include the omakase menu. Dates for the dinners have not yet been scheduled.

Soto 11066 Pecan Park Blvd., Ste. 402, Austin 512-257-0788 www.sotoaustin.com Hours: Lunch Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner Mon.-Thu. 5-10 p.m., Fri. 5-11 p.m., Sat. 3-11 p.m., Sun. 3-9 p.m.