Thank you from Chef LeRoy
Summer 2023: Omakase Style
With our first summer season in the books, I’d like to extend a sincere “thank you” to all of the partners and clients who have made this a successful inaugural season for Omakase Private Dining. Serving healthy, modern Japanese cuisine with a respect for tradition has been my passion for over 20 years. I launched Omakase with a simple vision: to bring an unforgettable dining experience into the homes of my clients in Big Sky and Southwest Montana. I am blown away by the support the business has received from this community.
Photo: In July, I teamed up with Bozeman chef Cassie Zhu (left) to bring an Asian-fusion experience to Savor, the Big Sky food and wine festival at the base of Lone Peak. I was joined by my son, Kaden.
The summer was filled with many highlights. I had the opportunity to serve private omakase dinners and special occasions throughout Montana. In July, I teamed up with Bozeman chef Cassie Zhu to bring an Asian-fusion experience to Savor, the Big Sky food and wine festival at the base of Lone Peak. Cassie, the owner of Noodsss, specializes in home style Chinese catering. Savor festival attendees lined up in front of our booth to sample open-faced bluefin tuna hand rolls, steam buns, dumplings, and hamachi tostadas with yuzu and lime zest.
In August, I traveled with clients to cater world-class sushi and family meals in Southeast Alaska. Working with fresh, local foods harvested and foraged from the ocean and coastal rainforest was a huge privilege on this trip.
Photo: On the dock in Sitka, AK, preparing today’s scallops and awabi (abalone).
Photo: I had the honor to serve sushi for clients in beautiful Southeast Alaska this summer.
A question I often get from first-time Omakase clients is: “So, you really don’t have a menu?” The fact that there is not a menu is the real magic of Omakase. Omakase is a Japanese tradition that translates to “leave it up to the chef.” For each meal, I rely on decades of professional experience, seasonal fish offerings, and knowledge of the clients’ taste to make the dinner a unique event. I fly whole fish directly from Japan to Bozeman and prepare each meal with attention to the finest details. Then, I bring 10-17 course sushi dinners into the homes of my clients, adapting the meal to the tastes and moods of the evening. The end result is an unforgettable meal clients would otherwise have to travel to Las Angeles or New York to experience. To enhance the flavors of the meal and encourage my clients to really taste the fish, I follow a more traditional form of sushi service and pre-season most of the fish. Here are some of the favorite bites of the summer:
-Akamutsu (black throat perch) seared nigiri
-Kimchi rub bison striploin
-Bluefin sashimi with fresh wasabi and homemade aged soy sauce
I am proud to announce that my services with “Toro” the catering van are now available for off-site party bookings and adventure catering. When I say adventure catering, if you want sushi at your favorite backcounty ski hut or summer camping trip contact me right away. I have catered to professional athletes in the backcounty in the mountains and at cabins.
It is now time to line up your winter and holiday season bookings for Omakase Private Dinning! In addition to omakase dinners, I offer catering for larger family, corporate, and social events by request. Call or email me now to secure your preferred dates. Please book a minimum of 3 weeks ahead of your event.
