Made-to-Order Sushi in Omaha’s Old Market

In Omaha’s Old Market, a sushi dinner can unfold in rounds: a plate of nigiri here, a specialty roll there, perhaps a bowl of miso soup before the next order goes in. This downtown restaurant is built around that unhurried sampling approach, with an all-you-can-eat format that is prepared to order rather than arranged on a buffet line.

That distinction matters. Diners choose from a menu of sushi rolls, nigiri, sashimi and Japanese dishes, then receive successive servings from the kitchen. It gives a meal a little more flexibility than the usual all-you-can-eat setup, especially for a table where one person wants salmon sashimi, another is eyeing cooked hibachi dishes, and somebody else wants to keep room for dessert.

The format is offered at lunch and dinner, though individual dishes are also an option. It is a useful choice for a quick downtown lunch as well as for the longer dinner where the table decides to keep trying one more roll.

Sushi is the center of the meal, but the menu does not leave non-sushi eaters staring at a plate of rice. Soup, salads, curry, ramen, hibachi dishes, appetizers and dessert widen the possibilities considerably.

That range is especially welcome in a group. One diner can build a meal around nigiri and sashimi while another adds ramen or curry, and the table can still share a few appetizers between rounds. The all-you-can-eat approach is less about piling everything onto the table at once than choosing the next thing that sounds good.

Small appetizer portions help with that pacing. Edamame, calamari rings and miso soup offer easy additions without turning the early part of the meal into a full stop before the sushi arrives.

The sushi list has enough breadth to reward a little wandering. Large rolls, specialty rolls and chef rolls share space with more direct orders of nigiri and sashimi. Salmon and eel are notable choices, and vegetarian diners have both a designated vegetarian section and clearly labeled dishes to work from.

The Super Dynamite roll is one to put on the table if you want a signature-style order among the more familiar selections. A mixed group can start with a few dependable favorites, then add something more elaborate in the next round instead of treating the first order as a final decision.

For diners who prefer their fish without the extra construction of a roll, sashimi and nigiri keep the meal grounded. The menu’s range makes it possible to alternate between a substantial specialty roll and a simpler piece of fish rather than committing to one style all evening.

Each table has a call button for requesting assistance or placing another order. In a restaurant designed around successive made-to-order servings, it is a practical detail: when the table is ready for another round, there is a direct way to say so.

It also makes the all-you-can-eat format easier to pace. A family or group can begin with appetizers and a few rolls, see what disappears first, then order more without trying to predict the entire meal at the start.

Thoughtful ordering is still the sensible route. Limits may apply to rolls per person, and unfinished or excess food can bring restrictions or charges. The menu is broad enough that it is easy to order ambitiously; smaller rounds leave more room to explore without leaving a crowded table behind.

Inside, the restaurant has booths, an indoor dining area and a bar area. A cozy booth suits the more leisurely version of the meal, when rolls and appetizers keep arriving in stages and nobody is in a rush to settle on one entrée.

The space also works well for a larger table. Groups of five to eight can make good use of the menu’s variety, particularly when tastes run in different directions. One person can order vegetarian dishes, another can focus on eel or salmon, and the rest of the table can divide specialty rolls.

Being in the Old Market gives the meal a downtown Omaha backdrop rather than a detached, suburban stop. Free street parking is available, although a space can be harder to find in the area.

The drink list has a couple of options that go beyond the expected soft drink. Taro bubble tea is a sweet, lingering choice that can outlast the meal, while the Scorpion Bowl brings a more theatrical mixed-liquor option for adult diners.

For takeout, the chicken teriyaki box is a notably complete meal: soup, salad, rice, tempura vegetables, teriyaki chicken and mixed vegetables all arrive together. It is a different sort of order from the sushi-focused dining room experience, but it shows how much of the menu is devoted to cooked comfort food as well.

There is also a takeout combination centered on two appetizers and three sushi rolls. It makes a practical option for bringing a varied sushi spread home without assembling every piece one by one.