The sushi omakase was with us long before the pandemic, and to my surprise, the high-end style of dining proliferated during a time when one might have expected financial uncertainty to be a deterrent to opening a restaurant where the cost per diner generally starts at $125.

Well, there are many reasons restaurateurs chose this route. Chief among them was the ability to hide food scarcity issues behind the practice of entrusting the chef to choose the best ingredients of the day. Most diners tend to focus on what’s on the plate, not what’s missing.

And, of course, reservations for the only menu available took the guesswork and anxiety out of food buying, and reduced the likelihood of waste.

To differentiate themselves, the newest omakase restaurants have evolved from the traditional to a more contemporary style that introduces bolder flavors and non-traditional ingredients.

One of the latest is Sushi by Aung, where a seasonal menu promises new experiences throughout the year. Currently, hot days call for a refreshing taste of citrus that figured prominently on a recent visit, as well as the bold flavor of seasonal truffles.

The amiable and entertaining Burmese chef honed his skills over eight years, after moving to San Francisco and falling in love with the art of sushi while working at Akiko’s, a Michelin Guide restaurant, and later, while working at New York City’s East Village restaurant Sushi by M.

He moved to Oahu in late March to be with family and wasted little time creating a stylish 12-seat space to showcase his unique spin on sushi, combining classic Edomae nigiri with contemporary twists. It’s not traditional, but it’s not outlandish, creating an experience that’s more eye-opening than eyeball-rolling.

The 15-course omakase started simply enough with a single piece of soy-marinated Kagoshima hamachi topped with a small crown of tosazu (a Tosa-style soy sauce that contains dashi with katsuobushi, or bonito, essence) daikon oroshi. I felt we were off to a good start.

Next came a big show of cherry wood-smoking the Big Island opakapaka that would top the next piece of nigiri. Perhaps the smoking was a way to mask its fishy essence, but it didn’t work out that way.

We got back on track with the next piece of soy-marinated bluefin tuna, and I loved the combination of flavors that went into chaibu toro that started with a base of sushi rice studded with seared chives, topped with chopped toro and California sturgeon caviar.

Ikura, generally cured with a soy marinade, was brightened with lemon, and the salmon roe was finished with a dusting of lime zest, resulting in a novel lemon-lime flavor. You could almost imagine the fizz of soda.

Other courses with a taste of citrus were sweet shrimp with lime zest; Hokkaido scallop with a touch of soy, lemon and salt; and torched wagyu with sea salt and a splash of lemon.

Nigiri of Ora King salmon was capped with a slice of black truffle that balanced the flavors of ocean and earth. Succeeding courses were more straightforward, with nigiri of rich Santa Barbara uni, fatty toro and a hand roll of jackfish and hamachi.

Next came another show, this time of pressing rice with a layer of chopped eel to form unagi oshizushi.

We finished with tamago topped with a drop of manuka honey that I found unnecessary because the egg was already sweet, and dessert of housemade summer truffle ice cream, a nice treat.

Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable experience. There could have been more variety with the citrus used, such as adding a taste of calamansi, but with the chef’s newness to Hawaii, he is likely still learning what our farmers have to offer. Perhaps we will see even more experimentation and innovation with local ingredients down the line.

Sushi by Aung

567 Kapahulu Ave., Honolulu
Food: ***½
Service: ****
Ambiance: ****
Value: ****
Call: 808-589-8994; Reservations via open table
Hours: 1-3 p.m. And 5:30-10 p.m., With Two Dinner Seatings Starting at 5:30 and 8 p.m. Daily
Prices: $130 per person before tax and tip

Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).