Separately, sibling entities Takashi and Post Office Place have pushed Salt Lake’s palate with reimagined Japanese cuisine and international flavors that run the gamut from Jalisco to Aleppo. So when the two announced they would join forces at the beginning of 2025 for a single omakase offering a week, we knew we were in for something big. Drawing on their shared expertise in niche cuisine, Chefs Brendan Kawakami, Brice Okubo and Takashi Gibo are churning out 15 delightfully idiosyncratic dishes per seating, and they change the menu each month. “Between a bed of noodles knotted by hand, to salted cherry blossoms and habanero kosho delicately balanced on top of nigiri, each bite is carefully assembled,” says panelist Avrey Evans. “Individually, each course is delicious. But together they take you on a sensory pilgrimage that makes you question if you’re even still in Utah.” Their omakase evenings have expanded into two nights a week—a silent oath to continue refining Utah’s palate with flavors of the Far East. .
Left: Chefs Brendan Kawakami, Takashi Gibo and Brice Okubo.
Right: Brendan’s pulpo crudo (octopus) with botija olive sauce, basil oil and a crispy potato nest.
Photography by Adam Finkle.
Side Dish
The chefs give a lesson on each dish’s origin and ingredients, so you’ll leave dinner knowing words like “managatsuo” and “onagadai.”
This year’s 2026 Dining Awards is a showcase of the best experiences across Utah’s foodscape, and a reminder that each recommendation is a promise. A human-to-human promise. An assurance that a restaurant we say is amazing, is amazing. As you consider your next celebratory meal or casual weeknight outing, here’s your menu of Salt Lake’s 2026 gustatory darlings. The food is thoughtful, the hospitality is warm and the chefs care deeply about the dishes on your table.We promise.
