As a spiritual sibling to two-Michelin-starred Jônt in Washington, D.C., one-Michelin-starred Ômo by Jônt in Winter Park, Florida, blends French and Japanese traditions. Helmed by Ryan Ratino, recipient of the 2023 Michelin Guide Young Chef Award, the sleek tasting-menu restaurant was a 2025 James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant. Its name comes from the Japanese concept of omotenashi, or wholehearted hospitality in which a guest’s needs are anticipated and every element of the experience is thoughtfully considered.
Guests can begin the evening in The Salon, where they enjoy small bites, perhaps warm brioche topped with pineapple jam and foie gras, alongside glasses of Champagne. The tasting menu unfolds at a 16-seat counter overlooking an open kitchen with a small hearth. “Almost every course touches the fire in some way,” says Ratino.
The menu is constantly in conversation with the season, highlighting Florida citrus, stone crab, and spiny lobster alongside prized Japanese imports such as bafun uni, Hida wagyu, and Nanatsuboshi rice. Dishes might include tarts brimming with caramelized tomato marmalade and lightly embered fatty tuna, or a deconstructed chowder featuring cod farce, sake-and-vermouth sauce, razor clams, and lightly stewed seasonal vegetables.
Several signature dishes from Jônt also appear at Ômo, including caviar tarts topped with young barracuda and crab rice with nori and mushrooms, cooked in a donabe set directly on the hearth coals. “That’s our truffle vessel,” Ratino says of the rice. “We always shave with white or black truffles all over the rice.”
Guests finish the evening in the pastry parlor with small bites of seasonal fruit, plated desserts, and a cavalcade of mignardises.
That level of personalization begins with some homework. Before each dinner, a staff member researches every guest online, looking for details that can help the team tailor the experience in meaningful and often surprising ways. It’s omotenashi to the nth degree.
