Creative chefs

[tlight22]

Last night I went with my wife who has yet to see the light regarding the finer points of sushi, instead choosing to order off the kitchen menu. The chef was gracious and accomodating, offering her single servings of some of his favorite fish. Nothing exotic there, just seared albacore and some of the milder fish. The restaurant was not very busy when we were there, our chef was taking care of the two of us and another couple who came in just after us. Because he had some extra time, he got a little creative and made some things that weren`t on the menu. The one item that stands out was prepared as follows.
The chef pressed a thin layer of shrimp and crab mince on a sheet of plastic wrap, then a layer of rice on top of that. Finally, he sprinkled some Katsuo Mirin Furikake ("Prepared Shaved Bonito and Sesame Seed" according to the label on the jar I have). This sheet was then rolled like maki into a roll about 3/4" in diameter and cut into 4 pieces roughly 1 1/4" long with the crab meat on the outside. It was amazingly delicious. Simple, beautiful, delicious. What more could one ask for from their sushi.
I was wondering if others have had similar experiences with "off-menu" surprise specials. Do these creations have formal names? Is this practice is normal? What, if any, is your favorite? At another restaurant I go to, many times people will request a "spicy tuna salad" (not on the menu) made of chopped maguro drizzled with the sesame-soy-chili oil used to make the te-maki on a bed of radish sprouts. Is it rude to request these items?

[fsdafasdfasdf]

comfortable you feel asking. At the place I frequent the most, (sushi bar, but also some other dishes, one being fried rice), I asked the chef if I could have salmon fried rice, and he obliged.. even added it to the specials board for a while. But, I might hesitate to make a similar request at an establishment where I wasn`t well known.

[rfoley]

If you ask for "omakase", it`s mean that you will trust in chef to produce you what he would like to do for you, at this time. But be careful, "omakase" means also that price could be so surprising as the creativeness of the chef...
However, in case of you want some special dishes that you`d imagined, so, it isn`t better to be well known...? E.T.