Ooma-fied – verb.The act of taking a Japanese classic dish to another level.
Ooma has long been a favorite of the family since our first dinner at SM Megamall some years back. The brand which specializes on modern take on Japanese classics was born in October 2015 or almost 5 years ago.
Last week, we were invited to experience 4 of their 5 new dishes launched late last quarter 2019.
Crispy Tako Maki
fried baby octopus, tamago, gari, katsuobushi, bulldog aioli and soy dashi glaze
Essentially a takoyaki Japanese classic that are familiar but taken to another level. Loved the crunch on the battered and deepfried baby octopus and the contrast of the aioli.
Salmon Skin Aburi Maki
torched salmon crispy salmon skin, asparagus, cream cheese, wasabi aioli and teriyaki sauce
Essentially aburi ‘ed salmon with more cream cheese in the middle and asparagus to cut through the richness of the dairy. All time classic crispy salmon skin as garnish on top for crunch
Garlic Steak P498
sous-vide hanging tender, fried oyster mushrooms, cauliflower puree, crispy garlic,
sauteed kailan, teppanyaki sauce
A different spin on a classic favorite Hanger steak. Loved the deep fried oyster mushroom, the cauliflower puree instead of sweet potato, etc. It was a pretty dish reminiscent of a rustic floral arrangement. The flavor profile is quite different too. This one is more classic and tasting more garlicky vs the truffle flavor which Hanger Steak became notable for.
Cheese Katsu Curry Don P345
pork sukiyaki and mozzarella, fried carrots, fried eggplant , house curry
Think pork suiyaki with cheese in the middle with Japanese curry. I normally would veer away from any katsu but my will goes kaput when it is combined with curry and cheese.
Mochi and Matcha Cheesecake P245
sesame cashew crust, toasted rice, mochi
Thoroughly enjoyed the contrast of the sesame cashew crust against the silky matcha cheesecake. For a brief second there I thought I was eating a weird kind of marshmallow only to find out that they were mochi.
Overall, it was nice to visit Ooma and experience how Japanese classics are “ooma-fied” .
5 years later, the magic has not worn off judging by how the place was packed when we were there. Moreover, Ooma was just chosen together with other select restaurants as Zomato Foodie Choice 2019 awardee. Congratulations guys. Definitely returning with the handsome hubby and piggery in tow. See you there!
OOMA is located at BHS Central Square at BGC and has other branches at Rockwell, SM Megamall, O Square Greenhills, Salcedo Village Makati and Greenbelt.