Address: 301 Upper Thomson Rd, #03-24A, Singapore 574408; Raffles City (Soon to Open in November 2022)
Instagram: omotesg
Opening Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 11:30am – 2:00pm, 5:30 – 9:00pm; Mondays 11:30am – 2:00pm. Closed on Tuesdays
Official Website: omote.com.sg
Owing to Omote’s imminent opening at Raffles City, I trekked the long winding road of Upper Thomson just to try out the highly raved chirashi don sets. The menu was extremely extensive from Chirashidons to maki rolls, tempuras and even oyster shooters that I grew skeptical. These jack-of-all-trade restaurants tend to have everything but focus on nothing. I found myself a convert through Omote’s hidden gem spirit and my experience at its humble flagship was a delight.
I soon discovered that Omote’s specialty lies in its premium sets. For an $8 top up, you can get a kaiseki-like spread with your donburis from hot tofu sides to cold salads, miso soup, sashimi, wakame, a mentaiko gyoza to sweeten the deal and beckon you for a next visit, and the unassuming appetizer — the Chawanmushi.
I encourage you to go for the Ikura Chawanmushi. It’ll cost you $3 more, but the melt-in-your-mouth chawanmushi blends perfectly with fresh salmon roe, beads bursting full of freshness and flavor in your tongue. The result is orgasmic, and I find myself wishing I spent more time eating it, relishing it. Meanwhile there are imitation crab sticks hidden in the chawanmushi, and I was stunned. Was this the entree?
And the start of the meal only got better, after a sip of hot miso soup warms my tummy. The Signature Omote Chirashi Don ($18) is a good value for money Omote signature dish. Cubes of salmon, fish, tuna, shrimp, ika, and ikura marinated in soy atop a bed of fluffy white rice.
My only criticism is that the rice bowl tends to be too wet for my liking, and those who don’t like a fishy taste will not like the bowl. That said, I dug in my bowl, a dance of flavors and textures, all too familiar with Japanese cuisine. Soon, I was too full to manage a bite of the cold salad and sukiyaki tofu. But all in all, I was delighted. Finally, a chirashi don worth returning to.
To those who are looking for a food adventure in Upper Thomson Road when the Thomson East Coast Line opens should add Omote to their lists, along with Hello Arigato and Oaks Coffee Co. But something to look forward to: Omote is about to open its second outlet at Raffles City in November 2022.
P.S. Some say the bears change. Better keep it. This Omote bear is too cute.