“Oooh mama!,” exclaimed by someone excitable. That excited, jumping person happens to be me. I’d be highly strung if we are talking about Ooma in this case. People have anticipated the opening of Ooma restaurant since it’s the second partnership between two geniuses, Bruce Ricketts and The Moment Group. The first one, a favorite of mine as well, is Mecha Uma.
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Ooma is a play on the Japanese word “umai” which translates to good. At Ooma, they take good seriously. But not too serious that you take the fun and warm comfort out of it. Like most Moment Group restaurants, Ooma is hip and almost avant-garde… always in the trail of something new, bold and flavorful.
I missed going during their media invite as I was traveling in July but glad to go on a personal visit where it will be more relaxed. I tried to have dinner twice (once with Merry and another one with Dave) but the queue was super long that I ended up eating at Lugang Cafe during both missed opportunity. Finally, early September, somebody was able to reserve seats. I couldn’t sit still all day, excited for dinner.
Using the blueprint of Japanese cooking, much thought and passion are injected into each dish. Bold flavors built together to create something familiar and comforting, with new tastes based on the modern day palate.
On the Table
O Gyoza (5 pieces) Php 235
Gratinated mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Scallion. Togarashi. Unagi sauce.
Uni Sashimi Php 195
Fresh uni. Shiso. Ponzu Sauce. White Truffle Oil.
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Love that slithery silky texture of uni
Hanger Steak Php 495
Sous vide hanging tender. Sauteed mushrooms. White truffle oil. Sweet potato mash. Crispy baby potato. Pickle dressing. Ponzu butter.
Mmm-delish! My second or third favorite dish on the table.
Uni Udon Php 495
Fresh Uni. Shrimp. Onion. Fresh mushrooms. Nori crumbs. Scallion. Uni cream sauce.
This is probably my favorite dish in the menu. I love uni and I love udon. I remember learning how to make udon in Osaka back in 2005. These find silk threads with veneers of creamy and briny white sauce coating it, cuffed with uni, shrimp and mushroom bites, punch luscious luxury in my mouth.
Scallop and Tuna Aburi Maki Php 295
Torched scallop. Tuna. Cucumber. Sesame seeds. Nori crumbs. Scallion. Teriyaki Sauce. Spicy Mayo. Kimchi aioli.
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Aburi, meaning to burn something, is a traditional Japanese method of blowtorch, direct flame to burn. It can be destructive or tame and the art of aburi brings out amazing things – a different flavor and an enticing aroma that fills the entire place. An Ooma signature dish, the Aburi Maki list includes a full range of the best ingredients including top shelf delights such as hamachi, uni, scallops, and soft shell crab.
Ooma’s Scallop and Tuna Aburi Maki is also a favorite of mine. Love the taste of burnt something in my mouth, deeply smoky, faintly bitter and indistinctly sweet. Ooma provides a jar of soy sauce with a brush to lightly brush your maki with. It’s probably good training for folks not to dip their maki and overly doused it in sauce.
I usually just put wasabi on my sashimi or maki and I’m all good to glorify my mouth with such wondrous fresh creations.
California Taco Maki Php 135
Open-faced temaki wrap. Kani stick. Aligue Mayo. Herb aioli. Mango pico.
Ooma Taco Mak is inspired by the cone-shaped sushi, temaki. A dish personal in size, the pleasure reminiscent of eating a taco on the streets of Mexico but in the form of nori and rice. I’d love to try the soft shell crab taco maki and uni ebi taco maki next time.
Chicken Teriyaki Php 295
Fresh mesclun. Grilled chicken breast. Cherry tomato. Pickled carrots. Red radish. Sesame seed. Miso Vinaigrette dressing.
Not the most exciting dish on the table, but still good.
Ebi and Kani Aburi Maki Php 265
Ebi. Kani. Cream Cheese. Aligue mayo. Tempura crumbs. Ginger. House tare.
Since my dinner buddy doesn’t like Unagi, I restrained myself to order this. It’s next on the hit list though for sure with the Hamachi Maki.
Half Baked Chocolate Lava Cake Php 185
Vanilla Ice Cream. Ginger crumbs.
Caramelized Banana with Vanilla Ice Cream Php 145
Caramelized banana. Crispy cilantro. Lemon zest. Shaved white chocolate. Shiso cream cheese sauce. Vanilla ice cream.
All the waiting all this time got me a little crazy I think and we (fine, I am the culprit) ended up ordering 10 dishes and eating 11 since the kitchen gave us one dessert on the house. They probably couldn’t believe we split 10 dishes between two people.
My indulger who coddled every whim during this dinner
I’ve been back 4 times since then and each time, a lovely dinner experience. Casual, reasonable, simply inventive + delicious and it only spun good and cheerful table conversations to look back to.
Ooma is a distinct and playful interpretation of modern Japanese fare. Their focus – palate, comfort and the joys of eating.
Ooma by Chef Bruce Ricketts and Moment Group
3/F Mega Fashion Hall, SM Mega Mall, Mandaluyong City
Operating Hours: 10am to 10pm
Website: www.momentgroup.ph
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