Oumi Launches New 5-course Tasting Menu and Farm-to-table Omakase Menu

The OUMI Japanese Restaurant is a captivating destination for modern Japanese Kappo dining. Located on the 51st floor of the iconic CapitaSpring Tower at 88 Market Street, where the old Golden Shoe Car Park used to be, the OUMI Japanese Restaurant is one of three innovative restaurants housed at this magnificent location. With its commitment to sustainability and culinary brilliance, OUMI is a testament to the ambitious vision of 1-Group, making it a must-visit for discerning food enthusiasts.

Stepping into OUMI, diners embark on a culinary voyage where every dish pays homage to the purity and freshness of ingredients. The name "OUMI" itself, meaning "sea" or "ocean" in Japanese, embodies the restaurant's reverence for the bountiful offerings of the sea. Here, the sea serves as a source of gratitude, celebration, and joy for the Japanese.

I was here to experience OUMI’s recently introduced 5-Course Tasting Menu, featuring exquisite creations like the Agedashi Uni Tofu. This delightful dish presents fried house-made tofu accompanied by Australian pumpkin, sea urchin, and shiitake tsuyu. When it arrived on my table, I was looking for the pumpkin. Surprise! The pumpkin is actually inside the tofu…amazing. This was the first course, which was so wonderful as it set my expectations for the rest of the courses.

The second course is Foie Gras Minaka, a crisp wafer hamburger filled with a foie gras ganache and topped with salmon roe, shiso and pickled daikon. Eat it like you are woofing down a mini slider!

For the main course, I could choose between the succulent Grilled A5 Wagyu, which came with a red wine yakiniku sauce and served with Aomori garlic, Japanese black garlic, grilled eggplant, and Sakura shrimp, or the delectable Gindara Misotaki, grilled miso cod accompanied by Aomori garlic, lemon balm, shishito tempura, and satsumaimo. The wagyu steak is delightfully presented in thin slices with lashings of yakiniku sauce. Any good? My plate was clean when I was done!

Following the meat dish, the next course was Somen, A soupy dish of seafood dashi, Hokkaido scallop, mitsuba, yuzu, shungiku leaf, thin noodles and featuring an egg yolk. I used chopsticks to break the egg yolk and blend it into the beautiful warm broth.

The sweet ending was a delicate Yoghurt Lychee Sake Sorbet as sublime as it looks, with melon, a shiso veil and osmanthus warabi mochi.

OUMI offers an impressive selection of artisanal sakes and cocktails to complement the exceptional cuisine. The beverage menu showcases a hand-picked collection of small-batch sakes, including exclusive and seasonal bottles, Japanese spirits and thoughtfully crafted cocktails, such as the Silk Merchant, a Gin infused with fresh strawberries and lemon myrtle from the rooftop garden, together with red shiso umeshu, Ginger liqueur, honey and fresh yuzu. The frothy egg white creates a creamy finish.

Five courses don’t sound like much, but I felt full and contented with the evening’s dishes. What a great job by Chef Lamley Chau and his team of culinary wizards. Chef Lamley Chua, at the helm of OUMI, brings his extensive 20-year culinary background and influences from global cuisines, such as French and Peruvian, to create a modern interpretation of Kappo cuisine that pays homage to tradition while embracing innovation. Kappo, meaning "to cut and cook," represents an approach that focuses on savouring ingredients' true essence and flavours while showcasing the chef's skill. The ingredients used at OUMI are sourced from seasonal, sustainable, and ethically farmed origins. From Australia's rich biodiversity to the best local farms in Singapore and Japan, OUMI crafts unconventional flavour pairings while adhering to traditional Kappo principles.

Apart from the 5-course menu, you can also indulge in their 7-course and 9-course offerings.During lunchtime, OUMI offers tempting set-course menus with 3 or 4-course options priced at $65 and $80, respectively. From what I saw on the lunch menu, OUMI guarantees a satisfying lunchtime culinary experience.

OUMI Japanese restaurant is a shining example of culinary brilliance and sustainable dining. With its modern interpretation of Kappo cuisine, skilful execution, and breathtaking views, OUMI offers a multi-concept dining experience that you must try.