If you’re a huge fan of Japanese food, you must have dined at the popular chirashi restaurant Omoté at least once. With humble origins on the first floor of Thomson Plaza, Omoté now occupies a huge space on the third floor of the mall, with two more outlets at Raffles City and Novena Square. The people behind Omoté are now introducing a new concept called Umai: an artisanal udon bar located in the heart of the CBD area.
Meaning ‘delicious’ in Japanese, Umai has a wide variety of classic and modern udon dishes that are sure to leave you hungry for more noodles by the end of the meal. Popular picks such as ebi taigamori (fried tiger prawns, $18) and niku sukiyaki (prime beef sukiyaki, $15) are available alongside more experimental dishes such as chilli pan mee ($15) and Mediterranean stir-fried udon ($19).
Umai also features three other types of udon besides the standard sanuki that we all know and love. The three are hoto, a flat, thin noodle similar to ban mian from Yamanashi prefecture; himokawa, a thick, flat noodle from Gunma prefecture; and hippari, a round, stringy noodle from Yamagata prefecture. Each type of noodle is presented in a signature dish so that you get the absolute best combination of soup or sauce with the noodles.
Various donburi such as garlic yakiniku ($19), and classic tempura ($18) are also offered on the menu, so both noodle and rice lovers can enjoy Umai without having to compromise. Small sharing plates are also available starting from $7, such as tater tots ($7), and barbecue tontoro ($15). Those who enjoy pairing a drink with their meal will be delighted to know that all alcoholic beverages served at Umai only cost $10, including highballs and cocktails, so do drop by in the evening for an after-work beer, or even during your lunch break for a cheeky cocktail.
