There’s More to San Juan’s Omoté Than Their Viral Chirashi Bowl

Omoté
8 V. Ibañez Street cor. Jose Abad Santos Street, San Juan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omote.philippines/
Open daily: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

(SPOT.ph) It may have achieved virality because of their chirashi bowl that’s as big as a baby’s face, but there’s really more to this buzzy Japanese concept that opened recently in San Juan. Omoté is an import from Singapore and boasts of seafood airflown daily from Japan. It’s the first outlet outside of the Lion City where it first made a name for its bold flavors, inventive takes on Japanese favorites, and a generally crowd-pleaser of a menu.

Designed by the renowned architect Jorge Yulo (same guy behind Lusso in Balmori and Podium, select Cibo outlets and, for the older folks with good memory, the incredibly opulent Pepato of Margarita Forés), the corner establishment looks huge from outside, approaching the vibes of a KTV. Its gold signage is lighted from behind, making it stand out against an outer shell of vertical slats shaped like drapes being opened. The interior looks like a dramatic red room and is divided into two floors. There's a bar seating on both floors, and the bigger dining area on the second floor can seat a hundred guests.

While its chirashi bowls are the ones that got Pinoys buzzing over Omoté—yes that viral TikTok of a huge mound of glistening, marinated seafood slices the size of one’s head—-the restaurant offers so much more that its menu which runs up to 27 pages. While that may sound overwhelming, it’s not, designed as it is with pleasurable reading in mind, helped by a generous sprinkling of pictures. One of the owners, after all, is magazine art director Vince Uy who knows a thing or two about good layout design.

We began our meal with a cold starter of King Snapper Carpaccio (P845) closely followed by Tokyo Bay Oysters (P885)—luscious sea urchin, salmon caviar, classic ponzu. It's a refreshing way to start a series of orders packed with flavors. We also had the Black Truffle Tako Karaage, a recommended octopus dish in the menu (P945, plus P300 if you want shavings of black truffle on top). Because its thrice fried, it's no wonder it stays nicely crunchy despite the sweet-savory glaze it’s coated with. Ideal for when you’re waiting for your mains, or when you feel like just having a beer.

The owners are pretty proud of the King Prawns Mentaiyaki, which is flame-grilled Tiger prawns with cheese mentai (P995)—-better than Nobu’s in Manila, we heard one of the investors say. On our end, however, since we haven’t a clue what the Nobu version tastes like, all we can say is that this one took us back to the good ol’ days of enjoying Prawns Thermidore in a restaurant or at Tita’s handaan. But while nostalgic, the King Prawns Mentaiyaki is also a pretty modern dish in that the cheese is more subduedly added.

We also got to try their prize-winning Himokawa Udon with Niku Shabu, which first gained fame in Ginza, Tokyo—think wide and flat noodles with a richly textured medley of ingredients. A very satisfying meal in itself, the menu says this is best served chilled, and with a special peanut sauce dip or with a soul-soothing beef soup—whatever suits the mood. You can order this in a Deluxe Set, meaning with an assortment of tempura, for P1195, or ala carte at P895.

But if you’re really curious about their Chirashi Classics, they have a whopping 14 kinds for you to choose from. If you’re the kind who must try the dish people are talking about, you’d likely lean towards the Super Mount Chirashi (P1895), which is a mountain-shaped extravaganza of tuna, swordfish, prawn, squid, octopus “and bursts of ikura layered over warm sushi rice.” It’s a feast for the eyes and the tummy, not to mention a delight to the palate, thanks to its textures and umami. But if you're laying off carbs, we suggest you turn to the sashimi platters or the cool-looking Nori Tapas instead—this last one also has carbs but in proper ladylike portions.