I can never, never, ever resist sea urchin (uni) — it has undoubtedly become a lifelong obsession of mine, one I will never be ashamed of.
Uni speciality restaurants are hard to come by, but you can easily satisfy your cravings without paying a fortune at Uni Gallery by OosterBay. They’ve been around for six years, but are showing no signs of stopping.
The restaurant may be tucked away in the unassuming The Plaza along Beach Road, but their exquisite uni-centric dishes continue to dazzle and delight seafood lovers from all over Singapore.
Although the signature 6-Course Kaiseki (S$168) is worth the splurge, especially if you’re a seasoned uni lover, the restaurant has a launched a way more approachable 6-Course Summer Omakase at just $88++.
I’ve had my fair share of omakase experiences, but it’s not very common to encounter menus showcasing luxurious ingredients like lobster, oyster, and of course, uni, for under S$100. However, unlike a proper omakase, you are not seated at a counter, and hence don’t get to watch the chef prepare each dish.
We started off with Amaebi Le Tatsuya, sweet and fresh amaebi (sweet shrimp) chunks served in a shell, crowned with ikura, sea grapes, deep-fried prawn head, and a slab of creamy uni. This was a fun amalgamation of flavours and textures, an ideal appetiser for those who enjoy both raw and cooked seafood.
Next up, we were served a platter of Seasonal Sashimi with soy sauce foam. This was perfectly servicable, though nothing in particular stood out for me.
A theatrical display then arrived, in the form of Sake Jumbo Oyster, a binchotan grilled jumbo oyster with sake.
Flaming spectacle aside, the oyster was luscious and silky, pairing nicely with the pleasant sweetness of the sake, but wasn’t “jumbo” as I would’ve liked. Hey, size does matter — sometimes.
We were then greeted by a very drastic change in plating style upon the arrival of the Lobster Tail Binchotan Grill, grilled lobster with asparagus and lobster paste.
The meat itself was succulent and naturally sweet, and when mopped up with the ultra-concentrated lobster “paste” (more like sauce), yielded a rich and intensely umami flavour that was out of this world.
If only we could savour that lobster liquid gold with bread or rice!
After tasting all those luxe ingredients, I thought the Iberico Jowl Don was going to be on the tamer side, flavour-wise.
But don’t be fooled by its understated presentation — the combination of rice, iberico pork jowl, and uni cream sauce tasted absolutely divine.
Seriously, I was bowled over by how good this dish was. The tender yet not overly fatty pork jowl, the uni cream sauce, which boasted the perfect balance of sweetness and fat, turning the dish into a sort of glorified pao fun — every bite was a riot.
We ended the meal on a refreshing note, thanks to the Ponzu Jelly with Ikura and Uni, which was sweet, tart, and a little briny, serving as a good palate cleanser.
Wanna turn the indulgence up a notch? Diners who swing by on National Day (9 August) and order the Summer Omakase menu will each receive a complimentary scoop of caviar, otherwise known as a caviar bump.
This was one omakase-style meal that certainly exceeded my expectations, with way more hits than misses (I’ll be thinking about the pork donburi for a long, long time).
If uni of you are in the mood for an exquisite yet value-for-money omakase at Uni Gallery, it is available for both lunch and dinner, for a limited time only, so don’t hesitate any longer! Reservations can be made here.
Uni Gallery by OosterBay
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???? 7500A Beach Rd, B1-310 The Plaza, Singapore 199591
???? 11.30am–2.30pm, 6pm–10pm (Daily)
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Photos by Christabel Tan
I'm always feelin' either boozy or boujee ✨