Ooma

We ate in this restaurant before the pandemic happened, and all I can say is the staffs are very accommodating. They immediately found us a seat the moment we stepped foot in the restaurant, and our orders were served right away. We also don't have to call for the waiter's attention anymore since he's always there to cater to our needs, and it seems that he actually knew what we wanted so our dining experience ran smoothly. The food was amazing especially the Ebi Tempura since they were extra crispy at that time. We will definitely go back after this pandemic!

Ooma is a  modern Japanese restaurant that’s best known for their Sushi, Maki and the like. This is my first time in Ooma but I promise this would not be the last because they have the best food! Can you imagine there are 2 branches near the office (Makati) and I was not able to visit any? Oh well, at least now I know and it’s not too late, right?

## Products Ordered

### Hanger Steak

### Aburi Mixer

Truffled Steak Aburi Maki

Salmon SkinAburi Maki

Kimchi Prawn and Enoki Aburi Maki

Spicy Tuna Maki

### Ebi Tempura

### Chicken Teriyaki

### Overall Review

We ate at Ooma at BHS Central Square, Bonifacio Global City for my birthday!

Hanger Steak

The truffle oil was subtle in a good way. It was there, but not overpowering. I really love the unexpected flavor combination of the umami of the steak and mushrooms, along with the subtle sweetness of the sweet potato mash that wasn't too sweet either. Having bursts of flavor from the mushrooms and the crunchy crisps was also a very pleasant surprise, and I love combining all of the elements together to make one perfect bite. I always love ordering this dish and it never disappoints. I think the reason it works so well is because of all the different plays in contrasting texture and flavor. From the crispy potatoes and smooth sweet potato mash to the savory beef and sweet mash

Aburi Mixer

We got the aburi mixer in order to have a sampling of different kinds of maki. We went for the one we felt was the most unique out of all of them. It has:

Truffled Steak Aburi Maki

Salmon SkinAburi Maki

Kimchi Prawn and Enoki Aburi Maki

Spicy Tuna Maki

**Truffled Steak Aburi Maki**

Was a favorite of ours. We loved the play of steak along with some sweet onion and being lightly torched made the flavors more complex. We'd go back solely just to it this, to be honest. I wasn't able to detect the truffle here as much as the hanger steak. My guess is that it was drizzled at the top afterward as I didn't taste it inside the roll. The leeks were also marinated and grilled which made it match and elevate the flavor of the steak more. The yakiniku sauce gave the meaty, tangy, explosive flavor of the steak. This flavor is definitely not subtle and screams "I'm delicious!" unapologetically.

**Kimchi Prawn and Enoki Aburi Maki**

I liked this one next! Yes, it tastes like kimchi, but it doesn't have that unpleasantly strong vinegar-y kimchi taste, but instead, the funkiness of the kimchi was distilled and complemented by the sweetness of the prawn and cream cheese. The creaminess of the cream cheese hits you just about the time that you feel like the kimchi is starting to get overwhelming. I wasn't able to taste enoki since it was fried and put on top, but it did provide a nice contrast in texture.

**Salmon Skin Aburi Maki**

To be honest, because it's in a platter full of string tasting and unique rolls, this one wasn't able to shine as much. Don't get me wrong — salmon and cream cheese is a winning combo, topped with some crispy salmon skin, but I felt like the cream cheese was a tad bit overpowering or because I was looking for that same flavor contrast that I found in the previous 2 rolls.

**Spicy Tuna Maki**

Spicy Tuna Maki is probably the least unique out of all of these rolls, which was probably why it felt so lackluster. It was good — there was a lot of spicy tuna inside the maki rolls. However, the tempura bits on the side of the roll left me wanting a bit more crunch and crisp because unlike the other rolls, this one felt like the one most lacking in texture and complexity.

If you get this roll, I suggest going this order, from mildest to strongest —> Spicy Tuna Maki → Salmon Skin Aburi Maki → Kimchi Prawn and Enoki Aburi Maki, and finally the Truffled Steak Aburi Maki.

The reason?

Simply because once you eat the stronger tasting maki first, it'll affect your perception of the milder tasting ones, and you'll feel like it tastes duller than it really is. Eating it from lightest-tasting to the strongest tasting one, you can maximize your enjoyment and your tongue won't get as fatigued.

**Ebi Tempura**

Probably the best tempura I've had in a while.

Tempura is usually battered with the tail out, so when I saw their version with the heads out instead, I was pleasantly surprised. As a bonus, you can eat the whole thing as well, as the head is soft enough. The batter was fluffy, and biting into it the shrimp is very hot and steamy, which means it was well-battered and coated properly. While the tempura absorbed some oil that I was able to taste, it's not like it feels excessively greasy either. It pairs well with the tempura sauce but man, dipping it in the aligue mayo is so good, I don't think I can go back to any other way to eat it. The shrimp were also plump and big, and eating it was very satisfying. My recommendation is to ask for more aligue mayo, and alternate between dipping it into the original sauce and the aligue mayo. Herb aioli is also included, but the aligue complimented the shrimp better, and gave it a salty, fatty, bright taste to the tempura's milder, mellower soft shrimp.

**Chicken Teriyaki**

Their chicken teriyaki is not like the others I've tried before, as their version comes deep-fried. Although it's not swimming in sauce, I found that it has a very strong taste, and I highly recommend pairing it with rice, otherwise it tastes too strong, as the flavor of their teriyaki sauce is very intense. It feels like the chicken was marinated well before deep-frying and topping off with more sauce, as the flavor permeates throughout the entirety of the meat. Pairing it with rice is definitely the way to go to balance it well.

I have been here multiple times and the food is always great! If it’s your first time, I highly suggest getting the best seller sushi platter, hanger steak, gyudon, or uni udon. ❤️

January 30, 2020. Thursday. 11:00am. Ooma, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City. Zomato Foodies Choice 2019: Food Crawl Series 4. Stop 1: Ooma. Hip, Modern Japanese Comfort Food by Chef Bruce Rickets and The Moment Group gets high marks from Zomato Philippines reviewers and foodies.

✔️ Crispy Tako Maki - fried baby octopus, Tamago, gari, katsuobushi, bulldog aioli, and soy dashi glaze
✔️ Salmon Skin Aburi Maki - torched salmon, crispy salmon skin, asparagus, cream cheese, wasabi aioli, and teriyaki sauce
✔️ Garlic Steak - sous-vide hanging tender, fried oyster mushrooms, cauliflower purée, crispy garlic, sautéed kailan, teppanyaki sauce.
✔️ Cheese Katsu Curry Don - pork sukiyaki and mozzarella, fried carrots, fried eggplant, house curry
✔️ Mochi and Matcha Cheesecake - sesame cashew crust, toasted rice, mochi.