CBD folks would want in on this opening: Morita UNIGORO is a new omakase restaurant in Telok Ayer that offers a special uni-centric menu. There’s only one other Morita UNIGORO restaurant in the world, in Osaka, making this the brand’s only branch outside of Japan! To give you an idea of just how popular their OG restaurant in Japan is, they can only house 10 diners at a time, and it’s super hard to score a reservation. As I’ve only ever had subpar uni for cheap at conveyor belt sushi chain restaurants, I was hoping this experience would change my opinion of sea urchin for the better.
A plate of Uniku (uni and Wagyu) marked the start of our $168++ hotpot meal. FYI: you’ll also find a $98++ tasting menu and a $250++ grand menu here.
A piece of shiny, golden-yellow uni laid atop a blanket of thinly-sliced A5 Kagoshima Wagyu beef, and was topped with a raw egg yolk. This was then accompanied by fresh wasabi paste, tare sauce, and a tiny serving of white rice.
We decided to tackle the two elements separately, starting with the beef. I was a bit sceptical as it was my first time having raw beef, but it turned out to be utterly delicious. The flavours were very rich and almost buttery—a trait possessed by good Wagyu beef—-without being gamey.
Cooking breaks down the collagen and connective tissues in meat, making it more tender, so texture-wise, this slab of raw beef didn’t possess that melt-in-the-mouth quality I was hoping for.
At first blush, the sea urchin appeared gelatinous and mushy. But, as soon as I had placed a piece of it in my mouth, it was ultra creamy, without losing its structure.
It was slightly briny with a delightful sweetness, and thankfully, not overwhelmingly pungent or fishy. But, of course, the saltiness of the tare sauce and the kick from the wasabi played a big part in cutting through the strong flavours of the uni.
Next up was the Uni Hotpot, which was brimming with a medley of abalone from Sanriku Coast, Hamaguri clams from Kuwana City, Ise Ebi or Japanese spiny lobster from Ise-Shima, A5 Kagoshimaya Wagyu beef, and Hokkaido pork belly, paired with broccoli and potatoes. FYI, each diner gets one hotpot to themselves!
The abalone wasn’t overly fishy or briny, an indication of its freshness, and was firm with just the right amount of chewy.
On the other hand, the clams were way too chewy for my liking. I think they should have been taken out of the pot sooner.
But all was forgiven because the star of the show here was the lobster—plump, ultra juicy, and one of the sweetest I’ve had.
I was also a huge fan of the pork belly. I liked how the fatty strips were extra long and practically dissolved in my mouth after they were cooked. Additionally, the beef shabu was dipped into the broth for merely a few seconds before it became amazingly tender.
But the real reason why this hotpot was so insanely flavoursome was because of the soup. Miso paste, Asari clams, and beef bones were stewed together to produce an equal parts sweet, equal parts savoury broth.
Additionally, the chef placed copious amounts of uni into a sieve and ‘whisked’ it onto the broth’s surface, imparting an intense, umami flavour.
We were so ready to slurp down the soup to the very last drop, until the chef stopped us. He quickly dialled down the heat to allow the soup to thicken, and scrambled a portion of Japanese rice directly in the pot until each grain was well-coated.
Thereafter, it was transferred into a bowl, and parmesan cheese was grated over the dish, before it was topped with a chunk of uni, creating a hearty portion of Uni Risotto. Risotto made with leftover hotpot broth was genius, and we savoured each creamy, umami-packed spoonful.
The final dish we had was the Uni Cream Sauce Linguine. This is an a la carte item priced at $48++, but you can also enjoy a 1-for-1 deal on this pasta dish during lunchtime, for the entire month of May!
This dish was nothing short of sinful. It consisted of linguine noodles coated in a cheesy, cream-based sauce laced with uni. It reminded me of mentaiko pasta, but a lot less fishy.
The meal was rounded off with dessert, a Homemade Granita, a coarse ice dessert traditionally from Italy. This watermelon-flavoured granita came with a side of Awayuki Salt. When enjoyed together, the salt did a good job of enhancing the sweetness of the ice.
It wasn’t particularly remarkable, especially when compared to the rest of the meal, but it provided a refreshing end to the chapter.
Morita UNIGORO, like many other omakase restaurants, has an intimate and cosy atmosphere. The bar seats are curved around the kitchen area, giving diners a view of the chefs at work. The restaurant can seat a total of 14 people at a time, so it is highly recommended that you make a reservation before dining in.
Morita UNIGORO is a five-minute walk away from Telok Ayer MRT Station.
I’m happy to report that my opinion about uni has changed after dining at Morita UNIGORO, a testament to how good the entire meal was. I can understand why the restaurant’s OG location in Japan is notoriously hard to score a reservation for, and I imagine it will be the same for this Singapore branch. It may not be the cheapest hotpot around, but for the variety of seafood and quality of ingredients, we conclude that it is worth the splurge if you’re celebrating a special occasion.
For more Japanese omakase restaurants, check out Sushi Muni for omakase from $68++ in Tanjong Pagar. In other news, Burgs opened in Bugis with halal-certified burgers and more under $15!
Make a reservation here.
Address: 10 Stanley Street, #01-01, Singapore 068729
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11:30am to 2pm, 6pm to 11pm
Website
Morita UNIGORO is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was a media tasting at Morita UNIGORO.
Summary
Pros:
– Uni was fresh and premium
– Uni Hotpot broth was flavourful
– Convenient location
Cons:
– Pricey
– Limited seating
– Granita was unmemorable
Recommended dishes: Uni Hotpot Menu ($168++)
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9pm
Address: 10 Stanley Street, #01-01, Singapore 068729