First Bite: Mecha Uma by Bruce Ricketts

I’ve always wanted to visit Mecha Uma by Bruce Ricketts ever since I read wonderful and mouthwatering reviews. But the fact that I have to shell out PHP3,000++ for the tasting menu made me think twice since that’s equivalent to a Spiral dinner buffet or a Kapitolyo or Maginhawa food trip. But thanks to R and his family, I got to give this place a try.

Hello, Mecha Uma.

The dim lit restaurant was packed when we visited. (Well, the restaurant can only accommodate maximum of 30 persons at a time.) Despite the small crowd, the place still gives a seemingly romantic vibe. It must be the ambient lighting.

It took them a bit before they served the first dish, Tomato. It was peeled tomato with white chocolate, a dash of sansho pepper and cucumber. It was paired with tomato juice with gin and soy sauce. I must say, the presentation was impressive.

As for the taste, I love it yet I hate it too. I loved the peeled tomato, cucumber bits and sansho pepper but I didn’t like (at all) the white chocolate and tomato juice. Despite my craziness with tomatoes, I absolutely hate tomato juice.

Next served was Tostadito. It was a combination of scallop, pico de gallo, scallop and mussel crema. It was a play of textures. The taco was also made of scallop and squid ink. It was refreshing thanks to pica de gallo. The only downside was that it was a bit messy to eat.

Lobster was the next dish and it was a mix of octopus, lobster, plantains, scorched coconut leche de tigre and mung bean puree. Again, there was an interesting play of textures here. There was the smooth yet charred octopus, rough yet soft puree and refreshing pomelo bits.

St. Pierre or the atlantic dory and local crab dish was scrumptious! The asparagus and broth of vegetable sauce was heavenly. R got so upset when I allowed the server take my bowl with some sauce left. He really loved the sauce.

Love at First Bite: Ooma Japanese Rice Bar

Bruce Ricketts is on a roll. (Not the edible Japanese kind of roll.) After the successful Sensei Sushi and the well-loved Mecha Uma, he opened another restaurant called Ooma. Since I haven’t tried the first two (with first being too far and second having a steep price tag), I just have to try the pocket-friendly Ooma… ASAP.

Hello, Ooma!

The place wasn’t as packed as I thought on weekdays. Half of the restaurant was for those who made reservations and the other half was for walk-in diners.

My mom and sister went there early and got us a table and they ordered the following: Salmon Tartare Aburi Maki (PHP295) and O-Gyoza (PHP235). When I arrived, I added Scallop and Tuna Aburi Maki (PHP295), Uni Sashimi (PHP195), Tuna Tataki (PHP195), Soft Shell Crab Taco-Maki (PHP199) and Half Baked Chocolate Lava Cake (PHP185).

The O-Gyoza was meaty, juicy and delightfully cheesy thanks to the grated mozzarella and cheddar cheese. 

The togarashi and unagi sauce made it even more delicious. It was also served on a metal strainer which dripped out the excess oil.

The Salmon Tartare Aburi Maki was L-O-V-E. The combination of soft and fresh salmon and scallops with the cucumber, uni and shiso leaves was heavenly. There were different textures in every bite.

I also liked the Tuna Tataki. For its price, serving was generous. The sesame crust added texture to the soft tuna slices. The pickled mushrooms, fried shallots and pickled red radish and ginger garlic sauce added flavor.