Oumi - Delightful Flavours in the Midst of Roof Top Gardens

After an outing at Oumi, I always know that I will be back again because I totally love the robust yet balanced flavours here, unique renditions of Japanese Kappo cuisine and the wonderful inclusion of homegrown herbs and flowers into the dishes for that beautiful dash of excitement. So here I am again, ready to be spellbound another time.

And yes, at here, I’m taken on a lovely exciting gastronomic trip again through the gardens, the farms and the seas. The dishes of the 6-course dinner all wow me over with their unique, robust, harmonious tastes. And I love it that herbs are added to introduce that hint of vegetal freshness that lifts up the whole taste.

The view through the full panel windows, overlooking the Marina Barrage, is breathtaking, especially at night. The interior is of modern classy style, peppered with Japanese influences, which kind of reflects what the cuisine here is about. The sky garden here is so beautiful, spanning over a huge area, perfect for a leisurely stroll before or after meal.

Service here is wonderful and professional. With all these elements in the right place, Oumi is definitely a must-visit. And I look forward to be back again!

The first dish of Japanese Tomato sandwiched with Miso Cheese, topped with fennel and submerged in wasabi sauce, is bursting with harmonised, perfectly balanced flavours. The refreshing tangy, sweet tomato juxtaposes so excellently with the creamy, savoury cheese, adding full bodiness and a touch of lux to the taste of tomato. The wasabi adds the hint of excitement and fennel adds the complexity to the overall taste. An excellent start.

Toro Tataki feasures flavours of the sea with a amazing creaminess at its core due to the creamy Bluefin Tuna Belly. This creaminess is what makes the taste so magical and exciting, enhanced by the lovely aroma of char of the lightly grilled surface of the tuna. This is wow at first bite. The crunchy Tosaka seaweed adds on a good texture to the melt-in-your-mouth tuna. Myoga and Roselle Hibiscus subtly brighten up the taste. One of the best Toro Tataki!

Foie Gras Monaka have the umami and intense creaminess of foie gras is beautifully cut through by the herbaceous pungency of Shiso to create a well-rounded taste that wows the palates. Pickled Daikon adds to the complexity and texture. One of the few Foie Gras dishes that is actually pretty light on the palates 👍

Kani Chawamushi is packed with Spanner Crab that showcases a lovely briny sweetness with a soft nice hint of bitterness. Japanese White Corn adds a nice crunchiness. The warm earthy goodness of Local-Grown Yanagi Matsutake Mushrooms elevates the taste of the silky smooth Egg Custard. So comforting in taste.

Buta Kashira is the most tender pork, It is so meaty sweet and perfectly grilled with a layer of char for well-balanced taste. The sweet pineapple glaze brushed on top is that lovely suprise. Grilled Maitake Mushrooms makes it even better with slight earthy bitterness for a multifaceted taste. House-Grown Fame Flower and Mountain Caviar introduce specks of excitement.

Matcha Oshiruko has earthy sweet red bean ice-cream matching so well with the clear bitterness of Matcha Konnayaku. The zest of Yuzu Crumble perks things up. Another highight is the excellent varied texture of the different compnents of teh dessert.

Thoughts: Truly the Garden of Gastronomy!

88 Market Street #51-01

Oumi - Garden of Gastronomy

Oumi is like the Garden of Gastronomy, exploring all the faucets of taste, colours, texture and aroma. Yes, a feast for the senses as I get delighted by the unique beautiful surprises made even better with the fresh herbs and blooms from the rooftop garden aka urban farm aka Food Forest. A truly amazing and beautiful must-try experience.

With a refreshing unique take on Japanese Kappo, the dishes served here feature various cooking and presentation methods from raw, grilling, simmering to soup. The dishes all look so beautiful and delicate. And the taste is just as beautiful, with the addition of subtle uniqueness. There are moments of “wow, this is so good”, followed by “hmm, this is also different, in a good way, from anything else I had tried”.

Perching on the top floor of 51-storey high CapitalSpring building, the view here, overlooking the landscape of Shenton Way and Marina, is breathtaking. The view itself, especially with the lush greenery of the Food Forest, is worth a special visit. I recommend to stroll through the huge beautiful Food Forest both in the early evening and night, since the two views give two pretty different feels. The interior, on the part for 1-Arden, is posh and stylish, with the city’s landscape as backdrop through the full panel windows. It is perfect for romantic dates or upmarket chilling with friends. At Oumi, it is of Zen calm vibe with pine wood kitchen counter and clean aesthetics, fitting so well with the Kappo concept.

Service here is wonderful too, and with the awesome food and ambience, this makes for an awesome experience.

Update: So of course I'm back here again!

Hassun looks exactly like a miniature Japanese Garden, full of lush greenery and blooms, and all of them are edible and freshly plucked from the Food Forest. Yes, I try all of them, sometimes by dipping them in the sauces. The taste profiles vary from lemony, astringent, pungent, bitter, herbal to … sugary!

The Garden is too beautiful that I need to take close-up shots of each area.

Momotaro with cream cheese is the perfect juxtapose of sweet savoury tangy juiciness and creaminess of the cream cheese. The rice puffs sprinkled over the dish adds a good crunchiness to the firm juicy tomato. I’m so impressed!

Tuna steak is lightly pan-seared on the outside to imbue the briny sweet meat with a touch of char. So many lovely soft flavours at work here. The light flavourful sauce makes it even better.

Abalone is expertly handcut into thin slices with ridges on the surface to yield an excellent texture where the mildly milky briny sweet abalone is easy to bite. Simple and oh so good.

Eggplant surprises me by how good it is with toasty aroma amid the burst of sweet and savoury flavours.

Espuma with dried beef and pickled daikon is like a slice of intense umami in a sea of creamy umami. It works beautifully.

Platter of Sashimi dotted with herbs from Food Forest to bring out a new taste that pleasantly surprises me.

Amberjack from Australia has a lovely creamy mild sweet flavour made even more awesome with the accompanying sugary herb.

Salmon from Australia. And Shima Aji from Japan, whose stronger flavour is well-tempered by the pungency of herb to yield a buttery sweet taste.

Red Snapper with firm, crisp flesh and clean taste tastes even more refreshing with the herb.

Hokkaido scallop got to be my favourite of the sashimi. So creamy, so briny sweet, I love it!

Foie Gras Monaka features super crispy souffle wafers that break at a light bite, and lots of thumbs up for this. Sandwiched between the wafers are creamy, buttery, luxurious Foie Gras Ganache, briny Salmon Roe, herbal Shiso and Pickled Daikon. Being put together tastes like the representative melding of the sweetness of sea, earth and garden.

Kani Chawamushi is one of the best and most unique chawamushi I ever have. The multifaceted taste and taste is so on the point with Spanner Crab, Egg Custard, Grilled Japanese White Corn, Local-grown Yanagi Matsutake Mushroom.

Tempura Crepe is like that sweet crispy biscuit full of that lovely toasty aroma of freshly baked goods. It contrasts so well with the bouncy, ready-to-be-pop Golden Trout Roe and briny sweet Sakura Ebi, which in turn contrasts so well with the creamy, refreshing vegetal taste of Australian Avocado. Ao-Togarashi Yoghurt add soft notes of milky tangy flavour to elevate the taste.

Ise Ebi Bouillabaisse with Spiny Lobster, Hokkaido Scallop, Japanese Chestnuts, Gruyère Cheese, Local-grown King Trumpet Mushroom is milky light umami. It feels so warm and comforting, with a touch of lux, when I drink this soup. It is full of textures to make the savouring exciting.

Chargrilled Wagyu Short Rib is pure meaty, juicy goodness, especially when paired with grilled Lotus Root, Charred Broccolini, House-grown Lemon Myrtle, Shoyu Reduction. Who would have thought that grilled lotus root is perfect match with wagyu?

Gindara Somen is Wheat noodles, Cod Fish, House-grown Komatsuna and Japanese Chestnut soaked in rich, milky, briny sweet, collagen-rich broth. I also love the thin smooth texture of the somen, which traps all the goodness of broth between each strand for a mouthful of flavours.

Tomorokoshi Corn Pudding, Caramel Popcorn, Grilled Buttered White Corn redefines how awesome corn can be in a dessert. Milky floral sweetness with toasted aroma and the juxtapose of various textures make this one excellent unique dessert.

Chefs hard at work

Thoughts: Fantastic, Lovely, Scenic Gastronomic Experience

88 Market #51-01