Spicy Thai Basil Hoto Udon Those whom have followed us for a while here might know that we are big fans of Omote; these folks were also known as Sushiro at one point of time when they are operating from a small takeaway kiosk-esque unit when they had opened at Thomson Plaza way before the entrance of the similarly-named Japanese sushi chain entered the local F&B scene. Whilst these folks had grown their brand in the past couple of years with the opening of new Omote locations at both Novena Square and Raffles City Shopping Centre, we were stoked to learn about them launching a new brand named Umai whilst passing by the new Guoco Midtown where the building is also home to other notable F&B establishments — this includes the very first outpost of Louisa Coffee in Singapore. Umai had finally opened its doors to the public on 16 January 2024, taking up a shop unit that is hidden towards the back of the compound — the same area would also be home to yet another upcoming outlet of Dal.komm Coffee that would be situated right opposite Umai. Occupying a shop unit with a dual glass frontage, one can say that Umai’s interior comes with a retro-chic vibe with a touch of modernism; the entire space being brightly lit and comes with a looks of a fun diner with the use of mostly white and wooden furniture and fittings with a dash of orange and blue that goes around in some parts of the space. There is also a lit neon signboard near the entrance with bowls of “flying noodles” showcasing the various udon offerings at Umai. Umai calls itself an artisanal Udon bar — the offerings are Umai can be split into various categories such as Artisanal Udon, Small Plates, and interestingly Donburi; probably something that would suit those looking for some of Omote’s selection of cooked Donburi whilst being at Umai. Beverages available at Umai includes beverages like Highballs, Cocktails and Beers, while non-alcoholic drinks include various types of Japanese and Korean tea as well as Calpis Soda.
A few things differentiates Umai from the regular Udon-specialty stores out there. For one, Umai describes itself as an artisanal Udon bar in the way that it serves its Udon. It does seem that the folks at Umai had taken inspiration from stalls serving up fresh handmade pasta; the Artisanal Udon offerings at Umai are actually split into four (4) different sections — Hoto, Sanuki, Himokawa and Hippari. Each of the four represents a single style of Udon that originated from a different prefecture in Japan, with each type of Udon coming with a shape and texture that is unique to its own. Unlike most establishments serving up fresh handmade pasta however, patrons do not get to choose between the type of udon noodles to come with their preferred dish; instead, Umai has already fixed the style of udon noodles to be paired with each dish instead — possibly quite eliminating the chance of a patron ordering a combination where the udon dish is not compatible with the choice of dish opted for. Considering so, Umai does carry quite a number of dishes on the menu for those whom are less adventurous — these items coming mostly with the Sanuki Udon considering how the Sanuki Udon is quite a familiar udon type that most would quickly identify as a proper bowl of Udon.
Skimming through the menu to identify some of their more adventurous offerings, we found ourselves being more attracted to the Spicy Basil Pork that can be found in the Artisanal Udon category of the menu and under the Hoto section — this section also sees the Hoto Udon coming in a small variety of Southeast Asian influences such as the Chilli Pan Mee as well. The Spicy Thai Basil Hoto Udon is described on the menu to come with elements such as Seared Minced Pork & Beans, Essence of Oyster and Tamanegi Ajitsuke Sauce. For those who are not familiar with the style of Hoto Udon, the shape of the Udon can be described as flat; broader than the typical noodles though still served long — the most relatable way to describe it would be close to that of Kway Teow in general. Considering its shape, it is also probably the reason why Umai had settled with serving it with their Spicy Thai Basil as the default Udon type to go along with it — this dish could be described as one that brings the familiar vibes of Pad Kee Mao (i.e. Thai Drunken Noodles) though in a heavier tasting format. Tamanegi Ajitsuke Sauce translates from Japanese to English as Onion Seasoning Sauce, while we are guessing Essence of Oyster to be just simply oyster sauce; we could only say that the flavours of the sauce of which that was tossed with the noodles come fairly savoury – one that would be almost akin to dark soya sauce that would do well with those who prefer heavier flavours.
Served dry, the Hoto Udon does feel like it comes with a fair bit of wok-hei just like how one would expect for the Pad Kee Mao; the noodles being smooth and slurpy as one would expect from a Udon dish — all carrying a bite of bite though not in a way that would be otherwise similar to a Yaki Udon dish likely due to the shape of the noodles. The Seared Minced Pork & Beans carries a good hint of aromatics from the infusion of basil; the meat giving a good bite without carrying any porky stench, while the beans carried a good crunch for an extra texture — nothing too different from the usual Basil Minced Pork that we are all familiar with and packed a spicy punch that would tickle the tastebuds for those whom are tolerable to lower levels of spiciness. The dish also comes topped off with half of a marinated egg that comes with a savoury, seasoned egg yolk that is still molten. During our visit, we also tried the Oni Himokawa Udon with Niku Shabu & Tempura Deluxe Set which we had the Hot Soup rendition (there is also a Cold Udon variant served) — this one felt a little more homey considering how it comprises of beef soup and beef slices; quite a substantial portion and especially considering the broader Himokawa Udon that loosely resembles a longer but neater (at least not evidently hand-torn) version of Mee Hoon Kueh that is equally slurpy and smooth (but probably thinner) as the Hoto Udon. The tempura pieces do seem be pre-plated here; not sure if they had done so considering the massive crowds on the day we made our visit, but these remain lightly crisp on the exterior with the various greens like the ladyfinger and the carrot giving a bit of a crunch for a textural contrast.
We also tried the Dynamite Shrimp; while one would likely expect a sudden hit of spiciness, the Dynamite Shrimp came with a spicy cream sauce that was almost akin to that of the sweet and spicy sauce often found in Korean cuisine; a rich explosion of flavours in the mouth with a bit of a crunch and ends off with a savoury touch in its finish. Umai isn’t that sort of serious and formal Japanese Udon-centric establishment that most of such places in Singapore are — in fact, Umai might just not be the place for the Udon purists even. Umai is however an extension of what Omote does best — an establishment that seems to inject a fun, informal and at times, hipster backdrop to the wide variety of Japanese cuisine that they serve; creating fusion dishes that comes not only with a twist, but one that is unique of its own character while at it. Perhaps this is also that very same character that has brought Omote its continued success over the years, and the thing that also led to the existence of Umai now. Considering the popularity of Omote, there is a fair bit of waiting time involved to get a seat to dine at Umai with the queue to get a seat going past an hour at peak periods; something that is also not unheard of during the height of Omote’s success — things that one should be aware before heading down. Prices of the Artisanal Udons start from $12++ all the way to $23++, while the full-sized Donburi are priced from $16++ to $19++; the prices being largely similar to Omote’s more standard offerings. Umai is definitely one of the spots that would gel well with those whom have adventurous tastebuds, especially those whom are looking for new flavour combinations and fusion dishes in particular; we will like to congratulate the folks behind Umai / Omote on the opening of Umai, and wish them all the best in what is to come!
