Omoté is a spot that has a place in my heart — still pretty stoked about how they had started off as Sushiro (not to be confused with the sushi chain from Japan that are conveniently located in malls these days) occupying just a kiosk stall with minimal seating at Thomson Plaza just right in front of the food court, serving up affordable Barachirashi bowls to the masses — now taking up quite a large shop area in another corner of Thomson Plaza as Omoté that serves up a whole range of Barachirashi bowls including some which are really inventive, as well as a full menu of appetisers, sashimi and cooked dishes (including Donburi and Udon), with a fully-fitted bar counter that offers a selection of cocktails. One could indeed say Omoté has come a long way indeed.

While the Sanshoku Don and the Upsized Barachirashi would be my usual go-tos if I am looking for something either spicy or more conventional (so I can experience Omoté in its purest form, just like in the good old days), I have always been excited about the more inventive bowls whenever they release a new flavour — had also previously given their Truffle Roasted Garlic Chirashi and Wasabi Power Chirashi a go as well. The Tom Yum Goong Chirashi is one that sounded weird on first mention but it’s a pretty genius combination after further thought — how could have one not thought about this when Tom Yum Seafood Soup is an actual dish anyway? This Thai-Japanese fusion of a Barachirashi Don is just like what one would expect of the usual from Omoté — the usual mix of diced raw seafood served atop lightly sweetened, slightly cool Japanese pearl rice — the same stuff that is also served in the Omoté Chirashi (with the exception of the whole prawn), coming with a different marinade that carries a light hint of spiciness with that zippy tang that one would expect out Red Tom Yum soup — especially intriguing, yet a fitting combination with the various raw items such as the salmon, tuna , squid etc.; the dish turns into a oh-so-shiok affair especially when one ends up getting a little of that wasabi and have it with the Tom Yum Goong marinade that has gone over the rice — it all turns into a teary, sweaty, drink-glugging affair real quick.

Have always found Omoté’s Barachirashi offerings to be a little controversial — purists will always pass their Barachirashi as one that is “excessive” and over-the-top; perhaps one that features unnecessary elements and undermines the true meaning of the Barachirashi where the freshness of the seafood is the main focus of the dish. That being said, Omoté does cater to their own demographic, and brings creativity to a dish in their very own ways — and it is us diners who ultimately benefit from all of that with more choices to go for!

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