Acclaimed sea urchin specialist Morita UNIGORO, which hails from Osaka, has opened in Singapore. Apparently, the original outlet in Japan is notoriously difficult to get a reservation so it was quite a relief to see just 2 groups of diners on the weekday evening I came for dinner.
Occupying a space in a shophouse along Stanley Street and just a few doors down from Restaurant Gaig and Sushi Hare, the intimate 14-seater outlet features counter-style seating – just apt for the mode of service here. Each dish is prepared right before the diner’s eyes with great attention to detail.
Morita UNIGORO offers 3 types of menu ranging from S$98 / S$168 / S$250. For this particular occasion I tried their S$168 menu.
New Uniku (Uni & Meat)
Truth be told, I’m not quite used to eating totally raw red meat so I was slightly taken aback by the starter which consisted of slices A5 Kagoshima Ribeye along with some eggs and uni. While still pondering how I would possibly tackle the dish, the staff then asked me to spread the egg yolk around the meat and turn the beef slices into like a wrap with the uni inside. It turned out to be quite revelation, with the beef being tender and possessing an almost creamy quality – thanks to the egg yolk. Any concern I had about eating raw and game-y meat (it was not game-y at all) went out the door immediately.
Signature Uni Hot Pot
The highlight of any meal in Morita UNIGORO is undoubtedly their Signature Uni Hot Pot. The soup is prepared with a base consisting of beef bone, asari clams and saikyo miso from Kyoto while being enriched in front of the diner with actual sea urchin which the staff blends into the soup.
The set comes with a serving of clams, abalone and lobster as well as vegetables. For meat lovers, there’s also a plate of sliced A5 Kagoshima ribeye and pork belly. The photo shown above depicts the serving for one person and your dining companion/s get their own pot as well.
The hotpot was incredibly flavorful, soup was quite addictive and each piece of seafood included was fresh and sweet – though I suspected the soup base was already flavorful enough even without the seafood platter.
Uni Risotto
When I was initially told that the Uni Risotto was going to be concocted from the leftover soup from the hot pot, I was skeptical. But after the staff came by to mix everything together, it ended up being one of my highlights of the evening. The same hot pot from the previous course was used to heat the rice, soaking in the rich flavors from the broth. Afterwards, my rice bowl was topped with grated lotus root which stuck to grains – mimicking the role of cheese in an actual Italian risotto – and also a dollop of uni. Aside from the moisture and robust flavors coming from the soup itself, it was the grated lotus root which helped the dish achieve the taste and feel of a risotto. Not bad for something made from leftover soup!
Tip: Diners get to choose their desired portion for the rice – from light, medium to heavy. The portion shown above was the medium portion.
Uni Pasta
Although not part of the omakase, diners have the option to enjoy 1-for-1 on a most creamy uni pasta with a minimum purchase of 1 alcoholic drink. The pasta is normally priced at S$48++ so it becomes S$24++ with the deal. Do note that the pasta is not part of the omakase but is a stand-alone dish. It is also a Singapore exclusive, being not part of the menu in the Osaka outlet.
Dessert
The sweet ending was a rather simple watermelon granite – crushed ice with watermelon juice. Without much fanfare, it provided for a refreshing conclusion to the meal. It also came with a side of salt flakes which I was told is the customary addition in Japan.
Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Morita UNIGORO. It’s not hard to see why the hotpot concept works. Premium seafood such as abalone, large clams and uni flown straight from Japan is sure to delight any seafood lover. If I have any gripe, the pricing at S$168 can be considered a bit high for what is essentially a 3.5 – 4 course menu. But that being said, premium seafood does not come cheap so it may be worth an occasional splurge.
Morita UNIGORO
10 Stanley Street
Singapore 068729
Mon-Sat
Lunch 11:30am-2:00pm (Last order at 1pm)
Dinner 6:00pm-11:00pm (Last order at 930pm)
