I knew, right after my very first meal at Sensei Sushi, that this day would come.
Bruce would have a bigger and better equipped kitchen
A stunning bar to serve his omakase meals
And an equally sexy space for ala carte dining.
Because he is THAT awesome.
What I didn't know was it would take me so long to finally visit the place. I tried to go earlier, but it was a pain to book!
But last September 29, we finally made it. It was reason enough for
a mini celebration and half a bottle of sake was in order.
We went for the omakase (the only way to go!) and let Bruce "The Wizard of Contemporary Japanese" Ricketts play with our palates.
And boy, did he tease and pleasure us all night. I was blown away dish after dish, and by the end of 10 courses, I was already wanting to come back again.
Hokkaido uni, grilled oyster, monkfish liver - all the things I love - on a shiso leaf and crunchy
potato bread. Crunchy because it was fried in clarified butter! This young chef, he is insane!
Toro, burnt brussel sprouts, fish bone sauce, dashi, crispy kale
Fresh peeled crab, buttermilk panna cotta, gazpacho, tarragon. One of my favorites of the night.
If there weren't familiar faces in the crowd, I would have abandoned my manners and
licked this bowl clean!
Seared scallop on a sauce made with scallop liver, taro leaves and coconut milk, pomelo,
cauliflower puree, and topped with scallop frills karaage
Amadai fish fried skin-side, with caramelized yogurt, tapioca, uni emulsion
Watching Bruce work is like watching a little boy at play. Here he was splattering black juice
over the plates. He did it expertly and so effortlessly like he was just having fun.
If I were behind the bar, I would probably have black ink all over myself, on the floor,
and worse, on the customers' faces! Lol!
So much drama on this plate of cochinillo with pears in beet vinegar, burnt eggplant puree,
nuts and barley risotto. The black sauce was a mixture of fermented squid ink, pig's blood,
and cochinillo drippings. It was pure decadence.
Sadly, I got mostly fats which I scraped off, but the extremely crispy skin made me happy.
Slow roasted lamb, grits, polenta, with a juniper-madeira sauce. And that thing on the right
was crispy lamb bacon!
To cleanse our palate, foie gras, guava nectar, milk custard, sweet potato ice cream,
and tamarind-ginger-cardamom sauce
The last savory dish, but definitely not the least, was this meltingly tender and extremely flavorful
Matsuzaka A5 wagyu beef served with a dash of wasabi, charred brussel sprouts, onion jus,
and cabrales. This totally destroyed me.
Strawberry, beets, silken white chocolate, black sesame semifreddo, shortbread, fresh dill.
The dessert was a feast to the eyes, but I have to admit, didn't do much for my palate.
I needed something richer and sweeter to cap off the omakase. I heard they do a mean
molten chocolate matcha cake. That screams me and I will request for that next visit.
Having said that, the omakase at Mecha Uma is one of the best dinners I've had this year.
I still find it hard to believe I had this meal in Manila, and by a 24-year old chef, too!
I have no words to describe Bruce's genius. Brilliant just won't do anymore.
See related post:
Sensei Sushi
Mecha Uma: G/F, RCBC Savings Bank Corporate Tower, 25th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Tel: +632 801 2270
