Phat in Shanghai

Photographs by Adrian Lai

The omakase at Oyama is one of my favorite meals of all time. (Peter Luger & In ‘N Out are up there too!) Oyama is this perfect little 14-seat restaurant above El Willy. I am so charmed by this place, all the little details just culminate into a seriously perfect dining experience. I love the jazz playing softly, the comfy oversized stools surrounding the perfectly-lit sushi bar, how all the plates and cups are unique. Also, the service is impeccable; the attentive kimono-clad ladies keep your sake cup filled, while the amiable master sushi chefs take care of the menu for you. And the sushi? It’s to die for – the seafood is airflown daily from Japan, resulting in a super fresh and varied omakase. In fact, the fish here is so good it ruined top-ranked Sushi Yasuda for me!

We started our journey to sushi heaven with a small cup of intensely flavorful clam soup, followed by a trio of sashimi; a single scallop gently flavored with lime, flounder, and squid. The squid was really delicious – it was crunchier and finished with an almost creamy texture. The wasabi at Oyama is grated in-house, and really gets up your nose.

Ankimo, or Monkfish liver. A first for me – and wow was it delicious. Creamy, silky smooth, subtle flavor, and light as a mousse. Really fantastic, one of my favorites for the night.

Toro and maguro. The thin cut, fat-marbled toro just melts in your mouth. In between the sushi & sashimi, the omakase offered little tastes like seaweed salad with slimy grated nagaimo root, a marinated raw oyster, and grilled yellowtail cheek.

What we came for! Uni. The first time I tried uni, it tasted like hot garbage. This is not the same kind of uni. The uni at Oyama is a golden mustard color, creamy, and melts in your mouth. The flavor is rich and intense – the best I’ve ever had!

We told our chef what we liked and he combined it all into this special dish for us. Minced toro, uni, salmon roe, and a quail egg topped over rice. Mixed with the house-made soy sauce and wasabi, this little rice bowl was a whole lot of flavor. A real flavor “bomb” – as he called it.

Thank you so much Ado for the lovely birthday dinner!

$$$$$ – $800RMB/person
Sushi Oyama
2/F, 20 Donghu Lu at Huaihai Lu
东湖路20号2楼, 近淮海路
Shanghai
+86 21 5404 7705

(Reservations only – snag a bar seat, bring a date)

Tags: china, japanese, monkfish liver, omakase, oyama, shanghai, sushi, toro, uni

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 at 1:34 pm | $$$$$