Onmi

If you’ve eaten your fill of Korean barbecue or jjajangmyeon in Singapore, here’s something different worth trying. Onmi is where you can get an eight-course Korean dinner at $118 (and a five-course lunch for $46) – one of the more affordable tasting menus in town these days. The restaurant sits along Amoy Street in the company of renowned establishments like Cloudstreet, Nouri, Birds of a Feather, and more. 

Here, traditional Korean flavours are coaxed out through predominantly French culinary techniques, but not everything is avant-garde. Expect to get acquainted with ingredients and dishes rarely seen in Korean restaurants across Singapore – think nut porridge, perilla oil noodles, and burdock roots.

A sharp perilla oil tea starts off the dinner menu, and while it isn’t delicious, it certainly wakes the palate and primes it for the journey ahead. The sour tea is immediately contrasted with an earthy porridge made from a mixture of five nuts, though it isn’t so much a porridge as it is a thick paste. Dehydrated lotus roots and potato crisps are served on the side and meant for dipping. 

We’re next presented with a duo snack of shiitake mushroom biscuit and a smoked domi (red snapper) tart, and so far everything’s still on the delicate, lighter side. But the shima-aji (jack stripe mackerel) which comes next quickly switches things up. The fish is finely sliced and tossed in a fermented soybean paste with a pepper shiso salad on the side, reminiscent of a favourite Korean combination of hwe (sashimi) and chojang (a sweet and spicy sauce meant for pairing with seafood).

Samgyetang or ginseng chicken soup is the inspiration for the next course, which features cordyceps, chicken, and glutinous rice. Unfortunately the foam that crowns the dish doesn’t sit quite harmoniously with its counterparts, leaving an odd mouthfeel with the broth, froth, and the chicken and glutinous rice patty. Thankfully, things start to really pick up from here.

Buckwheat noodles are served next, and once tossed with perilla oil and seaweed flakes, give off a fragrant aroma. The noodles lead in nicely to the highlight of the meal – charcoal-grilled marinated beef, cooked sous-vide overnight and plated up with condiments like tomato marmalade and sundried shishito peppers for a touch of acidity.

No Korean meal is complete without rice, and one of Onmi’s specialties is its hearty bansang platter, which sees nutritious multi-grain rice served with five seasonal banchan (side dishes) and a bowl of clam soup. 

Desserts come in the form of a nutty burdock root ice cream with burdock fries – a delicate balance between savoury and sweet. It also faintly reminds us of the iconic smoked hay ice cream at Lolla’s. True to tradition, the meal concludes with a set of dagwa (Korean sweets) and Solomon’s seal tea.

A pro-tip when dining here: ask for a chungju (refined glutinous rice wine) or makgeolli (unrefined rice wine) recommendation (from $30) to pair with your meal.