Osaka’s uni specialist Morita Unigoro opens first outlet in Singapore, with 1-for-1 uni pasta

Uni lovers, you’ll want a piece of this: Osaka restaurant Morita Unigoro, which specialises in uni omakase, dishes and nabe (hotpot), has opened its very first outlet at Telok Ayer.

Getting a seat at its Osaka outlet for its uni (sea urchin) omakase is no easy feat — there are only 10 counter seats, and only two dinner sessions a day. 

With its latest outlet in Singapore, which has 14 counter seats and one private room, local diners can experience its sought-after uni omakase, and at a value-for-money price of S$98, too – especially since top-quality sea urchin can cost quite a bit.

Its S$98 limited-time tasting menu, available across lunch and dinner comes with the following courses:

• Charcoal-grilled scallop with uni
• Uniku, featuring A5 Kagoshima wagyu topped with raw golden yolk and uni 
• Uni risotto 
• Homemade granita, a watermelon sorbet paired with Japanese Awayuki salt (or salt with a light snow-like texture) 

Morita Unigoro is, however, known for its uni hotpot, a less common uni dish. You might want to opt for the S$168 hotpot menu instead, which is only available for dinner.

Morita Unigoro’s S$168 dinner-only hotpot menu 

It’s largely similar to the S$98 menu, but comes with a heftier signature uni hotpot, instead of the charcoal-grilled scallop with uni.

And you’ll be served the same Uniku starter, uni risotto and homemade granita. 

The hotpot does add a pretty penny to the price of the set, but with good reason. 

The signature uni hotpot features a base of beef bone, asari clams and Saikyo miso, with creamy uni hand-blended into your soup. The result is a creamy, umami-laden broth that’s already slurp-worthy, even before you start putting your hotpot ingredients in.

Next, each hotpot comes with a generous and luxurious platter of seafood — comprising ise ebi (Japanese spiny lobster), clams, and abalone — as well as decently sized cuts of A5 Kagoshima ribeye and Hokkaido pork belly, which you can enjoy shabu-shabu style in your uni broth. 

Every ingredient on the platter is fresh, intentional, and imparts even more sweetness to the already delicious broth.

If you’re thinking of slurping up every last bit of the broth (the thought crossed our minds), don’t, because the chefs use a ladle of the previous, now-extremely flavourful broth for the next dish, a  “risotto”.

The broth is mixed gently with a small bowl of Japanese rice and diced lotus root, and topped with — you guessed it — more uni. 

At no point of time did the sheer amount of uni feel cloying — every dish presented it in a unique way, allowing you to enjoy the delicacy’s brininess at its best.

Even if you did feel all uni-ed out, the finale of the homemade watermelon granita ties up the meal beautifully — it’s refreshing and not too sweet, with the flaky salt adding a unique mouthfeel, too.  

One-for-one pasta & other lunchtime items

For the month of May, Morita Unigoro is offering a one-for-one pasta deal at lunch where you can enjoy two of its pastas — such as its creamy, decadent uni cream sauce linguine (S$48)  — at the price of one.

It’s a steal, considering that the dish is brimming with sea urchin — the golden sauce that coats it has uni blended in, and it is also topped with lobes of uni for a finishing touch.

Its other pastas are also included in the deal, if you or your dining companion prefer to try other types.

There are options such as the sweet and tangy ise lobster with tomato sauce spaghettini (S$38, with half a lobster), and the classic Japanese clams vongole biano linguine (S$38). 

The catch, however, is that you’ll need to order at least one drink, be it alcoholic or not, per person, to enjoy this one-for-one deal. 

Those who’ve tried Morita Unigoro in Osaka will also be heartened to know that the pasta dishes available at the Telok Ayer outlet — also its first internationally — are unique to our sunny island and cannot be found anywhere else. 

With so many uni dishes at various price points, we can already see Morita Unigoro Singapore being a must-visit for anyone who loves sea urchin, no matter the occasion. 

Just remember to save your seats early, especially since it has a limited number of seats available and if you’re gunning for the dinner-only set menus.

This was an invited tasting.  

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the new Kyo Komachi and its viral udons and the IG-worthy spot: Yanhuo Restaurant.

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to Morita Unigoro in Singapore at Telok Ayer.