MECHA UMA: “Absurdly Delicious” Food by Chef Bruce Ricketts!

As featured in BEST OF TAGUIG: 10 Most Awesome NEW Restaurants in BGC & Taguig 2014!

MECHA UMA is a Chef-Driven Restaurant by Chef Bruce Ricketts of Sensei Sushi fame. The name is a Japanese expression for absurdly delicious food.

They serve predominantly Japanese food but are not limited to it. Foodies have raved about the Tasting Menu served Omakase-style (but is still dependent on the chef and what’s freshly available that day). They also serve an a la carte menu of the best dishes featured in the Tasting Menu.

We tried Mecha Uma’s a la carte menu with our Mercato Partners and here’s our experience…

MECHA UMA
G/F RCBC Savings Bank Corporate Center,
25th Streets, cor. 6th and 7th Avenue,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Philippines
(beside Starbucks Coffee) 
Telephone: +632 801-2770
Mobile: +63 917 544-3226

Mecha Uma is hidden in the non-happening side of the BGC area, with a space that is even smaller than his original Sensei Sushi store.

MECHA UMA MENU: Ala Carte Courses | Blackboard Specials | Cocktails, Wines | Sake, Shochu

Tables are limited if you want to have a business meeting. There are only three tables–one that is good for 6, plus two that are good for 4, which you can combine. 

The best time to go is during the slow period of 6.30pm on Wednesdays or Thursdays, when they only serve A la Carte.

At 8.00pm the restaurant gets full, even the ledge in front of the black board specials is occupied. 

The best seats in the house are by the Chef’s table bar area (good for 8) for the tasting menu. Sit here if you want the Chef to serve you the best dishes of the day. 

 

One

✮ Tuna (P255 +10% service charge). Coconut, foie gras mousse, roasted pineapple.

Imagine fresh Tuna with foie gras mousse (instead of mayo) and roasted pineapple to balance the flavor, sandwiched in coconut tuile (a thin tiled wafer).  

Great, unique flavor combination, and an excellent way to start your “Mecha Uma” meal.

✮ Mechaviche (P560 +10% service charge).

Awesome raw seafood salad platter of Lapu-Lapu, Amaebi (sweet Japanese Shrimps), Scallop, and Octopus, with red raddish, snap peas, baby carrots, and potato chips in Yuzu Ceviche Sauce. 

The seafood has a clean ceviche taste, is easy to eat, and best of all, good to share. 🙂

 

Two

Prawns (P590 +10% service charge). Grilled melons, pistacchio, pickled rind, garlic.

Prawns cooked in sake with unique side dishes of grilled melon chunks and pickled rind. This was OK; a bit expensive for what you get.

Salmon & Aligue Rice (P250 +10% service charge).

A good salmon rice idea but the actual dish lacks a bit of that umami flavor.

Yellowfin Tuna (P330 +10% service charge).

Fresh tuna chunks on a skewer. They really know how to cook their fish to keep it juicy with a good bite.

✮ Wagyu Rice (P270 +10% service charge). Garlic, mushroom, wagyu.

The most raved about rice dish of the night, with chunks of flavorful wagyu, mushroom, and just the right garlic flavor. Best to order one per person. It’s already delicious on its own. 

 

 Three

✮ Black Cod (P680 +10% service charge). Onion broth, pear vinegar, melted cabbage.

Well-executed dish. I personally like the charred flavor, with a unique onion broth and pear vinegar sauce. The fish literally melts in your mouth! You have to savor each bite. 

✮ Matsusaka Gyu (P2,450 +10% service charge). Charred eggplant, wasabi, scallion, ponxu, and cabrales emulsion.

Matsusaka is black-haired Japanese wagyu, known for its high fat-to-meat ratio. The meat is really soft and flavorful but what makes this awesome is the charred eggplant black sauce with blue cheese-like flavor. 

Jidori (P650 +10% service charge). Mushroom, mustard tare, wasabi.

A simple teriyaki chicken with different kinds of mushroom.

Stir Fried Lamb & Barley (P250 +10% service charge).

The barley was too al dente and it did not pair well with some of the dishes. 

✮ Wagyu Cheek (P645 +10% service charge). Pickles, horseradish, perilla, jus.

The meat was indeed very tender and yummy. A bit messy in terms of the intense flavor combination and presentation. 

It was awesome to talk to Chef Bruce, who was very down-to-earth despite his success. You can really feel his passion for creating the yummiest food in Manila.

 

Four

Mango (P230 +10% service charge). Black sesame, yuzu, torched meringue.

Mango meringue with black sesame chips. Interesting combination.

Coconut (195 +10% service charge). Ginger, tamarind, brown butter granita.

A Filipino-inspired coconut and tamarind dessert. 

Chocolate (P195 + 10% service charge). Matcha lava, condensed milk, puff rice.

A nice twist to an old favorite–chocolate with molten green matcha inside, with ice cream on the side and puff rice for texture. 

We highly recommend experiencing Chef Bruce in his finest element so far. He has managed to evolve from the failed Robot resto concept to the most raved about neighborhood resto in BF, Sensei Sushi, and now to his creative kitchen studio in Mecha Uma.

I would recommend a 4-course meal when you dine a la carte:

• one: Mechaviche or Tuna
• two: Black Cod with Wagyu Rice
• three: Matsusaka Gyu or Wagyu Cheeks
• four: Chocolate Matcha Lava

The desserts are OK and a good ending to a delicious meal. They’re not something to rave about but they’re also not a let down. He needs to find a good pastry chef.

Budget about P2,000/head and P3,600/head for the tasting menu.

Congratulations to Chef Bruce and to his partner, the Moment Group, for an awesome Mecha Uma concept–one of the top restaurant concepts to open in 2014!

MECHA UMA
G/F RCBC Savings Bank Corporate Center,
25th Streets, cor. 6th and 7th Avenue,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Philippines
(beside Starbucks Coffee) 
Telephone: +632 801-2770
Mobile: +63 917 544-3226

Operating Hours:
Wednesday, Thursday: 6.00pm and 8.00pm seating – A la Carte
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 6.30pm and 8.00pm seating – Tasting Menu + A la Carte
Closed on Tuesdays.

Related Blog Posts:

• OAP | SENSEI SUSHI by Chef Bruce “Broosy” Ricketts
• Between Bites by Jane D. Chua | Mecha Uma with Chef Bruce Ricketts, Fort Bonifacio
• Rajo Laurel | Mecha Uma!
• Table for Three Please | A World Class Meal at Mecha Uma

Live an Awesome Life,

Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com 

Disclosure: We paid for our meal. I wrote this article with my own biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.  

P.S. I just remembered the movie “Chef”. You can feel the same passion to cook with perfection from Chef Broosy. Definitely a must-try restaurant!