3/F Big C Ekkamai, between Ekkamai Soi 6 and Soi 8, 02-714-2828
Having built a name for itself as one of the most successful restaurants in the Nihonmura complex on Thonglor Soi 13, earlier this year Uomasa opened a second branch next to Big C. The appeal of both is that they offer an authentic, casual dining experience that falls between fast food (ramen or yakitori shops) and those sacred temples of sashimi, silk and bonsai frequented by salarymen with expense accounts. So the main dining rooms can be lively and loud, the service enthusiastic and the food, while not terribly refined, is solid. But it must be said first that neither the present Uomasa nor the new outlet reaches the heights that the original did years ago—that is, before the newspapers started writing about it. As is so often the case, standards dropped after the restaurant was remodeled/expanded to accommodate more customers, with the main flaw being inconsistency. Prices also went up. You can still enjoy some very good food at #1 and now #2, however. The menus are basically the same at both branches, built around several less-than-common ingredients. The restaurant is known primarily for its huge platters of assorted sashimi on ice, which can accommodate 3-4 people. Iso, the middle choice, features 4-5 thick slices of 11 or more kinds of seafood, mostly fish but also octopus, gaang (mantis shrimp), slip lobsters yanked from a tank and multi-colored seaweed. A great conversation piece is the pair of still-twitching bodies of the slip lobsters, which are proudly displayed in the ice separate from the meat. (We’re assured the creatures are dead and it’s just nerves.) Creepy displays aside, Uomasa is also famous for serving whale, horse and beef tongue in a variety of ways, from grilled to stewed to sashimi. Gytan kuwayaki, for example, is sliced tongue and vegetables that you grill at the table: a bit dear, but you’re paying in part for the nifty charcoal grill kit. Uomasa’s huge sushi rolls are also among their most popular items—more for the taste than how they look (don’t expect uniformity; do expect them to fall apart)—from California-y variations to one topped with glazed unagi (eel) to their version of “spider” (soft shell crab tempura) with gold leaf. The atmosphere at the Ekkamai branch is a bit more civilized, thanks to a high ceiling and tables that aren’t crammed into a small space as they are on Thonglor 13. Another “improvement” (for the nicotine addicted): Smoking is allowed in the upstairs dining room as well as the beer garden out front.
