I was in Berlin for a conference and I just felt anti-social one evening, so I decided to go out on my own and find a restaurant to spend a quiet evening. Uma caught my attention with its Western-Japanese fusion cuisine. The location was very convenient also – it was just on the southern side of the Hotel Adlon Kempinski by the Brandenburg Gate.
The decor was impressive, with a Chinese clay horse presiding right in the middle of the restaurant. However the restaurant itself was like a death-trap, with the low lighting and the unexpected steps scattered around.
There were many choices on the menu to satisfy most people. Some dishes are more South-East Asian than Japanese, but there’s one theme throughout – there’s always a Westernised twist to the dishes. It took me a while to decide what to have, as there were just too many dishes I wanted to try.
The amuse-bouche was Cucumber Mousse & Lemongrass Foam with Paprika – the mixture of hot and cool (both in temperature and flavour) was interesting: the spicyness of the paprika combined with the coolness of cucumber, covered by a thick layer of foam.
My first course was Aubergine with Teriyaki Sauce and Bonita Flakes. When the waitress proudly presented the dish to me, I said to her that I didn’t order the Japanese pizza, but aubergine. She then said “oh really?” Well, yes! Suspiciously enough, my aubergine dish turned up a short while afterwards. The mistake was forgiven as the fish was flavoursome and the aubergine was nicely cooked through. Very enjoyable.
The main course was Black Cod with Yuzu and Ginger. The wonderful fragrance of the dish was let down by the uneven cooking of the fish – part of it was too dry while another part was fine. The flavour was also not evenly distributed, resulting in some parts of the fish with overpowering taste. I ordered a bowl of steamed rice to go with the fish – there was a generous sprinkle of sesame on top of the rice which was certainly not Japanese rice – American long-grain perhaps?
For dessert, I ordered Liquid Chocolate Souffle with Green Tea & Vanilla Ice-Cream. Not really a Japanese dessert in any way, but at least the souffle had a nice gooey liquid chocolate centre. So it was a satisfying finish to the meal.
On the whole, the food was good – it was really just been let down by the fish and the rice. Service was good though the attitude of the waitresses could have come across a little less cold – it’s not as if they were rude or anything, just lacking that welcoming friendliness in a Japanese place.
Address: Behrenstraße 72, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Telephone: +49 30 30 11 17 324
Website: www.uma-restaurant.de
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday: 18.00 – 23.00
Food: 7/10
Ambience: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Total: 14/20 [Based on visit in October 2010]
Chow With Chau 