A hidden jewel for Japanese cuisine in the Ozarks: OMO Japanese Soul Food
- Roger Jones
- Feb 10, 2020
- 8 min read
Over this past weekend, I had a visit from two of my closest and oldest friends, Michael and Kayla. You see, when we first met, I was completing a Kenjutsu (fancy Japanese way of saying “sword fighting”) practice session in the woods behind my home, and decided to take an alternate route to my house: the old gravel road behind our property. I was about 13 years old at the time, and as I was walking down the gravel road to get to my house, they were outside playing. They saw me carrying a Ninjato (a fancy way of saying a straight-bladed Japanese sword) as I walked down the road, and decided to strike up a conversation: “Hey. Cool sword. Wanna hangout?”
It was an immediate friendship, as they were just as fascinated by the Japanese culture as I was.
When thinking of places to take them for dinner, there were tons of options that I absolutely knew that they would enjoy, but only one was apparent for this special occasion: OMO Japanese Soul Food. You see, as we got older, we always frequented the Japanese restaurants near our home town, shot the breeze (typically discussing our life goals, what we wanted to eventually grow up to do, etc.), and then would go off on one of our many road trips down the back roads of Dent county, Phelps county, or Texas county in Missouri. Our little group always had a fascination for Asian cultures, and still do to this day.
OMO Japanese Soul Food is, absolutely, one of my favorite Japanese dining experiences, and I was certain that they would love it just as much as I did; I wasn’t wrong.
The Atmosphere
The scenery at OMO Japanese Soul Food is very much reminiscent of what you may see at a typical restaurant in Japan. The interior decor features several Maneki Neko (“beckoning cat”) statues that can be seen on the front counter of the restaurant, and is quite common in many Japanese establishments; there are two primary reasons for this: 1) to act as a good luck charm for the shop, and 2) to act as a form of “welcome” to guests of the shop. Also displayed in this establishment are several different Japanese banners, paper lanterns, and paper umbrellas hanging from the ceiling.
To further add to the decor, we were seated in front of a large mural of the sea, which was painted in the same traditional style as many other forms of japanese art. Upon entering the restaurant, as you are facing the front counter, a large tapestry of artificial flowers can be seen to your right, and adds a sense of calmness to your overall experience at this wonderful restaurant. Each table appears to have a small artificial plant setting next to the usual display that may be found on a restaurant table, which, to me, just adds ever so slightly to the feel of this restaurant.
Even the location of this restaurant displays a calm and peaceful vibe that many restaurants in Springfield simply aren't able to. OMO Japanese Soul Food is located at Chesterfield Village, just off of South Kansas Expressway in Springfield, Missouri, and believe me when I say, this is perhaps one of the best locations for a smaller establishment in the city. There is a certain peaceful ambiance in Chesterfield Village, which is displayed by the architecture and landscaping done in the small area. We can almost guarantee that you will feel at home when visiting this establishment.
This location is ideal for a small, casual dinner date, or just a place to grab dinner with friends after work or school.
The Food
To merely state that the food at OMO Japanese Soul Food is "good" does not do this restaurant justice. We have eaten at this establishment numerous times when in Springfield, and the meals have never been “subpar”. All of the main dishes appear to be freshly made, and have an ideal blend of subtle balance, with no overpowering flavor, which is characteristic of Japanese cuisine.
For an appetizer, I ordered the Citrus Ahi Roll. If you aren’t a big fan of sushi, then of course, I recommend that you avoid the sushi menu, unless you are willing to try something new; however, if you love sushi, then I highly recommend this simple dish. The Citrus Ahi Roll is a basic combination of crab, cucumber, and avocado, which has been topped with raw tuna, seaweed salad, and the house ponzu sauce (a thin, tart, citrus sauce commonly used in Japanese cuisine). The flavor of the Citrus Ahi Roll was amazing, and the quality of how the roll was made is much better than many other Japanese restaurants I have eaten at in the past.
Michael and Kayla decided to go with an order of OMO’s fresh spring rolls. Simply enough, spring rolls, if you have never had them, can be described as a “vegetarian egg roll”; however, when I asked them as to the quality of the dish, they simply said that it was amazing. The spring rolls had a certain “crisp” texture, which is SUPPOSED to be displayed by the recipe, however, many restaurants strike out on; OMO most definitely DID NOT strike out on this dish. The spring rolls at OMO were seasoned to perfection, which is another point that many Japanese restaurants miss out on, by either over seasoning or under seasoning their veggies.
Michael, being the extreme eater that he can be, also ordered the Snowing Mountain Roll for his appetizer. While the Snowing Mountain Roll is most definitely not a traditional Japanese dish, it still pays homage to many ingredients found in traditional Japanese cuisine. The Snowing Mountain Roll is a spicy crab and cream cheese roll, which is topped with tempura flakes and house spicy cream sauce. The dish offered a unique, lightly spicy, flavor, which was contrasted and balanced by the tempura flakes, and, I might add, was definitely delicious.
For the main course, Amber and I decided to order one of our favorite dishes from this restaurant: the Fuji Mountain Chicken Deluxe Bento Box. This dish is composed of cut deep-fried chicken katsu on a bed of rice, and is topped with Parmesan cheese and house sweet lime cream sauce. As a part of the Deluxe Bento Box meal, you also receive Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura, a green salad topped with a house dressing, Edamame, as well as your choice of a California or Veggie Roll, and your choice of a Crab Rangoon, an Egg Roll, a Fried Dumpling, or a Spring Roll. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I opted for the California Roll and Crab Rangoon. This entire meal was quite delicious, and almost “melts in your mouth”. I almost have to FORCE myself to order other menu items besides this dish.
For dessert, I ordered something that isn't quite common at many Japanese restaurants in the US, but should definitely be a dish that you try: Dango. Mitarashi Kushi Dango was originally created in the Kamo Mitarashi Tea House, located in Kyoto Japan, and is a very simple dish. Dango are sweet round “dessert” dumplings, composed of two different types of flower, sugar, and water, while the topping can vary; this variance of topping is a sweet-and-salty thickened soy sauce. The saltiness from the soy sauce compliments the sweetness from the sugar and mirin used in the sauce, and the texture of the Dango, while a bit chewy and difficult to remove from the skewer, is still quite pleasing to the senses.
The Ramen and The Yaki Noodles
When many people think of Ramen, they tend to think of the hard bricks, covered in wax, with overly strong seasoning packets, sold in the Asian food section at the grocery store; however, real, traditional Japanese Ramen is completely different. Although I have yet to try the Ramen, or the Yaki Noodles, at OMO Japanese Soul Food, it appears to be one of this restaurant's most popular dishes, as there is almost ALWAYS a bowl sitting in front of a customer when I enter this establishment. There is no set way you have to order either of these dishes, as they are two “build-your-own” meal options from this restaurant.
The ramen at this restaurant has many options that will ensure that your order will be exactly what you want it to be. For starters, you get to choose between Ramen (thinner, softer, Okinawan style noodles) or Udon (thicker and textured Japanese style noodles). Next, choose your broth; there are several options here, including OMO Tonkotsu (pork) Broth, Miso (made from Japanese soybean paste), Shoyu (a sweet and salty soy sauce based broth), or the OMO Spicy Broth (a secret house recipe, with chili peppers and more than 10 different spices and herbs). Finally, pick from the following for your main topping: Chashu (pork belly), Beef, Chicken Katsu (breaded, deep-fried chicken cutlet), Pork Katsu (breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet), Tofu, Vegetarian (cabbage, broccoli, and carrots), Seafood (shrimp, calamari, and mussels), Shrimp, or Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura.
My ideal combination for Ramen at OMO would be: Ramen Noodles, Miso Broth, and the Vegetarian combination, with extra Chashu (pork belly) to add some diversity to the dish.
The Yaki Noodles, as I mentioned earlier, is also fully customizable. Yaki Noodles are a Japanese-style stir-fry dish, which is quite popular at many Japanese hibachis. First, choose either Soba noodles (buckwheat noodles, similar to Angel Hair Pasta) or Udon noodles. Next, choose your main topping; on the list of main toppings for the Yaki Noodles is: Chicken, Chashu, Beef, Tofu, Vegetarian, or Shrimp.
My personal preference for Yaki Noodles is the Soba noodles with Chashu.
The Prices
Overall, the food at OMO is very affordable, and in some cases, right down cheap, when compared to other Japanese restaurants. I have been known to spend $40 to $50 on myself at many Japanese restaurants, however, that is definitely not the case at OMO. Appetizers range from $3.99 to $6.99, while the main dishes can range from $8.99 to $12.99 (Ramen may cost more than this, depending on what you wish to be added to the bowl, as extra servings cost, well, extra). Sushi rolls range from $4.99 to $14.99, and it is definitely well worth it. Dessert is very inexpensive, as well.
For two drinks, two Fuji Mountain Chicken Deluxe Bento Boxes, one Citrus Ahi Sushi Roll, and one double order of Dango, our total bill (before gratuity) was $44.80, which is less than one might expect to spend for the large amount of food that we received.
OMO Japanese Soul Food has been in my favorite top 5 list of restaurants in Springfield, Missouri, since we first visited them in 2018. The wait staff have always been very warm and welcoming, the scenery and display of the restaurant has a very close and welcoming vibe, and the food is absolutely AMAZING. The prices are beyond fair for the amount of food you receive, and the menu is actually quite impressive.
So, with all of the above stated, how did my visit with two of my oldest friends go? Well, thanks to the experience at OMO, the weekend was beyond amazing. After our meal, we hit a couple of Asian markets, bought a vast amount of Japanese, Korean, and Thai candy and junk food, came back to my house, and pigged out while reminiscing about the good old days (before work and life’s stresses really set in).
That is it for our article this week. Until next time, remember to get out and live the best life you can. Make time for your friends and family, and take every little opportunity for adventure that you can with those people closest to you. Life is too short to live in the mundane. Get out there, and experience the world around you. And, make sure to enjoy some terrific meals along the way, too. 😊
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