The pasta dish that caught my eye on The Coffee Academic’s menu and thanks to #burpplebeyond, I had it as the free main! If someone isn’t sure what umami means exactly, I am sure this pasta makes a good explanation!

Sautéed Spaghetti tossed in a sweet shrimp spicy XO sauce topped with shio konbu, ebiko and an onsen egg. Such a variety of seafoody elements! The shrimps were fresh, shio konbu was savoury and the ebiko that was popping happily in the mouth. Not forgetting those bonito flakes that were generously sprinkled on top! I would consider it as the next main contributor to the dish’s umami taste after the XO sauce. Unfortunately the spicy XO sauce, though flavorful with a good umaminess, it was way too spicy for me. Even as the onsen egg was mixed in to give a creamier texture, my tongue was on fire halfway through the dish. Although the take on spiciness is subjective, I would have enjoyed it more if the heat level was reduced because it was already overpowering the umami flavour.