Umi Sushi Bistro
11645 West Broad Street
Henrico, Virginia 23233
http://www.umisushibistro.com
(Short Pump Area)
Atmosphere/Decor:
We started our year-long restaurant adventure tonight at a local Sushi spot called Umi. The word "umi" means sea in Japanese, and that is exactly how the decor made you feel. From the water feature at the front door, to the dark painted blue and purple hues on the walls, and the way they served all of their dishes on beautiful blue plates and glass bowls. I especially liked the blue and silver dragon chopsticks that were prewrapped in a napkin along with a fork (thank goodness, because I gave up on my chopsticks after the appetizer)
Food:
We started with the Obha Calamari ($11) which was fantastic. It was lightly battered and crispy. The highlight of this dish was the sauce. The sauce was so good that we used it with every dish for the remainder of the night. Next, we each had a house salad, which was very fresh with cool, crisp lettuce topped with shredded carrots. The delicious ginger dressing was presented on the side. My husband fell in love with the dressing (I have never seen him finish a salad so quickly) I thoroughly enjoyed my miso soup, slightly salty yet balanced by the sweet seaweed and silky soft tofu. Best miso soup I have had in years. I ordered the Shrimp Tempura Box ($22) which was more than enough food! Grilled Shrimp, Tempura Shrimp and Vegetables, California Roll, and Dumplings. The big surprise of this dish was the rice, which tasted like it just came out of the rice cooker, absolutely perfect. Tommy ordered the Tokyo Roll ($13) which had shrimp, avocado, caviar, and spicy tuna. After the first bite, he responded with "That's Awesome"! Beverage of choice for me was a Kirin Light (only 90 calories) They had an extensive Sake menu. I had never knew there were so many different types of Sake.
Service:
Our waitress was extremely prompt and delightful. She was very attentive when it came to refilling on our tea and water. She quickly cleared our plates when we were finished with each course, which was nice (I don't like used/empty plates stacking up on the table) At the end, she boxed up everything for us and returned it with the check and 2 chocolate mints (perfect ending)
Only Distractions:
At times there was quirky "muzak" playing in the background, but I enjoyed listening to the sushi chefs chopping and preparing the sushi. I was not impressed with my Teriyaki sauce that came with my main course, which is why I continued to use the vinegar-based (fish) sauce from our appetizer instead.
Bathroom Report:
Very Clean! Loved the Kohler sinks (waterfall faucet)
Side Note: Looking for a less expensive more causual alternative? Then I would try Ichiban in the Glen Eagles shopping center off of Ridgefield Parkway. (The same family owns both locations)
Total Price: $58.00 (1 appetizer, 2 salads, 1 soup, 2 entrees, and 1 beer)
Enough leftover food for a take-out box for tomorrow too!
Rating: 4 stars
Overall Suggestion: Highly recommend this restaurant if you like Japanese/Sushi.
Perfect place for a "Date Night". (I do not recommend this place for small children)
Restaurant Picked by Mary Beth Joyner
