So as you know, I went back to Pittsburgh this past weekend and I knew that I had to visit Umi again. The last time I went, it was some sort of anniversay celebration with Eric but it has been a while and I wanted to confirm the fact that the best sushi I HAVE EVER HAD was indeed, at Umi, located on Ellsworth Avenue.
It surprises me that Umi is a Big Burrito chain restaurant because, Umi is on another level on its own. Mr. Shu is a genius and doesn't need a big corporation backing up his creativity and skillz, and yes, Umi is in fact the best sushi I have ever had.
Now, thats a pretty big statement, as I've tried a lot of different sushi all over the country, and it's hard to say that a Big Burrito restaurant (the same corporation that owns Mad Mex) owns this unique establishment. But Oh. My. God. it was amazing.
So Eric and I decided to go to Umi without a reservation- how stupid of us. Luckily, upon arriving, we were able to get two seats at the sushi bar. After looking at the menu for a while, it was obvious that we had to get the omakase- which is what we got last time. The omakase is an 8 course meal that is an absolute must. In fact, after looking at the pricey menu, the omakase actually is a pretty good deal.
I can't even start talking about this great meal- it just makes me crave it even more. Alright, here it goes....
We started off with some white fish with some ponzu sauce:
Ah-mazing. The fish is fresh and delicate while the sauce is a bit tangy- it was so good.
The second course was spanish mackerel seared with hot sesame oil:
This was the best thing I have ever eaten. EVER. The fish is amazing, but the sesame oil really kicks it up a notch. The fish is buttery and melts in your mouth, while the sesame gives it a smooth, decadent feeling as it hits your tongue. I could have eaten 100 plates of these- seriously. The best dish of the night.
The third course was some toro tartare:
Now, you can't go wrong with toro tartare. Although I feel like, the last time I had it, it was a bit better, it was still delicious and the fish, again, is amazing.
We then followed with the Black Cod Miso:
Alright, second best dish of the night. Marinated in miso, and then broiled, the cod is not what you expect it to be- it doesn't even remind you of cod! Warm and juicy, this dish is amazing and again, melts in your mouth. Although, again, it was better the first time I had it (it was a bit too moist for me) the taste is incredbile- far better than the black cod miso we had at Morimoto.
Then followed our fifth course, white fish with mint:
This was my least favorite course- not because it wasn't good, but because I hate mint. Basil and mint leaves are just not my thing. But i'll tell you this- I finished all of it, which tells you how good it is.
Sixth course: Shrimp tempura with mushroom sauce and truffle oil (?):
Ok, so I heard and tasted truffle oil, but i'm not really sure if it had it or not- because Mr. Shu described it so quickly. But this was also amazing. My obsession with truffles/mushroom was completely satisfied with the delicious sauce! The shrimp were a bit soggy (thanks to the sauce drizzled on top), but one of the best shrimp tempura I've had! Again, far better than Morimoto.So I forgot to take a picture of the seventh course (oops), but luckily it was a simple (ok, not so simple) nigiri dish. The small bites of nigiri are about half the size of traditional nigiri sushi, which is a perfect, bite sized portion! There were 5 pieces of nigiri: Salmon with cream cheese and tomato, Yellowtail with yuzu jalapeno sauce, White fish with mint and a berry sauce, Spanish Mackerel (with a sauce I can't rememver-my apologies) and Tuna with a tofu sauce. The flavors are great- the combinations of the unique toppings were perfect. Small bite-sized nigiri pieces are ingenius!
And last, our eighth course, is of course, dessert:
I know I've said this a few times in this post- but this is the best dessert I've ever had, hands down. So this may look like ice cream, but it is actually frozen chocolate ganache with a cashew interior drizzled with some raspberry and mango puree. I've had this dessert twice already, and I can say that it is amazing- cold with a unique texture thanks to the bits of grounded cashews it's indescribable!Wow. I am so hungry. I may fly back to Pittsburgh (and not take the Megabus) just for this meal. We got this 8 course meal for $75 a person, which is a bit pricey- but believe me, it is worth it.
What was interesting was that, we saw that the frequent fans of Mr. Shu didn't sit at the table, but at the sushi bar- so they could converse and watch Mr.Shu do his magic. Warning, there is a $50/person minimum at the sushi bar- but you're going to get the omakase so it doesn't matter right???
I will most definitely be returning to Umi- and perhaps getting the more expensive omakases (it starts at $75 and goes up). The dishes our neighbors were getting looked amazing, and their faces after one bite of their dish tells it all.
One complaint that I had? The actual presentation of the dishes and the actual dishes themselves were a bit lackluster. A few of the dishes (which you can see in the pictures) seemed dirty and old- it really took away from the experience, but good thing the food was just that good. Presentation is everything, and I am sure that if it was placed on cleaner and newer plates, the meal would have been that much better.
This is not the place to get run of the mill, plain sushi- if you're looking for some sushi dishes that are inventive and different, Umi is the place to go, otherwise stick to Chaya for your more simple (and cheaper) sushi. Although a bit pricey, every penny is worth it. Again, Oh. My. God.
Price: $$$$
Ambiance: A
Service: A
Food: A+
