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New Fredericksburg eatery Umi nails the sushi, the sashimi and the sake Date published: 10/22/2009
BY NANCY DEARING ROSSBACHER FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR He: Wow. She: Readers, he's going to be useless in this review, because Umi--which translates to "ocean"--stocks more than 15 varieties of cold sake. He: Not useless. Merely gathering my wits to accurately describe the silky smooth impact of the Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake vs. the fruity tingle of the Asian pear sake. She: Uh-huh. This is in great part the fault of charming co-owners and sushi chefs Jonathan Chen and Sony ("Like the PlayStation," he winked) Gao. If you snag a spot at the 10-seat sushi bar, which is the prime real estate here, one of them might say, "Try this"--in our case, a small dish of astonishingly fresh, raw Spanish mackerel that slid down the throat like butter, and a platter of folded yellowtail topped with jalapeño slices. He: The other might say, "You like cold sake? Try this one," and you will. Particularly after the jalapeño. And you will not regret it. She: The first stroke of genius was their redesign of a site that once appeared irretrievably fast-foodish. Glassy-eyed windows remain, but soft lighting, crisp woodwork and appealing pottery placed in just-so niches have transformed it. Attention to detail is even evident in the ice-white plates, many of which gently curl up on one end like a satisfied grin. He: The second stroke of genius is what's on those plates. This isn't just fresh. (They even smilingly brought out from the kitchen a section of a massive, freshly caught tuna.) This isn't just fun. (The banter at the sushi bar is worth the trip.) This is edible art. Kyoto-trained Chen and Gao create towers, arcs and swirls on sushi and sashimi plates that feature--nice touch, this--organic ginger. Our group danced through hamachi, maguro and hotategai, along with a spider roll and the Spicy Girl, and every selection was faultless. She: The sushi-shy will also find much to celebrate. The seaweed salad ($4) shimmers on the tongue, and the dumpling soup ($4) is a chicken-soup-like panacea of soft dumplings afloat in a vegetable-rich garden. He: One don't-miss non-sushi dish is the beef negimaki ($10), in which tender slices of broiled beef pinwheel around mellow scallions. Even the decorative plum tomato disappeared from the plate. She: Desserts include ginger ice cream ($3), featuring actual bits of ginger, and Gao claims he can make a sushi cake. The actual ingredients are unknown at present, but with Gao and Chen at the helm, I'd be willing to take the chance. He: Last thoughts: fresh, artistic and inventive. And they don't just serve cold sake. They've got hot sake, too. She: Between that and the top-notch sushi, Umi is the ocean to fall into. Nancy Dearing Rossbacher and Stephen W. Sylvia publish a Civil War magazine together. She likes to cook. He likes to eat. To reach Rossbacher and Sylvia, e-mail them at editor@nstcivil war.com. Or call 540/374-5430 with comments about today's review.
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 10/22/2009
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