Umami Sushi

FOOD

Nigiri comes with many options. Tuna, salmon and yellowtail sit alongside mackerel, octopus and surf clam, with most orders bringing two pieces. The selection allows a meal to stay focused on fish even as the kitchen sends out other dishes. A few straightforward pieces provide a useful introduction before moving into the more heavily seasoned preparations or larger specialty rolls.

The prepared nigiri expands that choice considerably. Seared lemon salmon introduces citrus and a lightly cooked surface, while yuzu yellowtail includes jalapeño. Albacore comes with garlic ponzu; the 300 version adds jalapeño and the house 300 sauce. Cajun tuna combines garlic ponzu with fried onion. These variations make a return to the nigiri section an opportunity to try a different preparation of a familiar fish.

The All Day selection adds richer and more specialized choices, including salmon belly and ocean trout, each limited to one order. Sweet shrimp also has a one-time allowance. Sea urchin and oysters are seasonal, restricted selections. These are small tastings within a meal that otherwise permits repeat orders across much of the menu, giving seafood enthusiasts a few additional choices beyond the regular nigiri.

Among the rolls, Lemon Salmon keeps the combination relatively direct, placing salmon and sliced lemon over crab and avocado with ponzu. Be Happy is more elaborate, starting with soft-shell crab and cucumber and adding several seafood toppings and sauces. A Little Tease brings spicy tuna together with Cajun tuna, fried onion and jalapeño. They offer distinct routes through the roll selection, from citrus-led fish to crunch and concentrated heat.

Crispy rice supplies another texture, with spicy tuna and jalapeño over fried rice pieces. Baked rolls offer a warmer, creamier option; the scallop version combines crab with scallop, garlic mayo and eel sauce. Rice-free dishes belong to the All Day selection and carry a one-time limit. Salmon and yellowtail carpaccio are among them, offering a way to sample sliced fish without another mound of sushi rice.

Hamachi kama and salmon kama deserve attention alongside the sushi. These cooked fish collars turn the meal toward the meat around the head and shoulder, which must be worked away from the bones. Both are one-time All Day orders. The collars give seafood enthusiasts something quite different from neatly cut nigiri, while baked green mussels and shrimp tempura provide smaller cooked seafood plates.

The kitchen also makes room for an appetite that extends beyond fish. Kalbi brings beef short rib, while bulgogi offers sliced beef. Korean fried chicken adds a sweet, spicy preparation, and chicken karaage provides another fried option. These dishes can fill out a shared meal or provide a substantial alternative for someone choosing mostly cooked food. They also let a table alternate between sushi and warm savory plates without changing dining formats.

Dessert is a single order of ice cream per person. Coffee, matcha and ube are among the flavors, with Thai tea offering another choice. It is a compact finish to a meal with considerable scope for repetition, especially through the regular nigiri and roll selections. The greatest variety comes from leaving space for both the sushi bar and the kitchen.