Umi, Hendersonville

Sushi? Sashimi? Shazaam! Some of the best sushi you've ever tasted right here in Hendersonville, NC.

In anticipation of possibly being home-bound for days because of the impending "big snow storm" of 2008 (due to hit later tonight-Wednesday), I headed out to lunch this afternoon at Hendersonville's new Japanese/sushi restaurant - Umi.

Lunch at Umi has been on my want-to-do list for quite a while now, but I felt that some sushi research was warranted first. Although I've had plenty of sushi, I'm certainly not an aficionado and feel that any reviews appearing on the Hendersonville Epicurean blog should be written from an informed perspective.

Umi's owners took a previously non-descript corner building at the edge of downtown Hendersonville and turned it into something special. I absolutely love our historic Main Street buildings, but felt a lightening of spirit and that I was about to be transported to another place as I approached Umi's front door.

The beautiful glass and wood door inset under the restaurant's name and a feature reminiscent of a traditional Japanese roof line seems to have been designed using "shizen" characteristics, or the characteristics of nature. The idea behind basing designs on shizen principles is that nature is the original designer and things made by nature are inherently appealing to human beings on both a conscious and subconscious level. To me the door represented a stream gently flowing between two banks, leading me right into Umi.

Umi's interior design employs pure lines and uncluttered spaces in the Japanese tradition with some very nice architectural touches at the ceiling. Seating is available at a pleasingly backlit bar, a sushi bar,tables and in nice weather, at tables on the front patio.

As the hostess seated me at the sushi bar, I mentioned that I had had sushi before but was hoping to learn more about different types of sushi, sushi terms and sushi bar etiquette. My server overheard and offered to fill me in on the details and answer questions as my lunch progressed. Even though Umi steadily filled up with diners, my server continued to stop by frequently, answering questions, refilling my green tea and interpreting for me when I had questions for the sushi chef - who I must say was very friendly and happy to talk as he worked his sushi magic.

I ordered the lunch special ($7.95) which consisted of: choice of two rolls and soup or salad. My choices were the Boston Roll (avocado and shrimp rolled first in nori {dried or roasted seaweed} and then in sushi rice sprinkled with seasoned sesame seeds) and Spicy Tuna Roll (raw tuna, spicy tuna mayonnaise and tempura crunch wrapped in nori and then sushi rice sprinkled with seasoned sesame seeds) with Miso soup that had just a few pieces of seaweed (I think) and small cubes of tofu in it.

Each sushi roll is cut into 6 equal bite-sized (large) pieces and served on a long rectangular plate with garnishes of green Wasabi (frequently referred to as Japanese Horseradish) on one side of the plate and Gari (vinegared ginger slices eaten between different types of sushi as a palate cleanser) on the other side. To drink I had green tea ($1.95).

The chef also offered me a sample of his shrimp salad in a small bowl. It was delicious as were both of the rolls. The Spicy Tuna roll was not too spicy and had a wonderfully subtle crunch from the tempura. Each Boston Roll was light and fresh tasting at first bite before finishing with the flavor of the sesame seeds - wonderful.

There seems to be some disagreement in the sushi world about whether or not to mix a small amount of wasabi in soy sauce for sushi dipping, but at Umi my server suggested that I use the small dish at my place setting to do just that, dipping the fish side rather than the rice side to get just a flavor-boosting touch of the mixture and not too much soaked up in the rice. The result was truly amazing, giving my taste buds a voice of their own.

Set between customers at the sushi bar and the chefs at Umi is a low glass cold case lined with small white drainable plates holding the most appealing and fresh ingredients you've ever seen. I only wish the seating at the sushi bar was a bit higher or the cold case was lower for better viewing of the creative work being done by the chefs. To order at Umi's sushi bar, take an order sheet and pencil from one of the boxes on the counter, check off what you want and place it on top of the cold case for the chef. Drinks and anything other than sushi are ordered from your server.

Some people do not care for the taste of nori and ask the chef to prepare their sushi using soy paper instead. While I watched, a number of dishes were prepared with a bright pink soy paper making for a terrific presentation (so Japanese to use fun, bright colors - think "Hello Kitty" type merchandise). Each creation was served using a dish or container that was best suited for showcasing that particular sushi. Many of the dishes were garnished with long green leaves that had been artfully folded and arranged on the dish, usually standing straight up, with other garnishes - beautiful.

Many people have told me, "I just don't want to eat raw fish". Don't let that keep you from Umi. They have a wonderful selection of Vegetarian Rolls and lots of sushi options using cooked fish. And by the way, fingers are okay for sushi.

Umi does not have a web site but I was told that one is in the works.

If you are interested in more sushi information or would just like to look up a definition, go to one or all of the following web sites:

• Sushi Secrets - Sushi Bar Tutorial and Etiquette
• SushiNow.com - Sushi Encyclopedia and Sushi Vocabulary (and more)
• SushiFaq.com
• A VERY entertaining sushi video at YouTube called "The Japanese Tradition - Sushi". It's about 8 minutes long, but totally worth it.

Umi
633 N Main St
Hendersonville, NC
(828)698-8048

(Hours as of 1-17-2008)
Monday - Thursday 11:00AM to 3:00PM and 4:30PM to 9:30PM
Friday 11:00AM to 3:00PM and 4:30PM to 10:00PM
Saturday 12:00PM to 3:00PM and 4:30PM to 10:00PM
Sunday 12:00PM to 3:00PM and $:30PM to 9:00PM

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