Umai Umai

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A few months ago I had a delightful dinner at Trio, a Thai BYOB in Fairmount. It had so much going for it: tasty dishes at moderate prices, nice staff, good-sized portions and family friendly. Until it opened last February, the area had a lull in new restaurants.

I knew a BYOB sushi place would hit the neighborhood sooner or later. Enter Umai Umai, a Japanese restaurant and sushi bar at the corner of 22nd and Brandywine.

Umai Umai, which means "delicious" in Japanese, has been open for a little more than a month. The location once housed a grocery store, Zach’s Bakery and a pizza shop. Now, it’s a prime spot for anyone who gets a strong yen for eel and California rolls after a visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Edward and I were surprised at how stark the place is, with the interior browns, blacks and whites appearing somewhat dreary. Our smiling waitress explained the menu, opened the wine and offered tea. Linen napkins in a neighborhood sushi bar are a nice touch.

I think of sushi more as a snack than a meal. Still, a good-sized platter with an appetizer satisfies me and Umai Umai’s menu consists of mostly sushi with a few starters, a couple of soups and a handful of entrées.

Lettuce wraps ($9) are among my favorites ever since I enjoyed them years ago at Chez Elena Wu in New Jersey. This platter contained four whole lettuce leaves — two romaine, two red leaf — with a mid-size soufflé cup filled with tiny pieces of chicken, potatoes and carrots in a light brown sauce. We placed a tablespoon of the mix onto the lettuce leaves and topped them with a perfectly velvet-smooth peanut sauce, which packed quite a hot punch. The dish would have been better with larger strips of chicken, because the filling fell onto the plate with every bite.

There are combination sushi dinners for $20, $40, $60 and up. Let’s face it: Sushi isn’t cheap. But, once in a while, it is a nice treat.

The $20 platter had rolls and sushi sitting on a long green leaf, which lined a white rectangular serving dish. Slices of ginger and dabs of wasabi were included. Edward and I each received a pretty, round white dish for the soy sauce. Six pieces of California roll were filled with avocado and crab sticks. I particularly liked the rice because it wasn’t overly sticky. The sushi selection is up to the chef and he prepared a diverse mix. Two types of tuna, yellowtail and maguro offered different tastes of this classic fish. The sweet shrimp, though small, were tasty. Even a thin slice of fresh sweet flounder was included, which was a first taste for me. The salmon, a mainstay at sushi bars, was immaculately fresh. My favorite was the eel, which was barbecued, slightly warm and uncommonly good. Another first for my tastebuds was a cool quail egg wrapped in nori (sushi seaweed) and topped with bright orange roe. It was sweet and cool — a perfect ending to my dinner.

We also tried the "traditional" beef teriyaki ($16), which was disappointing. A lot of culinary license was taken with this dish. I am used to a hot platter of sizzling beef with vegetables and was surprised to see a mound of mashed potatoes topped with string beans and three small triangles of beef. I don’t care for food sitting atop mashed potatoes — why would anyone serve this in a Japanese restaurant? The beef was rare, kind of purplish inside, with the sauce giving it flavor. I thought the portion was small, as well.

Still, we enjoyed the evening. Service was perfect. One couple brought a bottle of sake, which the waitress placed in a white teapot and heated up.

I think Umai Umai may be a place Fairmounters would go to for sushi. With its casual neighborhood feel, you can sit at the sushi bar and watch the chef perform a special kind of culinary magic.

Two tips of the toque to Umai Umai.

Umai Umai
533 N. 22nd St.
215-988-0707
Credit cards accepted
BYOB