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Uni Sushi Restaurant is simply a fabulous Japanese restaurant, located in a small strip mall, between downtown, and suburban Roseville. The food is amazing, and if I were to sum up a phrase that desctibes this fantastic restaurant, I'd say, "attention to detail." Read on... As with all of my reviews, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: Umi Sushi Restaurant is located in a small shopping center, just off Interstate 80 on South Harding Blvd. Despite the restaurant's proximity to the busy interstate, it's a little off the beaten track, but there's plenty of free parking, and easy access back to the freeway.
Photo: The sushi counter, and a few tables and booths are visible as you enter the restaurant. You're greeted with one of those "Please Wait to be Seated" signs, but I stood all of 10 seconds before I was greeted by Roxanne, who was doing greeting duty, waiting duty, table duty, and cashier duties. She greeted me with a smile, as I simply asked to seat myself at the counter, so I could easily watch the staff in action, and ask lots of questions. It's early afternoon on Tuesday, July 12, 2016. The restaurant features several television monitors, which are all tuned to sports.
Photo: After you enter the restaurant, unless you care to sit at the counter, or the few tables in front where there is a lot of "action," you can choose to sit in the main dining room, which is off the left. Like the restaurant in general, it's quite compact, but it's comfortable, tastefully decorated, and spotlessly clean. My friendly hostess, Roxanne, seemed to be everywhere, as I snap this photo.
Photo: Roxanne checks in with Pete, one of the sushi chefs, at the sushi counter. I sat at the counter so I could watch the staff, especially Pete, in action. You can't see it, but behind Pete, there is a gigantic rice cooker, that Roxanne was constantly dipping into with a bowl; now I know how they get perfect domes of rice to place in bowls and Bento boxes! The window to the kitchen is to the extreme left of the photo. Pete and another gentleman were doing sushi duties, there was a chef in the kitchen, along with Roxanne and Maricon doing the wait staff duties. If you like friendly staff, you'll love Umi, as all staff members are super friendly.
Photo: From the menu, I chose an "Orion" beer, which is brewed in Okinawa, a beer that I've never had the pleasure to enjoy before today. You get a large, 21-oz bottle of beer for $6.95, which is a tad pricey, until you compare the price of a premium, imported Japanese beer with the price of a draught beer, served in a plastic cup, that you pay when you attend a professional football game. Before I knew it, a cup of miso soup, arrived at my place at the counter, as I was taking photos.
Photo: Friendly sushi chef, Pete, places the finishing touches on a roll, which makes an absolutely magnificent presentation. The phrase "attention to detail" struck me as I was watching the staff in action, as every little detail seems to receive attention. Add up the little details, and you have a magnificent restaurant!
Photo: Pete finishes the rolls, and allows me to snap a photo, before they're delivered to the diner who ordered them. The roll to the left is a "911," from the "Specialty Rolls" section of the menu, and Pete told me it's their single most popular roll. Both rolls are works of art.
Photo: Along with my "Orion" beer, I ordered a Bento Box for lunch today, and friendly Maricon delivers it to me with a smile.
Photo: Upon my request, my friendly server Maricon snaps my photo, as I'm about ready to dig in for an enjoyable lunch. Sushi chef Pete works in the background, which gave me a good view of this talented chef working his magic.
Photo: The menu offers an amazing array of choices, including sushi rolls, bento boxes, sashimi plates, nigiri, nabemono, udon, desert and more, but today, I settled on a Bento Box. All Bento boxes include rice and salad, and you have your choice between one, two or three main dishes, from a choice of about 20 entrees! I wanted to enjoy the "best of both worlds," so for my entrees, and I was hungry, so I decided to go with two entrees. I chose tempura shrimp, and a California sushi roll. I love the round serving of rice; after watching the staff in action - one advantage to sitting at the counter - I have now picked up on one of their little secrets. Note the salad... Check out a previous photo, and you'll note I received a salad for an appetizer. Two salads with the meal! The service is as amazing as the meal, as my wonderful lunch was delivered fresh, hot and delicious about 15 minutes after I had placed my order.
Photo: Shrimp tempura and California roll, up close, and personal. My lunch was simply amazing, as the ingredients were so fresh I thought Roseville had suddenly been relocated to the ocean. Note the stunning presentation, but the food tasted even better than it looked! Everything about my meal was perfect, including the wonderful and attentive service. This restaurant simply "blew me away," as I loved everything about it. I'm not good at categorizing outstanding restaurants, nor can I ever say "this is the best whatever that I've ever enjoyed!" But, if you read some of the rave reviews posted about Umi Sushi Restaurant on Yelp, and other pages, you'll understand why many people claim this is the "best sushi they've ever tasted." I don't know about that, but this restaurant excels in every possible way, at least in my book. If you're a fan of any food that's Japanese, Umi Sushi Restaurant should be on your must-do list in Roseville, as everything about the restaurant is amazing! The staff is super friendly, the service is outstanding, the restaurant is comfortable, the prices are reasonable, and the food is delicious. I love this restaurant! Umi Sushi Restaurant Copyright(c) 2016 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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