Umi No Ie
“The pork belly melts in your mouth and reminds me of a similar dish that my mom makes.”
“The eel omelette is NOM NOM glory, the tofu was delicious and basically everything was delicious.”
“If you've never had shochu, you should opt for the tasting menu, then segue into other shochus that they have there.”
Umi No Ie
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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We were not really impressed by any of the plates we had here. They were not really flavorful at all like expected and most took a long time to make even though the place was not busy. The menu can be slightly hard to read too. It's a great concept but just didn't do it for us especially for the prices. Maybe we came on an off night but we were really hoping it was going to be a regular spot.
So… I really got my hopes up for this place, as I've been meaning to come for a long time. I didn't realize that it services only appetizers generally. My sister and I came, ordered the agedashi tofu, squid marinated in its own liver, the karaage, and the manta ray. Warning: there is only one cook, so the food takes forever. Agedashi tofu was great: inside so silky, outside so lightly crispy. Squid was super interesting, so so so flavorful. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of liver but definitely try this salty side dish. The manta ray was great. Nothing spectacular but it was pretty addictive. Karaage was excellent: not over fried, and just the right balance of meat to crisp. But while I enjoyed my appetizers it's really not anything I couldn't have gotten elsewhere that also had the option of entrees. Seating is limited but the people here are real nice.
This place is a hole in the wall that is easy to pass by. Inside is much nicer and spacious than it seems. The food isn't bad, but portions are tiny. These are all small plates to share, and for the taste and portion, I didn't think it was worth it.
Pork belly – One of the best dishes they had. Comes with two big chunks of flavorful pork belly in broth.
Omlette – Very soft and delicious.
Goto udon – Very bland. I poured the pork belly broth into the udon soup and it was much better. The udon was really just noodles and nothing else.
Fried chicken – Good, but very tiny and few pieces.
Beef and potato stew – Great but does not come with rice, so we had to order separately.
Sting ray fin – Very small portion, tough, and not worth it.
Monkfish liver – Very very salty.
Meatballs – Comes with two meatballs with egg on top. Not bad.
Went here with some friends a few weeks ago. What a cute little place! They let you have your own sake bottle with your name on it whenever you come. What a fantastic concept!
The food menu is ridiculously confusing as most is in Japanese and they have no pictures, but the waiter did a fantastic job in explaining each item. His recommendations of these Japanese tapas were so tasty! I definitely recommend coming here; hopefully with a Japanese friend to translate 🙂
Came twice, once an empty weeknight and once on the rainiest day of the year in the middle of "Tropical Storm Arthur". There's nothing terribly notable about Umi no Ie, but that's almost the best part. It is home cooked food in a warm izakaya environment with a minimalistic kitchen. They keep your bottles forever. It can get expensive if you are hungry, so make sure to get some rice balls or head out for a bowl of ramen after — great neighborhood to do so. It is never crowded and I've not felt anything but completely relaxed here! Good place, though far from me. 🙁
This place is really a hole-in-the-wall in every sense of the word. Difficult to find. Full of locals.
My friend took me here because he use to be a regular. This place has apparently been around for 5+ years, no doubt due to the strong Japanese community that makes up the majority of its patrons.
The waiter seemed like an alright guy and was good at his job but a little smile here and there would have been nice. It seems like the regulars get noticeably preferential treatment here, which I suppose is justified.
The dishes here were all pretty good but the portion is very small for the price you pay. They have an extensive list of shochu which start at around $40 a bottle, a pretty decent deal in this city. You can also save your bottle here if you can't finish it. A nice gesture that is hard to find these days.
Overall, the place is unique in that it's only for those in the know but in terms of food quality and value, I think there are better in the city. However, if you're looking for a quiet izakaya that isn't packed with college students and drunk clowns, this place should serve you well.
I feel so lucky to live so close to Umi No le. This restaurant is as authentic as they come!
While visiting, my hubby and I tried out a few of the dishes, including the eel omelette (which I highly, highly recommend), squid, manta ray (OMG yes), and gyoza. Everything was delicious and very reasonably priced! Not to mention the friendly customer service and the cute tables near the front door.
If you want your out-of-town friends to be impressed by your secret restaurant spot, take them to Umi No le.
Really good sake here. Do not ask for sushi or sashimi, this is a zayaka, if you know what zakaya means.
Homey 🙂