Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse

We did one of the tasting menus. Delicious and fun.

Not to be missed on any trip to Asheville.

Right from the start our experience started out well. Our server, Xander was helpful with dinner suggestions and very attentive. With her help we picked out crispy shrimp, pork gyoza, baby back ribs and Japanese sweet potato. Everything was delicious. So happy we decided to give it a try!!

Did not have a reservation, arrived approximately 5:30. Tons of empty tables. Was told they had nothing available until 8pm., but could sit at the bar. So, the 2 of us did. There were literally 2 other couples at the bar, and 2 bartenders. We sat there for 15 mins and neither of them came over to us. I was shocked, so, of course, we got up and left. Besides no where to park, the prices on their menu, pretty high, and being ignored for 15 mins, definitely would never return.

This is a difficult place to rate. The server described it as a Japanese tapas place. Most people are not familiar with the origin of the term "tapas." It originated in Spain, in bars where when you ordered a glass of wine they would place a small piece of food on top of the glass. That is the origin, the "cover or tapa" of the glass. Meant to be an apetizer to go with your glass of wine. Some also say that the tapa was intended as a cover so insects don't get into your glass of wine. At any rate, now a days, restaurants use the term "tapas" to give you small plates at high prices. The food, service, and athmosphere were all fine, but I was still hungry after spending over $100 (without wine, just two glasses of beer).

We are a big fan of tasting menus and are more often than not pleasantly surprised…unfortunately this was not one of those times. For $85 each, we shared a plate each course (with dishes not easily portioned), while several of the courses were served immediately back to back so we had 4 courses out simultaneously. As the photos show, cooked fish was wildly inconsistent. Was excited for the waygu, but sadly the amount of black pepper drowned out any other flavor notes. Salmon was excellent, staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

11/10. Absolutely incredible. Phenomenal from start to finish. Got the Ukiah sampler and it was literally the best thing I’ve ever had. They finished it off with a coconut cake that’s out of this world. This food is a true work of art and I mean that! Their names I’m drawing a blank on but we had two servers and they were equally fantastic. The longer haired gentleman (From Philly but moved to Asheville after vacationing there) was absolutely a pleasure. The other gentleman with the blue painted fingernails was also equally pleasant. The chef obviously loves what he does because you don’t get food that good without having someone put their inspiration into it. Thank you for an amazing dining experience. Truly the best meal I’ve ever had, and my wife echoes that sentiment.

Fantastic service, Christian (our server) was top tier despite being a new addition! Ordered pretty much the entire menu and split it four ways. Heavy recommendation. Best food I ate in Asheville!