Visited Umi last night with my wife and ordered the 7 course tasting menu. Fish seemed fresh, and service was prompt and descriptive of each dish. I thought the sauces pair with many of the sashimi courses were a little too sweet. I was also disappointed with the dessert course. It was just 5 pieces of chocolate. We ordered a couple of drinks, and they were good. Overall, I think it is better than Gi Xin downtown and at the same price point.
We did the eleven course omakase. We also had a child that had the steak. The seating area we used was a more traditional low set table with seating in the floor. It was a fairly comfortable and a unique experience, but if you have a lot of sake you may have fun entering and exiting your seat. The eleven course omakase did not include a soup or salad and was really primarily about sashimi. I think seven of the dishes were raw sashimi with two seared or partially cooked. The sashimi was good, but we agreed that rather than letting the fish speak, many of the dishes had sauces that overpowered the fish. The sauces were good, but this is one of the areas that could have been improved. There was also no real wasabi, which is a bit of a surprise at this price point. The sawara (Spanish mackeral) had a light sear and was a standout favorite. The black cod was cooked and was very good. The tempura was extremely crunchy and very good. The wagyu bite was overpowered by the truffle and foie gras, but it was good. A course of nigiri was one of the fish components and was excellent, honestly I'd have preferred some samples from it earlier, but we were very ready for it by the time it came (a little too many plays at sashimi without a break). The child really enjoyed her steak which smelled excellent and the restaurant was able to provide her with ice cream for dessert which she liked. The waiter was very attentive and provided goods descriptions of each dish and how to enjoy them. The waiter was also very knowledgeable regarding the sake selection and we tried quite a few of them, which I would recommend. Parking was done via valet which was nice. There are two large sets of stairs on the way in to reach the third floor that are a mild hike. Overall it was a great experience. Parking: There is a valet very close to the door Kid-friendliness: The restaurant went out of their way to be accommodating to the child in our group. Wheelchair accessibility: I didn't see an elevator, and there is no way to get up the stairs to the restaurant.
Anniversary dinner at Umi. Omakase 11 course meal and dessert. Roughly translated, omakase means "I leave it up to you." Ps, this was the breakdown for the meal. I tried to take notes where I could while still trying to be present, so forgive for not detailed descriptions: Salmon tartar Spanish makeral 1st way torched Red snapper Miso cod aka Sable fish White tuna Rock shrimp tempura Fluke sashimi Lobster and kobe beef spoons with foie gras Salmon belly Spanish makeral 2nd way with garlic Toro aka salmon belly, red snapper, salmon, tuna and Spanish makeral Assorted bon bons Each came with their own little flare, making each texture and taste unique. Any foodies dream. Our server Ashley was so great and kind, explaining each dish and pacing correctly.
Best sushi in Pittsburgh!
Pricey but hands down best sushi in Pittsburgh a must try once.