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Sneak Peak: UMI is Not Your Typical Japanese Restaurant

2018-03-23 Cristina Ng ShanghaiWOWeng



Let’s just say it and get it over with: UMI is cool even though it is in a mall. Okay, let’s stop judging places for being in malls now. It’s the future of Shanghai, and as far as malls go, Taikoo Hui is one of the hippest ones around. 



UMI serves up some ingenious twists on Japanese dishes in an elegant environment, that doesn’t overwhelm with color. The emphasis is on texture with brushed metals, dusky velvets and neutral woods lit by irregularly shaped iridescent pendant lights.



There are numerous Japanese restaurants in Shanghai, many of which are delicious, but UMI is looking to fill the gap in the market between izakaya and pricy omakase. They are a bit more fun with high-quality products and a middle of the road price point. UMI’s food is the work of German Executive Chef, Bjoern Alexander, who cut his teeth at French Laundry as well as training in Tokyo. The drink program is designed by sake expert Elliot Faber (of Ronin fame) with a cocktail list by Raphael Holzer (of Yardbird). 


The food menu is pretty extensive, covering sushi, sashimi, small bites, soups, larger hot dishes, staples, and dessert plus the aforementioned cocktails and sake. We snuck in early and are eager to sample even more items after the official grand opening on April 1st. 


Snow Crab · Uni · Egg Yolk · Daikon (RMB 128)



The small plates are a great way to get a feel for their style. The presentation is neat yet whimsical and the ingredients are complimentary. Combining uni with egg yolk in the snow crab dish is so good. The rich yolk and "custard of the sea" enrich each other both in texture and flavor while balancing the crabs bright and fresh sweetness. 


Tuna Tartare · Radish · Tapioca ·Wasabi (RMB 128)


The tuna tartare, while big on flavor, is all about the wondrously smooth mouthfeel only possible because the tuna is that fresh and the staff that dedicated to chopping. Add a nice soy, sesame, and wasabi dressing and everything melds to the silken tuna. Crunchy tapioca is both pretty and provides needed crunch. 


Steamed Egg · Uni · Lime Cream (RMB 118)


When offered the choice between uni and more uni, we will always choose more, and this fun take on chawanmushi whereby the egg is flavored delicately with soy, dash and mirin and then steamed to tenderness. It is so soft that it straddles the line between custard and sauce and the interesting addition of lime cream brings it into hollandaise territory. The sea urchin is barely needed yet much appreciated.  


Chicken Yakitori · Black Sesame · Rosemary (RMB 88)


Chicken yakitori is an example of a simple dish, improved. First of all the chicken is chopped meticulously before processing in a Paco Jet (AKA commercial micro puree machine). The resulting chicken mousse is warmed concluding in springy, bouncy balls of poultry bliss flavored with shiso leaves. They are skewered on rosemary springs and topped with shavings of black truffle. In a word, wow. 


Conger Eel · Sesame · Pepper (RMB 118)


The conger eel maki and sweet corn tempura balls are both tasty, but don’t impress as much as the other choices. As we still have much of the menu to explore, it will be awhile before we repeat these. 


Sweet Corn (RMB 58)


You are going to want to save room for dessert. Black sesame, coffee and caramel aren’t a combination that you see often, but it works so very well. Even though the sesame and coffee are both bitter, they are in different, complementary ways that keep this from from being too sweet. 


Black Sesame · Coffee · Caramel (RMB 78)


Everything about UMI is gorgeous and the well-selected soundtrack, that leans towards 60s soul tunes, makes it easy to stay for a long time. The menu is made for grazing and sharing with drinks making this a perfect place for catching up with your coolest friends or your sexiest dates. Service is calm and efficient while the food flies out of the kitchen with surprising speed so you can stop in early in the evening before rushing off or settle in for the long haul and order, just a few more dishes. 


Address: 3/F, Room L321&L401, TaiKoo Hui, 288 Shimen Yi Lu

Tel: 021 5220-3082

Hours: Daily, 5:30pm-1am


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