Umi Sake House – Belltown, Seattle

We had just flown into Seattle, and after settling into our hotel, researched on Yelp and found Umi Sake House located in the Belltown district. The restaurant is divided into several distinct sections, with the entryway/atrium/hallway close to the hostess stand have a few tables, the bar area in the middle of the restaurant space next to the bar, and a back room with more tables. The concierge recommended sitting in the back room if possible, and luckily we were led there.

The seating in the back room was an eclectic mix, with some traditional seats and tables and some coffee table with couch setups.  The menu is pretty extensive, as is the sake list, and it will take some time to go through it.  In addition to the traditional sushi and sashimi offerings, Umi offers an extensive list of specialty rolls incorporate ingredients, like cilantro, jalepeno, mango, spicy mayos, and aiolis.  We opted to try a couple rolls, one that caught our eye and one recommended by the waitress.  We also ordered the sashimi omakase, which is basically chef’s choice, with 14 pieces of sashimi.

Legends of the Rolls –shrimp tempura, avocado & cucumber w/ crab & creamy scallops on top then torched, served w/ teriyaki & tobiko
Bad Boy Roll – bbq eel, avocado, cream cheese & crab-mayo mix fried, served w/ spicy mayonnaise & teriyaki sauce

Sashimi Omakase

The rolls were fairly large, and a single roll can probably serve as your meal, if you are light to mid level eater. Larger eaters will probably be good with 1 1/2 rolls, which means you should share.  The sashimi was very fresh, needing no additional soy sauce or wasabi. Umi also has an extensive sake list and their own list of specialty drinks which I did not have a chance to sample

Verdict: 
Umi’s  a good choice if you are in downtown Seattle and seems to be a goto place in Belltown. Prices are on the higher end of the spectrum compared with other restaurants, but in line with other Japanese restaurants, given the quality of the sashimi and the size of the rolls.  If I ever return to Seattle, this would be a place I would consider returning to.