| rev:text
| - I ate at Umami on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.
FOOD 3/5
I ordered tea, a summer roll appetizer, and dumplings. Below are the menu items I ordered, with my opinion of each.
"Summer roll $5 assorted vegetables, peanuts, sesame, herbs and tofu wrapped in rice paper with spicy peanut sauce"
The summer roll was very pretty, but also very bland. I didn't detect any significant quantity of herbs or seasonings, and 90% of the filling was plain white cabbage. The peanut sauce was acceptable, but I've certainly had better.
"Dumplings (six for $6 / nine for $8) choice of one sauce per order: soy vinegar, sweet or spicy sauce -- pork and chives, the classic, with Taiwanese cabbage, Chinese chives, and ginger"
The dumplings were very good. The balance of filling to wrap was just right, and they were browned on one side, providing both the taste of a fried dumpling along with the soft texture of steamed dough. I wanted to order a variety of dumplings (ideally three of each kind) but that is not allowed, so I only got one type.
"Tea"
It was served in a pretty 4 oz cup, extremely hot. It wasn't anything to write home about, but it was a Japanese style green tea. (It's frustrating to eat at an Asian restaurant and have European tea, or Lipton, and they didn't do that.) I would have preferred a small pot with my tiny cup, or failing that a medium sized cup.
SERVICE 1/5
I found the service to be severely lacking.
When I entered the establishment, it was early in the evening and there were only 2-3 customers. The first employee I saw simply looked at me and walked behind the bar. The second simply looked at me. After being stared at for a few seconds, I said, "I'd like a table, please" and she said, "OK." After a few more seconds of standing there silently I said, "For one" and she said, "OK" and lead me to a table. During this conversation a number of other employees hung around behind the bar having a personal discussion. I certainly don't begrudge employees some personal talk while business is slow, but I mention it because the unenthusiastic hostess and preoccupied staff combined to give the impression that my visit was rather a burden.
After I was seated a waitress asked my left shoulder what I would like to drink. (I may be exaggerating a bit when I say that she was speaking to my shoulder, but when sitting alone at a table with no other people or furniture in the way, I rather expect anyone speaking to me to stand somewhat in front of me, aim their body in my general direction, and look roughly toward me. I think the only time I saw her face was when she eventually brought me a bill.) I was driving and not planning to drink alcohol, so I asked if soft drinks were on the menu. The waitress said, "Yes. No. We have coke products." I asked for tea, which she agreed to, but later discovered that they carry specialty sodas and other nonalcoholic beverages.
I would have liked some more tea, which I didn't get. I would have liked some more water, which I didn't get. I would have liked a bowl of ramen, which I didn't bother to order since I didn't really feel welcome.
(Edit: I did receive what I ordered, and I did leave a 15% tip.)
ATMOSPHERE 3/5
The building, decor, lighting, etc. are pleasant and attractive. While my preference may be for Japanese music, the indie rock they played was unobtrusive, inoffensive, and commercial free. Most important, the volume was just right, audible, but not so loud that it would overpower conversation.
PRICE 3/5
Prices are exactly what I would expect for this type of restaurant in this location. Happy hour from 5:00-7:00 Monday-Thursday offers 2 for 1 beer, sake, and rails.
OTHER
The menu includes clearly labeled vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free items in each category.
Parking is available on site (not the case for most businesses in this neighborhood) as is a bike rack.
Despite my lackluster first impression, I'd like to try Umami again someday. I like their menu, and by all accounts their ramen is very good. It's possible that I simply visited at a bad time.
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