A new modern Japanese restaurant, Umaii is now open! Located next to Meat & Wine Co in the Heritage-listed Elder House, Umaii will be attempting to be Adelaide’s first “casual and up-scale” Japanese venue.
Vastly different from ‘quick sushi’ stores across SA, Umaii promises to be an “elevated” experience, where the food is high-quality and showcased as an art. Blasting Japanese 80s city pop all day long, Umaii Director, Tammy Deng, says the team is very excited to share their offering with Adelaide.
“It’s hard to describe in words the difference between ‘quick sushi’ that we see so often and a piece of nigiri that’s been thought about from the moment the fish is picked, scaled, cured, cut, and formed,” says Tammy.
“Umaii will bring to Adelaide the same quality and execution that great sushi chefs are presenting in Melbourne and Sydney, but at an affordable price point… the produce we have here is to die for, we’re so lucky to have this at our fingertips.”
Architect + Director of Sans-Arc Studio, Matiya Marovich, is responsible for transforming the space. When entering the venue, guests will be greeted with large fabric motif wraps adorning the walls, adding a cosy element to the otherwise cold, marble heritage walls.
Taking centre stage will also be a custom sushi display cabinet, showcasing all the saku, which Tammy says is the Japanese word for a block of fish sushi chefs cut for nigiri, sashimi and rolls.
Expect to find a range of sushi, skewers, and snacks, such as their blue fin tuna nori bites, onion ring tempura served with fig mascarpone, and handmade pork & prawn wontons. But Tammy says their sushi will be the “star of the show”, using locally sourced tuna from Kin Seafood.
To add an extra level of elegance to the experience, Umaii’s sushi rice is made using a traditional, secret blend of edomae red vinegar, giving the rice a reddish-brown hue!
Drinks-wise, there will be a simple selection of Japanese whiskeys, house-made cocktails, and craft beers. “Nothing too crazy”, Tammy says, so the food menu can shine.
Find Umaii at 27 Currie Street, Adelaide. Open 12pm – 10pm, Monday to Saturday.
Follow Umaii on Instagram or check out the website for more.
More News
