Volume 1 No. 2

The Tradesman

January 2007

Umi Japanese Steakhouse

Restaurant Review by Lyjill Horton '08

Umi is a Japanese steakhouse of the G.A.R. Highway in Swansea, MA. As soon as you walk in, you can tell that Umi is the kind of place that you want to eat. You can smell and hear steak, shrimp, chicken, and other meats being cooked on the hibachi grills. The tables are set up in giant "U" shapes around the grills. The Japanese chefs cook most of the food directly in front of you, tossing eggs, creating flaming infernos on the grill and other such entertaining tricks.

At Umi I ordered from the hibachi menu, choosing chicken fillet and sirloin steak. My meal came with a salad, soup, fried rice, and fried noodles. Within ten minutes of ordering I received my drink, salad, and soup. The salad came with a ginseng dressing which was unusual but tasty nonetheless. The soup was mostly broth, so I did not sample it. The chef started to cook the noodles and serve them out to customers around the table. He took an egg and balanced it on his spatula, threw it in the air, then caught it in his shirt pocket, before cracking it on the grill. Next the chef added rice and soy sauce which resulted in the best fried rice I have had in a while. Next, the meats we ordered are thrown on the grill, along with the fresh vegetables, and cooked in soy sauce.

The atmosphere at Umi is great, and encourages diner to enjoy their experience. I have no complaints about this place. I give the restaurant five out of five stars. However, it costs about $36 a person, which isn't bad for all the food you get, but still a little high. I enjoyed my dining experience at Umi and plan to eat there again soon. Hopefully you will venture there too.