umu

many apologies for the lack of posts. the last couple of weeks has been a complete whirlwind with my wedding and subsequent honeymoon. during this time, there has still been plenty of dining out and i will be writing about some of the more exciting (and less exciting) dining experiences of our trip in due course. however, for now, there are some back dated posts to get through in quick succession.

two words should be enough to sum up the experience, simply superb. the atmosphere, the eager staff to take you through the journey of a nine course meal and food presented in a fashion that is pure art. pricey but you get way more than you pay for.

an ordinary monday evening, i was going out to meet a. who i hadn't seen for over a year, and ended up in umu. umu, meaning "born of nature" is a high-end restaurant which specialises in the cuisine of kyoto and is next to the 2 n

modern sushi: foie gras custard, brown crab, ginger sauce; fried oysters, yuzu vinaigrette, chives, ginger; usuzukuri: thinly sliced fillet of white fish, chirizu & wasabi-soy sauce...

amazing place in london. i love the food. can’t wait to come back here again. congratulations to the staff.

a nice selection of japanese dishes which go far beyond the standard sushi and gives you a taste of real japanese cuisine. friendly service. you should definitely try out their sashimi varieties. recommended!

decent japanese restaurant in mayfair. we were craving for some japanese foods so we decided to give this place a try. foods were mediocre but the place was really pretty and chic. nice ambience and friendly staffs though.

for me travel is all about creating memories and then subsequently evoking those memories in any way big or small. whether that’s looking at photos and videos again, admiring souvenirs or remembering a special meal. for mr s’s birthday i decided to bring our trip to japan back to life with a special kyoto-style dinner at two-michelin starred umu restaurant in mayfair.

birthdays are wonderful things, and if you’re one of those people (like me) who like to milk things for all you can, you basically celebrate for an entire month (or longer). one of the final things i did while celebrating my birthday (which included a boozy brunch at hot box, a sausage making course at b&h kitchens, amazing wine from lucky chip burgers and wine, unlimited dim sum at fu manchu, more burgers from dip and flip, tacos from mole taco bar and who can remember what else?) was go for japanese food at umu. it’s been on my list since they achieved a second michelin star, especially since they do japanese (which is one of my favorite cuisines…although really, i’m not at all picky foodwise). i booked it months in advance, so i just had to sit back and wait until the day we got to go.

i am always seeking for great japanese restaurants in london, and recently i was chatting about ikeda with someone at the gym and she was telling me that their fish is the freshest of any restaurants in london as it comes from the cornish coast. i have been keeping that in my mental archives, and when someone invited me to lunch this week, i immediately suggested umu. she was right, the fish is extremely fresh and served in a beautiful setting and with impeccable service. it is pricey but at lunch they have some very good deals inducing their nigiri or sashimi bento boxes.

i had the full kaisaki menu with my boyfriend. it was a bad choice for a wednesday evening. we had a 4.5-hour dinner. there are many small courses, and there was a long wait between the courses. we started the kaisaki menu one course earlier than the couple sitting next to us. i think the kitchen was trying to cook for both tables together, so we had half an hour delay for one of the course. i asked the waitress but she didn't explain to me why it was that late. the food was delicious, but not amazing. i would recommend to go for the kaisaki menu for brunch or weekend dinner.

2 years ago i had an incredible experience there with friends, the food was incredible good with a nice selection of sushi and after a wagyu beef cooked in front of us on a really hot rock and fresh truffle on the side. all combined with the sake of the year 2013!!

posted on april 16, 2015 by samphireandsalsify umu is a michelin starred japanese restaurant that has been around for over ten years now. it’s owned by the same group who run the greenhouse and morton’s members club. it was a slightly stern welcome from a chap who could have easily been a headmaster as opposed to a maitre d'; certainly not rude but not forthcoming with the lovin’ either. the room was a nice enough space with a counter overlooking the chefs preparing the sushi. as it ain’t cheap, not in the slightest, i would have preferred not to have had disposable chopsticks though. a simple salad generously drenched in a red onion dressing was a really lovely start. as was the cup of rich, hearty red miso soup. as the sushi we ordered was taking a while to prepare, we were treated to an extra little dish of goma-ae, which was a delicious mound of sesame flavoured spinach. we decided to avoid the set lunch bento box (£35) and instead opted for the chef’s special sushi selection (£38). it looked pretty but there were a few greasy fingerprints on the plate, which you’d hope not to be the case at that level of restaurant. the scallop and eel nigiri were my favourite. we also opted for some of their signature style nigiris; toro with shishito pepper (£9.50), lobster (£7.50), langoustine (£9.50) and seared scallop (£5.50). certainly not cheap but worthy of their price due to the superb quality of each piece of fish.

if you are looking for something special, this is the place to go. on getting out of the taxi the wall in front of you slides open to reveal the restaurant, a nice little touch to start the experience off differently (and definitely beats having to struggle with a heavy door).  the staff were extremely attentive, polite and genuinely happy.  whilst the restaurant itself is small, it doesn't feel cramped but has a more personal quality to it.

there is a large choice of food and although a little more pricey than other places was honestly worth every penny. the difference is incomparable.  even the desserts - we shared a rice pudding of all things - was delicious and fun in that it was served with additional extras to mix in, and as a rice pudding lover myself this has put all others to shame!

if you enjoy sushi, this has to be on your list of restaurants to try

classy and stylish place in mayfair.

umu is a great sushi restaurant for japanese cuisine lovers. however, it is expensive. the staff is well trained and gentle. the dishes are very well presented and great. i had many different rolls with salmon and spicy tuna ones. everything was good and well selected. especially the desserts, which were also quite creative and tasted fresh. i had some classic green teat ice cream... delicious !! i suggest going, if you are craving for a pricey night in mayfair.