Umi

Allow me to begin by saying that, IMHO, Umi does not disappoint. They really check all the marks in my book. We went here as a group of 9 for a friend’s birthday. Even though we were 9-deep, the service was pretty on point – pleasant, attentive and quick.

They have a wide variety of options on their menu, so no matter what type of sushi you’re into, you’re likely to find something that pleases your pallet.

Also, it’s as good as it looks. Sometimes I’ll get a roll and it looks so mouth-watering that I just can’t wait for that first bite, but then the consistency is too dense and/or the flavors don’t speak out loud, individually but symphonically at the same time. Well, this is not the case at Umi. The rolls just distributed themselves gracefully throughout my mouth and then the flavors took over. …So good! Sure, some of the bigger rolls were more than a mouth full and could take a while to get through, as is with many larger rolls in many sushi restaurants. But the point is that Umi certainly delivers when you know what you want and what to look for in a roll.

Coming from AVL, it can be a trek to get there (at least 35 minutes), especially when traffic is heavy (up to an hr), but they are well worth the visit if you ask me.