Sushi UOmo

What are some decent Japanese restaurants on Hastings Street? Well, there is Hong Sushi which I do not mind because their soft shell crab is almost perfect; Sushi Town and Tentasu that serves large portions (if that is your thing); and... I think that is it? Of course there are probably around ten more but I think these restaurants are the only ones I can remember, for a reason. Since I am picky about Japanese cuisine (unless it is a restaurant that focuses on larger portions), I do take my time looking through photos of what a restaurant has to offer, and then decide if I want to spend my time and money at the restaurant. So, Sushi UOmo? 

Being a new restaurant on Hastings Street, it was a gamble for me to try Sushi UOmo since there were no photos for me to judge. However, I am glad we tried the restaurant. Walking in, the staff was warm as well as welcoming, and friendly. As for the interior, it follows a warm color scheme and has a simple clean layout. There are two televisions along with some Japanese paintings of a koi, geisha as well as fans, and the seating arrangements are comfortable.

MISO SOUP ($1.25).

We only ordered one miso soup but received a second order on the house.  The soup has a light miso taste and although the temperature is warm rather than hot, at least they were not served luke warm.

NABEYAKI UDON, CHICKEN, VEGETABLES, POACHED EGG WITH NOODLE IN SOUP AND TWO PRAWN TEMPURA ($8.95).

The soup base has an original udon broth and does not taste too heavy or light; shichimi is also provided on the side. As for the ingredients, the nabeyaki comes with broccoli, carrot, mushroom, seaweed, inari, enoki, spinach, egg and two prawn tempura on the side. In addition, the nabeyaki is supposed to come with chicken but was forgotten, which the restaurant made up for later on. Furthermore on my next visit, I will definitely order the nabeyaki again because the soup tastes rich and healthy.

APPETIZER TEMPURA, TWO PRAWN AND THREE VEGETABLE ($5.00).

The tempura has a flaky crisp batter and does not taste too oily. As for the vegetables, the sweet potato as well as asparagus taste moist, and the prawns tastes bouncy. In addition, I appreciate the restaurant using larger prawns rather than medium ones stretched!

TUNA ($1.25), SALMON ($1.25), SABA ($1.25), TAMAGO ($1.00) AND UNI ($2.50).

Every nigiri has a proper formation, a good balance of sushi vinegar and a perfect amount of rice. Starting with the tuna, the proper lower body portion is served and tastes fresh, as well as the salmon. Next, the saba is topped with ginger and has a light pickled taste, and the tamago tastes generic. Continuing along, the restaurant uses whole slices of uni rather than broken pieces and not only that, but for the price, they use a whole slice and a half!

RAINBOW ROLL, ASSORTED FISH, CUCUMBER, AVOCADO, CRAB MEAT, MAYO ($6.00).

Being indecisive about which roll to order since I prefer simpler and less adventurous ones, we went for the rainbow roll. The rainbow roll is essentially a california roll topped with different cuts of sashimi. The roll is not heavy on the mayonnaise and does not fall apart, nor is it rolled too tight.

DELUXE ASSORTED SASHIMI, SOCKEYE AND ATLANTIC SALMON, TUNA, COD, HAMACHI AND TAKO ($18.50).

Starting with the smooth cuts of salmon, the atlantic tastes buttery and the sockeye has a nice lean taste. Next, the cut of tuna is the middle body portion and does not taste mushy. In addition, I appreciate the sliced up strawberry as a garnish. Usually I never go for garnishes but I had a feeling Sushi UOmo may possibly actually wash them… and took the chance. The strawberry actually tastes ripe and quite sweet.

Following the tuna is the black cod which tastes buttery as well as creamy, with a light crunch. The sashimi tastes fresh and is actually not bad, despite neither of us preferring cod as sashimi. Further along is the hamachi which tastes flavourful, and the cut has a beautiful bright burgundy color. Finishing up the deluxe sashimi is the medium slices of tako which are thinly sliced to prevent a chewy texture, and an overwhelming watery taste.

SOFT SHELL CRAB, DEEP FRIED SOFT SHELL CRAB WITH PONZU SAUCE ($9.95).

Despite being served the largest soft shell crab I ever had at a restaurant, I am not a fan of this type of batter. Actually, I hate it. The batter is overly crunchy and absorbs too much moisture, although I do enjoy the meatiness of the soft shell crab.

AMAEBI ($1.50), HAMACHI ($2.00) AND TORO NIGIRI ($1.50).

First, the amaebi has a fresh sweetness and is perfectly butterflied. Second, the hamachi tastes fresh and buttery. Last, the toro tastes fatty and melts in the mouth. Sushi UOmo offers great prices for their nigiri and there are no complaints regarding the quality.

TAKOYAKI, PAN-FRIED MINCED OCTOPUS OF A BALL SHAPED ($3.75).

Remember the forgotten chicken in the nabeyaki? Well, the kitchen sent out an order of takoyaki as an apology which is a kind gesture, considering we really did not mind the missing chicken! As for the takoyaki, the balls are topped with takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, seaweed and bonito. The crisp balls taste soft as well as fluffy, and have a cut of octopus inside. Although I kind of wish we rejected their kind offer because neither of us are fans of takoyaki in general, whoops.

FRESH OYSTER ($3.50).

As if the takoyaki was not more than enough, the kitchen also sent out four fresh oysters! The oysters taste fresh and goes down smoothly. If anything, I would have preferred some tobasco but did not want to trouble the restaurant since these were already compliments from the kitchen. Side note - the price listed above is only for three oysters, not four.

TOTAL: $73.13 + TIP $16.87 = $90.00.

Overall we tipped a bit more than 20% because the staff was welcoming, and due to the more than kind gesture of sending out a complimentary order of takoyaki as well as fresh oysters (which were not needed). In addition, since we visited the evening before Mother's Day, Sushi UOmo also gave us a flower to take home for our mother. As for the food, the proper cuts are served, the sushi chefs know what they are doing, and the prices are more than reasonable. Sushi UOmo seems to be the best Japanese restaurant along Hastings Street and has the friendliest staff. Furthermore, if the restaurant did not bring out the complimentary goodies, I still would have felt the same way about them.

POSITIVES

- Above average eats

- Warm, welcoming and attentive staff

- More than reasonable prices

- Easily the best Japanese restaurant on Hastings street

NEGATIVES

- Miso soup could have been served hot rather than warm

- Not a fan of the batter for the soft shell crab

LITTLE THINGS

- Hopefully the service and quality of the food will be consistent

- I drink a lot of hot water (since it is boiled rather than tap) and by the time we left, there were around five cups on our table. Point - never needed to rush dinner to head to a gas station for water

- Would have rated the service as 4.5/5 if the kitchen did not send out the treats

Food: 3.5/5

Service: 5/5