I think it’s probably best to start this review by saying that if you haven’t been to Umezushi, if you haven’t seen it in town then don’t worry, that’s why we’re here. Umezushi is not somewhere you just happen upon, unless of course your office is next door, which just so happened to be the case for me.

An understated venue found in an industrial unit below an arch just outside Victoria Station, Umezushi is probably the best thing to happen to food in Manchester since the opening of San Carlo Cicchetti. I never usually weight restaurants using others but I think in this instance and bearing in mind how much I love Cicchetti it just seems fitting

So onto the food, we started with a Sushi selection; 3 Vegetarian:Avocado, Pak Choi & Cucumber which we had served Hosomaki (mini rolls 4 per portion) and 3 Fish: Tuna, Lemon Sole and King Prawn all served Nigri (sliced and placed on top of a rice ball) Everything was served with exquisite perfection, true to the very nature of Sushi, and tasted fantastic. The available fish varies from day to day at Umezushi on account of the owner Terry having such a wealth of knowledge around what is fresh and in season, helped in part by a relationship with local fishmongers Out of The Blue in Chorlton.

We followed with the Seafood Tempura, light & crispy and a fantastic selection along with the Umezushi Wine of the Week to accompany the food which was Hahn, Pinot Noir, California, 2010 and a great choice it was. For a main we shared one of the menu specials for the evening, Wild Honey Glazed Pork Cheek, which was absolutely delicious, slithers of liqourice root added a fantastic depth to the dish that I didn’t see coming at all.

For dessert that evening the only choice left was Pear & Pineapple Tart, when we mentioned that one of us could not have pear, Terry in fantastic form put together a buttery Shortbread Stack with fresh raspberries that literally won the heart of my guest.

All together the evening was great, the food and the staff were excellent, a small shout out to Bobby the Chef who did a fantastic job and for my fellow diners it was smiles all round. Umezushi is a proper little find and for those who happen upon it you will not be disappointed, the only problem now is I’ve told you all, so I’ll probably not be able to get a table for weeks.

Umezushi, Unit 4, Mirabel Street,Manchester M3 1PJ
www.umezushi.co.uk

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