UMINONO — Restaurant in Melbourne

Major disappointment. Maybe it’s in the name? No no.

My wife and I had been looking forward to trying Uminono for some time. We are big fans of premium Japanese restaurants. Our favourite restaurant of any cuisine is Minamishima. If you haven’t been, you must (noting it is twice the price of Uminono) - it is not only Melbourne’s best, but I believe it competes very well with the world’s best Japanese restaurants.

We ordered the Omakase box and Individual Omakase box from Uminono to sample the more premium and varied pieces of nigiri that Uminono has to offer. Note these are the most expensive boxes of nigiri that Uminono sells.

The presentation was great - colourful and well laid out. See photo attached.

The flavour and texture were not good however. Maybe the fish wasn’t that fresh on the day?

If Minamishima is 10/10, then unfortunately Uminono would be 4/10 at a stretch. Minamishima doesn’t do takeaway though, so if that’s what you’re after then I’d recommend people try Komeyui instead which is fantastic at about 8/10 comparatively.

Many of Uminono’s pieces of fish had been sliced and diced until they lost all of their texture (as you can see in the photo). Making them really just a mouthful of mush, which isn’t that pleasant to eat. In particular, the salmon, the scallop and (what I think was) the kingfish. Tip for Uminono - while it’s fun to guess what the fish used for each piece is, it would be nice to be told what they are by including a card noting this or something.

The rice used for the nigiri hadn’t been cooked properly so it fell apart when picked up rather than holding its shape. There also wasn’t enough rice per piece of fish. You can’t see in the photo but each piece of fish dwarfed the rice underneath.

Understand Uminono uses dry aging for some of its fish. Couldn’t work out exactly which ones. I understand the concept but some of the pieces were quite dry (I hope they were only the dry aged ones). And dry fish is generally not my preference.

Lastly, the condiments. Toro (lean tuna - the dark red one) and otoro (tuna belly - the light pink one) are the most prized pieces of sushi in Japan and they were underwhelming. They honestly didn’t seem that fresh. And trying to make them look pretty by putting sesame seeds all over them is kind of sacrilege. It detracts from the flavour of what should be the hero of the bite… the tuna. Not sure why you would want to mask the flavour of the best pieces? Is it because of the quality of the fish? Bit of a red flag.

I can’t remember the last time we had decent sushi and weren’t negotiating who could have the last piece. This time there was no negotiation. We didn’t finish it. I was still hungry though so ordered KFC.

Sorry Uminono, but for the premium price, the math just doesn’t work. I recommend people spend their hard earned money on somewhere that can offer more than something that just looks...

ORDERED: 🍚🐠🐟 Signature Chirashi: Ora King Salmon, Hiramasa Kingfish, Snapper, Bluefin tuna, Ama Ebi, Hokkaido Scallop, Ikura, Roasted Cashews, Shiitake, Pickled cucumber, Spring onion & premium nori ($70.00)

I paid $77.98 here, which included tea and card surcharge.

REVIEW: 😭 Is it the most expensive Chirashi sushi bowl in my life? Yes 🥺 Is it the most delicious Chirashi sushi bowl I've ever had? Yes This has put me in a tough spot. Although it's set a premium price, the care taken and the quality of produce is worth it.

❤ I'm a big sashimi lover. So seeing the A+ standard in terms of vibrant colour, beautiful presentation and little additions to help bring out its best was phenomenal. ➡ I'm talking about lightly torching the NZ salmon to help create a smoky taste through the soft 'butteriness', or the kingfish with thinly sliced lime skin to bring a citrus element. It's the little touches for each individual fish that makes it incredible.

I also enjoyed the interactive element of taking the nori and making my own mini sushi taco! 🌮

Service was great. We got a small house soup to open up our palate, then a detailed introduction of each sashimi cut.

Uminono's Chirashi sushi bowl is great for an occasion, and if I could afford it, I'd come back...

Been to Uminono 5 times already since they have opened last year in May and I have been ordering boxes from them since way before also. The food never fails to amaze me and the quality of the service is superb.

Nono and the rest of the team (Remi, Greg, Yuta and Priscilla) are always so hospitable and I enjoy have a chat with each and every one of them. I 100% recommend this restaurant to anyone who is passionate about sushi and would like to try something new and innovative.

The mind behind the preparation, the taste and the presentation has to be applauded and appreciated. Nono and the team go above and beyond to serve patrons every day with the most intricate pieces of Nigiri.

From the chefs explanation to the set out menu, you’re able to look back and understand what you’re eating. The fine details of the nigiri are so well thought out and innovative. I can see that the chefs understand how to tick every sense of flavour there is without having it be too overwhelming.

This is a restaurant that I can compare that to of Minimishima; once my favourite but I believe Uminono has far surpassed that spot on the podium.

If you want something that is fresh and well thought out you definitely have to give Uminono a try.

Amazing work all...