Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse
Last night, Dawn and I celebrated our birthdays at the brand new Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse, and WOW. I’m here to tell you that Asheville has yet another world-class restaurant in our midst. Every bite of every dish was superbly delicious! The staff was professional and friendly; the atmosphere was light and elegant, the vibe was lively, and it got pretty bumpin’ as the night went on. I was out of town for their press opener, so this dinner was my “tasting,” and the kitchen made all of our decisions for us, starting with these incredible oysters! They were truly some of the best I have ever had, and Dawn said they were the best she’d had. Fresh, silky, briny, kelpy, and served with a delicate yet flavorful sparkling sake mignonette. I’m going to give this entire experience 5 stars out of 5, including the oysters. You gotta go, you gotta get these oysters. More words and pics to come…
Our birthday dinner at Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse last night is an instant contender for my 2021 Meal of the Year award! These two dishes — Tuna w/ wasabi soy broth and scallions, and sliced hamachi w/ white ponzu, serrano peppers, and herbs — were exquisite. The fish was perfectly fresh, silky in texture, and sublime in flavor. The sauces were punchy, and the greens, especially with the hamachi, were equally fresh and flavorful. Again, 5 stars out of 5 for this meal and these dishes.
The final two dishes I’ll feature from our birthday celebration at Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse last night are the Grilled Wagyu Hanger Steak w/ Shiso Chimichurri and the dessert, which was not listed on the menu, and the Chef told us they were still dialing in. I don’t know the name of the dessert, but it was, like, a chocolate profiterole filled with citrus chantilly cream, and topped with a very flavorful caramel sauce. The dessert was very tasty, and as far as “dialing in” anything, the only weak point might be presented. Every other aspect of it was great! The steak… good lord, y’all. Not since Nightbell has we tasted such a delicate, well-prepared, melt-in-your-mouth steak dish. And the chimichurri was so thick and oily, it was almost like a cream. Gah. To. Die. For.
