Ume Sushi House

385 Little Bourke St
Melbourne, VIC 3000

I do love me some good salmon. And I’ve heard that Ume Sushi House does a pretty good one. So I guess it makes sense that we’re here when I decided I couldn’t be bothered to head out to Coburg for some falafel.

Marked by a row of red lanterns hanging from the eaves, Ume Sushi House is situated in the buzzing, restaurant-studded section of Little Bourke Street. A bit quiet when we got there but it got busy quickly once lunchtime reared its head; looks like their sushi rolls and hot rice and noodle dishes are popular with the suits.

Tori Curry ($9)

Chris loves Tori Curry ($9), so he was happy with a big, piping hot bowl of chicken and potatoes. The meat was tender and the curry was thick, but it could’ve used a little more oomph. Shame the accompanying miso was dilute and flavourless.

Chirashi Sushi ($13)

My Chirashi Sushi ($13) was a bowl of beautiful. Meticulously plated on a fluffy bed of softly vinegared rice, the satisfyingly thick slices of salmon weren’t leaping with freshness, but were certainly well above par. The accompanying sides were well thought out to complement the salmon, and the big scoop of sichimi was a highlight, giving the rice a crunchy, fragrant lift when mixed in.

Ume Sushi House is lot more than it appears to be. Walking past it I would write it off as a Chinese-run faux-Japanese restaurant out to make a buck. But whilst it’s run by Cantonese people (as far as I could tell), the food is a notch above the horrible stuff you see floating in bain maries around the city, especially the chirashi, which I will definitely be back for when a craving hits.

Rating: 13/20 – chirashi craving