I like restaurants with cool vibes, and that’s what you get the moment you walk into Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar, which opens today. Owners Randy Ng & Michael Ding took a page out of the Taqueria Guadalajara playbook and converted a house on Williamson Street, directly across from Madison Sourdough, into a chic restaurant and bar.
I attended an invitation-only, prix fixe dinner on Monday. This does not count as an official review, as the restaurant had a lot of kinks to work out. For example, our drinks took 12 minutes to make (the bar was not busy) and our first course took almost 50 minutes. Our waitress apologized profusely for a “dumpling mishap” in the kitchen. The ones we finally got were a little burned (you can order them steamed or pan fried).
Still, I did enjoy the tuna poke, pork buns and salad with mushrooms. I thought the ramen was a little bland, but it’ll be on my list to try again in a future visit.
The cocktails were creative, combining sake and martinis. I recommend ordering the drink with lychee, as it’s really good. You also can order beer and wine.
The only dessert I tried was the ice cream sandwich, which was outstanding. I’m not sure what was in the chocolate syrup, but it had an “Asian” taste to it, making for a pleasant surprise.
Umami should do well as both a restaurant and bar. The dark colors and uptempo lounge music (though a bit loud) make you feel like you’re in a big city. With the deceiving exterior, you almost think you’re entering a secret club.
See more photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eatdrinkmadison/sets/72157626195289536/
