Umi Sake - Cockeysville, MD
Summary
Umi Sake is a simple, no-frills sushi spot in Cockeysville, MD outside of Baltimore. They offer an extensive sushi and sashimi menu as well as some hot Chinese food items. I tried the miso soup, perfect fantasy roll, tropical paradise roll, and the fried banana ice cream.
Food Overall
Service
Atmosphere
Location
Value for Money
Overall
What I Ordered
Miso Soup
$3
The miso soup was your usual pleasant miso soup. It was a nice serving size with a good amount of tofu and seaweed.
Perfect Fantast Roll (Left)
$12
The perfect fantasy roll was comprised of shrimp tempura, crab stick, cream cheese, eel, and avocado topped with tempura flakes and eel sauce. I thought this roll was very savory and creamy with a nice crunch. Meanwhile, the eel sauce adds a nice saltiness. A couple pieces had the tails of the shrimp sticking out artistically. I found this looked nice but made those pieces very difficult to eat. Overall, I enjoyed this roll but it was pretty heavy.
Tropical Paradise Roll (Right)
$12
The tropical paradise roll is a wild combination of salmon, strawberry, avocado, and cucumber wrapped in mango and tuna with a blueberry sauce. The fish was high quality and had almost no taste at all while the fruit added a freshness and acidity. The overall effect was a sweet-savory light and fresh roll. I was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed this roll and thought it was better with the blueberry sauce than without. The blueberry sauce added a punchy tart acidity that really cut though the savory and brightened it up.
Fried Banana Ice CReam
$6
This dessert consisted of tempura fried banana slices served with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup drizzle and whipped cream. Overall, this dish was very simple and enjoyable. The fried bananas came out hot and fresh, crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. In contrast the ice cream was cold and creamy. I like the contrast of textures and temperatures. All in all, the dish was not overly sweet, with good texture, and came in a large serving size.
Overall Food
Overall, I was impressed by the food at Umi Sake. They offer a wide selection of food from hot Chinese food dishes to a wide assortment of sushi. It appears the mostly specialize in their sushi offering since they take up most of the menu and seem to be favored by customers. I enjoyed both sushi rolls I tried and was particularly impressed with how creative and tasty the fruity tropical paradise roll was. The miso soup and the fried banana dessert were also very tasty and had good serving sizes. Also, I thought the presentation of each dish was very attractive.
Service
The server was very nice and friendly. Also, she was happy to offer recommendations. Overall, she brought out the food and checked back quickly and regularly.
Atmosphere
Size
There are about 15 tables as well as bar seating along the sushi bar.
Who Goes Here?
It looks like a variety of friends, families, and couples on dates eat at Umi Sake.
Overall Atmosphere
Umi Sake is a little hole in the wall sushi place. The food and presentation indicate more of a fine dining style but the dining area is not fine dining at all, it is more of a comfortable casual atmosphere. Moreover, the furniture is very generic with basic chairs and tables. Also, the décor is limited to a few generic coastal images hung on the walls. The lighting is also very simple and bright. Overall, it comes across as clean and no frills. During my visit, it did appear the majority of their customers opted for takeout, though they do have a decent number of dine-in customers.
Location
Umi Sake is located in the bustling Cockeysville, MD area, just outside of Baltimore. There are a multitude of restaurants, hotels, and attractions in the area. There is parking available behind Umi Sake, but the turn into the business can be a bit challenging at peak hours.
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Value for money
I think that Umi Sake is a good value for your money. The quality of the food, presentation, and serving sizes were very good for the price. The only thing lacking is the dine-in atmosphere. If the dining area was given a face lift to be a bit classier, I think it would be a complete experience. You can always opt for take-out as well! Overall, I think it was a good value considering the tasty sushi and good service.
Overall
Umi Sake is a great little no-frills sushi spot in Cockeysville, MD. They have a well-crafted menu of Asian cuisine focused on sushi. I really enjoyed my food during my visit and was impressed by some of the creative menu items. Overall, I recommend Umi Sake to anyone looking for sushi in Cockeysville, MD.
