Uminoie

Uminoie Restaurant Review:

Named for a typical beachside restaurant in Japan, this quiet, casual East Village spot that is littered with knickknacks is more like walking into someone’s home. The chef cooks (and washes dishes) behind a six-stool bar, as diners nibble on cuisine inspired by the city of Nagasaki. Start with some thimble-size portions of pickled octopus or the squid cooked in its own liver sauce --- Japanese drinking snacks. The latter has a strong, sharp taste that won’t be for everyone but it’s unique enough to warrant a try. Wash it down with one of many sakés available or a large bottle of Orion Beer, a brew from Okinawa. Then move on to pan-fried pork-stuffed gyoza or a plate of fatty pork belly --- the two hunks of pork, wobbly and thick, are tender enough to tear apart with chopsticks.