This Meridian restaurant won’t reopen in June after all. Something fishy’s going on
A Meridian hot-pot restaurant that closed temporarily to upgrade its menu will stay dark longer than planned.
Clearly, something fishy’s going on.
But we already knew that. Something raw and fishy.
Announcing that it planned to expand into an all-you-can-eat sushi concept, Umi Japanese Shabu Shabu, 2325 E. Fairview Ave., shuttered May 20. The plan, it said, was to reopen June 1.
As it turns out, the restaurant won’t reopen in June at all.
Umi will welcome customers again starting July 13, according to an updated message posted on the door. No reason for the delay was provided.
“Due to popular demand and as part of our rebranding process, we are excited to expand our offerings into a premium Japanese sushi AYCE dining experience,” the note explains. “To make these improvements, we will remain temporarily closed as we complete our renovation and rebranding process.”
Hot pot is a cook-at-your-table adventure. Diners are served appetizers, broth, meat, seafood — the works. As part of the experience, Umi already offered all-you-can eat sushi, too. But it was secondary to the meat-dipping hot-pot experience.
Reviews of the restaurant are generally strong: 4.6 out of 5 stars on Google and 4.2 out of 5 on Yelp. But one recent review complains about Umi’s policy of serving only two sushi rolls at a time per table, depending on group size.
A large new menu taped on the restaurant’s window shows the restaurant’s rebrand as “Umi AYCE Sushi and Hotpot.” Dishes are available a la carte or all-you-can-eat.
Regular AYCE lunch, which covers hot pot and all menu items including dozens of sushi rolls, costs $27.99. Premium AYCE dinner covers hot pot and all menu items, adding another 21 premium sushi rolls to the culinary equation. Some of those rolls are priced as high as $15 a la carte (e.g. the Rainbow Deluxe Roll, Idaho Roll, Pink Lady Roll and I Love Hamachi Roll). So if you bring an appetite, the AYCE deal seems legit.
Offering all-you-can-eat hot pot and all-you-can-eat sushi (lots of it) could make Umi more competitive. All-inclusive-focused sushi restaurants such as Sushi Bros and Yoi Tomo Sushi & Grill definitely have a following in Boise.
Will Umi’s quality match its more specialized raw-fish rivals as it strives to do two things at once? The menu looks promising.
Either way, July 13 can’t come soon enough.