Is the best sushi restaurant in America in Terre Haute?
Ahem! Now that I have your attention.
Well, perhaps not, but Sushi Umi was one of the dozen best sushi meals I have had in the United States, and arguably the best maki Ive eaten between New York and California.
I was in Terre Haute this weekend for a conference, and at the suggestion of Dr. Tom Adams of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (my son is a student there), I tried Sushi Umi. Dr. Tom has a webpage: Dr. Toms Guide to Terre Haute for the Cultural Bereft: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~adams1/bereft.html
which deserves your attention, should you be traveling on I70.
Sushi Umi is run by Chef Qi. Yes, a Chinese chef, hailing from Shanghai. Chef Qi was trained by a Japanese sushi chef in Indianapolis, and whatever he was taught, he has certainly taken to the craft.
It must be confessed that the Nigiri suffer just a bit from the fact that fish come through Chicago, and so are slightly less fresh than what one would find in a city with direct transportation.
However, Chef Qi makes up for this by a dazzling display of creativity. The mango sunset roll was a tuna roll surrounded by mango paving, topped with a dot of Japanese ponzu, freshened with bits of spicy radish. The lobster tempura roll was fully admirable, as sublime as any soft shell crab roll I have eaten.
Perhaps best was Chef Qis Crazy Roll: half the pieces had shrimp tempura inside and eel outside, the other half were reversed. Crazy and delightful.
If Terre Haute is not precisely a serious dining destination, Sushi Umi is.
Sushi Umi
2801 South Third Street
Terre Haute, Indiana 47801
812-232-SUSHI
Gary Alan Fine
Nov 12, 2005 06:13PM
Excellent! My wife and I make it over to Terre Haute from Indy occasionally and will definitely hit Sushi Umi next time. Heck, this may even call for a special trip!
Thanks for posting Dr. Tom's guide. The last time we were there we found Market Bella Rosa. We had a really great meal of homemade soup, a delicious pasta dish and a great sandwich. I can highly recommend it as another chow spot in Terre Haute.
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Not only is Sushi Umi fantastic--try the special bamboo roll if you doubt me--but Tokyo Habachi Grill, down the road, also serves wonderful sushi.
Tokyo Habachi Grill is located just down Terre Haute's "main drag" (aka 3rd Street or Highway 41) away from Honey Creek Mall and toward the downtown, at 920 S. 3rd. Along with typical habachi fare, the restaurant also has a wide variety of sushi and a very attentive staff.
SUSHI was one of the many highlights of a great recent trip of mine to Terre Haute--and I'm hoping to get back sometime soon to see what Japanese restaurants I might have missed in the area. Because of a large Japanese population in the town, I expect to find more great spots to try out the next time I pass through...I can't wait!
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you did get my attention!
Thanks for both the recomendation and the link for Dr Tom Adams. I meet a friend for lunch in Terre Haute (mid point between Evansville and Indy) and while I love to see her, I'm not so fond of where we end up eating.
I hope she likes sushi!
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Sushi Umi's reputation actually preceeds it. When I visited the Subaru plant in Lafayette, someone there suggested I try it. No reason why you can't find good sushi in the heartland. There's great sushi in Columbus, Ohio (lots of Honda people nearby), and good sushi in Ann Arbor (home to the Toyota Technical Center) as well as Lexington, which has a Toyota plant, too.
Sushi fish is generally deep-frozen anyway, before it is shipped to the restaurants here, and much of the skill of sushi is in the slicing and in the rice. So with a good sushi-quality fish supplier and good chefs, it's a transportable cuisine.
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Thanks for reviving this thread. I recently returned from Terre Haute and was feeling guilty about not having posted about the chowish fun I had there.
I'll have to pull out the menus and check my spelling to do it justice. A few thoughts in the meantime...
Sushi Umi has amazing udon soups. I had the clear broth with tempura, DH had the chicken curry and son had the beef. The presentation was beautiful, and we still talk about how good it was. This is the soup of dreams. We started with a sushi combo roll that was outstanding, I'll get the name. It is reasonably priced, especially at lunch.
Java Haute is a great spot for coffee. The sunrise muffins are a bit sweet but still excellent.
The farmer's market has some wonderful fresh okra, eggs, cheese, and some persimmon puree that bakes into a delicious pudding.
There is a Japanese market in downtown that has great prices on staples like shallots, ginger, garlic, and other interesting food.
There are a couple of special exhibits at the Swopes Art Musuem that are well worth a detour if you are in the neighborhood before they leave in December. The art on the Rose-Hulman campus, inside and out, is also well worth visiting.
My son is a student there and I keep finding more reasons to return.
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Shari and I have eaten sushi in many parts of this country and find Sushi Umi and Qi the best. One of our favorites is his Asparagus Tempura Roll. It is simple and delicious. Qi also makes a special Qi Dressing that is available to taste at the restaurant or to take with. It has great shelf life. You can use it for a sald dressing, marinade or dipping sauce - delicioso
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I agree on Sushi Umi! I live in the area, and if I had more money I'd go every day! Next time try the Chop chop, which is deep-fried and topped with conch, and the baked scallop roll is out of this world too. Also I agree with what qswain said about Tokyo Grill - they have a Hard Rock and Roll which is worth the trip, in addition to the scallop hibachi.
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Sushi Umi actually has just about as many rolls NOT on the menu as on the menu. Dr. Hsings (sings) special is one of the best rolls there if you like lobster, mango, crab and spice! Also, the number one roll is Shrimp Tempura done with special sauce. By far my favorite place to go in the Haute.
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