So today I’m walking past Umami Asian Cuisine downtown, right? And I spot this little handwritten sign near the entrance: “NEW MENU ITEMS! ASK YOUR SERVER!” Got me curious as heck, obviously. My stomach practically did a backflip. Decided right then I had to try ’em all and write this up.
Walking In and Getting Set
Grabbed a seat near the window, good light for pics. My usual server, Lucy, spots me and grins. “Saw the sign, huh?” she laughs. Before I can even ask nicely, she slaps down a single-page printout – like, a photocopy almost. Definitely wasn’t on the fancy main menu yet. Kinda loved the sneak peek vibe.
Scanned it real quick. Saw three things:
- Something New: Spicy Pork & Kimchi Dumplings (Steamed or Pan-Fried)
- Something Different: Crispy Salt & Pepper Tofu Bowl
- Something Sweet: Mango Sticky Rice Parfait
Alright, mission clear. Ordered all three. Told Lucy to surprise me with the dumpling style. Felt like living on the edge, ha.
The Tasting Begins
Food came out super fast, maybe 10 minutes? Plates looked fresh off the line.
Went for the Crispy Salt & Pepper Tofu Bowl first. Looked pretty simple. Cubes of tofu fried golden brown, sitting on white rice with some chopped green onions. Poked it with my fork. Heard that satisfying crunch – good sign. Took a bite. Woah. That tofu was seriously crispy outside, like amazingly so, but somehow still soft inside. Not mushy at all. The salt & pepper seasoning? Simple but punchy. Nice garlicky hit. Found myself eating the tofu pieces kinda like popcorn. Bowl felt clean, kinda light for fried stuff. Nice change-up if you’re not feeling meat.
Next up: Spicy Pork & Kimchi Dumplings (Pan-Fried). Lucy chose pan-fried for me. Good call. Saw that perfect sear on the bottom – golden brown, crispy-looking skin. Lifted one up, felt the nice weight. Bit in carefully (hot filling alert!). Kimchi flavor hit me first – that tangy, fermented kick. Then the spicy pork came through. Wasn’t super spicy, more like a warm tingle in the back of your throat. Kimchi bits added a little crunch inside the tender wrapper. Dipped it in their house soy-vinegar mix? Perfect combo. Needed a couple extra napkins, totally worth it.
Saved the sweet stuff for last: Mango Sticky Rice Parfait. This one looked like a fancy dessert you see online. Tall glass layering sweet sticky rice, chunks of fresh mango (looked ripe and yellow, good sign), creamy coconut whipped stuff, and toasted coconut flakes on top. Dug my spoon deep to get all the layers. That first bite? So many textures and tastes. Warm, chewy rice against cold coconut cream and juicy, sweet mango. Toasted coconut gave a nutty crunch. Sweet, but not sickeningly so. Real refreshing after the savory stuff. Kid would probably go nuts for this presentation.
Wrapping It Up & Thoughts
Finished everything. Sat there a bit, kinda food-drunk and happy. New additions? Solid winners.
- Tofu Bowl: Big surprise. Crispy, tasty, way better than boring steamed tofu.
- Dumplings: Flavor bomb. That kimchi-pork mix? Chef’s kiss.
- Mango Parfait: Pretty genius twist on classic mango sticky rice. Feels special.
Didn’t notice any price bumps over similar stuff already on the menu. Saw a few other tables pointing at the new items on the printed sheet Lucy gave them too. Looked like folks were digging ’em.
Gotta say, Umami did a good job here. Feels like they listened when folks asked for more veggie options and maybe something different on the sweet side. Definitely recommending you check these out before the secret photocopy menu disappears! Next time? Might just order two dumpling servings. They were that good.
