Umami Japanese Bistro is aiming to bring inventive and contemporary sushi to the space that formerly housed Hello Sushi at 3930 Burbank Drive.
Cong Nguyen, longtime chef at Hello Sushi, and his wife Thom purchased the restaurant from Hello Sushi owners John and Angela Cheng with plans to revamp the restaurant into a modern Japanese bistro. The other Hello Sushi location at 18291 Highland Road will remain open.
Cong says his dream to open his own restaurant stems from his previous career as a commercial tuna fisherman. Working in the Gulf of Mexico inspired Cong to source locally whenever possible and use only the highest-quality ingredients he can find, he says.
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With Umami, Cong’s goal is to bring innovative Japanese cuisine to Baton Rouge and surprise patrons with his sushi creations. His travels and extensive culinary training will allow that, he says, because he has created his own interpretation of Japanese and Southeast Asian cuisine.
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Umami, which can be translated as a “pleasant savory taste,” will offer both classic sushi, such as crunchy and California rolls, and original creations, such as the Umami Roll, which is Tempura shrimp, snow crab, asparagus and jalapenos topped with seared filet mignon, feta cheese, green onions and a sweet soy reduction sauce.
The bistro will also offer small plates, Japanese entrees, soups, salads and sides.
Umami is scheduled to open Jan. 1 and will have hours of 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 4-9:30 p.m. on Sunday. The bistro will offer lunch specials 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday and happy hour 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
