Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse

Amazing food, service, food, cocktails, food, ambiance,…and food! We were celebrating our Olivia’s birthday and had a fantastic dining and drinking experience at Ukiah! Loved their takes on traditional dishes and certainly enjoyed the creative libations! The staff gave awesome descriptions of the components in each dish and cocktail which truly added value to each item! Our party of 6 thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Ukiah and we will definitely be back!

This was my second time dining here and chose it for my 40th birthday gathering because the first time was delightful! The service is always amazing—some of the best servers I’ve ever had. The food is creative, delicious, consistent, and always amazes. Everyone in my party was wowed by the presentation and the tasting experience. There is a great selection of sakes to choose from, including a tasting flight. The one thing you have to try, without a doubt, is the sweet potato; hands down one of the best food combinations I’ve had and I’m an avid diner and well traveled. This is a great place to meet friends, go on a date, or celebrate a special occasion. I can’t recommend this place enough!

I had an amazing dinner tonight at Ukiah in Fort Lauderdale! A big thank you to Sam for his professionalism and thoughtful recommendations, his attention made the experience even more enjoyable. The ribs were absolutely incredible , perfectly tender and full of flavor. I also loved the crispy rice with salmon, which had the perfect texture and balance. And to top it all off, the house-made gelato was the perfect sweet finish. Highly recommended , great food, great service, and great atmosphere. I’ll definitely be back!

Absolutely divine!! Where to start it was such an elegant combination of small plates and dishes. Straight to the star of the night…the smoked short rib was out of this world. 9 days process to make this masterpiece!! Matthew our server was delightful and knowledgeable!! Everything we had was delicious from the watermelon salad to the sliced Hamachi and crispy salmon, and of course the star of the show!! We’ll be back next time we’re in this neck of the woods!!

First, I will say that I did not do my homework ( I only read the good reviews) prior to dining here, my bad. That said, I am a firm believer that good food is worth paying for, even if the ingredients are humble, as long as they're prepared with skill and care. Unfortunately, this restaurant's tasting menu fell far short of expectations. Not only were the ingredients unremarkable, but the execution was also lacking. The dishes felt thrown together rather than carefully crafted, and the repetition of a single sauce across multiple courses was a major letdown. Even the cake was dense :( We paid $200 w/tip + for 2 and boy did I felt taken advantage of, especially after having had a mouth watering dinner for less than 90 bucks a day prior at Red Ginger. The only decent dish was the brisket, but it wasn't enough to redeem the meal. Beware

My goodness what a wonderful experience! My wife and I went to Ukiah before a show at Eulogy and had the best meal we've had in ages. Service was excellent and everything we tasted was amazing. We are huge fans of asian food in general and we find it really challenging to find good flavors on the east side of the US, so if you're looking for some excellent asian fusion cusine look no further. Can't wait to come back and try all the things we didn't have room for the first time!

The beef rib was possibly the best dish I have ever had. Phenomenal. Cocktails were tasty, other dishes were hits as well.

One of our go-to local restaurants!!! Absolutely incredible cocktails and wonderful food. A beautiful blend of flavors. Traditional Japanese comfort food and barbecue combined with unique, fresh concepts using Japanese flavors. The drinks are also wildly creative and always incredible. A must if you're visiting the area!

Elegant dining experience with a ton of flavor! The ramen is what we came for, the small plates is what we will be back for. Very large patio for the whole squad to come. The chef gave us a free Toro Crispy Rice because he didn't like how the first one looked. That gives you a sample of the quality you are dealing with.

Beware When Dining with a Large Group... A group of 10 friends and I - longtime foodies who regularly explore Asheville's restaurant scene - recently dined at Ukiah. While the food and cocktails were enjoyable, the overall experience was frustratingly marred by poor communication and surprisingly rigid customer service. When the reservation was made (and later confirmed twice to add guests), there was no mention of any special payment policies for large parties. As is customary at nearly every restaurant in Asheville, the group expected to split the bill individually. However, when the check arrived, it was presented as a single total to one person. The server informed them that the restaurant has a "special way" of handling large parties and offered to get the manager. Unfortunately, the manager arrived with a dismissive attitude and little willingness to find a reasonable solution. She insisted we had been informed about the policy in advance; we had not; and offered only two options: remove the 3% kitchen appreciation fee (added on top of the 20% gratuity for large groups), or split the bill evenly among all 11 diners. This created an obvious issue: those who had only a light meal or no drinks would be paying the same as those who enjoyed full entrées and multiple cocktails. Eventually, the manager agreed to remove any meals that could be paid for with cash before dividing the rest evenly - a compromise that only came after unnecessary stress and friction. As only two of us were able to pay in cash, this resulted in some of the remaining nine women paying considerably more than the price of what they had actually ordered. We were disappointed the inflexible policy, and even more so by the lack of empathy and professionalism displayed by the manager. After dining out together for decades, this was the first time we've ever been treated with such indifference. Sadly, this experience has left a sour taste. We, and I, will not be returning.

Absolutely Incredible! Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse blew me away! From the moment we walked in, the vibe was welcoming and cozy, but it's the food that steals the show. Everything tasted fresh and unmistakably homemade, with so much heart in every bite. The ribs? Absolute perfection. Marinated for 6 days and slow smoked for 10 hours, they were fall-off-the-bone tender with a smoky depth that dreams are made of. Yes, they leaned a bit on the salty side--totally expected for the Southern palate--but the flavor balance was still spot-on. Every bite had me nodding in approval. This place is a must-visit for anyone who loves bold, expertly-crafted flavors with a Japanese twist. Zander was my amazing hostess and she was amazing. I had the Miso, dumpling, and ribs, it was the most expensive meal I've had $110. But was worth it to splurge alittle on my vacation.

This was an interesting meal filled with unique flavors that I had not tasted anywhere else. So, it was a good experience/meal. The waiter was great, explained the menu well, and answered all our questions. I ordered the bok choy for my appetizer and the local trout for my entree. The bok choy was incredibly smoky and tasty. The local trout was doused in a buttermilk dashi, a broth that was bursting with flavors that, although new, was extremely delicious. The mushrooms that accompanied the trout were a bit salty but not overpowering so. I ordered a side of rice because I felt that the meal was missing it. Overall, the meal was good. I would revisit to try other dishes!

A fantastic experience all around. The ambiance is cool - very relaxed and also chic but not pretentious. The service was also great - Sela and her counterparts did a fantastic job. Very attentive and helpful. The food was excellent - there's not one thing we didn't enjoy or eat completely. We ordered one thing from almost every section except ramen or the big plates and the 4 of us were full and very happy! The drinks were also yummy. Highly recommend to anyone in the area!

We did the sets tasting menu and it didn't disappoint!! Completely stuffed and went home with plenty of leftovers. Chef and team were amazing!

I have been to Ukiah more times than I can count and there is a reason for that. It's consistently a delicious and enjoyable experience. One of my favorite places in town.

All I can say is wow, wow, wow! My son & his wife took me to Ukiah last night for dinner. It was the greatest treat. I admittedly do not have much experience in Japanese food, but after eating here I want to move to Japan, lol. They ordered so many things, each having multiple layers of complexity & taste. We had Bao pork buns, gyoza wrapped meat, unbelievable sweet potato, decadent ribs, pho, & so on. The food was not cheap, but it felt like I was in 20-star Michelin restaurant, hahaha. This place would be a go to place for super special occasions.

Pork shoulder with kimchi and rye toast points was really good. Wagyu skewer was fatty and chewy - not good. Unagi was exceptional. Bbq carrots and scallop skewers were good, too.Fairly crowded on Saturday night. Multiple servers with quick delivery of items after ordering.

I'm only here to report on the beech mushrooms - beautifully breaded, great portion, absolutely worth ordering. Their mocktails are also fantastic, sourced from a local apothecary-forward company. I really want to love this place, but it's inconsistent. Sometimes the food is too salty, sometimes bland, and other times spot on. It's frustrating because the atmosphere is stunning--it truly transports you to a restaurant in a big city.

Had a delightful meal at this new to me restaurant. The service was a little slow, but very kind and polite. The noise level inside was moderate. Due to some issues we ended up sitting at the bar, which was nice. We were able to order a full meal at the bar. Started with the Hamachi, which was absolutely delicious. The flavors were wonderful. The fresh herbs were stunning, all around the perfect balance. The pork belly buns very good. The individual flavors in the sauce worked very well together. Then we moved onto the skewers. The wagyu was a bit overcooked, even though we asked ahead of time if it would be medium rare. The Seabass was perfectly cooked. The brown butter sauce was delicious and I really appreciated the roasted lemon that came alongside the dish. Finally, the dessert, fried mochi with caramelized banana and ice cream, was very well prepared and delicious .

This would have been a 3-star review but we had food poisoning afterwards. Upon further inspection, it seems like others have experienced food poisoning in recent months too after eating here. Overall, the restaurant advertises itself as a Japanese smokehouse, blending Japanese cuisine and southern BBQ. However, I felt it was much heavier on the latter and what it did infuse with Japanese cuisine/techniques was not impressive. We had the hamachi which was fine, but the flavors were nothing to write home about. The karaage chicken was executed well -- liked having both the kewpie mayo and carolina bbq sauce as dipping options. While the mushroom tempura had good flavor - it felt very heavy and greasy - not like the light and airy Japanese tempura I know. The smoked pork shoulder was average - I've had more tender pork. The grilled trout had an unusual grill taste on the skin. It may have been the wood they were using, perhaps, but I wasn't a fan as it really overpowered the fish. And lastly the coconut cake - this was a 5-star dessert - very dense like a pound cake with a hint of cream cheese flavor. Definitely can share for 3-4 people but very good. The service was excellent and the ambience felt cozy.

This is now my favorite restaurant in Asheville! Gluten free options, amazing food, great cocktails!!!

After spending hours perusing yelp for dinner tonight, I decided on Ukiah. Everything looked good and people loved it. Hubby picked me up and off we went. We found it no problem, but, could not find any parking. Everything is marked as a tow zone, and, with out of state plates, we were not going to risk it.

The pork belly skewers were the best thing we had- by far. The crispy rice with spicy tuna was excellent and the service was quick and pleasant. We wanted to try something new and were pleasantly surprised!

For those who love tasting menus that are a little bit unconventional, this is the spot for you. My wife and I came here on a trip to Asheville in March and had the best meal. They had a fairly large drink menu - of course with a ton of beers because Asheville - but there were a lot of really fun cocktail options. Both seasonal and regular. One cocktail I got was the Tsukemono (Lunazul Blanco Tequila, gentian liqueur, lemon, house yuzu pickle brine + Scrappy's Firewater Tincture) and it was one of the best cocktails I've ever had. We both went with the more expensive tasting menu and got WAYYY too much food. It was all delicious but some standouts were: -Sea bass on a stick (top 5 fish dish i've ever eaten, so meaty) -Pork and shitake mushroom gyoza -Tuna sashimi -Duck hot pot It was awesome and we would definitely go back next time we're in the area!

Phenomenal food. We did the serving menu and it was lovely. The zucchini was an unexpected hit! I would come back again for sure. The service was lovely, Cam was great!

Last night my daughter and I celebrated her new job and the end of mine as an Early Voting Judge with dinner at Ukiah . It was sad to see the small staff and normally bustling restaurant still waiting for customers to comeback. Trust me they will comeback. What wasn't sad was the quality of service, food and cocktails served with enthusiasm and happiness to "be back" attitude. We went big on the tapas- size portions. My daughter is a pescatarian so we started with the Sashiko Peppers served with a marvelous carrot ginger ponzu - excellent. The next small plate was Crispy Shrimp served with Chili butter and Gorgonzola cheese-Excellent. We then shared the Salmon Sashimi, BBQ Baby Carrots, both excellent. We diverged on the next course - Vegetable Ramen for her and Pork Belly with apple chow-chow for me. All washed down by an awesome gin drink made with my favorite local Chemist gin. My daughter strategically planned on leftovers. Finally we always share a dessert so we converged again after making a tough choice, on the various house-made desserts, to order a Banana Tart served with Banana Bourbon Ice Cream. What the old saying- you scream, I scream we all scream for ice cream!! It was a great way to finish an awesome meal for one of my favorite restaurants in Asheville. Finally kudos to our menu Sherpa - Jill and the team of folks that prepare, cook, mix and serve our food. Like Asheville it's a team of folks bringing the patrons pleasure. Please support our local restaurants and workers.

I had the Raman and it was very good, very authentic. The drinks are also amazing. Will return to try other plates!

We went to Biltmore and stopped by this place since it was near by. Out of everything we got our favorite was the beech mushroom tempura and the crispy pork ribs. I was surprised how good the mushroom was! We were expecting more out of the Seabass dish but it tasted more like cod or trout. The bao needed some sweetness it was on the sour side with the aioli sauce. I like the ramen, egg was well marinated but my husband thought the broth has too much citrusy flavor. Service was great!

Was in the Asheville area for a couple days, decide to try Ukiah that has been on my list for sometime. Walk in at 5pm on weekday, no line. Venkman Highball is a nice twist to Japanese Highball cocktail, I like the house made citrus base soda. Sliced hamachi is good, nice thick cut. It comes with mint, cilantro, and celery leaves! The surprise for me is celery leaf, such an underrated herb that gives so much flavor. Anyone that is used to traditional Japanese sashimi, this dish may not come with wow factor, in fact I may say its ponzu is overpowering, however I do think it is a good dish for anyone that is open to carpaccio type sashimi. I also ordered duck hot pot. Packed with mushrooms, bak choy, slice of duck. Consider the duck dumpling is smaller than regular dumpling size, I would prefer it came with thinner wrap, it is a bit gluey for my taste. Overall it is a nice fusion restaurant, I should be back for its tasting menu.

Very cool looking establishment, reasonably priced with good food. Service was very good and that's always appreciated. The food was good, not mind blowing great. We had the ribs appetizer and each had a bowl of ramen. Just didn't have a lot of flavor but it was good.

So delicious and fun! I took my fiance here for his birthday and he loved it. His favorite thing was the bao buns. Mine was the Enoki mushrooms. Everything was delicious and our server was very kind. It was a fancy yet casual place and I would definitely come back.

This place used to be sooo good. The front staff is still excellent- bartenders and waiters. But the leadership has cut ties with excellence. someone told me they sold to Applebee's which sounds totally crazy but if you go eat at Ukiah the experience will be similar to any chain restaurant. And, whatever you do, do not order the oysters!!! there are many good restaurants in this area: wicked weed brewery, pax Tavern, Tupelo Honey, Bears barbecue, Farm burger, Thai orchid... you name it go anywhere else but Ukiah. Avoid.

Ukiah delivered a fabulous wedding dinner and experience for a group of 12 following our small elopement ceremony. I reserved their semi-private dining area and selected the Ukiah tasting menu, which they were graciously able to adapt to accommodate several dietary restrictions. Every dish was incredible, but the standouts were definitely the mushroom tempura and pork shoulder. The service was wonderful, the drinks were creative and delicious -- I couldn't have imagined a more perfect meal to close out a perfect day. Thank you for being a part of our celebration!

Do not sleep on the brisket, dumplings, and coconut cake. Honestly, one of the best meals I've had. I will be returning just for that brisket.

Amazing tasting menu! We loved majority of our dishes and it was a nice introduction to all their best sellers. We also opted for the beverage pairing, but I didn't really care for any of the drinks. We liked the sake the best. Started with the shishito peppers and salmon crispy rice--impeccable fusion of flavors. The iceberg wedge salad was a standout, thanks to the delightful sesame dressing. The crispy mushroom boa and seabass yakitori were hits, though the BBQ baby carrots lacked flavor. Japanese sweet potato was my favorite veggie dish with its perfect sweet-savory balance. Grilled mushrooms, though good, took second place to the mushroom boa. The chef's mom's coconut cake recipe and ice cream sealed the deal--a must-try, truly amazing! Our server was great. This kicked off our trip on a nice note. Can't wait to be back again.

Excuse me, Asheville has an AMAZING Japanese fusion restaurant and it is UKIAH! Please do not expect very traditional Japanese food, but if you want something that has a unique Asian flavor (this is coming from someone who LOVES Japanese food) - this is THE PLACE. I feel like they did such a great job of highlighting what makes Japanese cuisine as unique and delicious as it is (Sweet potato? Toro? SHITAKE????) but putting a few added touches to it that still make it taste unlike anything you've ever had but still VERY delicious! Portions were great, pricing was fair, and service was top notch! Can't wait to go back! Please order the Japanese Sweet Potato - something that is so unique and different but actually quite simple and refreshing - you won't regret it!

The food, the service, the vibe - all of it was on point!! The food is incredible, great sized portions for sharing with the table, all of the ingredients are fresh, and top tier. The drinks were unique and delicious! Our server was so personable and knowledgeable about the menu. My fiancé and his parents all chose different things to order and share, there wasn't a single thing we ordered that we didn't like! I'd love to go back again when we visit! Hopefully soon.

5 star experience in Asheville! We had fantastic food, cocktails and service (Zander) at Ukiah. Highly recommend the tasting menu. So much food and a lot of things we may not have tried. Tasting menu started with peppers, hamachi, tempura mushroom (the only dish we wouldn't order again), oysters, tomato and onion salad, wagyu, duck soup, sea bass, zucchini, spare ribs, and homemade coconut cake with coconut ice cream. Truly a special dinner!

We shared the lower cost tasting menu early on a Saturday evening. First I had the Purple Rain drink of sake and egg whites and other things--incredibly well balanced. I also had another drink with gin, green pea puree, ginger, lemon. Very interesting and creative. I recommend both. I also greatly appreciate that Yukiah has a terrific THREE delicious mocktails. We found the food to range from very good to excellent with a nice consistency. Service was super friendly. Loved the vibe of the wood beams and the cool bar in the middle of the restaurant. Only quibble with service was two of our courses were served at same time --felt like I was being rushed a bit (and we are not lingerers) I promise! Photos of some of the courses included Very funky wedge salad--underneath it tastes much like the basic salad of lettuce and peanut sauce served at many Japanese restaurants. I would have liked the dressing a little thicker to stick to the leaves more. But great flavor Salmon on crispy rice bed. Never had anything like that crispy rice bed! I thought it was a great texture; would have liked the rice to be a little less to emphasize the salmon more.

Unique concept ... small plates and shareable if you want. Pick two to three plates per person (unless you have a 21 year old athlete at the table .. then 4 to 5 plates). The menu was well designed with different meats and veggies as well as different styles.. skewers, fried with sauces, dumplings/buns, raw, etc. So we picked: 1. Pork bao ... crispy pork with a nice spicy sauce served in a bun. 2. Waygu skewers served with a chili sauce, Wasabi, and chimicharri sauce .. super favorable and tender. 3. Street corn 4. Mini zucchini 5. Karage chicken with a kewpie mayo ... the plate had a lot of chicken, and the mayo was a deep flavor with a kick. 6. Pork belly skewers .. so crispy!!! 7. Rock shrimp ... this was our only negative ... strange combo of flavors that did not go well together. The service was spot on and helpful. We had to park up the street and walk down, but that is typical for Asheville. Theme is Japanese smokehouse, but I would say the menu was only somewhat true to that theme. No matter the food was very good!

Vibes: bustling but low key; love the wooden tones; bring a friend or the whole crew to sit indoors or on the patio Tasting notes: - Beech tempura: light, airy batter encasing tender, meaty mushrooms; well-balanced flavor between the ranch and onion ash; one of the more unique dishes I've encountered; shareable between two - Bok Choy: excellent char on otherwise crunchy leaves; surprisingly spicy dressing - Sea Bass: incredibly fresh fish with delightfully crispy skin; loved the meat-to-skin ratio; brown butter added just enough warm nuttiness without overwhelming the fragrant yuzu - Duck Hot Pot: deep shoyu flavor but otherwise light broth; loved the variety of "stuff" with each ladle - mushrooms, duck confit, dumplings - South Carolina Pork Shoulder: a choose-your-own-adventure dish; the meat was tender and juicy all by itself; yakiniku sauce is very umami while the bbq sauce is fruity and tangy; absolutely addicted to the crunchy, floral yuzu pickles; kimchi was pleasantly smoky Other thoughts: - free flowing kitchen with a comfortable amount of down time between dishes - above meal was very satisfying for two hungry adults Impression: what a creative, delicious dinner! Would absolutely come back in a heartbeat!

Ukiah continues to be a must stop when in Asheville. The Japanese sweet potato and sticky ribs will always be in the order, but you can't really go wrong with any of it. The value is the only thing that will knock it down a star for me. I'm happy to pay for quality products, but appreciate being able to leave full after spending $60/person.

Excellent food and drink in a beautiful setting. We went for an early light dinner and were offered a seat at the bar, which was fine with us. After watching the bartender firing up some smoked old fashioned cocktails, we each ordered one, along with the pork ribs and collards greens to share. Everything was delicious. The collards eat more like a meal than a side of veggies, as they're chock full of smoked pork, bacon and crispy fried onions. Just amazing. The pork ribs are also terrific, and we both thoroughly enjoyed our old fashioned. Service was excellent; prompt, friendly and super hospitable. Well most definitely be back.

TOP FIVE MEALS EVER! I still dream about this meal.. it was seriously that good. We got the Tasting Menu with 10 courses. -Grilled Shishito Peppers: perfect way to start the meal, love the charr on these -Beech Mushroom Tempura: I am not a huge mushroom fan, but so much of this menu included mushrooms and I loved every single dish! this was filled with flavor - I no longer want a blooming onion as an app, I want this! -Salmon Sashimi: fresh, melts in your mouth -Iceberg Wedge: a light, crispy touch to the meal -Baby Bok Choy: another light, fresh touch to the meal -Wagyu: tender, delicious -Pork & Shitake Mushroom Gyoza: again, another mushroom based meal - incredibly flavorful -Crispy Baby Back Ribs: fall off the bone - loved the sauce they were in -Duck Hot Pot: a really rich broth with a depth of flavor -Ukiah Ice Cream Sandwich: perfect way to end the meal - light, has a salty sweet balance

Do not pass on this place! They have mastered the perfect blend of tastes and flavors. And don't sleep on brunch - shashuka was out of this world. I mean, ALL the food was so freaking good. And the staff were amazing, kind & quick with service. Will be telling everyone they need to eat here when in Asheville.

My friend and I took a last minute girls weekend getaway to Asheville and this place was on our list. We didn't have a reservation, but we showed up at 5p and we're immediately seated at the bar. The bartender and service bar tender were amazing. The overall vibe of the place was great, fun and welcoming. We wanted to try a lot of options so we went for the chef tastings (8-12 plates) with pairings. Now to the food and drinks. First course: The Grilled Shishito Peppers with carrot-ginger ponzu. Simple but delicious. It was one of our top 3 favorites. Second course: Beech Mushroom Tempura with tokyo ranch + onion ash. This course was one of my least favorite. It was sort of like a ball of grease in bitter ranch. It may have worked better in smaller fried portions. Third course: Salmon Sashimi in wasabi soy broth + scallions. This course did not quite present like sashimi, the bites were thick and the intended flavors did not come through. Fourth course: Iceberg Wedge with sesame dressing, nashi pear + nori. A nice play on the wedge salad. Flavorful. Fifth course: Duck Hot Pot with duck dumplings, smoked shoyu broth + mushrooms. This dish was very bland with overcooked dumplings. Sixth course: Pork + Shitake Mushroom Gyoza with black pepper ponzu. The course was a little bitter and the fried thing on top was confusing. Seventh course: Wagyu with shiso chimichurri, yuzu kosho, wasabi + sea salt. Another one of our favorites. Flavorful and well cooked. Eight course: Crispy Baby Back Ribs. We were excited for this dish but very underwhelmed. It was salty. Ninth course: Grilled Seasonal Mushrooms with green peas, wasabi, brown butter + ponzu. While this course was flavorful and delicious, the coursing was odd throughout the meal and to have another mushroom course after the meat course was odd. Tenth course: Coconut Cake with house made coconut ice cream. This was the star of the show. The chefs mother has a fabulous recipe. I wish I had it. Very light and delicious. As for the drink pairings it was more of a go with the flow, but a steal for $25. A cocktail, sake, red wine, white wine. If you don't consume alcohol then the mocktails are delicious. I tried one on the menu the Stimulation (Yerba Maté, Wild Kola Nut, Ginger, Cardamom, Wild Sarsaparilla, Star Anise, Fair Trade Sugar Cane Sugar and Vanilla Bean, Celtic Sea Salt + Fever Tree soda water Chai spiced, aromatic & stimulating, this quasi-traditional Coca Cola can boost vital energy without the crash.) and off menu a housemade spicy gingerbeer. While there were some hits and misses, overall it was an enjoyable evening and I recommend stopping by if you're in Asheville.

Came here for the yakitori alone (wanted small bites at the time). The "sticks" were good and unique but quite pricey for what it is and what is given. Got both the chicken thigh and pork belly yakitori - both cooked well and juicy with good flavor. The pickled apples that came with it were a little confusing but actually complimented the meats well. It was real packed when we dined but got seats at the bar with pretty good service. Majority of the patrons got ramen. It's quite interesting to notice when you dine at an Asian restaurant and see no Asian patrons or even staff there.

We appreciated that the Bartender offered tasty recommendations. It's a tapas menu and as each plate was delivered, the server presented and described the plate. The tuna tataki was exceptional. Great service.

We had a lovely experience at Ukiah, made even better by our wonderful server, Christopher! It's basically a Japanese tapas style restaurant where they recommend 2-3 dishes each (with a few exceptions that were clearly laid out to us). The food was all delish but the size of each dish varied widely. The crispy shrimp for example was massive with so many shrimp that it took 4 of us to finish it and the Japanese sweet potato is a whole sweet potato that Christopher described as crème brûlée in a sweet potato (read huge and sweet). The crispy mushroom bao buns were light and delicious with incredible flavor from the yuzu pickles. All of the crispy rice dishes were a huge hit. Don't sleep on the sugar snap peas! The only miss for me was the veggie ramen - the yuzu gave it a sweetness that just wasn't for me, but others may love it. But everything else was creative and fun, including the cocktails.

Great restaurant with upscale decor but competitive pricing. Shareable and delicious. Very good for groups.

Tourist trap. The outside of the restaurant and interior are so aesthetically pleasing! The wait staff is very friendly and the cocktails are great. I'm giving 3 stars for the food. If you are looking for some dank Asian fusion tapas, I'd go somewhere else. Flavor was basic and, portions were good, but overall left feeling unenthused and wanting more flavor elsewhere.

For the first time I didn't take pics of the food but everything was awesome. We had a large party so we had a tasting menu. Instead of oysters we had rock shrimp and carrots instead of zucchini. The table raved about all of the food. People loved the sweet potatoes so much that they took them home (6 hour drive) the next day! The cocktails and wine were fabulous too (especially the mezcal yuzu one). We had the coconut cake with coconut ice cream and it was a big hit. The staff was wonderful and they were accommodating to our group and dietary restrictions (needed a few nondairy options). Parking is a struggle by the restaurant but a few blocks down the hill is a paid lot.

The food was incredible. We ordered the fried mushrooms, pork buns, and shishito peppers to start followed by both the spicy ramen noodle and the pork belly ramen. Both were really good but the spicy ramen noodle was a little better. The servers were very friendly, had great recommendations, and knew the menu very well. Overall was a great experience and would highly recommend. Would come back here again next time I'm in Asheville!

Highly recommend trying their chefs choice menu! That's what we did and it was so fun being able to try such a great variety of their menu for a great price. 4/5 only for the price compared to nothing really blowing me away, but I almost never give out 5 stars. Loved their mushroom soup, ribs, and eel!!!

This place is delicious! I love the tapas style so you can try lots of things on the menu. Everything we ordered was wonderful. Ambiance was great. Service was great. Highly recommend

Came here for our friends birthday dinner. Majority of the dishes were delicious and definitely worth getting! We loved the hamachi..very refreshing. The sea bass skewer and avocado salads were so good. The pork and mushroom dumpling and rock shrimp were ok... would skip these next time. The star of the dinner were the smoked short rib and duck hot pot!! The short rib was highly recommended by our waitress.. the meat came right off the skewer. We loved the duck hot pot!! Clean broth with lots of dumplings and duck meat. A cute date night spot! Highly recommend!

This place has definitely been the highlight of our visit to Asheville. There were so many options, and the tasting menu just felt like the right way to go. We got the larger tasting menu which had 12 courses, including dessert. There was only one item (the zucchini) that wasn't amazing, but all-in-all it was one flavor packed plate after another. The drinks here were also fabulous. I really liked our server, who described each plate in detail, and seemed like she could have given great guidance even if we decided not to do the tasting menu. Dessert was a coconut cake that was delicious. I had to fight myself not to finish it, as I was already so full from the food that preceeded it.