9.3.25 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The car is packed and I'm pretty sure I haven't forgotten anything. Wife? Check! Poodle? Check! Audio book? Check! Jellybean would prefer us to drive at a cool rate of 25 miles per hour so she can keep her snoot out the window but Becca says no. Becca on a mission, eyes forward, foot down and destination focused. I get to ride, so I'm flip-flops up, shades on, gin and tonic in the cup holder. Away we go!

When it Rains it Pours

The drive is easy and after a pit stop in Floyd for lunch, we find the little cottage in Charlotte we’ve rented and go inside. The first thing I do is pull the glass knob off the inside of the bathroom door, BAM! So now the bathroom door doesn't work and you can easily get stuck inside. Luckily, I find a wrench and keep it on the bathroom sink. The second thing I do is pull the knob off the kitchen drawer where the silverware is kept, so now that drawer doesn't open without a pocket knife. It's fine, we're here, we’re officially on vacation, let's settle in, have an afternoon cocktail and explore the town. So we unpack, Jellybean sniffs every square inch and I decide it’s time for that cocktail on the couch. Becca and Jellybean decide it’s time for a walk around the neighborhood. They both end up getting stuck in a torrential downpour while I nap on the couch. Jellybean is a grumpy poodle.

Raw Oysters

We dry up, change clothes, and hit the town in search of oysters. We find a place and Becca and I fill ourselves with briny oysters and po’ boy sandwiches. After dinner we decide to head back to the cottage to digest, relax, wait for dark, and then have bubbles in the hot tub. Instead we do what most married couples do on vacation: We snuggle up with the dog, put on Will Farrell and fall asleep on the couch.

Emergency Vet Visits and City Traffic

Day 2, Jellybean and I wake up early, make a steaming pot of coffee and plop down on the couch to have a nice slow morning. Wrong! Jellybean steps on a piece of glass and we end up spending most of our morning finding an emergency vet. But of course, as soon as we get to the vet, she has forgotten all about her foot and is feeling totally fine. We go in anyway. They send us away with a treat, a bill, and a smile. The vet hasn’t found anything and probably assumes we have Munchausen syndrome. I just want to make sure our little princess is okay.

We spend the remainder of the afternoon walking around town, getting coffee and checking out the city. Jellybean has seemingly forgotten all about her paw as stops to sniff every bush, hydrant, and tree on the walk. We eat some good bao buns, have fun cocktails and people-watch. Time to get back to the abode, get cleaned up and head out to the restaurant we planned this whole trip around.

A Truly Special Place

We have really wanted to eat at this small Japanese restaurant in Hickory, NC, for a while now, so this summer we decided that's what we’re going to do. Luckily we know a guy who knows a guy who was able to get a highly coveted reservation. With only four tables, reservations fill up fast.

With Jellybean all hopped up on chill pills, I button my shirt to the top button, Becca wears a nice shirt showing off the guns and we’re ready to depart on our big date night. The restaurant is about an hour away, although we do not account for Charlotte rush hour traffic. They really emphasize the word rush in rush hour; 90 mph in a 65 and we are on our way out of the big city.

We find ourselves in a small little town at a small little restaurant called Umi. Upon entering we are met by the owner, Satoko. She greets us with such an amazing and energetic hello and welcome and then whisks us inside to our table. The wind chimes on the door, the beautiful artwork, and such an intimate dining room—we knew we were in for a treat. There are only two employees, Satoko and her husband, Yasu. Satoko runs the dining room while Yasu runs the kitchen. No wonder Becca and I find the restaurant so appealing.

The whole place exudes a warm and welcoming charm. We settle into our table, order some wine and start looking through the menu. I want to order everything, overwhelmed by the options. I expected a much smaller menu from just one person in the kitchen, but the menu is full of enticing options. I find myself so interested in the scope of the menu. Coming from our restaurant with its 15-item menu, I know the amount of work it takes to just do that. The amount of work and love that Satoko and Yasu must put into this place is downright impressive.

We know we want to try a large sampling of sashimi, some of the house's chef rolls, but the dish that really catches my eye is the peri-peri yellowfin. I can’t resist; you can tell right away this is an item they are having some fun with.

We are blown away from the start. The salads that come out first are organic greens, delicate, with a light crunch just barely dressed with a bright vinegar. It’s so simple and such a perfect way to start. From there I have the best miso soup of my life. I almost always pass on miso soup at restaurants because it always seems like an afterthought. Not here. I drink every last drop; the flavor is really amazing. After a lifetime of bland, flavorless miso soups, this changes my mind. I am astonished at myself even writing this, but that soup might be the most surprising dish we had on vacation.

From there we have beautiful rolls with masago on top and a sweet glaze. They don't last long at all. Then the peri-peri yellowfin arrives, and I think it steals the show. Satoko explains that they had a customer from South Africa who introduced them to peri-peri and that they’ve been playing with it in the kitchen ever since. The fish is delicate, warm, and perfectly seasoned, and is from the prefecture in Japan where they’re from. I am being amazed course after course.

The sashimi: Absolutely beautiful. The wasabi is hot and the tobiko is cool. We get to try the yellowfin again, this time raw, so fun to compare the two preparations. Becca orders an Albariño that pairs beautifully with the fish and helps my head from exploding after I overdo it with the wasabi.

While we are dining, multiple people try to walk in, but they are fully booked on a Tuesday evening. With such an intimate dining room and quality food they fill up fast. At one point all the tables are talking together, making for an interesting communal dining feel. Becca and I have our own romantic dinner while also feeling like we’re at a social affair. We leave with an amazing sense of being satiated, the restaurant hitting all of our sensory needs. We’re absolutely charmed.

Thank you so much for an amazing evening Satoko and Yasu. We will be talking about this meal for years to come.

Back to the Cottage

Ahhh, we're home, we're full, our eyelids are getting heavy. Becca and Jellybean crash and I stay up trying to fight off the bed for just a little while longer, but sure enough I lose the fight and it's time for me to climb under the covers and dream of sushi. BAM! I pull another doorknob off, dropping the other side of the knob onto the hardwood floors, and everyone is instantly wide awake. Nighty Night!

More Raw Fish

For our last night, we go to a fairly posh and hip Japanese Peruvian restaurant. The lights are low, the music is loud and the atmosphere is a party. I order the smoked pisco sour cocktail which comes out still smoking. Becca has to one up me; her food comes out literally on fire. Flaming oyster shells filled with seafood. The best dish we have all evening is an appetizer of raw hamachi with avocado, jalapeño and coconut milk. I end up saving the leftover sauce to have with my steak.

But the real highlight of the night: I had forgotten when I made the reservation that I noted it would be our anniversary. Our dessert transports us to Cape Canaveral, not because of the tropical flavors but because it looks like a rocket launch! Appropriate, I'd say, since we share a red hot fiery love for each other.

Ground Control, we have liftoff.

—Matt