Ichi Umi in Edison...A Good Japanese Sushi and Seafood Buffet

If you crave seafood and sushi and want to get it at a decent price...look no further than Ichi Umi in NJ.  Ichi Umi is a newer chain than Minado, which in my opinion has better sushi, but for lunch you get quite a super deal at Ichi Umi for the cheaper lunch price.  If you're an oyster/raw bar aficionado like me you can basically get unlimited oysters here for around $20 per person for lunch (In Minado, oysters are only available at dinner and the buffet is around $30 per person).

Here's a pic of the raw bar at Ichi Umi, you get a choice of several different types of oysters.  When I went last summer they had Blue Points, which are always delicious, and they also made the accompanying mignonette.

Aside from oysters, their raw bar area also sometimes have either raw steamer clams or razor clams.  One this visit they also had Korean-style marinated raw blue crabs that were delicious.

Ichi Umi also has a cute small one-bites area where they put items into tiny cups.  Pictured are different fish roes, tuna tartar, smoked salmon, marinated clams...

A pic of the sushi bar, with the usual nigiri sushi and various rolls.

A plate with variety of sushi.  Their nigiri sushi (fish on top of rice) was ok, but their rolls

have a little too much rice for my liking...

One of my absolute favorite appetizers at any Japanese restaurant is monk fish liver.  Often called

"foie gras of the sea", it's usually marinated in ponzu and is oh so delicious.  On this visit they actually had this 

available for lunch (Minado hasn't ever had this item available from the times I've been there...lunch or dinner!)...here it's served on top of cucumber slices.

Fancy a whole lobster?  $6 (I believe supplement)...they serve it with drawn butter as well...

Ichi Umi has decent selection of hot foods as well that is compromised of a variety of seafood dishes like

a variety of whole fried and even steamed fish, fish cakes, crab cakes, fried and grilled calamari, and pretty good korean style chicken wings.

Here's a pic of the hot food bar...their steamed whole fish is actually pretty good...still moist 

and juicy.

So summing up, Ichi Umi is a pretty good deal for lunch at around $20 a person (I believe it's $22 or so during the weekends).  The quality of the food, seafood, or sushi won't blow you away, but if you're craving a seafood, sushi, and oysters, it's a safe bet...you can certainly do a lot worse!  As far as I know Ichi Umi has two locations...one in Edison and one in NYC

NJ Location:

55 Parsonage Rd
Edison, NJ 08837

NYC Location

6 E 32nd St
New York, NY 10016