UMAYA DC'S CHEF HOANG DEBUTS NEW MENU

Chef Hoang of Umaya in Washington, DC | Photo: Eric Cuevas for Average Socialite

Hot Spot: Umaya, 733 10th Street, NW, Washington, DC

Deets: Umaya, an Izakaya restaurant located at 733 10th Street NW, debuts a new menu!

Umaya brings together Eastern and Western concepts — providing the serenity and simplicity of a Western-style beer garden melded with traditional Asian plates and dining experience. Umaya DC specializes in the ever-popular Japanese ‘street food’; with seasoned chefs putting their own twists on time-honored dishes. Classic dishes such as sushi and ramen grace the menu, along with authentic Izakaya masterpieces. From the refreshing décor to the Asian comfort food and scent of the Izakaya grill, Umaya will delight your senses.

Umaya brings a much-needed Izakaya presence to the nation’s capital, mixing a beautiful beer garden with Asian culture and delicacies. Izakaya restaurants are similar to tapas restaurants as they propel guests to share and enjoy their time together—always over a few drinks. Umaya will carry a wide array of beer and sake, to compliment the peaceful and easy feel of the restaurant. The seasonal menu will change every few months, but hold fast to favorite staples.

‘Umaya’ directly translates to a ‘place that tastes good’ in Japanese. Umaya is not your stuffy upscale sushi restaurant; it is a place where you can go and enjoy yourself after work, on weekend afternoons, or whenever you simply need to unwind.

About Chef Nick V. Hoang

Chef Hoang is a highly skilled food service executive with more than 15 years of extensive experience in: multi–unit management, general management, concept development, refinement and menu engineering. A business-minded professional with proven success in the back office and creatively at the helm of the kitchen. Chef Hoang excels in Japanese culinary expression and food design. With extensive experience in off-premise catering ranging from small groups to large sporting events and local city food festivals, Chef Hoang understands the necessity to provide exquisite quality dishes to each and every individual.

Chef Hoang began his chef career in 1994 at Matuba in Bethesda and Arlington, where he learned what fish and fillings provided the best combination for guests’ taste buds. From there, he polished his sushi craft at a series of restaurants in the area including Sushi Ninja, MomoTaro, and Café Asia; all before taking his skills across the nation. In 2000, Chef Hoang started as head chef at Fukuji Restaurant in Maui, Hawaii, where he re-created the existing menu. Hawaii is where Chef Hoang learned to master cooking ramen and developing flavors that would best enhance the many flavors that go into the broth. Furthermore, he ventured to Las Vegas in 2001 to work under the direction of the famed Chef Kazuhiro (the original creator of the “Rainbow Roll”) at Seven Lounge and Nightlife, the first ever restaurant and nightclub with an outdoor sushi bar. After Seven Lounge, Chef Hoang returned to the East coast where he worked with the Café Asia executive team as their Executive Sushi Chef from 2002 - 2004. Chef Hoang continued to exercise his art through sushi by becoming a consultant to many restaurants in the following years, helping cultivate menus, design kitchens, and kitchen hiring. His resume includes well-known restaurants in DC and nationally, such as Mate Lounge and Ping Pong Dim Sum. The apex of his career came in 2010, when he worked at the critically acclaimed Kushi Izakaya, which was nominated for a James Beard award for Best New Restaurant.

Chef Hoang prides himself on masterful technique and new-age concepts in Asian cuisine. While his passion lies in sushi creation; his experience in hospitality goes well beyond sushi chef. He has prepared dishes for celebrities all over the world, but is thrilled to refresh the sushi scene in the Nation’s Capital.

Hint For The Average Socialite: Open daily. Lunch & Dinner. Serving Japanese comfort food & libations. For more info click here! Online ordering also available!

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