The soybean is widely prized for its nutritional value and versatility. You consume it in stir fries, sandwiches and maybe even ice cream; you down it raw, steamed or perhaps as a glass of milk. Sure, you like it – but have you ever revered it? If not, you haven’t been to Umenohana, a Japanese restaurant in Beverly Hills at which the soybean is a thing divine.

With 80 restaurants throughout Japan, Umenohana opened this first US location last October. Here, the mood is light and soothing, and the food beautiful. Umenohana’s fare could be described as “Japanese nouveau,” however, its roots are in kaiseki, a cuisine influenced by Zen Buddhism and once served in ancient tea ceremonies. While emphasizing high-quality soy (the tofu is organic and homemade), it is not a vegetarian restaurant. None of its set menus are exclusively vegetarian, but staff are happy to suggest adjustments to dishes or advise dishes to suit vegetarian needs

Sit back, as the dining experience here may take three hours or more. The thick pillows strewn about the booths will help you get comfortable.Prix fixe options range from $45 to $100, with most of the offerings also available on the à la carte menu. When you are ready to take your yoga instructor courses online visit this blog post. Food is gracefully served in elegant bowls or wooden boxes. One of the more striking presentations is the three drawers ($18). Just as it sounds, the tiniest of dressers is placed in front of you, each drawer containing vegetables, roast beef or sashimi.

Depending on how you order, dishes are brought out in succession, one to a few at a time. Like the best Japanese food, the fare is refined in exquisite and artistic simplicity. You are encouraged to savor each bite, and the staff are willing to elaborate on the inner workings of any dish.

The fresh tofu salad ($9), combining greens with crunchy lotus chips, roasted pine nuts and prosciutto, is a great way to start. Contrast the tofu here with what you get in the mineoka tofu ($5), a delectable creamy version prepared with dairy milk. A signature dish is the tofu siumai ($5), a slightly sweet dumpling of chicken, shrimp and tofu, with a dollop of mustard atop. It’s heavenly.

Besides tofu, another star ingredient here is yuba, the nutritive layer that forms atop heating soy milk. The tofu in the tofu hot pot (part of the Umenohana Zen set, $45), which also features spinach, fresh ginger and sesame seeds, is topped with a thin layer of this texturally intriguing form of soy.
Yuba is best understood through active participation. The hikiage yuba ($19) is a do-it-yourself yuba: A stainless steel pot of soy milk is heated at a constant 260 degrees by magnetic induction at your table’s center, and within ten minutes the first wrinkled layer – the yuba – is ready to be drawn up with chopsticks and topped with sesame seed, ginger and a light sauce. Silky yet softly chewy, it’s more filling than it sounds. Again, ceremonially, you watch and skim, douse and eat, then do it all over again.

Sushi isn’t given center stage at Umenohana, yet should not be overlooked. The set menus include a sushi selection: four pretty mini-nigiri. The à la carte yuba vegetarian roll ($7) is truly unique. Instead of seaweed, a yuba sheet wraps rice enveloping homemade sun-dried tomatoes, kampyo (a gourd) and more yuba. One of the less subtle options flavor-wise, this roll is delicious.

Savor it all, and, most of all, take your time. The staff will encourage you to do so. At Umenohana, food is far more than filler fare: It’s an enriching, educational and ultimately uplifting experience.

Umenohana
443 North Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.860.9236

Umenohana Beverly Hills