INGOOD TASTE
Candid conversations with the dining scene’s most engaging chefs
Buzz, Sushi Chef, Umai
On the Menu:
An eclectic mix of Japanese and Thai cuisine
featuring a sushi and raw bar and fresh sea-
food plates from oysters (changes daily), tuna,
sushi and sashimi to grilled skewers, Asian
chowder, Japanese salad and burgers, big
bowl noodles of Shoyu Ramen and Yaki Soba,
to name a few, plus a happy hour featuring
half-price oysters, beer and house wine every
Monday-Saturday, 4 to 6 p.m.
You’re known as Buzz—just
Buzz?
Yes, just Buzz. I’m the sushi
chef. But, I’m really the Hydro
Ceramic Engineer—that’s long for
dishwasher. It’s been my title for 35 years.
Q A
What led you to work at Umai?
I was working at a farm-to-table up north and
running the restaurant that produced the catering.
We hosted about 70 or 80 weddings a year on
the farm. I did that for three years and it got to be
too much. I learned about Umai and the owner
and I connected. I started here this past June. My
primary focus is the sushi menu. We collaborate
to create each dish to infuse Thai and Japanese
cuisine.
What’s your background in cultivating your
sushi?
Trying to get a hold of the best fish I can—plus
the love I have for the culture. I was married to
a woman for 17 years who is Korean and I spent
quite a few years working at a Japanese restaurant
and traveling to Thailand.
What continues to spark your interest in
the kitchen?
I ask myself that question every day after long,
80-hour weeks I’ve put in for more than the past
Umai in Mt. Lebanon.
three decades. I suppose the bottom line is I still
love food and I still have passion for the work
I do. It comes down to when I’m working at
the Sushi Bar. I hand customers their meal and
immediately I can see them enjoy it—it’s the
ultimate instant gratification.
What kitchen tool can’t you live without?
First, that would be a rice cooker. Second would
be a knife. I’m really “old school” like that. I’d
rather chop garlic with a knife than a Cuisinart.
Chefs or cooks can lose a lot of the oils of an
ingredient with a machine; a knife is always best.
What is your favorite quick meal to prepare
at home?
I don’t cook at home. I’m never there and my
daughters (Tess and Angela) are all grown up
now. I brought them into the business when they
were younger, to discourage them from wanting
to be in the business as adults. When you work
in restaurants you don’t have your weekends and
you don’t have your holidays. I’d see my children
more if they were working with me all of the time.
Fortunately enough, Angela is in grad school now
and she comes in to work with me at Umai one
day a week.
Umai’s chef and owner, Mayjeera Shiobara,
with sushi chef, Buzz.
A colorful plate of Toto Roll with shrimp
tempura wrapped in salmon, tuna and hirame.
What’s your favorite go-to ingredient?
Fish. I like using different white fish, such as
bronzina and dorade. Our fish comes in on a daily
basis and we filet it in front of the customers.
Best advice for a novice?
The most important thing to remember is to
be careful and not cut or burn yourself. Also,
learn to multitask, which includes thinking of
30 different things at one time. If you’re cooking
three different dishes and each dish requires 10
ingredients, there are your 30 different things.
But, the best advice I can give is to stay off your
cell phone.
Other than Umai, where is your favorite
place to eat in the city?
I really like Meat and Potatoes. I order the bone
The modern and plush dining room at Umai.
A hearty bowl of Pork Ramen with roasted
pork loin, bean sprout, bamboo shoot,
onion and egg.
marrow in the winter. It’s a really good seasonal
dish for your body when it’s cold because it’s a
fatty food that will keep you warm. I also like
Cure in Lawrenceville—they do good and honest
work.
What’s the next big food or dining trend?
A trend might be headed toward chefs serving
small restaurants with only the chefs working,
without servers. The menu would be A-Z
sustainable and everything recyclable with zero
waste. n
—Reese Randall
12 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Mt. Lebanon
Umai
297 Beverly Road, Mt. Lebanon
412.344.7874, umaimtlebo.com