Bar Ume at Bourke Street

 Ume, formerly a fine dining Japanese restaurant on Bourke Street in Surry Hills, has reopened as a more casual izakaya-style bar and burger joint.

It's mostly table service here, but the compact space is home to a tiled bar with a few bar stools and is stocked with beautiful bottles of sake, shochu and Japanese whisky. The focus here is on the booze, but the food is a good reason to stay for the night.

The food menu is burger focused with a meat and veg specials list that's updated daily and might feature snacks like fried oysters or charred asparagus.
As well as the whisky and sake menu, they have a blackboard wine list and some simple cocktails with spirits and mixers on offer and a really delicious non-alcoholic ginger and passionfruit soda.

The Ume burger

The Ume burger, is good. The bun isn't too sweet, the meat isn't too rich and the accompanying sauces and garnishes are simple with onion, cheese, tomato and Japanese mayo.

The Ebi burger

 The ebi burger is awsome as well — a crisp prawn katsu patty is sandwiched with shredded cabbage and a nice, sharp tartare.

At the moment, Bar Ume is the only place to get Kerby Craig's burgers — but not for much longer. The owner and chef has been busy, and will open Ume Burger in Barangaroo later this year. In the meantime, Bar Ume is doing a good job for his reputation between the bun. Kanpai.


-Yee Na, Lok