Although Japan is sometimes known as "the land of the rising sun," in culinary circles it is also referred to as "the land of the drooling tongue." Please your tasting organ with today's deal. For $20, you get $45 worth of Japanese and Asian-fusion cuisine from Umami Asian Kitchen in Chagrin Falls.

Umami's red-brick walls and wood-trimmed interior give the upscale dining den a warm glow, while minimalist décor and two-tone artwork add a polished pop. The menu comes in lunch and dinner breeds, offering up a variety of traditional and adventurous options for the dull-averse diner. Lunch is a study in dualism, featuring small and big plates for medium-to-large appetites. Sate sushi cravings with a spicy tuna roll ($8), an edible sculpture garnished with spicy aioli, carrot, tobiko, and sesame. Miso soup ($4) is a plentiful standby, while some parts of the menu branch into other Asian cuisines, such as the plancha-seared Korean barbecue beef ($12), topped with kimchee, cucumber salad, and a scallion pancake. Warm spinach salad ($8) helps meet roughage quotas with a blend of crispy shiitakes, goat cheese, and sesame dressing.

A fancy fusion feast will impress your dates and punctuate your individuality during dinner with mom, showing off your sense of adventure and your taste for variety. Dinner provides an extended sushi and sashimi selection, as well as further non-traditional treats. Try the goat-cheese dumplings ($8.50), creamy morsels trimmed with seared greens and soy-ginger butter. Teriyaki-glazed fresh bacon ($7) is complemented by ginger, carrot, and unexpected spatzle. A big plate of togarashi-crusted rib eye ($28) will tackle even the heartiest appetite, with sides of broccoli, mushrooms, fermented black beans, and udon filling out the plate. Crispy tofu ($15) hits up the other end of the meat spectrum by not being meat and is served with mushrooms, seasonal vegetables, and tamari-mushroom broth. Wine, signature cocktails, and a variety of Asian beers are also ready and waiting to cleanse food-saturated palates.

Umami strives to incorporate local and sustainably harvested ingredients in its dishes, while seeking out the freshest fish available. The big-eye tuna is flown in from Hawaii twice weekly, and the goat cheese is siphoned from local goats at Mackenzie Creamery in Hiram. Eating fresh and locally sourced foodstuffs is an excellent way to support struggling farmers and fishermen, in addition to preventing conditions such as wanderlust, distal digestion, and spontaneous long-range appetite extension.

Reviews

The Plain Dealer recommends Umami Asian Kitchen for its creative and tasteful cuisine:

• Think briny oysters, woodsy mushrooms, vintage cheeses and rich hearty stocks. Umami is a distinct but subtle effect, blending well with other foods to enhance and deepen flavors. That's where Umami Asian Kitchen gets its name, and its credo. Though it's a tiny sliver of a restaurant (barely 30 seats), the menu embraces big tastes and lots of them. The result is some dishes whose parts play together in a delicious and harmonious whole... – Beth Segal, The Plain Dealer

OpenTable diners give Umami Asian Kitchen a 4.3-star rating, four TripAdvisors give it 3.5 owl eyes, and 75% of 60 Urbanspooners like it:

• My girlfriends and i recently visited Umami and found the food tasty, creative and beautifully prepared. The service was terrific...Umami is a wonderful dining experience and a must try...especially if you are looking for really fresh and delicious fish. – edanaedana, Urbanspoon
• The atmosphere, food and service stand above the rest...The food is adventurous and well prepared. Try the goat cheese dumplings or Masman chicken. the sushi and sashimi was also awesome. – jwestrich, Urbanspoon