いらっしゃいませIrasshaimase · Welcome · Hoş geldiniz
Coming soon · Sarasota, FloridaA Japanese tavern with a Turkish chef’s signature.
Sea. Sake. Shared plates. Seasonal seafood, cooked over live charcoal on a Josper and a Hibachi grill, from Chef Tolga Mutlu.
いらっしゃいませ!
Walk into a restaurant in Japan and the whole room calls out irasshaimase: welcome, come in. We are keeping that tradition. When we open, that is the first thing you will hear at MeyUmi.
Mey + Umi
Mey is the spirit of a Turkish meyhane, the tavern where friends share small plates, drinks and long conversation.
Umi is the Japanese word for sea.
Our two-fish emblem is about exchange: food, drink and conversation moving between two cultures. MeyUmi brings that story to a Japanese tavern in Sarasota.
A neighborhood izakaya with Turkish hospitality.
An izakaya is a Japanese tavern: a place to gather, order a few plates and keep the drinks coming. MeyUmi is informal, intimate and close to the cooking. You can see the chef, the grill and the next plate on its way.
The room has history: worn timber, black tile, and a personal collection of music and art. Seats are comfortable, the counter is busy and the service is warm and direct.
Japanese izakaya, Turkish signatures.
Fire, sea and a few surprises.
The menu is coming soon.
Real fire, real flavor.
Our kitchen is built around two grills: a Josper and a Hibachi charcoal grill. Both cook with live charcoal, which gives seafood, vegetables and meat a smoky depth and a clean char that a flat-top or oven cannot.
The Josper is a closed charcoal oven that cooks at very high heat and keeps the juices and the natural taste of the ingredient. The Hibachi is open and direct, made for skewers and quick, precise grilling. Together they let us keep the main taste and flavor of each product, with little more than olive oil, salt and citrus.
Come for a drink. Stay for the fish.
Arrival
A discreet curtain and a warm welcome reveal the room.
First round
A highball or sake, something cold, and a few plates to share.
The evening unfolds
A fish from the grill, another drink and a record worth asking about.
Chef Tolga Mutlu
Tolga grew up in Istanbul with Aegean roots. For many years he has been the opening executive chef of successful restaurant concepts, in Istanbul, Dubai, Monte Carlo, Miami and Orlando.
Now he is sharing a concept of his own, in his own way. His cooking is seafood, vegetables, olive oil and fire, and at MeyUmi he is welcoming guests the way he would at home.
Hours
| Monday | Closed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday – Thursday | 4 – 10 pm |
| Friday – Saturday | 4 – 11 pm |
| Sunday | 4 – 10 pm |
We are coming soon. The opening date will be announced on Instagram first.
Say hello.
Questions, press and private events:
info@meyumi.us.com
Follow along: @meyumiizakaya