We went to Biltmore and stopped by this place since it was near by. Out of everything we got our favorite was the beech mushroom tempura and the crispy pork ribs. I was surprised how good the mushroom was! We were expecting more out of the Seabass dish but it tasted more like cod or trout. The bao needed some sweetness it was on the sour side with the aioli sauce. I like the ramen, egg was well marinated but my husband thought the broth has too much citrusy flavor. Service was great! read more

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We were visiting from Durham and found this place online. We are both foodies and have tried a ton of places in Durham and throughout North Carolina and would both say this is our favorite food we've had in NC in the last 5 years!! Wow everything was insanely delicious, perfectly seasoned and melt in your mouth bites. We have the crispy rice and salmon which was the right amount of crispy rice with melt in your mouth salmon on top, the iceberg lettuce salad was well seasoned with the crispness of the pear and Asian forward dressing, the pork belly bao was tender with probably the best textured bao I've ever had. The star of the night was the mushrooms which were airy and crispy. Wow never thought mushrooms could be so delicious. I'd eat it everyday if I could. We needed the night with the short rib. It's a larger portion compared to the rest of the dishes and well worth the value. For cocktails we each had a dreamsicle (perfect cocktail) and the cherry berry I think which was very refreshing. We can't wait to come back. read more

Amazing Experience! We ordered the tasting menu. Unique and delicious. Ukiah had us at Bonita Flakes! Crazy amazing with dumplings. From shrimp to scallops, chili oil is used in a way I have never once tasted. We loved the rice cakes and the wagyu with onion rings. Honestly, I didn't think we could handle the multiple courses, but we killed it. The coconut cake and ice cream were just insane! The tasting menu is totally worth it. read more

I'm only here to report on the beech mushrooms - beautifully breaded, great portion, absolutely worth ordering. Their mocktails are also fantastic, sourced from a local apothecary-forward company. I really want to love this place, but it's inconsistent. Sometimes the food is too salty, sometimes bland, and other times spot on. It's frustrating because the atmosphere is stunning--it truly transports you to a restaurant in a big city. read more

Vibes: bustling but low key; love the wooden tones; bring a friend or the whole crew to sit indoors or on the patio Tasting notes: - Beech tempura: light, airy batter encasing tender, meaty mushrooms; well-balanced flavor between the ranch and onion ash; one of the more unique dishes I've encountered; shareable between two - Bok Choy: excellent char on otherwise crunchy leaves; surprisingly spicy dressing - Sea Bass: incredibly fresh fish with delightfully crispy skin; loved the meat-to-skin ratio; brown butter added just enough warm nuttiness without overwhelming the fragrant yuzu - Duck Hot Pot: deep shoyu flavor but otherwise light broth; loved the variety of "stuff" with each ladle - mushrooms, duck confit, dumplings - South Carolina Pork Shoulder: a choose-your-own-adventure dish; the meat was tender and juicy all by itself; yakiniku sauce is very umami while the bbq sauce is fruity and tangy; absolutely addicted to the crunchy, floral yuzu pickles; kimchi was pleasantly smoky Other thoughts: - free flowing kitchen with a comfortable amount of down time between dishes - above meal was very satisfying for two hungry adults Impression: what a creative, delicious dinner! Would absolutely come back in a heartbeat! read more

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Crispy rice with spicy tuna, Pork bao buns, wagyu on a stick, vegetable gyoza and vegetable ramen. Two cocktails and sake flight. Coconut cake for dessert. All were fantastic and staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. read more

Ukiah - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I have been to Ukiah more times than I can count and there is a reason for that. It's consistently a delicious and enjoyable experience. One of my favorite places in town. read more

So delicious and fun! I took my fiance here for his birthday and he loved it. His favorite thing was the bao buns. Mine was the Enoki mushrooms. Everything was delicious and our server was very kind. It was a fancy yet casual place and I would definitely come back. read more

Ukiah - Pork bao bun - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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My friend and I took a last minute girls weekend getaway to Asheville and this place was on our list. We didn't have a reservation, but we showed up at 5p and we're immediately seated at the bar. The bartender and service bar tender were amazing. The overall vibe of the place was great, fun and welcoming. We wanted to try a lot of options so we went for the chef tastings (8-12 plates) with pairings. Now to the food and drinks. First course: The Grilled Shishito Peppers with carrot-ginger ponzu. Simple but delicious. It was one of our top 3 favorites. Second course: Beech Mushroom Tempura with tokyo ranch + onion ash. This course was one of my least favorite. It was sort of like a ball of grease in bitter ranch. It may have worked better in smaller fried portions. Third course: Salmon Sashimi in wasabi soy broth + scallions. This course did not quite present like sashimi, the bites were thick and the intended flavors did not come through. Fourth course: Iceberg Wedge with sesame dressing, nashi pear + nori. A nice play on the wedge salad. Flavorful. Fifth course: Duck Hot Pot with duck dumplings, smoked shoyu broth + mushrooms. This dish was very bland with overcooked dumplings. Sixth course: Pork + Shitake Mushroom Gyoza with black pepper ponzu. The course was a little bitter and the fried thing on top was confusing. Seventh course: Wagyu with shiso chimichurri, yuzu kosho, wasabi + sea salt. Another one of our favorites. Flavorful and well cooked. Eight course: Crispy Baby Back Ribs. We were excited for this dish but very underwhelmed. It was salty. Ninth course: Grilled Seasonal Mushrooms with green peas, wasabi, brown butter + ponzu. While this course was flavorful and delicious, the coursing was odd throughout the meal and to have another mushroom course after the meat course was odd. Tenth course: Coconut Cake with house made coconut ice cream. This was the star of the show. The chefs mother has a fabulous recipe. I wish I had it. Very light and delicious. As for the drink pairings it was more of a go with the flow, but a steal for $25. A cocktail, sake, red wine, white wine. If you don't consume alcohol then the mocktails are delicious. I tried one on the menu the Stimulation (Yerba Maté, Wild Kola Nut, Ginger, Cardamom, Wild Sarsaparilla, Star Anise, Fair Trade Sugar Cane Sugar and Vanilla Bean, Celtic Sea Salt + Fever Tree soda water Chai spiced, aromatic & stimulating, this quasi-traditional Coca Cola can boost vital energy without the crash.) and off menu a housemade spicy gingerbeer. While there were some hits and misses, overall it was an enjoyable evening and I recommend stopping by if you're in Asheville. read more

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A fantastic experience all around. The ambiance is cool - very relaxed and also chic but not pretentious. The service was also great - Sela and her counterparts did a fantastic job. Very attentive and helpful. The food was excellent - there's not one thing we didn't enjoy or eat completely. We ordered one thing from almost every section except ramen or the big plates and the 4 of us were full and very happy! The drinks were also yummy. Highly recommend to anyone in the area! read more

TOP FIVE MEALS EVER! I still dream about this meal.. it was seriously that good. We got the Tasting Menu with 10 courses. -Grilled Shishito Peppers: perfect way to start the meal, love the charr on these -Beech Mushroom Tempura: I am not a huge mushroom fan, but so much of this menu included mushrooms and I loved every single dish! this was filled with flavor - I no longer want a blooming onion as an app, I want this! -Salmon Sashimi: fresh, melts in your mouth -Iceberg Wedge: a light, crispy touch to the meal -Baby Bok Choy: another light, fresh touch to the meal -Wagyu: tender, delicious -Pork & Shitake Mushroom Gyoza: again, another mushroom based meal - incredibly flavorful -Crispy Baby Back Ribs: fall off the bone - loved the sauce they were in -Duck Hot Pot: a really rich broth with a depth of flavor -Ukiah Ice Cream Sandwich: perfect way to end the meal - light, has a salty sweet balance read more

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Absolutely Incredible! Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse blew me away! From the moment we walked in, the vibe was welcoming and cozy, but it's the food that steals the show. Everything tasted fresh and unmistakably homemade, with so much heart in every bite. The ribs? Absolute perfection. Marinated for 6 days and slow smoked for 10 hours, they were fall-off-the-bone tender with a smoky depth that dreams are made of. Yes, they leaned a bit on the salty side--totally expected for the Southern palate--but the flavor balance was still spot-on. Every bite had me nodding in approval. This place is a must-visit for anyone who loves bold, expertly-crafted flavors with a Japanese twist. Zander was my amazing hostess and she was amazing. I had the Miso, dumpling, and ribs, it was the most expensive meal I've had $110. But was worth it to splurge alittle on my vacation. read more

This place used to be sooo good. The front staff is still excellent- bartenders and waiters. But the leadership has cut ties with excellence. someone told me they sold to Applebee's which sounds totally crazy but if you go eat at Ukiah the experience will be similar to any chain restaurant. And, whatever you do, do not order the oysters!!! there are many good restaurants in this area: wicked weed brewery, pax Tavern, Tupelo Honey, Bears barbecue, Farm burger, Thai orchid... you name it go anywhere else but Ukiah. Avoid. read more

Ukiah - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We shared the lower cost tasting menu early on a Saturday evening. First I had the Purple Rain drink of sake and egg whites and other things--incredibly well balanced. I also had another drink with gin, green pea puree, ginger, lemon. Very interesting and creative. I recommend both. I also greatly appreciate that Yukiah has a terrific THREE delicious mocktails. We found the food to range from very good to excellent with a nice consistency. Service was super friendly. Loved the vibe of the wood beams and the cool bar in the middle of the restaurant. Only quibble with service was two of our courses were served at same time --felt like I was being rushed a bit (and we are not lingerers) I promise! Photos of some of the courses included Very funky wedge salad--underneath it tastes much like the basic salad of lettuce and peanut sauce served at many Japanese restaurants. I would have liked the dressing a little thicker to stick to the leaves more. But great flavor Salmon on crispy rice bed. Never had anything like that crispy rice bed! I thought it was a great texture; would have liked the rice to be a little less to emphasize the salmon more. read more

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Came here for the yakitori alone (wanted small bites at the time). The "sticks" were good and unique but quite pricey for what it is and what is given. Got both the chicken thigh and pork belly yakitori - both cooked well and juicy with good flavor. The pickled apples that came with it were a little confusing but actually complimented the meats well. It was real packed when we dined but got seats at the bar with pretty good service. Majority of the patrons got ramen. It's quite interesting to notice when you dine at an Asian restaurant and see no Asian patrons or even staff there. read more

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Do not sleep on the brisket, dumplings, and coconut cake. Honestly, one of the best meals I've had. I will be returning just for that brisket. read more

Ukiah - Brisket - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

The food, the service, the vibe - all of it was on point!! The food is incredible, great sized portions for sharing with the table, all of the ingredients are fresh, and top tier. The drinks were unique and delicious! Our server was so personable and knowledgeable about the menu. My fiancé and his parents all chose different things to order and share, there wasn't a single thing we ordered that we didn't like! I'd love to go back again when we visit! Hopefully soon. read more

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For those who love tasting menus that are a little bit unconventional, this is the spot for you. My wife and I came here on a trip to Asheville in March and had the best meal. They had a fairly large drink menu - of course with a ton of beers because Asheville - but there were a lot of really fun cocktail options. Both seasonal and regular. One cocktail I got was the Tsukemono (Lunazul Blanco Tequila, gentian liqueur, lemon, house yuzu pickle brine + Scrappy's Firewater Tincture) and it was one of the best cocktails I've ever had. We both went with the more expensive tasting menu and got WAYYY too much food. It was all delicious but some standouts were: -Sea bass on a stick (top 5 fish dish i've ever eaten, so meaty) -Pork and shitake mushroom gyoza -Tuna sashimi -Duck hot pot It was awesome and we would definitely go back next time we're in the area! read more

Ukiah - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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I had the Raman and it was very good, very authentic. The drinks are also amazing. Will return to try other plates!

This is now my favorite restaurant in Asheville! Gluten free options, amazing food, great cocktails!!! read more

Ukiah - Dinner and drinks - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Excuse me, Asheville has an AMAZING Japanese fusion restaurant and it is UKIAH! Please do not expect very traditional Japanese food, but if you want something that has a unique Asian flavor (this is coming from someone who LOVES Japanese food) - this is THE PLACE. I feel like they did such a great job of highlighting what makes Japanese cuisine as unique and delicious as it is (Sweet potato? Toro? SHITAKE????) but putting a few added touches to it that still make it taste unlike anything you've ever had but still VERY delicious! Portions were great, pricing was fair, and service was top notch! Can't wait to go back! Please order the Japanese Sweet Potato - something that is so unique and different but actually quite simple and refreshing - you won't regret it! read more

Ukiah delivered a fabulous wedding dinner and experience for a group of 12 following our small elopement ceremony. I reserved their semi-private dining area and selected the Ukiah tasting menu, which they were graciously able to adapt to accommodate several dietary restrictions. Every dish was incredible, but the standouts were definitely the mushroom tempura and pork shoulder. The service was wonderful, the drinks were creative and delicious -- I couldn't have imagined a more perfect meal to close out a perfect day. Thank you for being a part of our celebration! read more

Highly recommend trying their chefs choice menu! That's what we did and it was so fun being able to try such a great variety of their menu for a great price. 4/5 only for the price compared to nothing really blowing me away, but I almost never give out 5 stars. Loved their mushroom soup, ribs, and eel!!! read more

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Came here for our friends birthday dinner. Majority of the dishes were delicious and definitely worth getting! We loved the hamachi..very refreshing. The sea bass skewer and avocado salads were so good. The pork and mushroom dumpling and rock shrimp were ok... would skip these next time. The star of the dinner were the smoked short rib and duck hot pot!! The short rib was highly recommended by our waitress.. the meat came right off the skewer. We loved the duck hot pot!! Clean broth with lots of dumplings and duck meat. A cute date night spot! Highly recommend! read more

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Ukiah continues to be a must stop when in Asheville. The Japanese sweet potato and sticky ribs will always be in the order, but you can't really go wrong with any of it. The value is the only thing that will knock it down a star for me. I'm happy to pay for quality products, but appreciate being able to leave full after spending $60/person. read more

Ukiah - Sticky ribs - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Came for dinner but they had an hour wait so we ordered takeout from the bar. Staff was so welcoming and helpful. They forgot a few items in the order but we realized before driving away, so they were able make them for us. All the boxes were labeled with what was inside. By the time we got home (20 min drive) everything was cold/room temp, but still SO GOOD. I can't imagine what things would have tasted like fresh out of the kitchen. Highly recommend the Baby Back Ribs! Best I've ever had! Fall of the bone good. The Waygu Beef Skewers and Crispy Pork Bao were also great! The Crispy Rock Shrimp were great but extremely spicy for my palate so I'd order those mild if it's possible next time. Can't wait to come back for a dine-in experience! read more

Ukiah - Takeout containers Baby back ribs and crispy rock shrimp - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Do not pass on this place! They have mastered the perfect blend of tastes and flavors. And don't sleep on brunch - shashuka was out of this world. I mean, ALL the food was so freaking good. And the staff were amazing, kind & quick with service. Will be telling everyone they need to eat here when in Asheville. read more

Ukiah - Shashuka - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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This place has definitely been the highlight of our visit to Asheville. There were so many options, and the tasting menu just felt like the right way to go. We got the larger tasting menu which had 12 courses, including dessert. There was only one item (the zucchini) that wasn't amazing, but all-in-all it was one flavor packed plate after another. The drinks here were also fabulous. I really liked our server, who described each plate in detail, and seemed like she could have given great guidance even if we decided not to do the tasting menu. Dessert was a coconut cake that was delicious. I had to fight myself not to finish it, as I was already so full from the food that preceeded it. read more

Ukiah - Coconut cake - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Ukiah is to ordinary Asian cuisine as Limones is to Taco Bell. Everything I ordered was deliciously layered, gorgeously presented, and refreshingly novel. If you're looking for a departure from the humdrum, drop in and be transported to a better place, on a higher plane. read more

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My husband and I love Ukiah for its tapas-style dining in Asheville. We are usually able to get in without a reservation. The staff are always friendly, and the atmosphere inviting. My go-to cocktail is the Purple Rain, which sets the mood for a relaxing evening. We enjoy sharing dishes like Edamame, pork, and shiitake Gyoza. The flavors are always unique and delicious. Ukiah is our favorite go to spot. Highly recommend! read more

My wife found this restaurant online when we were planning out trip to Asheville NC. What a great find! This restaurant has small plates and everyone was delicious. We sat outside and it was a great experience. Service was very good. My wife and I would definitely recommend this restaurant. Great drinks and food. read more

My wife and I went to Ukiah on a rainy Friday evening ready to enjoy a light dinner - then left blissfully in a food coma. Let me explain. We fully intended to order a couple items each, a starter and an entree. But there were so many choices which looked delicious. Then we saw the tasting menu. Our waitress said we'd get servings of their best items, 8-12 small courses. Smiling at each other, we were hooked. The first courses were the Sliced Hamachi and (4) oysters. We downed them quickly. Both fresh, light and delicious. The hamachi came with an herb salad and may have been our favorite course of the evening. Next came Shishito Peppers, Beech Mushroom Tempura, and the Wedge Salad. We LOVED the mushroom, but didn't notice until later how surprisingly large and filling it was. No problem! I made up for it by eating most of the salad on my own - also tasty. You can see where this is going. Seven more courses followed. Duck Hot Pot - ok. Smoked Sugar Snap Peas - very good. Grilled See Bass, Wagyu Beef - oh oh, we should've brought our stretchy pants. So....very....delicious....so...full....but....must....keep....eating. I believe the last courses were Sliced Ribeye, Japanese Sweet Potato and Coconut Layer Cake. I say believe because things were rather hazy by that time. I couldn't eat another bite, yet I couldn't stop sampling. Just..one...more...small piece.. of delicious medium-rare steak! What a meal! But some advice. If you try the Tasting Menu, and I wholeheartedly recommend it - come hungry. And try to resist overfilling on the early veggie plates. Pace yourself for the finishing courses. By the way, we also loved the ambiance of the restaurant It was fine dining but in a rustic candle-lit cabin setting. Perfect for a cold, rainy evening. Eat here! read more

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We appreciated that the Bartender offered tasty recommendations. It's a tapas menu and as each plate was delivered, the server presented and described the plate. The tuna tataki was exceptional. Great service. read more

We had a lovely experience at Ukiah, made even better by our wonderful server, Christopher! It's basically a Japanese tapas style restaurant where they recommend 2-3 dishes each (with a few exceptions that were clearly laid out to us). The food was all delish but the size of each dish varied widely. The crispy shrimp for example was massive with so many shrimp that it took 4 of us to finish it and the Japanese sweet potato is a whole sweet potato that Christopher described as crème brûlée in a sweet potato (read huge and sweet). The crispy mushroom bao buns were light and delicious with incredible flavor from the yuzu pickles. All of the crispy rice dishes were a huge hit. Don't sleep on the sugar snap peas! The only miss for me was the veggie ramen - the yuzu gave it a sweetness that just wasn't for me, but others may love it. But everything else was creative and fun, including the cocktails. read more

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We came here for lunch on a Tuesday after touring the Biltmore House. We decided to order a couple shared plates and one larger dish. We ordered the crispy rock shrimp, which was an amazing combination of flavors. That Gorgonzola with the chili and shrimp tempura??? So yummy! We ordered the pork gyoza which were very good. The duck hot pot was similar to ramen but the noodles and duck chunks were replaced with duck dumplings! Omg the both was so savory and flavorful, the hot pot also had bok choy and mushrooms. Very delicious!! I definitely want to try more things on this menu! Highly recommend read more

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Phenomenal food. We did the serving menu and it was lovely. The zucchini was an unexpected hit! I would come back again for sure. The service was lovely, Cam was great! read more

Great restaurant with upscale decor but competitive pricing. Shareable and delicious. Very good for groups.

Had a work dinner here with two colleagues, and our colleague who lives here chose this place for dinner. Parking is street, and I had to find a spot but it was Monday so not too difficult. I imagine on the weekend it's difficult to do so. Our server was Naya, she was really helpful, friendly, and professional. Allowed us to make some choices while enhancing the order with other dishes on the menu. I started out with a drink: Got the Heat and Greet which is a blanco tequila with grapefruit, lime, and a togarashi rim. Really nice balance on this drink I had two. Could've went with about 10. It is restaurant week, so we went with the price fixe menu. Offered a choice of miso soup or their verson of a wedge salad, with sesame dressing, pear, and nori. Great mix, and super tasty. Next course is a choice of skewer, I went with sea bass as an upgrade. One person got the wagyu, it was pretty chewy so I am not sure what kind of cut it was. Last was the entree and choice of ramen. I went with spicy pork, and it was fantastic. The other two went with veggie ramen. We got some chili oil to add to it and it was terrific. Warmed my body throughout as I ate the entire bowl and had the broth. We ordered two sides, one was the shishito peppers, and the Beech mushroom Tempura. The mushrooms are fried, comes with a sauce that is a Tokyo ranch and onion ash. Really nice plate. I hate mushrooms and ate these. Was told these are grown off a tree so it doesn't have that earthiness that I do not care for. The shishito peppers were executed nicely. Didn't get a hot one so I was pretty pumped. The yuzu koshu and sauce that came with the steak skewer was mind blowing. Great service, food was tasty. I didn't pay (company dinner) so I bet we could've tried some other items but we were full. Great place, recommend it highly! read more

Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse was INCREDIBLE. Service was outstanding, our waitress was so attentive and friendly and the food runners were on top of things! It's a Japanese tapas style restaurant so we ordered 6 different plates and two cocktails. The Lizard King cocktail was delicious. We ordered the following: 1. Shishito Peppers 2. Edamame 3. Pork Bao buns 4. Vegetable Gyoza 5. Spare ribs 6. Street Corn Everything was freshly prepared and absolutely delicious. The edamame was served with salt on top and my spouse mentioned he wished it maybe had some chili oil or other seasoning. Our favorite dish by far were the ribs-the BBQ sauce was amazing and they were super tender. Overall, we were so glad we decided to dine at Ukiah and will be back! read more

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Came here with a group of 8 for a birthday to enjoy the tasting menu and it did not disappoint!!! Our server Angelina was top notch & made us feel like queens. 10 delicious courses. The wagyu, ribs, and the salad were group faves. They accommodated our vegetarian friend with ease. I loved the tempura fried mushroom in the ranch!!! Beautiful space with a nice big bar. The outdoor seating was not open yet for the season. I loved the way the food prep was happening just a pane away. A friend advised us not to do the drink pairing with the tasting menu and go for the cocktails instead for value and flavor. The coconut cake was the highlight of dessert. We ended with espresso martinis /espresso! NOTE: it's fancy- wear your fine clothing! read more

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