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Categories: Sushi Bars, Asian Fusion [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Fairmount, Spring Garden, Art Museum District
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The place is really small and when we first arrived there was a young couple with a little baby seated at the middle table right next to us. The toddler was just learning to vocalize and it found delight in shrieking at the top of its disgusting little baby lungs. The parents were oblivious and thought the whole situation adorable, but I wanted to punch the baby in the face. Being annoyed as I was, I undertook my usual strategy of shooting unapologetic glares at the parents each time the baby made an unpleasant noise. Eventually they (and the waitstaff) got the idea and the young family was rightfully shuffled off to a corner table near the restroom and out of the way. Having them out of the picture, I was prepared to dine.
Firstly, I' m generally not a big fan of what they call "designer rolls." I tend to like my sushi straight up with some ginger, wasabi and soy sauce, but this day I went with the Godzilla roll and the Spartan roll along with the tapas appetizer. I can't really say that what I ate was "sushi," but the sushi-based entrees, as I shall call them, were quite tasty. The Godzilla roll, in particular, was a refreshing surprise and marks the first time I've ever had the pleasure of tasting strawberries paired with seafood and I would like to try this combination again in a more pure sushi setting . . . maybe atop some sashimi?
Aside from the main dish, I didn't find anything too spectacular regarding the appetizers or the dessert, but then again the Japanese aren't known for their desserts.
Also, the place is a bit expensive, but the standard sushi rolls are pretty manageable at around $6. However, I did not sample these rolls, but I imagine they are tasty given the good quality of the designer rolls.
Overall, a good place to get you some sushi.
Had a delightful dinner here late one weeknight. The staff was very friendly in cluing my dining companions on some questions about the fish and service was prompt, and took care of opening and pouring our wine (BYO).
I always get a Philly roll wherever I go, and theirs was quite good. The Nemo roll (snow crab, masago, avacado, potato crunch wrapped in cucumber) was delicious. It was slightly more pricey than I usually go, but I was very satisfied with the meal. Would go again and recommend.
"Designers rolls" - seriously?
That's just the beginning but the end is far away for Umai Umai. Quaint little corner restaurants aren't as hard to come by these day and this is far from your average corner spot. Umai Umai is truly an experience.
We dined with four people total so we had the opportunity to try lots on the menu. Between the Traffic Light, King Kong and Godzilla rolls, we had to loosen the belt on the way out. The "designer rolls" come in sets of twelve, so be careful to not over order but if you like variety, my suggestion is to go with a few people.
As far as price is concerned, it was a bit high but I wouldn't have given it 5 stars if it wasn't worth it!
I will say that the fact it's BYO is the only thing keeping this place from being prohibitively expensive. It is however, worth the expense.
My date and I got the sushi combo and the poseidon roll to start. It was a little overwhelming - there were I think twelve cuts of fish plus the roll. Some were better than others, but all were very yummy. The roll was really good - a mix of sweet and savory and topped with eel which = my favorite. It wasn't particularly innovative - just a lot of tastes in one place, but they were all really really good tastes. We followed up with the Nemo which was awe.some. Wrapped in cucumber, spicy and cruncy, oh it was great. And it was one of the cheaper rolls in the "Designer Rolls" section of the menu. Yum.
The service was great - our server was very helpful and attentive. It was a little small and a little loud, but not so much to keep me from going back. I'll echo others in suggesting to get reservations later in the week to ensure a table when you get there.
This is one of my absolute favorites! I eat here about once a month. I love the godzilla roll and seafood clay pot. I have taken everyone I know to this restaurant. I was a little disappointed however my last visit when they lost the alcohol they said they would keep for me from my birthday and didn't have coconut milk to make curry on a Saturday night at 8pm?!
I'm sure I will be back though...
A romantic little restaurant tucked away in the corner of the Art Museum District. The restaurant is cozy, with great service. The service, presentation and food was excellent.
The designer rolls alone are definitely worth checking out, the Godzilla roll in particular could take down tall buildings. The other rolls were good, but I found myself dipping them in the Godzilla Roll sauce, strawberries and macadamia nuts, umai umai...
The dining experience included the tapas (for 2) appetizer which included chicken spring rolls, gyoza, edamame, and shrimp shumai. The rolls dined on were Spicy Tuna, California Snow Crab and the Godzilla. After some wine the meal was topped off with a Banana spring roll, which has vanilla ice cream and sat on a bed of red bean.
A great, but pricy ($$$) BYO.
Umai Umai has found it way into my top 3 sushi restaurants in Philly.
Sushi and a BYO. Does it get any better?
Not to say that I don't love RAW, and I do - but for those of us who have been to Umai, you know it's the best sushi in Philly.
The ambiance is perfect, their specialty rolls (especially the Godzilla) are out of this world!, and it's probably my favorite spot in Fairmount.
This is a place I have gone on dates, as well as just with friends, and it is an appropriate sushi venue for whatever group you venture out with. :)
Hands down the best sushi I've had in the city!!!!! Their innovative rolls, as many other reviewers have mentioned, their service, the ambiance of the place and the BYO component make this place great!
I have to say the Godzilla roll with the strawberries and macadamia nuts ROCKED THE HOUSE.
GO UMAI, GO!
My girlfriend was trying to decide where we wanted to go for her birthday and decided to try Umai because the menu seemed to have some options for non-sushi eaters (in the rest of our group) and that Umai was BYO.
After sitting down, our wine and sake were put on ice for us and they brought us wine and sake glasses.
We ordered miso soup, veggie dumpling soup, and edamame (not explicitly on the menu). Everything was good.
For dinner, I ordered the king kong roll (tuna, salmon, yellowtail, cucumber, & avocado), a yellowtail roll, and kinmedai/goldeneye snapper nigir. I was surprised to only get 1 piece of nigiri, since I thought nigiri was traditionally served in pairs. I was happy with everyone I ordered and the portion size was good.
My girlfriend ordered the eternal sunshine roll (panko sea bass, watercress, salmon, avacado, apricot-miso, blueberry-balsamic, and crushed pine nuts) and a spicy tuna roll. I think the eternal sunshine roll was the highlight of the meal. It was really really good.
For dessert we shared a banana spring roll; banana, ice cream, and red beans... and odd combination, but good. They were also nice and brought it out with a candle for her birthday.
We really liked the atmosphere of the place; it was dark and cozy.
My only complaints were:
- They had the sushi bar, but no stools/chairs. When just the two of us go out for sushi, we enjoy sitting at the bar and watching them make our sushi. This doesn't seem to be an option here.
- Service seemed a bit slow at times. It looked like they only had one waiter for the whole place, so I think he was stretched a bit thin.
I'm a big sushi lover and have worked with several of the nations best sushi chefs.
I love this place for dine in and take out. I agree that this is the best sushi in Philadelphia. Many of their more exotic roll are phenomenal. The Godzilla roll with Macerated Strawberry's is a textural Masterpiece, and somehow does not end up too sweet.
However, some other rolls get a little muddled with too many flavors. I'm not a purist, but occasionally over-thinking great sushi can subvert the freshness of their fish, and the obvious care with which the fish is cut and rolled.
Overall a clear standout!
I've been here about four times since they opened and have never been disappointed. I am not an avid sushi eater and don't know all the fancy "designer" rolls but I do think I know good service (and a good Philadelphia roll). I mean, if you can't get the basics right, what hope do you have? Still, I have been here with folks who eat those things (Poseidon and King Kong roll being favorites) and their reviews are on par with mine. The food and service has been consistent and would recommend to anyone!
Delish fish!
Umai Umai has some of the best sushi that I have ever had... and the most innovative special sushi rolls! I am a huge fan of the Spartan roll (24-Hour Miso Marinated Beef Tenderloin, Chives, Shrimp Tempura, Paprika Aioli) and the Godzilla roll (Shrimp Tempura, BBQ Eel, Avocado, Strawberry [YES STRAWBERRY], Honey, Roasted Macadamia Bits).
A friend recently got the Seafood Paella and loved it. I also recommend the expensive ($18) but fun and delicious Asian Tapas for two, which is an appetizer. Plus all the soups are great.
As mentioned, it is BYOB. You can also order for pick up, which I often like to do because you should note that this place IS expensive. EX: the Spartan is $18 and the Godzilla is $16. I avoid paying huge tips this way. And to avoid the guilt, I give a little tip when I pick up.
got taken here a second time and it was just as pricy and awful. Trust me, never order the Edamame from them. Bleh. Oh and in my last review I meant to say 'reservations' (damn iPhone spelling corrector thingie)
Went on a Monday. The Miso and Green Tea were very good. The rest overall didn't really impress me… Read more »
Wow. A little place tucked into a nice neighborhood - had a real local feel and was nice and cozy. The service was excellent, the waiter was a bit bashful, but helped my friends pick out their food.
The food was excellent from quality to presentation. The fish was fresh and the ratio of fish to rice in the nigiri was perfect. The rolls were great - the sauce didn't overwhelm like many restaurants; the texture combination was divine. I would highly recommend the Nemo and Godzilla. I prefer picking nigiri ala carte, but the chef's choice my friend had was a great selection.
Definitely check this place out if you're in the area - it's close to the art museum so it's a nice post-museum meal!
The Godzilla roll is worth the trip, and the expense. It had shrimp tempura, eel, avocado, and the best part strawberries and macadamia nuts. The other rolls were good too, Spicy Tuna and California Snow Crab, but the Godzilla was so good that I almost couldn't enjoy the others, so we dipped them into the strawberry sauce from the Godzilla roll cause it was so delicious.
The service was excellent.
The only missing star is because of the price. We got the tapas for 2 appetizer that was $18 and included spring rolls, gyoza, edamame, and shirimp shumai. All were good, but it was expensive as previous reviewers had mentioned. The banana spring roll dessert with red bean was awesome, but again, very small and not sure it was worth the extra expense.
Zento used to be my fav place for fancy rolls, but Umai may have just stepped up.
Fabulous sashimi and sushi as you would expect based on the other reviews, but what impressed me most was the very friendly and attentive wait staff. Our waitress was so nice and informative (we were probably easy marks for first timers or something), and this was particularly impressive because there were only two waitresses for the small but busy restaurant.
The food was terrific. Another plesant surprise was the mixed green salad with ginger dressing. The greens were very fresh and dressing was so light yet flavorful; definitely one of the best such salads I have had. From the designer roll selection we had the Eternal Sunshine which sucessfully married the fruit, Panko fish and other ingredients you would not expect would work together, but actually worked so well. The other more traditional rolls seemed a cut above what you get at the usual Japanese restaurant. The Philly, California and tempura rolls just tasted high end and more special. The only slight dissappointment was the size of the cuts on the chef's choice sashimi. For the price of the dish, I would have expected larger cuts of fish, but the little fish did taste very good(and I have never eaten raw baby squid before, so I have that cosmopolitan experience now). I would suggest a reservation even mid-week as we dined on a Tuesday and the place was full. As a previous reviewer mentioned, it can get loud in there when the place is full, but it lends to the charm of the place.
I headed here with a friend on the coldest night in Philly so far this season. which is extra cold for my California blood. it was Monday night, a night that many restaurants are closed. i would imagine this place gets crowded as the week goes on, so it is a good night to go without a reservation.
inside the atmosphere is welcoming and cozy. there are a handful of tables and some seats at the sushi bar. i'm into the byob thing, something that seems quite popular in Philly. however i opted for green tea. it was served in a big pot which i appreciated, but honestly i expected better quality loose tea rather than a tea bag floating in it. since they don't serve alcohol it would be nice to have a decent tea selection.
food is Japanese with a bit of Thai/Malasian style mixed in. we started with Tom Yam soup (something i have never had a a sushi place), perfect warm-up on an 18 degree night! otherwise we tried 4 different rolls. which were all good, but some odd combinations that i had never tried before (the strawberry on the godzilla did not work for me). as a big fan of sushi in San Francisco, i think it is overpriced. more than New York. the fish is good, but not THAT good to pay $16-18 for a roll, $4-6 per piece of nigiri. your bill will be as much as it would have been if drinks were included. that said...it's a great place for a date if you wanna impress me :)
Conclusion: "meh." some inventive rolls but really nothing special. I love sushi and this is an OK place but should not command the price it does. Pass unless you don't know of any other sushi restaurants in the area, have money to burn, or haven't eaten at a lot of great sushi restaurants.
BYO! We brought a bottle of Nigori and they chilled it on ice for us. Saved us some cash, thank goodness.
Call ahead for reservations. It gets uber cramped in here. While you're on the phone placing a reservation, get in your order of oyster shooters. An order is 3 shot glasses with oyster & sea urchin, with a side sake glass filled with salmon roe and quail egg. You dump the roe & egg into the shot glass of raw oyster and urchin and stir it up. (see the picture I added) Shoot it back and chew... omigawd... IT'S SO GOOD! (preparation takes forever, hence pre-ordering them over the phone)
Nothing is cheap here. Between 3 of us we shared a $50 chef choice sushi plate. The pieces were small and many of the types of fish were strange. Stuff I'd never heard of! Only one piece of hamachi. Some of it was really good. Some of it wasn't. My friend ate the last piece that no one wanted (white with a black stripe down the middle) and she regretted it. Ew! From our collective West Coast perspective, it was waaaaay overpriced.
If you're ordering rolls individually, don't miss out on the Dragon Roll (?) with strawberries on top. It sounds stupid, I know it. But... omigawd... brilliance to my taste buds.
Small, sleek & spendy! Umai Umai has a great vibe and some really good fish, but be prepared to pony up... $5 per piece or $14-18 per signature roll adds up quickly (I really think the prices are higher than Nobu in NYC... and it's good - but, it ain't that good). The best item for us was the appetizer for 1 (tuna brushetta, salmon tartar & an eel/potato thingie) - it looked straight outta iron chef america & completely blew us away and made us forget about the prices. We missed out on the oyster shooter - definitely looks like an experience... but we watched others do them & make some very funky faces afterwards. We'll be back!
this place inside is reserved modern looking and small. i have never made reservations, but it does get crowded, so boys if are taking your lady on the weekend, i would suggest calling ahead. the sushi chef prepares the food in the bar area while you are seated at small tables.
i totally enjoyed the spicy tuna roll and the kobe beef. this restaurant likes to play with your palette, using unexpected flavors in their dishes, such as blueberry, but it all works and tastes amazing. the desserts are yum yum. i always enjoy green tea ice cream, but my heart melts for the fried banana dish.
the sushi is fresh and the price here is a bit high. but you get to sit in a relaxed atmosphere with your neighborhoodies with a friendly staff at hand.
i know there are a lot of sushi places here in philthy, but this one is in the art museum/fairmount area, which was lacking one. all in all, this place serves tasty sushi at bourgeosis prices. umai umai=yum yum. if it is crowded, or you are lacking in mad money, i have often kept walking and just gotten some sushi at whole foods like a true proleteriat.
It's name says it best, "YUM, YUM".
As other reviews have mentioned this place is a little pricey but c'mon you are saving on liquor since its BYO and you are experiencing creative sushi rolls beyond the "specialty rolls'" common to most sushi restaurants. Treat yourself to the Godzilla roll, although the $16 price is big (like you'd expect the actual monster to be) the roll is delicious combination of nuts, avocado, strawberries and shrimp tempura. Service is slow but in this recent case, the staff was professional enough to realize and help us kill time (and hunger) with complimentary edamame. It does have a super datey feel to it, so if you are going with a friend sit at the bar and watch the chef Alexander McCoy (formerly of Morimoto and Colorado based, Teikoku) work his magic. My only negative for this restaurant was the fact that it got a little bit loud as the crowd increased so just be prepared to join in the rowdiness or at least drown it out with a good bottle!
Love this place!!! We just go for the sushi so i cant comment on the entrees or apps but the sushi is very fresh and very tasty!!! We went to pod recently and couldn't believe the difference between umai and pod. Also couldn't believe this place was in the neighborhood for like 2 years before we actually went there!! Now its become a definite staple in our dining out agenda! The speciality rolls are a little pricey - but if youre going to out you might as well indulge yourself with something different!! The godzilla roll and the eternal sunshine rolls are the ones id recommend the most. When you read about them on the menu its hard to imagine everything thats in it working so well together but it does. Definitely check this place out - youll thank me later!
Umai is one of the best Japanese restaurants I've been to in Philadelphia. Its a great date place. The ambiance is romantic and its a byob.
I highly recommend the Chilean miso (Pan seared miso marinated Chilean sea bass) and the chef's choice combo sushi-sashimi platter ( believe me it is worth the price tag). Other notable menu items were the dynamic duo appetizer and the kobe beef.
i was lucky enough to be there on a very empty night, at most 3 tables were occupied. the decor is warm and modern with clean lines, though the flooring is a little odd. the food, o wow. the food is spectacular! definitely go for the oyster shooters. it's pricey, to be sure, so save up and treat yourself some time. even better: go with a date, it's a romantic setting.
Cherry Hill, NJ
Category: Restaurants
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Fairmount
Category: Moroccan
Neighborhood: Fairmount
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: Fairmount
Category: Delis
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