On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Classon Ave (G)
Loading...
This review is for take-out. First of all, they don't deliver but since I'm just around the block, it wasn't a big deal. Oh, and they take Mastercard and Visa now.
Ordering over the phone was really quick and easy. The woman understood me and she spoke clearly.
For two people, I ordered the spring rolls, sliders and pad see ew. The spring rolls were great. They cut a slice out of the top of the take-out container so the steam wouldn't make them soggy and it totally worked. The spring rolls were crispy and flavorful.
The sliders were a little disappointing. The bun was huge compared to the filling so I took more than a couple of bites of only bun. They were pretty bland unless you got the perfect bite with all the elements. Tasty and filling but I probably wouldn't order them again.
The pad see ew was yum-tastic. Surprisingly, I thought it was under-salted so I added a pinch. I love the texture of the broad flat noodles. The chicken was nicely seasoned and wasn't dry. I got a few intense bites of garlic but it was really good. The lime wedge was a nice touch too.
The bill was $33, I think.
Great place! Only deterrent is the location, a little too far for my liking.
The food was pretty delicious. We ordered the chicken wings, which were crisp and juicy. The sparerib adobo, which didn't really have any sauce (which is the best part!) was delicious nonetheless. The garlic rice was also very tasty - a very good portion.
The wait staff was super nice and accomodating. The BYOB was nice and cheap. Not much on the dessert menu though.
I wanted to try this place because it's new. so i got here at 7:30pm on a friday (10 mins ago) 75% of their tables are empty but i was told that all of their tables are reserved and i can't get a table till 9:30(2hrs later). if they can see imaginary eaters then they can pay their bills with imaginary money because im not coming back.
oh, they only take reservation over the phone. who make reservations to go to a fillipino places?
I really enjoyed the food here. The beef skirt steak was ordinary. Chicken wings were very very good though, Adobo pork was great, but it didn't really taste like adobo. I think there must be something with the recipe for cooking pork, because it seems like kuma inn and umi nom prepare it really well. I enjoyed the decor and the ambience here but I don't really think the hike from manhatten is worth it.
a 4.5 for sure, location would bump it to a 5 easily if it weren't so far. Not worth the trip if you're looking for filipino food, because its really not. So if it's close by to you, give it a shot, I think it's worth it. Otherwise, just head to kuma inn for the same type of place.
the thai chocolate cake had this spicy after taste to it, I love spice, just not in my chocolate though. Really friendly service, the chef seems nice, BYOB is good too.
Place is a great little spot in the hood.. Totally different than anything else around.. This place will satisfy my "other" Asian cravings.. I have found a Japanese Spot, have not found a Chinese or Thai spot but, I have found my Fusion Spot..
Place is about 4 blocks from my house.. I really like that the chef, I think his name is King, chose this spot.. I really believe this is an up and coming area for great restaurants.. Most of the other side of Pratt has been devoloped while this remains to be a place for liquor stores and Lottery..
Chef/owner was on hand when I was there.. He is the owner of Kuma Inn, I am not sure if I have been there or not.. I think I went like 5 years ago but, don't remember the experience..
His style of cooking is Filipino and Thai, just like his heritage.. I feel he leans more torwards Thai with fish sauce and palm sugar but, this could only because I have limited Filipino experience..
The food is a little pricey for the area.. Small plates for 11ish bucks a piece.. I love the fact that he uses such bold flavors.. Super sour, super hot, bold in your face flavors.. The pickle plate left me puckering.
It was the two of us and we did not have a ton of things.. There was this noodle dish with sweet chinese sausage that was really really good.. Our waitress said this was the best noodle dish she has ever had.. I thought it was certainly very good..
A beef salad of papaya was a right out off of the Land Menu.. However, the meat was over cooked.. I am hoping this was just an error.. I would make a point ot ask for my meat medium to rare the next time..
I had also had the grilled fish.. I dont remember the kind of fish.. Maybe a Saury but, the accompanying papa salad there was crazy good.. It had crushed Thai Chili peppers and a ton of fish sauce.. It was super spicey and super sour..
I dont think this place is like amazing and worth traveling from Manhattan to go to.. But, it's a rockstar in the hood and love the Chef for his cooking and for taking a chance on the neighborhood..
Good Luck!
Took two trains from upper east side and feel like the trip just wasn't worth it. Service was great, we brought our own beer but the food was ok.
The best dishes we had was the pork adobo and bahay fried rice. The beef tapas and spicy sausage didn't impress and the pork chops were really dry. Pretty small portions for the price.
I'd say it's worth checking out if you live in Brooklyn but prolly not worth checking out if you from out of the area. Kinda funny how the waiter couldn't pronounce the Filipino dishes correctly.
I have never written a review either, but felt compelled to join yelp just to write this one. I had the most unbelievable dining experience at Umi Nom not too long ago on a slow Tuesday night.
I, too, am Fil-Am and am absolutely surprised by Alan E.'s review! I came to Umi Nom because of a tip a guest gave me when I worked at a restaurant in the East Village. She said a great Filipino place was opening up a sister store in "Brooklyn somewhere." I fawn over new restaurants and even moreso over new Filipino restaurants. Don't get me wrong, the hostess was sugary sweet letting us know that they did not yet have their licquor license. And I believe the owner said hello to us and personally brought us an appetizer from the chef. The waitresses were great; our water glasses (not wine glasses) were always full, but not very knowledgable about the (Filipino) dishes we ordered.
As for the food, which is the most important thing for me at a new restaurant, it started out great. The appetizer was wonderful, the crab and cream cheese mixture inside a crispy wonton was scrumptious. If they were not handmade, they sure tasted handmade. But then came the pancit, a very popular and common Filipino dish and it was very salty. The calamansi (lemon juice) counteracted the saltiness and made it palatable. A+ for the chinese sausage in the pancit, though. Many restaurants miss this ingredient, but different Filipino regions have different recipes of course.
The rest of the meal seemed to get progressively worse. The salmon was nothing special. It was good, but bland with a bit of sauce to add a little flavor. Something I could make at home on a slow Tuesday night. And the skirt steak... forget it. Whoever prepared the pancit and the steak had a heavy hand with that salt. The steak was so juicy and the texture was off the hook and it looked just so damn good, but only tasted like salt. That was all I could taste, just really juicy, meaty salt. Thank God for the waitresses and their water refilling skills! We ended up wrapping the steak to go and chopping it up for fried rice...
I know it sounds like nit-picking, but the food wasn't the only thing. My boyfriend noticed as we were preparing to pay the bill, that the party who were just sat at the table next to us was offered different wines to taste. Now, we were told that they had no liquor license. And this is what initially inspired this review. Now why did every other table have wine, but ours? Did we look like we didn't have money? Did we look different from the other guests, appearance-wise that would prevent them to offering us wine? Did we look too young, younger than the two college kids sitting next to us? Do not tell me that you don't serve alcohol and then offer the party next to us a libation to enjoy with their salty steak!
He also noticed that the chef, probably also Filipino, had visited every table but ours. Making nice and talking about the food with all the other guests. I had not noticed any of these things, but when it came to my attention, I was furious. The bill was not even on my mind, I expected these prices coming to a Asian Fusion restaurant.
On our way out, our hostess and waitress asked us how things were and we smiled as we walked out the door with the owner saying good night, not wanting to waste any more of my time that night and not wanting to make a scene, hearing excuses. How badly had I wanted to say that I felt we were snubbed by the chef and whoever decides which party gets to try the house wine or whichever wine with which they were experimenting.
Pleasant, watchful servers (they really did stand 3 feet from our table watching and listening = pro and CON, I felt nervous eating literally in front of them), pleasant owner although he apparently did not think we wanted to try any of the wine. Okay, not-so-special food, not too friendly chef.
I wish the special of the evening was pork belly adobo for us, I would have ordered that in a second. But no chef or server told us what the special of the evening even was. As for marketing purposes, take yourselves out of the Filipino category and as for culinary purposes, lighten up on the salt and add a few more Filipino dishes to the menu. Also, if you are going to offer wine or offer ANYTHING, you need to make sure you offer it to every guest regardless of age (provided they are over 21+ if involving booze), race, or socio-economic status.
So overall, I would say it was unbelievable. I could not believe that eating at a new restaurant, albeit cozy and nicely lit, could ever make me feel like that! And when I write that, I mean slighted. Because were treated nicely, but not as nicely as everyone else. So while we had great service, it still felt like discrimination based on reasons unknown. I went home thinking that I would join one of those internet review things just so I could write a review for Umi Nom. And I finally did. Eat that, Umi Nom. Cain na! Ma sarap??
I have never written a review, but felt compelled to write one after my meal at Umi Nom. Before we start, a little background: I'm a Filipino-American (aka Pinoy) who grew up in Southern California among Filipino towns (West Covina, Walnut, Cerritos) abound with Filipino restaurants. Despite our many virtues, by nature, Filipinos tend to be hyper-critical towards our own kinfolk. It wouldn't be uncommon for one to be greeted during the holidays with, "Anak (child) you gained weight." Why thanks for noticing Tita Baby!
Given our propensity to criticize, we also tend to over-criticize Filipino eateries. Might this be why Filipino cuisine hasn't caught-on as quickly as Vietnamese or Thai? That's a whole other discussion for another day.
Dining alone, I initially plan to remain sober, but soon discover Umi Nom is byob. So I grab a couple brews at the neighboring bodega. Uminom is tagalog for "to drink". So, why not? $3 for 2 beers. Not bad.
It's 9 pm and the place closes at 11. It's 80% to capacity and from what I can gather, I'm the only Filipino diner. It warms my heart to see non-pinoys dining at a Filipino restaurant. Could this be a sign? I remain open-minded.
I'm offered to sit in the dining area or kitchen. I choose the latter. I'm forewarned that it gets hot. But I'm brave and wearing a tanktop.
I'm seated by the amiable hostess Annabelle and greeted by the chef. Recognizing we were of common ancestry, we give each other "the nod".
Chef tells me the special this evening is pork-belly adobo. I wouldn't normally order adobo at a restaurant because any Filipino mother will tell you, "why order adobo in a restaurant when you can make it at home?" But chef described it as slow-cooked for 3 hours then grilled. I submit. I also order the wok prawns and garlic fried rice.
I await my meal. Immediately the spot earns cool-points because the place setting consists of napkin, spoon and fork! That's it! Why am I excited? This is an inside-joke among Filipino folk. For all who know us, quickly learn how effectively we shred meat, surgically peel shrimp, debone fish, drown rice with sabaw (sauce) and efficiently shovel food with only a spoon and fork. I never understood eating with chopsticks. To me it's kinda like gardening with pool cues. Wouldn't it be easier to garden with a shovel and pitchfork? I digress.
Chef is thorough in his expediting; carefully seasoning dishes to his liking and ensuring each plate is presentable.
As an added bonus, Chef starts me off with a crab/creamcheese fried dumpling. Delicious.
The prawns are served next. Three head-on peeled prawns in a savory sauce. Tasty.
Next comes the pork-belly adobo. It was very tender and flavorful. Since this is a restaurant review I feel obligated to make one critique. Those who love adobo, know it is just as much about the sabaw as it is the meat. Grilling the pork-belly added texture but did not leave enough sauce. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the dish.
I've lived in the neighborhood for nearly 3 years. Umi Nom is definitely a welcome addition. I love the refined touch Chef adds to Filipino dishes traditionally accepted as simple and hearty farmer fare. I hope more Pinoys will be inclined to give this place the support it deserves. Those with a discerning palate wouldn't classify it as authentic, but it's definitely a spot where one can satisfy their pix por pilipino pood and refined enough to introduce non-Pinoys to our cuisine. Plus, Sputnik is right around the corner!
I'm told they may soon open for Sunday brunch. The menu is to include longsilog, tapsilog, xxx-silog. Look-up these popular Filipino comfort foods on wikipedia for a proper description. I'll definitely be back!
Good spin on FilipoThai food, The wings are a must. Make sure you drink the lychee and plenty of water as it is a salty cuisine. Make sure you support this local spot so they can afford a new sign, at least cover the old one a little better.
Really nice food, and affordable. I enjoy the small plate ordering system and everything was well put together. I imagine that it is not "authentic" anything, accept for being Authentic New York fusion which I believe is about as good as it gets. Everything was good, I regret not ordering the sausage which we had previously at Kuma Inn, but I'm sure we will return.
Great service with our bottle of wine!
I live a few blocks away, and formerly lived just around the corner, so this place has been on my and my boyfriend's radar for a while. We finally made it there last night with some houseguests from The Continent. The four of us ordered several small plates and a couple of noodle dishes to share. The total bill was insanely cheap given what we had ordered. Everything was delicious (though perhaps in the case of the duck-egg special "adventuresome" might be a better word) and the service and attention from the chef were great. I'd definitely go here for lunch or to entertain visitors again.
Went there for a spontaneous dinner tonight, as it's a short bike ride away from where we live. The place is warm and cosy, and the entire staff is super friendly without being too much.
We got Singha beer at a nearby c-town, after being informed that they don't have a license. No big deal.
Right off the bat, I liked that while our server informed us of the specials, he also would say how much those specials cost. It's so refreshing not to have to wonder how much the specials are (usually they're more then other things on the menu). But these were totally reasonable and withing their overall price range.
We got the sauerkraut/shiitake spring rolls, which were ok. The real hit for me was the Manilla-style clams in delicious black bean sauce. Soooo good! Nice flavors of hot (not overpowering at all) peppers and ginger. The sauce was soo good... The shrimp pad thai - the only item we ordered from the 'regular' menu, in addition to the appetizer & a small dish clams listed above, was good, and in a generous portion... so we didn't finish the entire thing.
I'm so happy that this place is there & that we ventured out east of washington... a great stylish low-key and laid back place. 4--4.5
Can't wait to go back.
"My gang" and I were so excited when we saw a new spot opening on our block. Finally, someplace to go within a short walk in the hood other than Sputnik.
What a friggin let down.
I have to admit right up front, we never tried the food. We sat down, looked over the menu for a few minutes, and then walked out.
Call it what you want, but tapas is tapas. It didn't seem very special to me at all, and every single dish seemed to be a few dollars overpriced for the size. Like most Brooklyn flops, they're just trying to be too sophisticated and end up a little too pretentious.
Nothing about the place or menu convinced me that I should drop $30-40 on this place.
And somebody dropped the ball on the liquor license, because I pass this place every single day and there's still no booze in there. Once there is, maybe I'll give them a shot.
umi nom in tagalog means to drink.
k.
so where are the drinks?
byob.
but guess what?
ctown is right on the corner.
bam.
got myself a 6-pack of pumpkin ale.
the veggie style pad thai (with tamarind sauce! the real deal way)
and the garlic rice
all drizzled with the musical notes of beatles cover songs.
my gosh i was feelin' it.
Umi Nom just opened yesterday. The space is great with a mirrored wall, dark wood and exposed brick. The food was delicious. I ordered the BBQ ribs and the bahay kubo fried rice which has chicken, sausage and shrimp in an egg, soy and garlic stir fry. Overall, happy that they opened in my local neighborhood. Friendly staff and the food came out quickly.
Portions are good to share with another person, maybe 3-4 dishes. Prices are on the expensive side. I would visit again for sure.
Good luck to Umi Nom!
Bf have been wanting to check out that place since day 1. They close at 11pm that day and I didn't want to be a bitch to go to a restaurant 15 mins before they close and order a full meal so we ordered pick up from the place: Grilled Pork Chops and Fried Spring Rolls.
Venue: It's not much decorated from the outside, but once you are inside it is very charming and pretty. Not the kind of decoration you would expect if you know the stores within 2 blocks. It's very refreshing and qualifies to be a good date spot.
Staff: We didn't eat there but during the pick up they were all nice and smiley!
Food: Awesome grilled pork chops and yummy spring rolls. Those taste like the Vietnamese ones. This place isn't strictly Filipino, it's more of Asian Fusion cuisine. The portions were normal size however just note that the menu items come exactly what it is said. No rice sides are included. So if you order the $10 Pork chops, you are getting 3 chops and pickled veggies strings which are served as adornment. Rice are extra and ranges from $2-3 per serving. The spring rolls were awesome but I was expecting a bit more of them since they were $8 bucks. One serving equals two spring rolls. The last time I had a 4 dollar fried roll had shrimp and crab in it. *sigh*
They were delicious none the less, just not very pocket friendly. Is most likely worth it if you eat there and enjoy the ambiance. We will go back and try other dishes.
Although classified as a Filipino restaurant, Umi Nom is more like South East Asian cuisine with strong Filipino and Thai influences.
Located right in front of the Lafayette Houses, the place itself looks beautiful: they don't have a liquor license yet, but I can see the gorgeous bamboo and wood bar at the front becoming very popular. I liked the LED lighting over the exposed brick walls a lot: sleek and modern, without being cold. The place was cold as a result of the A/C that was set at 11...
After we were seated, we were served complimentary fried cheese wontons, which were a nice tasty snack; perfectly fried (the kind of non-oily frying that leaves the food "dry"). We had the pancit canton with Chinese sausage, and the Thai beef salad, which was very fresh and flavorful. But what really won me over was the grilled orata: I love seafood, and this is was one of the best orata i've ever had: simply prepared, perfectly grilled, with a nicely charred (and delicious!) skin; absolutely orgasmic! The presentation was also beautiful, with the fish put vertically on the plate, almost like it was swimming. Although the orata appears in the "small plates" section, it is enough for two people.
We went there the first Friday they have been open, and I was impressed by the impeccable service. Towards the end of the dinner the chef came around the restaurant to ask how the food was, which is something I appreciated.
Although we didn't have a reservation, we were seated within 15 minutes. I can see this place becoming very popular, though, and I recommend you reserve a table if you are planning to come here during the weekend.
Definitely a winner. I'll be back.
yes, i am a fan of Uni Nom, indeed. starting w/the decor and ambiance, which is prob the best i've seen in the area. very chic. my pal and i shared the bbq beef short ribs, wok prawns, and tofu stir fry dish. topped off w/garlic rice. the short ribs had to be my fave. so tender and incredibly tasty. however, the prawns and tofu were also very flavorful and satisfying. the chef was super warm and friendly.
while its filed under filipino, there is def lots of thai influence in the flavors. sweet, spicy, savory. another review mentioned the chef has a filipino/thai background. totally ok as thai is also amazing and there arent any thai options in the 'hood, anyways.
in my opinion, the neighborhood needed a fresh, asian option and this is it.
I dropped in, told the wait would be 45 minutes and I'd have to go and buy my own booze because they don't have a license yet... then 10 seconds later a reservation was cancelled (the only good thing to come from the unusual amount of summer rain!) and we were sat at a table! Great.
It's Kuma Inn all grown up with a dark wood and exposed brick interior but with the same great food. The place is crammed between the usual neighbourhood joints: a cheap Chinese take-out, a dodgy bodega and a dirty grocery... Let's say it's the poshest place on the block.. but Kuma pre-dated the whole ludlow transformation so why not... And it's in a region crying out for new places few of which are opening this far East or South of Lafayette Ave. With large loft rentals and the Kent condos around the corner I'm sure the location will succeed.
As for food.. all good!
Beef Salad was served as requested spicy and the seared steak was delicious all served on fish sauce soaked papaya salad.
The jerky is made in house dried in the oven and is served with a traditional Thai sauce that I forget the name of but tastes of dried onion, scallion, spices and tamarind. The sauce was a big hit with me.
The mackerel are long and slender with seared skin. Dipped in the spicy sweet sauce it was delicious.
The calamari was fresh but not quite crispy enough for me but I loved the big squid tentacles that are often omitted in other restaurants.
Only slight complaint was the sticky rice was a little too moist. Not sure if it had been overheated or if the original batch had been overcooked.
King Phojanakong was paying a visit to tables and dropped by to ask how we enjoyed our meal which I love especially in a place where it's obvious a lot of detail goes into the dishes.
Service felt like silver service at times with servers removing empty plates and another refilling water at the same time. Very attentive but also friendly and informal, and this was during peak hours in an almost full restaurant.
I hate to visit restaurants in their first week because they're nearly always ironing out the problems but you really couldn't tell Umi Nom had just opened. They've obviously used all their experience from Kuma Inn and put in a lot of preparation and it shows.
Pricewise... 4 shared dishes between 2 came out $30 per head all in and it filled me up, so not the cheapest place in Brooklyn but in my view worth it and a very welcome addition to Bed Stuy.
I have been waiting for a good restaurant to come to Brooklyn for a while.
I've been to Kuma Inn and I was expecting something at least as good going to Umi Nom which I think is pretty tasty - Umi Nom kinda missed the mark for me. Though I wasn't surprised, I was a little disappointed to find it more of an Asian fusion restaurant than a Filipino restaurant. The Fried Tilapia i got was more like fish stick and the pad se ew was gummy. I will say that the pork and the young coconut water was good.
My son had been wanting to try this new restaurant in his neighborhood and we had a pleasant dining experience. While awaiting the liquor license, we were able to bring in our wine wine. The garlic rice was delicious. The mackerel was also tasty. We did not care for the pork belly.. .a "special" of the evening. A bit too fatty for our taste. Service was friendly and prices reasonable. I will probably try other places in Brooklyn, though, before going back. Lots of great choices to dine in this neighborhood.
Came here for dinner and loved it! Definitely try the lollipop chicken, calamari, pork ribs, and bahay kubo fried rice -- yum!! The items are good for sharing, and more like small plates vs. entree-size so I recommend ordering at least 2 different items per person. For dessert, we had the warm, Thai chili molten chocolate dessert -- delish!!!
They have a nice bar area up-front and the restaurant is very clean, modern and elegant. They're waiting for their liquor license, but it's BYOB until then... which is great! Ooh, and their kalamansi juice is nice and refreshing if you like citrus/lemonade-tasting drinks!
The menu is very similar to the chef/owner's other restaurant in Manhattan (Kuma Inn in the LES) -- and I love the play-on-words! (Umi Nom in tagalog means "to drink", and Kuma Inn means "to eat".)
The restaurant is a very different, but nice addition, to the ever-changing Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy neighborhood... very close to Pratt... and not too far from all the other bars/restaurants on DeKalb in Fort Greene.
Such a great addition to the neighborhood which really has been needing a good pan Asian place and swanky spot. Great food, elegant ambiance, attentive service. Would be a good date spot. The chicken wings are to die for, as is the soft shell crab.
Went to Umi Nom shortly after it opened and had a really good experience. Food was good (almost as good as Kuma) and the place looked great. Good atmosphere.
I really like this place. The food was excellent, the staff extremely nice and friendly and the ambience elegant + romantic. I knew this place was new, so we decided to give it a shot. I haven't ever really had Filipino food (unless eaten in a Flip's friend's house), and was excited to try something different! I was NOT letdown! But...this place is not mainly Filipino, its more like Asian fusion, but I am not complaining! They have tapas-style dishes, which is kewl. We tried the Thai Beef Salad, which was excellent, spicy and sour, just the way I like it. The beef slices were also very tender, and flavourful. But...I think the dish that steals the show is the grilled orata, truly a beautiful and tasty dish. The presentation was wonderful, and it was a very large portion, which we devoured happily! We also had the pancit noodles, which was also yummy, but not as exciting as the orata! They are new, so they don't have a liquor license yet, its BYOB for now. There is a C-Mart right next door with pretty good beer selections. Great place for a date ;-) The only complaint: the A/C was blasting...and I was freezing after eating dinner...
I live in the nearby and I am really happy to have a really good quality restaurant come to the area . The owner was there when we went...he was very attentive. The staff was very professional and friendly. We had pork chops, skirt steak, and fried rice. Skirt steak was really good as were the complimentary crab wontons. If you are not familiar with the area you might be thrown off by the location as some of the other posts have commented...but I think it is a good addition to the neighborhood. I will be back for sure.
Delicious causal fun place with good service and a good vibe. Cuisine is somewhere between that guilty-pleasure street food and haute fair you'd expect in Tribeca or mid-town. Great for trying and sharing several dishes, which was handy for us, since we wanted to try just about everything on the menu. A great and overdue addition to the Brooklyn food scene.
Lunch Special Till 5pm on Sat…
Neighborhood: SoHo
Sunset Menu for Fall 2009
Neighborhood: West Village
"Welcome to the new paradise" reads the banner on…
Just moved into town.. Here is what I've got so…
