Umai

Reviews 7

WE

Wes Brown

Umai has a fantastic atmosphere and decor. Modern and posh while still having a traditional Japanese feel. The wait staff was very courteous and helpful considering it was our first time there. The drink menu is very good and had one of the broader selection of Japanese beer Ive seen at a sushi joint. Plenty of options on sake as well, and with varying price ranges. As far as the food menu goes, there are a number of options for appetizers, both vegetarian and not. Tempura platter was very enticing, but when asked if the tempura was gluten free we were told negative. We chose the edamame instead. There is a slew of varying dishes including hibachi items, noodles and udon, Japanese BBQ, and, of course, sushi/sashimi. Good thing about the latter items is every specialty item can either be had a maki mono or as a hand roll which is different than most sushi places Ive been to. Umai has a great selection of gourmet sushi options, some that are a bit edgy, plenty that are more traditional. Fits well with their decor if you ask me. We settled on a spider roll (a tempura-stuffed roll with radish sprouts), spicy tuna, and negi hamachi (yellowtail). Also ordered a bowl of miso. Everything loved up to expectations. Miso had a very good consistency, tofu was diced small but the texture was just right for the soup. All the rolls were superb. Tightly rolled and decorative. Speaking of decorative, the plates and bowls matched the overall feel of the place, too. Thats something many Asian restaurants fail to do, but Umai did it well. Overall ambiance and decor helped to complete the experience. I have only two detractions from our time there: lack of truly gluten free items such as the tempura and soy sauce (my wife has gotten used to checking the latter when we go out); and higher prices than we expected on some of the specialty rolls which prevented us from trying something a little more adventurous. Ill partially forgive this last thing because it is downtown Chicago after all. Overall, a great experience and one Id want to have again if Im ever back in town with time for lunch or dinner.

---

ZA

Zack Meher

*food is delicious- this review is for a serious lapse in customer service tonight* Im very sad to have to write this review, because Umai has been my favorite local Japanese spot since moving to Chicago. My boyfriend and I routinely take out from Umai, yet tonight, I was grabbing some dinner alone and decided to have some ramen. Delicious as always. Unfortunately, about 10 minutes after starting to eat and maybe making my way through a quarter of the dish, I get up and go to the bathroom. Maybe a minute later, I return to find a bill on the counter and my food gone. They didnt ask if I was done, and just I guess intended to hurry me out. When I explained what happened, they offered to remake the dish. Unfortunately I didnt have time to wait. At this point, if the people working there had any common sense, they should have said "its on us" or, at the very least, offered a discount since I maybe ate a quarter of what was in the bowl and made no indication I was done eating. Instead, they charged me the full amount with apologies. Sometimes though, especially given that I order frequently from the restaurant, something more than an apology is due. Im sad that this experience has tainted my opinion of Umai.

---

SA

Samuel Tan

One of the best places for sushi in Chicago! The food here tastes very authentic. Even though the chef is from Thailand, he has spent 5 years living and learning the art of making Japanese food in Japan. It cant get any more authentic than that. The tempura was scrumptious. The batter was light and crispy, not oily at all. I just wanted to eat more and more of it. The noodles in miso soup was also done just right. The miso was not too salty and the noodles were cooked to perfection. And then of course there is the sushi and sashimi. It tasted really really fresh. The slices were not too thick such that the fish was chewy and the natural flavors really came through. Prices are also competitive, not too expensive, which encourages you to order more and more - and thats a good thing because the food is that good. One word of caution - when ordering, stick to the traditional Japanese dishes because thats what they do best. The fusion dishes dont taste as good. The chicken popcorn in particular, was fried chicken that was too heavy and salty. That was the most disappointing dish of our otherwise, exceptional meal.

---

ER

Erica Williams

Finally, a trendy River North-esque place in Printers Row! I visited Umai with some friends after work for happy hour and we were greeted by a friendly staff and a beautiful, trendy decor. They have a nice selection of cocktails on the cocktail menu - I had the Saint Germain martini which I was happy to see on the menu as Saint Germain is one of my favorites. The food was ok - I had the pork pot-stickers, the Japanese BBQ chicken wing w/tare sauce (delicious - definitely get these - the chicken was nice and crispy) and the white tuna avocado rolls, which were tasty. The chicken lollipops were just ok - I wouldnt recommend these and would suggest the BBQ chicken wing w/tare sauce instead. The portions are small, so I would suggest getting an entree if you are really hungry b/c the cost can really add up for the smaller dishes. Overall, this is a good solid restaurant, and if you are in the area and in the mood for sushi - check it out.

---

SO

Souichi Terada

This place is alright, I didnt find anything extremely spectacular or anything. The ramen I had, the winter one, I believe it was, was OK - at best. The broth wasnt overly flavorful, teetering on the edge of bland. I prefer my broth mostly rich and fatty and it was the opposite of that. Other than that, I have to say the pork was a disappointment. There were portions of it that was essentially inedible considering they were just the fatty parts. The taste of the pork, too, was bland, lacking in any flavor. I would lie and say Id come back but the price was just too much for me considering the food I ate. If it was slightly cheaper Id consider it again. But at that price? The food was mediocre, at best.

---

SA

Sarah

First time here, great vibe, smaller and quaint setting. We started with spicy edamame, was great with an interesting oil it was soaked in. Spicy and nutty almost. Mushroom chowder, super earthy and yum. Mexicana roll was our favorite but the rainbow, jalapeño white tuna, and spicy tuna were all good. My boyfriend loved the spicy tuna, as he said it was above average of the run of the mill flavor. Spicy butter fried okra was excellent. Service was fast and our drinks were good. st Germaine Martini and vodka tonic. We will be back!

---

FR

Frank DiMaria

Party of 5. 9:15 reservations. We arrived 5 minutes early. We were brought water. We waited 10 minutes to be greeted. We ordered drinks and apps, then our entrees. At 10:01 we barely had our main dishes on the table when the sushi bar decides to run a loud shop vac to clean the sushi bar. We could not hear each other talk. This went on for 10 minutes. The food is good, but expect to be pushed out at 10PM on the dot. The staff was sitting down with their arms folded in front of them staring at us as we left. Not cool.

---

---