Inventive sushi, specialty rolls & hot entrees are offered in contemporary, intimate surroundings.
so impressed with this place! brussel sprouts were probably the best i've ever had, so many textures and so delicious. the scallop carpaccio was amazing and such high quality fish; i've tried raw scallop at a few other nice places in the city and didn't like the taste but it was soo good here. and the miso soup was loaded with tofu! overall such good quality for the price, and we love a byob!
Visited a month ago
Food was really good. Presented in a nice, appetizing way.
Sat outside which was nice, but the atmosphere out there is not great. You are literally at a metal table on a small sidewalk with cars and buses going by. BUT, we asked to sit outside because it was a lovely night. Next time, I might try inside.
Visited 9 months ago
Very intimate neighborhood BYOB sushi spot. Not many tables in the restaurant and no music was playing, so you could hear a lot of chatter.
The must have on the menu is the brussel sprouts - OMG so delicious! I will be dreaming of them.
The portion size of the sushi seemed small, and I got the shrimp tempura roll where 2 out of the 6 pieces had tails on them. I am not personally a fan of that, so 1/3 of the roll was almost inedible. The flavors were good and everything was fresh.
Visited 10 months ago
I went to Umai Umai 2 weeks ago. This place was the greatest sushi place in Philly until they opened their second location. Everything changed here: sushi rolls are not as tasty as they were and size was reduced significantly. In addition, there is a permanent rush feeling to order, eat, pay and leave. I remember this place being the perfect spot for a nice date and a great meal. In my opinion those times are almost over. It's BYOB still and that's nice, but I wouldn't be surprised if they terminate it soon though.
Visited 3 months ago
Atmosphere: 1/1: cozy small and dim lighting make this place great for a date
Service: 1/1: staff was welcoming and nice
Price: 0.5/1: Prices are expensive for the amount of sushi (6 thin slices of a roll for $12)
Food: 0.5/2: we had 4 sushi rolls (as they are small and 2 weren’t enough). The ping pong (not pictured) was the only tasty of the 4. The Henrietta (not pictured) tasted too much of the eel sauce. The taste of the spartan and the eternal sunshine were below average and average respectively. The crispy rice tot was also not worth the $5.
Overall: 3/5: location and date night atmosphere are unbeatable. But it’s unfortunately expensive for the small portions and average tasting food.
Visited a year ago
This place is amazing! Our first time here and i will tell you, you will not get disappointed. The best meal i had in a while :) They recommended brussels sprout for appetizer, wow so delicious, thumbs up! But everything is so good. If its your first time, you can ask what is best recommended food. Funnel cake stick in a chocolate dip for dessert,yum! Thank you for the service, stay safe.
Visited 3 years ago
It is okay for people who want a chilled nose vibe with a BYOB. Great place for a casual first date, when you don’t really know the person and don’t want to spent too much money on alcohol, Whole Foods is just around the corner. Would I call it one of the best sushi places - no, but definitely recommend to come as it very cute. Reminded me of Spain a bit, in terms of decorations and the weather was great +29C. Cute for the vibe, but only outside, not for the food. Food is okay.
Visited 2 years ago
so impressed with this place! brussel sprouts were probably the best i've ever had, so many textures and so delicious. the scallop carpaccio was amazing and such high quality fish; i've tried raw scallop at a few other nice places in the city and didn't like the taste but it was soo good here. and the miso soup was loaded with tofu! overall such good quality for the price, and we love a byob!
Visited a month ago
I really wanted to like this place based on the reviews…but the sushi isn’t that great here lol…I wouldn’t even say it’s average. I don’t know what everyone else has been getting, but the sushi we got was worse than the sushi you’d get at a buffet. The fish looked old and discolored, there was no rice vinegar in the sushi rice, the sushi was mostly rice, and the fish had an odd rubbery texture. It’s not like it’s a special type of fish either..I order tuna and salmon rolls at other places all the time and none of them are ever this chewy.
Nice location though..
Visited 2 months ago
Visited 2 months ago
Quaint BYOB spot. Enjoyed the miso soup and sushi rolls that were reasonably priced.
Visited 2 months ago
This space is so beautiful and intimate at night. We went on a Tuesday night and it was quiet and relaxing. The food was amazing, fresh, and creative! The staff was so kind and pleasant.
Visited 3 months ago
I went to Umai Umai 2 weeks ago. This place was the greatest sushi place in Philly until they opened their second location. Everything changed here: sushi rolls are not as tasty as they were and size was reduced significantly. In addition, there is a permanent rush feeling to order, eat, pay and leave. I remember this place being the perfect spot for a nice date and a great meal. In my opinion those times are almost over. It's BYOB still and that's nice, but I wouldn't be surprised if they terminate it soon though.
Visited 3 months ago
The seafood paella was spectacular. My only complaint -- it was three lunches of food! Seafood to the bottom of the huge bowl. I also had the udon soup with tempura veggies -- delicious! My wife had the shrimp pad thai which she loved. Our server was delightful, attentive but not overly so. The room is nice, not over the top, simple.
Only downside -- parking!!!
We found it searching for "thai" on google maps -- not really thai as most of the menu is sushi and rolls. Nonetheless, highly recommend
Visited 4 months ago
Very intimate space but food and service was great
Visited 4 months ago
Visited 4 months ago
oo cute date place but the porsions are super small we are steal hungary
Visited 5 months ago
Calamari salad & Poseidon roll are not to be missed, pleasant & intimate experience.
Visited 5 months ago
I used to go to Umai Umai all the time over the past 3 years, but haven't gone in a long time. It was my favorite sushi spot in the city because it was inexpensive, the food was great, and the menu was creative. I went again the other day and was really disappointed by the chance. The food did not taste very good, and the sushi pieces were cut in the thinnest slices (shinkflation?). I was really bummed because I really loved this spot and it used to be my go-to, but I am hesitant to go again after this experience.
Visited 5 months ago
Nice place for sushi with a welcome option for gluten free soy sauce (if requested).
Nothing fancy and limited menu, but everyone was happy with the result.
Will visit again but remember to bring my own wine.
Visited 6 months ago
I've been going to Umai Umai over the years, but it seems to have gone really down hill recently. The restaurant used to be one of my favorite sushi spots in the city. The restaurant was always clean, the menu was extensive, and above all, the food was always delicious. My last visit to the restaurant was very disappointing. The place, unfortunately, looks like it has not been kept up with. The floors need to be painted, the place needs cleaning, and the tables were sticky as if they had not been deep cleaned in some time (kind of what you would get a pub). There was a curtain to the kitchen that was hung over the top of the curtain rod, so you could see all of the fryers while you were eating. There used to be SO much to choose from on the menu, and now you get a very tiny, limited menu. I was so turned off by the actual restaurant itself, it was hard to enjoy the food. I did ask the waiter if the restaurant had changed hands, because I was so surprised by what I was seeing, and he did say that over the pandemic, it did. I could have guessed that just by walking past! Unfortunately, I can't say I will be back :(
Visited 8 months ago
It's obvious that Umai Umai is under new ownership. When this restaurant first opened approximately 10 to 15 years ago, we went at least 3 times a month. The owners were meticulous and you can always count on the freshest food, fish. They had an extensive menu with many items to choose from.
That is definitely not the case now.
This is the 3rd time I have been to this location since the pandemic, the 3rd time I made reservations, and the 3rd time my name was not on the reservation list when I arrived for dinner. When I gave my name the server said well I have an "Alexa" on the list, I said well that's not my name. I proceeded to tell him this was the 3rd time this has happened to me. At this point a table which was not cleared yet was quickly wiped down, and I was directed to sit there. In the darkest corner of the restaurant. The restaurant space looks dreary and "worn out" and the menus were falling apart. I had to use the flashlight on my phone to read the limited menu.
Once my friends arrived we all agreed that this is probably going to turn out to be a bad idea if we stay and eat, but we gave it a shot. First we started with gyoza, which came out dark and burnt, (not how gyoza is prepared or should look) we all looked at it and at each other thought... this is disgusting, we were not about to attempt tasting it. We asked the waitress to take it away, and we explained why. We were told that's how gyoza looks. NO WAY, we told her that.
Oyster shots - just okay. Not as satisfying as I remembered them to be. I guess the ingredients were not too fresh.
My friend ordered Miso soup and said it tasted like dish water, so he didn't eat it. Sushi and Unagi served, another disappointment, the unagi was overdone, too much "sauce" on top, which overpowered the eel. The sushi was boring, no pop, no explosion of flavor I waited to experience, I guessed that was also due to the lack of freshness of the fish or maybe the sushi chef, (which by the way was not dressed as a sushi chef). PAD TAI - was the only dish that was decent and served very hot. We ate some of that, but what we enjoyed most of all was the Sake and Sapporo beer that we brought with us.
Bathroom - was dirty, run down and disgusting. Our table had a view of the kitchen, once my friends who were facing the kitchen saw that and one of the workers in the kitchen, they were DONE. That was it, we had to get out of there and couldn't do it fast enough.
In closing, I will never ever go back to what was one of the best sushi spots in the city ever again, and you definitely won't ever find me at their new location in Queens Village. NO THANKS!
My advice is to stay away from Umai Umai especially the dirty run down location at 22nd Street, unless you are a novice at eating sushi and you could care less about the atmosphere and you have no idea about eating sushi, good sushi, then by all means knock yourself out!
Visited 8 months ago
Visited 8 months ago
Visited 8 months ago
My favorite is Traffic Light & Sashimi. Seating is a bit close, food & service is excellent. Good neighborhood spot.
Visited 9 months ago
Placed an order for takeout and called the restaurant letting them know my boyfriend has a severe sesame allergy. I asked them to make sure they didn’t put sesame on anything and the person on the phone said they would “make a note.” Boyfriend went to pick up the food and of course they left sesame on everything. We brought the food back and told them that he literally cannot eat this and the person tried to make it seem like it was our fault somehow. We then had to wait 20 minutes for them to remake the food. Then we had to go back in AGAIN because there was STILL sesame in the food and we waited ANOTHER 20 minutes. Absolutely ridiculous and bad customer service. I wonder if they would’ve covered the hospital bills if my boyfriend went into anaphylactic shock.
Visited 9 months ago
Food was really good. Presented in a nice, appetizing way.
Sat outside which was nice, but the atmosphere out there is not great. You are literally at a metal table on a small sidewalk with cars and buses going by. BUT, we asked to sit outside because it was a lovely night. Next time, I might try inside.
Visited 9 months ago
Maybe the best roll in town
Visited 10 months ago
Very intimate neighborhood BYOB sushi spot. Not many tables in the restaurant and no music was playing, so you could hear a lot of chatter.
The must have on the menu is the brussel sprouts - OMG so delicious! I will be dreaming of them.
The portion size of the sushi seemed small, and I got the shrimp tempura roll where 2 out of the 6 pieces had tails on them. I am not personally a fan of that, so 1/3 of the roll was almost inedible. The flavors were good and everything was fresh.
Visited 10 months ago
Visited a year ago
I went to Umai Umai last year 2 times, and during those times I would say it was pretty good. The appetizers were delicious and the sushi was also very good. My husband and I decided to go again today after about a year, and the food was absolutely terrible. The crispy rice with tuna tartare did not have the same tuna tartare as last year. The tuna tasted fully cooked and it didn’t look the same as prior. Additionally, the sushi was all cold- including the cooked tempura. It did not taste fresh. Even the simple spicy salmon roll did not taste like fresh salmon. It was likely precut and prepared earlier. I am very disappointed and will not be visiting this establishment again. I should have just gotten my regular sushi take out from sushiya. I think the chef changed and I’m disappointed. Had to leave and get food elsewhere.
Visited a year ago
Visited a year ago
Visited a year ago
Visited a year ago
I never leave reviews but I have to say this sushi is freaking fantastic. I am blessed to live within walking distance of this fine establishment.
Visited a year ago
Had an excellent birthday dinner here! so much fun and really great creative sushi rolls! service was great !
Visited a year ago
Все понравилось, было вкусно, сервис на все 💯
Visited a year ago
We ordered from doordash. Lets start with the ok food. The udon soup was good but the shrimp tempura it came with was a ball of fired tempura batter. The salad with ginger dressing ok.Can't believe it was $13.50! It was not that big! The avocado roll was fine. Now the rest. The sesame crusted Tuna was so fishy. The tempura had chunks of flour in the batter. The yellow tail tot was black and greasy. It looked like a spoonful of rice that was fried in oil. The Godzilla roll and Henrietta roll was spoiled by being drenched in honey. My son could only eat 2 pieces of each.
$132 in the garbage
Visited a year ago
The food was weird. Not your regular sushi joint.
Visited a year ago
Food was amazing. Service wasHORRIBLE!!!! I've NEVER been kicked out of a resturant... especially after spending more than $200. The first time we were asked to leave because another table was there, I calmly said we would finish our drinks than leave. They proceeding to ask us to leave 5 minutes later, I again said we would finish our drinks and leave. The manager/owner than came and told us we MUST leave because other people were there for our table. Meanwhile, there were SEVERAL tables open around us. I confronted the manager/owner again as we were leaving and he yelled at me telling me goodbye and he did not want to hear what I had to say. He said "we don't need your business." I would NEVER eat here again simply because the staff was THE RUDEST STAFF I'VE EVER COME IN ENCOUNTER WITH. PS I've been in the resturant industry for 25+ years.
Visited a year ago
Came in on a Friday without a reservation, but the staff was really accommodating and I got a table super quickly! Reservation is definitely recommended though. The sushi was sooo delicious and it was ready very quickly despite it being a busy night! Definitely will be coming back!
Visited a year ago
Very nice place with nice sushi
Visited a year ago
Visited a year ago
Delicious sushi, in a cozy, yet slightly upscale and accommodating restaurant. Good prices! Will definitely be back!
Visited a year ago
The food was really tasty and the service was quick. Also the waiter knew well what he was serving. The place is small and cozy. Portions are in the small side made up by great taste
Visited a year ago
Food Ordered: Henrietta, Godzilla, Krakken, Appetizer Sampler
BYOB
Sushi rolls were very unique. Love that it was BYOB. Very small restaurant- I was a bit cold. They accidentally brought us the wrong roll so they let us have it for free!
Went on 10/15/2023
Visited a year ago
Visited a year ago
Atmosphere: 1/1: cozy small and dim lighting make this place great for a date
Service: 1/1: staff was welcoming and nice
Price: 0.5/1: Prices are expensive for the amount of sushi (6 thin slices of a roll for $12)
Food: 0.5/2: we had 4 sushi rolls (as they are small and 2 weren’t enough). The ping pong (not pictured) was the only tasty of the 4. The Henrietta (not pictured) tasted too much of the eel sauce. The taste of the spartan and the eternal sunshine were below average and average respectively. The crispy rice tot was also not worth the $5.
Overall: 3/5: location and date night atmosphere are unbeatable. But it’s unfortunately expensive for the small portions and average tasting food.
Visited a year ago
All atmosphere no quality. Rolls are basic, not in a good way. Fall apart with a touch of a chopstick.
Visited a year ago
Visited a year ago
Not the best sushi in Philly. The fish was fresh and that’s nice but also bare minimum. Sushi rice was not seasoned and so many sesame seeds, it made the rice taste undercooked. Threw off the texture completely. Rolls were very bland. The sashimi would probably be your best bet for this place, given the nature of sashimi. Overall, it was ok, not bad by any means wouldn’t go back as there are better places.
Visited a year ago
Visited a year ago
Good place to go for a night out with friends. Great selection of fish, including some you don't usually find on your standard sushi menus (amberjack, sea bass, golden eye snapper, etc). Great udon soup - the broth was 10/10 and probably the best thing I ordered while here. The oyster shooters were great as well. The only dish I had any issue with was the octopus salad. The dish overall is bitter/sour because of the dressing and pickled radishes and the octopus was a little overcooked and underseasoned but without the octopus, the salad really wouldn't be appetizing so I had to take 1pt off the food score for that dish. All in all, I'll be returning in the future if for nothing else than that udon soup broth.
Visited a year ago
I've been here almost or more than 10 years. Owner is still same and foods were great. I very disappointed on food we've had serve today. we had 3 rolls and some of appetizers. We usually go Umai for the high quality rolls but it was almost the worst rolls I ever had from restaurants. I know all the prices are going up but I will miss the old taste of the Umai.
still great serve and great place.
Visited a year ago
Cockroaches in the toilet, rolls 2 times thinner than in other places. The fish is too salted (not fresh?). Prices for what was offered are high.
Visited a year ago
Freshly fresh fish
Visited 2 years ago
Cute outdoor seating
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
They don’t have booster seats for children. The menu has changed, as have the staff. Still love the restaurant but it has gone down hill.
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Excellent food at very reasonable price.
Everything was excellent, but you have to try oyster shooters and the crispy brussel sprouts!
Visited 2 years ago
The food itself tasted fine, but the portions are small and the sushi pieces were cut the thinnest I’ve ever seen. The rolls were overpriced for the small portions. We were seated quickly, but waited >20 minutes to get service and just as long for our food to come out.
Visited 2 years ago
Don’t get me wrong, the food was really good. It was a tad bit underwhelming in terms of portion sizes. The price was on the heavier side for the portions we got for the appetizer and the sushi (which comes in 6 pieces). Besides that, flavors were on point and the service was fantastic!
Visited 2 years ago
Very intimate japanese restaurant. The food, service, and atmosphere are great. One of my top choices.
Visited 2 years ago
RUN - don't walk - to order the Calamari Salad and Godzilla roll. Dining with a friend? Don't share. Forget them. Order you're own and eat it while staring into their disappointed eyes. Don't apologize. You could share.. but you won't want to. Don't sleep on the crispy rice tot either - the only thing you'll regret is that you didn't order more.
Visited 2 years ago
I'll be eating lunch there today
Visited 2 years ago
Best in the biz. Friendliest and most accommodating 🙏🏽
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Everything was very good and our waiter was awesome!
Visited 2 years ago
It is okay for people who want a chilled nose vibe with a BYOB. Great place for a casual first date, when you don’t really know the person and don’t want to spent too much money on alcohol, Whole Foods is just around the corner. Would I call it one of the best sushi places - no, but definitely recommend to come as it very cute. Reminded me of Spain a bit, in terms of decorations and the weather was great +29C. Cute for the vibe, but only outside, not for the food. Food is okay.
Visited 2 years ago
Unexpected. Delicious food. Spectacular service. Will recommend and come back when we can.
Visited 2 years ago
Everyone at Umai Umai does a wonderful job! Moved half a block from them yesterday, demolished all the food we ordered for takeout. We’ll be back real soon!
Visited 2 years ago
Nothing beats a great plate of sashimi after long travels. The fish is very fresh and expertly handled and plated. Definitely recommend swinging by and trying everything. Thank you chef for treating me your signature salmon roe & uni nigiri.
Visited 2 years ago
Excellent sushi. Fresh. Decent prices.
Visited 2 years ago
A favorite sushi place of mine!. BYOB!
Visited 2 years ago
Interesting take on food.
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Taste: Has gone down hill tremendously
Price: Has gone up considerably… Somehow 2 very small cans of Coke are $10?!?!? And each roll even special rolls are now 6 pieces??
I do not recommend.
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
This was my second time eating here and once again I was blown away. To start the servers are great, very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Hot tea was great accompaniment to the meal. The oysters shooters are packed with flavor and are great starting point. The “designer rolls” definitely aren’t traditional but their flavors pair perfectly, especially the ping pong roll with its sweet pineapple salsa and the kraken roll with its use of cherries and worcestershire. Another great thing is their uni, if you haven’t tried it before I would highly recommend trying it here. Price wise it’s definitely mid-range, I find if you get like one designer roll, one basic roll, and then a starter it will work out to be $25-30 per head, it’s definitely worth it though.
Visited 2 years ago
Limited veggie options for sushi but absolutely loved their avacdo roll! Would definitely recommend their crispy brussel sprouts and the veggie gyoza for their flavor. Their miso soup is also super flavorful!
Also not a food review but I wish their lighting was a bit brighter just cause some of the corner tables have such dim lighting we could barely see the menu!
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
They do NOT do delivery.
Visited 2 years ago
I give this place 0 stars. The host girl sat us down and then comes back and tells us to get up because there’s a reservation. Then she tells us theres a 30 min wait for us now. Awful customer service.
Visited 2 years ago
Previously my fianceé and I have had great experiences here, but recently this place seems to have went downhill. I'm not one to complain, but all of the meat we were served was over cooked, including the white fish, shrimp, and octopus. Additionally, the crispy tuna tot was extremely stale in terms of the tempura, the taste was great but the consistency felt like I was chewing a stale tortilla chip. Due to the price of the food I would have overall higher expectations of its quality, but unfortunately our server also showed us disrespect.
I subtlety told the server that the octopus was overcooked; it was a struggle to just cut into. She did say that she'd let the chef know. However once we followed up with additional comments on the overcooked shrimp/white fish on our paella and pad thai, she simply did one of these 🤷♀️ "oh well" hand motions and that was really screwed up. Could you act like you at least care about your customers? We did not make a scene at all either so I don't understand why she couldn't at least pretend to provide some empathy. Just literally telling her the honest truth that its an issue when your customers are having trouble biting into a fish that's supposed to be tender and flaky.
Lastly, she didn't even hand us the check herself, she had another server do it which didn't make sense since we weren't even giving her an attitude...whatever, just straight up disrespectful. Overall really disappointed since we've had great experiences here in the past.
Visited 2 years ago
Delicious fresh sushi in a cozy setting!
Visited 2 years ago
ABSOLUTE BEST FOOD IN PHILLY!!!!
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Overhyped in my opinion. But still good sushi
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Idk how this place has anything less than 5 stars. Absolutely phenomenal and BYOB. Atmosphere, service, food, presentation… all five stars. Make a reservation in advance. It’s busy.
Started with the octopus salad with miso dressing and soup. Finished with two roles each and the bill was $60. Very reasonable, and maybe the best sushi I’ve ever had.
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Had a lovely outdoor dinner. BYOB is always a treat and the food was fresh and very tasty. Good diversity of rolls
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
I did not like their sushi, not sure what it was... i ordered the Lone(ly) roll rolled in fresh daikon, and Philadelphia roll... did not like both rolls... I eat a lot of sushi, i could tell the difference today, not happy, although their weed salad was great!
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Fabulous food, everything we ordered was excellent! Nemo rolls and crispy Brussel sprout salad were our favorites, the tots are a must have too - oysters, sea bass tacos, and hot rock were all wonderful as well. Sat outside further away from 22nd and it was just so pleasant, looking forward to coming here regularly now that we know about it
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
Little gel I found looking for dinner, Monday night full. Great food, great place, great prices !
Visited 2 years ago
Visited 2 years ago
I used to come here before the pandemic and always enjoyed it! However, are they still open? I went on Wednesday, 9/7 after 6 and they looked closed!
Visited 2 years ago
Best sushi experience. Unique flavours you won’t get anywhere else !
Visited 2 years ago
Very nice restaurant the food is exceptional the only problem I might say I have I'm disabled and it's hard to get out I wish they offered delivery through one of the services such as Uber or doordash to make it more convenient
Visited 2 years ago
My experience here is that this is not the best sushi you can get in Philly. The Tapas was solid but the sushi flavor was off. The sauces seemed unbalanced and the fish lacked taste. The crispy scallop roll is bland and the texture was unexpected. The Chirashi is pretty small and looks better in pictures than it tastes.
Visited 2 years ago
I have not been to Umai Umai for several years and recently took my cousin and his new girlfriend visiting from New York. They were astounded by not only the food and presentation but by the friendliness and knowledge of the service staff. Thank you Alex.
Visited 3 years ago
I would give this a 2.5. The apps were 5 stars to be fair but the actual sushi rolls were terrible. The oyster shooter was so delicious we were very excited for the meal until it arrived. There was little fish and an excessive amount of rice. The rolls were loose and 60% rice. The amount of eel on top of the Poseidon roll was truly negligable. There was still sharp shell in my shrimp tempura, and not the tail on the end. The tuna on top of the Spirited Away was so brutally overcooked I questioned if it even was tuna. Food was not served for more than 45 minutes. Service was lackluster at best. I left hungry.
Visited 3 years ago
My octopus was so tender. You could cut it with the fork. My oysters were fresh and very nice. My nemo roll with cucumber wrapper was very refreshing. I rarely order dessert but what I ordered sounded so yummy. Banana spring rolls with red bean paste and vanilla ice cream was fantastic. If I lived here I would be a regular.
Visited 3 years ago
The best rolls I’ve tried for so long time. The California roll has a real crab meat inside and the Philadelphia roll with a row salmon, so delicious! Highly recommended.
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Heard fantastic things and was so excited to finally get to come to Umai Umai. Quaint inside to this Japanese BYOB. Few outdoor tables. Fantastic food quality. I’m still giving it 5-stars despite the terribly slow service, but there was one server for 15+ tables and we weren’t in a rush. Here were the highlights -
Half dozen oysters: three different sauces on top of these small oysters
Scallop carpaccio: this was fricken AMAZING. Beautifully presented and absolutely delicious.
Crispy rice tot: also amazing. So much so we ordered them a second time. The crispy rice, spicy tuna and avocado mousse…a party in your mouth.
Henrietta roll: larger roll; absolutely fantastic and delicious
Spirited Away roll: too much rice but overall decent flavor
Ping Pong roll: slow flavorful profile that develops in your mouth as you chew. Yummyyyy
Such an enjoyable meal. Can’t wait to come back!
Visited 3 years ago
Service was very slow and food was mediocre. We first arrived to dirty wine glasses, which was resolved quickly. The issues began afterwards. It must've been 45 minutes before we received our food. And when it came out, it tasted like it was ready to be served 30 minutes ago. I'm talking sushi that is bland. We also asked for a wine chiller because we never got one when we first arrived but never received one until a new table needed it as well. By that time, we were already done with our bottle. When we finished, it took our server another 20 minutes to bring us the check after clearing our plates. I swear we were there for almost 2 hours. For perspective, the left table in my picture came well after and left well before us. I'm not sure if this place went through new management but everything was lacking and needs improvement. We came here pre-pandemic many times and it was always great. Now? It has gone downhill dramatically.
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Great sushi with very limited seating. Make sure to make reservations
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
作为一个 费城的资深吃货
这里的oyster shooter 和 crispy rice tot
绝对是费城top2 也是美国top2
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
serving slow
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Great restaurant. The service was wonderful and the food was amazing. Definitely recommend.
This is a byob place
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
One of the best sushi places in Philly!
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
This place is amazing, the food is so good, service and staff are very friendly and quick and the place is BYO
Visited 3 years ago
They have the best grilled octopus I've tried in Philly area. It's very tender.
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
The sashimi cuts are smaller than what it used to be in the past. We think it's because the owner wasn't working that Saturday night. Still over all, the fish is fresh and tasteful
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
If you love sushi then you will find it here
Visited 3 years ago
I was really pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed dinner. The staff were really accommodating of our stroller and every dish we ordered was great. We especially enjoyed the paella, which is a really interesting mashup of flavors.
Visited 3 years ago
My fav sushi restaurant in Philly. The poke bowl is amazing
Visited 3 years ago
Went here again recently, still 5 stars great rock shrimp and tacos....special rolls were amazing
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Everything was amazing. I hadn't been here in years bc of covid stuff but it was just as delicious as I remember. Yummmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Always a delicious neighborhood treat!
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
MICE IN THIS RESTAURANT!!!!! Disgusting!!! In the middle of the meal a huge mouse ran through the center of the restaurant! The entire staff was completely unfazed! GROSS GROSS GROSS!!!!!
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Fabulous Sushi
Visited 3 years ago
The food was fresh and excellent. Hana was my server tonight and she was professional, personable and diligent. Would highly recommend this place.
Visited 3 years ago
Had an amazing experience at Umai Umai. Start to finish the meal was delicious and high quality. We sat outside and the waiter was sweet, definitely stretched but still made a strong effort to make sure we had what we wanted. I highly recommend their sushi rolls, Brussels sprouts, and udon soup.
Visited 3 years ago
Went here with friends prior to our haunted penetentiary tour!
Everything was so fresh and delicious!!!!!
We ordered basically every sushi roll, charashi, oyster shooters, tapas for two, miso soup, udon soup, shrimp tempuras, seaweed salad
We loved it! Their spicy Mayo TOP NOTCH
Will be back again, 10/10 would reccomend to a friend.
Cute little atomosphere with a great waiting staff.
BYOB
Visited 3 years ago
Great ambiance. Delicious, fresh sushi. Our server was exceptional! He had great recommendations and paid extra attention to our needs. I highly recommend Umai Umai and ask for Sam L!
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
I really liked the upstairs area, super nice and cozy. The appetizers were very good, and I liked all the salads too. The disappointment was the Seafood Paella. Looked so amazing but the taste… overly spicy, sweet, with a fish taste and mushed rice. Did not like it. The sushi rolls were good, but very American, less emphasis on fish and more on all the crunchy and fried things.
Visited 3 years ago
Umai Umai was a 5 star restaurant. New owner? New chef? The menu is the same, but the taste has changed drastically. I used to LOVE the Pingu roll. Now the roll is significantly smaller in portion and has less of the potato crunch on top. The other rolls I have always enjoyed are the Eternal Sunshine and Nemo. Both are now missing that special final touch that packs the flavorful punch. This review saddens me greatly. I miss you pre-pandemic Umai Umai. This was my second time having Umai Umai with the new chef/owner, and unfortunately I can’t say I’ll be back for more.
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Finally tried Umai Umai after living in the area for a good while.
Walked up at 530pm on a Friday and was able to grab an outdoor table with no wait. Some quick facts, Umai Umai accepts credit cards, but it is BYOB.
The menu options were well varied with something that probably anyone would love to try. Service was great and very quick to turnaround our food. In terms of food, everything we tried was great. We particularly enjoyed the King Kong roll and the tempura shrimp appetizer, both of which I highly recommend.
If you're in the neighborhood I'd definitely say you should give Umai Umai a try, we'll be back!
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Would give more than 5 stars if I could. Everything was amazing from the food, to the ambiance, even the tables seated on either side of us were friendly and chit chatting with us about what to order and where to go for a drink afterwards! As one of the tables next to us said, “Beautiful date spot.” Get the oyster shooters, like a little taste of the ocean. Gets very busy so make a reservation and have patience with the kitchen, it’s worth it.
Visited 3 years ago
One of the best Japanese restaurants in Philadelphia. BYOB.
Visited 3 years ago
This place is amazing! Our first time here and i will tell you, you will not get disappointed. The best meal i had in a while :) They recommended brussels sprout for appetizer, wow so delicious, thumbs up! But everything is so good. If its your first time, you can ask what is best recommended food. Funnel cake stick in a chocolate dip for dessert,yum! Thank you for the service, stay safe.
Visited 3 years ago
Visited 3 years ago
Food is incredibly good and not expensive. Well worth the visit for sushi. 10/10
Visited 3 years ago
Currently sitting here. Had an 8:30 reservation and was sat shortly after. No one approached the table until 9:00 even to get a second water glass. We ordered and only got one of two appetizers ordered and now it is 10:00. People that have sat after us have eaten their meals and gotten their check. Server comes over to the table next to us and gives them something not on the menu as a “treat” and ignores our table. Awful service will never return.
Visited 3 years ago
Mutfaginiz yemekleriniz muhtesem bayildim
Visited 4 years ago
Loved it and iys byob....😀
Visited 4 years ago
This place has been a favorite of mine since it opened. Fresh, delicious, quality food, friendly, attentive, and experienced service. And the owner/head sushi chef is great with kids! I know this because I was a kid when I first started eating here. It’s very rightly crazy popular and super busy, but if you go in the off hours, say 5:30 on a Tuesday, and sit at the bar, you’ll be treated to a fantastic education in sushi. Umai Umai is my favorite restaurant.
Visited 4 years ago
We had excellent sushi, and the tenderloin on the stone was very good.
Visited 4 years ago
everything from the service to the apps to the sushi to the entrees was impeccable
Visited 4 years ago
Have had this place saved on my "Want To Go" list on Google for a while but just haven't gone yet. Ended up trying it out with a friend a couple of days ago and....loved it!
It's a very cute place on the corner of Brandywine & 22nd (which luckily is a short walk for me from my apartment). We sat outside and were immediately helped as soon as I sat down. Our waitress was so great! Very friendly, did a great job of checking on us through out the dining experience to makes sure we were ok, answered questions pretty well or checked on it for us - she eventually mentioned it was her first day when she had to check on something for us but we would've never known by how professional and well she was servicing us! Now to the important part, the food.
The food...was so good! For apps, we ordered the Tapas for Two and my friend got the Oyster Shooter (we thought it came with two but just one). She loved the shooter - said it felt like she had a tasty, refreshing taste of the ocean in her mouth lol - and we both felt like we could come back for happy hour and just order the tapas platter over and over. For entree, I first ordered the Kraken and she ordered the Godzilla. Both rolls were excellent! I love a good spicy mayo which my roll had, with the shrimp and avocado tasting very fresh. My friend liked her roll too and felt the strawberry on it kinda of gave it a dessert type of taste but still worked. We loved the food so much, we ordered one more roll each. I just got a Spicy Salmon and she got an Eel roll which she said was one of the best eel rolls she's ever had for a sushi place in Philly.
All in all, amazing good, great service and cute vibe at this local place. Highly recommend checking them out if you love sushi and I will definitely be coming back - with wine or something next time (they are BYOB)
Visited 4 years ago
Wonderful and creative menu. Quality ingredients. Friendly and personable staff made the fifth star.
Visited 4 years ago
They need to staff up, kinda backed up. Or just take some of the Tables away.
I had a few rolls, they are unique to say the least. Way too sweet for a sushi roll, but good for what they were. I would come back and try it something different. Experience alone is worth it.
Visited 4 years ago
Sooo good I was shocked! All the fish was really fresh and smooth as butter
Visited 4 years ago
The unusual selection of sushi rolls here is very interesting and I was looking forward to the food a lot. Unfortunately, the rolls I got in my takeout order were warm and the rice was moist. I think this was because the rolls were placed on top of my paella order in the takeout bag during my walk home (~8 minutes). In all, a very underwhelming first experience with Umai Umai.
Visited 4 years ago
As out of towners, when we visit our friends in Philly we always head here for dinner. They have an amazing menu and everything is so fresh. Favorites are brussels sprouts, traffic light roll, and crispy rice! Staff and owner, Sam, are incredibly friendly and welcome as well!
Visited 4 years ago
Hands down one of the best sushi spots I’ve found in the city. The rolls are filling, taste delicious and are accompanied with some unique appetizer selection. The location has a great vibe that make it a cool date/hangout spot. Staff is consistently friendly and attentive.
Visited 4 years ago
Visited 4 years ago
Love their patio and food. It is byob.
Visited 4 years ago
We sat at 7pm and ordered shortly afterwards. We got apps in a reasonable amount of time but then when it came to the rolls that’s when the fun began. There was a private party in another room and they clearly got priority and we watched numerous trays of rolls, bowls and plates get delivered to them while us nobody’s waited for over an hour for only four rolls. Everyone outside was waiting without their orders for quite a while. Manager or some guy didn’t comp or offer anything aside from “sorry.” We have been here once before and thought it was good but the restaurant dropped the ball hard. Don’t go if they have a private party that night or your time will be deliberately wasted.
Visited 4 years ago
Visited 4 years ago
Absolutely fantastic
Visited 4 years ago
Delicious as always. The carpacchio (sp?) is not to be missed and everything else is excellent.
Visited 4 years ago
It's a small and busy sushi place, but reasonable wait time and delicious food!
Visited 4 years ago
Enjoyed the atmosphere. Outdoor seating is available and really pleasant on a nice night. Wait staff was attentive. Dishes were nice and very flavorful, I especially liked the Spirited Away roll, and the dishes are reasonably priced. My only two complaints: the crunchy scallop maki was tough, chewy, and flavorless, and for the price I thought there was very little actual scallop in the Scallop Carpaccio (maybe four or five super small pieces of scallop about the thickness of a piece of ginger, covered in (very tasty) sauces).
Visited 4 years ago
Fantastic sushi. Really unique flavor combinations. Takeout was well packed.
Visited 4 years ago
Visited 4 years ago
Visited 4 years ago
Had amazing sushi and many great appetizers. Staff was nice and friends as well as very accommodating.
Visited 4 years ago
Visited 4 years ago
- 10 sushi photos
- 200 sushi reviews
- 4.5 Sushi Rating
- Reservations: +1 215-988-0707
- Menu Website: https://www.umai-umai.com/menus/
- Sushi Address: 533 N 22nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19130, United States
- Sushi Map: 39.9646861, -75.1741274
- Japanese restaurant
- Restaurant
- Sushi restaurant
- Sunday: Closed
- Monday: 5–9:30 PM
- Tuesday: 5–9:30 PM
- Wednesday: 5–9:30 PM
- Thursday: 5–9:30 PM
- Friday: 5–10:30 PM
- Saturday: 5–10:30 PM
- Outdoor seating: Available
- Takeaway: Available
- Dine-in: Available
- Delivery: Available
- Great tea selection: Available
- Dinner: Available
- Solo dining: Available
- Wheelchair-accessible car park: Available
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance: Available
- Healthy options: Available
- Small plates: Available
- Wine: Available
- Dinner: Available
- Catering: Available
- Dessert: Available
- Seating: Available
- Toilets: Available
- Casual: Available
- Cosy: Available
- Romantic: Available
- Trendy: Available
- Upmarket: Available
- Dinner reservations recommended: Available
- Accepts reservations: Available
- Usually a wait: Available
- Credit cards: Available
- Debit cards: Available
- NFC mobile payments: Available
- Credit cards: Available