Aki Kushiyaki

The service was fantastic! And the food was mostly great. You can tell a lot of thought went into the flavor combinations to give a unique experience. I've had my share of sushi omakase but grilled omakase was a new concept entirely to me. There were a few dishes that, for me at least, the flavor combinations wasn't as enjoyable despite top notch presentation, but my friends enjoyed those dishes. And there were some I loved that they weren't crazy about, but all of that can be chalked up to personal taste and not a knock on the restaurant itself. The staff was super friendly and informative for each dish, and they were accommodating when we requested extra dressing for the salad. One note for people interested in coming here, it is 100% reservation required and you need to make a $50 deposit per head when reserving a spot for the 13 course dinner. There is no a la carte, it is only this menu available. Your only options are with the alcohol, whether to do wine or sake (with flight and pairing options available). They do two dinner services a night as of this review so the timing is pretty set in that regard. I don't mind this but it is worth keeping in mind for anyone thinking of going there on a whim. I includes pics of the menu and each dish we got (except the lamb, which I forgot to take a pic...)

This is a truly Gem in Seattle! Excellent food and I will go again! Found this nice place from Google search and it definitely surprised you for the great food and the sake selections! Newly opened in March 2021 @ Capitol Hill, corner of 22th Ave & E. Madison. You can tell their chef paid 200% efforts in food preparation and great quality. Every single course they made are just prefect, good quality & portion size and you were surprised!

This meal was highly disappointing for the price point. You could get a very similar meal of yakitori at a izakaya for 1/4 of the price, and I do not know how this restaurant gets away with charging these prices for this meal. I felt like I had been deceived at the end of the meal, and the meal did not have any dish that would have me coming back again. I wish there had been more reviews warning me of what to expect before I decided to dine here. The tasting menu consisted of mainly grilled meats which were overly salty and dripping in fat. The tasting menu was primarily chicken based without much variety. The menu did not provide any reprieve from the heavy palate and even the pickled vegetable dish (pickled tomatoes which had a funky flavor) was lackluster and did not provide enough acid to cut through all the fat. Most dishes were heavily salted and there was a clear lack of creativity and complexity to all dishes. All of the dishes had the same flavor profile and there was little variety. The chicken broth dish was inedible and the meal was highly disappointing. Please reconsider visiting this restaurant unless you are willing to shell out big bucks for some repetitive and heavy dishes.

Had a spectacular time at Aki. It must be the special binchotan charcoal they use, but the dishes were so juicy and tasty! The ambiance and interior design really adds to the experience as well. Additionally, if you’re curious about sake, try their sake flight. They have a fantastic quality sake that pairs wonderfully is their Omakase set. Highly recommend!

So glad we decided to go here for dinner. I was really concerned after reading some of the reviews before my reservation here with my sister for the tasting menu. Biggest fear was the salt because my sister is very sensitive to salt in dishes. And execution on the dishes. For context my sister and I are foodies and have been around the world to try out fine dining establishments and we were not disappointed. The Pros: Ambiance was great and service was good. Food was reminiscent of my time in japan eating at an izakaya. There is care and plan around how the food dishes were executed and I appreciated the quality of the ingredients used which is a must have for Japanese cuisine. Food was grilled optimally in most dishes although I wish with dishes like the chicken wing would have been more charred where the skin was for a crisp. I through enjoyed the snap pea dish, although my sister was not a fan of the meatball dish (only dish she did not like because it was too soft for her liking) For 13 “bites” it was worth the cost of the tasting for us The cons: Sister felt the sake flight was ok but enjoyed the sake by the glass much more. Because it is hard to find a good izakaya that uses similar technique and attention to detail in the area- I felt like this was worth the experience. Also felt like the cost was worth the ambiance as I was able to enjoy a conversation with my sister without people near us. I feel the restaurant does read these reviews and probably adjusts the dishes accordingly as we didn’t experience the negative reviews a few months back- super happy we decided to keep the reservation.

Awesome and unusual Japanese meal. No fish, lots of different meats, awesome tasty preparations and presentations. Our server told us this was the last night of operation: owner is closing down to focus on his existing restaurants.

Frankly, this might have been the best meal of my life. Each course was special in its own way and it's incredible to be able to see the process. Wonderful atmosphere in a beautiful location. Incredible staff and great drink pairings to complete the experience. Will be back for celebrations, fancy dates, or any time fine dining is called for.

Aki Kushiyaki was an amazing experience - bringing the flavors of binchotan yakitori to a high end tasting menu format. The atmosphere and service were impeccable - our servers were so kind and attentive to every need. The food was well executed - really fresh tasting zensai bites, perfectly grilled chicken parts, the tastiest and juiciest chicken tsukune, a pâté that made me rethink my dislike of liver entirely, flawless A5 wagyu. And the grilled ice cream with smoked meringue around the ice cream was life changing! I wish I could’ve bought a box of twelve to go! I would give the restaurant two points of feedback to make the experience perfect. One - reducing the amount of dishes in the tasting menu or reducing the size of some of them. While I understand yakitori is the foundation of the menu, I felt like I was filling up on too much similar tasting chicken when I wanted to save space for later courses, and the overall amount of food (esp so much meat) was a little overwhelming, though I did feel like I definitely got my money’s worth. Two - I really enjoyed their zensai so much, I wish they actually had one or two more vegetable courses or courses with both meat and veggies! My partner got the 3-type saké flight and loved it, I tasted the cups and was especially impressed by the Dassai nigori ginjo. Hot tips for newcomers: the tall empty cup on the table is for your skewers! Throw them in here when done. Also, your servers will very kindly pack anything you’re too full to eat during the dinner so manage your tummy space and don’t be shy to ask! Wish I knew this much earlier in the dinner haha.

Want to keep this spot a hidden secret for myself!! They recently converted to only focusing on Omakase, and not only is it affordable ($89/person, $25 reservation fee/person applied to final bill) but it's also so good and so filling! The 4 of us were sat at the sushi bar and we had the entire place to ourselves, surprising for such a good restaurant on a Friday night. Some things to note: we found street parking right in front of the restaurant; the bar and dining room both offer omakase only except bar serves piece by piece so it's a slower yet more enjoyable experience; chef offers an optional additional piece of sushi before dessert, either a repeat or whatever the special fish of the day is (today was uni) BUT be prepared to pay an additional charge for the extra piece. Chef Kyu was personable and gave our group space to converse, while also informing us of each dish and sharing with us which his favorites were. Compared to other omakase experiences, I enjoyed Umi Nori because of the price point, taste of each dish, and how full we were at the end of the meal. Chef also recommended a great sake to us, but they don't do sake pairings, at least not yet. Green tea was included, and was so good! There was nothing we didn't like but there were some unique bites that blew us away: such as the black snapper which was super buttery; the crab chawanmushi, which was creamy and delicate, with so much umami flavor and filled with crab; and the otoro handroll, which had so much otoro filling. I highly recommend coming here, especially for December because Chef mentioned they're planning something special for the holiday season! This is a nice and affordable date night and omakase experience, especially considering the other omakase places in Seattle. Can't wait to come back!

For $85/person we were very satisfied with our omakase, which came with 9 sushi + more. I like that the fish was the good stuff - toro, chu toro, king salmon, to name a few. It's not just fish on rice; it's crated with very particular flavors added to them. Nothing short of a work of art. Uminori is owned by the same people as Kisaku, so I knew the quality was going to be great and it certainly did not disappoint. It didn't come with uni, unfortunately. In between sushis you also get crab chawanmushi, manila clam miso soup, handroll, carpaccio, and OMG grill-your-own waygu plate! Never was a big fan of chawanmushi but that was the best I've ever had. And of course, the grilled wagyu was our favorite. Btw, Uminori went through a huge change as of June 2024, so you should look at the reviews different. I'm unsure if reservations are required and if it is omakaze only now, but it sure seems that way. They serve the omakase at the bar and the rest of the restaurant sits empty. They seat about 6-8 per round, so I recommend reserving.

We came here to celebrate our 5 year anniversary and it was a great experience. We came for the reservation at 5:00 and were seated promptly at the bar area. It was nice to be able to see the chef create the nigiri right in front of us. It was a great value for what you get, per person it is $89. I would say that the fish was good quality and I definitely left feeling more full than other omakase places I've been. The least memorable one was the hot stone beef - it was a bit tough, even though we did 15 seconds on each side. Regardless, it's really great value for what you get! I would definitely come back again to celebrate!

Previously a hand roll restaurant, UMINORI is now an intimate omakase experience. The chef hand-served us, a total of 4 people, a series of sushi bites and ancillary dishes. The pacing was perfect and the fish was excellent- you can tell the care they put into sourcing every ingredient. For the quality of the food, the price is a steal. I would be here often if I lived in Seattle.

Nice and intimate place for omakase with the best pals. the sushi bar seats 6 ppl and luckily we were able to sit next to our friends with different reservation. Omakase wasn't super filling but it was enough to be satisfied. & just a disclosure that this omakase experience is completely different from their restaurant throughout the day. They close for a period of time strictly for 6 guest to experience omakase with the chef.

Avoid at all costs... I had heard good things about UMINORI's hand rolls in the past, and also that some things have changed here now. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try it before things went south. The hand rolls, $8 each, came to us like poorly wrapped cigars. The quality of the scallop, tuna, and salmon was decent, but the seaweed was chewy and there was so much rice it was like eating onigiri. As it got to our table I just kind of stared at it and wondered if some random kid in the back was put in charge for the day. Wanted to enjoy this place but I won't be coming back, especially when there are so many other great sushi options. Hand roll specifically, Sugo could tie their hands behind their backs and still serve something miles better than this. The pictures from the past looked good so I hope they undo whatever changes have been made.

Came here to try the omakase menu. Only the 6 seaters bar was used for the entire restaurant. Had a good variety of different fishes and a few cooked dishes for total of 17 items including dessert . It was a 2 men show, sushi chef and another was serving the cooked dishes from the kitchen. Not your highest quality fish but still very good for the price. We would come back again when the menu changes.

It pains me to write this review as I really did enjoy this place when I went last year. I won't include my beautiful pictures of the food from a year ago because that is just not what you are going to get anymore. They have completely changed the menu and just the whole vibe. It used to be a temaki place with the open faced hand rolls, and now they do regular sushi rolls and wrapped around hand rolls. When I went this time, they didn't have half of the items we wanted so I ended up only ordering 3 handrolls: the scallop, king salmon, and chutoro. We also ordered the green tea which comes complimentary with the meal (as said on the drink menu) but the waiter looked at us like we were crazy, and we had to point out on the menu what green tea we were even talking about... and then we got charged for the complimentary tea anyways. Now about the food itself. These rolls were wrapped so so poorly it looked like a 3 year old did it. Sushi is an art that many take such pride in their years of experience, and the handrolls we got today were beyond uneven and unbalanced. Each piece was about 90% rice 10% fish. I ended up having to take out half the rice so that I could taste the fish. It's unfortunate because the fish was pretty good quality (scallop and salmon) but they executed it so so poorly. The chutoro was really bad though, half of it was tendon pieces that you can't chew through. Overall I had an awful experience here the second time. I wish it would go back to what it used to be.

Such a good value for Omakase in Seattle! And we got lucky that we got the reservation for 7:30PM on a Sunday. The door was locked and they didn't let us in until a couple min late, as one of the previous Omakase customers finished his meal late. They later served hamachi kama as a way to apologize - no complaints there then! They served a surprising number of courses, and their first course was chawanmushi which was so warm and delicious - perfect for the rainy day it was. The restaurant was spacious. It looked like they only opened the restaurant for Omakase as only 6 people were sitting at the bar including us, and all the other tables were empty. We ordered hot sake which they poured all the way to the top! Thank you! The chef confirmed that their Kirkland location did not serve Omakase. In the end, we also had the uni for an additional charge. My friend tasted a little bitterness in the uni. Overall, really good experience and value - you cannot beat the price of $89 for Omakase in Seattle! Parking was not too bad as I was able to find a spot in the nearby neighborhood.

I feel like they changed their menu because I saw all the nice looking hand rolls thinking it would be the same. However, I was highly disappointed as you can see from my pictures. They had actually gotten my salmon roll mixed up with someone else's so they redid mine and made it fancier. If you're going here for hand rolls, I would recommend somewhere else. I felt very mislead. You can make hand rolls from the nigiri section so that's what we did. We didn't know you can get hand rolls made from the rolls section, maybe those were the ones that looked ultra fancy? If so, nobody explained that to us. The positive - service was really great and everyone was very professional. The appetizers were probably the best part of the meal! Easy parking around with street/residential. Overall, sadly, I don't think I would be back.

Food - the sushi was very tasty and fresh. The oysters weren't as good. The tea was very tasty though and so was the miso. I liked everything and would order it again with the exception of the oysters that neither me nor my friend liked much. Service - The servers were excellent. Very attentive and answered questions. The server also refilled my tea and checked on us frequently, bringing things just as we needed them! Ambiance - Very pretty and well-decorated. It's modern but also gives nods to Japanese decor.

I visited on a Friday night with a friend and we were expecting to order the hand rolls. However, they're discontinued and/or no longer available on the menu. We ordered the Brussel sprouts and 4 regular rolls. The Brussel sprouts were really good and the highlight of the meal for me. I ordered the Madison roll and negitoro roll. The negitoro roll was the better one of the two for me. The Madison was a complete miss. It was an ok experience overall.

Visited Uminori after seeing rave reviews on Yelp. We had a later reservation so when we got in there were not many people. It had all the dark classy izakaya vibes - we were seated quickly on one of the tables close to the entrance, kind of by the sushi bar. Our server greeted us and got us settled quickly with our drinks. I think he was on the newer side & seemed nervous but was very sweet and relatable. We weren't trying to order a lot of food since we had just finished a whole happy hour but we ended up ordering like everything. We had an uminori temaki set which had 5 popular temakis (salmon ikura, spicy ahi, negitoro,negihama, honshimeji). On top of these we ordered a scallop temaki. All of them were full of fresh fish and had fun presentations! Even the shimeji one (which has no fish, just veggies) had so much flavor. We also ordered a wagyu nigiri (I think this was charred too much for my liking) and a foie gras w/ cotton candy! Overall I would most definitely come back here and urge people to go too! Unfortunately they didn't have the hotaru ika or uni temaki that I saw on Yelp so that was a bummer - hopefully they bring it back for next time!

Here is the review without mentions of a partner: I recently tried out the Japanese restaurant UMINORI for dinner. Upon entering, I was immediately struck by the warm and inviting decor - dim lighting, rustic wood accents, and calm Japanese music set the mood for a cozy dining experience. Perusing the menu revealed an extensive selection of Japanese appetizers and sushi. I started with the crispy calamari, which had an excellent crunch and flavorful breading. I was disappointed to learn the restaurant had run out of Takoyaki that evening, as I was looking forward to those stuffed octopus fritters. I had to request wasabi and ginger be brought out separately as it wasn't part of the sushi rolls that were ordered. Which I found it ironic as this is normally served with the sushi rolls. For my entree, I ordered the black cod kasuzuke. While tender, I found the miso marinade a little too salty and one-note for my taste. The sushi combination plate looked beautifully presented. The slices of tuna and salmon were fresh, though the hand rolls with the same fish were a bit dense and chewy. I complemented my meal with hot sake, which warmed me up on the cool evening. While a few dishes missed the mark slightly, overall I had an enjoyable dining experience. The service was excellent, with friendly and attentive staff. I would give UMINORI 3 out of 5 stars. They offer an extensive, generally well-executed menu with a classy ambiance. I may come back to give their takoyaki and other dishes a try next time.

There is street parking here and it's based on luck. The decor was very modern Japanese with a dark ambiance which makes it feel relaxing. The service here was nice. Salmon crab - it was okay. Fish was not the highest quality, but does the job. Asari clam with fries - it was an interesting salty and seafoody combo that didn't mesh well together.. Umi set (5)- the fish wasn't high end omakase quality, but it does the job Foie gras nigiri -The cotton candy melts in your mouth along with the foie gras which is a pleasant surprise in my mouth. It was surprisingly a nice balance between sweet and savory.

I wanted to like this place so much more. I love hand rolls and my expectations were high. The menu had a lot of good options and there were so many choices to choose from. The night we went it was quite busy. The ingredients and combos were of good quality but by the time what you had ordered made it to your table, even if just constructed, the seaweed was already soft and sometimes almost mushy. If they could fix this, that would be so much better.

Hand rolls were yummy and similarly priced compared to other hand roll places. Service was quick and attentive

I've been seeing and hearing about this place so I'm glad it was a beautiful and sunny day for us to check out this place. I made a reservation for 6:15 but we were already in the area at 545 so we came in early. They had some open seats so we got seated right away. We ordered the chicken karaage, clam with fries, the Umi set, baked crab temaki, scallop temaki, and Wagyu nigiri. Everything was delicious, but I'm not sure how I feel about the clam with fries. It's not bad, but it's not exactly scrumptious. It's more.... Interesting. The service was amazing and the place is cozy. I wouldn't mind going back here!

The fries came with a lot of clams which was a delightful surprise! The fries did get soggy since they're sitting in a soup but the soup was refreshing. I got the umi set and it came with 5 temaki (hand rolls). My favorite was the negi-toro since it had this pickled veg in it too which added a unique texture. The eggplant roll was surprisingly tasty (kinda sweet almost like teriyaki). My least favorite would have to be the salmon since it came with crème fraiche which masked the salmon. Salmon is already fatty so I didn't think it's necessary to add something creamy to the roll.

I have had a decent number of hand roll places when I was in Los Angeles, such as Kazunori, and this place is in those leagues. This place gets quite busy on weekends, but reservations are not too hard to get a few days ahead, and it is highly recommended if you go during prime time. For the experience, I sat at the chef's counter where I get to see all the action. What is good about the chef's counter is that, while typically dedicated for walk in guests only and for small parties / solo diners, when you order the hand rolls, they give them to you one by one for maximum freshness and seaweed crunchiness. The slight downside is that you won't be able to get a nice picture spread of all the handrolls at once, so keep this into consideration when you decide where to sit if you make a reservation. I went with the 5 set hand rolls and added the foie gras nigiri. The 5 set hand rolls, as it was later in the night, instead of the Honshimeji mushroom, it is substituted for the eggplant which is also pretty solid. The other hand rolls were the spicy tuna, negi-hama, king salmon, and negi-toro. My personal favorites were the salmon and the negi-toro due to the overall combination of flavors. All of the hand rolls were served fresh and with minimal effort, the seaweed was still very crunchy and I could easily take a few bites without the seaweed being too soggy. The foie gras nigiri was highly recommended by a lot of reviews, and it is a nice experience to try. For $9 for one piece, it could feel a bit pricey, but it is still a great value relative to how much you would normally pay for foie gras at a fine dining restaurant. What stands out here is that they add cotton candy to it, both for the unique infusion of flavors and for the aesthetic. It is definitely very rich, so save this for the last (they do a good job in serving specific rolls and dishes in a specific order, so you likely don't need to worry about that at all!) Service was outstanding as they did not rush me and they were very patient. The cadence of each hand roll was on point as I got hand rolls without waiting too long or felt too rushed. Water refills were pretty consistent as I ended up drinking lots of water throughout the meal. This is overall a nice spot to go, though with a somewhat small variety for the menu, this place is highly recommended for smaller parties. This is a place that could be a nice treat, as it is somewhat pricey - I spent close to $50 after tax and tip, and it was considered a lighter dinner for what I ordered.

Very nice intimate hand roll restaurant that's tucked away on cap hill. The restaurant itself has a nice ambience to it and service is excellent; perfect place for date night! For appetizers we got the clam fries, brussel sprouts, and chicken karaage. My favorite ended up being the brussel sprouts; I kinda wished we ordered the tuna tartare as well since it sounded amazing. I got the umi set and ended up ordering baked crab and spicy scallops as well. The quality is great, portion is small, and I think the price is fair for Seattle. My favorite ended up being the spicy scallops (I love scallops), and the fatty tuna.

The hand roll set was delicious! The mushroom tamaki caught me by surprise, I had never had anything like it. We also tried out the foie gras with cotton candy- sweet & fatty. It wasn't for me, but my boyfriend really liked it! One thing I wished was different: the nori was very soft & soggy. I would hope that they find a way to keep it crispy- I kept looking for that crunch factor each bite. Overall, the service was amazing and the ambiance is great for a date or group hangout. So glad we checked out this spot as our last dinner in Seattle!

Every bite here was so good! Loved all the detail and flavors in each piece, like the shiso and the prawn butter. The fish was super fresh and buttery, it was such a good deal for only $89. I loved seeing all these pieces being made by the chef right in front of me. And FYI I think that since they only recently changed to the omakase style, the restaurant still has the structure it previously did with the spacing and tables, but for my 7:30 reservation there was a total of 6 people

Great ambience and good food! The maitake kaarage was perfectly fried and seasoned. The scallop and unagi hand rolls were my favorite. Most of the fish in hand rolls were minced, which I didn't really like, texturally. Parking in this area was hella hard! Especially with construction along the entire street, it was really stressful. I advise ubering there or parking in the small lot next to the Safeway across the street.

Eh. UMINORI replaced Aki Kushiyaki within the past year - for whatever reason, I thought it was just a change in type of food vs change in ownership. But I was really wrong about that. The four of us ordered a number of bites between us. In no particular order: -Negi hama -Eggplant -Shimeji -Natto -Tofu dengaku -Negi toro -King salmon -Wagyu Three of four of us were about to order the uni too, but thankfully the waiter came back to inform us that it was $28 a pop (at that time - I think it fluctuates). So we were grateful to the waiter for warning us. Out of all of these, I thought the negi hama was the best. The folks who tried wagyu said that one was really good too. However, "tofu dengaku" was actually fried tofu, which is not what tofu dengaku is. I get the impression that this place is not Japanese-owned... there have been a lot of places popping up pretending to be Japanese-owned (Miniso being the latest offender). The ambiance is still just as nice as it was at Aki Kushiyaki, but I feel like the food doesn't match the ambiance. It felt more fast-casual to me. I wasn't impressed and wouldn't go back.

Complete waste of time and money. Went with a party of 4 at 6:30 with only 3 other tables seated and no one else waiting. On a Friday. During peak dinner hour. Huge red flag but our bad for ignoring it. Started with Asari Clam Soup appetizer which was clams in a light broth topped with fries. Fries and clams were good individually but didn't go well together. And if you eat any of the clams before finishing the fries, then the fries get soggy from the broth. Took 30 minutes after the clams to get our uni hand rolls and a spider roll. Uni hand roll was completely different from photos. They changed the style from temaki to uncut maki rolls. Our server must've seen the disappointment on our faces (or they have gotten complaints about this before), because she immediately said they had recently changed the way they make some of their hand rolls. My problem with this is that this should've been mentioned while we ordered, not once the food finally arrives at our table. My girlfriend said it best "I was expecting cone shaped hand rolls, not hand rolled joints". The rolls were very thin and we could hardly taste the uni. We unrolled it just to make sure they even had uni in them! The filling was a small smear of uni and a shiso leaf. $8 per roll for tasting 90% shiso leaf with a slight hint of uni. Sushi combo came 20 minutes later. Fish tasted fine, but rice did not hold together and fell apart for every single piece. We waited 30 minutes before we asked if the rest of our food (just 3 more hand rolls) was still coming. Our server apologized, saying their kitchen has a lot of orders. Bruh. More people have gotten there since we first arrived, but there's empty tables every where with either no food or no people. She came back 5 minutes later and was nice enough to offer a free appetizer of our choice. We got the spicy oysters which were really delicious but honestly this just pissed me off more. How is it that this appetizer (a hot dish) comes out in just 10 minutes, and we're STILL waiting on those same 3 hand rolls nearly 45 minutes later? It's fish and rice. Figure it out. We waited another 15 minutes and asked for the bill, cancelling the rest of our food. We were not the only table to do this. The servers apologized to so many parties either leaving or still waiting. Our servers were great and did the best they could, but the kitchen completely screwed over the wait staff. Regardless of all the waiting, food would've been a 3/5 at best.

What a cute tuckaway hand-roll place in Seattle. 5 hand-rolls (temaki) for $29 is such a good price for the quality of the ingredients. I would say 5-6 hand-rolls per person will definitely leave you full. We also got some amazing appetizers that complement the main course. I would recommend the hamachi thai chili. Parking is quite tricky in the area so either get there early to find parking or possibly look into public transportation.

I definitely became a huge fan of Uminori after my dinner! I am visiting Seattle with my boyfriend and I was looking for trendy yet yummy food to eat around the area and I found Uminori on Yelp. I've been to a couple handroll places before so I was intrigued to see how Seattle does their handrolls. I made a reservation online for 5:45 PM and it was practically empty when we were seated. Our server was Linda and she was such a wonderful server to us! She was quick to help us and gave us tips on what we should eat last and what her favorite dishes were. The food was great! For the quality of the food at the price given, I was pleased. My boyfriend and I ordered the Umi Set (one set each), spicy tuna on crispy rice, and the salad. I wasn't the hugest fan of the salad but it was refreshing. The spicy tuna on crispy rice doesn't look the most appetizing in this picture but it was so fresh and had a nice kick of spice. I did wish the rice was a little bit crispier but that's a personal preference. The Umi set was incredible. The negi toro was definitely my favorite and it melted like butter in my mouth. Overall, I really enjoyed this place and it's definitely a cute date night spot. My boyfriend and I were also surprised at the portions because although we didn't order a lot, we were extremely full by the end of the meal.

I really liked the appetizers; I got the spicy tuna with crispy rice and smoked hamachi dish. The spicy tuna with crispy rice is a classic dish that had the perfect amount of crispiness to the rice. The smoked hamachi was a very surprising dish because of the different flavors that worked together. The hamachi was very fresh and the yuzu sauce added a bit of sweet and tanginess, while the chips added a nice crunchy factor. The hand rolls were a bit too fishy for me. I liked the spicy tuna one the best but the rolls were not my favorite. The rolls were also a bit too strong in flavor because of the seasoning, overpowering the fish itself.

TLDR: can get busy fast, food is a journey, would come again, great date spot that's casual upscale. Make a reservation if you can. Came on a whim as I was meeting a friend afterwards. The staff were able to seat me but let me know that they were short staffed that day and food may be delayed. As I was seated, I noticed people trying to come in but were told of an hour wait as they did not have a reservation. So make sure to confirm a reservation if you want to come! I elected to go for the Ozeki sake. It was light and paired well with the food. I got the umi set in addition to a salmon temaki and foie gras nigiri. Salmon Temaki: poke sauce flavored Umi set: Overall each part is a different flavor profile For instance the mushroom one tastes like a pizza wirh basil sauce. The spicy tuna tasted like canned tuna, and the king salmon reminded me of a Philly roll. Each is great so take the time to really think about what it reminds you of. Foie gras: unfortunately I did not get it last like it should be given per the hostess as it's best when it's warm. Think of it like a rich savory omelette flavor with an end of sweetness from the cotton candy. It was really interesting and I liked the experience. Overall I think it's a great spot to enjoy a variety of premium fish and take a small journey with your palate.

I'm stunned!!!!! Amazing intimate setting with amazing hand rolls and nigiri! Wish I could try more but I'll be back soon... All the hand rolls have excellent flavors and textures that contrast. A fun add is the Foie Gras nigiri with cotton candy on top -- seems wild but surprisingly very delicate and special.

Hands down, go to Sugo Handroll instead. Though this place is cheaper (only by a small margin), none of the hand rolls were good enough to make me come back. My partner and I each got the UMI hand roll set menu that included the spicy tuna, negihama, king salmon, negi-toro, and honshimeji mushroom. We also got the toro tartare, maitake karaage, and foie gras nigiri with cotton candy. I remember two things that stood out to me as good, the negi-toro and the toro tartare. Everything else was underflavored or had flavors that just didn't pair well together. I think it was the negihama that had wayy too much yuzu that just overpowered any natural flavors of the fish. The honshimeji mushroom hand roll was good, but ultimately too oily and made the nori sheet sopping wet. The foie gras nigiri with cotton candy was probably a bit overhyped to me. I thought the foie gras itself was great, but probably could have done without the cotton candy. Didn't feel necessary to me. My partner enjoyed the maitake karaage but some pieces were definitely over-battered. The negi-toro was really the only thing that tasted like it had well-rounded flavors and everything melded together. I would come back just for that roll only. The tartare had a good mix of ikura and toro and presentation was pretty, but I don't think I'd need to get it again.

Pretty solid experience! Made a reservation (do it bc it's the only real way to be able to eat here) a few days prior and it's hard to modify. Restaurant is pretty minimalistic and fairly small, hence the need for reservations. Menu has a lot of solid options and items. Hand rolls come out 2-3 at a time, so it's not as fresh as other places (where it comes out one at a time). We ordered 5 roll sets, 1 do it yourself set (eel, mushroom, baked crab and California), brussel sprouts and garlic butter edamame. The brussel sprouts were a standout, definitely didn't expect crispy leaves in a salty (but not too salty) glaze. The edamame was too salty for me but everyone else liked it. I liked most of the hand rolls expect for the mushroom, everything was fresh and flavorful. My favorite was the negi-toro, super fresh and flavorful with every bite. Hard to imagine what things taste like when you use the word flavorful but trust me, you just need to go to uminori and try it for yourself. The service was good but I will say they don't let you swap out rolls in the menu sets, so if you want to try something you just need to order it.

COTTON CANDY FOIE GRAS NIGIRI @uminori.seattle 2106 E Madison St, Seattle, WA * My foodie wife/bestie @lindseyeatspnw came to visit Seattle and we had a long awaited reunion (always too short tho ). We both love sushi so of course we had to go somewhere to fix our mutual cravings! @uminori.seattle is somewhere we both hadn't been to and specializes in Temaki, nigiri, and rolls so it was an easy pick! * I love foie Gras and sushi but had never had it together until I went to @uminori.seattle . They have a Foie Gras Nigiri - seared foie gras, caramel sauce, and cotton candy . Now I know what you're thinking, cotton candy on sushi, but it works! Savory and salty from the buttery fatty foie Gras balanced by the sweet cotton candy . Easily the best bite of the night . * The staff was really friendly and accommodating. The interior is very upscale looking but sadly aside from the cotton candy foie Gras nigiri, I didn't think the rest of the sushi options were better than other Temaki places I have been to.

Decent hand roll place (3.5 stars) with pleasant service. I've noticed Seattle has a plethora of sushi spots, but this is the only hand roll-specific place that we've found, which is a cute concept. My friend and I got the Umi Set which is a set of 5 hand rolls. She also got a sushi roll (forgot what it was called) and I got an uni nigiri since they didn't have uni temaki (which doesn't match the menu online). For the Umi set, our favorite was probably the honshmeji mushroom (surprising because it's not even fish). The king salmon was ruined because of all the cream cheese (I thought I was paying for salmon, not a california roll). My friend's sushi roll didn't have a lot of flavor and was just shrimp... I think they should stick with the seaweed instead of soybean paper or whatever they used to give the nutty flavor because it made a bland roll even more bland. Or maybe use both? The uni nigiri was fine. The chef mentioned it was imported from Japan. We sat at the bar and had a decent conversation with the chef making our order. He was cordial and kept the convo flowing in an awkward way, lol. Overall a decent meal (3.5 isn't bad!) but nothing special. We also left decently full which is a plus for a hand roll place. Is it worth a stop? Maybe if you're in the mood for hand rolls. Was it worth the price? Hrmm not quite there yet.

Uminori is my top handroll place to eat at. There are two other hand roll places that pop in my mind, and Uminori is my favorite out of the three. I loved their appetizers. One of their appetizers the mushroom karaage was my fav appetizer. It has a light coating, crunchy to bite, and paired well with a sauce. The mushrooms were salty and savory. I would want a huge vat of it if I could. The clam fries were a great shareable as well. My friend got the Umi set and I got the nori set with a scallop hand roll. Everything was so delicious. The sushi rice was well seasoned, and the fish was superb. More than happy to return as everything was served quickly and felt like they had a great variety. Many people hate on the pricing, but I do think they price well for the fish you get and quality.

- Presentation, fresh ingredients, and lovely staff: 5 stars - Food: 2 stars Recommend making a reservation on Open Table. They have about 5 seats @ sushi bar, 2 large tables (for bigger parties), and 6-7 tables that seat 4 people. Parking was difficult, there's construction on some nearby streets. We walked about 5 minutes. Some items on menu are greyed out (out of stock tor the day). The hand rolls were beautiful and creative, but in terms of flavor it totally missed the mark for us. Spicy Tuna Crispy rice tasted like butter, couldn't even taste the fish. None of the toppings really complimented the rolls/fish. Foie Gras with cotton candy, BF said it was sweet but tasted almost like Unagi Nigiri he would rather just have an Unagi Nigiri. Didn't wow him. I'd recommend Sugo in Seattle over Umi Nori. It may be pricey, but really great clean flavors! Unfortunately, I don't think this place is for us. So bummed because we love hand roll bars!

We had a very private dining experience. We were the only customers in the restaurant and the chef was very attentive. I loved the diversity of courses they served.

I was craving hand rolls and wanted to give this place a try after trying Sugo a couple weeks back. They all looked super appetizing so I had my hopes up and thought prices were more affordable. Overall, I was a little disappointed because it wasn't as fresh as the other place. It's still really good and worth checking out, but not the best. The wrap was not crisp and was soggy on all of them, and even greasy on some. The Umi set seemed like a decent deal. The toro was super greasy. The fish was a little fishy for some. The ones that I really liked were the salmon because it was unique, as well as the foie gras. The wagyu didn't look appetizing but it was pretty good, but maybe not worth the price. We also got the smoked hamachi with rice crisps and that was really fun to try and yummy, although not the type of dish you'd come back and order.

We were really excited to try out this place for the hand rolls but were disappointed. The server, JJ, was really friendly and attentive. The vibe and decor was beautiful. But the food was really lacking. Our favorites were the Salmon-Crab cold appetizer and the mushroom hand roll. But sadly the other hand rolls just didn't measure up. People are really picky in Seattle with their fish and the quality just didn't measure up. For instance, the salmon hand roll had some smoked cream (I think) and it really took away from the flavor of the fish. Another example was the toro hand roll which surprisingly lacked flavor. Given the experience the bill felt very heavy. flavor of the fish. Another example was the toro roll which surprisingly lacked flavor. Given the experience the bill felt very heavy.

after months of anticipation, i was able to try out UMINORI. there are no more handrolls in the style we typically see in the yelp page and i went in the middle of November. at the time they did have a menu on their website that showed that they did have their signature handrolls. they did offer regular handrolls with less additions and less options to order (there was no combo and it was more expensive overall). it's odd since that was the main attraction to their establishment but i had already made plans and i was optimistic about the rest of the meal. hamachi thai chilli 4/5: this was very light and the fish was fresh. i thought the addition of citrus with the hamachi was a nice touch. i definitely liked this dish but the serving size is small it was for about $18. spicy tuna with cripsy rice 3/5: i felt like the flavors overwhelmed each other too much which made eating it not as enjoyable. the execution of it could have been better. the sauce (?) that was added to the fish was too strong so it took away from tuna taste and came off heavy. the portion sizes were on the smaller side and ultimately would not recommend this place due to the price and for the taste of the food. my party were the only people seated at the time and i had to stand up about 5 times to get service since there would be no service after long periods or time and no staff in the vicinity. this wasn't the main factor to my low rating but it was good to note it to my experience. since there are quite a lot of amazing japanese restaurants in seattle that swayed me to this rating.

TL;DR: (3.5/5) a few stand-out apps and handrolls but the flavor of the main temaki ingredients (fish, rice, nori) gets covered up by all the toppings, especially the mayo I've been seeing Uminori pop up on my feed and overall the meal was just good not great Apps: -shishito peppers (3/5): maybe just rough batch but ~70% were roughhh...we had to stop eating them altogether because it just wasn't worth hitting the lottery on them - hamachi Thai chili (5/5): highlight of the meal; really good balance and the mandarin orange base was great Temakis: - Umi set - Spicy Tuna (3/5): little to no tuna taste - Negi Hama (4/5): surprising because the menu only says green onion but came with tuna - still just ok - King Salmon (4/5): amount of mayo was super heavy - Negi Toro (4/5): the toro was too mushy and the flavor was covered up yet again by the toppings - Honshimeji Mushroom (5/5): easily the best temaki. The mushroom flavor and brine that it marinated in paired really well. The crispy bits felt super unnecessary - Eggplant (4/5): ok not bad - Tuna (4/5): decent tuna flavor - again, could've gone without the crispy shallots - Baked Crab (2/5): mayobomb - Una Tama (4/5): didn't think the unagi-tamago combo would work well but turns out it's better than expected Perhaps I'm too stuck in my ways but all in all, the Uminori experience felt like handrolls trying to be more than handrolls As this is a new restaurant, I'm hoping Uminori finds its niche and does well - cheers!

I used to like this restaurant a lot, but decided not to go anymore. The reservation on their website is only for omakase course, which is not convenient for people like me who like to order myself. I tried to make a reservation by phone, and made several calls but the restaurant never picked up the call, not sure why... the inconvenient booking system and poor phone responsiveness will only push customers away.

Cute place to go for a date night! Beware of getting items a la carte though since they do add up! Got the umi set which comes with 5 hand rolls. Solid set. Flavor of the mushroom one was kind of surprising but I liked it. I also got a spicy scallop which was great texture on the scallops!! Wish the seaweed was not so difficult to bite into tho

I went to Uminori on a whim on a Saturday evening and I was able to get a table, which was awesome. Upon walking in we were promptly approached and seated by the hostess. The server was quick to come over, share the menu, as well as the drink menu. The two of us settled on two Umi Sets, Hamachi Thai Chili, and miscellaneous extra Temaki. The Hamachi Thai Chili was good. The fist was well cut and it was a nice mixture of sweet, spicy, and refreshing. It was definitely the nice start to the meal with a cold drink. The Umi Sets were very good and served in courses of 2 at a time. My favorites were the Negi-Toro, King Salmon, and Spicy Tuna; however, both the Negihama and Mushroom were exceptionally flavorful too. The fish were flavorful, the sauces and mixtures provided another very good supporting flavors to the fish, and the nori was crunchy. Across the board, I would recommend each piece of Temaki, I wish there were more offerings too. In addition to the Temaki's, we also got a plum wine which was absolutely delicious. It was a really nice, sweet drink, which wasn't the best complement to the Temaki, but it was very good. I would definitely recommend Uminori to anyone who enjoys hand-rolls. It's a really nice atmosphere for an evening date night out and the prices aren't too bad either. Where I would've liked to have seen a level up is with just more offerings and more diverse flavors. I've been too a number of hand roll places which have a slightly larger menu, but that's nitpicking.

I was really excited for hand rolls when I spotted this place in my neighborhood and walked in without having done any research prior. Tbh it was underwhelming I'm sorry to say. The karaage was not a dry coating on the outside like I would have expected; instead it was coated in a sweet soy glaze which made it more kung pao in essence. Also the hand rolls weren't shaped as usual. Instead they come in a taco tray completely unwrapped. While the fresh salmon and baked crab I got were delicious, the lack of hand roll handicraft in favor of a more deconstructed preparation felt too laissez faire for my taste. My favorite dish was the tempura hen of the woods - for that alone I'd come back for another try!

Great handrolls for a decent price! They even served us an appetizer on the house because it was my birthday. Would happily come back here on a regular basis!

I came to try this restaurant and the restaurant was nearly empty. I was told they only take reservations so I asked if I had a reservation saying no I don't. They said I'm sorry, but there's no room when the restaurant was empty! They would not make a reservation they said they were fully booked for the evening, this place sounds like it's a money laundering operation and it's the last place you want to have raw fish!

Cute date night spot! The interior has a nice cozy feel; it's a small dimly lit space made up of booths along the walls. The food was delicious and the staff was really friendly and help about how to order and eat. We had the shishito peppers, toro tartare, the nori set, three other a la carte each (including the foie gras), Japanese cheesecake, and a large and small sake. The bill came out to around $130, and it seemed reasonable for the quality of the food and ambience. We didn't leave feeling stuffed, but we felt satiated. It was a fun experience, and recommend checking out if you're looking to try something a little different from the usual places around Cap Hill.