Ukai - bar restaurant

Fantastic dinning experience in Ukai tonight. The sushi and the ceviche were delicious. The staff were friendly and caring. A special thanks to Lucas for having turned a casual dinner into a special ocasion.

It is with a really heavy heart that I am scoring Ukai an average despite my wife and I enjoying one of the best Japanese food we had in West London. For a premium restaurant, we felt that at UKAI every single item that we ate were made to a top notch quality and flavour. The ingredients felt fresh. The seasoning was perfectly right. The presentation was great too. Even the portions were just right. Not too much or too less. For the price the food was great. But the service was really subpar. We entered the restaurant at 8:02pm and we left after 1040pm because of the massive delays they had in bringing each item out. We got the starter item, tempura and pork belly baos , soon enough but we ended up waiting 50 minutes for the staff to bring the next two items that we had ordered. That too after I politely enquired twice. Then the staff came and told the wagyu tataki that we ordered isn't available and that was irritating to hear 60 minutes into our dining experience. They should have checked this as soon as the order was placed and informed us. The ended up giving our main course the flat iron steak before we had the second starter courses. In the end to make up for the delays and miscommunication they gave a complimentary ceviche and waived the sushi item that we ordered. That was a fine compromise for us as the food was really good and we just wanted to get home. Even after all that happened, to even pay the bill we waited for a long time and had to enquire twice. What a weird experience indeed. We have had bad service before but those were also coupled with the food being bad and the place being a unhygienic. For us this was the first time where the food was excellent and sumptuous yet the service was terrible. I would like to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt as I felt the staff were genuinely apologetic for the delays. Probably The kitchen and staff were under-resourced and really struggled to manage the orders on a Saturday. I guess the restaurant owners and managers must have a rethink of their operations. Anyways I might give this place a try maybe couple of years down the lane and hopefully the food quality remains the same and the service improves.

Went for dinner. It's a nice looking g place located on Portobello road, not the biggest place which we found out with the tables very close together meaning you can hear everyone's conversations. Food was decent enough. Came out very quickly. Service was not the fastest which didn't make sense as when we arrived the place was not busy. The one star is for a joke of a 14% service charge. Which again this restaurant says it's optional but the choice isn't given if you want to take it off. Mean you have to ask. This isn't America. I always believe the choice should be given and the person should not assume.

Absolutely amazing, best evening I've had by far. The service was impeccable, the food was divine and the music and atmosphere was outstanding. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a great night out. The food is absolutely amazing 10/10 each and every dish was executed outstandingly. The service was 10/10 each and every dish was delivered with the best service ❤️ the food was so incredible every bite had me wanting more. The portion sizes were perfect... And The drinks were amazing I didn't know Japanese cocktails were so good. Thank you to Alex and all the staff a ukai for being so attentive. Ukai is a very well run establishment that fully shows from the staff dress code and the execution of food and drinks the atmosphere and music was fantastic ❤️❤️

OMG, UKAI was such a delightful surprise! 🌸 I went there craving some Asian food, and it totally hit the spot. The food was absolutely scrumptious—flavorful and just perfect. The vibe of the place was super cozy and inviting, and the staff were the sweetest ever. Loved the drinks too; they were totally on point. Plus, the pricing was pretty decent. If you’re looking for a fab spot to enjoy some amazing Asian dishes, UKAI is definitely the place to go! 💖

We had food and drinks here on Saturday. The service was great even though it was full. The food is so lovely and well presented. The atmosphere was brilliant with a band on singers and jazz. Quite pricey, but worth it for a treat.

Got a 50 % off from the Fork App and went for my partners birthday. The food is fantastic but the cocktail are expensive at £15 each so keep an eye. I would have given this place full stars however I ended up paying £135 more because they put all the drinks on my bill - it was a large table so we had requested for 3 sets of bills due to the nature of the food being sushi, which would have been a challenge to sort out who had what if we had kept on bill. To save embarrassment I paid it bit was disappointed with the staff for not ensuring that the drinks went to the correct people who had them. I would also not rate the steak. I mean yes it’s wagyu but it wasn’t anything special, you can get a T bone steak elsewhere which is much bigger and looks more impressive. Overall I would go again it’s a lovely space, beautiful decors, DJ is a cool touch and the atmosphere is fabulous for a birthday meal - we stayed for over 3 hours.

Went here with my gf for our second Valentine's Day. The food was overall very nice. We ordered (Starters) scallops, a soft shell crab, a fire roll, and an "Ukai deluxe" platter. We both liked the soft shell crab the most. It was crispy on the outside and soft and hot inside. The platter was bigger than we expected. We were stuffed after just 4 dishes. However, it seemed like they had forgotten our drinks (a pint of beer and a mocktail). But it was understandable. It was Valentine's day and they were busy. Definitely will come again for their cocktails.