Umami Café at Portland Japanese Garden

Just very disappointed after hiking for 1.5 hs to get to the tea house to find out that to access the tea house you must pay the entrance for the garden, which we have no interest on walking it because we have done it many times, we just wanted to sit down to sip on tea before turning back to face another hours plus of walk through the forest to our car. I wish you can still just visit the tea house like in the past without paying for to visit the garden. I am sure they can change this policy if they wanted to.

We visited the café in the Portland Japanese Garden with high hopes—especially for matcha drinks—but left disappointed. The matcha lacked any real aroma or depth of flavor, and felt watered down. For a café nestled in such a renowned garden, it almost felt like a scam. The silver lining was their pastry, which tasty, but not enough to make up for the subpar matcha. If you’re visiting the garden hoping for an authentic tea experience, you might want to look elsewhere.

We made a reservation to this restaurant online a few hours before they opened. When we arrived we were presented the option of indoor or outdoor seating and we elected to sit outdoors where it was quiet. The servers were quick in getting us water and taking our order. They have authentic options so I would not recommend this to anyone who is or has a picky eater in their group. The food and tea was well presented and it was a nice treat before exploring the Japanese gardens. The price point was about what you would expect around $10 a dish.

The Umami Café provides a pleasant tea tasting experience to patrons of the Japanese Garden. The teas are authentic, strong, and flavorful; if you’re used to highly sweetened teas, then you might not enjoy the taste. The café also offers some small snacks in addition to their tea selection. Seating is hard to find, but the small space adds to the cozy, intimate vibe.

Getting authentic Japanese tea in a peaceful, zen, modern, and chic setting overlooking the trees, after a stroll at the Japanese Garden, is simply nirvana. There is just no way to replicate this overall experience, which is simply fabulous. Yes, the tea and the sweets may feel a bit "expensive" but considering the experience you get, it is absolutely reasonable. When you judge this place, you can't just constraint it to the tea house (which itself is very small). Imagine a stroll up to the gardens in a modern, clean, zen Japanese vibe, then walking through one of the nation's best Japanese garden... walking out with happiness, and then sipping on a hojicha with a small sweet on the side. You feel fresh and revived on the outside, and feel the hot tea warming you up from the inside. It is clean. It is fresh. It is avant garde and traditional at the same time. Do not skip this experience, especially when you have paid pricey tickets for the Japanese Gardens.

Nice to be able to stop in for hot tea on a cold day - the interior is a nice airy design. The tea service was not what we hoped for - disposable cups which sort of negate the effort of the person carefully making tea. Pricing and service felt more airport-like than zen-like.

Beautiful little cafe within the Portland Japanese garden, we only stopped in for some tea, but they do offer more options if you reserve a table ahead of time. The service and atmosphere of the cafe were great.

Very nice experience, very authentic tea at Umami Café. We thought we made the reservation, but turned out we only made the reservation for the garden… but luckily there was a outdoor seat available when we went, the staff welcomed us and was nice that we were able to get in. It was a bit cold but nice to sit outdoor and enjoy the view with hot teas. All of the food/tea we ordered were really good and if you order tea, you get three rounds of it. (the staff will add water for you) I love their matcha, made me think of the time i visited Japan.

Umami cafe is situated inside the beautiful and serene Portland Japanese Garden. You cannot beat the relaxing setting and I was thankful we were able to sit outside. It was bustling with people, yet, our drinks came out in under 10 minutes. We got the Mugicha and Genmaicha teas. They came in small-ish to-go cups, which was slightly disappointing, as having an actual mug would add to the experience. Nonetheless, both the teas had unique flavor profiles that made for pleasant sipping. The genmaicha was more nutty tasting, while the mugicha had a toasted, slightly smokey flavor.

We ordered two ICED MATCHA GREEN TEAs to enjoy on their outdoor patio balcony. The color is super bright, and they are super pungent. We added ice water and had two more teas each while we enjoyed the ambiance. STAFF bring the items to your table which is a very nice touch. Modern decor and lots of glass make it very aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Umami Cafe was not here the last time I was in Portland & I knew we had to try it! Bringing my family here was a wonderful experience and decided to stop by after our hike into the ever beautiful Japanese garden. It did not disappoint. The line upon entering moved quickly and efficiently. I loved the ambiance of it & with it being nestled in the woods left a tranquility I'll never forget. The Matcha was mixed to perfection & it was overall a great experience leaving a vibe of being transported to Japan. My husband & I enjoyed this & will have to try the assorted desserts on our next visit!

They took away everything that made this tea house a special place. It's now all disposable and counter service. They used to come to your table and explain what the teas are and how they're made. This truly unique experience is now watered down to what any other tea shop can provide.

I did not intend to drop in here while visiting the Japanese Garden for a performance. Then I realized I needed to take some medication. I am not a tea drinker and was making all these assumptions. I assumed they would be busy and they were not plus they are very well staffed so even if they were I do not see it as an issue. There are a great number of seats through the in and outside or you can take your tea and snacks with you. The tea, per my friend who got some, said it was truly amazing. And they mindfully make your chosen blend. The whole building is window and there is a cherry tree {currently just about to blossom!} right next to the building. There are not bad views anywhere around the Japanese Garden so taking a moment for a snack and sip is lovely. I love yuzu and they carry a soda {there are two other flavors I could not tell you anything about since they had me at yuzu!} which is just juice, cane sugar and fizzy water. I am pretty picky about soda and always expect I will loathe it. These are crazy good! I also appreciate a glass bottle I can screw the top back on since I was not able to finish it until later. They have quite a few flavors of mochi. I grabbed my favorite which is mango so I knew that would be great. I also got to try my friend's brownie which was a slight chocolate with so much hazelnut. They have a chicken teriyaki I would be curious to try. I definitely recommend grabbing even some water here to pause.

This is a beautiful glass cafe at the top of the path in the visitors section of the Portland Japanese Garden. Small menu with some teas and tea cakes but it's cute and we tried a sencha tea and honey cake combo. Sitting on the deck is relaxing and nice. Worth it if you have time to spare and enjoy tea.

We visited Portland Japanese Garden and stopped here for a little treat! The mochi ice cream was delicious. I'm not a fan of red bean but this dorayaki was sooo good.. it really tasted like authentic red bean paste. So if you're in town give it a try and check this place out!

Located at the Japanese Garden, this cafe is a great spot to stop by as you stroll through the gardens or to check-out before you leave! The cafe is bright with lots of windows and plenty of seating. However, depending on when you go there might be a wait as it typically gets very busy! When I came there was about a 10 minute wait, but we got sat down after putting our names on the list. I ordered a castella cake and some tea to enjoy with it. It was a nice and relaxing stop after walking around the gardens, but I wouldn't say that it was the best cake or teas that I've had. Nonetheless, I would still come back next time I'm at the gardens and I would love to check out other items on their menu!

A calm relaxing cafe in the middle of the Japanese garden. There are limited options of tea and sweet combinations. You can get a refill of resteeping the tea leaves twice. The service is friendly and servers are attentive.

A bit of a disappointment. The garden itself is beautiful -- but it's a bit small and overcrowded for what you pay to enter. We had hoped for much more space to wander. The cafe is similar. It's small, overcrowded, and beautiful. The tea is very good -- they brew a Japanese brand called Jugetsudo, which has wonderful shops in Paris and in Tokyo -- but the food leaves a lot to be desired.

Umami was a very delicious cage inside the Portland Japanese Garden. The traditional Japanese Desserts, tea, and soup were all amazing. The staff were also great and quick. I had the Miso soup, a Japanese sponge style cake, and a sparkling soda with mochi ice cream. It was all really good and had excellent flavors. I highly recommend this spot if you're in the gardens for the day. I would highly recommend a reservation as they get busy!

The tea was great as well as the service! It's a tight space to sit in but if you sit outside the scenery is beautiful. My friends weren't a fan of the matcha but maybe because it's made more authentic? Not sure.

First thing's first: You'll need a separate reservation to eat here. Admission into the Gardens doesn't come with access to Umami Cafe so plan accordingly! Ok, now for my review. Umami Cafe was pretty good! My wife and I placed our reservation in conjunction with our guided tour of the Gardens and I highly recommend you do the same if you're planning a visit. Coincidentally, we visited the Gardens when it was really cold and raining so eating here was a perfect way to end our little adventure. The hot tea and miso soup made us feel so warm and cozy, but I'll get to the food in a bit. The restaurant itself isn't too big but I think that adds to the ambiance and aesthetic. The seating gives you an almost 360° view of the grounds which kind of made it feel like you were enjoying tea inside a glass clubhouse built on top of a very tall tree. The customer service was great. Our original reservation was at 3PM but before our 12:15PM tour started, I tried my luck with pulling the reservation up. Luckily, someone else had canceled so we were able to successfully pull up our reservation. The hostess was so helpful and nice. And the food service was the same (helpful, nice, and attentive). Our food recommendations are: * Sencha & Costella (hot sencha and a super soft sponge cake). This was good! The hot sencha warmed our bellies and the sponge cake was so soft and fluffy. * Miso and Rice. This is exactly what it sounds like (a scoop of rice into a bowl of miso soup) and this was great, especially after spending an hour and a half outside touring the gardens in the cold and rain. * Mochi Flight. 3 mochis (chocolate, green tea and mango). I couldn't pass up the mochi. This was really good! * Macha & Hojicha Brownies. This was a great little treat! Note, these have walnuts and hazelnuts, so beware if you're allergic! My wife and I are not allergic but thought I'd mention it here in case you (the reader) are. I think we will definitely eat at the Umami Cafe again, but we'll likely save it for more "special occasions".

lovely tea house amongst the trees of the verdant japanese garden. they take reservations, but i was able to get a table without them. the decor is very light and zen. love the wood ceiling and large windows. they have outdoor seating on the balcony. service was very attentive. they pour more water for the tea up to two times after the initial service. i had the ochazuke which is a rice ball with green tea poured over it. i went with the shitake mushroom options. loooved it. it was a highlight of my pdx trip.

Umami Cafe is expensive, considering you can get similar stuff from Behind the Museum Cafe, but what you're really paying for is the view and sitting amongst the tall trees at the Japanese Garden. After all, it's a cafe inside a museum/garden attraction so prices reflect that fact they have a monopoly on the clientele. With that aside, we had a good visit. We opted for a set with matcha and kinako mochi , a set with kukicha and a daifuku, and the matcha hojicha brownie set. The kukicha was very good, the matcha was so-so, per my tea ceremony performing mother, but most folks wouldn't notice a difference. The sweets are also bite sized - it makes for an authentic Japanese experience but most folks might leave surprised and hungry. Again, yea, it's overpriced but you're also paying for experience. Service from one server was wonderful while the other server was too quick to take dishes and cups away, making us feel rushed. Overall I'd still come back again with the changing seasons and to try their monthly specials. It's just relaxing to sip some tea after walking the gardens.

Been meaning to check this place out. The last time we visited the Portland Japanese Garden was back in 2020 and Umami Cafe wasn't open to the public due to local Covid restrictions. We decided to go back to the Portland Japanese Garden this past Saturday since the fall foliage was in full effect and, of course, to check this little cafe out. ~ MAKE A RESERVATION ONLINE ~ I highly recommend you make a reservation online at Umami Cafe ahead of time. Once you have that finalized, you'll need to purchase an entrance fee for the Portland Japanese Garden. We paid a total of $43.90 for 2 adults, or $21.95 each with the added fees. When you purchase an entrance fee, you have to choose an entry time, so make sure you give yourself at least 30 min. before your Umami Cafe reservation so you're not rushing and have a bit of time to explore before. Our reservation at Umami Cafe was at 11:00 AM on a Saturday, and we entered the Portland Japanese Garden at 10:00 AM, giving ourselves an hour to enter and wander around for a bit. ~ SIT OUT ON THE PATIO & ENJOY THE GREENERY ~ We went on a gloomy, fall day, so the vibes were just perfect for sipping some tea and enjoying the gardens. We were seated right away and had a choice to sit indoors versus outdoors. We chose a table on the outside patio because the weather was just too perfect. ~ SIMPLISTIC & TRADITIONAL MENU ~ The menu is minimal which made it easy for us to order something right away. I went with the Genmaicha & Manju tea set and my husband ordered the Matcha & Chocolate Mochi Ice Cream tea set. The platter it came with was very traditional and minimalistic. It was my first time trying the Genmaicha and I felt it to be an acquired taste, but I still enjoyed sipping it while enjoying the greenery. I definitely enjoyed the Manju that it came with. It wasn't too sweet, just perfect. My husband also enjoyed what he ordered. Although the serving size is small, it was the perfect size for a little snack break while visiting the Portland Japanese Garden. ~ ATTENTIVE SERVERS, NO COMPLAINTS ~ The service was great! The hostess and servers were all attentive and made sure that we got everything we needed. All in all, this was a unique and beautiful experience that's definitely worth trying once.

Wow. That's the first word I said when we arrived to Washington Park in Portland, OR (I know right, how offensive to name a park Washington in Oregon!). This park has some of the largest trees I've ever seen, but the real attraction is the Japanese Garden located at the top of the hill, and upon entering the garden you can't miss Umami Cafe. It's glass windows and architectural design immediately pull your eyes into its direction and it is a must stop on your tour of the Japanese Garden. You MUST buy tickets to the garden and it's recommended that you make a reservation at Umami. I'd suggest stopping at Umami first for tea and relaxation, and then take your stroll through the garden. You will feel at ease, calm, and renewed! My wife ordered the savory option on the menu. I liked how it was an interactive food experience because she had to pour the green tea over her food. She really enjoyed it! I went with their seasonal tea - a smoky flavored tea that was aged in whiskey barrels. It paired well with their sponge cake. The teas we ordered also came with 2 additional seepings so we decided to order their brownies while we enjoyed the rest of our tea experience. Overall we had a wonderful experience at Umami Cafe and would go back to try other teas on the menu before walking through the garden!

This was such a fun and delicious experience to do within the Japanese Garden, surrounded by the greenery and all. I ordered the mochi flight, which game with matcha, mango, and hojicho mochis. I also ordered an iced matcha tea, which was fantastic and refreshing. Would highly recommend this unique experience within the garden!

Umami Cafe used to be a delightful experience when visiting the Japanese Garden. Those running the place apparently have a death wish. They're replaced orderly sit-down service with noisy bunches of customers crowding the space while scanning for seats. And, worse, they've replaced ceramic tea sets with paper plates and cups. The soul of the place has been hollowed out. There really now is no reason to go to the Umami Cafe unless one has a craving for the ambiance of a chain coffee shop.

I recently visited this lovely treetop-like cafe up high in the trees. I visited with my daughter last Saturday (early July). The whole garden was quite busy (see my review for the garden), and this amazing cafe was no exception. My daughter informed me that one has to make a reservation in advance to go to this cafe; the last time she visited the garden, she wasn't aware of this and she was unable to go into the cafe without a pre-made reservation. So this time, she planned accordingly. Truly, what a special little cafe this is! It's cubed-shaped and made of glass, with a narrow balcony around the perimeter where my daughter and I sat. It felt as if we were up high in a treehouse, among the tree canopy. So very beautiful. If you plan on visiting here, wanting a salad or sandwich and a glass of wine, I'm sorry to say you're out of luck. This cafe has a very limited offering of Japanese fare: matcha and other teas and beverages (no coffees, no mainstream sodas, no wines or beer), mochi and a few other specialty Japanese treats, and miso soups. All foods and drinks are served in authentic Japanese ceramic dishware /serviceware, and the servers don Japanese-inspired uniforms. The whole experience of dining here feels .... authentic. My daughter ordered the matcha & watermelon kanten. Not being that familiar with legit Japanese foods, this kanten was very interesting to us. It's like a Jello-like small square, infused with a subtle watermelon flavor. Not overly sweet, and not a large portion, but refreshing and quite interesting. She said the matcha was delicious. I ordered the ochazuke which was like a small platter containing a small mound of rice with bits of shredded chicken on it in a bowl, and the server pours some sort of Japanese tea over the rice, creating a soup of sorts. I'm probably not describing this well, and it sounds intriguing and different, and we didn't expect much in the way of taste here, but we were surprised, how delicious this was! My kid and I shared this and we both loved it. Visiting this glassy treetop cafe really enhanced my visit to the garden, and I highly recommend visiting it! Very special experience.

One of kind experience! Totally recommended! Get reservations in advance specially if you are party of 4 or more. We got following : Matcha and chocolate mochi ice cream ( Matcha tea was a little bitter so you have to try it with small candy comes with it) Ochazuke with Genmaicha ( green tea and rice and shiitake mushroom and seaweed ) very interesting combination. The location is indescribable! Very unique and relaxing. Our Waitress was very knowledgeable and nice too.

Came here during our stop at the Portland Japanese Garden and it was so cute! This cafe is situated in the visitor center area by the gift shop inside the garden. The stairs heading up in the beginning of the garden lead you right to it! Everyone here is super sweet and attentive, which makes sense given the offered cuisine & tea. We came here in the early morning, and it was already packed inside! We chose to sit outside instead, they have 2 person tables along their balcony where you can enjoy the view and the fresh air. I ordered the Ochazuke, which is hojicha tea poured over rice & seaweed and your choice of either shiitake mushrooms or chicken. It was delicious! I've never thought about adding tea as a broth, but this was great and pretty filling. They allow you to do additional steepings as well. Our server did the first pour over the rice for me, and told us that we can leave the lid off our pot to request 2 additional steepings! I did one extra steeping but found that most of the flavor in the tea was fading, so I stopped there. The tea has a light sweetness to it, with no remnants of bitterness at all. All in all, super cute spot to stop by while you're at the garden! Just be wary of wait times, I'm sure it gets packed here on weekends and during lunch time.

This was an amazing find inside the Portland Japanese Garden. They take reservations and (at least based on my experience, around 11-11:30 on a Friday) you'll basically need a reservation if you have a bigger group and/or you want to sit at a table, but there are 5-ish bar seats is available for walk-ins, which is how I was seated. IMO the bar seats are better because you can watch the staff prepare your tea and food. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly - most of them appeared to not be Japanese, but they definitely upheld the standard of Japanese hospitality. The menu features tea sets as well as drinks and sweets a la carte, and savoury chazuke and miso soup. I ordered the shiitake chazuke and the matcha & kinako mochi set. The chazuke came with a separate bowl to drink the genmaicha on its own in addition to the bowl of rice, and the tea was wonderful - very smooth and almost floral, and it worked beautifully in the chazuke dish. The dish was very umami and I was impressed that even the nori seemed high quality. It was also very salty, but the waiters were very diligent about refilling water. The matcha was perfectly smooth with a thick layer of foam - very practiced preparation! The flavour was very balanced. I was actually having second thoughts about ordering the kinako mochi and instead wishing I opted for something less "basic" as I saw some other desserts coming out, but I was ultimately happy with my choice when I tried them. They were very tender, served over a little bit of black sugar syrup and dusted heavily with nutty kinako. Not basic. My total was $29 before tip. Although the portions are small, the point of this is not to eat until you're full, but to get a taste of Japanese tea culture, and I think it was worth it for the quality of what was served. I had no idea I was going to find this teahouse when I came to the Japanese garden, but the authentic Japanese tea experience here really added something special to my visit, and if you plan on visiting the garden, this is something I highly recommend adding on!

Reservation system has changed. Go to the website to make your reservations. Even when it's fully booked, you can get lucky by checking in for the waitlist. Today was such a day for us. We got on the waitlist for inside dining and had a table about an hour later. It was lovely from the menu, to the delicious tea, to the service, to the beautiful ambience. If you have tickets for the garden, try to get your reservation or jump on the waitlist. Today was too cold and windy to sit outside, but usually outside is my first choice.

The tea snacks are elegant and delicious. The servers are professional and obliviously love their job. The location is perfect. Love the design and quiet atmosphere of the restaurant.

The ambiance was so beautiful. I didn't have a reservation but they gladly seated us and helped us find a table. I love the view of the garden from the cafe. I loved the Genmaicha tea. It was a very beautiful and unique experience.

Located inside the Portland Japanese Garden, this cafe has some delicious snacks and a light meal for you. The cafe is pretty and has a nice open concep inside the Japanese garden. The food is good quality and I really enjoyed their Ochazuke and their Chikara cake. For the ochazuke it comes with a rice ball and your choice of chicken or mushroom. I picked mushroom. Then Genmaicha gets poured on top of it similar to a rice porridge type of deal. The tea was definitely high quality and it's one of my favorite green tea flavors with the roasted rice flavor in it. You can also get your tea refilled twice with hot water. It is just delightful. The chikara has nuts and dried fruit in it. It's a bit sweet when eating it on its own, but with some tea it's the perfect balance. To get into this cafe you need to purchase a ticket to the Japanese Garden. Also, be prepared for a wait, they do take reservations on the spot or also online.

This is located at the Portland Japanese garden. You would need a Portland Japanese garden admission ticket to enter this cafes. Also reservations are recommended as it does tend to get booked quick. My experience here was great. I think the ambiance was nice and clean. Our waitress and waiter were really kind ppl and gave us pretty good service. What I got: matcha and mochi set, chicken teriyaki and something tea set. Definitely was a fan of the chicken teriyaki set and the tea was v delicious and a good pairing. I do recommend this!! The matcha and mochi set was personally just alright to me. Overall experience: amazing. Will come back next time I visit the Portland garden

Really serene way to start your morning. As others have said they do take walk ins but I would recommend only coming if you have a reservation. The space itself is pretty limited with seating - I'm thinking ~30 seats for indoor/outdoor seating so 2 weeks+ should be your timeframe. Even earlier if it's a nice weekend/holiday weekend. I really enjoyed coming during this time of the year because you can see all the foliage colors and people watch as crowds start entering the garden. Menu here is limited with options but just enough to still have variety. They have seasonal pairings but they were out this visit so I opted for the Sencha & Castella Cake, Chicken Teriyaki Ochazuke, and the hojicha & matcha brownies. Prices are ~$13+ for sets which isn't horrible but if you have a bit appetite might seem overprices. The sets are definitely for taking your time as you sip on your tea. I was hesitant at first with the ochazuke because I've never had tea soaked rice & chicken but it was so delicious! The wasabi hits your nose immediately but it's a nice kick. The castella cake was a nice sweetness to the meal and had some sugar crystals with the bites if you want something to pair with the savory. The brownies are something worth trying as well especially with the nuts but it's not really sweet as you might be expecting with typical brownies. They were also a little more chalky so if you like your brownies more undercooked it might not be for you. For the tea sets they also allowed two refills so for three rounds of tea I thought it was worth it. Staff here was also really attentive and the space overall was really sleek with the glass walls.

What a nice way to end our visit to the Portland Japanese Gardens. My Vibe: Ending Garden Visit My WHY: Let's warm up! My Price: $12 + Tip You must have a ticket to the Gardens in order to enjoy this little (all glass) cafe. The views of the gardens and its visitors adds to the ambiance of this quiet place. Upon being seated, a menu was presented along with a rectangular dish containing dime sized napkins and warm water. Each guest drops their napkin into the water and watches it expand. Removing and unfolding, it was a welcome warm cleansing to my hands before partaking of treats. Service of our ordered tea set was quick. We were served a Japanese tea along with a local confection reminiscent of my grandmothers fruitcake. We sipped from the adorable cups (no sweetener offered) then were given (at our request) another pot of tea to enjoy. The request is made by laying the tea pot lid upside down on the tray. Who knew? So cute! The experience just added to the feeling of tranquility offered at the gardens, so be sure to make time to visit.

I thought the food was really unique. I got the chicken with matcha tea. I never had the experience of putting matcha tea into rice but it surprising went well. It had wasabi and furikake which went well with the rice. The chicken pieces were really small but I thought it was worth a try because it was a nice experience. The service was good but it was really packed so it was really busy in there. I really like the design of the place which had a lot of window to get a good view of the garden.

Serene location with an enchanting zen ambiance. Indulged in the finest matcha tea, tea cake, and miso soup. Highly recommend for a peaceful solo meditation meal or a delightful experience with a loved one.

Was able to snag a same day reservation here on a Sunday! It was a lovely experience. The outside seating is so beautiful and serene. I would definitely go again. The tea and pastries were good but I think the main focus is the atmosphere and the convenience of being able to enjoy some tea surrounded by such a beautiful garden.

I enjoyed a Matcha tea and mochi ice cream at the Portland Japanese Garden after touring the beautiful gardens. This tea house is beautiful and serene-- I definitely recommend putting your name down for a table when you come here to visit. They have several options for tea and snacks and sitting in a glass tea house surrounded by all the foliage and greenery is really peaceful. The reason for 3 stars: long wait and a tad overpriced. But still a nice experience

Put our names on a waitlist of 1 hr but got seated in 15 min. We opted for the ochazuke (rice, chicken teriyaki, seaweed flakes with tea poured over) and miso soup and tried almost all of their sweets - 2 different kinds of mochi, mochi ice cream fight, matcha brownies. We loved the flavors of everything we tried. Service was speedy and on point.

i loved this experience, it felt like something very traditionally inspired and it was in an absolutely breathtaking area. the restaurant is just gorgeous. service here was attentive and informed, they have a long wait list so try def are trying to pump you in and out but it doesn't seem like that. the food here is great, it's light and is true to traditional japanese cuisine, they let you have 2 tea refills and the tea is impecable. overall has an amazing dining experience here and would definitely come back if i'm visiting the gardens.

Overall, this place is fine but severely overhyped. There is no reason for it to be so hard to get into with reservations on weekends filling up a week in advance. It's not like this place does anything particularly unique, it's not like they do a whole tea ceremony for you or explain anything about the tea or the history of the confectionary they serve. It's just high quality tea (that you can pretty much get at any specialty tea shop) and some authentically Japanese confectionaries (that are externally sourced), served in a very clean, sleek, and modern looking setting. The view from the all glass tea house honestly wasn't even that great. All in all, while everything was high quality, this is by no means a must visit.

Super cute cafe in the Japanese Gardens. I had green tea and enjoyed it very much. The miso soup and rice was very tasty. My wife had the low in caffeine tea and fruit/nut bars. They were delicious!

Got done with the Japanese Garden earlier and stopped by the cafe. Checked in at the front if any tables were available. Hostess said there might be a table and I could put myself on waitlist to receive a text. I was lucky to get a table. I ordered the Matcha & Hojicha Brownies and boyfriend got the iced mecha. I loved how they have the towel you can use to sanitize hands. The brownies were a nice treat - they were not super sweet at all. The mecha didn't have a particular taste to it. It was nice to sit in the cafe - it was an open space and loved being surrounded by the greenery of garden. Highly recommend to stop by cafe if you get the chance. Be sure to make a reservation to secure a spot!

Good place and I don't have major complains, many of my friends like this place. As Japanese native, presentation can be better, (picture looks much better), shocked to know they serve miso soup + rice, rice dumped into a soup and price point for what I am getting. But enjoy matcha brownie for sure.

It's nice to have a Japanese cafe within the Japanese Garden as I think it really enhances the overall experience. The vibes of the tea cafe, complimented by the outside garden really bring a zen experience to your visit, especially for those visiting Portland. It is not the most bang for your buck, as it is a bit overpriced, but the service is excellent. In relation to the whole experience, I would give it a 3-star but due to the quality of the dessert I had, I am giving it a 2. I got the tea set with a watermelon kanchen (watermelon combined with agar agar). I am actually not a big tea person (I did this more for the experience), but the tea was actually quite refreshing. I got agar jellies to bite into before each sip which made the experience better as the tea was quite calming. However, the watermelon dessert was inedible. When cooking with agar agar, if you put too much, the texture of the food you're cooking with can become too coagulated, creating a crumbly texture. The watermelon kanchen was 85% jelly, 15% watermelon which not only made it lose points on taste, but also severely on texture. I would not recommend that dish to anyone. Ultimately, I still recommend going for the vibes, just maybe try a non-jelly option.

Umami is not just a cafe, it's an experience. Most of their teas are not served outside of Japan and were delicious. I really enjoyed my matcha with the miso soup (with rice). Since I was eating a vegan diet my food options were limited to everything in the picture, but all of their items looked delicious! Nora, our server, was so knowledgeable and kind. We had such a great time and will be back!

The tea was good however the dessert was whatever, nothing special. I can get it at a Japanese supermarket. For the price that they charge I expect something better. There is also a time limit that you can stay. Wouldn't come back.

Very neat little spot if you are going to the Portland Japanese Gardens. Other reviews mention booking ahead, which you should certainly do if you plan to go here. We were visiting Portland and on a whim decided to visit the Gardens. That said, there was no planning ahead of time! Do not plan on going here for a meal. This would be a great after lunch snack with tea. Loved how they incorporated into the Gardens and offered traditional options.

A tranquil, peaceful cafe experience. The menu is small, but the treats have a big taste. We all ordered difference tea sets and desserts. Everyone also ordered miso soup and rice, but unfortunately they ran out of rice. Service was attentive, they filled our tea sets when we ran out. A lovely experience all in all.

Four stars for experience and overall vibe!!! Very nice experience if you want to for a moment escape and enjoy a afternoon of tea but small space a lot of people so noise level not optimal but pricing was totally fair!!! Great tea too but definitely recommend trying once? Oh and the Mochi!!!!! Highly recommended!!

Cute little Japanese cafe in the Portland Japanese Garden, but perhaps a little overhyped? I highly recommend getting a reservation - I was too late realizing that this cafe existed and wasn't able to book. However, I put myself on the waitlist as soon as I arrived and left my phone number; I walked around for 30 minutes and received a text alerting me that my table was ready. My table was on the patio, which I would have preferred anyway to enjoy the scenery and beautiful weather. They were unfortunately out of the chicken teriyaki ochazuke, which I was hoping to get for lunch. Their dishwasher had broken, also, so everything came out in disposable dishes, except the tea. I got the miso soup and rice, matcha & hojicha brownies, and mecha tea. The mecha tea was piping hot - but it was matcha-y and delicious. I loved the brownies, too! Sweet without being too sweet. Now, I was still hungry so I ordered the daifuku mochi - super soft, sweet red bean interior. Also lovely taste. All of this came out to a little over $20, which I think is reasonable for being inside a beautiful garden. Service was pretty efficient (which I would expect, as the desserts they serve are pretty simple) and friendly, which I appreciated! I would recommend a quick stop here if you have a reservation, but I wouldn't fret if you're not able to get one!

Good concept. Atrocious Execution. Two hour wait for some nasty lukewarm tea and a ball of gelatin. Miso soup not traditional. Poor employee attentiveness, waited a long time just to get a check. Menu did not have ingredients, half ass listed allergens. Asked the waitress if anything was vegan and she responded "I think yeah they're gluten free." Clearly not knowledgeable/or I had misunderstanding. GF/V is not the same. For Portland it seems odd not to know this. My Japanese friend came here and was a bit mortified. The cakes were coming out of some tupperware. Where's the kitchen? Strange to sit people at a tea bar to make them watch employees unpack Tupperware and wash dishes. I just didn't get the hype. Should've just stayed out in the beautiful garden. Would highly NOT RECOMMEND. No offense. Honestly felt bad for the people who worked here. Uncontrolled chaos.

The food was definitely overpriced, and the tea and agar jelly was just average. Although the service was prompt and everyone was very polite, I wouldn't suggest coming here unless you want to sit, rest and enjoy more of the atmosphere rather than having a delicious snack.