Umami Noodle Bar

So good! Enormous bowl of noodles, easily took half home. We both did "build your own" bowls with the spicy miso broth and it was delicious. We also got the scallion pancake - incredibly crispy and served with chili sauce. Wish I had tried the boba tea too! They had lots of flavors and it looked delicious. Next time!

My son and I grabbed dinner here yesterday and it was delicious. They’ve really come a long way, I hadn’t been in years. Will definitely visit again!

After being in New England for the past 4 months, i didn't have high expectations about a noodle bar in any New England town being good. I was pleasantly surprised that the ramen was actually pretty solid.

The food was incredible. The staff and Owner were very nice and helpful.

The soup base here lacks flavor, and the food is generally underwhelming. The presentation of each dish looks delicious until it reaches your mouth. The portion size and taste is not worth the cost. The tonkatsu here is basically mushroom soup with a side of scallions. The service here is embarrassingly bad, we waited 2 hours from start to end. The restaurant only had a few tables, but the server really struggled to get anything done in a timely manner. Definitely don't let the photos fool you, there's no flavor in the food.

I love this place so much. Vegan friendly🐇 Last time I went there, the curry broth was vegan, and so fantastic. There is also a veggie broth that's vegan. So delicious. I have driven 2hrs out of my way to eat here because I got such a craving for their ramen! You can also get a can of good ME craft brew to go with your meal. Street parking walking distance is usually OK. Other shops and pubs to hit walking distance. Highly recommend!

Customizable ramen with gluten-free and vegan options! Employee was very nice and helpful.

The place smells like a locker room, but I'm so starved for a decent Japanese restaurant that I stayed. Place is dirty and worn out. The tea is jasmine, which is probably the least Japanese green tea. The tonkotsu broth was tasty, but not hot enough. The noodles were better than anticipated. The ajitsuki egg was undercooked (the yolk washed away in the soup). The chashu was ok, but not warm because the broth wasn't hot enough. All in all, if you want Japanese, it may or may not be better than nothing.

The ramen was amazing. It's hard to find authentic ramen but this place is really good

Went in for a bite on an afternoon where there was no one else in the place. I understand that there are no servers. There was a girl who helped us, and that was nice. The order wasn't ready after we waited 45 minutes. We left after only having water. The girl followed us out and gave us attitude. We won't be back.

The pork katsu rice bowl was good, the soft boiled egg is a nice addition. The restaurant itself has two very distinct spaces which are connected, the main dining area looks like a normal eatery and the other one is more like a bar setting with little lighting and some tables. It's a bit odd at first glance.

I was surprised and disappointed at the same time. The ramen was good, for Bangor Maine, but simplistic at the same time. Ironically the broth lacked the umami of the namesake. Our server was prompt but lacked enthusiasm. It took around 15 minutes to be served a rather simple noodle bowl. The menu is also a bit pricey for what it is.

Ran in for a quick take out lunch on a Saturday. The place was packed and there was a line. I would have left but a friend at work wanted this so I stayed. The line moved fast enough. The one lady visible both ran the cashier and was the server for people seated and waiting for their orders. I asked her recommendation between two soups and she recommended the Tom Yum. I love Tom Yum! I ordered our two soups and waited. The lady behind the counter told me it was ready and thankfully I checked the ticket - nope, it was someone else's order. I let her know and went back to wait. About 10 minutes later the correct order came out. I ran back to work and immediately ate. After all that waiting, it was just ok. The Tom Yum was kind of flat and one-note. Even my friend who wanted noodle soup thought it was just ok. I was bummed after waiting so long for the food. Maybe they were too busy or it was an off day? I wouldn't go back.

Had the spicy miso pork belly. Flavor is pretty good. Noodles are very average and were slightly overcooked and stuck together in one spot. Pork belly was better than excellent. Worth a shot? Yeah probably. Will I return? Only in town for a week so I doubt it.

I really wanted to like this place, since I love Ramen. The broth was bland and noodles soggy. It's like the person making the ramen, never had good ramen before.

Checked out this noodle bar downtown. First time going there and was pretty good. Lots of soup choices as well as a build your own option so you can make your own tasty creation! The prices were reasonable for the large portion. The space inside was roomy so can find a more quiet corner or gather with a larger group. No complaints.

I was very recently in downtown Bangor on a work excursion and found this place. It has cool modern minimalist, artistic-friendly atmosphere. It's spacious. I ordered a bowl of udon with the vegetarian curry broth, tofu and 3 extra ingredients- baby boy chocolate, Asian mushrooms & onions. It was fantastic- really delicious, hearty, excellent broth- I'd say big city quality. The server was very nice, had a genuinely cool, helpful attitude. My only frustration here is that the little paper ordering form on my table said "base starts at $1.99" I figured it for sure shoots up from there, with noodles, protein & veggies, so I'd end up in the low/mid teens price for my bowl. Turns out my bowl was $20, and with my Boba tea (almost $10) I was at $30 + tip for a quick simple lunch. Once again, it was fantastic, but I was genuinely surprised at price. It turns out my ordering slip really did have a printing error- it was meant to say "base starts at $11.99". Another employee looked and acknowledged the printing error but no discount was offered. I want to credit the things this place does really well and not be negative. Hopefully the ordering slips are all printed exactly correctly from now on.

Due to the ambiance here - a Hinge first date / first meeting occurred here. Relaxed atmosphere, board games in case the conversation gets stale, and great food! All while having the ability to people watch downtown. After the first date, we ate at Umami many many more times and now: happily married. The service was never bad - and every staff member has always been so friendly. 10/10!

Great noodle bar, highly satisfied with the Tonkotsu bowl (pictured). Added some chili garlic sauce to give it a kick and had an Thai tea. Tea was a little heavy on the cream but tasty nonetheless. Nice place with plenty of space. Guy working the counter was very nice and helpful. Will definitely go back for more!

I came in as soon as they opened at 11AM. I decided to try the Woodland Forager. The price point for ramen and a drink seems kind of high. 23 dollars for ramen is sort of up there. The ramen was okay. Beef was good inside ramen. It was nothing to write home about. The dinning room did have a very distinct old smell. It could use a renovation. At the end of the day, I would not return to Umami noodle bar. Overall rank of 2.5/5

Umami Noodle Bar was the second choice for my family and I as we did not want to wait 45 minutes for another restaurant to have a table available. The restaurant had a few people inside and a eclectic mix of tables inside with a bunch of pizza place seating and a glass table with wood chairs and wooden tables with cloth and plastic chairs. The menu is posted above the main area which includes some appetizers like wings, edamame, gyoza, and scallion pancakes. They also have signature bowls, or you can do a create your own with choices of broth, noodle, protein, and add-on. They have soda, tea, and beer/cider. You order at the counter and they'll bring the food to you. While you wait, you can play one of the board games in the tower available. The food came quick and was spot on with the spice level. Cleared out my sinuses! My kids just about finished their bowls, and my dad and his wife really enjoyed their vegan bowls but did say it was a little too salty for their taste. Service was a single female staffer who was very friendly and helpful. About $100 for six bowls and soda and a couple of beers/cider not including tip. For our family, this was something a little different, and it's nice to help out a family-owned restaurant. They said they're expanding soon so go check rhem

I was looking for an alternative to the usual sandwich spot for lunch when visiting my parents in Bangor recently. My mother, at age 80, is always up for something new, so we stopped here for a quick meal. I love that you can creat your own bowl - broth, noodles, proteins and toppings. It wasn't the most flavorful soup broth I have ever had but overall it was very good!

I really love Umami! I've been coming here for a few years now, and it has never disappointed. I have tried both the pork and chicken broths and have found them to be full of flavor. They might not be the clearest broths in the world, but they do not lack flavor and are not watered down in the slightest. The toppings have always been fresh, and I do appreciate the variety of sauces and self serve things they have. I've always taken out, but sitting inside and eating would be a good option as well! Food comes out pretty fast and it's usually easy to find a space to sit. It's a four out of five spots due to the varying levels of cleanliness in my visits!

Came here for a late lunch and decided to try every small plate: gyozas, pancakes, edamame and chive dish. Excellent. The tastes were great and the staff even better.

Andrew and Sam whipped up a special ramen for my little guy (7 yrs) and made his trip to Bangor! I got the spicy miso ramen which was also delicious and the playlist was great.

Best place ever! Umami is quick, healthy and delicious. I follow a gluten friendly & diary free lifestyle and I always struggle with finding good food to go. My favorite meal is the curry broth, pork belly, rice noodle, boiled egg, broccoli, snow peas, kale & bok choy + chicken! Tip: Make sure to get the chili oil & red pepper flakes from the spice bar to give it an extra kick! I work remotely and this is my go to spot to work and grab a nice lunch or dinner. It's not weird to go here by yourself and sit by the window. I love that they are open later than coffee shops and I can get great coffee and work late. They serve locally roasted Wild Life Coffee. It's amazing!

A few vegan options, all really good! Very friendly service and really nice and quiet environment.

They never answer the phone. I've tried to call in an order several times and it just rings and rings. Been trying for over a half hour and nothing.

Kenzie is awesome. We were planning on going to Timber which is right down the road so we called for reservations and Timber said they don't take reservations for anything under 6 ppl. Ok. Can we bring a cake for a birthday to add to deserts we'll buy there? No cakes. Disappointed we called Umami and Kenzie answered and was so so happy to accommodate us! She excitedly said "Of course we can take a reservation and we'll gladly serve your cake! No problem come on down!" The food was great too. Kenzie even turned on some happy birthday music when she brought out the cake for us.

One of, if not my favorite restaurant in Bangor. College kid or not, Umami has a casual vibe in the middle of the city that just adds to it's own experience. The food there will reach into you, find your soul, and give you a pat on the back. Every time I go here, I feel physically and spiritually full. 11/10 Great spot.

Very disappointing. I live in a walking distance from it and have tried it a couple times since I moved into the area. The first time the noodle tasted like instant noodle that had been left on shelf for ages. The second time I added marinated eggs. They came cold like they had just come out from the refrigerator while the soup and the noodles were hot. The third time I did a takeout. When I got home it was literally not what I had ordered. Clearly, they swapped the bags with another client. This is definitely not "Umami"

A favorite location during my time at nearby Husson University, we decided to pick some ramen up to go on our way to a concert downtown. My fiancee and I both ordered some ramen noodles in our bowl, and honestly the noodles were so underwhelmingly disappointing. They tasted like overcooked mush, straight up worse than noodles out of a pack of instant ramen. This is the only negative experience I have had with Umami in general - you're hard-pressed to find a better custom ramen place in the area, but whoever cooked those ramen noodles tonight should be ashamed. I was contemplating the udon noodles tonight for $1 more, and regret not making that call after the experience we had tonight. Umami, please check on the quality of the ramen noodles (and all other noodles as well) - that was the only terrible aspect of our meal, but the noodles were virtually inedible and had to be tossed.

My wife and I stumbled across Umami Noodle Bar while looking for vegan spots in the area. We were extremely impressed with the food and the service. When you walk in, there's scattered seating, plenty of plants, and a long front counter where you order the food. The staff was extremely welcoming and polite to us. The food came out quickly and everything was so fresh! The miso is quite good and I really enjoyed the soba noodles. I left craving more and will definitely be returning in the near future!

Stopped in for lunch and this place was great. We ate outside because we had our dog so I can't say much about the atmosphere inside. The noodles were tasty and we also had fried dumplings that were quite tasty and crispy. I would definitely come back when in Bangor again!

I was up in Bangor for the day with some friends and we randomly dipped into this place for lunch. It's centrally located in the heart of downtown and pretty easy to stumble across. We decided to give it a whirl and there was some good and some bad with the experience. I will attempt to elaborate and explain. The first thing that struck me when I walked in was the atmosphere and setup. It's a bizarre sort of hodgepodge of furniture that doesn't really tie together into a cohesive theme. I was expecting more of an Eastern vibe (it's a noddle place named Umami) and that is not at all what I got. The menu isn't extensive. Noodles and a few appetizers are what they do. They have two options when ordering noodle bowls: house recipes and build your own bowl. I went with the first thing on the menu, the Tokyo Tonkotsu. It's a ramen-based noodle dish with chicken and veggies. As someone who eats Japanese style ramen on a semi-regular basis, what I got was not what I expected. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing but it wasn't particularly good. Now, in all fairness, you get a lot of food. But it wasn't very flavorful. I really felt like the broth could use some love. A stronger, more savory broth would help improve the dish in my opinion. Also, the chicken served with the dish was not tonkatsu. So, I felt like that was a little misleading. As mentioned, you do get a lot of food and all of it piled into the bowl makes for a tight fit. A larger bowl would have made it easier to eat. I like the idea of the build your own bowl but doubt the quality would be significantly different. They do have soy sauce, chili powder and assorted other condiments to spice up your noodles. I made the effort and it helped a little. At the end of the meal, I was full. But it was neither what I expected or nor did I particularly enjoy it. I'd say it's a very Western take on an Eastern dish. If I'm in Bangor again, I'll dine elsewhere.

Umami is underrated! First- it's so easy to order, pick a broth, a protein, a noodle, and your toppings. I got ramen with beef and beef broth and it was so tasty. They have plenty of variations and many vegan options as well. Inside the restaurant is very cozy and makes for a great view of the heart of Downtown Bangor if you sit up by the windows. This might be one of my favorite places in Bangor.

I REALLY wanted to like this place, as I'm a big noodle fan, but I'm also a vegetarian, and I think that was where I went wrong coming here. It's not that they didn't have vegetarian options, but vegetarian soups have to be really tasty to work, and unfortunately, this one didn't cut it. What I notice is that places either have water-like broths that taste like nothing, or super salty attempts that are poorly executed. This one was the latter. They tried, they really did, but the broth was so salty I had to give up. I also should not have added jalapeños, as they were almost a 1:1 ratio with the noodles. Also, do not order the scallion pancake if you're looking for an actual scallion pancake. It is more like a tasty tortilla chip and less like an actual scallion pancake. See pics attached. Don't even think about getting the Thai iced tea - watery, not very sweet, and tasted mostly of cream, less of tea. The workers here were AMAZING. They were super nice, funny, prompt, and even brought water out for my dog. I'd come back just to buy a Coke here. I would definitely recommend coming here if you are a non-vegetarian, but since I am not, I won't be back.

Love this place. Delicious noodles. Great drinks. Family friendly. What else could a guy ask for?!? A long list of options, which you get to fully customize, truly sets this place apart. Pick your broth. Then your noodles. Then your protein. Then your veggies. Then special add ons. And it all leads to an awesome smorgasbord of flavor in your mouth, that is never quite the same twice! Every time we are in the area, we stop. And every time it is amazing! (Ok one time I ordered jumbo shrimp and got salad shrimp as they were out of jumbo, but they fixed it in a way that was satisfactory). Trust me, stop here, get some Tom yum, with rice noodles, boiled egg, baby corn, mushrooms, snow peas, greens and some pork.... wash it down with a glass bottle of coke... heaven can't be far off from this. AND!!! They have board games. It gets better and better! Only downside is there can be a bar crowd on the other half of the restaurant that is loud at times, and parking can be difficult. Just go early and avoid all that!

As someone who doesn't much care for lobster, I was wondering where to get good food on a road trip through Maine. This place provided a perfect experience with great service, customizability, and solid portions for a good deal. The food was as flavorful as it was nourishing. This was perfect for us after a long day on the road, and is also perfect for anyone staying in or around Bangor since it's right in the middle of town. I recommend their soba noodles!

This place has improved! They added bowls that combine some of the add ins. They fixed the problem with too many noodles. They now have enough silverware. It's a solid choice for a noodle bowl lunch, and I would reccomend it. They could still be even better if they made thier own noodles. Still doesn't make sense that certain noodles cost extra, but all proteins cost the same regardless of how much the cost in bulk.

On our way of visiting our daughter inBangor we felt hungry and since that it's already lunchtime we decided to eat at this restaurant We did the make your own ramen and the 3 of us all have the same ramen noodles with 3 different kind of broth and when we talk about ramen noodles your expecting the real ramen noodles but surprisingly we all got the ramen instant noodles and that's very disappointing, we've been to many ramen restaurants but this is the first time that we had this kind The broth that I got was ok but on my wife's and my son's were under seasoned They have a list of different kinds of noodles on the board but forget to specify that the ramen noodles is the instant ramen noodles that you normally buy on the grocery store. Very disappointing

Great location situated in downtown Bangor and right across the street from the Charles Inn. This was a great spot for a quick lunch. Staff was friendly, everything was well stocked. Definitely try their curry crab rangoon!! It was so good! Their Thai iced tea is also very good with a nice portion size. The soup bowls are large, more than a quart. I gave Umami four stars because I thought the soup lacked flavor but the crab rangoon honestly makes up for it!

Kind of fell upon this spot for a birthday celebration & not only was the food delish, Kenzie went over & above/out of her way to make it special!! Def order the wings... we ordered many different flavors - each amazing. The scallion pancakes & gyoza dumplings were phenomenal. All the ramens were delicious. Our favorite was the curry beef. The place has a cool atmosphere & the music is chill. Great spot & great town. We enjoyed eating & looking out the window to see the street of Bangor. Thank you Kenzie for all your help!

@@ road trip post @@ Notes: * Vegetarian and vegan broth options! I don't know what I was expecting from Bangor, but definitely not for it to be so vegan inclusive. * Open SO late, 3 a.m. on weekends. We got into town late, so it totally saved us having to skip dinner. * Friendly :D ordered to vegetarian broth because I stopped reading the menu after I saw vegetarian. They let me know there was also vegan miso (which is typically not even vegetarian). * The bowls came PACKED (see pics). * The ramen was quality and the scallion pancakes were delicious. * Glasses if you don't want to use disposable cups. * The place is not fancy, by any means. Just weird old flooring, and different types of benches/seats all over the place. BUT, the food was good. I would definitely stop by again if in the area.

This was quite a gem in downtown Bangor. The interior looks like an old pizzeria that had its menu changed to reflect soup options but don't let that deter you from enjoying decent quality soup. You order where the cash registers are, seat yourself and then they will bring out your food to you. My husband and I did the custom soup bowls with veggie broth and tofu with the only differences being that I asked for shiitake mushrooms in mine and he opted for broccoli. Even though there was no waiter service, the lady behind the counter was nice and even helped out in the kitchen after taking our order since we were the only customers who walked in at that time (the other customers already got their food). I was pleasantly surprised at the portions - it was more than I thought but it wasn't so much that I left uncomfortably full. Everything was tasty and thankfully the broth wasn't overly salty. I was given a generous about of shiitake mushrooms and the veggies were fresh. Definitely returning here if I am in Bangor again.

So yummy!! The dumplings were delicious and I loved being able to make my own bowl. Went w my parents and they loved it as well.

Smells musty upon entering... looks like a washed up version of what might've been a good thing at one time. Could not buy a child's sized portion of anything (well, you could, but you'd still pay full price). Paid way too much for counter service and bland broth, not to mention the kitchen put the wrong broth/noodles into our orders- only ordered 3 bowls and we were the only ones there who ordered in the 20 minutes we were there. How did this get messed up so easily?! No paper towels in the bathroom, gross. Never again.

All I can say is...I feel bad for the guy working the register, because he is trying to make this sh*t show into a decent establishment and sadly it is more like a summer camp where the counselors have gone out back to smoke a cigarette and bang, leaving the children to run the show themselves like Lord of the Flies. I had already been in here once that week to try and get ramen, but they were all out of pork belly and boiled eggs, so they said come back later in the week. We came back 3 days later and they were still out of pork belly, and when we tried to order scallion pancakes they said their frier had been broken for a while. Side note: when we suggested that if they always run out of pork belly, maybe they should order more. He said they sear the meat and then cook it slowly for 24 hours and worried that if they ordered more, it would go bad. Um dude...I'm not a restauranteur, but there are bbq places that cook pork for 24 hours- once it's done cooking, you just cook some more. And if you keep running out of pork belly, you probs won't have any go to waste. Like, what?? So they food honestly was a 3.5 stars, little heavy on the sprouts. But the environment was awful in the lounge area. Everyone there was drinking some kind of red bull, two guys sat down at the bar, got a drink and then immediately, suspiciously and NOT subtly walked into the single stall men's bathroom together and came out two minutes later. Drugs much? We couldn't tell who was the bar tender because multiple random people kept just walking behind the bar, but at one point two guys were back there and started SPRAYING EACH OTHER WITH THE WATER SPRAY GUNS OR WHATEVER THEY're called. We got sprayed, and when we yelled at them to stop they didn't even apologize. Freaking savages. The intestinal discomfort my friend and I both experienced that night was not great either. Literally you could just microwave some 5 cent ramen noodles at home and have a better experience than this place.

Umami has definitely gotten a facelift since I was last there for dinner. The core set up is still the same: solid pre-designed noodle bowls, the option to build your own, and a good selection of beverages. It's definitely something different to try for a date night in Bangor!

I was impressed to find this place in downtown Bangor, Maine. The inside leaves much to be desired, but don't let that deter you - the food is legit. We really enjoyed the build-your-own noodle bowl option - it's a nice approachable way to enjoy some noodles if you're a ramen newbie. I particularly loooooved the yellow curry broth. Everything came out perfectly tailored to our orders, and I slurped up every last drop of my bowl. My full build-your-own bowl selection ended up being chicken / egg noodles / cabbage / yellow curry broth with their standard toppings (bean sprouts, carrots, etc.) - it was wonderful! This place is connected to what seems to be a bar/lounge under same ownership - I couldn't quite tell what the deal with that part of this place was (to be fair, we were there at 11 AM on a Sunday morning), but I did appreciate that they had a big pile of board games ready for anyone to play!

We made two bowls, one chicken and one beef, both were amazing!!!! We also realized we like udon noodles the best!

I liked the idea of having a choose-your-own-adventure ramen and my son really wanted some ramen so we decided to check this place out. Unfortunately, I was not super impressed overall. I feel like this place shouldn't have to have such a fast food/ food court vibe, but alas, it does. Most of the ingredients tasted relatively fresh, but my broth was extremely salty. Granted, the place is going through some renovations right now and so I was trying to cut them some slack, but I just felt like they could be so much better than they are. I'd like check them out again, however, after the renovations are done.

I'll take a spiced-up Thailander any cold day of the week! My mom loved her yellow curry bowl with soup. Dad is all about the black angus beef--not exactly vegan ;-)

Overall take: Solid especially for Maine and Ramen. Price wasn't too terrible, I think I paid about $12 for a bowl of pork with a broth base of Yellow Curry. The flavor was actually pretty solid and I added a bit of heat to it to give it a good boost. Makes for a good mix considering Maine in the early parts of spring is cold. Value: Solid mix of veggies and protein overall. I opted to add shiitake mushroom and an egg to mine to give it a bit more flavor. I'd say the one small knock on it is that the portion size isn't all that huge for what I am used to in other places (San Francisco). I will say where it lacked in size the flavor was pretty solid. I'd definitely go back again and order nearly the same thing. Perhaps trying a different protein as I didn't mind the pork, but perhaps beef would of been a welcomed choice.

No rice noodles available which is the only gluten free option. Luckily I was able to get a noodle less bowl substituting veggies instead. Overall flavor and quality of tofu meh. Green veggies and Shitake were the best part.

This restaurant is a gem! Delicious and fresh! My only regret is that I didn't take pictures of the fabulous bowls and appetizers that we ordered. My family and I chose to make our own! We all argued over who's was the best! Their summer miso broth was my favorite! We had the gyoza and scallion pancake appetizers which were delicious. Even the boiled egg was cooked perfectly! The service was excellent! I can't say enough great stuff about this restaurant! If you're in downtown Bangor, give them a try!

Stopped here for lunch today after spending time camping so we were hungry and ready to like and devour literally anything warm put in front of us. Honesty this may have been the most disgusting and offensive meal I've ever had. The ramen broth tasted like watered down dirty water that had been strained through someone's dirty shoes. Absolutely zero chance that the'pork' in mine was pork. The dumplings were filled with mystery ingredients that were indiscernible. The one saving grace is that the girl working at the counter was very nice. We watched the table next to us try their ramen and toss it too. Ugh. Go literally anywhere else.