Umami Steak and Sushi Bar

I tried their Omakase in a group setting, we had a private room and shared plates, so it was a bit different from the smaller group experience. I believe they take reservations for Omakase only. You can also order from their regular à la carte menu as well. Out of all the dishes, the most memorable ones for me were the fish liver since it’s not a common ingredient, and the mini squids, both of which were delicious. Other than those, I think most of what we had are also available on the regular menu. The chef also came out to prepare hand rolls for us in person, making sure the seaweed stay ed crisp and fresh as we ate.

Just had the most incredible omakase in Philly! The chef is a true artist—every piece of nigiri was perfectly crafted and exploded with flavor. You can really feel his passion and skill. To top it off, the manager was incredibly welcoming and kind, which made the whole evening feel special. This place is a gem. I will definitely be coming back again soon!

Fresh fish, perfect steak, and the friendliest staff — a must-try! My boyfriend finally brought me to his favorite sushi + steak spot and wow, I get it now! We were greeted so warmly by Alex and sat at the sushi bar—definitely recommend reservations just in case if you’re coming during peak hours. The 18-course omakase by Chef Kenny was incredible, every piece of fish was perfect, and the porterhouse steak (flamed and cut right in front of us) was cooked to perfection. Add in plum wine, green tea ice cream, friendly staff, and a great vibe… easily one of the best meals I’ve had. This is definitely our go to sushi and/or steak spot. We’ll absolutely be back!

I adore this place. It’s such a relaxing environment, the staff are so lovely and already feel like old friends. The food is consistently amazing; quite possibly the best sushi I’ve had in the US.

Must Visit!!! Alex made us feel very welcome. His warm & genuine character will generate memories. Food was delicious and is prepared using superior quality ingredients. You will definitely enjoy your time spent here. Your tummy will thank you for it.

One of the best omakase experiences in Philadelphia. Rivals any sushi bar in Tokyo. Reasonably priced, hidden gem…take advantage before they inevitably blow up. Better than many of the other more well known omakases in the city that cost twice as much. Truly authentic experience. You feel like you’re right back in Tokyo and the fish is just as fresh. Service was impeccable and incredibly friendly!

I’ve been here at least 4 times in 6 months since my first time coming here and it is more amazing each time. The food is amazing, from the miso cod, the table side steak service, and the sushi is incredibly fresh and expertly prepared (ask for the surf and turf roll - you will not regret it). The ambience is amazing - with the restaurant looking unassuming from its exterior, but once you walk down the stairs you a brought to a quiet cavern like space with soft lighting making it incredibly intimate. The service is top tier with our server now very familiar with my partner and I, so we are always greeted with a warm welcome. I recommend this place to everyone that comes to Philly for a reasonably priced but top level experience.

Umami has now become my standard for what a great sushi restaurant should be. We had had early reservations for 4 on a Friday, but we really wouldn't have needed them this early. But it started picking up by the time we left. By luck, the manager, Alex, was also our waiter as we had arrived 5 minutes before opening. He was wonderful and very informative. The fish was fresh, abundant and varied. I had ordered the Chef's chirashi (see pic). There was so much fish, I could not find the rice. I had also ordered two pieces of sashimi that I can't get at most places - hotate (scallop) and ebi (raw shrimp). Surprisingly, the chirashi also contained each of these! My wife and son had fantastic rolls the were packed with fish. We started with appetizers (calamari, pork gyoza, and edamame) that were delicious as well. There is full bar service, but only one draft selection (Sapporo). I opted for a Hitochino White ale that was similar to Alligash (also available.) SIL had the ginger ice cream creme brulee. Oishii! While we didn't do steak, there were many in the restaurant that had table-side prep of various steak cuts. A Wagyu A5 is also available. Our next visit will be for the Omakase that Alex said had 18 offerings from the chef. Can't wait. While they have been open for 3 years, I predict that they will be a culinary fixture for many years.

I ordered the Premium Chef's Choice 9-Piece and thought it was just okay. I liked the scallop sushi with lime seasoning the best; the lime zest added brightness to the scallop. The remaining pieces were bland, as most raw fish are, and they were simply placed on top of the rice without any additional seasoning to the fish (1 star off). The sushi rice was also bland (1 star off). I was forced to use the given soy sauce for some flavor. The best sushi are the ones where you do not have to rely on soy sauce for flavor. At their price point ($68), I expected better. The sushi all looked pretty though.

Spent a couple weeks in Philly for work and could not stop coming to this spot! Absolutely unbelievable ramen and steak. Service was always amazing, we had a large group one night and were accommodated with our own private room. Everything is cooked fresh and the atmosphere is a wonderful escape from the busy streets. Get the Ramen!!!

Umami Steak and Sushi Bar was a great spot for a quick business lunch in the Old City neighborhood. Enter on Walnut Street and take a short flight of stairs down to the basement restaurant. Though service was a bit hurried/terse and the menu on the pricier side, the food was terrific: some of the best pork I've had in a bowl of ramen--incredibly tender and flavorful. I also enjoyed the ramen bowl's flavor bomb and, though not marinated, the soft-boiled egg was great. Some ramen-shop style table options (e.g., sesame seeds, pepper powder) would've brought it over the top. The specialty sushi rolls my dining companion ate also received rave reviews.

We visited for our Valentine's date and we weren't the only ones; this place was very busy! Despite that, we had a reservation and were seated immediately. I ordered the Downtown roll, the Sansho Salmon u-temaki (a variation of a hand roll, I believe), and an order of chu-toro sashimi (2 pieces per order). The food came out relatively quickly, given how busy it was. Everything was so fresh and tasty! The sashimi was soft and buttery and full of flavor. High quality food and a well-made meal, it was perfect for a fancier date night!

Sometimes, you find yourself seated at a sushi restaurant with like-minded foodies on a random weekday for no special reason and order the 18 piece Chef's Choice platter. I have walked past here so many times and have never really noticed it tucked away downstairs in a basement! The 18 piece nigiri came with 2 pieces of each (9 different types), so it was perfect for sharing with a friend. Each piece was pretty good, although they were on the smaller side. The service was okay.

Fresh fish, perfect steak, and the friendliest staff -- a must-try! My boyfriend finally brought me to his favorite sushi + steak spot and wow, I get it now! We were greeted so warmly by Alex and sat at the sushi bar--definitely recommend reservations just in case if you're coming during peak hours. The 18-course omakase by Chef Kenny was incredible, every piece of fish was perfect, and the porterhouse steak (flamed and cut right in front of us) was cooked to perfection. Add in plum wine, green tea ice cream, friendly staff, and a great vibe... easily one of the best meals I've had. This is definitely our go to sushi and/or steak spot. We'll absolutely be back!

Decided to have dinner at Umami steak and Sushi bar because it is in walking distance of the Walnut street theater. My party of two were the 1st to arrive at 4:45pm (restaurant opened at 4:30pm). We were seated immediately and were told that the steak and sushi was really good by our waiter. I asked if they had happy hour going on and was informed yes. I asked to see the happy hour menu and was informed that we needed to be seated at the bar to participate in happy hour. We were the only two people in the restaurant and stated that we will order from the main menu but like to have 1 cocktail from the happy hour menu. Our waiter told us NO! Because we need to be at the bar. Very disappointing ! We ordered steak served table side (7/10). Shrimp fried rice (7/10). Mango mochi (8/10).

My husband ordered takeout from here for me as my first post-birth meal and it was exactly what I've been waiting for! This was my first time getting food from here and I was blown away. I had the premium chef's choice with toro and uni (sashimi) and extra orders of uni and scallop nigiri. The fish/seafood tasted really fresh and the cuts were quite generous. I love the variety included in the order and every single piece was incredible. Quality wise, this place is top tier compared to the many other sushi restaurants in Philly. I think the next level up would be going to an Omakase restaurant. Subjectively, I would say that I actually enjoyed my meal from here even more than my recent omakase experiences in the area. FYI - if you order takeout on a computer the chef's choice is defaulted to sashimi so unless that's what you want, make sure to switch it to nigiri.

HIDDEN GEM!! That's no exaggeration, this has to be one of the best Asian restaurants I've eaten at in Philadelphia over the span of 30+ years. I had a good feeling about this restaurant, so I ordered a lot (see pictures). Every single item was top-notch, fresh, and perfectly prepared and cooked. I even went so far as to order the A5 Japanese Wagyu, which was only $75! For those of you who know that would be $200 anywhere else in the city and the quality was the same if not better!! I consider myself a food person with very high standards, if you're hearing this from me whether you know it or not it means something! Alex (server/bartender) was extremely attentive and helpful with choosing items from the menu. Whoever is reading this, make sure you go. You'll thank the random yelp reviewer later.

Probably some of the best sushi I've had in Philly. Service was a little slow for the police not being that busy, but maybe they only had a couple servers. Ambience is great as well! Can work well for a romantic evening, or a casual night out. The only thing I will say is it is a little pricey for what you get. If you're not willing to shell out that much money for sushi, there are plenty of other other places where you can get close to the same thing. Maybe not the same quality, but generally, it'll hit the spot for a cheaper price. Would highly recommend!

Center city sushi spot, it's sorta underground, a cellar-like space. Offers omakase and a la carte dishes. Overall it has good quality ingredients / fresh fish, but not quite worth the price tag with the execution. We got 2 orders of premium chef's sushi/sashimi to share (18 pieces each for $99), which said to have similar cuts as the omakase. The fish were pretty fresh, but sushi rice was not great - both texture and taste were meh: just plain hard rice... the sushi has relatively small fish cut, so definitely not worth the price; sashimi seems to have slightly more portion. Hokkaido Uni was the star, quite fresh and sweet, everything else was just so so (especially given the "premium" price). The u-maki was quite disappointing, way too much rice (also not cooked well and no flavor itself), the toppings/ fish was fresh but not a good balance as a whole, also very few and small pieces of sweet shrimp inside... The appetizers had nothing special, again good quality cod pieces or cured ribeye, but the sauce was overpowering (too sweet and too salty). Service was pretty good, given it wasn't busy that night, the server was attentive and helpful.

Came here on Sunday night right before Eagles game so wasn't too crowded but it usually is based on what we were told. The staff are friendly and attentive. They have been open for about 2.5 years. Food was incredible. Lots of veggie and cooked sushi options as well. The temaki is just one piece but really tasty and goes well with a roll or other entree dish. Cod tasted just like Chilean seabass. Ribeye buns were something different that haven't really seen at other places. My partner loved the crème brule and said it was amongst the best they have ever had.

The food is delicious, the service is great. It's never too crowded. I highly recommend the steak, salmon, or ramen! It is a little chilly each time I go so maybe bring a light jacket.

We met up with a friend who eats here religiously and recommended this place to us. We got a steak to share and a few small plates. They also do omakase at the back of the restaurant. Very cute and reservations are recommended. Ive tried sake before and didn't really like it. I decided to give it another shot and ordered this citrus sake cocktail and it was so delicious and refreshing. The food also was very good and the sushi is very fresh. The steak is well cooked and juicy. It came with a side of wasabi mashed potatoes which was surprisingly addicting. I would come back just for that mashed potato and the steak would just be a bonus.

Sat at the bar for omakase. The owner and chef was amazing. Kenny was our sushi chef and he was super nice. He told us what each item was, and there were many that I did not know which he tried to explain. Additionally, at the end where we had finished and were just chatting he gave us another bonus roll since he was making items for others. The owner throughout the night helped pour our sake and checked in on us regularly. Food was phenomenal. Tons of courses and everything was delicious. I did not expect so many courses and having dessert included. By the end I was definitely very full. The absolute best item was the toro but everything was so good. The wagyu was also a large portion, much larger than I had expected. Start to finish everything was amazing. The chef told us in the future if there was something specific we wanted to just let him know ahead of time and he'd try to accommodate. It's a pretty penny and items will change based on the chefs decision, but would love to come back. Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish Ambiance: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Food: 5/5

Food 4.5/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 3/5 The restaurant has a hole in the wall ambiance since it is tucked in the lower level / basement. They didn't bother with decorations or elevate the seating or table wear. However, it was a quiet and intimate environment. The service was amazing. I ordered the chef sushi combo but sat at the sushi bar and the chef delivered each piece individually and provided explanation for each. The chef was so friendly and extremely knowledgeable. The fish was fresh and flavors were paired very complementary. So far the best sushi I've had in Philly / DE, but my only other comparison is Double Knot and a few places in DE. I'd love to return again to try the omakase. Highly recommend! Would be 5/5 if the ambiance was more decorative.

We went for the omakase, which was excellent! $180 per person with the wagyu add on. Service was great, cocktails were delicious, and the fish was extremely fresh. I will definitely be bank!

For the price here, I was expecting better. Service wasn't great. The waiter inexplicably was rushing us to get our order despite there being only one other table besides mine and some people at the bar. The other table was not rushed by the same waitor like we were. Appetizers were the Karaage chicken and the Rock shrimp tempura, 14 and 15 dollars respectively. Karaage, while pretty ok, tasted and looked a bit like what you might get at american chinese takeout - though possibly one level better than that. Rock shrimp tempura was ok, but the shrimps used were tiny. Main courses were the 18 piece chef's choice and the A5 Wagyu plate. The chef's choice was quite good. Fish was fairly fresh, though the Unagi (eel) was just average. My friend thought the rice was a bit over-seasoned. It's also quite pricy at $75. I'm not a steak person, and while the Wagyu was pretty good - I'd rather spend the $65 it cost at a quality steak restaurant. An authentic Japanese restaurant like Sagami is a much better proposition for your money. It's my go-to. That said, Sagami is open for a limited time now while the fate of it is still being decided - i.e. whether someone will buy the establishment.

Small speakeasy restaurant in the basement with a wonderful staff. Came here twice in two months already. Had the pleasure to try the omakase but I enjoyed the dining room experience more. They are definitely known for the steak and sushi! Literally every table got steak and the chef comes out and cuts it in front of you. The sushi is so fresh too and portions are generous. Of course I had to save room for dessert. The black sesame mochi and ice cream was amazing!

Tasty, but not cheap. The waiter will try to push pricier rolls on you, at least that was the vibe I was getting. Tasty premium set menu with plentiful cavier. Uni was, as is often the case, slightly bitter and metallic. Uni must be extremely fresh to get that sweat and briney delightful gonad flavor we know and love. Toro rolls were tasty. Wasabi sauce was tasty and unconventional. Hand rolls we tried were good as well. Comparable to upper end mid range sushi in New York (real sushi, not Chinese owned). Better than Royal Sushi and Izakaya for a la carte (I haven't tried the Omakase)

Heard this place referred to as a hidden gem and I sort of agree? The food is great and their steaks are a ridiculously good deal esp in today's day and age. But after coming I have to say I'm not surprised they're not busier, and it solely comes down to the ambience. This place is in a basement and without a doubt used to be a dive bar. They basically kept 100% of the dive bar vibe (dark lights, slightly sticky booths, and a slight basement smell) shoved a Japanese restaurant in it. Its really a shame, bc THE FOOD IS GOOD! Everything is well seasoned, the fish is fresh, everything we tried was delicious. and the koji marinated prime steak served tableside... It lives up to the umami in their name for sure! And at the price they serve you are barely saving much effort and time buying it from Costco, sourcing koji, prepping and cooking it yourself... The place needs better promo but more than that it probably needs a face-lift. I am all for a hole in the wall hidden gem type of find. But when you're serving sushi and prime steak and sake, running up a tab of $250+ for 2, you want to feel comfortable and pay for a nice ambiance too. You could certainly pay a similar amt, get slightly less good food, but maybe have a more enjoyable overall time at a place like tuna bar or something. If you care about only food or love the dank basement vibes... This is your place! We enjoyed the food a lot and would come back for the steak. maybe for takeout. Disclaimer: this is for the restaurant only. They serve omakase at a bar in the back that looks more well lit and new, completely different from the bar they shoehorned into in the front. The chef somehow has 100k Instagram followers but not sure what his claim to fame is. Would come back to try the omakase too!

Took my 9 yr old daughter here for New Year's Eve for a daddy daughter date, as my daughter loves Sushi! We sat at the sushi bar and started with a couple appetizers, the miso citrus tuna and tempura calamari. The tuna was absolutely amazing, perfect balance of flavors complementing each other, i barely got any, my daughter devoured it! The calamari was light and tender and cooked perfectly! We then did the Premium chefs tasting sushi with toro and everything was amazing! The service was impeccable, the drinks were tasty and it was overall just a wonderful experience! I highly recommend anyone looking for a hidden gem to come check this place out, you wont be disappointed!! Thank you for helping provide my daughter with an amazing experience on NYE

This was a refreshing sushi place. The menu is different from the other sushi restaurants in Philly and their drinks are really good too! I got the rock shrimp appetizer, red dragon roll, new rainbow roll, sancho salmon roll, and the Unagi Cucumber Roll. The one thing I do have to say though is that it smells a little bit too much like cleaning supplies and maybe mildew (basement smell).

This place is hidden in the lower level on Walnut St... kind of mysterious a bit. The sushi they serve here is absolutely delicious! Fish is so fresh and some is aged which was savory! I attached some of my favorite pieces for you to see as I forgot the names for most of them.... They also make in-house soy and other sauces as explained by Chef. The miso cod was so yummy and melt in your mouth like morsels! Must try!

Exceptional food. Very cool atmosphere. I was not aware that it was in the basement level. But the ambience was lovely with exposed brick and nice lighting. The food was extremely good. One of my party had steak, which was extremely well received. The sushi was so fresh. And the staff was very nice to my son and let him play piano.

Stumbled in on the omakase by accident and I am so glad I decided to try it. It was $80 during lunch which is such a steal! Everything was so fresh and delicious especially the Hokkaido uni and wagyu! The rice was soft and perfectly flavored. I got a ginger pear cocktail that paired well with the sushi. Staffs were informative and incredibly friendly. Highly recommend.

11 of us went here for my birthday dinner and it was amazing! The staff was friendly and accommodating, the food was beautiful and everyone was happy with their meal! No wonder the staff was telling us how people come from long-distance to eat here because it really is the best.

Tako carpaccio $16 - kind of chewy Hamachi butsu temaki (U-shape) $8 - nothing special. Seaweed was so soft it was hard to bite Sweet shrimp and hotate (U-shape) $13 - first bite was super salty. Seaweed softness same here 76ers roll $15 - not bad. Nothing special Chef Chirashi $45 - nice presentation. Rice sweeter than usual. I liked that but Fu didn't.

Excellent service and premium sushi! Love this hidden gem. The atmosphere is very cozy. Perfect if you love high quality sushi and steak. If you like Omakase you must try this place. The sushi chef has the ability to make some very unique and tasty treats. Great drink menu as well. Easy to find parking since this is in a more quieter part of the city.

Came in with a group of 8. There was one server who literally rolled his eyes and said "oh man, you're gonna have to give me a minute" and made us wait almost 15 min. We just left after that and found another sushi place. I can't believe how rude he was. Definitely don't recommend this place after such a disappointing experience.

We were traveling and came for dinner. The service was excellent. The sushi some of the best I have had. The wagyu was melt in mouth delicious for a better price than most places. Drinks were great. It was pretty dead on a Tuesday night. If you are in the area and trying to find a great place to eat- try it! Was a fabulous meal.

So I'll preface this by saying when I came here this place was still pretty new and was understandably working out their kinks, so I won't be too hard on them. To be fair, we came here about a half hour after they opened on a Sunday evening and we were the first ones to arrive - even before most of the staff. We decided to sit at the sushi counter and was very kindly greeted by the manager and chef and we went ahead and made our first round of orders. It seemed like most of the prep work hadn't been done so the chef was having to chop a bunch of cucumbers and do extra work while also doing his best to make our sushi. He mentioned that the other chef had called out for the night so that likely explains it. Overall it's got a cool vibe for a date, and I think this place has good things ahead of it. Will definitely come back to see where they take it.

This was a great spot for good quality sushi and hand rolls. I got 3 special hand rolls and various sushi rolls. Everything was extremely fresh and appetizing. Umami does a great job at pairing their seafood with complementary flavors. The appetizers are all unique and tasty. I got the oysters and tuna ceviche. The oysters were paired well with some sauce on top. The tuna ceviche was incredibly fresh and such creamy pieces that melted in my mouth. My favorite (aside from the filling hand rolls) were the uni sushi pieces. Service was attentive and great at providing recommendations on what to try. I'll be back to try the steak next time!

Chef Kenny is great! Had omakase here this past weekend with my boyfriend and loved so many courses. Kenny introduced me to so many unique items. He was so experienced and kind to us. Our favorite pieces were the Hamachi, Tuna, salmon belly, and scallops. The kitchen also brought out some really amazing pieces as well; The blackened cod was to die for. Overall we had a great time. The lighting was amazing, and we really enjoyed our experience.

I really really wanted to love this place. It was a little out of the way for my schedule but I made it happen. I came here for lunch on a Friday afternoon and was seated immediately, it was pretty dead inside. I ordered the 3 signature temakis, in addition to the California uni temaki (which was so fresh and creamy), Sansho salmon and hamachi butsu. The flavors were fun and fit well with the fish without seeming overpowering. The fish was fresh and plentiful, so much that the fish was falling off and I didn't feel the need to put it back onto the roll for a good bite. I left it and had a mini sashimi platter for the end. The problem: all the temakis basically came out at the same time, with no plastic sheet around the nori to keep it from getting soft/soggy. I love good sushi and love splurging on it but for this price point, I did not except this mistake. Since it was served all together I felt rushed and stressed to eat rather than enjoy each bite since I didn't want my last temaki to be awful. I skipped taking good photos to save time for myself. They weren't so awful in the end but I could definitely taste that the nori wasn't crispy, which does change the experience of biting into a temaki roll. Maybe if I asked for them to come out individually they would have done it but I really didn't think I needed to. I guess my go-to temaki roll spot, Nami Nori (in nyc/Brooklyn) has spoiled me.

Incredible steak at a fraction of the price of chain steakhouses AND fresh sushi...in the same spot?! Whoooo!

This restaurant is located on the basement level and underneath a barbershop. Upon entering I was welcomed by super friendly staff who gave us choices of seatings. The bar area is on the left and the sushi bar is at the back passing the dining area. The owner and staff were very engaging in conversation. They have just opened for six weeks but already received full 5 stars of reviews on google map and yelp. They are very knowledgeable on the menu. I like the ambiance of the restaurant, very intimate. The music wasn't too loud. It's a nice place for a date. Scallops: so delicious and rich in umami flavor. The waiter explained that the chef caramelized the sugar. That gave the crunchiness and highlighted the sweetness of the scallops. It also had a nice lime to balance the sweetness. It also had some tasty lotus chips. Nice plating and presentation. Highly recommended. Chef selections of sashimi: the waiter is explained each kinds of the sashimi. Beautiful presentation. Kyuri rolls: it's a perfect low-carb entree because the roll is made with cucumber. The tuna and salmon inside the roll were very fresh. The sauce underneath gave enough saltiness to the roll. Definitely recommend this one too. Dessert: there's only one choice, which is ice cream with ice cream mochi on top and tempura flakes at the bottom. Tempura flakes were closely resembled Rice brown Krispies. I ordered red bean ice cream but I couldn't taste red beans at all and very plain and not too sweet. The mochi was kinda dry and not stretchy nor chewy. However, I like the flakes because it gave crunchy texture and a hint of saltiness. Service: definitely deserved 5 stars. One of the best I've ever experienced.

The food was spectacular but it is on the pricier side. I got the koji aged prime ribeye, miso Chilean sea bass, chef sushi premium pieces, and all the signature maki choices! I think everything was good but I would highly recommend the sushi premium pieces because of the fish quality and also the prime ribeye because the steak was cooked perfectly and was tender and juicy. The waiter was super helpful and friendly. I would come back and try the omakase next time.

Over the last few years I've spent a lot of time at Wills' Eye and am always looking for a lunch place after an appointment. This time around I came here and am delighted. Umami is a beautiful ground level restaurant with fresh sushi and one of the most courteous wait staffs I've ever experienced. Truly made a day filled with a lot of anxiety worthwhile by the experience. Thank you.

Delicious and fresh sushi with interesting flavor combinations as well as the classics. A bit on the pricey side, but worth it. Interesting decor - kind of like a dim, moody, speakeasy almost. Service was prompt and friendly. Didn't give us a hard time about being there at 9pm on a weekday.

The food was AMAZING. One of my new favorite spots. They specialize in sushi and steak, unfortunately we weren't able to try the steaks this time due to my diet, but it smelled SOOO delightful when our neighboring table ordered it. The drinks were tasty. The quality of the food is 10/10 super fresh. It is pretty small portions though so order a lot. It's a very small restaurant with a sushi counter bar and offers omakase. Will definitely be back for their omakase. Service was also great! Our server explained the menu throughly and explained everything we ordered so we knew what to expect.

Food was pretty good but a little pricier than other sushi spots. I did really appreciate that they had uni. I've been twice and once it was delicious and the other time bitter. The only issue is that they do try to get you to buy more. I was asked several times on both visits to try more uni.

That was amazing. From the service, to t presentation, to the food, to the ambiance; all delightful enough to warrant a visit back. We were seated at the restaurant Area but when finding out it was happy hour were quickly scurried to the bar. Dan, our bartender, was amazing at explaining everything on the menu and made an incredible sake yuzu cocktail. The quality of the sushi was tearfully fresh! And the steak was cooked PERFECTLY to medium rare. Umami steak and sushi bar is an excellent place that I can't wait to revisit!

Super fresh sushi - really good. Honestly better than many sushi places in NYC and is similar to ones I've had in Japan (ofc far more $$$). The open hand rolls were really tasty and had a lot of meat. Delicious! The restaurant inside looks mediocre - nothing glam, kinda dark but no intimate vibes. I wouldn't recommend for a date if you want vibes. Also not cheap but excellent sushi

Just stopped by Umami for lunch and the sushi nigiri has to be the best I've ever had in Philly. As we walk down the steps to the restaurant, we found a cozy hidden gem and seated in a comfortable booth for two. The server was so attentive and friendly. I'm writing because they deserve the recognition. We ordered the shumai appetizer that came with five pieces lightly and freshly fried with a spicy mayo sauce underneath. Very delicious. We then ordered otoro, chutoro, maguro, and salmon nigiri. Every single bite of sushi was incredible and such high quality. It makes me rethink just how good sushi can be depending on where you go and Umami is the place to be. I truly appreciated that the nigiri has slightly less rice than I'm used to, making the fish the main focus and making each bite incredibly smooth and fresh. The price is so reasonable for the quality you're getting. I definitely will be back again to try their steak or omakase.

The food is very tasty and served like in fancy restaurant. The steak meat was so soft that it melted in your mouth. Service guy was very friendly and often came to us to make sure everything was perfect. we'll be back again

Doesn't look like much when you walk up, however instagram and Tik Tok had already over promised and Umami over delivered and did not disappoint. Xiao was our server and she was knowledgeable about the menu, patient, and had a huge part in making our dinner an experience. The entire staff was friendly, courteous and seemed to be in a genuine good mood which in my opinion isn't that common in wait staff. The menu is completely reasonable, date night for two including drinks and we spent less than $200.

We went to Umami in the middle of last week to give it a try - really solid spot which stood out in a city with plenty of sushi places. Highlights included 1) the overall vibe/ambiance, which was cool - the kind of place I'd want to grab drinks or go on a date, and 2) the Umami roll and Walnut St roll - both were excellent but especially the ribeye on the unique Umami roll! The only true downside comes in the fact that the cheaper, more simple sushi is really just replacement level, and in order to get the really good speciality ones, you need to spend a lot of $$$. Would definitely come back and target the specialities!

Very good food. Service needs a bit work. The host who answered the phone when I called while on our way was rude. I told him I am in an Uber and will be 10 minutes late for my reservation and he said "no promises." We got there and the place was empty. Rule 101: no say things like that to customers. When we arrived, that same host was disheveled, running around like a headless chicken. We then waited 15 minutes for our drinks. But once our server came by with the drinks, service got much better and we ultimately enjoyed our experience very much. The food was excellent. Delicious rolls and fresh sushi. I am sure they will iron out kinks with service in no time.