Umaya Izakaya

We were recently at this restaurant for our anniversary and it did not disappoint. It was our first time here and we will definitely go back. The pricing is a bit on the higher side but the food was great so definitely worth it. We also liked the ambiance and service, friendly and not intrusive.

I came here with some colleagues for lunch, and I was pretty impressed. The spicy chicken rice bowl was actually spicy, which I liked. Our server was super nice. He gave us recommendations and was quite attentive to our table. The atmosphere was very laid back, quiet, and peaceful. If you're in the DC area, definitely give Umaya Izakaya a try.

Great service. Cozy place. Food was good, but not outstanding. My son liked it more than I did. Our server was very friendly. Tea: is a tea bag in the cup. I had chirashi. My son has eel. All in all it was ok for my taste.

It's overpriced okay food. We waited over an hour for our check at the end. The miso soup tasted funny. The teriyaki wings looked amazing, but didn't taste like teriyaki and was blandish- too much salt, but not flavorful (hard to explain). The single lamp lollipop for $10 is ridiculous. Didn't realize it would be just a single piece of lamb for that price. Most tables had long waits, but I think that was because their were basically two servers for the whole restaurant. The sushi was ok. The Gyoza was good, though.

Chinese fusion Japanese food, they even have some Chinese noodles dishes on the menu. Menu has grease on it. Restrooms are not as clean as expected. Sashimi moriawase which was on the pricier side was good, although wasabi was not the quality wasabi, it doesn't have wasabi taste lol. Ramen was okay. Wrong sauce dish was served for dipping tempura. It seems they are using wrong bowls as well, which were not supposed to be used in traditional Japanese cuisine. Katsu Don was way under expectations, not sushi rice, mixed too much cabbages with scrambled eggs under the pork, also pork is not of good quality. 3.25% processing fee for credit card was automatically added.

I've enjoyed this place! I have had SO much from here. Umaya has STEPPED IN for me. I've had their sashimi multiple times-- delicious. And lately, many skewers. I've had their duck yakitori, as well as scallop, king oyster, asparagus robotayaki, tuna tataki along with their chicken and veggie gyoza as well, which they've featured BOGO deals on which is great! I also tried their ube cheesecake which is one of the only sweet things I've been able to finish in a long time. Very good. I do agree the portions are small for the price, it works for me currently. UPDATE: Still eating from here and am happy. Got their aspargus, seasoned egg, and they also had BOGO on their chicken potstickers! It's nice to see them to do a deal because of their generally small portions. The BOGO deal on the chicken potstickers made them feel worth it. At $2 a spear, the asparagus is hard to justify, but some days I splurge on food. They also include a sauce, IDK what it is haha, it's green and I believe it has yuzu in it but it's good. I also got a seasoned egg. Came in a to-go container with juice that leaked all into the bag? I've never got a seasoned/ramen egg served like this. At first I thought I was mistakenly sent soup. I didn't eat it because of the mess. My main complaint is--they have condiment cups, that's what they give the green/yuzu sauce in. Why not use those for soy sauce as well? For soy sauce they just give you packets. It's annoying and not ideal. Just rip open a packet into your to-go container of potstickers. This is not ideal. Give me a cup to dip in please!

UMAYA IZAKAYA has for eight years served delicious vegan, gluten free, and conventional Japanese meals in its comfortable eatery. Prices are moderate considering the location. Our knowledgeable and friendly server easily described the menu and the ingredients incorporated into each dish. The menu contains both conventional, gluten free, and vegan entrees. I ordered the vegan Japanese fried rice. The generous serving included white rice, edamame, carrots, bean sprouts, and ginger. It arrived mildly spiced. However, preferring food with a bit of a bite, I asked the server for a pepper seasoning. Moments later, she returned carrying a small dish of the Chief's peppery spice mix. A light sprinkle of the tangy spice produced the requested warmth. My wife's large serving of Chicken Teriyaki included chicken, scallions, carrots and a delicious teriyaki sauce, served with white rice. It was richly flavored and according to my wife, delicious. Several varieties of sake are available, which maybe served either heated or chilled. With the exception of the raised booths in front of the aquarium, everything is ADA compatible. Patio seating is available. STUFF: Chef Charles Zhou opened Umaya Izakaya in 2017. "Izakaya" translates as "Stay-Drink-Place." At the original Japanese Izakaya, hors d'oeuvres served as an inducement to consume more sake. Over the years the original bar foods became deliciously complex.

As a huge Takoyaki veteran and lover just stopped to take some takoyaki for takeaway and eat them on the go. Even though restaurant seems japanese, standards are not. Instead of 8-10 neatly packed in long one hand-held box and covered with sauce and Katsuobushi I received two plastic containers each with 5 pure balls and sauce on the side - that was some kind of kebab-like mixed sauce somewhat spicy. If You ever tried freshly made Takoyaki You know, that it's so hot that You can burn your mouth to tears if eating too fast - not here, I was easily eating them whole as soon as I opened the boxes behind the next corner - they were clearly microwaved, quite warm at best - confirmed by the fact that food was ready for takeaway literally 2 max 3 minutes after ordering. Wouldn't recommend the place or come back, they don't keep standards to be called Izakaya to me. For 10 pieces for 20 USD also feeling somewhere on the edge of being scammed, I was hoping quality will recompensate... Stupid me I guess.

It's been a few years since we've been here but we really chowed down on the skewers!! They were really good! Just watch out for their MP draft beers (if they still have them) - they used to get in Japanese microbrews, which were really tasty - but CHECK THE PRICE! We got a bit of a shock when we got the bill Honestly though - nice place for skewers - a bit pricey, but also nice atmosphere & good for groups - I just prefer some other izakaya in the area for their cheap sake and small plate options

Overpriced and disorganized When waiting at the front door to be seated, I didn't even recognize the hostess as an employee cause she was dressed in normal plain clothes and we were greeted finally after she was done doing whatever it is on the phone. The waiter who took our order was working between the tables and the bar so it took a long time to get his attention. There was also a sewer stench from outside and the sliding glass doors were open. I asked if they could be closed since it's a little unappetizing (obviously) and the waiter had seemed confused at my request. The skewers are overpriced, the chicken karaage is tiny and tasteless, and the tables are at an awkward height.

Went to a convention nearby and came to get a bite afterwards, the food was okay for the most part, really liked the pork belly skewers and crab croquettes, but the chirashi bowl was almost drowned in furikake and bonito flakes which pretty much ruined it. Also no hate to the staff but it seems like they're understaffed because we had to wait quite a bit to get a refill of water. Definitely not coming back.

Dragon roll sushi was perfection! Chicken Raman had good flavor. Soup was delicious and chicken was tender. Used Grubhub and delivery was awesome.

Not super busy during Wednesday dinner. Tasty food for sure, but not the best value. BBQ items very expensive. Portions could be bigger. Ambiance is okay, but not as much decor or art as other places. Good fish and good tho.

I got the katsu curry. It was a generous portion size with a lot of rice. The curry was good, but the chicken was a bit overcooked and dry. Overall, the food is decent but nothing outstanding.

Nice ambiance with indoor and outdoor dining. They were busy and short handed when we were there but friendly and the two waiters were working hard. The food was amazing but as I write this review I realized there were items missing from my Poke salad ($19). :) No edamame nor fried onions but it was definitely fresh and delicious. We started withe tuna tataki $17. The tuna was very white, and therefore not as visually appealing. The spicy salmon roll was great as was the other roll we ordered. My husband wanted the play and tomato Ramen, but they were sold out at noon. And ordered the spicy chicken Ramen in a creamy sauce which he felt was delicious. Very happy that while it was creamy it was not sweet. The spicy chicken was tender and excellent. We would definitely visit again.

Poker-faced grumpy hostess. Fire her! No greetings. No smile. No acknowledgement of our presence. She mumbled "follow me" after making us wait for a long time at the entrance (no other guests around!). We didn't hear it and didn't even realize she was trying to lead us to the table. When we realized she's placing us at a noisy spot, we asked for a quiet spot by the fish tank. She then turned around to take us there. The waitress was pleasant and professional. Much better. Dishes were great and served fast. Cocktail came in the blink of an eye. We got the angry dragon cocktail which packs a kick (maybe chili). It's good. Hamachi kama (grilled yellow tail jaw) is wonderful, just perfect, and fresh. Pork belly comes with kimchi on the side; interesting and delicious (not fatty belly at all which is good). Chicken skin izakaya skewers are as expected though maybe smothered a bit much in heavy sauce; I prefer simple grill with a drizzle of salt but that's personal taste. Chicken wings are great (actually it's wings and drumsticks) They offer chicken liver, Asian cauliflower, king oyster mushroom, duck and scallion, and other unique items to grill. Very nice decor, lighting and clean toilet. Fish tank is a unique draw.

Umaya Izakaya has plenty of seating indoors with a very casual vibe. I ordered the spicy miso ramen and poke salad which were both okay. Both menu items had strong flavors that could be received as overwhelming or salty. The poke salad comes with a tangy, teriyaki-like sauce but I recommend not using it. The ramen was lukewarm and meat was slightly tough, but the dish still tasted good. Service was fine despite the short staffing. They did have a large menu, so feel free to try out these items or others in your visit.

Service is a little slow but otherwise very good place. Reasonable prices and HUGE portions. We liked the yakisoba, vegetarian ramen, and poke salad. The sake sangria was yummy!

Positives: Ambiance- lively and fun. Dragon roll- solid roll if you're looking for something cooked. Service- impersonal but fast. Negatives: Garden roll- could not finish it! Chicken dumplings- subpar. Price- seems overpriced for the totally average grocery store- quality food. $50 for two rolls and an app is too much.

Great food, fast and friendly service, and a really pretty spot once you get past the hotel recycling dumpster But that's not their fault. I was randomly checking google maps for a place to get food and found this place, and it did not disappoint. Generous servings, and not expensive for DC (less than $20 per bowl of noodles/rice, and technically like a meal and a half each). They also saved me from a bad night when hotel room service didn't pick up the phone, so they come highly recommended on more than one level

Came here because a good friend of mine recommended and gave us a gift card. The A5 wagyu and uni nigiri were excellent but otherwise was very unimpressed with the food. The katsu don was alright I'd give it 3/5 stars just very underwhelming. The tonkatsu ramen was not good at all, don't want to bash on it too much just would not recommend. Overall this spot seems popular among Westerners but as a whole not the best.

Been my go-to for ramen when in town. Stopped for lunch after more urban hiking, super hungry. After lunch rush so place was pretty empty. Clean, quiet eatery. Pleasant reception, quickly seated order taken promptly by friendly staff. Ordered salmon skin hand roll and spicy miso ramen. Hand roll came out quick...warm packed with crunchy salmon skin. Perfect app. Next up major bowl of ramen. Hot & Spicy Miso, infused pork broth served with pork belly slices. Seasoned egg, bean sprouts, mushrooms, corn, bamboo shoots and scallions. Broth was decent, plenty of ramen...a little light on protein (2 slices??). Spicy but not overly. All in all decent meal. As you see in the photo they've added a fee for credit cards. Still undecided how I feel about it.

Craving som ramen and this place happened to be walking distance from our hotel so we decided to try it out. Came on a Sunday evening not too busy but still lots of people enjoying their evening. The service was great and our waiter took our order and food came out promptly. Our kids loved the ramen and chicken skewers. We also ordered some sushi and it was delicious. Great place to grab a bite of ramen and sushi if your in the mood passing by DC area

Great service - attentive without being intrusive and super friendly. The best California roll I've ever had! Great atmosphere, too!

Food was great but service was super slow and our server got our order wrong. I went with two friends and while their order was right (3 rolls), my order was incorrect. I ordered the katsu don but did not indicate that i wanted my order to be spicy and our waiter did not tell my it would be spicy. When my order came, it was spicy. Right before we finished eating, our waiter came over and dropped off a plate of asparagus. We didn't order it and when we mentioned this, he pulled out a random order form to show us that we marked 1 order but neither one of my friends had marked anywhere near that section when they originally ordered.

Seaweed Salad had a fermented taste and a bubbly mouth feel. And the sushi had too much of a vinegar flavor. One too many sensory red flags for me to consider trying again.

Good food nice selection Sushi was good Ramen good yakisoba good decent service ambiance ok Prices ok reasonable

I went with my friend on a Saturday night and it was not too crowded. The restaurant looked beautiful and the service was great and friendly. We started with Edamame. I ordered the Curry Veggie Yakisoba. It had good flavor and the vegetables were cooked nicely. My friend ordered the Grilled Salmon Teriyaki which was beautifully plated and smelled amazing. My friend loved it.

It's important to have some good go to take out spots during a busy work week. This one in particular had issues with temperature control I tried the UMAYA TERIYAKI WINGS, SPICY TUNA TARTARE, FRIED OYSTERS, SCALLOP ROLL AND SHISHITO PEPPERS. The wings, oysters and shishito peppers alone would've been 5 stars. The chicken was well cooked with sweetness and spice. Oysters we're not overly breaded and a good portion. The shishito peppers were roasted appropriately. For the raw items the sushi roll and the tartare. It left a lot to be desired. The roll lacked flavored and was covered with some watered down spicy mayo. The tartare was inedible and thrown away. Overall don't recommend for takeout. Service was quick, but not worth it in exchange for poor food quality.

Came here for dinner last night and this place was sadly a bad experience. My bf and I are still talking about how our experience here was not good. Very big and spacious inside with plenty of seating. We chose to sit by the bar to watch the game. Very big but wasn't crowded on a Saturday evening so we were able to dine here with no reservations. Service was bad. Took forever to get water, to order food, get the food and for the check. No one once checked in on us and asked how our meal was, if we needed anything, collected dirty plates, etc. We ordered a volcano roll, beef yakisoba, and chicken scallion yakitori. The sushi roll was the best thing we ate. A lot of ingredients going on but it all worked well and was tasty. The yakisoba came next and that was not good at all. Zero flavor, beef was very chewy and the entire dish just lacked flavor. The yakitori came with one tiny skewer and also had no flavor. Food was not great, but service was even worse. When we were done eating, there were probably only 3 other tables with people eating. This is sadly a place I would not go back to and I would not recommend.

Came in on a Wednesday night with a group of 5 people - no reservation - but was able to get seated right away. Service: They were short staffed - I over heard one staff member say that a coworker had called out sick, so it took awhile to get our drink/food ordered, but we knew it would be. Our drinks never showed by mid-meal so we asked again and they apologized and brought it right away. Food came out at a reasonable timeframe but the it took a long time to get the check. Food: I ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen while my friends ordered sushi, tuna tartar, chicken wings, and skewers. Everyone liked their food and it was tasty so we would definitely come back to eat! Hopefully the service issue was just due to being short staffed and it will be faster next time. The place is casual, cute atmosphere and vibe, as well as a big bar for drinks.

When the frigid January winds became too much to bear, I found myself running into the first ramen restaurant I could find, and here I was, at Umaya Izakaya, on the outskirts of the Chinatown neighborhood in DC. The tonkotsu ramen at this restaurant was definitely a highlight - rich and flavorful broth with tender noodles. However, the overall experience was just fine. The service was fine. Additionally, the prices were on the higher side for the rest of the menu but reasonably priced for the ramen menu. If you're in the area and craving tonkotsu ramen, this spot is nice.

Ordered tuna roll and spicy miso ramen. Sushi was fine. Ramen was top notch. Visited early on a Tuesday, so there was no crowd. Actually I was totally alone at 5:30pm. Would like to visit again with a better crowd I. Order to experience the atmosphere.

Delicious sushi and appetizers, some items a little small for the price like one crab croquette for 5$ certain items a little pricey but flavor of everything was great and our server was very sweet. Sushi was GREAT the scallop roll was my favorite

We came in and had a quick dinner. The yakisoba noodles, curry ramen, and spicy chicken ramen were all good. The grilled chicken on the spicy chicken ramen was especially good.

This is a terrible restaurant. Never order from them. I ordered dinner for Mother's Day. It didn't arrive. After the time when it was supposed to arrive, I got a text saying it was cancelled and to call the restaurant. When I called the restaurant, they said they gave the food to the driver. I asked them to call the driver. I never heard back. I've now called the restaurant 20 times and no one answers.

The veggie ramen is so delicious!! Unsure about the other ramens / menu items but I think they're good

Really good ramen and sushi. I'm not a sushi connoisseur but I do love me some ramen! Perfect for a gloomy day and they weren't busy so service was nice and quick. Good ambiance, nothing special. Would come eat here again! :)

I came here on a Monday after just seeing a show at the Lincoln Theater and was super happy about my experience! The menu was quite extensive and there were so many options to choose from. We went with a variety of selections including sushi, dumplings, miso soup, and edamame. We order more basic rolls that turned out to be fresh and tasty but they also offer a variety of other premium rolls too. The staff was very kind and since it was later on a Monday, the environment was quiet. We had a great time and will definitely be back.

My wife and I were sat immediately. That's the only good thing. The restaurant was not busy at all and it took 15-20 to get water and our menus, another 10 to order, 30 to get the food (which came out incorrectly). Food was mid and over cooked for the price. Took over 40 minutes to get our hot tea so we just told our server, who we only saw twice, to forget it and just give us our check.

I know this is DC but I didn't $30 on your basic rolls, shrimp tempura, yellow tail scallion, and salmon avocado and the rolls were tiny! The rolls are supposed to be 6 pieces and the chef made tiny rolls they cut them super thin. I also had a bone in my yellow tail. The skewers were good- chicken liver and chicken heart. Skip the chicken skin as it wasn't crispy enough. $50 and food was meh.

I liked to visit this place to get some sushi for lunch before. But found a better place in Chinatown. However, they are not very expensive and sushi is good. Service is also pretty quick. Interior is oriental, so they have their charm.

This place is right near where I live so I stopped by to get some sashimi to go. The place was dead the other night. I sat at the bar and ordered food to go and a sake. The lady who waited on me brought me my bill without asking if I wanted anything else which turned me off. I can see myself ordering food to go as their menu is very extensive and I live right across the street. Both times I have walked by have been slow with no one at the bar so I'd probably skip this venue as a dine in option. The sashimi was pretty good and the large sake was ok and a good size.

$$$$ happy to find an Authentic Japanese yakitori restaurant. Tasty and they have all the things I love, from gizzards, heart, liver, avocado, beef tongue...to good selections of sake...! And yes, pricy as always, good restaurants in DC which one is not pricy LOL

Must love dogs! If you love having dogs at the table and throwing up on the dinning room floor, then this is the place to be. We saw multiple dogs inside this establishment while dining. This was a turn off for me and these were not service dogs. The food was good but the service was bad. Our server was rude and appeared to get annoyed whenever we asked we asked for something. We had a party of 8 and asked for forks because they only gave us chopsticks. She brought 4 forks and threw them on the table.

Food was alright. Barely anyone was in but girlfriend and I were hungry and it was the closest Japanese restaurant. So we wanted to try it since we're not from here. But I will say we will not come back nor recommend to anyone else because the lady who was serving us did not seem to care and as we were leaving she came up to us complaining about the tip we left. It left a very uncomfortable experience for us. Go somewhere else if you want Japanese cuisine.

Would give 0 stars if I could! Extremely understaffed. Waited over an hour for our food and people who came after us received their food before us. After waiting for an hour and a half for our entrees we left. Will not be coming back!

We actually we're walking to SAX but they were closed. We found this on our way and what a great find. Nice Japanese whisky selection. Big menu with something for everyone. We had ramen bowls that were good and a few meat skewers that were delicious . Great meal and wonder service.

A must have in DC! The Chicken Ramen is amazing! Food came out quick with friendly staff.

First time back post pandemic. Very yummy as usual and on a very quiet night. Did the Izakaya thing by doing lots of snacks washed down with sake and beer. Pork belly buns have always been my favorite and now a close second with the Takoyaki (octopus balls). I need to explore more of the menu.

Miso soup was served cold. Sushi was delicious though! Tasted very fresh. Service was very slow and bad. The ambiance did not impress me and felt very dark.

TIP: Order carry out, eat indoors or outdoors I was craving Ramen and decided to try this spot for lunch. The restaurant just opened and we grabbed a nice table by the window. The waitress was friendly and took our drink order immediately. Next came the food! ORDER: * Tonkatsu Ramen * This ramen is full of classic pork broth served with tender delicious slices of pork belly, corn, spinach, mushrooms, bamboo shoot bits, green onions and an egg. I ordered extra pork belly which was a very generous amount and worth the price. I actually was able to share it with my daughter. The ramen originally came with a generous amount of meat which was a surprising treat. If I knew they were generous with the meat, I might have not ordered extra meat. I'm glad it's an option because it's a win either way. * Karaage * Japanese crispy chicken that is flavorful and comes with a spicy dipping sauce. DRINKS * Bikkle * This yummy Japanese drink was a little creamy. I can't explain the flavor but it was pretty good. SERVICE: We beat the crowd and service started out great. At the peak of lunchtime the restaurant started to get busier which stretched the one waitress across the entire restaurant. One of the gentleman helping her was clearing the tables as he saw people finish their meals. Overall the service was good. I took away one star because it took a long time to get our check. Typically, when it's busy I patiently wait while having my card ready to pay which worked out. PAYMENT METHOD: Cash, card MENU: We scanned the barcode in the table and reviewed the menu. https://www.umayadc.com/food-menus-umaya/#ramen

Had a fantastic time at Umaya. The staff was friendly and the food was great. We got a roll, house sake, and ramen. As vegans, it's hard to eat out, but this hit the spot.

Tried this place after a noon basketball game a few months ago (far enough away from Capital One Arena that there was no wait to be seated). The food was solid, but not great. It's a rather large menu and I felt that everything we tried was a notch below other places that dedicate themselves to a certain category (just ramen, just sushi, etc). This probably isn't a bad option for large groups because they will have something for everyone.

Stopped by on 7/3 for lunch time. Wasn't super crowded when we walked in, but it got steadily busier. Good seating options, lively. Seating by large windows if wanted. Lighting for lunch was okay, would like to see the place during dinner time. Ambiance 4/5 Drink ordered: Ginger passion. On the sweeter side... I guess I wanted to taste more ginger? Will order the matcha mule next time in town tho -- wanting to try the flavor profile on that. 3.5/5 for ginger passion. Skewers ordered: beef tongue tender and flavorful. Not super chewy. Cooked just right. 5/5. chicken hearts yum. give it a try because I don't know how to explain this one. 4.5/5 baby octopus This was my favorite of all the three skewers. Devoured, with liberal amounts of that green sauce. 6/5 Sushi: Uni, sushi style I don't know why I was expecting this to taste different from west coast uni (assuming that this is sourced from somewhere on the east coast). As uni goes, this bite was creamy, salty, umami. For the price, I'll just say it's a luxury to have uni here. 4/5 Bowls: Pork katsu don well battered, not overdone. I felt the pork was a little on the dryer side, but still yummy. The rice was flavorful, and is what brings the pork katsu from a 3.5/5 to a 4/5 As someone who is interested to move here for work, this restaurant is selling D.C. ... a consistently delicious food spot is a non-negotiable for me. Lovely.

The food was good, though not especially fancy. The pork bun appetizer was good flavors but just a huge chunk of pork inside. The chicken katsu curry was very yummy and a good portion but I forgot to take a picture. The ambiance is great for groups! The house sake was a very reasonable price. The service was just okay. There are plenty of vegetarian options.

I didn't try much here but the service was really great and the drinks and yakitori was delicious! Everything was soooooo gooooddd. I had to order more skewers though we were only trying to sample some. I like the sauce they dollop next to them. It's like a citrus sauce. Goes well with the flavor. Out of the 3 drinks we tried, the matcha mule was my favorite. Probably because it was sweeter.