Umi Hot Pot Sushi & Seafood Buffet

I've visited multiple locations of Umi Hot Pot Sushi & Seafood Buffet, and while this one in Northeast Philadelphia isn't the best, it's definitely not the worst either. The space is smaller, and the food selection seems more limited compared to the Umi in Deptford, NJ, which is a bit disappointing given that the price point remains the same. The sushi here is fresh, which is always a positive, and the fruit bar offers cherries, though they are frozen instead of fresh, which feels like a missed opportunity. The dessert bar is also quite small, leaving little to be desired. Overall, the food quality is good, and the service is attentive, but if you're looking for a broader selection and a more expansive dining experience, you might find this location lacking. It's still worth a visit if you're in the area, but manage your expectations when it comes to variety. PS: don’t forget about asking for their promotion when you post a picture of their name or menu on your social media you will get a whole steamed lobster in return.

OH MY GOODNESS!! This is a fabulous experience. The setting is fabulous the decor is like a Chinese garden, the food is fresh and a nice assortment. Then the wait staff is polite, kind, and attentive. Thank you for a wonderful experience and we hope to come back next month. I will say this is an experience so it is a little pricey but if you make this a monthly or bimonthly spot, you'll do well.

The absolute best buffet I've ever been to! The food is so super fresh. The drinks are delicious and the service is amazing. I'll be going back as much as possible. So much variety. It's impossible to try everything in one visit. I had buttery garlic lobster with cheese.. the flavor was so incredible!. Coconut shrimp... Never tasted any coconut shrimp that delicious. Everything from their hot pot soups to their sushi was outrageously delicious!!!

The best Asian buffet I've been to, and it has easy parking and is relatively affordable. I've been to the Umi in South Jersey and I think this one is far superior. The softshell crab, short rib, frog legs and coconut shrimp were excellent, plus plenty of varied drinks and desserts. The sushi was pretty mid, but besides that it was exceptional. Tables are packed in tight and it gets pretty loud in there, but for what it is, it's great. Total cost for two people was $85 before tip. If you're going on a weekend night, I'd recommend putting your name in and then going to do something else for about a half hour. They'll text you when your table is ready.

We were looking for a Chinese place to have lunch on our short road trip, and this place popped up on our Google search. We decided to give it a try, and let me tell you it's totally worth of coming if you are into sushi and seafood. The people appeared to be the owners greeted us politely, making a good first expression of this restaurant. Because the restaurant was newly opened, so all the decor and maintenance were clean and modern. The quality of food is much better and authentic than a typical Asian buffet. Our waitress Sam was very sweet and friendly. She explained to my elderly mom patiently about how to apply discount without being condescending. Plus, she didn't rush us out after we were done eating. I will highly recommend this place for everyone.

Came there Saturday evening and the lines were very long, had to wait 40 mins to have a seat. So my next time I don’t come here Saturday. Food was good and a lot. Can’t eat all food here, never at one time. One thing I don’t like is lobster was not fresh.

The food was good. The people around are enjoying the food and having a good time. The bathroom are out the way and clean. The hot bowl, whatever they called d,were over rated. They had a great variety of food. I would go again, plus the movie theater is in the same center so you can do dinner and a movie.

A large parking lot is a plus here. This Fast paced buffet has a huge variety of fresh sushi to pick from. Lots of dipping sauces to satisfy your taste. The seafood is plentiful with a variety of crab, shellfish and shrimp and fish. The hot items were delicious. The hot pot is a fun meal to make at the table. The fruit offering was a hit with our group. Lots of soda and fruit drinks . A variety of ice cream is available. The cheese cake and marbled white/chocolate cake were a great end to our meal. I tried the cheesy lobster for free. It required me to take a photo of the lobster flyer and post it to a social media account. I found I'm not a fan of this type of lobster. But it was fun to try something different here. A great experience for the $40. cost.

From my personal experience, the place was good. Service was meh. I don't blame them, the place was packed with people. The food was alright, lots of options to choose from. (Free Lobster if you post their restaurant on any social). The ambience was pretty chill. Bathroom needed a little maintenance as there was water over the floor.

I love buffets and seafood, but this spot was not it for me. Most items tasted okay. Nothing was amazing, but everything was seasoned well so I'll give it that. The sushi rolls were 3.5 out of 5...again everything tasted okay, but the rice was dried out on some rolls so it probably sat out for a while. My biggest gripe was the cold seafood bar. The raw oysters were dried out and the crab legs were freezer burnt. I was definitely nervous about the freshness of the food. I'll probably eventually give it another try in the future and will post an update if it do.

Listen. I HATE writing poor reviews but I need you to know that my experience was sub par. I get excited about buffets. My inner fat kid loves buffets and especially Chinese buffets. I have been to an Umi before and had an alright experience so I was excited when this one showed up to the theater I frequent. It's snowy today so being full and watching a movie felt like a good move. The restaurant is pretty, and very clean. We were sat in the far back and immediately. Awkwardly we were sat next to a host stand and so the staff kind of congregated by the table. It felt odd to be watched the entire time. I made my way to the food and tried scanning it all out. I decided to start with the sushi. It was all a variation of a California roll with the occasional different topping. It was all very dry. Next I thought about the hot food. A couple of classics were missing for me like the stewed mushrooms in brown sauce. I grabbed a few things and most of it was lightly sour. It was off-putting. Of the food I thought would be familiar every dish tasted not like a version I've had before. I could say that's interesting but in reality it just wasn't good. A lot of things were texturally confusing, and I do feel like a fair bit of this has happened at all buffets in cost saving measures, but I feel like we've reached critical mass. All in all 38$ is very very steep for what we got. I sadly would not recommend this Umi. Maybe try the one in Deptford NJ. Sorry y'all.

We love umi in deptford and were excited for a closer one. Went after it opened probably a few weeks earlier. We went for dinner and it was crowded but we made reservations and got a table easily. Immediately when you walk in, the whole place smells very strongly of butane from the hot pots. Like sickenly so. We asked for an area with more ventilation but there was no where to escape the smell. The food options are less than the deptford location but price is the same. They also had no lobster for a weekend dinner but said they had fried soft shell crabs which were oily and not fresh tasting. Very aggressive push for us to use social media to post about their and we would get filet mignon or Norway lobster for free. Tried it and those of us who ate the "lobster" got sick afterwards. Sadly wouldn't come back here.

Finally get to try this newly open franchise buffet. I heard some good comments and some it's alright comments, but better off I try this place myself instead. I have been to the one in West Deptford a few times, both lunch and primarily dinner. That place is fairly good. When comparing the two, this one here on Grant Ave I would have to say kept about 80-90% of the quality as the one in West Deptford. Both my husband and I noticed the taste and quality of the sushi and sashimi are not as fresh compared to the other location. Hopefully, that will get improve eventually. There are some sushi rolls varieties that are different between the two locations. I do believe it is worth the price for dinner. I haven't try their lunch yet so I can't comment on that. The waitresses there are fairly nice and friendly. They would walk around and here and there check with us if we need anything. Another thing different about this location is the tables and seats seem tighter than the West Deptford location. If you have a large party, I would suggest see if you can make reservations ahead of time.

Party of two dined in on new year eve for dinner around 6:30pm place was packed we signed on kiosk and then waited awhile and escorted far back seat... place was pretty big and variety of food but the choice was not alot honestly. They give one hotpot burner for one table for two people so i had to share with friend which is bit awkward, since american culture isnt double dipping... but whatever... They had japanese ramen section in the back you can order, i got the number 3 spicy ramen which was pretty good Sushi sashimi selection and chinese food section For that many diner, one would think food would be pretty fresh and hot but oddly, not alot of food were fresh and hot I like that they have drink sections which is unlimited including bubble tea and also soda was included in dinner price Hotpot selection was limited... pot was small to fit alot of ingredients in it to begin with... They had this event that you share their post in your social media then give you cheese lobster.. i did and receive one , which was pretty decent... Food + tax + tip , came out around $50 per person

The food selection here is absolutely incredible! We visited for the first time on a busy Sunday night, but everything was impressively fresh. There's so much to choose from, I didn't even know where to start! They offer a massive variety of drinks included with the buffet, plenty of seafood options, and even free steamed lobster if you share their promo ad on social media. Highly recommend checking it out! My favorite was the soft shells crabs, grilled oysters, hotpot with the mala spice, and their apple drink

Let's just say UMI Philly is worth visiting despite the horrendous traffic on Roosevelt Blvd. Like their competitor Royal Buffet in South Philly, UMI is all you can ever want for a buffet restaurant. UMI has everything Royal Buffet offers, plus hot pot and Raman. But at the end of the day, the difference between the two is minimum. Same price, similar food, comparable service. I would say maybe go to Royal if they are running lobster special; go to UMI if it's closer to you and there's a coupon. You'll be happy with either one.

Came here on a Sunday mid-day, and it was still crowded. My server was great and very accommodating to me and my family. We were seated at a booth on the end and ordered 2 hotpot broths. I would say avoid going to the restroom as they don't clean it often. Buffet had a lot of choices, so we slowly made our way through the different sections. I would say that the standouts items to me were the abalone soup, abalone garlic noodles, braised pork belly, soft shell crab (when it's fresh), grilled oyster with garlic sauce, matcha cake, crepe cake, peach gum drink, and this orange soda can I found. We didn't get the free cheesy lobster as we saw that it was small. You can get 5% off with a Google review or WeChat post.

Heard UMI opened up another location closer to home this time, so me and my friend had to go! This location just like it's others is a hot spot for Hot Pot, Sushi, Ramen, Seafood and all sorts of dishes. All You can Eat for 2 hours, and for sodas they have Pepsi products. Positives: Went Friday Night of opening week, got sat right away so we didn't have to wait. Establishment was Very Clean and bright. The food had a good variety. A lot of drink choices that are very delicious. Customer service was great. Neutral: Food tasted great but was luke warm, some of the dishes not in metal pans lost their heat quicker. The hot crabs (Blue and 'Salt&Pepper') didn't have legs. The Blue crab did have its claws and back fin, but no legs so they were just the body and shell. Raw meat portions for hot pot are too big, they could be served in the medium size dishes the enoki mushrooms were served in to prevent food waste. Spilled clams for hot pot trying to balance their dish on the plate- perhaps trays to carry back hotpot items? Sauce Bar for hot pot didn't have a lot of variety, would wish for more options. Did not see where the shell 'crackers' are to use, especially since they have cold stone crab claws. Negatives: Coconut shrimp didn't have sauce (at least when I went to get it), which was a shame since that's my favorite dish to eat at buffets. Desert station isn't under any sneeze shields. At the BBQ station there is a dish called "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" in green containers, which are piping hot and you don't notice the oven mitts above the sneeze shields at first- perhaps make them more aware with a sign or holder next to the dish to indicate them. Now... How does it compare to the Location in Deptford NJ? Well. So far, given that this is the first week, I say they have time to improve, get into the swing of things. Currently I still prefer the NJ location, especially since the issues I had here I haven't experienced at the NJ one. But it's only their first week and they already are pretty good. Easier than driving from NE Philly to the NJ location.

I been to the umi in deptford New Jersey and I liked it there so I was pretty excited to have one in northeast Phila which is so much closer to me. The inside is very nice decorated. And everything is quite organized. It is a little tight for me especially on their busy days. The staff overall is very nice. They do check up on you and make sure the table is clear and have space once you're done with your plate. The food and drink is all included when you dine in. Hot pot, ramen, sushi, hot food and lots of desserts options are available. My favorite is the sashimi section. I been to other umi locations and I believe the location at grant def have the most options. Their sashimi were really fresh and I left with a happy belly

Great variety of foods. Long wait if you're coming on the weekend. Definitely use the self serve kiosk. You'll definitely not leave hungry. Also you might have their happy birthday song stuck in your brain for a little while.

Definitely a premium buffet, lots to offer and great atmosphere. Unlimited sushi and drinks. We went with my family as soon as the place opened. Fresh food and a lot to choose from. 4 Ramen bowls to choose from. Our server was great and got us anything we needed. A little pricey but for all you can eat seafood it was definitely on par with seafood buffets in the area. All the foods had flavor. My favorite was spicy tofu shrimp soup. We would definitely come back during the week during lunch time.

Wonderful will go again food was awesome ambience great staff was very helpful. One thing that they need to do is keep the children out of the food and have the parents get it for them

The food was well seasoned and it was reasonably priced! We loved it! The restaurant was beautiful decorated from the outside to the inside!

I had a really good first experience here! The place is covered it cute pink flowers inside and out. There was so much food I already know I love but also so many new things to try. It's a lot of seafood and Asian food. And LOTS of meat. They have crab legs (which I unfortunately was too stuffed to try) the sushi was really good from the few pieces I tried. The waitress told us if we posted a picture of an ad on our social media we could get a free cheesy baked lobster. And of course I did. It was CHEESY. I loved how many drink options there were. I've never been to buffet where there was fridges full of different grab and go drinks. I tried so many. And definitely recommend their taro milk tea. We must've came at a really good time because as we were leaving the line was out the door. But we got seated right away. It's about $35 for 2 hours of all you can eat and I say it's well worth it. I'm happy to see some exciting places opening up in the northeast.

We decided to give this place a try for Xmas Lunch. Price was $38.99. From reading the reviews and watching the videos on YouTube, we knew exactly what to expect. There were a lot of choices. Everything was plentiful. The place was well lite, and clean. I'm glad we got there early as it started getting packed. My husband enjoyed all the seafood selections. I enjoyed the ramen and non seafood selections. I was really into all the sauces as well! I'm glad I tried a bottle of the bubble tea too. We'll be back.

The place itself was clean and well maintained The food was all cold and not cooked correctly at all The seafood was awful after one bite I was scared to eat more because it tasted old The service was decent - my waitress was amazing and very helpful and was checking every couple minutes on our table ! We sat down right away as well . The only problem with the staff was the actual people working at the buffet part with the food - I tried asking them simple questions and they had no answer The price is definitely not worth $40 ! It was me and my boyfriend and we payed $100 total which was ridiculous It's sad the food was so bad since I was very excited to hear about this new buffet and drove over an hour away !

$40/ person for dinner. (See pic for AYCE per person priced based on days and times) Newly opened 10/1/24. Discounts: 5% + baby lobster sashimi (adjusted for party size) for posting on social media. Additional 10% for cash payment. Seniors (65+) also get 10% discount. Surprised on the buffet stir fried options as we loved the: dry pot frog legs, pineapple sticky fried rice, soft-shell crab, dongpo pork, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, monkfish, razor clams, conch, sour fish pickled soup, etc. Typical buffet options such as dessert, ice cream, salad bar, cold seafood, fried food/ junk food/ pizza, etc. have boba tea and cold drinks. Also have sushi/ sashimi, ramen, hibachi, bbq, some dim sum. Individual Hotpot are included but would need to be requested; there are 4 soup bases. Seems like they play happy birthday on speakerphone. We had to grab chopsticks, spoons, & straws ourselves.

Very attentive service and huge varieties of food! Comes with lobster baked in cheese! Yummy I enjoyed very much the mini hotpot! Sashimi is super fresh too!

Sooo I visited this buffet about a week ago. It was okay. Nothing outstanding. There are way too many tables in the middle of the dining area making it difficult to walk through with all the buss boys and waitresses trying to pass. The Floors are GREASY and slippery in the dining area. You can easily slip and fall and everyone was talking about it the day I was there. Just not a good experience The food - there was a large selection so that was great. Lots of choices and food was decent , again nothing remarkable. Just a lot to choose from. The hot pot selection was ok as well but they definitely need to make sure things are labeled correctly, I got something that was supposed to be beef and it was lamb , I don't like lamb! So that stayed on the table. Overall it is JUST OKay, another Buffet with more to choose from. I did like the choice of juices and teas being included in the buffet , but I didn't know that because it wasn't explained so I had already ordered ginger ale It's very crowded at the door also , they need better waiting area or have people wait outside or in their cars and provide a beeper or something. I couldn't get out the door as there was too many people standing in the way Service - again just ok. I guess there was a 2 hour limit per table also , I was pretty much done with the place in just over an hour and the waitress brought the check at about 30 min before my 2 hrs was up and stated " it's no hurry but there is 2 hr limit " hmmm ok , I was done anyway. Didn't really try too much as it was just the same stuff different buffet. Overall just okay!

I have never seen so much Japan in one establishment! The food was awesome and many ethnic foods and cooking styles were offered. There were many workers with a large front desk team. The place is very spacious with lots of seating and a cutesy, modern ambiance. Really, really good. Highly recommend

Great service and fresh food! Large variety of food. Big parking lot available. Will recommend

was my first time trying this, they had a special that you get a free lobster with an adult meal. They do have a good variety and the place is clean. But the fruit is not ripe, desserts are nasty, the crab legs are all you can eat, but they are served cold. The sushi is not labeled so you don't know what you're getting. Staff does not speak English and kept on banging into patrons and not caring or apologizing. It was OK, but I don't think that I would return.

Good reasonable price, good atmosphere, good food, good people services, and close to me where I live instead of traveling to New Jersey now.

Our 1st time here and my husband couldn't move afterwards. He was like a kid in a candy store. There are so many options even for the picky eaters out there. I love how I can have hot pot, crab legs and sushi in one sitting. I definitely recommend this place

Food: okay , many options but taste wise nothing that is memorable Service: not good, unorganized, chaotic, lack of communication Ambiance : okay

Definitely not as big as the Deptford location but I'm still glad we have one in Philly. Maybe bring more locations outside of Philly. I love how they have deals. Umi is definitely one of the best buffet other than Royal to open up. Keep it up

This is place is gonna always be a must come back. The staff here are helpful and always in around to assist you. The food is in abundance and there is a great variety of it.

I went around 3pm, and had never ordered here before. If you go while they're putting out dinner a waiter/waitress will come by and state that the dinner food had signs on it labeling it "Dinner" and that if you take from it you'll be charged for dinner. At least for me it was kinda confusing in there. I couldn't figure out how to get the hot pot and I was afraid to get drinks cause I didn't know which ones you had to pay for. The food was ok. The ramen is really good for those who like a lot of additions to it. The dumplings were a little cold and there were multiple pieces of rice that were so hard it was like a gummy bear. And the sushi was just ok. As someone who went to Japan, it does give off a Japanese vibe and it's really nice looking in there. Very clean too. All in all I suggest trying to find a time where they freshly put out food for lunchtime. I didn't have a great first experience there but I certainly want to try again.

This upgraded buffet is very refreshing with wide selections of fresh sashimi, snow crabs, abalone, steamed/fresh oyster, ramen, halibut, hot pot etc. A lot of expensive ingredients you can not get from other vufIt is also give norway lobster or fillet m. service is warm as well. price is reasonable. environment is modern and clean.

Over priced and the food was cold. Was afraid I would get food poisoning since nothing was the appropriate temp. We had one plate did not finish it and left. It was gross.

Food was excellent. Service was also very good for a buffet. Sushi and hot food were the best. Hot pot offerings were pretty good too. I highly recommend.

Grand opening was very efficient, staff are friendly and attentive. Food is delicious and fresh! Definitely welcome to come!

This is the third time I have been here. The food is great, the place is clean. I am unhappy because I paid and the service told me I didn't give a big enough tip, stood there until I gave her more money. Also the sign says no more than 2 hours for buffet. we were only there 1 1/2 hours and the manager came over reminded us on the time limit and ask us to leave in 10 minutes. staff is very rude,

The sea food was very good. The Abalone was cooked well and it was very soft. The crab here is also good. They had a good selections of drinks teas and desserts as well!

This is not our first time here, but today we encountered two waitresses with terrible attitudes. They serve by race. We always had to wait a long time for our table to be cleared and it wasn't all cleared every time. There was no soup in the hot pot. Instead of adding soup for us, they asked us if we wanted to put out the fire? (The important point is that we haven't finished eating yet. She should be helping us add soup instead of putting out the fire.) A waitress even picked up my chopsticks to stir the food in the hot pot. I didn't know her intention. And her hands were dirty because she had just cleaned other tables, which was so disgusting! No hygiene knowledge at all! We only ate for 1 hour before they gave us the bill. So that means we should leave as soon as possible! It's impossible to get an excellent tip with substandard service. At the end, they rolled their eyes at us when they saw the tip, which was unbelievable!

food was great passion fruit bubble tea is good went around 130-3pm price for 2 adults was $53 we had the spicy hot pot and golden hot pot addit to our food