Umi Japanese Restaurant

Fantastic food and dining experience. This has ruined all other forms of sushi for me. The fish was so fresh and the chef paired everything so we'll. My husband and I went here back in March because its halfway between our birthdays and it was a fantastic dining experience. The staff was so nice and everything was presented so well.

What an amazing experience! No other way to describe it except that it is an experience. Every course built on the previous course and each was progressively more delectable. Nothing is frozen. They fly all their fish in daily. The ambience is incredible as well. Absolutely love Umi!!

First time here and came with 2 friends on a Saturday night. We had reservations and were sat right away. The restaurant is beautiful inside! And our server Matt was quick to take our drink orders. He throughly explained the menu options and gave us time to decide. We did the 11 course omakase and we did not regret it. Each dish was perfectly crafted to perfection! Matt our server, explained in great detail how the chef prepared each one and what kind of cut it was. It was an amazing experience. The entire dinner lasted 2.5hrs, it was worth ever penny and every minute! Will return for more!

Came here for a birthday dinner, and was blown away by the quality of food, wonderful service, and general ambiance. Definitely pricey, but well worth it. Ashley was enthusiastic, kind, and great at giving descriptions of the dishes — she helped make an incredible food experience even better. A fantastic place for special occasions!

Visited Umi last night with my wife and ordered the 7 course tasting menu. Fish seemed fresh, and service was prompt and descriptive of each dish. I thought the sauces pair with many of the sashimi courses were a little too sweet. I was also disappointed with the dessert course. It was just 5 pieces of chocolate. We ordered a couple of drinks, and they were good. Overall, I think it is better than Gi Xin downtown and at the same price point.

We did the eleven course omakase. We also had a child that had the steak. The seating area we used was a more traditional low set table with seating in the floor. It was a fairly comfortable and a unique experience, but if you have a lot of sake you may have fun entering and exiting your seat. The eleven course omakase did not include a soup or salad and was really primarily about sashimi. I think seven of the dishes were raw sashimi with two seared or partially cooked. The sashimi was good, but we agreed that rather than letting the fish speak, many of the dishes had sauces that overpowered the fish. The sauces were good, but this is one of the areas that could have been improved. There was also no real wasabi, which is a bit of a surprise at this price point. The sawara (Spanish mackeral) had a light sear and was a standout favorite. The black cod was cooked and was very good. The tempura was extremely crunchy and very good. The wagyu bite was overpowered by the truffle and foie gras, but it was good. A course of nigiri was one of the fish components and was excellent, honestly I'd have preferred some samples from it earlier, but we were very ready for it by the time it came (a little too many plays at sashimi without a break). The child really enjoyed her steak which smelled excellent and the restaurant was able to provide her with ice cream for dessert which she liked. The waiter was very attentive and provided goods descriptions of each dish and how to enjoy them. The waiter was also very knowledgeable regarding the sake selection and we tried quite a few of them, which I would recommend. Parking was done via valet which was nice. There are two large sets of stairs on the way in to reach the third floor that are a mild hike. Overall it was a great experience.

We came back in November, and I can’t stop thinking about our meal!!! We had the eleven course omakase and I’m still craving it! Delicious drinks too. Our waiter was excellent and let me know, it was ok to lick the plate…. lol We will be back!!!

The ambience and vibe of Umi is top notch, walking up the stairs passed all of the cool wall art is exciting and then you get up to what feels like a fancy hidden gem. It's upscale, so yeah the sushi is a bit pricier than other places around, but the quality and pallet of flavors that they are able to pack into one bite is amazing! On top of that they have killer desserts, the chocolate mousse was one of the best desserts I have ever had at a restaurant. 5/5 this is an awesome place to go on a special date night.

Three friends and I went to Umi yesterday and we all for their eleven course omakase. The courses were delicious and my favorites were the salmon belly with skin and the surf and turf. The omakase for eleven courses plus desert was $145 which is a little steep but is worth it for an occasional treat. While pretty dark in there, the ambiance is still more upscale so I would try to dress a bit on the nicer side. You can enter either directly up the stairs from their door on the outside or you can go in through Soba and they'll take you through Soba. The only part of this experience that I had something constrictive comments on was the service. We were an hour into the reservation and less than half our courses had come out so it was slow going with no explanations why. Our server, while not rude, wasn't exactly personable either which is unfortunately because a table adjacent to us had such a friendly and personable server that we wished we got him instead.

I was so excited to finally try the omakase dinner at Umi last night! The twelve course sushi meal (including house made chocolates for dessert) was a fantastic culinary experience. Unfortunately with the picture limit, I couldn't include pictures to the post of all of the amazing courses. Some of the stand out dishes were the surf & turf (lobster sashimi & kobe, each with seared foie gras & a white truffle drizzle), sawara with sesame (melt in your mouth delicious), & o toro sushi (always great). To get the full experience, you can request a tatami table - worth it! Service was great with the staff being very knowledgeable about each dish & clearly excited about the omakase experience. Umi also has a great wine & cocktail list (we got bubbles with the sushi & a cinnamon espresso martini with dessert). At the price point it's definitely a special occasion kind of meal, but an evening of amazing sushi & drinks makes it worth it. Food: A Drinks: A Service: A- Ambiance: A

Mr. Shu and his kitchen do NOT disappoint! Pricey - yes. Delicious - absolutely! My wife and I shared a delicious and important omakase experience together here on our 21st anniversary today. Overall, we loved the focus on a "chef's choice" meal, and the progression was definitely well thought out and executed. There are a lot of sashimi style courses, and each has its own very delicate, but layered flavor - salmon tartare, red snapper, mackerel, king mackerel, and escolar each had their own course to shine! The miso black cod course was an absolutely fabulous interpretation of this classic Japanese dish, and we really enjoyed the 5 piece sushi course at the end as a Grand Finale! They have a great wine / beer / sake / cocktail list - I'd love to see some Sapporo and Asahi on tap, as well as some NA options, to really bring it home. The dessert course was also fantastic, as was the service - the place was packed, but she really made us feel well taken care of. Oishii desu! Arigato gozaimasu! We'll be back to see how the menu changes with the seasons!

This restaurant is an absolute delicacy. For one to truly enjoy this place, he or she must understand the specialty and value of this type of cuisine. It's not a sushi spot for nigiri - it's a full experience. Each bite truly melts in your mouth and you will not find the quality and taste anywhere else.

Wow, what a fun experience. I chose the eleven courses + dessert , and I was blown away by the flavors. One of my personal favorites was the shiitake and truffle blend that they top some dishes with. In the end, the star of the show was the Kobe beef and lobster sashimi dish. It was topped with seared foie gras and a delicious sauce. It melted in my mouth. Every dish was explained well by the waiter, who made the experience even more enjoyable. The dim lighting and traditional artwork was a nice touch as well. I'll definitely be returning to Umi.

My husband and I had the 11 course omakase and were really pleased and impressed. The flavors were divine and the fish so fresh and lovely. We did think both the cocktails and sake selection were a little meh and over priced for the quality, but the food was really lovely as well as the service.

Went to Umi last night while visiting Pittsburgh. Highly recommend!! Our server, Larry, was amazing! His recommendations were all amazing and anyone sitting with him should trust his advice. All sushi was prepared with care and an amazing knowledge of flavors. Mr. Shu is a master at his craft! It is a small, intimate dining room. Reservations are necessary. We loved everything about our experience!

It was my friend's 21st and we had the 11 course omakase. He had been raving about it for around 1 years as he had been there once before and said it was the best meal of his life!! Service was great, and I really liked the vibe and ambiance of the dining area. A pretty chill spot in terms of an upscale restaurant. The food was really good. Highlights included the Komachi, the lobster, and the shrimp tempura which was STUNNING. Also idk about the rest of the places I've had "real wasabi", but this stuff is better than all the rest I've had. Desserts were decent. I would just say it's a little overpriced for what you're getting in my opinion. Overall very good, but definitely pricey.

Tonight's visit to Umi did not disappoint. I had the best single dish I've had since moving to Pittsburgh two years ago. We did the 11-course omakase meal. For the food nerds, I will include pictures of each course, but of course the omakase changes so this just gives you a sense of the experience. As a summary, the food was very well executed, the service was excellent, the pace was balanced (neither rushed nor dawdled). I saw some reviews complaining they left hungry, but I can't imagine how. Yes, each course is petite, but you wouldn't want each one to be a full meal or you wouldn't be able to walk back out! It is a tasting menu, so you should expect to be left wanting more after each course. It's more about the chef showing their range, and delivering a full experience, not about you leaving stuffed to the gills. The highlight of the meal was a black cod (sable fish) marinated in miso and torched, garnished with a slice of lemon. I can still taste it. Some dishes are lifelong memories, and this will be one. And eat the damn skin, people! Note: if people in your party do not like sushi, don't bring them here as there is not another option. Also, it's on the third floor so if you have difficulty with stairs, take note!

Came here for Valentine's Day dinner and everything was fabulous! My husband and I got the seven course plus dessert. I started off with there margarita. It was so fresh and delicious! Every course was unique with lots of flavor. If you're looking for tasty food, great service, and very cool atmosphere here is your place to eat!

Overall it was really fresh and delicious food. Nothing to pick on really. 4 star because we think that there are other sushi competitors in the area that makes similar quality sushi with lower price. The mock sushi chocolate pictured below was decent, but the chocolate was very rich and strong, a little too much for our taste.

While other Yelpers have said they think Umi is overpriced, I believe it is fairly priced for the experience and quality of the food. The omakase was fantastic with a lot of fresh fish/seafood. I also ordered the uni separately since it wasn't part of the omakase and I love uni. We enjoyed sitting at one of the back "sunken" tables which felt like we were on the floor. Overall I'd give Umi a 9/10 rating and definitely will be back.

I had my first Omakase at Umi over a decade ago and it was amazing. This restaurant has been through many changes and I have always hoped that the quality and creativity that it once had would be maintained or improved. We ordered the Family style service for 4 people, $180 per couple. Soup: It was fine. Ok, I'm a bit of a snob when it come to dashi. It's so cheap and easy to make. It just takes a little time and attention. Expensive ingredients are not needed. Good bonito flakes can be cheap! I expected more for a special meal like this. Salad: Fresh greens, highly overdressed in some sort of ginger dressing. I thought that it was way too strong. Sashimi: 3 plates. Tuna, yellowtail and makerel We were encouraged by our server to order the Sawara (mackerel) with the sesame oil sauce because otherwise everything is served in the same garlic ponzu sauce. The fish might have been excellent in quality but I couldn't tell as all of the plates were so overdressed with seasoning sauce. Honestly my palate was so overwhelmed by seasoning at this point that I couldn't tell the difference in the fishes by taste, only texture. While I've always enjoyed a slice of jalepeño on a yellowtail, I think that the garlic addition to the ponzu is a very daring decision for a sashimi, Shrimp Tempura: It's a good year for shrimp! Once again, this was overdressed and too sweet. I was longing for a break in the dressings at this point. At least this fried item was something different. Miso Black Cod: Usually one of my favorites but the fish was too fishy. The taste of the fish was covered thoroughly by the sweet sauce but it still had a fishy taste. To be fair, most of the regular cod I've had this year has had a fishy smell and taste. Salmon Nigiri with Cream Cheese: I get it, salmon and cream cheese are a great combo. Put a caper on top, maybe a little onion and sesame seed, and it's a fusion lox and bagel. We opted out of the cream cheese. The rice was absolutely proper sushi rice in my opinion but not all of the diners felt this way. This the first piece of fish that was offered without a ton of seasoning sauce so I was very happy about this course. At the end of the meal I tried to use a birthday coupon from Big Burrito and it was not accepted due to the fact that we sat upstairs instead of downstairs. This was very embarrassing. Please don't make this mistake! I think the biggest disappointment about this experience was the failure to come even moderately close to the high expectations I've developed with previous great experiences here. I hate writing reviews with less than 5 starts but I hope that sharing this experience will be useful to the Big Burrito Corporation as well as to future diners.

We went here for my birthday and it was the perfect spot to have a nicely paced, relaxed dinner. We did the 11 course option. Our waitress was great and the atmosphere was dim and laid back. The food is hard to capture, but absolutely amazing. The one bite of balanced freshness that each course is is such fun. I am not sure I could pick a favorite although there is a 'surf and turf' duo that was exceptional. They also had a very cute dessert sushi at the end that was super rich dark chocolate and an amazing pistachio cream. We tried a couple kinds of sake and the cloudy one was our favorite. I would love to visit again.

WOW! Amazing food. Amazing service. I'll admit that I too felt a little sticker shock when first looking at the menu. I've had high end tasting menus in other big cities but never Pittsburgh. Let me tell you, Umi can COMPETE with the best! Every single bite was out of this world. We had the 11 course omikase and 11 courses, 2 desserts, and 2 cocktails later, my boyfriend and I cannot stop raving about how delicious it was. Our server Ashley went above and beyond making sure we were taken care of. It seemed like everyone working that night was extremely committed to creating a top tier ambiance. We will be back to celebrate more special occasions!

Came here for my bfs birthday dinner - and holy moly was it amazing. We initially planned on the 7 course omakase but after the first course quickly changed to 11 (waitress/chef were very flexible!) Every single course was an explosion of flavor in my mouth I never wanted to end. Fave courses were the cod and the rock shrimp. Least favorite was the dessert but it sure was pretty. Also had cocktails and sake which were on point - great flavor and unique. Covid - good social distancing. Good mask wearing. Cost- was it one of the most expensive meals I've paid for in Pittsburgh? Yes. Was it 150% worth it? Yes. Overall great for special occasions. If it weren't for cost I'd be here weekly. Just. Yum.

This is my favorite Japanese restaurant in the Burgh! I've been here twice. The first time we did the tasting menu. Every item was absolutely delicious. However, the portions were small. We left not completely full. The second time we ordered off the menu and got more food for less than the cost of the tasting menu. My recommendation is to try the tasting menu if you want incredible food, but order off menu if you are starving. This place gets crowded so make a reservation! It is located on the top level of a building so you have to walk up a few flights of stairs to get there.

This restaurant has been promoted as the best and great Japanese restaurant in pittsburgh. However, our experience last Friday night was horrible!! The food was terrible, unfulfilling, overpriced and average at best !!! They only offer an omakase chefs choice 7 or 11 course menu which was more expensive then Nobu in NYC and very disappointing. Although the chef is trying his best, the flavors do not compliment each other and all the sauces have a disgusting sweet taste to them. 7 of the 11 courses were served as a small 2 piece sashimi dish, all of which tasted the same limiting uniqueness, flavor, and creativity. The chef should experience some of the stellar Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles or New York (even Denver has a few great ones) before charging these prices for unappetizing fish and culinary disasters. In addition... It's very hard to get into this restaurant as it always seems completely booked giving it an illusion of a top restaurant. However, on a Friday night, there were many empty tables during the 2 hours we were there and by no means, busy!! In summation, it felt like the whole experience was a pretentious charade! I would guess, since there are limited Japanese restaurants in pittsburgh to choose from, this restaurant has a captive audience for extremely expensive suboptimal sushi and Japanese food!! Not to mention, a third story walk up!! I suggest a drive to a nearby city like NYC or Cleveland for better Japanese food, even now, with higher fuel prices and hotel, it would cost less than an evening at this restaurant!!

This is for sure the best quality sushi in Pittsburgh, let's just get that out of the way first. Now you just have to determine if the price is worth it to you. I got an app, entree, and drink and I spent close to $100 myself so just keep that in mind. Tempura Shrimp: This app was a great way to start off the meal. It came with 15 or more shrimp in a mayo based sauce. The shrimp were fresh but I wish the sauce had a bit more spice. 8/10 Assorted Sushi Platter: This was the star of the meal and everyone at our table ordered their own. It comes with a sushi roll and about 8 pieces of nigiri. I didn't care for the salmon cream cheese piece but every other one was melt in your mouth amazing. I think it came with Toro, which was my favorite. 9/10 All in all, I would definitely come back for a special occasion because the quality of sushi is unmatched in Pittsburgh.

Umi redefines what a 5-star restaurant should be. If I had only one day to live, I can guarantee I'd be eating here. Everything is fresh, carefully selected and paired together. Must haves include fluke sashimi, shrimp tempura and the escolar. Absolutely life changing

Great omakase experience! We got the 11 course with desert. It sounds a lot but most of them were only three bites of different type of fish. The Kobe beef and lobster were only one bite of each. There were some same kind of fish but prepared differently. We ended up feeling about 70% full. So defiantly not big portions but more of the experience. Of course everything was super fresh and delicious.

What a great experience!! I did the 11 course meal and was super pleased with everything! The courses were perfectly spaced out and just the right serving size. The staff was very friendly, as well. I loved that some of the tables were very low to the ground and you could sit below the floor it was very cool and authentic feeling. I also loved all of the food served. It's a great place if your celebrating something and want an extra special course experience!

We are NEVER disappointed with any of the Big Burrito restaurants until now. Soba and Casbah have been our favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh for the last 20 years. Mad Mex...we still remember the opening of the first location on Atwood and have always loved it! We live near and frequent Alta Via on a regular basis and Eleven & Kaya never disappoint. Not to mention the times we used and enjoyed Big Burrito Catering... always very impressive. Imi disappoints in comparison. Don't get me wrong the buttery sashimi was some of the best you can get in Pittsburgh and our server was very personal and attentive. We love thoughtful Japanese minimalism and this space completely misses the mark... it desperately needs an update... the lighting is poor... over head spots that don't really highlight anything, a tired and not well lit water fall, two murals that get lost in the poor lighting, our table looked into a not very present florescent lit kitchen door and sloppy first impression as we were sat at a newly wiped and very wet tables. We both had the seven course menu... each course was delicious but in all seven courses the fish all looked the same...paper thin slices on stark white plate and there was not one vegetable... how about a sea weed salad, steamed green vegetable or vegetable tempura? With three glasses of wine it was not worth $250 for two people without tip. The chefs, managers and restaurant designers at big burrito know better and we expect more. We trust this review will help them up their game at Umi and we look forward to it!

When I was in University, the art professors were very fond of the saying, "You can't polish a turd." Umi was recommended to us as a very authentic Japanese experience. It was not. Nor was it an authentic American Omakase experience let alone a Japanese one. for a mere $149 you can get 4 sashimi dishes, of 3 paper thin slices of very basic fish (escolar, mackerel, and I think hake or red snapper? or maybe it was flounder) drenched in sweet soy sauce and another chef's special sauce topped with something "innovative" like a small dollop of foie gras or grated ginger), a bite of lobster a bite of wagyu, I think we even got a salmon sashimi plate that tasted like costco farm raised salmon, there was another less than memorable dish or two, I don't know. Plus the pièce de résistance, a 5 piece nigiri set of a repeat of all of the same fish as the appetizer courses. I do not believe this is the fault of the sushi chef, who believed in his ability to create sauce. It's a matter of a general manager or owner trying to inflate sales by using a chef's artistry with sauces to cover up the fact that they are serving run of the mill and mediocre quality sushi at Omakase prices with no understanding of what Omakase means. This was clearly not the Chef's choice, but an over decorated menu developed by a staff trying to dress up a short budget sushi menu to make a "5 star restaurant" using servers who watch way too much food network. 3 out of 5 don't recommend it. The value was beyond subpar, even paltry. Obviously they're confident the clientele has no idea what they are ordering. if you've eaten sushi in NYC, L.A. or Tokyo, please don't go here. The fish was fresh but nothing special, we never once saw the sushisan take a single piece of fish out of the hoshizake. It seemed to be prepped in the kitchen and sauced or finished by the chef out front.

One word to describe Umi.....meh. The ambiance is very cute! Nicely decorated, low lighting, and soft music makes for a nice intimate dinner. The cosmopolitans were great! The sushi...mediocre at best. Started with the toro tartar. I've sampled toro all over the world, and the best toro, has a nice buttery taste that melts in your mouth. I found it to be fishy, and very small portion for the price. Now I expect to pay a decent price for toro as it's the filet mignon of fish, but 27 dollars for the portion we receive was disappointing. The sushi rolls. We ordered 3 rolls, and while they weren't bad tasting, we found them to be plain and basic. Needless to say, next time is Pittsburgh we will be seeking out a different venue for sushi.

Great Omakase...thoughtful, creative and delicious. The miso black cod is Amazing and the variety of fish is outstanding.

We kept being told that Umi is hands down the best sushi in Pittsburgh, so the expectation was already there. People get really territorial about sushi and what is qualified as "the best" in each of our heads. As for Umi, they get high marks in my opinion for for quality of sushi, quality of toro specifically, taste of rock shrimp entree and sea bass with miso. Our server Benjamin was friendly, delightful and professional as well. It was good and I am glad we went to experience Umi, but life is about managing expectations and despite my 3 stars, I too am not sure if I would go back. I want to give it 4 stars on food alone, but the negative points which made me more inclined to give it 3 stars were: 1) only being able to get a reservation past 9pm any day of the week for many weeks in advance on Open Table (built up my expectation of what I thought Umi would be) 2) being turned away from Valet at our 9pm arrival because it was full (again, built up my expectation of how in demand Umi is) 3) the long flights of stairs to reach the restaurant is a haul if you don't like or cannot walk stairs with ease. Although we are fit and able, we were advised that there is not an elevator to get patrons to the restaurant, but a person could be served Umi menu from Soba restaurant on first floor. Not sure where the ADA compliance is here, but even if they are up to code, seems bizarre in the 21st century to hear from someone that it is almost incredibly inconvenient to show up with an issue that would prohibit you from walking up stairs in order to be served at Umi. But regardless, "stairway to almost heaven" again almost feeds into to expectation of "what is at the top" and what my experience will be. 4) venue space is indeed small and thus explains limited reservations. It is a calming, welcoming, dimly lit designed room...felt cool, hip, modern in a way. 5) sushi quality was indeed there, but sushi portions are indeed small. The Rainbow Roll is my barometer on sushi and thus my bar on comparing one sushi establishment to another. Portions do not need to be large to be considered great when it comes to sushi, but for $27 for a Rainbow Roll, the expectation is there that this is going to be so amazing it is going to rock my world. Quality was very good, roll was very fresh, but not $27 good. The slices of fish on top of roll were too thin to be warrant the price. I am happy to pay $27, but the restaurant set my expectation up and I was a little disappointed. If the Rainbow Roll was $20, I might feel differently. Life is about managing expectations, so go to Umi and try it for yourself and you be the judge and write your own review.

We went with high expectations and were very disappointed. The Miso soup and salad were very ordinary. The other courses were the same. Apparently not fresh. The ginger was even aged. No wow factor here.

Bring your AMEX PLATINUM CARD and expect to max it out! I would say this is more super small tapas size portions of sushi. We ordered sashimi but was served sushi and thank god for the rice because we would of left starving! Ordered the toro and I have had better regular tuna from a grocery store sushi bar! Not impressed by y any means. Portions are Super Super small, quality was standard but was NOT impressed. I have eaten sushi in Japan and all over the world and this didn't even come close to the quality, quantity and especially the price!! Location can be confusing with the floors and small paper signs on what floor the sushi is on. Keep climbing top floor! With only 10 tables, it would be best to have a reservation. Was like reinventing the wheel to get a table for 2 at 6pm. Lots of kids in this restaurant so be prepared for a moderate noise level! Staff seemed out I left field and mumbled throughout the seating & order processing. Had to look on the receipt to understand what the waiters name was. Bottom line we went home, 45 minutes away and made nachos because we were still hungry after a $170 bill for 2 people!

Disappointment does not even begin to describe the feeling we felt as we progressed through our 11 course omakase. There was very little variety between the courses with 4-5 courses of the 11 course meal consisting of 3 thin slices of fish (we got Spanish mackerel and red snapper each twice) with some sauce drizzled over. The sauce on many of the courses could be best described as overly sweet soy sauce that overwhelmed whatever taste the fish would have had. Unlike most sushi omakase's where the meal focuses on the nigiri, there was exactly one nigiri course with 5 pieces. The most disappointing part of the night was probably the salmon nigiri with cream cheese. I don't think I've ever seen a respectable omakase serve nigiri with cream cheese. Overall, the service was fast and friendly, but I strongly recommend anyone looking for decent sushi to look elsewhere. For $130/person, you can eat at Michelin starred sushi restaurants and have a much much better experience.

Visit 1 - We ordered the 11-course omakase. We enjoyed the sushi, and our waiter was very nice. Visit 2 - We again ordered the 11-course omakase. The sushi tasted very good again, but our waitress had a slightly cold personality. Visit 3 - We ordered teriyaki salmon and teriyaki strip steak. We felt disappointed with the mediocre taste of the food. We could have eaten better-tasting teriyaki at other restaurants that cost a fraction of the price. The waiter was a little slow and tended more to the table next to us. We will return at least one more time, and we will be sure to order what this business does best: sushi.

Best sushi I've had in my life thus far, hands down. Its been a favorite of my family's for years. Reviews say its overpriced and portions are small, yet this is laughable when comparing Umi to other famous sushi restaurants such as Nobu. Los Angeles and New York offer no comparison, Umi is an entirely unique and precious culinary experience for any foodie. Their food is always distinct and with consistent flavors and textures, while the staff is extraordinarily knowledgeable and helpful - unlike other upscale sushi establishments, the service you pay for is returned tenfold. Umi is not a place for dinner - if you are willing to brave the two flights of stairs up to the restaurant, expect to experience sushi unlike any other. Recommended Dishes: Tuna Sushi, Salmon Tartare, White Tuna Sashimi, Shrimp Goyza (save the sauce for sushi/rice!), Garlic Strip Stake, Coconut Creme Brulee

Worth trying. Reminds me of domodomo in NYC. The ingredients are fresh, but I'm not sure if the price is justified. IMO there are better restaurants in Pittsburgh at this price point.

I've been to Umi several times and I will say, it's always provided exceptional food. I will preface the review of the food by saying that if you're really hungry and expecting a meal that's going to fill you up, this isn't the place. This place strikes me more as an experience and small tastes of quality foods. During my many trips, I've tasted the following foods: The assorted sushi: This has been my go-to for dinner. It provides a center roll, but the stars are truly the side fish provided to the side. Some are served with a touch of sauce particularly suited to the fish and they all seem to really jibe and add to the flavor. Kobe Beef: The Beef is served raw and given a touch of wasabi and oil. The meat is so tender that it almost melts in your mouth. Red Snapper: this dish is served in a similar manner as the Kobe. Drizzled with some truffle oil and sliced thinly. It's another case where the food is left to mostly speak for itself and it's delicious. Rock Shrimp Tempura: This is sort of a take on bang-bang shrimp. Fried, but extremely light. Placed in a spicer sauce that's just exceptional all around.

Umi does high quality sushi and omakase but it is such a limited menu outside of Omakase. They have other items after you order their set menu...gets boring and not worth the $$$$$. My husband and I went with friends, great once, but not a place to continue going to without the freedom to choose what you like .

One word: MINDBLOWING. My boyfriend took me here for my birthday dinner and I was extremely surprised by not only the food, but our great waiter. We split every dish because we wanted to taste it all! We started with drinks. You can't go wrong with any of the choices! I like not being able to taste the alcohol in my drinks and these met that criteria perfectly. Not too sweet, not too sour...just great! Food was served as it was made, so there was always food coming our way! The gyoza was crispy, hot and came with a delicious dipping sauce. It came with 5 pieces, not a ton of food but it didn't fill me up for the next food. Next came the salmon mushroom sashimi. OH MY. Honestly, I could have eaten the mushrooms alone. The teriyaki sauce that the mushrooms and salmon were seared into tasted heavenly. The salmon was sliced thinner and each was perfectly cooked. The extra sauce on the plate was then poured over rice by our waiter....even more deliciousness! Only downside was that as an entrée I was expecting a slightly larger portion. Next was the toro tartar. Again, as an entrée I was expecting a slightly larger portion. However, the food tasted great (no surprise based on the previous food). Lastly was the sushi. You could tell the rice was made fresh and from a great source. For dessert we got two dishes. The first was a twist on the famous banana split. The banana was caramelized, split in two, and had three types of ice cream on a banana bread. On top was a chocolate drizzle. My favorite dessert on the entire planet. It was so good! The other dessert looked like a sushi plate but had dessert items in place of the roll, ginger, soy sauce, etc. There were pistachios, a wonderful chocolate sauce, and chocolate cake-like substitutions for the sushi rolls. Again, delicious! Word of advice: if you have trouble walking up/down stairs in heels don't wear them. To get to the restaurant requires going up two flights of stairs. It's not too bad walking them in heels, but just a heads up! Another word of advice: don't go starving. Portions here are tiny, but make up in flavor. Eat a small snack before! Overall, great food and our waiter was super knowledgeable about everything. He answered every question and made us feel like we were well taken care of. This is an extremely pricey place, so be prepared to spend some $$$. Regardless, this is the best sushi/Japanese food I've ever had!!!

Wow, this place is off the charts spectacular. We went with the eleven course setting which I initially thought would be a little much, but was definitely the way to go. The old fashioned was a 10 as well.

I would give Umi ten stars if I could. I know people like to bitch about the size of what you get but I really don't enjoy gagging on giant, overstuffed sushi rolls. The quality of the product is incredibly good and this is a place that I would eat anything from their menu. I am not a sushi connoisseur at all but I know what I like and I love Umi. I would always recommend asking for Larry because, in my opinion, he is the best server in the city of Pittsburgh. I would put him up against the best in any city. He is personable, hilarious and professional and he is one of those people who it's evident loves and respects his profession and he understands it goes so far beyond just taking orders and putting them on a table. Other restaurants should take note. Actually, Larry should be a service industry consultant because he is really an incredibly wonderful server. Love him and love Umi.

Sushi is, by far, my favorite cuisine, and to eat my top food in this exceptional space was a five-star experience. Umi was filled, but not crowded--relaxing, but not silent--aesthetically appealing, but not pretentious. Our server, Larry, was phenomenal. The meal was so well-paced, and he was informative, friendly, and humorous. Everything was certainly delicious though no better than my local sushi joints. My neighborhood haunts are filled with fresh, scrumptious sushi, so I'm surely not complaining--just noting that the sushi isn't above and beyond everywhere else in the country. My only other issue is that Umi is on the third floor. This information isn't abundantly clear on the website, and no elevator was seemingly available. While I'm imagining the restaurant makes accommodations, I don't like when public spaces fail to offer full accessibility.

I'm really struggling with my rating for this restaurant because the food tasted good, the service and space were both excellent, but the pricing was outrageous for the tiny portions. So outrageous that I will definitely never return unless I have a gift card or discount. My husband and I had the 7 course ($90 each) tasting menu and we were still hungry when we left. I read other reviews and was prepared to see tiny, yet expensive dishes. So luckily, we had a gift card that allowed us to enjoy this experience at half the price. Each of the seven dishes tasted great. They weren't exceptionally presented, but that doesn't really matter to me. No joke, every single dish that came out was only, ONLY 4 bites! (Maybe one of those dishes had 6 bites, but still) So lets do the math: 4x7=28 bites in the entire meal. Each dish was delicious, however. They really know how highlight the flavors of the different fish. My overall rating would probably be 3.5 stars. The food is delicious, but expect to leave hungry.

Got the 11 course omakase, prob the worst omakase experience I've ever had. This place def isn't authentic and caters to the clientele of the area. Almost every dish was sweet and nothing was "fresh." If this is what is considered to be the best in the 412, save your money. Oh and we essentially got the same dish twice except they added raw garlic slice on top of the fish. This place gets 2 stars bc they had hibiki.

We spent 200 dollars for their two people dinner special and was expecting something fresh and fulfilling. However this is nothing can be called Japanese cuisine. If you ever been to Japan or even nyc for some real Japanese food, you would be disappointed coming here.

Hands down best sushi experience in Pittsburgh. Went here for my boyfriends birthday and had an AMAZING Omakase meal. Will be back! Small and intimate environment. Just amazing!

My wife Karen and I have traveled extensively to experience the best restaurants in the world including Le Taillevent in Paris, the French Laundry in Napa Valley, and the Inn at Little Washington in Virginia. At none of those restaurants did I feel compelled to finger lick the plate. At Umi, while experiencing an Omakase, the sauces were so miraculously delicious that I was willing to endure that embarrassing humiliation several times. The waiters were very understanding.

My omakase 11 course chef tasting was one of my most rememberable dining experiences in Pittsburgh. As he prepared our beginning courses, the chef and I spoke Chinese together talking of our time in Taiwan. As we entered our later courses, a couple from Taiwan sat down. We were all speaking Chinese together and had a really unique experience here in America. The food was absolutely amazing! I kept myself hydrated between courses with the lychee fiz, followed by glasses of prosecco. Each of the 11 courses was better than the previous one. If you are hesitating between the omakase tasting or the regular menu, I would definitely suggest for the 11 course option. You may still be hungry after 9 courses. Troy Polamalu was in the dining room as well.

4.5 instead of 4 stars. To be honest, the food is not the best Japanese food you could find, but the space, the service and the ambience make up for it. You can find customers of all ages, from young couples to friends to families, and they are all very nice, respectful people just trying to have a good time with good food (unlike at its cousin restaurant in the lower floor). Other than the nigiri and rolls being fairly small in sizes then everything else was in decent portion, and the taste passed the check. If you come just purely for the nigiri then I recommend booking a reservation to sit at the chef's counter and watch him work while eating for an enhanced experience.

We got the 11 course Omakase for $130 each as well as edamame. The atmosphere was quiet and nice. The quality of the sushi was incredible. It tasted fresh and you could tell the chef really put his time into it. The downfall of the meal was that so many courses are served as sashimi with oils. While they tasted DELICIOUS, many of them seemed too similar. I enjoyed the taste and the quality of the Omakase, but I still felt hungry even after dessert. I feel like if more sashimi was placed with sushi it may be a bit more filling. I would definitely come back to Umi for some amazing quality sushi. However, unless the menu changes for the Omakase, I will probably stick to ordering pieces and rolls.

The best meal always!!! Better than Nobu and Morimoto!! Hidden gem in Pittsburgh. Do yourself a favor and get the Omakase. If you come here and order "normal" sushi you are missing out. My all time favs include the yellow tail with jalapeño, squid pasta and sewara... oh and toro tartar of course!!

Date & Time of Visit: May 21, Dinnertime I don't know what this place was thinking with their eighty-five-dollar, eight-course tasting menu. That menu had microscopic-size courses and the taste, after the first two (2) courses, were repetitive--and mostly on the sweet side. Moreover, the place has the sticky feel that one would associate with divey restaurants. As for their restroom, only one and a unisex one at that. And yes, there was urine on the floor.