The only good about the meal was the bao. Rice bowl was the smallest portion of rice I've ever seen with literally a tablespoon meat, sauce, and veggies. All in the same tablespoon. The dumplings had me excited but were lackluster. Do yourself a favor and just go to Asian Harbor down the road for good food and proper portions.
Ryan R.
We love umami!! Regulars and will stay that way. Great food, awesome atmosphere, and even better cooks and servers. Our family loves it here
Siarra F.
I'm very disappointed in the fact that I have to write this review. I love Umami and frequently order food from here. I submitted an online order earlier this week in hopes of picking up lunch on my break. My order was processed and I was charged. I drove all the way to the restaurant just to see a sign stating the restaurant was closed for a private event. It was a little upsetting, but I figured no worries. Must've been a glitch in the computer system for processing my order. I then went the entire week calling multiple times and leaving messages about my situation just to get no response. I finally call my card company to try to dispute the charge since I never received my order and never heard back from someone at the restaurant. My card company proceeds to tell me I did get a refund, but it wasn't even for the full amount. I don't know what's going on with Umami, but I feel it's completely unacceptable to not only ignore me, but not even return the full amount for the order I never received. Basically, be careful of online ordering and don't expect them to ever answer the phone. Umami, do better.
Blanca M.
Food was good but i found the sushi to be a little over priced.... the service was good. Our apps came out quickly and our food followed shortly after. I probably would not go back though, like I said i thought it was a little pricey.
Ami C.
Amazing food, stellar service and a steadfast commitment to the community. Highly recommend!
Stephanie S.
Listen I'm not one to complain, but this was bad. Came here on a Wednesday night. Before we even ordered the "app" you use to place the order automatically tacks on an extra 18% charge without explanation or warning. The bartender said it was a "service fee" for using the app. That is absolute b******** Whatever, we were already here so we powered through. I ordered vegan ramen with an added egg (for $17?!? Insanity). When the food came up, not only was there no egg.. there was also no tofu. What? Shrimp rice bowl was dry and flavorless. No sauce. Overall this place was a huge let down. 0/10 Would not recommend. (The Mr. Beast Burger was the only good thing which is pretty bad for an Asian restaurant).
Jordan Carpenter
Quality/amount for price just isn’t there. Food ok not great. Pictures on menu are misleading which is probably more on corporate than this specific location.
Eli Gemboys
The best little restaurant ever, the most healthiest and best authentic I have ever had. Great job
Andrew Friedrich
Only reason this isn't 1 star is because it does taste pretty good but my bowl order was 4/5ths rice and had maybe 4 very small pieces of chicken in it. Completely unacceptable protein portion and nothing like the photos.....I ordered a meal not a sample.
Requested a catering order of 10 rolls on a Tuesday to be completed Friday at 5pm for PICKUP and they accepted the order and then cancelled it Wednesday with no explanation. It's hard to take any business seriously that can't fulfill bigger orders. It was 10 rolls not 50, and they had plenty of time in advance to plan it. Maybe they decided to cancel my order because I didn't put an automatic tip on it, but I always tip to-go orders 20% in cash. Very off putting. Guess I'll cater elsewhere.
Annie P.
First let's start with the 91 grade. Miso soup was like salty water. Spicy hibachi chicken was just chicken breast with hot sauce squirted (literally) on it. The vegetables and noodles were too salty to eat. I ordered Asian chicken wings which were semi cold and tough. I sent them back. Service was horrible. No one came back to take away dirty dishes. Terrible !Overpriced and low quality.
Daniel B.
I really wanted to like it. My son couldn't eat the ramen at all. My sushi /sashimi combo was unbelievably salty. Only are half and typically I can't get enough. Maybe they had a bad night, but it really was not good.
Suzie A.
Grear atmosphere and food. The owners are super friendly and courteous. They have lots of special events to support lgbtq community. They have great space. Cool outdoor spaces upstairs and lots of reclaimed wood everywhere. Love it Edamame
Joshua W.
I was in the mood for sushi as Saturday's have become sushi day for me as of late so I wanted to try a new place. Umami is literally 10 mins away and I always wanted to try them. After leaving target and checking online and seeing that they were supposedly closed it was a nice surprise that they were open (opens @12 on Saturdays). They are offering dine in services so I decided to stay and dine in there. I guess since it had just opened for the day or people don't know they offer dine in again, there were little to no one in the place which was completely fine with me. The unique part about ordering at Umami is as soon as you walk in there is a screen where you order from. It's pretty easy and the menu is as big as day right next to it. You select from the categories of food they offer and you pay and the ticket is sent over to the cooks so it's all contactless in that aspect. I ordered the Tempura Calamari ($8.95), I picked 2 (Jalamachi & Braza) rolls for $15 (Jalamachi is a spicy roll with salmon, spicy mayo, crunch, topped with yellowtail, avocado, fresh jalapeños, shichimi, kaiwari & ponzu dipping sauce; Braza is a spicy tuna roll with shrimp tempura wrapped with tuna tatami, jalapeños and comes with teriyaki and umami sauce) and I also ordered a steak and shrimp Teppan Bowl which also comes with mixed veggies and noodles and rice. Given that there weren't many people here at the moment it didn't take long for my entire meal to be prepared and brought to me (about 7-10 mins). Now I've been to a few sushi/ Japanese restaurants in Raleigh and Wake Forest and I feel like Umami might have the best Calamari hands down. It was crunchy and golden and covered in a sauce (that I don't recall unfortunately) and they were a nice size which put the icing on the cake. As for the sushi, I had no complaints. Everything taste fresh. The Braza was my favorite between the two. The shrimp only came on one roll so I was bummed about that but the rolls still were good without them. The umami sauce that came with the rolls is extremely good as well. The combination of dipping the rolls in the umami sauce and teriyaki sauce makes the rolls sensational. Last but not least, the steak and shrimp teppan bowl was so good. The steak and shrimp were both seasoned and hot and once stirred in with the vegetables and rice and noddles it makes a great bowl. It was my first time having a bowl with both rice and noddles and I was very satisfied. Overall my experience at Umami was amazing and I definitely see myself coming again to try other rolls and bowls. I recommend this place to any sushi and Japanese food lover.
The only good about the meal was the bao. Rice bowl was the smallest portion of rice I've ever seen with literally a tablespoon meat, sauce, and veggies. All in the same tablespoon. The dumplings had me excited but were lackluster. Do yourself a favor and just go to Asian Harbor down the road for good food and proper portions.
We love umami!! Regulars and will stay that way. Great food, awesome atmosphere, and even better cooks and servers. Our family loves it here
I'm very disappointed in the fact that I have to write this review. I love Umami and frequently order food from here. I submitted an online order earlier this week in hopes of picking up lunch on my break. My order was processed and I was charged. I drove all the way to the restaurant just to see a sign stating the restaurant was closed for a private event. It was a little upsetting, but I figured no worries. Must've been a glitch in the computer system for processing my order. I then went the entire week calling multiple times and leaving messages about my situation just to get no response. I finally call my card company to try to dispute the charge since I never received my order and never heard back from someone at the restaurant. My card company proceeds to tell me I did get a refund, but it wasn't even for the full amount. I don't know what's going on with Umami, but I feel it's completely unacceptable to not only ignore me, but not even return the full amount for the order I never received. Basically, be careful of online ordering and don't expect them to ever answer the phone. Umami, do better.
Food was good but i found the sushi to be a little over priced.... the service was good. Our apps came out quickly and our food followed shortly after. I probably would not go back though, like I said i thought it was a little pricey.
Amazing food, stellar service and a steadfast commitment to the community. Highly recommend!
Listen I'm not one to complain, but this was bad. Came here on a Wednesday night. Before we even ordered the "app" you use to place the order automatically tacks on an extra 18% charge without explanation or warning. The bartender said it was a "service fee" for using the app. That is absolute b******** Whatever, we were already here so we powered through. I ordered vegan ramen with an added egg (for $17?!? Insanity). When the food came up, not only was there no egg.. there was also no tofu. What? Shrimp rice bowl was dry and flavorless. No sauce. Overall this place was a huge let down. 0/10 Would not recommend. (The Mr. Beast Burger was the only good thing which is pretty bad for an Asian restaurant).
Quality/amount for price just isn’t there. Food ok not great. Pictures on menu are misleading which is probably more on corporate than this specific location.
The best little restaurant ever, the most healthiest and best authentic I have ever had. Great job
Only reason this isn't 1 star is because it does taste pretty good but my bowl order was 4/5ths rice and had maybe 4 very small pieces of chicken in it. Completely unacceptable protein portion and nothing like the photos.....I ordered a meal not a sample.
It’s so damn good …
Restaurantji Recommends
Requested a catering order of 10 rolls on a Tuesday to be completed Friday at 5pm for PICKUP and they accepted the order and then cancelled it Wednesday with no explanation. It's hard to take any business seriously that can't fulfill bigger orders. It was 10 rolls not 50, and they had plenty of time in advance to plan it. Maybe they decided to cancel my order because I didn't put an automatic tip on it, but I always tip to-go orders 20% in cash. Very off putting. Guess I'll cater elsewhere.
First let's start with the 91 grade. Miso soup was like salty water. Spicy hibachi chicken was just chicken breast with hot sauce squirted (literally) on it. The vegetables and noodles were too salty to eat. I ordered Asian chicken wings which were semi cold and tough. I sent them back. Service was horrible. No one came back to take away dirty dishes. Terrible !Overpriced and low quality.
I really wanted to like it. My son couldn't eat the ramen at all. My sushi /sashimi combo was unbelievably salty. Only are half and typically I can't get enough. Maybe they had a bad night, but it really was not good.
Grear atmosphere and food. The owners are super friendly and courteous. They have lots of special events to support lgbtq community. They have great space. Cool outdoor spaces upstairs and lots of reclaimed wood everywhere. Love it Edamame
I was in the mood for sushi as Saturday's have become sushi day for me as of late so I wanted to try a new place. Umami is literally 10 mins away and I always wanted to try them. After leaving target and checking online and seeing that they were supposedly closed it was a nice surprise that they were open (opens @12 on Saturdays). They are offering dine in services so I decided to stay and dine in there. I guess since it had just opened for the day or people don't know they offer dine in again, there were little to no one in the place which was completely fine with me. The unique part about ordering at Umami is as soon as you walk in there is a screen where you order from. It's pretty easy and the menu is as big as day right next to it. You select from the categories of food they offer and you pay and the ticket is sent over to the cooks so it's all contactless in that aspect. I ordered the Tempura Calamari ($8.95), I picked 2 (Jalamachi & Braza) rolls for $15 (Jalamachi is a spicy roll with salmon, spicy mayo, crunch, topped with yellowtail, avocado, fresh jalapeños, shichimi, kaiwari & ponzu dipping sauce; Braza is a spicy tuna roll with shrimp tempura wrapped with tuna tatami, jalapeños and comes with teriyaki and umami sauce) and I also ordered a steak and shrimp Teppan Bowl which also comes with mixed veggies and noodles and rice. Given that there weren't many people here at the moment it didn't take long for my entire meal to be prepared and brought to me (about 7-10 mins). Now I've been to a few sushi/ Japanese restaurants in Raleigh and Wake Forest and I feel like Umami might have the best Calamari hands down. It was crunchy and golden and covered in a sauce (that I don't recall unfortunately) and they were a nice size which put the icing on the cake. As for the sushi, I had no complaints. Everything taste fresh. The Braza was my favorite between the two. The shrimp only came on one roll so I was bummed about that but the rolls still were good without them. The umami sauce that came with the rolls is extremely good as well. The combination of dipping the rolls in the umami sauce and teriyaki sauce makes the rolls sensational. Last but not least, the steak and shrimp teppan bowl was so good. The steak and shrimp were both seasoned and hot and once stirred in with the vegetables and rice and noddles it makes a great bowl. It was my first time having a bowl with both rice and noddles and I was very satisfied. Overall my experience at Umami was amazing and I definitely see myself coming again to try other rolls and bowls. I recommend this place to any sushi and Japanese food lover.