Umami Café at Portland Japanese Garden

Nice to be able to stop in for hot tea on a cold day - the interior is a nice airy design.

The tea service was not what we hoped for - disposable cups which sort of negate the effort of the person carefully making tea.

Pricing and service felt more airport-like than zen-like.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 2

They stopped doing full service tea. Everything is to go, just paper and plastic. Very disappointed and will no longer be coming back.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Very disappointed to discover that the tea house is now a spot for quick snacks and to-go cups. No more tea pairings, everything geared toward speed and convenience. If a chance to sit and enjoy a tea service in ceramic isn’t possible here, then where?

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 3

Food and drink were traditional atmosphere felt so crowded though. Wish they could limit the guests to provide a tranquil atmosphere

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 3

They took away everything that made this tea house a special place. It’s now all disposable and counter service. They used to come to your table and explain what the teas are and how they’re made and took their time. This truly unique experience is now watered down to what any other tea shop can provide.

Originally recommended by a friend to visit the cafe here because of how they use traditional dishes and plates to serve the tea and snacks, but after they open the cafe to walkins everything become paper cups and plates, which make the whole setting cheap and touristy. Ticket price was not worth it and don’t waste your time coming here

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 2

I’ll start off by saying the atmosphere was beautiful. Truly, I loved it. That’s why I was drawn to try this out.

We ordered this chicken bowl with green tea based soup and rice, ice cream mochi, and matcha.

The bowl was $13 but probably cost less than $1 dollar to make. My guess is that you wouldn’t pay this much for something like this in Japan. It was mostly rice, and cheap, bulk spices. The chicken was less than a teaspoon sized, minced on top. It tasted fine, but not at all something I couldn’t make at home.

The matcha was mediocre. The flavor wasn’t strong, just overpoweringly bitter.

The mochi ice cream was good.

The presentation of the food was cheap, which would have been fine if the price point. Matched. Paying as much as we did for how little food we got, you would expect it to be fine-dining level presentation and service.

Visit the gardens, but skip out on the cafe. It felt like a scam.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 3

Went for the first time recently after living here for 18 years! I put my full botanist knowledge on display here and had an exciting time 💮 The gardens were stunning and I enjoyed a tasty Taiyaki snack from the shop after taking in the views. Will definitely need to return in the spring when the sakura bloom since my boyfriend loves cherry blossoms 🌸 The best part was finding my favorite flower at the gift shop! They had it as both a bookmark (only one left) and a tapestry (not out on display) so I really feel like I mega lucked out! It’s a climbing cactus that only grows in tropical Asia called Queen of the Night. I’ve never seen iconography of it sold in North America before so I was ecstatic! What a beautiful place- will definitely be back!

Disappointed with the new changes. I understand the desire to serve more customers and make more money, but I really appreciated the peaceful experience of the tea pouring with stoneware sets, hot towels, etc. Not the paper cup fast food vibe.
I wonder if it’s possible have both in the future - a way to provide tea offerings to more visitors while also having a space for the full tea experience. Until then, I’ll probably skip the cafe

We're disappointed with the recent changes here. While we appreciate the ability to serve more visitors by switching from wait staff to ordering at the counter, also replacing ceramic ware with paper products doesn't feel consistent with the whole Japanese garden experience. It's still a lovely space, of course, with good products -- it just lacks the feeling of quality now for the price point.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Came here with high expectations since this is a Japanese Garden cafe. Left disappointed.
The drinks were not very authentic or well made.
For a place that charges admissions fee to enter, I thought it would be better. I tried their daifuku and tea. The tea lacked any depth or real strength. It just tasted watered down.
The scenery is quite nice and the service was good.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 4

Matcha ice cream is slay! Really like it taste authentic and really good! Give it a try!

Very good experience. Both the tees and the mochi were very well made and very tasty. Incredible location with exquisite view.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We visited the café in the Portland Japanese Garden with high hopes—especially for matcha drinks—but left disappointed. The matcha lacked any real aroma or depth of flavor, and felt watered down. For a café nestled in such a renowned garden, it almost felt like a scam.

The silver lining was their pastry, which tasty, but not enough to make up for the subpar matcha. If you’re visiting the garden hoping for an authentic tea experience, you might want to look elsewhere.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 5

i would have to agree with previous statements from various individuals. stripping away the reservations & uniqueness from the tea house will only erode the experience. it’s very interesting & invalidating for the entity to state that it’s about: “allowing more people to have an opportunity for the experience.”

now it’s creating more opportunities for more waste with disposable plates & cups. not stating the food/drinks aren’t good but not like my previous experiences.

the traditional tea sets, menu, & previous aesthetic made this tea house unique.

personally, prior to the changes i didn’t see any issues with the reservations. people have to take accountability & be prepared. if that’s one probable variable for not being allowed into the tea house. i have been to the garden & stoped by the tea house various times with no issues.

i have considered a membership, the tea house had made the experience even more worthwhile. i hope the garden reconciles & realizes the changes. until then i doubt i’ll be back anytime soon.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1