The very first time I came here with a group of friends, I was quite skeptical. It's been 2 years and I have Umai at the very least twice a month now! Their service is consistent, the food is always good and filling, plus you get punch cards and eventually a free meal! They also serve beer here and they have a sushi bar! Best bento/sushi place in the Spanaway area! read more

Consistently good. Chicken yakisoba, Mongolian beef, fried rice and the avocado bomb are favorites here.

I normally don't complain about food but this place was just alright. I think my biggest complain was the fact that my chicken teriyaki and my friend's orange chicken came out cold which makes me think it had been sitting in the back for a while. I also asked if there was any way I could get a side of steamed or cooked broccoli that I was willing to pay extra for but the lady working said no which makes me think everything else was pre-made in the back. No big deal just something that kind of shows the food might not be too fresh. Nice service but pretty slow and the actual food tasted okay despite being cold. I don't feel the need to ever return. read more

Even those who don't eat meat (I'm attempting a year of vegetarianism) can find delightful options aplenty at Umai. Tender, crispy veggie tempura, the utterly fabulous tofu yakisoba (seriously, try it: the tofu is very lightly fried and is reminiscent of a doughnut (minus the sweetness - I mean the texture.) The sauces are hand-blended masterfully for food that is neither bland, dull, or boring. I don't feel deprived when my husband is eating his plate of bulgogi (a beef delicacy you'll adore) although I do intend to ask if I can try their silky Japchae with tofu on my next visit. Die-hard fans of fish will discover a new favorite in the Korean chirash, a twist on the typical zo-chirashi served with tangy sauce on the side. (Rather than being a bowl of beautifully arranged fish and rice, it's a large green salad supplemented with rice and fish chopped into small cubes.) It's the service that keeps us returning here: we're always looking forward to payday and another chance to visit Umai! read more

My wife and I decided to visit this particular location because of all of the positive reviews. We walked in and we were not greeted by anyone at all. Someone who worked there looked at us and continued working, so we sat ourselves. We sat down at a table and waited.....and waited, and waited. We left! The worst customer service since relocating to the area! read more

I've now tried this place a couple times now both times to go. First time we went it was good food of course got a little cold but other then that no major problems besides blandness of fried rice. The second time we called in a younger male answered and had no knowledge of the menu also just plain seemed uninterested on wanting to take an order once we got there there was an error in our order which we expected with his interest while placing the order the food was cold etc.. read more

Just had a terrible experience! The food is usually always good but our service was terrible. I'd never seen this waitress before. The old ones would have taken care of us. We order our food and she only brings out my order and my boyfriend sat there waiting for about 15 minutes before he got up and asked where his was. He canceled the order and all she says was "oh, you don't want it?" He replies, "No not anymore because I just sat and watched my girlfriend almost finish her food." Not to mention she delivered my food and didn't give me anything to eat it with! I had to wait for her to reappear from wherever she may have gone to ask for a fork and by this time my food was nearly cold. Nothing was done to rectify the situation which makes me have to leave one star. Sorry Umai. You used to be wonderful! To top things off, someone came in and ordered to go at the counter and got their food and left before my boyfriend got up to ask where his was. Oh, and the walls in the dining area are FILTHY! read more

This place is awesome! Super clean and quick service! I haven't had a bad meal here and I've tried a lot of different stuff!!

So whomever said the Avocado Bomb was amazing must HATE fish, cause ours had next to NONE!!! A TOTAL WASTE OF $9...SECONDLY, I ordered a Godzilla roll because it was supposed to have eel and I wanted to try it...the eel was so minimal it may as well not have even been listed in the description. The ONLY enjoyable roll we had was the Red Dragon...which was very small for $13!!! Then to make matters worse, my boyfriend and I decided to go dutch and asked the girl to split the bill in half between the two cards we handed her (One card being a red card the other being blue, so they are OBVIOUSLY different). When she brought back the checks for us to sign I started to fill in the tip information and noticed under the signature line it had my boyfriends name...oops I grabbed the wrong one....so I THOUGHT...I then got the other slip from my boyfriend to find out she slid the same card twice....so she got a MUCH larger tip than I would have given her had we noticed this screw up in time, and then I had to spend the next 20 minutes running around Parkland area to two different banks to pay for my portion of the meal on a dutch date...I was really looking forward to Sushi tonight and my regular spot was closed, due to good reviews I gave this place a shot...never again. read more

Hidden gem for sure! Even if you do not care for sushi you will love the avocado bomb! The avocado bomb is worth the trip alone! Im not a big sushi/fish person as i am super particular about my fish but i was left craving this weeks after.... Great texture, almost not like fish at all, but almost like a tasted like a avocado and onion rings and a BBQ sauce drizzled on top? I know that sounds weird to say, and it's not accurate at all, but you just have to try it for yourself- it was delicious!!! I have gotten it to-go and its not the same. You have to eat this right when it comes out because the bottom is crispy. Everyone needs to eat this dish! Another favorite to try is the Dynamite roll. It sounds like it might not "work" with six different kinds of fish, but OH MY GOD is this good, and it fills you up FAST too! The punch card is pretty awesome for a sushi place to offer, I have to say! Great friendly service, clean place. The prices arent bad. I was super surprised to find such an awesome place in spanaway considering the sketchiness of the surrounding area.... But, this place is top knotch! YUM! read more

Great variety of choices. Super fresh fish, poke and sushi options. Highly recommend!

Truly deserves 3.5 stars. The food was good, the service was good and the prices were decent. But 4 stars means I'd go back again and again. One, this place is far away from Seattle and I doubt I'll be in the area. Two, it was good but not great. I've definitey had better. The bathrooms weren't super clean. I dont know if there was 2 because when I went, it was ok. Not clean clean, but ok. When my husband we he said there was a HUGE spider on the toilet and a huge web. The miso soup was Ok. I've had better but miso is miso. It's never fantastic. The salad was ok too. The dressing was heavy with mayo and a little sweet. I really like the orangish ginger dressing, personally. I got the stir fried noodles with veggies and my husband got the bento box dinner with bulgagi and shrimp. My noodles were ok. Decent portion. My husband like the bulgogi and shrimp. Everything was ok. OK like I can make this at home. I like to have new flavors and tastes and this place wasn't that. The owner and waitress were really really super super nice. read more

the customer service was amazing the food was great and the prices were good over all it was just great and the portions are generous

I've eaten here on quite a few occasions, always a good atmosphere, always excellent food, until tonight that is, the food was still excellent, but the service was beyond atrocious, if your planning on eating here make sure the owner is working the floor, and not the skinny incompetent girl who thinks organizing the front desk takes priority over getting peoples orders or bussing tables. If your just interested in food this is an amazing restaurant, but if your looking for top notch service make sure to call ahead. read more

This was my first and last time eating here. Service affects your experience. There was only one waitress running around by herself serving 15 customers... I felt bad. She clearly needed more help, we all clearly need more attention. We asked for the same thing repeatedly and never got it. It is not like she could forget us because we were sitting right in the middle and she had to pass us every time. Its like every time we stopped her for a question, she would be like "yes? Oh wait I'll be back." However when friends of them came in, they were able to get 100% of her attention. Food & prices were alright, but not good enough for bad customer service. read more

Ordered the deep fried California roll and it was the BOMB! the best I've had by far the vegetable noodles were very good also ! Service is great ! read more

Went here on a whim. Not a bad place. Decent quality food for the price. I liked the general tso's better than other places I have had in the area, wife didn't like the sweet and sour as much as other places. Didn't try the sushi because I doubt it would be better than trappers and trappers isn't that much more expensive than theirs. read more

This place is amazing! The sushi is delicious and very well-priced. The Las Vegas, and California Crunch Rolls are my favorites. I haven't had much else besides sushi, and the fried rice (which was delicious and only $6 for a lot!!), but everything I've tried is awesome. The staff is always friendly and the service is pretty quick. Also, they give you free green tea ice cream after, which is delicious!!! read more

This was by far the BEST sushi south of Seattle. Absolutely amazing service, great menu, super prices. Sushi lovers in my family couldn't stop raving. They loved the Avocado Bomb especially. It's our new favorite place! read more

I haven't tried the teriyaki, but I like the sushi. I love the Spanaway roll! A fun place for a quick bit to eat.

Got teriyaki chicken and prawn tempura. Good was good. Good amount of food. I called it in for pickup. Lady told me 10-15 minutes. I showed up at 20 minutes and waited another 15. Not necessarily her fault since it was busy and she was the only one. But I discovered my food had been sitting on the counter for the whole time. Very frustrating. read more

This place always has super good food. The only place in spanaway I would eat in at. The younger waitress is always friendly but the older lady gets easily irritated. The BEST California rolls ever! read more

My kids favorite place for Saturday lunch... service is friendly. Been going here for years. I'm sure you will enjoy it

Awesome food! Awesome service! My husband and I always order the California Crunch Rolls, they are deef-fried and delicious. I love the plain California Rollas well. My husband also loves the Mongolian Beef dish. I highly recommend! read more

I've been here a couple of times and have been extremely satisfied each time. The food is fantastic, portions are plentiful, prices are good, and I love the artwork that they have displayed on the walls for sale. (Note: the last time I was there, I noticed that they are closed on Sundays) read more

We have eaten at many sushi restaurants in Seattle, WA, Los Angelas, CA and even in Japan... and Umai Bento is equal in quality to those restaurants but at nearly half the price! The salmon in our Spanaway Roll was tender and flavorful. All of the sushi we had was fresh, and beautifully prepared. The service was friendly and fast. The sushi chef came to our table and chatted awhile. We will definitely go back to Umai Bento! read more

First things first, I have lived in Japan and ate in Tsukiji many times. Obviously, this is not that, but what is around here?!? For a place near Tacoma is is not bad, or even good. When considering the price, it may be in the top three I have tried in Pierce county. It is way better than the garbage Trapper's puts out. I suggest you give it a try over one of your go to' sun the future, but hey, what do I know? read more

I went to pick up som sushi for dinner for my girlfriend and decided to stop at Umai sushi and bento since i had never been ther before and it was on the way home, big mistake. As I first drove past I thought it had closed down due to the darkened parking lot. Once I pulled in i saw it was open and came inside. Nice place except the scooter parked in the front pathway. I grabbed a menu and went over the to many choices they had. Finally I went to the counter and the woman running the register took my order. I sat for 35 minutes waiting for 6 pc sushi combo and garlic beef to go. As I waited i witnessed multiple plates comming back due to them being wrong or prepaired incorrectly. One waitress was running around tell people she was sorry the service sucked it was her first day. I then witnessed the woman running the register jump on the poor waitress in front of customers, very unprofessional. At last I got my food and headed home. Once there I found that insted of the shushi combo and garlic beef, I had a small portion of teriyaki chicken, a huge amount of rice a huge amount of pot stickers and 2 tiny salads. In my opinion this place they need to get there act together! read more

They have poor customer service, I asked for wasabi and ginger and it took more than 10 minutes and I was the only person in the place. My food came quick which was the only good part. Their bathroom is dirty, on the way back to the bathroom I checked out their kitchen and it was extremely dirty. The guy making sushi was using his phone and computer by the sushi, I had a problem with this because these devices carry lots of germs. Their sushi rolls are way too big, (I had the Spanaway Roll) I had to cut them in half. The whole restaurant is very dirty. I am not impressed at all and I eat sushi at least once a week. read more

I am hopelessly addicted to Umai! I'm not usually the biggest fan of sushi, but my husband is, so when we moved to this area (he's military), we decided to gie it a try. It is so good! I particularily love their Korean short ribs (Kalibi), the Umai cucumber roll (which is cucumber filled with salmon, tuna, and krab with ponzu sauce), and the Snomono salad (dark green seaweed, cucumber, and krab with ponzu sauce). I could eat here every day! The service isn't always the best, as the waitress is almost always there alone no matter how busy they are. They are almost always handling multiple takeout orders as well. I usually just order takeout on my way home from work. If you're a regular customer, they remember your name and what you like to order. The prices are very good, I've paid twice what they charge for sushi I liked less. Decor is nothing fancy, but is always clean. Overall, this is a small mom and pop sort of place with great food at a reasonable price served by friendly people! read more

I visited Umai Bento because of the ratings on this site. While the place was clean, the service friendly, and menu a nice array of asian cuisine, the sushi--in my opinion--is not as great as what I read in other posts. I had a couple different sushi rolls along with unagi and hamachi. Having been to some of the best sushi joints in the country I know I am spoiled but I can't help benchmark the sushi I ate at Umai with sushi from other places. It is nice to see a halfway decent shop in Spanaway but if you are a sushi snob like me and know what actually "great" sushi is you are going to be disappointed. The food is good. I did not have a "wow" experience however. The unagi was ok and the yellow tail was chewey and stringy. The rolls are small. If you have ever had real yellow tail you would know it is supposed to literally melt in your mouth like a pat of butter and explode with an array of subtle flavors. My wife is Korean and said the bulgogi was authentic but it did not really impress her. I tasted it and agreed. Good but not anything special. The serving sizes were small compared to other local teriyaki / sushi places as well. If you are looking for local sushi you might consider heading into Puyallup and trying the teriyaki joint up by the Walmart. I would rate thier sushi as a little better than Umai. Unfortunatley, you are not going to find "great" sushi at a teriyaki joint but I can settle on good sushi when I am hungry for it. We are going back to assess some other dishes since we live in the area we fully support their effort to provide some halfway decent choices for food in this part of Pierce county. read more