Umai Bento

Went thier last night to celebrate my Best Freinds BDay i had the steak and chicken with white…read morerice the meats where cooked perfect with just enough seasoning they also gave me some shrimp.and fries rice. My plate was packed high. We also had 5 shots each of some lemon drops. I think each time they made us a drink the weaker it was but thats OK it got us home safe . I would highly recommend to try this place . And I usually dont go to these places to eat. The main reason is I like all.my food.on the plate at once either way I really liked tbis.place. the cook was very entertaining .

I was very disappointed with both the food and service. We were there to celebrate a Birthday I…read morespoke to the manager about the birthday and he so called set up the Happy Birthday celebration. Unfortunately like almost every thing else fell apart and it never happened. The soup was served warm and didn't have taste very good cold. I sent it back and when we had hot it tasted great. The hot soup and fried rice was the best part of the meal. The cook's skills was way below average. I'm basing that on the many Japanese steakhouse I've been to. The cook dropped a piece of steak on the table on almost every person he served. He was very good with the salt shaker which explains why my Chicken and the vegetables were overly salted. I had to remind my server to bring us water a couple of times.

Menu May 2025

Drink Menu May 2025

See all

Menu May 2025

Kamei Sushi

4.8(129 reviews)

4.2 mi

Best sushi! Amazing service, incredibly clean restaurant,…read morethe owner is making the potstickers from scratch. It is like eating in your Japanese grandmother's kitchen. Do not miss this wonderful place !!

This place isn't bad, if you're used to Tacoma food. I've noticed that food in this area is under…read moreseasoned and isn't super fresh. However, this place was definitely good. Not as good as sushi places in Seattle, but still good. The staff was very friendly and the portions are pretty big for the price. Parking right in the front and this place wasn't super busy. Might be because we showed up 1 hour before closing for lunch. Overall, if you want a good sushi place in Tacoma, this is probably your best bet.

Agedashi tofuuuu

See all

Salmon And Tempura dinner! 5/24/24

Sushi Ya

4.8(87 reviews)

6.1 mi

It's a best sushi place!!!! Great food, cozy inside, awesome people and best best best sushi.read more

Simply outstanding for sushi and miso soup. Less outstanding Shrimp Tempura…read more The miso was very well flavored. Excellent umami flavors. The chef was very accommodating and allowed us to pick the fish for the mixed nigiri special, which is great and unusual. Overall a fantastic experience

Nice sushi counter. 10 seats. Low tables around the corner.

Red Spider Roll & Salmon Lemon in the back. My faves!

See all

Spicy Tuna Roll

Sunny Teriyaki

2.8(50 reviews)

0.1 mi

So disappointed! It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't charge $25 for a chicken teriyaki & general…read moreTso combo subbed white rice for fried. It was terrible! First the fried rice is a joke, just white rice with carrots and peas. No exaggeration it had not butter or egg, no nothing. On to the general tso's, it was soggy and tasted like the teriyaki sauce on the chicken with a little spice. Finally the chicken teriyaki, it's like it was from the $1 buffet, YUCK! The owner was nice enough. Although when I called to give them the opportunity to make it right she blew a head gasket lol! Don't waste your money at Sunny's!

This is not like the normal Seattle teriyaki places... steamed vegetables yuk .... And teriyaki was…read morekinda meh... sauce lacked any flavor

Chicken Teriyaki

Beef short ribs

See all

Spicy pork teriyaki

Sushi & Wok

4.1(351 reviews)

3.8 mi

Door Dashed it. The Chirashi Salad is AMAZING! The dressing is a wonderful citrusy sesame that had…read moremy hubby asking for more SALAD! The Scallop Fantasmia roll was excellent again, the Mongolian Beef is very tasty.

Philly cheese roll Killer shrimp roll…read moreTempura crunch roll Edemame Crab Rangoon Sweet and sour chicken! So I found this place perfect for sushi in our area! They make the rolls friesh- are always fast and super friendly! But when one of us wants sushi and the other doesn't- this spot hits! Because they aren't a one stop shop- they actually do both sushi and non sushi items very well! Loves the sweet and sour!!!! Perfect for when you want a variety!

I'll o o pp

Egg Roll (Pork & Veggies)

See all

Zen Ramen & Sushi Burrito

4.2(509 reviews)

3.2 mi

The nephews wanted Ramen, so we came here on a whim…read more This spot is located by PLU (a university hidden in the city pretty much). So depending on when you go, there may be a lot of foot traffic and its street parking only. They are right next to Marzano. Once you get, there's a a few tables to by the register and then a few tables on the other side. But there is additional seating on the left side. But if you're a large party, it may be hard to sit together as the restaurant is on a smaller side. We ordered takoyaki, fried chicken gyoza, pop rock shrimp for starters. Then order the kids Ramen and kids shrimp dupbap. (If your kids/nephew/niece aren't a fan of sauce on their things, ask for sauce on the side.) Then I had the chicken katsu dupbap and my friend ordered the shrimp spicy Ramen I think. We were too focused on getting the nephews fed, we didn't take a photo of our food. Hahaha. The food was alright. The nephews loved the op rock shrimp so we ordered more of that. Service was alright and the staff was friendly.

I would like to give it a 5 because what they do- they do well. Sadly I was with a BIG party and…read moreseveral of them are celiac- they had minimal gluten free options. This was very problematic as we were in town for an event at PLU -so did not have time to look for "another alternative" at this point. So we managed. I was surprised - no rice noodles etc- you live you learn

Back room art

Pork Bun

See all

Front room art

Kinza Teriyaki

3.1(47 reviews)

3.5 mi

They are under new management! We tried many things and was very satisfied with it all. Portion…read moresize is generous too. Not pictured but the fried rice and yakisoba was delicious.

The service was amazing! The people were super friendly and the food was great. We will definitely…read morebe coming back.

Sesame Chicken

Spicy Chicken Teriyaki

See all

Katsu

Koto Teriyaki

3.8(159 reviews)

5.8 mi

Food: Very generous portions! Freshly made, nice sauce and moist chicken. This really hit the spot…read more Service: the owner was sweet and inviting me. Ordering it over the phone was seamless. Ambiance: clean and spacious.

Food is delicious. Service was fast and friendly places clean and then please were very…read moreknowledgeable.

Dining area

Chicken teriyaki and egg roll lunch special.

See all

Spicy Chicken Teriyaki

UNI Teriyaki

3.8(123 reviews)

3.2 mi

nice and clean happy business, clean, great help, with well spoken english, many food choices, I…read morealways get lunch , their meals usually give me enuff for 2 days worth of food, at prices today, this is a PLUS, many thanks to this chinese restuarant,

Bubble tea here is sooooooo yummy. I can't speak on the food as I didn't recently try it. But I did…read morenotice that they sell their teriyaki sauce & salad dressing and that makes me happy because teriyaki sauce & dressing from restaurants is always sooooo good. I'm gonna buy both the next time I'm in!

Salad dressing $7.99 & Teriyaki Sauce $8.49! Yum!!

See all

Forbidden City

4.1(179 reviews)

3.2 mi

Four stars - Good…read more We went here for dinner on a Saturday night. The restaurant was a little hard to access at night with traffic. There is a large parking lot in the back. The restaurant is decorated nicely. Our server was friendly, and we got our food quickly. The food was really good! I prefer egg foo young with a thick gravy, and this place hit that mark. The orange chicken was also good; it had a nice crunch while also having a good amount of sauce. We will definitely go here again.

Beautiful decor and venue. I was pleasantly surprised to see how authentic it felt to be inside…read morewith all of the Chinese decor. Really nice touch, which you don't often anymore. It provides a sense of cultural pride that can be lost in some places. Went here for at friends bday party and we had a large crowd. What I enjoyed the most is that we could pre-order our food, which I appreciated a lot. Having a large group of people can mean a delay in getting food, etc. but they were super efficient and we received our food in great time. What a bonus and reflective of their service. The waitstaff were friendly and attentive even with such a big crowd. Usually I'm fighting to get noticed or anything additional from servers but when we asked for hot chili oil and eggroll dipping sauce, they came back quickly with the condiments. Now, I didn't give them a 5 because our food wasn't too hot, and the hot chili oil was not hot as in spicy. It was good but not what I had expected. The eggroll was OK but the hot and sour soup and the beef green bean was so yummy. Well-seasoned. I also really liked that they have indicidual dinner meals! That is so nice when you don't want to spend so much, or want to get something specific and not share. Lastly, I bought sesame balls- just a nice sweet but subtle treat and they were so good. So delicious that when I got home, I ate the rest! I didn't plan to. Just happened lol! They are located by PLU and a little further than I would go for food since I live in North Tacoma. I will be back if there is another party or asked to. Hope they get good business/crowds here! Best of luck!

See more unrecommended reviews

Family meal and we added the Almond Chicken.... best gravy I have ever had.

Roast pork fried rice, stuffed to the brim and in a deep takeout box

See all

General Tso' D5. General Tso's Chicken Dinner Special

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

22 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Khiem V.

12 years ago

This place is interesting. Passed by it many times but decided to give it a go on a Saturday night a couple of weeks ago. This place was BUSY! Seemed like everyone wanted Asian food and this was the place to get it. Dined in with my son and we had to sit at the table because all the booths were taken, no problem. To my surprise, there was only ONE waitress! Poor girl had to take care of all of us plus their phone was constantly ringing. Not to mention the cooks kept calling her name while she was with a customer. Ana? Anna? However you spell it, she was constantly being called while trying to take a customers order, again, poor girl. With the full house and constant ringing for take out orders, I knew this place would be a good one. I had the Godzilla and the Umai sushi roll and they were both very good! Neatly presented and tasty, just the way I like it. My son had the bento box with Katsu and teriyaki. He said he really liked it. Even though it did take pretty long for our food to get to us, the waitress was very nice and made time to check on us with a smile. The food was very good and at a very good price. Would reccomend and will hopefully eat their again. Probably not on a Saturday lol. read more

Marissa C.

10 days ago

Today was my first time eating there. I had the honey chicken & Mongolian beef. The Mongolian beef was really good. Super soft to. The onion & carrots in the Mongolian hit me with a surprise. " Soft and chewy" I don't really eat onions depending on how it's cooked. I did like the honey chicken but the taste of the Mongolian beef out beats it. The staff there were really kind and sweet. I've talked to them about different restaurants what I liked about different kind of foods the gentleman even mentioned what restaurant to try. They did say they hope I like their food & I sure do! I will be back for the Mongolian beef thank you read more

Sammy W.

12 years ago

We have avoided this place for a while because I don't know much about sushi and until today I didn't know what Bento was. After reading other yelp reviews we decided to give them a chance. The service and the food were both great. I ordered spicy chicken teryaki bento and my wife had the kung poa chicken. Both dishes very good and I can't wait to try more of the menu in future visits. One of these days I may even go out on a limb and give the sushi a try. I'm so happy to have another option for lunch in Spanaway. read more

Ashlee W.

11 years ago

Eaten here many many times, over time started noticing the guy that makes sushi touched a lot of ready to eat food with his bare hands. Also he is usually is real bad mood, yelling and slamming things, which can make for an unpleasant environment. Customer service can also be short and unpleasant. Rolls are good, but dont want other people's hands on my food read more

Юрий Б.

2 years ago

I had an amazing experience at Umami Bento! The service was outstanding, with a friendly and attentive staff that made sure every detail was perfect. The sushi was the best I've had in the United States - fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Highly recommend this place for anyone looking to enjoy top-notch sushi and excellent service! read more

Judy L.

10 years ago

This is one of my favorite restaurant. I enjoy sushi there, they serve fresh fish with reasonably cheap price compare to other sushi restaurant. The workers there are so friendly. I also enjoy their chinese and Japanese bento dishes!!! I hope that they have more seats because they get so busy during the weekend. read more

Elisha S.

12 years ago

This place is amazing!!! I've been coming here since they opened. They know their customers by name, know what your favorites are and take really good care of you!! The food is amazing and reasonably priced, I love this place!! Great food, great people, great service and it's close to home!!! read more

Meagan B.

11 years ago

Disgusting so rude and don't speak proper English learn how to talk to customers they always think there right needs to shut down gross spoiled food never again only gave them a star to write this review read more

Kyle A.

4 years ago

Been waiting an HOUR for ONLY soup (served cold, they had to reheat it) and a California roll. Despicable, 2 people came in after me and ordered and finished their food before me. Bad bad establishment. read more

Sarah G.

13 days ago

Food was amazing! The presentation blew us away. The staff were super friendly, made us feel very welcomed! Will definitely be coming back. read more

Suzy D.

9 years ago

Sushi night at Umai Bento. Gorgeous presentation, relaxed atmosphere. And fresh delicious sushi....right here in Spanaway!

Susan S.

10 years ago

I am surprised how many high ratings this place has. Sushi was not fresh and really over priced. Service was terrible!

Kristin D.

13 years ago

I love used to love this place but lately it has been lacking, still ok for a decent meal especially for the area.

Sarah R.

15 years ago

the food is really good, they have great customer service, and its a really nice place

Amber S.

11 years ago

This place is friendly and amazing been coming here for a long time food is A+ love it

Suzanne-N'ichelle C.

9 years ago

Best sushi ever!!! My favorite outs an our menu item called the spicy tuna nacho taco!

Cara G.

14 years ago

GOOD sushi, love that I don't have to go far!

Gene B.

11 years ago

Really liked the food and presentation.

Lindsay Jenkins R.

114

102

14 years ago

And I just keep going back for more!!

Michael R.

14 years ago

Awesome owners and great food

Umai Bento - japanese - Updated September 2026

People who viewed Umai Bento also viewed

Happy Teriyaki

3.3

(199 reviews)

This Happy location has been around for as long as I can remember and over the years, we've eaten…read morehere a handful of times. I hadn't been in this place for probably over a decade, but I found myself right next door the other day while taking my mom to the doctor. Dad was with us too and the doctor had sent us to the wrong address, so we decided the grab lunch instead of continuing our search. I noticed right off the bat that this place had gotten a serious glow-up since the last time I had visited, and it looks really good! Everything was new from the floor up. The menu is impressive with a large variety of choices from sushi to Japanese and Chinese cuisine. The staff are very friendly and accommodating but we were taken aback when our waitress was surprised to hear that some dishes like Mongolian beef or General Tao chicken are supposed to be spicy. She told us that they can add spicy to our dishes but that there is no scale of how hot you can order. Dad had the vegetable stir-fry, and it came with beef, pork and shrimp! Mom had Mongolian beef spicy and I ordered the lunch special of General Tao chicken. The dishes for mom and I both came with rice and salad and everything tasted very good. Normally, when I order General Tao' chicken, I get soggy nuggets of chicken however, this place does it right. A nice crispy batter that holds together after being tossed in the sauce. I feel like they could add a bit more dressing to their salads but overall, we were all happy with our meals and we all agreed that we'd like to return again to try other offerings from the menu. The restaurant overall is clean and comfortable with a great, relaxing ambiance. This place is proving to be a hidden gem to folks like us who wrote them off back in the day. We're glad we went back. Thanks for reading. Cheers!

I have to say I love their spicy chicken teriyaki and bento box here but I've never tried the sushi…read morerolls. Well, we came her for a family late lunch and my grandson wanted sushi so we ordered their two sushi roll special. I've been looking at their sushi bar when entering this restaurant since I've been coming here but I'm so glad my grandson wanted to try them and I'm so glad he did. Now, I'm going to start enjoying the sushi rolls here, too. Our waitress was so helpful with suggestions, as she always is. They were some of the best rolls I've had and they were definately the best rolls my grandson has had. He couldn't say enough positive things and I tried the rolls he ordered too and feel the same way. Well done, Happy Terriyaki on 100th street in Tacoma/Lakewood. I plan on visiting again soon.

Happy Hana

3.6

(124 reviews)

We love this place! Great food, good prices and amazing customer service! We eat here as a family…read moreor have takeout at least once a week.

Great food! Good proportions. Not greasy. Very friendly staff. This is my new goto restaurant.read more

Little Tokyo

3.4

(172 reviews)

You would've thought I said... Can I have some salad with that mayonnaise? The chicken teriyaki…read morehere was nothing to brag about. Everything was just coated in so much sauce! The lettuce was literally knee-deep in dressing and the chicken teriyaki had a huge thick layer of sweet sauce that was just overbearing. Not to mention, the woman who helped me wouldn't even crack a smile. With all of the different teriyaki options around to go to, I would choose a different spot.

This little south tacoma joint used to be really good. What the hell happened? Ordered teriyaki…read morechicken with rice and salad. The salad was drowning in dressing and the rice was not fresh. The chicken was worst of all. Dry as heck and they tried to cover it up with tons of teriyaki sauce and the sauce was weird, like syrup. The food was so bad we went to another restaurant to get the bad taste out of our mouth, now that's bad. I think might of been first time doing that ever. So, it was good while it lasted Little Tokyo but now im out!

Sushi & Wok

4.1

(351 reviews)

UNI Teriyaki

3.8

(123 reviews)

Happy At the Bay 16

4.1

(78 reviews)

Some of the most ice cold boba around! The service was great and the food even better! Great…read moreportions and flavor.

FYI new owners as of 3/18/26. WAS my favorite teriyaki joint, now it serves the same low quality…read moremecuts as other places ;(

Good Wok & Terikayi

3.7

(46 reviews)

First time here. No one in the restaurant. Ordered Mongolian beef/chicken teriyaki. Super small…read moreportions for $20. Didn't even fill the to go box. Beef was dry and salty. Chicken teriyaki was ok. I guess the restaurant was empty for a reason. Can I get my tip back? I won't be coming back. I hate to say it, but I should have gone to McDonalds next door.

Chicken teriyaki with beef & broccoli with 2 small scoops rice ordered to go. Meat tasted old &…read moredry, rice also tasted old with a slight fish taste, broccoli was hard-way under cooked. Portions were small & $19.00 too high. Will not go there again.

Ginza Teriyaki

4.2

(105 reviews)

This was my first time here which came recommended.. I had the Bento Lunch Special with chicken &…read morecouldn't eat it all!!! (So much food). Amazing tasting & Wonder Service- The owners were working & were so kind. I can't wait to go back!! The place was quaint & clean. I hope you have the opportunity to check it out~ Fyi, the lunch special is hood on Saturdays 1130A-230P

The chicken teriyaki is always good, very little fat, and always cooked perfectly. Sides are great…read moretoo, like gyoza or fried sweet potatoes. Very fast and friendly staff. Probably the best teriyaki in UP. I would recommend.

Happy Teriyaki

3.8

(26 reviews)

Always good and cheerful service. Excellent teriyaki and sushi close to base. They always give big…read moreportions and usually add a pro-bono soup for family orders. What else can I say? They're great!

Absolutely delicious. Fried rice, Mongolian beef, sweet and sour chicken - The best i've ever had…read more Not one bad piece of meat, and i'm picky! Girlfriend loved the sushi - super fresh and tasty! Inside was super clean and the service was amazing. Very friendly staff as well! Would recommended 10/10. Will be back!

Yum Yum Teriyaki

3.9

(105 reviews)