Love love love this spot. Really great menu, there is something new to try each time I go. Very quick kitchen and sushi chefs, everything was served nice and fast. Love how busy it is each time we go, it's a great sign! Will certainly be back! read more

Umai - Katsudon, Shishito Pepper - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food. Great service. Great value. I got the beef hanging tender skewers, dragon roll, and beef teriyaki. All tasted yummy.

Got the spicy ramen and it was awful. The broth tasted like it was instant powder broth. Legit tasted like the instant ramen you can make at home. I also got a basic sushi roll. A shrimp tempura roll and the rice was so mushy and didn't taste like seasoned sushi rice. I've given this place a try 3ish times and I am unimpressed every time. I won't be coming back. I don't know why this place is always busy, the foods not good. read more

You shouldn't have to order 1 whole roll for 2 pieces of sashimi. My friend and I got full so fast off of 4 rolls, 8 pieces of sashimi, and other orders. I liked it though, but that rule sucks. read more

Great experiences, except with the ramen, which I'm very particular about. Sushi and sashimi were Very much worth going back for, as we're the appetizers. Less than thrilled with their ramen. Will continue to go back for sure! read more

We were craving some ramen and sushi and found this gem on Yelp. The food was definitely delicious, and fish portions were great- nice and thick. Service was not the best though. Our waitress took a while getting our orders, and this was when the restaurant was pretty empty also. Nonetheless, we were very satisfied with our food: Chicago roll: a crowd favorite! We had about 3 orders of this roll- delicious with good portions of fresh tasting fish with nice additional flavors in the sauce. Mexicana roll: this was also good, I'm just not a big fan of jalapeño in my sushi. But it was a nice refreshing roll otherwise. Overall, food was excellent and the restaurant atmosphere was great, with good smells of ramen and sushi. Besides the slow service, we had a great experience! read more

Umai - Chicago roll - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely amazing. The chashu don was divine and the sushi selections were fantastic and so fresh. Can't recommend enough. Friendly staff and swell atmosphere. The wait can get pretty long though (at around 6:30pm I've noticed) so I suggest coming for an earlier dinner. read more

After a successful naturalization interview, I needed a ramen fix. Umai is conveniently located on the corner of Polk and Clark in the heart of the South Loop area. However, you will need to enter the place via the entrance on Polk. They have an extensive menu, featuring everything you can think of in Japanese cuisine. They also have an extra menu for the lunch special. I ordered the Umai chasu ramen ($10) off the lunch special menu, while hubby ordered the tempura udon ($13) from the regular menu. He's a vegetarian, and he typically can find something at a Japanese restaurant. The service was quick and adequate. The food came in in a fairly speedy manner. We were both pleasantly surprised by the portions of our entrees; my ramen had all the necessary components of a bowl of ramen should have: chasu, one (1) miso egg, a nice amount of scallions, and a generous amount of ramen as well. Although this bowl of ramen wasn't out of this world, I should say it was constructed quite nicely and flavored pretty authentically. Hubby's tempura udon had many pieces of veggie and shrimp tempura. All of the entrees we received used authentic, fine Japanese china. I was influenced by my dear mother, who's always a stickler to the usage of china and cookware for the right kinds of food. Therefore, I included my observation into the review, and hopefully that didn't bore you guys. If I'm in the south loop area, I will probably stop by again. However, it's quite of a travel coming from the Albany Park neighborhood. read more

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Cool place, great sushi, hand rolls filled up with yummy wild salmon(yes, i can tell) the udon was great, and the winter ramen was so yummy and full of beef. The grapefruit malt beverage. Omg where have I been If you come at the right time there is free parking on POLK. :D read more

Umai - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped in for lunch with my nephew and so glad we did. I wish I did this review right away but it has been some weeks. Instead of delving down into the food we ate (which was absolutely fabulous), I will tell you the feeling we both had during and after we left the restaurant. The waiter was very friend, attentive and most importantly knowledgeable. He guided us through the menu and so we got a good selection sushi, sushami and chef dishes. The saki he selected to go with the meal was perfectly matched with the dishes. We both left with a feeling of satisfaction and with the help of the saki- extremely happy! read more

Umai - Kaiso Salad - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

By far one of my favorite place to get Japanese food that's reasonably priced. Food (4.5/5): It's not the best Japanese food in Chicago but for the price and range of dish that they serve, I think it's very reliable and good. I've tried their ramen, udon, and rice bowls; they were all good. Their ramen, in particular, is quite delicious. Personally, I like their Spicy Miso more than other ramen spots here like Ramen San; it's stronger and more concentrated. I've only had both as take out so I'm not sure about how they taste dined in but for now, thats where I stand. Overall, great stuff! Portions are big too! Price (5/5): Everything is priced reasonably well. The main dishes are around $15 - $20 while the sushi's are less, except for some. I think it's really a bang for your buck. Service (5/5): Ate here outside once and their server was very attentive and professional. It was nice and I have nothing to complain about. Ambience (5/5): The place itself is quite small but spacious. Not sure how it is during normal hours with indoor dining but their outdoor terrace is nice and relaxing. Overall, great place to grab some Japanese food! It's pretty diversed and the location was very convenient for me so that's a plus! read more

Always tastes fresh and it's a good value. Service is just right, available when you need them but let you enjoy your meal without rushing you. Love the spicy tuna and the seaweed salad. read more

Umai - Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yes, a happy lunch on a cold day. Even it is late April, the tempature is still below 40F. I really needed a warm noodle soup. Umai is on the corner of Polk and S. Clark. Very comfy and earthy lobby. We did a bit research before hand so quickly chose Ton Katsu Ramen and Winter Ramen. Both were served in the huge bowl. The Winter Ramen appeared in a spicy broth which was actually not as spicy as it looked. I liked the proached egg and ground pork sauce on the top. Thin sliced beef was OK. The soup is slightly on the salty side. The noodle was cooked right with a bit chewy. An awesome bowl for this cold day. My friend's was pretty good too. She liked the pork belly a lot. The soup was also a bit salty for her. So both of us drunk a lot of tea and walked out with a round belly. We also tried a piece of Unagi which is average. Service was fine without much delay. Would come again when the weather allows a nice stride outside. May be some summer noodle soup next time. read more

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It is a small restaurant with friendly staff, the food is very good and the price is very reasonable. For the winter I would suggest trying the Udon, it is a nice size bowl of hot soup. Udon Kare Smooth fragrant Japanese curry, udon noodle, and your choice of pork or beef. Nabeyaki Udon Shrimp tempura, chicken, poached egg, spinach, fish cake, shitake mushroom udon noodle in dashi broth. read more

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I came here on a Thursday evening with my friend..around 5pm or 5:30pm..the restaurant was empty so we were greeted and seated immediately..I loved the atmosphere and fact that there's a lot of free space between tables ... Food: Ton Katsu Ramen ($13) - my friend tried this entree and said it tasted good, it looked pretty good when I saw it.. Katsu Kare ($12) - Shrimp Tempura, with house curry over steamed rice...it tasted good, but tastes like the curry I make at home.. not sure if anything was really special about it to be $12... Portions: the portions for the Chef Specialties and Soup based entrees seem to be big....depending on whether you are a small eater or a big eater.. you will either have leftovers or be content/full after eating.. Costs: ranges from ~$10-$20 for non-sushi entrees..the soups based entrees were a little bit on the cheaper end than the entrees on the Chef's Specialities Customer Service: the staff were very friendly, knowledgeable on the menu and attentive.. Atmosphere: love the decor and also how roomy the place is... I don't like when I go to restaurants that are congested... Parking: street parking...$4 for 1 hour.. :( but that's chicago for you! I would come here again maybe to try sushi or something next time...if you work in the city.. I think they have lunch specials/menus... so check it out... read more

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First time being here. Nice staff. Nice food. Recommend Chicago roll for spicy food lovers. read more

Umai - Chicago roll - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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katsu don was incredible and i will be thinking about this meal for the rest of my life

This place was wonderful. Went on a cold Friday night and it was pretty packed. We waited around 30 minutes for a table for 3. The sushi was delicious. We ordered Sloopin (Maki) and California Roll. We also ordered Ramen but we didn't like it. The noodles were too dry for our taste. Other than that, the staff was great and very attentive. The ambiance is very nice. The restrooms are very clean. read more

Their katsu curry (カツカレー) was on point. I was very satisfied with it. I got take out and they even had the sauce in a separate container so it didn't get the rice wet. The egg was delicious as well. A little more spice to it would have been my preference, but I'm sure they would have something in the store if you did dine-in. read more

We have travelled the world in search of good tsukemen. We did not find it here. Umai has a basic misunderstanding of tsukemen ramen: watery broth (?), grilled chashu (?!), undermarinated egg (??!), and completely mishandled, dried noodles that congealed together into one giant cold cylinder (???!!). In a good bowl of tsukemen, the noodles should carry the richness of the broth, the meat should be tender and a little sweet, and the intensity of the umami should marry with the starchiness of the noodle. We had previously tried Umai's black garlic ramen which is why we're adding one star to our most recent experience. The other star goes to their hand painted poster of 'In the mood for love.' Just do yourself a favor and save yourself the disappointment of trying their tsukemen. read more

Umai - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I am a lover of Tsukemen, and sad to tell but Umai's tsukemen was a little bit of a question mark. Usually, Tsukemen comes with noodles and thick soup for dipping, but Umai instead had a very salty and watery soup. I am still giving 4 stars as their other menus (curry, etc.h were splendid. Please check again the Tsukemen recipe and hope you guys can make it better, rather than offering super salty soup on the side for "dipping". read more

Umai is truly umai! (Japanese for tasty or delicious) I'm Japanese and I like to try ramen in the different cities I visit. I came here for my last meal in Chicago (don't worry -- I got my share of pizza while there!). I came by on a Tuesday evening around 5:30pm and waited about 20 minutes for a table for 1. My server recommended the Winter ramen so I ordered it and one order of hamachi nigiri. The broth was tasty and not too salty. The ramen had a generous portion of toppings (meat, fish cake, veggies). For a restaurant that serves a number of ramen options, I would expect better ramen noodles. Not sure how to describe it-- but they didn't taste as fresh as ramen noodles in Tokyo. For a ramen lover I'd rate this 4 stars but the ambience, service, flavor and decor proves it to be 5 stars. A great place for groups! I would visit again the next time I'm in town. read more

Umai - Winter ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ambiance: 4 stars Food: 4.5 stars Service: 4.5 stars Okay, I have to say, Chicago sushi is not bad (at least where I have eaten at), at all. And I am not talking about rolls, I am talking about the fish! Because rolls are crap. The quality is excellent. Chicagoans, you are all so lucky compared to other cities (maybe not LA or NYC though). Came here on a Sunday night, while walking down South Loop. South Loop is a lot different than The Loop because it's further out, so this place was worth the walk in the cold last weekend. Anyway, this place has a more traditional Japanese vibe than other places in the city. And it's open until 10pm on Sundays? Excellent. I ordered the chirashi (my favorite thing to order because you get to sample every type of fish in the restaurant) and my friend ordered the nigiri deluxe. Our meals were delicious, of course. I had a little bit more fish at Umai than at Friends Sushi, but still a bit sad that it did not fill me up. The prices were the same as Friends Sushi, which was $20-30/entree. I can't believe how expensive sushi in Chicago is, it's so ridiculous, it's as much as I pay for high-quality sushi in LA, but it's worth it since it was my first time in Chicago. The service was good. There weren't that many customers when I went at 9:15pm, haha. So we got a lot of attention if we desired. For dessert, we had the mochi, which was good. I mean, it's the same as any other place. Overall, a great experience. I would come back here again. read more

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Tuesday at 5:30pm was a slow night for Umai. It was so quiet that I could hear a fly buzz by. My friend and I each ordered the tonkotsu ramen as well as gyoza, beef tongue, green tea creme brulee, and fried green tea ice cream. Gyoza comes in two options, vegetarian or pork. Our pork gyozas were not well-pan-fried as parts of the skin was soft rather than crispy. Otherwise, the size, flavor, and ingredients were standard. The beef tongue was thinly sliced and each skewer had about five pieces of meat strung together. The meat was tender and lightly sea salted. The tonkotsu ramen, on the other hand, was disappointing. The broth was heavily salted and so dark that I could not even see the contents in the bowl. It was not the opaque, pale broth as I had anticipated. Instead, it appeared as if I was served a bowl of thin gravy. If you must order it, I would say eat all of the contents and neglect the broth unless you don't mind the excessive thirst and sandpaper-tongue-effect. The green tea creme brulee was definitely a pleasant surprise after the not-so-good ramen. It was a small portion but the slight tea bitterness went well with the caramel's sweetness. It was a very light dessert. The fried ice cream was not as pleasant. It was messy and there were too much fried dough with too little ice cream. A lot of the ice cream even melted before we got to them. I'm certainly delighted with the addition to South Loop for more variety. But I must also say I was disappointed...unless I only go here for appetizers and dessert... read more

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I've been to Umai several times and it's a place that I would repeatedly go back! The ambience is chic and relaxing, and they have a huge menu that provides something perfect for everyone. It has become one of my go-to places for both friends' meetups and casual date nights. I love their Ton Kotsu Ramen and Winter Ramen, both super delicious and satisfying, perfect for the cold Chicago winter! I'm not a huge fan of the dip noodles though. The Gyu-don is also super tasty and is a large amount of food. The sushi I've had there is just fine but I'm open to trying some other ones. I'm excited to try their sukiyaki next time when I go back! Bonus point: Umai's South Loop location is away from the most popular restaurant areas in Chicago, so compared to similar options in River North or West Loop, it's usually much easier to get a table at Umai for equally wonderful food and dining experience. read more

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Was in Chicago with some coworkers. Not all of them are adventurous eaters (one of them just ate cornflakes the entire time we were there) and I wanted something I could write about. I searched Yelp for some sushi since I was craving it and Umai pops up with amazing reviews. I was staying at the Hilton Chicago which was a ten minute walk away. Made a reservation for one online just in case it was super busy. My table wasn't ready when I arrived, so I sat in the waiting area which is right near the entrance. Not a good idea. It's a small place, so they make do with what they have. You'll be in the way if you choose to sit down. I made my way the sushi bar since it was just me. I don't normally say this, but I'm glad I sat at the bar. The guys making the sushi were very nice to look at and extremely skillful. I could have watched them all night. I'm terrible, I know. My server, Nuii, came over and made some recommendations. Such a sweetie pie. I had no idea what I wanted, so I had to really dig through the menu. She brought me over some water and let me stew over what to eat. Looking through the menu and I already know I want to get as much as I can just in case I won't make it back again. The first thing that caught my eye were the shishito peppers. I've seen videos on YouTube of people cooking with them, but I had never had the chance to try them for myself. I also got some of the bbq hanger steak. What a good decision. The peppers were nicely charred and smokey with a vibrant green color. The lemon and bonito flakes were such a nice touch. Plus, I loved watching the flakes wilt under the lemon juice. If I didn't care for the rest of the menu, I would have ordered two more plates of them. The hanger steak was marinated properly and wasn't as chewy as I thought it would be. Came with a little shishito pepper on the side. At this point, I still don't know what I want, so I just take anything: beef gyu-don bowl with an onsen egg. I love onsen eggs! They remind me of the steamed eggs I used to make in Italy years ago. They really do transform a dish. If you're looking for a sauce or something to bring the dish together, an egg will do it. As soon as my server brought the dish out, I knew I had made the correct choice. Along with my bowl came some udon soup (with a pink fishcake!) and a small salad. Demolished the salad and drink the broth from the udon.. and the little fishcake, of course. And then I set my eyes on the gyu-don. My bowl is loaded with rice, beef, onions, pickled ginger, sesame seeds, and a softly boiled egg. I don't mix everything together because I want to taste each ingredient individually. The rice had a great, chewy texture. Beef was cut and seasoned properly. The ginger was a good palate cleanser between bites after I decided to mix everything together. And the egg was amazing! Nice and gooey! Check out my videos to see some drippy egg action. This is the point where a normal person would get dessert or call it a night, but not Urs. Urs wants more even though her belly was already bursting. I ordered some uni just because it's sweet enough (to me) to be dessert. It has this nice custard-y thing going on and a slight sweetness that I live for. The chefs apparently messed up my order and gave me some sashimi on the side. I will never complain about extra, free food! Fish was super fresh along with the uni. It was great. But... yeah, my fat self couldn't stop. Finished the night knocking back raw quail eggs and soy sauce. To top it off, I got a sushi roll and some bbq pork shoulder for later on. I was a true mess when I left. I ate the pork and never even touched the sushi during my stay. What a waste. All of this good food came to $63.00 with tax. I did a bit of damage by myself, but I just knew I wouldn't be able to go back with our busy schedule. Yeah, I went back the very next night. I'm so fat, ya'll. My server this time was Megumi. She was so cute! I'm an awkward person, so I'm sure I made her uncomfy while ordering, but I tried. I finally looked at the drink menu and ordered a lychee martini. So delish. It wasn't overly alcohol-y which is what I fear with martinis. Just the right amount of sweet and bitter. Got some more shishito peppers to start my meal off right, but I was in no mood to eat as much food again. For my main, I had a plate of katsu kare with an onsen egg on the side. I love me some fried pork and gravy! The color of the curry was dark and luscious and the taste was on point. Paired with that crispy pork cutlet... I could have died right then and there. Mostly from clogged arteries, but happiness, too. Y'all will be proud of me! I got an actual dessert this time: lychee sorbet. It had these squishy chunks of lychee in it. A very refreshing way to end a meal. Damage: $35.00. Going to a big city when you're from a small town does you no good; it just spoils you. I will never find an experience like Umai anywhere nearby. read more

It's great food and service! The ambiance is also very nice and the food doesn't take long to make. I've also ordered takeout from here and it was very good and fresh! read more

Great place to try amazing ramen, and udon! I went here for a dinner with my friends, and we got greeted at the door and sat down pretty quick. The restaurant seems small but enough space for large groups of people and tables! I loved all the decorations and painting. Their menu is pretty big and also great selection of drinks! I've had Gyoza for appetizers and these dumplings were so yummy! And also their delicious sushi rolls! One thing that I like about this place is you can order half or full amount of sushi rolls. In case you didn't want to eat too much! I've also tried their Deeping Noodle Udon (honestly forgot the name of it) but it had the best ramen I've ever tried! At first I was very confused on how to eat this dish, since it came with two bowls, but then figured it out. Anyway, it was very delicious and had no flaws at all. I'd recommend this place to anyone to try! read more

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Normally order the 10 piece omakase sushi but accidentally ordered the 10 piece sashimi omakase, while it's ok, I definitely recommend getting the sushi omakase instead. The sushi omakase comes with 10 different fish while the sashimi omakase only came with 7 kinds and actually repeated the fish that are of lesser quality (the escolar, salmon, and one other fish I can't remember the name of). Also the sashimi slices are smaller than sushi slices, don't come with rice, and the entree is $3 more expensive. Overall a worse deal. read more

Umai - Sushi omakase delivered. This entree also comes w salad and miso soup - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I just spent 20 minutes trying to sign-up for delivery on their website. It made me sign up for an account (really!?! as if I was going to regularly order from them without first trying the food?), deal with their password particulars (no special characters in 2020?), and "activate" my account (really, really!?!). Then my password didn't work when I tried to sign in. Thanks, but no thanks. It might have been user error, but it doesn't matter. There are plenty of Japanese & sushi restaurants around where I don't have to jump through hoops just to try their food. read more

Location is pretty big and very elegant. The service was outstanding!!! Blake (or Blais) was my waiter and he was so nice. Staff always refilled water w/o asking too which is always a plus. Had the Fresh Philly Roll, Chicago Roll & Mexicana Roll. Also in the order of favorite that night. The Mexicana was good but had a different taste b/c of the cilantro. The fresh philly roll had a lot of salmon & the cream cheese didn't overwhelm. read more

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Come here if you want to dig out bugs from your food! The food could've been so good if I didn't have to scrape the fly off my tongue. read more

Umai - Bugs - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wonderful service and good variety of food choices. We were craving sushi, so we did a chirashi bowl, a selection of nigiri, and a side of tempura. The fish was fresh and decent quality. Tempura was a bit soggy but good portion. We went pretty early for lunch, so I assumed the oil wasn't hot enough to get it super crispy like usual. My husband thought the sushi rice should be a bit softer than usual and didn't have the normal vinegar/sushi rice flavor. We were hoping to have some uni but too bad it's not the season for it! That didn't take away any stars, though. Overall we had a good experience but this is wasn't the best sushi we've had. read more

Umai - Tempura, Chirashi, inari, amaebi, scollops and fatty tuna - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Second time visited here. Order the same food as two years ago. Genuine! We came without reservations. But still found a good spot within 3min. Very crowded. Environment is very nice. But the gratification is counted automatically read more

Umai - Forgot the name... So good! Too much for a lady. Shared it with the other half. - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's taken some time and I'm not sure what changed but I now really really like Umai. I order take out once a week to get my sushi fix and I am a complete fan. My go to's are miso soup, spicy edamame, spicy tuna and a spicy scallop handroll. nom nom NOMS!!! I usually walk over to pick it up and they are almost always packed. If you want to dine in on a weekend make sure you make a reservation. read more

Absolutely beautiful restaurant- best Japanese I have had in a long while- maybe ever. Certainly the most enjoyable. The place was packed but it ran well, service impeccable, atmosphere bar none. We shared miso, seaweed salad and agadashi. I had some salmon/tuna rolls, he had udon noodles with tempura vegetables. We walked in there cold and hungry and it was an immediate soothing warm up- especially after my very first sip of miso. If I'm back here -ever- I will seek this place out again- which is the only place I could say that about all week. We had some good food but this was truly the only "wow" read more

Great place. Quick service and delicious food. Ordered the winter ramen on a cold January night and felt all warmed up immediately. Very tasty. So was the sushi. Small space, so try to beat the crowds if you're going on a weekend night. read more

My boyfriend and I went to dinner on a Thursday night. We tried to call ahead of time for a reservation but the waitress told us we didn't need them and told us to just walk in. Lo and behold, we walk in at the time we inquired about and we were told the wait would be at least 30 minutes. I felt a little conned but put down my name anyway. We just decided to make a quick trip to Target during our wait time. It ended up taking just around 30 minutes. We ordered: pork gyozas, spicy chicken wings, the Umai Crunchii roll, and the Spicy Roasted Garlic Pork Ramen. The pork gyozas were really good! Not sure if each gyoza was worth $1 but I have no complaints about the flavor itself. The sauce for the chicken wings was really good as well! Unfortunately, the majority of the wings were over fried and too dry. I believe there was only one wing that was cooked well and I was lucky enough to snag it from my boyfriend! The sushi roll was good as well. It fell apart too easily but very yummy. As for the ramen, the garlic was NO joke. Our breaths literally still smelled like garlic the next morning. The noodles were a little bitter but the broth was good. It was also a pretty large portion so the price tag was justified. Would definitely come again to try some of the other dishes on the menu! read more

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Take-out ramen isn't always the best because you miss out on the presentation aspect of the dish and have to put it together yourself at home, but, nonetheless, this was some of the best ramen I've had in the city. I had the Spicy Roasted Garlic Pork Ramen and my girlfriend had the Tonkotsu Ramen and we both loved them, especially the pork belly! Definitely will come back! read more

I know where to get dinner next time I am catching a movie at the showplace icon :) The fish qualities are pretty good, esp. we went on midweek. My experiences with some restaurants is that they are really good on the weekend but mediocre during the week. But Umai isn't the case at all. Though we aren't too sure why they use tapioca breading for agedashi tofu. Is that a trend since we recently saw it at another japanese restaurant as well. I didn't intend to, but when i picked up a piece of the tofu, the whole breading of that piece was stuck to the piece of tofu underneath it, so the breading came apart. Works for my benefit since i am not a fan of that tapioca breading :P The price is reasonable considering how fresh the fish qualities is. If it wasn't that far off of my area, it would def. be my go-to japanese place :) read more