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    Umai Umai

    4.2 (565 reviews)
    ModerateSushi Bars, Japanese
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:30 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    UMAI UMAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Intimate
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Umai Umai

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    Funnel Cake fries and Vanilla ice cream

    I went to Umai Umai yesterday evening and it was hands down the best sushi I've had in Philly so far. Such a great experience from start to finish. Our server, Krystina was amazing! She asked what kinds of flavors we like and gave us recommendations based on that and she was spot on. Let me start by saying they have the best miso soup. My friend got the Henrietta Roll and the Pingu Roll. I had the Krakken Roll and the Spirited Away Roll. I also had the vegetable gyoza (dumplings), which were really good. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and so good. We also had a rice "potato-style" appetizer topped with tuna that was sooooo good. For dessert we had funnel cake fries with vanilla ice ice cream... 10/10. It's a small corner spot with a really good vibe. Not too loud, not too quiet just a fun, lively atmosphere. Krystina checked on us consistently and had such a friendly, upbeat personality that made us feel really welcome. Food was a 10/10, service was a 10/10, and I'll definitely be back.

    Restaurant interior

    We arrived early after a whole day looking at art. The wind was blowing a chill so we began with miso soups, just right. Our waitress was attentive, friendly, helpful, and cool. We had the Henrietta and the Eternal Sunshine chef specials and they both played off each other wonderfully. Our waitress suggested a dessert, the banana wrapped and fried, with bean paste and vanilla ice cream, delicious! The atmosphere was warm and relaxed. Definitely would return, and if we lived here, we would be regulars. Highly recommended.

    Henrietta roll
    Riley C.

    Delish BYOB spot with fun rolls and fresh fish. Waitress suggested the Henrietta roll and she nailed it- so good.

    Inside

    Good food, very cute aesthetic and great service. Also byob so that's always amazing .

    Seafood Paella, Spicy salmon + spicy salmon roll, pad thai
    Andrea Q.

    Gone here a few times and haven't been disappointed! I got the Seafood Paella, and my friend got the pad thai, and we split a spicy tuna and spicy salmon roll. The seafood paella was an interesting take on a spanish classic that included green curry and mozzerella but I enjoyed their spin on it. My friend enjoyed the pad thai but it wasn't my particular taste when I had tried it. The sushi was fresh tasting and yummy. The ambience: Its super intimate and quiet which is great for conversation! Service was extremely nice and attentive. BYOB which is always a plus.

    Chirashi
    Clare D.

    A nice Chirashi bowl filled with many delicately sliced cuts of fish atop seasoned rice. I'm hoping to see a different set of fish next time I go. The portion size is on the smaller side so those with larger appetites should order an appetizer as well.

    Oyster Shooter, Crispy Rice Tots
    Alyson S.

    We loved our dinner here. A BYOB sushi place with creative rolls and a warm ambiance. Highly recommend the Tots to start with- these were amazing. Another highlight was the shrimp tempura. On to the entree, I got the Traffic Light and the Lost roll. Look how beautiful the Traffic Light is! Tasted delicious too. I will definitely be returning- think I found my go-to sushi joint!

    Spirited Away roll
    Natalie C.

    Heard fantastic things and was so excited to finally get to come to Umai Umai. Quaint inside to this Japanese BYOB. Few outdoor tables. Fantastic food quality. I'm still giving it 5-stars despite the terribly slow service, but there was one server for 15+ tables and we weren't in a rush. Here were the highlights - Half dozen oysters: three different sauces on top of these small oysters Scallop carpaccio: this was fricken AMAZING. Beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. Crispy rice tot: also amazing. So much so we ordered them a second time. The crispy rice, spicy tuna and avocado mousse...a party in your mouth. Henrietta roll: larger roll; absolutely fantastic and delicious Spirited Away roll: too much rice but overall decent flavor Ping Pong roll: slow flavorful profile that develops in your mouth as you chew. Yummyyyy Such an enjoyable meal. Can't wait to come back!

    Shishito Pepper & Edamame
    Khalil M.

    Definitely my favorite sushi spot. At some point in the last year or so, our favorite servers have left (or been replaced?). However, the sushi is still great. I'd say Umai Umai is a great sushi spot for folx on the fence about sushi. The Speciality rolls are DELICIOUS. My favorite of all time is Pingu, but decent runner ups include Krakken,Poseidon, Eternal Sunshine (like Ariana Grandes new album). Also LOVE the crispy rice tot and Brussels sprouts for apps! Small inside, but typically no wait to be seated during the week. Very nice outdoor seating in the warmer months.

    Traffic light with old avocado, canned crab. Gross
    David M.

    Have been coming to this place for years. Moved to another neighborhood (Fishtown ironically) and decided to revisit after several years absence. Just picked up NYE sushi for a quiet night at home with my wife and I can't express how poor the fish quality was. Poorly cut. Mushy rice. The lowest priced whitefish in the mixed Nigiri/Sashimi combo. The traffic light, a fixture of this place, seemed day-old. There is no talent left in this place outside the service staff. But that is not enough to ever bring me back here. Same prices, bad sushi.

    Spirited Away
    Phylicia H.

    Food 3/5 Service 3/5 Atmosphere 5/5 This restaurant has been on my list for awhile and I finally checked it out last night. It sadly wasn't the best experience :( Very cute neighborhood restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating available. My bf and I dined outside and brought a few drinks with us. Nice quiet area in the neighborhood. Service was just okay. Our waiter took forever to place our orders, never refilled our waters, forgot to give us utensils so we grabbed it ourselves, and the entrees took a while to come out. Food wasn't bad, but it also didn't stand out. For apps, we ordered the seaweed salad and tapas for two. All of the tapas were just okay. For entrees, we shared the crispy spicy scallop roand spirited away roll. We were shocked at how small the portion size was when it came out. I thought the sushi was good, but my bf didn't like it at all. Kept mentioning it was too much rice on the rolls. We were still hungry and wanted to order another roll but decided not to because it took forever for our food to come out and we didn't want to wait a long time. So we left and picked up a slice of pizza to fill our hunger.

    Oyster Shooters
    Monica T.

    Yummy BYO sushi spot in Fairmount! Our service was quick, friendly, and knowledgable. Food was. served quickly and tasted delicious and fresh. The restaurant is walking distance from Whole Foods where you can grab some stuff to bring for the BYO aspect. It's not a massive space I recommend a reservation for Thurs, Fri, and Saturday. I'm not sure about the other nights and their availability but a reservation never hurts!

    Justina A.

    The smallest sushi rolls I've ever seen The sushi is so thin! Probably around half the size of standard rolls at other sushi restaurants. The rolls were also subpar, in my opinion. Scallop carpaccio - refreshing & very pretty plating! - thin slices of scallop w/ a citrus-soy sauce with ginger, chives, and olive oil Spirited Away specialty roll - tuna with crab, cucumber, avocado - very muted flavors Godzilla specialty roll - shrimp tempura with avocado, strawberry - I was a little confused by the mix of flavors in this roll, but my friend really enjoyed this one Eternal Sunshine specialty roll - escolar (similar to a white tuna according to the waitress), cucumber, avo, salmon, with a blueberry-balsamic and apricot miso - this was my favorite roll of the night - unique flavors and I liked the escolar Spicy salmon basic roll - tiny!! - just a standard spicy salmon roll - more rice than salmon Eel basic roll - I usually love eel, but the eel here was oddly fishy I wouldn't recommend coming here for sushi. I've had better sushi in the city. The prices here are pretty steep for what you get.

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    Double Knot

    Double Knot

    4.3
    (1.6k reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Took my friend who was visiting from out of town here and we all loved it! The downstairs space is…read moreintimate, moody, and beautiful--I'd definitely return for a date night. We did the chef's tasting menu, which I highly recommend. It was so much fun (and a little overwhelming) choosing 10 dishes, but everything we ordered was delicious. Our favorites were the ice cream, miso eggplant robatayaki, spicy tuna roll, and salmon sashimi. Great service and an overall wonderful experience. Definitely a place I'd recommend!

    P tried on multiple SHEIN tops to go with her high-waisted Levi's before dinner. This was a Monday…read morehappy hour and she didn't want to overdress. She wore heels anyway. Left 25 minutes later than planned. [Fast forward: the guy next to us was wearing a full suit.] We arrived at 5:30 and were told the wait for a walk-in was 20 minutes, so we went to Graffiti Bar next door. P wanted a marg, which was not on the cocktail menu, so the bartender asked what kind of tequila. P said Patrón. We started our happy hour evening with $45 cocktails. The wait was actually only 10 minutes, but they give you a 10-minute grace period once they text you, so we had to chug nevertheless. There is a pipe that says "warm" as you walk in. Touch at your own risk. Now at Double Knot. We ordered the tuna roll and salmon rolls. Good, but not that good. J wanted the yaki soba and liked it. P liked the pork potstickers. J ordered a Sapporo and an argument ensued about how to pronounce "a" in Japanese and/or other Asian languages. A professional woman once scolded J for mispronouncing Wang. We then played odds to determine whether J would turn his Sapporo into a sake bomb using P's sake. Both guessed 5. The sake did in fact "bomb," erupting all over the table and causing a scene. The wait staff did not notice because the ambiance, while "lit," is actually pretty dark. Coast clear. For revenge, we played odds again. P lost and was forced to put soy sauce in her sake and chug it. She took it like a champ. The waitress complimented P's top as we left. Margs at the pourover bar next door: $45. Rolls at Double Knot happy hour: $8. A compliment on a $3.69 top after arriving 36 minutes later than planned: priceless. 7/10.

    Photos
    Inside bar area
    Inside bar area
    Robatayaki Skewers
    Robatayaki Skewers
    Inside

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    Inside
    Terakawa Ramen

    Terakawa Ramen

    4.3
    (2.1k reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Been multiple times. Hands down our favorite ramen in the city…read more It's easier to get a seat for one or two at the bar. But if you go with a bigger group you can always sign onto the waitlist and walk around Chinatown until your table is ready. I like the spicy ramen with shredded pork. But all are really good. I usually get the takoyaki balls but their buns are good too. Service is usually pretty timely and you're in and out. Stomach full. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

    Been here twice while in Philly...first time was looking for a place to eat for dinner...and came…read moreacross this gem of place. There was luckily no line for both times we came but seated by the counter. Menus are online, so need to scan the barcode to read it on your phone. Plenty to choose from... Appetizers, main dishes and beverages. Drinks: had cold green tea and hot green tea Appetizers: fried gyoza and potato croquette which were good. Pork buns if you are hungry are filling and good. the chicken katsu don - definitely enough to share...rice with chicken and egg and sauce inside.. you can add additional spices and sauce to flavor as needed. Highly recommend the charsu don which we got the most recent tried - very flavorful with the sauce it comes with and we finished it up. Best dish I had the entire trip in Philly! Thank you!!! Friendly staff and service. Common restroom for customers. Will definitely come back we're back in town!

    Photos
    Terakawa Ramen
    Charsiu onigiri
    Charsiu onigiri
    Mayu so good

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    Mayu so good
    Sagami

    Sagami

    4.3
    (740 reviews)
    5.5 mi
    $$$

    If you're looking for really good sushi and Japanese food, I recommend this place. I saw Japanese…read morecustomers dining there. It's a good sign that that they serve legit food. Enoki and egg soup is my favorite appetizer. Light broth with umami and perfect saltiness. My second favorite appetizer is agedashi tofu. So silky like pudding with light teriyaki broth. Beef roll up with scallions: beef is tender with some kind of sweet teriyaki sauce. It's pretty good. Eggplant filled with ground chicken. It looks appealing but unfortunately a bit too greasy. The sushi here is very special. The sushi rice is silky and moist. The fish piece is bigger than the rice. The eel is a must try here. It's very big compared to the rice underneath it. It very flavorful too. Mt entree is steamed salmon with seafood broth. I recommend squirting the lemon to the broth to make it taste like yuzu sauce as it lightens the whole dish and makes it less fishy.

    And another three years have passed, another excuse to catch up with old friends. Sagami worked…read moreout well again. PRO: I will say, if you want a place where you can sit and have a conversation, dark mood lighting (especially forgiving if the last time you saw each other alot was 20 years ago! - LOL), Sagami is an excellent choice. PRO: They don't rush you out - take your time. It was a Thursday night, so not especially busy when we came at 6:30 PM. CON: I could not find an updated menu online - I'm one of those people who like to peruse a menu in advance. I started with a vegetable tempura appetizer ($10) - excellent, light, airy, tasty. My main was the dragon roll - very tasty. Service was quite nice. Appetizers came out almost immediately, the rolls took a lot longer to get to our table. This is the kind of place where you're not paying to fill up your belly - but if you do, expect to shell out some bucks.

    Photos
    Sagami
    Chirashi
    Chirashi
    New tea pot

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    New tea pot
    Morimoto

    Morimoto

    4.3
    (2.2k reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$$$

    We chose it because it's one of Chef Morimoto's restaurants, and as an Iron Chef fan, it was worth…read morechecking out. We were seated at the sushi bar, which ended up being one of the best parts of the night. We got to watch the sushi chefs prepare dishes up close and even chat with them a bit, which made the experience feel more personal and fun. I would recommend requesting this if you are a party of one or two. The restaurant itself has a very clean, sleek look, with mostly white decor. It feels modern and upscale without being cold. The space is large enough that it doesn't feel crowded, but still intimate enough for a nice dinner. Our server was fantastic and gave great recommendations for cocktails, sake, and dishes. I tried a sake flight and ended up not enjoying it, and he kindly brought me something else with no issue and didn't charge for the flight, which I really appreciated. The sushi was fresh, and every dish we had was seasoned perfectly. They have seasonal tasting menus if you are more adventurous. The dishes are beautifully plated. Overall, this was a great experience and I'd definitely recommend Morimoto for a higher-end dinner in Philly, especially if you're a fan of TV chefs or just want a memorable sushi experience.

    The food here was absolutely... acceptable. I had sushi and my husband had katsu and both were…read morecertainly in the upper 50th percentile of Japanese food we'd ever had. That being said, it was expensive for what it was. We came in a large group, some of them being particularly excited that they offered gluten free ramen. However, I don't think any of us expected to pay what we did. Philly is a city with SO many food options, so if I want good food at a cheaper price, I think I'd pass on Morimoto again. Side note. Very interesting lighting fixtures at the tables.

    Photos
    The coolest
    The coolest
    Hirame sashimi
    Hirame sashimi
    Ootoro sushi

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    Ootoro sushi
    Royal Sushi & Izakaya

    Royal Sushi & Izakaya

    4.4
    (435 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    We have been met with perfection. I can leave this planet…read moreone day happy in knowing I have had The...Best. Royal's announcement on they starting to take reservations, a few months ago, immediately had me in stalker mode. I set a calendar reminder, waited for the day, hopped on & bang- success!! Another Philly weekend awaited, Yea! We arrived at Royal (apologies on review delay, circa April 11), for our 8:30pm high top table reservation. We were greeted and seated immediately- right side corner table ready. It's very dim in Royal, small but mobile and a bit noisy. Nothing unexpected. Skating over service, but they are so noteworthy. Our server was attentive, kind and helpful. They HUSSLE here to bus and clear tables. Timing for patrons arriving and being sat was like it was scripted, it was so flawless. No one waiting at the entrance corridor on arrival. Machine precision. Now, our meal- I'm drooling in my daydreams over it. We tried many plates & loved the portion size to be able to do so. The chicken wings- crisp, thick golden fried and tender. The toro with caviar- silk. A touch of brine, a melt in your mouth pleasure. The grilled octopus had an unassuming spice, mellow char and just the right consistency of chew. My husband ordered a surprise- I was scared. Fish heads. WTF, ok here we go. The plate came- heads on heads, quite the portion. This fish- first bite down, intimidation gone. This is one of the best things we've ever eaten. Succulent, moist fall apart whitefish. Didn't even taste like it was battered, no thickness to the breading. It tasted fried but so clean it didn't make sense how good it was. I don't have words. And now we get to the sushi- and I go completely mute.... There is no description worthy here. We had the Dragon Roll and the Spicy Crab Tempura roll. Can we call them the "Die and gone to heaven rolls". Fall apart fresh. Quality. Restrained, but pronounced. Pure. Insane. How can you describe food you will always remember. Except in having passion and a simple happy heart. This is what Royal gave us- in a sushi roll and a fish head. Thanks Jesse and team- simply the best!

    I've always loved the Queen Village area, so I already liked the location of Royal Izakaya going…read morein. One thing though, the restaurant was surprisingly hard to find because there really isn't much signage on the entrance/door. But there's a paper lantern outside, so if you see that, you're in the right place. I had really high expectations coming here and thankfully I wasn't disappointed, although nothing completely blew me away except for the Aka Taka roll. The chirashi bowl was solid overall and had good quality cuts of fish for $52. Everything tasted fresh and balanced, but next time I think I'd personally just order the sakedon instead. The chasu bao also wasn't really worth the $14 in my opinion. It was still good, just not something memorable or mind blowing. Same with the wagyu steak, for $38, it honestly just tasted like a really good steak, and the portion was a little smaller than I expected. My favorite appetizer was definitely the miso eggplant. Such a unique combination of flavors and the eggplant was cooked incredibly soft and well. It almost tasted like a sweet potato with the miso on top, and I would absolutely order it again. But the standout of the night was easily the Aka Taka roll. For a $27 roll, I had very high expectations and somehow they were all met. The roll was stuffed with different cuts of tuna that were unbelievably soft and buttery, and there was this crunch in the middle, maybe daikon? Whatever it was, it added the perfect texture. Honestly, it's something I'd go back just for.

    Photos
    Pickup window
    Pickup window
    Wagyu tartare with caviar
    Wagyu tartare with caviar
    A Old Fashioned Variation and the Cherry Blossom

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    A Old Fashioned Variation and the Cherry Blossom

    Umai Umai - sushi - Updated August 2026

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