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Beyond grateful to have met the chefs behind @umamiomakase serving up quality imported fish from Japan and certificate grade meats and vegetables in a delicious, flavorful, and well crafted 18-course meal‼ Thank you so much for having me for my birthday
Gary and his team were absolutely amazing at this omakase. They explained every bite and even showed the full fish so we knew what we were eating. We also had the sake pairing and our waitress did a great job catering the sake to our needs. I loved the intimate setting of the bar and everyone was so nice and attentive. Definitely coming back here when people visit. 10/10 omakase experience, I think my favorite bite was the umami spoon and wagyu nigiri
So much of omakase (and food in general) comes down to taste but I thought many of the pieces/dishes at Umami were just okay, with a handful of standouts. For the price point, especially since a kitchen appreciation fee is not included in the base price, I was expecting to walk away wowed. My impressions: 1. Umami is a 30-person omakase with counter + tables. Even though we sat at the counter and got to see the chefs at work, I thought it took away from the intimate ambiance a little, especially when the chef had to shout to the rest of the restaurant to indicate what we were eating. 2. In other omakase places, you have one chef explaining the fish and how it's presented. Here, it got messy - with some pieces, the chef did the explaining; other times, our waiter did; and the recurring theme of showing us the actual fish on a platter beforehand wasn't necessary. Nor was showing us the certificate for the wagyu, which just felt weird (yes, I trust you are serving me what you say you are serving me). 3. Some of the flavors did not mesh well together and there seemed to be more of an emphasis on jamming different ingredients together rather than letting the flavor of the fish shine. I'm a sushi purist so already I'm starting at a baseline of just give me the fish and rice. - I was turned off by the raw fish and fruit jello at the beginning (a strange flavor/texture mishmash and frankly a disservice to the fish). - Same for the sashimi and pineapple salsa. The combo of sweet, spicy, and fishy was strange. - Fatty tuna, regular tuna, and caviar may sound good on paper but in practice, the taste of fatty tuna just overwhelms everything else. A slab of the tuna on its own would have sufficed. - The non-fish dishes ranged from stellar (noodles with crabmeat and roe) to eh (duck breast was overcooked, wagyu could have used with less seasoning). I am not a fan of fois gras so the appeal of that piece was lost on me. 4. Where Umami excelled were the simpler dishes and pieces (like horse mackerel topped with green onion and some sesame; the crab noodles; and a stunning hand-roll of unagi and silky tamago). 5. Parking: On busy Mass Ave so budget some time in advance to find a spot.
Incredible dinning experience from the food to the service. It's a very intimate ambiance - It was only and us and two other couples. This made the entire dining experience feel very personal. We did the 18 course experience and opted to add a 19th course. While I was full at the end, I was "the right kind of full." They have a great sake selection as well and you can choose to do a pairing. The staff showed us each of the full fishes that were eating and explained where they came from, which was such a nice touch. Our waiter found out we were getting married and celebrating the wedding countdown, and he brought out a dessert with sparklers. All in all, it was such a great experience and I'd return here in a heartbeat.
An intimate, cozy setting with on point ambience and service -- truly perfect for a special occasion. It was funny because nearly every single table/reservation there the night we dined was a birthday celebration (including us). Each dish was fresh, beautifully presented, and thoughtfully created. The pacing was great, the sake recommendations were amazing, and we left feeling like we just had a wonderful meal and dining experience. The staff, including the chef, all took the time to talk to every customer, on top of introducing every part of the meal. Definitely get a counter reservation to watch the magic happen up close. It's pretty amazing to think the small, intimate staff work so hard to produce a flawless night for the first round of reservations, then do it all again for the second round.
If I could give more than 5 stars I would! Umami was nothing short of perfection. The restaurant is intimate, the service impeccable, the food... the FOOD! The 18 course omakase menu is a well crafted, well thought out, incredible dining experience. This was my first Omakase meal and after Umami... it will not be my last. I was a little nervous going into this - but the way the menu is laid out and the way the fish is presented and prepared - it was amazing. The staff is knowledgeable and patient and they will happily discuss each course with you.
Great omakase place! Considered how expensive omakase is in Boston in general, I think this place is good for the price. Most of the pieces are delicious. I love the seafood egg custard (especially the sauce on top), the squid nigiri and the scallop nigiri. The chef is very friendly and accommodating. I would say the signature dish, the one with uni, quill egg and salmon row is a bit disappointing though since all three have specific flavors, and when you put them all together, their unique flavors are cancelled out. Maybe I prefer their original flavors a bit more. The ambiance is a bit lagging in my opinion. I would expect a place with such price point to be a bit more delicate with ambiance. In general, definitely worth a try especially if you haven't been to any omakase before.
1.5-1.8/5 TL;DR: SUPER LONG REVIEW - not a true omakase and more of a tasting menu. Modern sushi fusion gone wrong. SO overpriced. Took 3 hours My friends and I wanted to try an omakase spot when visiting Boston and decided on this spot due to all the good reviews. The interior is cute, and service is nice. We quickly realized that everyone in the restaurant were doing the omakase, so they are serving ~30-40ish people simultaneously. RED FLAGS/Negatives: --Serving 30-40 people at once: can cause delays/timing issues --A lot of the pieces of fish/nigiri were pre-cut --First dish of Miso Soup was so bland (bad start) --Sushi chefs were handling iPads with their hands then handling the food directly after --They tried to upsell dishes (like Japanese uni) party by party: when we declined the salesman made a condescending comment "oh, you don't like uni?" Like no, we do; but you are aggressively upselling it to us --It was ~10+ minutes in between dishes --Experience took almost 3 hours (they said they were down a sushi chef) --Rice was so weird (each grain was a different size and was coated in something weird) FOOD RATINGS by order (see pics for more): ~Miso Soup (2/5): bland and clam was overcooked ~Oyster with tomato puree (2/5): oyster was raw and temperature was on the warmer side. Tomato puree seemed like an odd choice ~Assorted cuts of fish with fruit and fruit gel (1/5): what even was this. It tasted like a fruit cocktail with jello and pieces of fish ~The spoon (5/5): toro, quail egg, ikura, uni, and caviar on a spoon. Tasted good ~Spanish Mackerel (3/5): mid ~Chopped salmon with yuzu tobiko and sweet cream cheese (1/5): I assume this was their play on like a bagel and lox. They said to mix it up and eat, and it just tasted like sweet cream cheese, and the texture was off-putting. Honestly, disrespectful to the fish. ~Aji (I think)(2.5/5): Mid ~Snapper (3/5): Mid ~Multiple types of toro with caviar (4/5): can't go wrong with toro, but rice and temp made me dock a star ~Chawanmushi (2.5/5): had a shrimp and scallop on top which were both severely overcooked. The egg was decent, but the soy gel on top was tasty but strange texture (maybe too much agar agar or something) ~Baby squid (2/5): Could only taste mayo ~Scallop (3/5): large piece of scallop; but just wrapped in some nori ~Another type of snapper (2.5/5): meh ~Smoked duck breast (2.5/5): great presentation; half warm, half cold. Very dry ~Wagyu (3/5): can't mess up wagyu, but it was just okay and the topping did not complement the wagyu ~Foie Gras (4/5): Foie gras was torched and tasty but ruined by the bad rice ~Unagi Tamago (3.5/5): decent but nothing special ~Mango Mousse (1/5): As a lover of dessert, I was so disappointed. Overly sweet, and again had some kind of gel. I haven't had a disappointing meal like this in a very long time. It took WAY too long; was WAY too expensive; was NOT an omakase; did NOT taste good.
Some things are unassuming - whether it be by looks, size, or substance. Umami at first glance is indeed all of these things being located in small space with not much signage or ability to see into the dining room that fits about 35-50 people total and has a very clean but minimalist decor. However, to write it off without truly understanding WHAT they are trying to accomplish is a tragic mistake. My wife took me for my birthday, citing we were going to a "special occasion" spot, and there is truly no greater description for Umami. Umami was a truly ethereal experience from start to finish. I will say that it was probably THE most expensive meal we've ever had, but it's not a place that we walked away from feeling cheated at the price point. That is one of the things that worries me with high-end places in Boston... about 50% of them you walk away thinking "that was good, but for the price "x" place was better"; well, that was NOT the case for Umami, which made it that much more impressive of an experience. Umami is not your run-of-the-mill omakase place, there is no ala carte menu except for their blackboard specialty items (more on that later). You have a choice of two different omakase offerings during two fixed seating times and either drinks by glass or an expertly selected sake pairing. What this does is allows the chefs to shift and morph the menu to whatever is seasonal and available (mostly from Japan for the proteins), eliminating the sometimes daunting amount of choices to make during a fine dining experience. No, here you show up, make ~2 choices, then sit back and enjoy the show and experience... because that is what Umami is: an interactive experience that is centered around a 2-3 hour meal. I wouldn't come here expecting your usual sushi rolls or nigiri... this is Japanese food taken to the next level and beyond. There's no jars of soy sauce or saucers of wasabi and pickled ginger to destroy and overwhelm the delicate, top of the line ingredients. No, Umami and its chefs create some of the most thoughtful and nuanced bites and dishes that will ever grace your palate. This may be offputting to some people, who believe they know best and refuse to change or try something different... but believe me, the chefs know what is best in terms of handling and transforming these ingredients into something that I don't know I could have ever imagined. While you may see the commonly known and ordered sushi such as ahi/bluefin/bigeye/yellowfin tuna and the fatty/regular salmon, they are not the selections that pop out as unique or imaginative (but they did account for some of the best sushi I've ever had in their respective categories). You will find many different fish that can only be found in the waters surrounding Japan and are flown in fresh 2x/week. This includes Japanese Fluke, Hokkaido A+ uni (considered the best in the world), and Wagyu beef (including the certificate of authenticity and credentialing). You also get a look into ingredients I have never seen treated in the ways they were at Umami such as the Japanese langostina and foi gras dishes, both quickly seared with a blow torch to add a little bit of texture to an otherwise smooth and sweet protein. Even if you do not fancy a specific protein or ingredient (such as foi gras for me...), you should indulge with an open mind. There was not a single mediocre or "okay" bit of food that was served during our experience. Even the tomago (baked/steamed egg) was stepped up from your typical, bland offering in the sushi world. There are two different seating choices: the sushi chef bar or standard seating. I would recommend the sushi chef bar so you get to interact with the chefs and see how much work, effort, and talent goes into the creation of each dish. As a home cook myself, seeing the art of butchering the fish and the slight of hand demanded to create such dishes gives an additional level of appreciation for the experience and how the menu is executed. I cannot put the overall experience into words, even after everything I've laid out above. It exceeded any and all expectations for a meal, even at THIS price point. I have been to various Michelin-starred restaurants and even those couldn't have prepared me for the Umami experience. The combination of food, service, entertainment, and atmosphere was at times almost overwhelming as I tried to take it all in. Did either of us have any regrets, especially at the price point? Absolutely NOT. Will we be back? Most definitely. Will it be soon? Not as soon as we would like; perhaps for the next special occasion, whenever that may be... but I WILL be back. If I had the means, I would frequent Umami whenever I could (and plan to do that!). It is one of the only places in Boston that I would say MUST be experienced at some point or another, as it changed the way I will view fine dining in the city. It has raised an already high bar in an amazing food city, and may have stolen the crown.
I appreciate the intimate setting with the diners all around the counter overseeing the chefs at work. While each of the courses was delicious, I was a little disappointed in the various non-fish dishes - not that they were not good, they were but I usually expect the focus of the experience to involve mostly fish. While in concept majority of the courses were yummy there were some courses where there was a lot going on that it took away from the main focus of that course, the fish which then cause the flavor of that fish to be masked and over powered by the various sauces and garnishes. There is a fine line between creativity and flavor. At the end of the day, taste/presentation is subjective - the experience was still great, the food was good, the staff friendly, I like how they would bring around some of the fish (the whole fish) and talk a little about the origin and the taste profile. Still a spot worth checking out and great for if you aren't a huge raw fish person but want to dabble in it since there is a good variety in the courses like duck, shrimp, crab, wagyu.
Definite could be a upper-mid tier omakase on my list that fits its price range. Food is delicious but still have rooms for creativity, instead of just torched nigiris and wagyu. The restaurant could do some refurbishment to add more omakase atmosphere. Servers are super nice and attentive to customers but I still confused they have us wait about 10 minutes before seating. BUT, Overall it's worthy the money, will try again to expects some course designs for the chef, he's a great guy!
Fantastic! I have only been here the once, but I was advised from another friend that has been here, that their menu doesn't change frequently, so while amazing, a wait between visits is the best way to have a new experience. The atmosphere was great, though they provide everything to the entire group, discuss the dish, at which point you take your bite, which is a departure from other Omakase experiences that I have had. I look forward to returning possibly for my birthday!
I highly recommend this place for omakase! It's reasonably priced as far as omakase goes (less than $200pp). I recommend the saki pairing. Service was great and food was phenomenal. Everything was unique and delicious.
2 years ago
This place is a hidden gem!!!! We got the omakase + 3 sakes and the bafun uni. The service was incredible, they even show you the fresh fish that they got. Everyone was sweet, quick and professional. I love the experience seating at the bar too. I like their selection of the sakes. I'll dream about the fois gras, waygu and the blue fin tuna until who knows when. I also love that it's a mix between nigiri and other dishes like steamed egg and clam miso soup (so flavorful). I like their yuzu cheesecake for dessert too. Overall, a great omakase place to celebrate and forget about your budget read more
2 years ago
I love omakase. I love the experience it takes you throughout the meal. There were a few highlights for sure that made my eyes sparkle and some that was just ok for me. But again, the meal can't always peak, peak , peak. I enjoyed most of my omakase, and loved presentation. The staff was very nice and accommodating. For the price I paid, I wish I got more. I wish I was "wow"ed more. But other than that, the experience was fun. read more
2 years ago
This was a wonderful dining experience. We were seated around the bar with other customers, starting at the same time the dinner experience. The multiple course menu encompassed various fish, sushi, meat selections with elegant presentation and delicious taste. We finished with an awesome desert at the end. read more
Made reservations via Yelp for an 8pm omakase seating. They were preparing courses when we arrived, but we were served some good (miso) soup after watching their meticulous handiwork for about 15 minutes. They announced each course by sharing where the main ingredient was sourced from, as well as accompanying ingredients. Favorites were the langoustine, steamed egg with shrimp, scalloped scallop, foie gras, eel/tamago taco, and the flair of the A5 Wagyu and gold dust nigiri. They demonstrated a well-thought out menu with their elevated nigiri, incorporating complementary flavors and textures. Came out to ~$175 per person for 18 courses (tax and tip included). Efficient and attentive servers - our drinks were always full and plates were cleared with unrushed subsequent courses. Nice date or special occasion meal with ambiance lighting. read more
3 years ago
3.5/5 This omakase experience as a whole was averaging between a 3.5 and a 4 for me but taking the location and their lack of competition in the immediate area into consideration as well as the food and experience, I feel that a 3.5/5 is fair. Walking in you are greeted with hearty welcomes shouted by chefs and since we arrived about 15 minutes early to the resy, there was a wait but that was expected. What was not expected was the additional wait time of over 15 minutes after the anticipated starting time to be served the first course which is the soup. Personally I think that the soup should've came out quicker and making guests who show up on time wait longer is bad time management since the menu is already a pre fixe. The interior was a well lit open counter with a clean design and I appreciated the pretty ceiling art while I was waiting for the first course to be served. The bathroom is to the back of a dim area so be sure to watch your step. Onto the individual pieces! The servers/hosts were especially kind to repeat the pieces as they saw that I was taking notes while we ate. 1. Miso soup with clam and wakame - tastes homey and a good temp to start off the course 2. Cape cod oyster: citrusy fresh but uneven sizes would have expected a more exotic pick for the price point and the presentation but we are just starting so the hope is still there. My companion got a better looking piece so having that side by side made me sad lol 3. White fish from New Zealand: ceviche salad that enhanced the umami of the sashimi pieces that left a bright aftertaste in my mouth 4. Umami spoon : toro topped with caviar and ikura on the side this was a spoonful o umami indeed 5. Salmon cup: sashimi with light cream and ikura and diced cucumbers - definitely a good switch from the light tasting umami spoon, the dish packed a fuller bite with deeper body 6. Hotate - lightly torched with yuzu salt and tempura flakes - the contrast of the buttery scallop with the flakes was very enjoyable and definitely closed out the sashimi course with a wow 7. Sea bream cucumber foam - the cucumber provides a refreshing taste with the chewy fish 8. Shima aji with Apple Roshi and chives - very tender and a great piece in contrast to many places that torch their shima aji 9. Hirami White fish topped with fois gras - taste like the ocean with a little kick 10. Chawamushi- steamed egg topped with shrimp and scallop. It was a nice palette cleanser 11. Sakura masu (seasonal piece) - straight from Japan!! very meaty and while it was good fish, there wasn't a particular wow factor 12. Mackerel topped with ginger scallion - loved the kick from the ginger scallion mixed with the chewier fish 13. Bluefin toro topped with caviar and truffle shaving: lean tuna slightly torched and this is a combination that cannot go wrong 14. Smoked Duck breast on a bed of enoki : smoky presentation along with a very welcoming scent, the bites were also firm and well seasoned 15. A5 wagyu topped with French friesss - cannot go wrong with this and the crispy fried flakes were an amazing contrast 16. Fois gras with some purée topping (didn't listen ) absolutely delicious 17. Homemade poke bowl - standout was the Rice Krispies that added the crunchy texture besides the nori I honestly wish that there was another featured fish for this bowl as there was a salmon bowl served already earlier in the course. I preferred this one over #5 though 18. Homemade yuzu pana cotta - very rich and not too sweet :) Overall considering the price point of $168 (only on Weds and Thurs) and the added 20% in house service fee, this was an "as it should" experience. I liked the pieces and individually it was great! The uni add on especially at $25 a piece broke my heart as I've had experiences at lower prices that included the uni piece so I could not bring myself to add it. Another very small detail: I saw that lots of comments saying the chefs noticed how people were left handed so they placed the piece accordingly but I did not see that treatment for my lefty companion either. TLDR: Overall a 3.5 for me but the ingredients are fresh and the staffs are friendly. Please see the 3 stars as an encouragement to try out the omakase and hopefully you'll enjoy your time like I did overall! read more
4 years ago
Course Omakase, it's better than what I expected, we will be back again sooner. But the sake inventory not much backup. read more
Tried Umami twice and each time was excellent. First time we sat at the bar and there was a presentation of how the sushi is made. Second time around we sat at a table due to our large size party. 18 course dinner including dessert, you will leave Umami very satisfied! Sushi piece were bigger at other restaurants with lots of protein variations - fish, duck, scallops, foei gras, wagyu. The restaurant isn't big but it has plenty of seats at the sushi bar and several other tables. It's a clean environment without many decorations. I'd go back once a yea just to see how the menu differs. read more
My boyfriend surprised me with reservations at this omakase for our anniversary and it was one of the best meals I've ever had!!! We had 16 courses and left with a very happy tummy! My favorite pieces that I tried were the Kampachi, red snapper, hirami, toro, wagyu and foie gras. All the other pieces were super fresh and delicious too but those were extremely good. The sushi chef seemed super knowledgeable and introduced every dish. The starters were super good too, they took a simple salmon sashimi and added a twist with a sweet sauce that was perfect with the fish. Overall it was definitely worth the price. The staff is so kind and attentive. This is a small shop but love the aesthetics and felt so satisfied after this meal. Definitely recommend everyone to give this place a try!! read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
Chef Gary is amazing. Super delicious omakase experience. Inventive sushi. Fun atmosphere. Extremely pleasant service. Super full at the end. Will be back! Two seatings 5:30pm and 8pm. read more
I came here for my boyfriend's promotion dinner and was seriously impressed! The service, atmosphere, and food was genuinely impeccable and unforgettable. We did the 18-course omakase with a 4-glass sake pairing and I would come back here in a heartbeat for a special occasion. There are two main reasons this place stuck out to me as opposed to other omakase I have been to (notably, O Ya in Boston). Firstly, the service is almost choreographed. You see the chef preparing the food and once the dishes are ready to serve, he announced to everyone what that plate includes. The servers then proceed to give everyone the dish. It creates a great community feel where everyone is enjoying the experience together. At O Ya, the reservations were staggered so everyone in the restaurant was dining at different times. The last reason this place stands out to me is that it was all about the fresh fish. That is the star of the show. The flavor wasn't drowned out by intricate sauces or mounds of caviar. There of course was sauce and there was caviar, but it never overpowered the sashimi. It was a perfect balance of flavors that was so carefully designed by the chef. Omakase overall is a very expensive experience, but if that is something you are willing to pay for I would definitely recommend Umami! read more
Those who have read my other reviews know that I am biased towards two criteria when rating restaurant experiences: value for money, and value for location. I must admit that I did not pay for this meal out of pocket, and therefore didn't feel the sting of paying $$$ for this omakase experience to make the unbiased judgment on whether or not this experience was worth the price. But outside the context of value for money, in an attempt to review based on pure experience, service, and taste, especially for the Boston area, this is a 5 star experience. The omakase counter is intimate without being overwhelming. The chefs explain each course before tasting. While I was not able to take detailed notes on all 18 courses, some highlights are below: - Foie Gras Nigiri - Yuzu Panna Cotta - Unagi & Tamago - Firefly Squid - Waygu Nigiri (with flakes of gold, that I failed to capture on video) - Duck breast on a bed of baby mushrooms - Toro cheek nigiri - Egg custard (chawanmushi) - Oyster - Uni spoon with quail egg - Mackerel The uni spoon with quail egg in particular rivals that of Uni, the restaurant whose moniker derived from their famous uni spoon. One member of our dining party was a pescatarian, and the staff was able to make adjustments to the menu and set aside special courses for her. The sake pairing was delightful and elevated the entire omakase experience. Overall I am glad to have found such a fresh take on omakase in Boston - this is truly an experience for a special occasion that is as on-par with New York omakase as it's going to get here. read more
4 years ago
On a trip to Boston, we chose on Friday to dine here for dinner and lunch at Neptune Oyster. I tried my best to scour Yelp for traditional edomae omakase but seemingly the two options were O Ya and Umami for an omakase style meal. The service here is excellent and the head chef Gary (I believe) is friendly and responded well to my questions. I knew ahead of time that this was not a traditional omakase so I tempered my expectations for the nigiri. This omakase contains very premium ingredients (bluefin tuna, uni, A5 Miyazaki, foie gras, caviar, duck, and other carefully sourced ingredients) and you should feel satiated after the meal. All the dishes were beautifully presented and were an aesthetic feast for the eyes. My main qualms were with the use of fruit salsas/adornments and how the sushi shari was prepared. Personally, I don't like fruit/sweet tastes with raw fish so the dishes that featured fruit weren't exactly my cup of tea. I don't think a casual omakase diner would notice as much but at traditional edomae establishments, you will be able to notice the difference of the rice disbursement, flavor, and texture of the rice. The shari here certainly isn't the best and certainly not the worst; I would call it more middle of the line with the rice pressed a bit too firmly and a slight stickiness/gumminess and in need of more seasoning. The sushi was also being prepared in a brigade type system (3 chefs wading through a single nigiri), so this wasn't conducive to the most amazing sushi as the sushi should be dressed and served immediately from the hands of a singular chef. Overall, happy about the meal and left satisfied. read more
3 years ago
I can't tell if I've been spoiled by NYC omakase. This place definitely felt a bit chaotic. Everything was served super quick like a factory assembly line. Some pieces were kind of sloppy in the beginning. But with so many people at the bar and regular seating who ordered omakase, I guess it's to be expected. The rice for the first couple of pieces felt really mushy and was falling apart easily. Later on the course the new batch of rice came out which was slightly better and pieces were a bit less sloppy. read more
An easy 5 stars for an Omakase menu that was incredibly executed. It's hard to review these types of experiences, because the menu is never the same, so I can't recommend anything. All I can say is that you will want the 18 course menu, where the chef will prepare and explain each course before serving it by hand. The place is clean and modern. It's obvious they invested in the staff and food, not the decorations. And I have no complaints about that decision. 18 courses for $138. Well worth the price. read more
7 years ago
I feel like omakase is a personal experience and everyone has their own personal preference of oh it's too salty, oh it's not salty enough, and it's hard to cater to various tastebuds. That's why boba tea shops has different levels of sugar and ice, because people aren't just happy with just one level of what the shop offers. But I digress... Everyone has a personal fish preference and may like one type more than others making reviews skewed. For me I know going into an omakase experience that I'm open and willing to try whatever the chef is offering. You literally have put the fate and trust of your meal at the hands of your chef. I've never had uni before and I've tried omakase in Hawaii, Boston, NYC, and SF and it was first time trying it here. It tasted very good. All the dishes were presented beautifully and many dishes were a standout for me. We came on a weekend night so the only option was the 18 course but it is still affordable in comparison to other locations. The meal started at 6pm and ended around 7:30 pm. I love the simple atmosphere, I enjoyed the meal and the service and I would go back again. read more
WOW. Warm and friendly service, fresh ingredients, delightfully prepared flavors. Beautiful plating (seriously, check the photos). Great sake pairings as well. Easy 5 stars for an amazing omakase experience. Can't wait to come back to try different seasonal / daily plates. ~$250 for 18 plates and a flight of 3 sakes (flights were ~3 shots worth in glasses). read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
I travel from San Francisco and found this place from little red book (小红书）， the 18 courses Omakase were amazing! The chefs and staff are authentic , creative and kind. I highly recommend locals and travelers to give it a try ! read more
3 years ago
If i could give 10 stars, I would. The staffs were so knowledgeable, caring and funny. The food was out of this world amazing. Every bite was full of flavors. The ingredients were fresh and were paired so well. I am not a sweet tooth but that panacotta dessert was so darn delicious I would eat it everyday for breakfast, lunch, dinner :) read more
7 years ago
If you are looking for an up and coming fusion experience, this is the right place (don't expect something traditional). My boyfriend and I came Sunday night, and the sushi counter was all full. Make sure you make a reservation because they turned people away who didn't. Only the 18 course umami omakase was available ($138/person), and the smaller options ($68 and $98) are available only on Tuesday-Thursday. The quality was pretty good, and everything was fresh. The ideas were creative too. However, I felt like not all the courses were spectacular. We really enjoyed some of the courses, but some of them were not that special or the flavor was off. Sometimes, one flavor completely overpowered the other, which is a pity to waste such high quality ingredients e.g. you can only taste the uni in the toro nigiri with uni, caviar, and truffle because it was so strong, so might as well leave out the other ingredients. Some of the courses are brought out from the kitchen, and some are prepared by the chef in front of you at the counter. The kitchen dishes were more prepared with more decorations and time put into it (obviously), while the chef made more simple sashimi and nigiri dishes on the fly. However, I wouldn't say the kitchen dishes were overall better than the chef prepared ones (simple natural flavors sometimes win). Given that they just opened, they seem to be still trying new dishes. I like the ideas, and the chef definitely seemed skilled. There's room for improvement, and we'll definitely come again in the future, when the dishes/concepts are more set. It's omakase, so the menus are set by the chef and can be different each time. But our favorites were: Bone marrow in wagyu fat with lemon zest and short rib over caramelized onion and mushrooms Hamachi tuna with chili and pickled plum on a bed of onions Yuzu panna cotta with raspberry Seared foie gras with cornbread and pumpkin sauce (best presentation) read more
*Hidden gem alert* I made and cancelled about 8 reservations before finding Umami Omakase as the perfect place to bring the fiance for his birthday, and I'm so glad we came! It was the first night of their re-opening for dine in services. The wait staff are awesome and the chefs introduced us to every course. There are far too many to talk about individually (18 courses for $140 of high end ingredients- the value to price ratio of this place is insane), so I will focus on our favorites. One of the things that this place does really well is take traditional sashimi and nigiri and make it a little unique. For example, one standout was the salmon sashimi with yuzu miso. We also had toro tuna with truffle, red snapper, uni two ways, snow crab, seared foie gras .... I really could go on and on, but I think you just have to experience this place yourself. Another standout for deliciousness and uniqueness was their A5 wagyu beef nigiri, which they sprayed with 24 karat gold, just for a little fun and pizzazz. Gotta love chefs who not only make amazing food, but also sprinkle in some fun along the way :) the night ended with a yuzu Panna Cotta with strawberry - absolutely perfect. The fiance had several of their sakes, which were really lovely and smooth- plenty of high end junmai daiginjo sake here! I can't imagine that this place will stay a secret for too much longer, given the quality of the food. I only hope we can continue to get reservations! Definitely the best omakase we've had in Boston! read more
Service was impeccable! Interior decor lacked some inspiration. Large selection of dishes and fish. Each dish was expertly prepared by the chefs. I enjoyed a lot of their combinations. Given that I absolutely love raw fish there were a lot that were masked with other flavors. All in all I throughly enjoyed everything. read more
4 years ago
This place is nothing if not unexpected. Looks like a dive, but the food is fab. We went to celebrate a special occasion and had a blast-- servers could not have been nicer! I'm not sure I'd go back only because it's a bit of a hike for us, and I'm all about new experiences-- but if you haven't tried it, you definitely ought to! It's pricey (to be certain) but the food and presentation are top notch. In a more elegant setting, it would be five stars for sure! Definitely try the Uni spoon! It's always a family favorite! read more
5 years ago
Came in for a celebratory omakase dinner with my boyfriend and had a ball here. Chef Gary Lei is super talented at what he does. The entire experience was top notch. I'm already thinking of coming back. He crafted our omakase experience to what we like, which is a lot of salmon, uni, and flare. And he brought the flare. Gold dust powder, truffle flakes, FOIE GRAS, fatty wagyu, caviar, ikura. Omg all the courses were so good and memorable. I love the fusion takes he does with the nigiri. The black bean sauce on one of them was A+. Highly recommend if you're able to come in! read more
I have been eyeing this place since I moved to Boston. It always seemed irresponsible to dine here. But I decided that my anniversary would be the perfect night to just go for it. I reserved a spot at the bar for two on a Friday night. EXPERIENCE We arrived a bit early, so we were sat at a table while they cleared the bar area. We sat down, they asked us for our drink order. We watched the chefs finish the prep while other parties arrived. Once the seats were full, the head chef announced the first course and we steadily made our way through all 18 courses. I think the pacing was good. Enough time to take pictures, enjoy the bite, and make small talk. The chefs were extremely attentive! They noticed that I was left handed and would position the nigiri in the opposite direction of everyone else so that it would be easier to pick up! I've never seen this kind of service before. FOOD - My best documentation of each course (4/5) 1. Manila clam miso soup with enoki mushroom and wakame. (4/5) 2. Local Oyster with yuzu and spicy amarillo sauce. (4/5) 3. Hiramasa (king fish) from New Zeland. Civiche sauce. Home made sauce. (6/5) 4. Umami Spoon: Caviar (Russian), Uni, Quail Egg, Toro targa, home made Ikura. (5/5) 5. Salmon Sashimi from Scotland. Ikura, cucumber, yuzu tabiko, cheese foam. (5/5) 6. Chu-Toro (medium fatty) sashimi with pickled wasabi and tempura shiso leaf. (5/5) 7. Kampachi (amber jack) from New Zealand with m ango salsa topping. (5/5) 8. Shima Aji (stripped jack) with an apple topping and chives. (3/5) 9. Madai (sea bream) with scallions and cured egg yolk shavings. The fish was cooked a bit with hot water and then cooled in ice to slightly cook the skin but keep flesh raw. ( 5/5) 10. Chawanmushi: traditional hot egg custard. Shrimp and Baby Scallop topping. (4/5) 11. Special: Hirame (flounder) with eihire (fin of the fish), yuzu and chili topping. (5/5) 12. Special: Aji (horse mackerel) with soy garlic and sesame seed topping. (6/5) 13. O-Toro with caviar (Russian) topping. (3/5) 14. Duck breast with baby mushroom confit in duck fat. Smoked in apple wood. Seared for half an hour. (6/5) 15. A5 Wagyu Beef with french fry topping. (3/5) 16. Frois Gras with mango jam and fried garlic topping. (5/5) 17. Unagi and Tamago hand roll. (4/5) 18. Yuzu Panna Cotta with whipped cream and blueberries. (3/5) Bonus: macarons! OVERALL Extremely attentive and efficient staff. I felt cared for and surprised by every course. The food was extremely fresh, and unique but still delicious flavor combinations were presented. Some of the cuts honestly made me rethink the taste possibilities of fish/sea food. It was entertaining getting to watch the chefs work at the bar. The pacing was great, it was a weird mix of not a lot of food but also a lot of food. We left very full and happy. If you have the extra money I would HIGHLY suggest coming here. You will feel special. read more
5 years ago
We went to umami omakase spontaneously earlier this year and it far exceeded our expectations!!! We've been meaning to leave a review so here it is. This is our first five star review because we had zero complaints about the service and the food. Each course was absolutely delicious and the service reminded us of omakase restaurants in New York City or back home in Asia. Their sake and beers were delicious too! For the price and what you get, we would come back here again and again. The highlights for us were the chawanmushi, the uni quail egg spoon, the chutoro, the Kobe beef, and the tamago eel hand roll. But honestly EVERYTHING was good, which is pretty impressive. Please go if you haven't!!! read more
Steep pricing, but was worth it for the experience and fresh ingredients! I'm a sushi lover through and through and of course had to try out this place before I left Boston. 18 courses of chef's choice. The menu is different depending on season and what they get in terms of fresh seafood. Great combination of flavors in the nigiri pieces and one of my favorite chawanmushi I've ever had. Also the dessert at the end, yuzu panna cotta, was a great finisher. Definitely worth a visit! read more
This was the best dining experience I've ever had. Hands down. (And I've eaten at a lot of places!) This was my first omakase experience. I was nervous at first not knowing what to expect but I loved EVERYTHING served. We tried so many different pieces of fish and chef walked us through each piece, how to eat it and was super personable. 18 courses seems like it could be a lot but it was perfect, timed well and I didn't leave feeling over stuffed but comfortable with the amount of food. We also got the 5 course sake pairing which is highly recommended. I don't want to spoil any surprises but umami on a spoon was the best. I will be back to try to celebrate as many special occasions as I can here! read more
Downright an AMAZING experience. Not only was the food delicious and amazing, so was the service. Water glasses were always full, the chef constantly asked if the food was satisfactory, and even if you stepped away when a new course was introduced, they made sure to tell you what it was once you got back to the table. The highlights for me were the uni spoon (the best uni I've ever had), A5 Wagyu and toro nigiri. I usually don't like duck breast, but they managed to make it so delicious that I ate every bite. Of the 18 courses (insanely good deal), the only "negatives" that I can think of are a piece of nigiri that had cucumber foam (not my favorite taste to go with sashimi) and how the unagi in the hand roll that I ate still had a small bone that got stuck (easily washed down with some water). I can't stress how AWESOME this experience was. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking to do omakase in Boston. read more
2 years ago
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This is a Japanese omakase spot in Boston and I liked the food overall. I'm going to break it down into different categories to give this review and why I gave them a 4 stars. Price: It's ok if you are used to omakase pricing. The ingredient they used definitely make the price worth it though. You will get A5 Wagyu, foi gras, toro, basically all the high end ingredient so with the $160 per person price point, it's worth it. Atmosphere: it's a good set up if you are at the sushi bar, you get to see what the chef is doing. If you get the regular sitting table, they just kind of hand the food to you and you don't really get the full omakase experience. I'm used to omakase style with a chef kind of 1v1 with you and explain each piece to you when they hand you the sushi or food, this place they give out all the food to everyone and then the chef yells out what it is, kind of like a group presentation. I prefer the 1v1 style. Food: the ingredients are good, the food overall tasted authentic. The only thing I would say is I wish they make the food appearance to be better. Omakase is like an art. The appearance on each sushi or dish is very important. This place's food appearance are not up high there like the other omakase places I have been to. Overall pretty good experience. If you are interested in omakase can definitely make a reservation and go try them out. read more
4 years ago
We went there to celebrate my Birthday and it was a phenomenal experience. Would highly recommend getting a seat by the sushi bar if possible. Without it, I do not think it would be nearly as good of an experience. The waitstaff were very attentive and the sushi chefs were very kind and attentive throughout the entire meal. It was 18 courses omakase + an additional course that you could add on. Each course was phenomenal on its own, but i truly enjoyed the foie gras nigiri and the umami spoon. While the entire meal was very expensive, the experience was worth it for us as we got to enjoy the artistry of each dish up close and personal. We thought of it more as a performance and meal rather than just a meal on its own. read more
4 years ago
We had an unbelievable time!!! The food was amazing and carefully curated. The flavors, the knife work, and the ambiance!!! The staff was very kind and very helpful. They really wanted everyone to have a good time and enjoy their creations. Highly recommend!! read more
3 years ago
7 years ago
There are not many options to do omakase in Boston. I missed Omakase since I moved to Boston therefore very excited to try Umami. However, the entire experience is very disappointing. First of all, respecting the chef choosing the expensive and qualified ingredient for the meal. However, I strongly agreed with other reviews about the presentation and the tastes of the food. All of the food displays in a very creative and fancy way however, it is just for the Gram!! The taste itself is not good at all, it is not balanced. Using all expensive ingredients with a fussy presentation does not make the food delicious. About the service, The hostess was super nice but sometimes, it is very hard for me to understand her explanation for the sake. It is okay with the other restaurants but for the price of the meal itself, it destroyed the dining experience! read more
What a lovely evening. If you enjoy watching your food (and, arguably, art here at Umami) prepares, this is your place. If you enjoy lingering over an omakase experience without going broke, this is your place. If you enjoy gracious and welcoming service, this is your place. We spent over two hours here on 18 courses and a sake pairing and enjoyed every minute. Thanks to the owner/chef and staff, it was a wonderful time. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys an incredible omakase. Be sure to make reservations - seatings are limited. read more
More info about Umami Omakase
2372 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140
North Cambridge
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(617) 868-2121
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https://www.umamiomakase.com
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Ask the Community - Umami Omakase
Do they serve wine and beer in addition to sake?
I can't remember if they had beer but I do remember seeing wine on the menu
What is the parking situation around Umami?
There is street parking in the area with meters.
For sashimi, can I have it torch instead raw? I am not a fan of sashimi.
I really don't think this is the place for you. This is a chef decided menu using lots of raw ingredients throughout all the courses.
Is this place reservation only?
They aren't required, but I would STRONGLY suggest them. Showing up and them not having room at a seating would be a bit of a bummer.
Do you have to make reservation?
Yes, is better to make reservations ahead, then we can have better service for you, thank you.
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Umami Omakase - japanese - Updated September 2026
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