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    Umami Omakase

    4.3 (206 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Closed 5:30 pm - 10:00 PM

    Umami Omakase Photos

    UMAMI OMAKASE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Romantic
    Classy
    Upscale

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    Recommended Reviews - Umami Omakase

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    Oyster sashimi - local south bay blond oyster, topped with tomato puree and aji-amarillo sauce.
    Malina N.

    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

    Gloria L.

    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

    Joy G.

    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.

    Oyster starter
    Kate C.

    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.

    Hursuong V.

    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.

    Searing of the foie gras

    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.

    Ti W.

    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.

    Spoon and Toro were only GOOD ones
    Katherine S.

    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.

    Japanese fluke sushi
    Greg W.

    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.

    Irene H.

    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!

    Kate G.

    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!

    Mango dessert
    Liz J.

    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.

    Eggs galore. Ikura, quail egg, uni, caviar

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    2 years ago

    Food and service was amazing but parking was a bit harder to find since it's all street parking.

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    Page 3 of 6

    Umami Omakase Reviews in Other Languages

    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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    Sugidama Soba & Izakaya - Torch Toro

    Sugidama Soba & Izakaya

    4.2(501 reviews)
    0.4 miDavis Square
    $$

    The best sushi I've had in Boston. Hands down. I am not exaggerating, my partner and I dream about…read morethis sushi all the time, and we've unfortunately started comparing our other sushi experiences to this one. Soba is also really good. Everything here is really good, but I highly recommend the nigiri - while it's a little pricy (standard pricing comparative to other restaurants), it is well worth it Service is quite fast and we felt like we were taken care of. One time, the server took the soy sauce bottle away from one table without warning and gave it to us, and then proceeded to do the same to us. However, in this rare case, the food quality and taste overpowered the service issues. Inside is lively, and cozy. They also have outdoor patio seating in the summer, which is lovely as well. This is a restaurant I wouldn't mind coming to over and over again.

    stopped in for a cool meal on a hot and sticky saturday. ordered an agedashi tofu, veggie tempura,…read moresushi soba and uni soba agedashi was good, kinda like fried tofu in hot and sour soup. tempura was cooked just right, came out popping hot, crispy, and the veggies inside cooked proper. the sashimi on the soba wasn't exactly the freshest, no concern whatsoever, but was not the freshest. uni soba was good. the uni was a little on the bitter side but the server did warn about that. the soba noodles were a little dried, not sure how the restaurant managed this for a soba place but it's just embarrassing.

    Photos
    Sugidama Soba & Izakaya - Bar area

    Bar area

    Sugidama Soba & Izakaya - Kamo Nandan Duck Breast Hot Soba ($22)

    Kamo Nandan Duck Breast Hot Soba ($22)

    Sugidama Soba & Izakaya - Ebi Hot Soba w/ Assorted Tempura ($18)

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    Ebi Hot Soba w/ Assorted Tempura ($18)

    Bosso Ramen Tavern

    Bosso Ramen Tavern

    3.9(187 reviews)
    1.8 miHarvard Square
    $$

    Overall, had a good experience at Bosso Ramen! The ramen was really good and flavorful, and the…read morechicken karaage was also one of our favorites. It was crispy on the outside and really good with the ramen. We also tried some of the sushi, which was okay. Nothing particularly stood out to me, but it was still decent. I'd probably stick with the ramen and karaage next time since those were definitely the highlights for us. Service was good too! Everyone was friendly and attentive, and overall we had a nice experience. Would come back when I'm craving ramen!

    After a long day at HBS we went back over the river to dine at Bosso Ramen. Located across the…read morestreet from the Harvard Commons, Bosso is an izakaya-style restaurant featuring ramen. On a wet, rainy Boston evening we thought hot ramen would be just the thing. The menu is built around locally-sourced ingredients structured in three categories: sharable, sushi, and ramen. They also offer a slate of Japanese beers and Nihonshu. We started with hot Nihonshu but the only choice served warm is Gekkeikan. Now, Gekkeikan is a standard Nihonshu which is a good, if not great, rice wine. And while Gekkeikan started in Kyoto, anything served in the US with its label is actually brewed in California. We wanted the Nambu Bijin served warm but were told that was not an option. Nanbu Bijin is a great varietal from Iwate Prefecture which was our preference. It's odd that this is only offered chilled. We really urge the management to serve all of its Nihonshu warmed. For shareables we ordered the shishito, spicy salmon, and torotaku. The shishito were nicely roasted and served with a light ponzu. The quality of the peppers was eceptional and the serving was generous. The sushi is served as a hand held wrapped in nori and features tsukemono. The spicy salmon was an amply portioned but the torotaku was a bit lean in terms of quantity. Having said which, all three apps were tasty and of superior quality. Bosso offers a compelling number of Ramens that differentiate not on broth, which is customary, but on degree of spice and the choice of meats. The broth here is a superb tonkotsu that would pass muster in Sapporo. Bosso also offers just one size which, in the event, was a more than satisfactory serving. We both opted for the umami version which is generously portioned with scallions and kikurage. The boiled egg was done to perfection - that happy place between a hard and soft boiled yolk. The pok was tasty but was wanting in terms of quantity. Each bowl included two very thin slices. At the end of the day, a great ramen should have more pork - either chasu or kakuni - so we found this to be a disappointment. Our server is from Shizuoka and we enjoyed hearing of her journey from Japan to Cambridge. She was attentive without being obtrusive. The interior is dark and practical and somewhat reminiscent of some of the great hole in the wall ramen shops we frequented in Tokyo. Overall, despite some blemishes, Bosso was an enjoyable meal and we will definitely make our way back in the future. It is busy so we recommend making reservations.

    Photos
    Bosso Ramen Tavern - Dining room

    Dining room

    Bosso Ramen Tavern - Mentaiko Rice

    Mentaiko Rice

    Bosso Ramen Tavern - Outdoor seating area

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    Outdoor seating area

    Cafe Sushi Shoten - Otoro sushi, tomato zuke sushi, and seared avocado sushi

    Cafe Sushi Shoten

    4.0(805 reviews)
    2.0 miHarvard Square
    $$

    Very cute little place between Harvard Square and Central Square but would definitely recommend…read moremaking a reservation as it's relatively small (probably on the harder side for larger parties of 6+). My wife (vegetarian) and I came on a Wednesday night and we were able to be seated 15min early ahead of our 615pm reservation. The service was amazing, our server Ivy was very knowledgeable about both the sake and food menus. We started with the edamame w curry salt (an interesting and fun spin), cabbage (my wife LOVED it), and the maiitake tempura. Alright, I love mushrooms y'all and this dish was fried perfectly and didn't leave a greasy aftertaste, but there was a lot of batter so it mostly tasted of batter and the mushroom itself was in the passenger seat. Also the yuzu aioli was fine but i would've preferred a traditional tempura dipping sauce. For our mains my wife got the seared avocado sushi (her favorite of the night), tomato zuke sushi (it came out and I legitimately thought it was akami tuna but it blew my mind that it was a cured tomato), and the veggie maki roll of the week (also delicious). Vegetarians you are seen here and there are many options! I got the shrimply the best maki - I mostly got it for the name and was expecting a big shrimp flavor but looking at a cross section of the roll, the shrimp itself was rather small and was a little let down Toro maki - treated myself to some fatty Toro but I feel like there was too much pickled veggie which helped cut the overall fattiness of the tuna but became the main flavor Otoro sushi - my favorite dish of the night by far! An expensive two bites but the flavor of the fatty tuna with a speck of wasabi and the flavorful sushi rice (no soy sauce) . Next time I come back I will probably just splurge on multiple of these or try the hand rolls Expensive but delicious sushi with excellent service, will definitely be coming back!

    Cafe Sushi has gotten a bit fancier since its post-COVID reopening. The dining room is nicer, the…read moreservice is more polished, but the inexpensive yet perfect sushi is gone. The sake collection is excellent, and reason enough to go. The sushi is still very good but the nigiri is garnished with toppings like umami cherry and mint or house preserved yuzu. This is done beautifully but it causes the fish to be deemphasized. Little details like uneven cutting of a maki roll didn't impact the taste but lessen the beauty and the art that is sushi. For non-sushi the cabbage and the five-spice chicken were both amazing. The tomato zuke, a house cured hothouse tomato nigiri was very cool but make sure to use a little soy sauce. Final judgment - the space, the service, and the sake are all great. The sushi is very good but not as good as I remember and of course it's more expensive than it used to be.

    Photos
    Cafe Sushi Shoten - Order counter

    Order counter

    Cafe Sushi Shoten - Edamame w curry salt

    Edamame w curry salt

    Cafe Sushi Shoten - Signature sampler (5/5)

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    Signature sampler (5/5)

    Umami Omakase - japanese - Updated September 2026

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