Went here just before Christmas at lunchtime. What a treat this place is. The food is delicious and the service is excellent. I felt a lot of love by the people that run this place. Plus it's on wonderful 18th in Potrero Hill. read more

Umi - Their outdoor patio. We almost had the place to ourselves, which I am sure is unusual! The sun was hitting just right that day. - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Quaint and cozy -- everything that I look for during a night out for sushi. The agedashi tofu was delicate, with a subtle smokiness from the bonito flakes. The sashimi deluxe platter was fresh and the natural flavors of the fish shined through. One of the things that I find compelling about Umi is that you can completely walk past it, which I have unfortunately done on several occasions. This, however, allows the quality of the food and the experience to speak for themselves rather than being reliant on "the hype." This understated nature of Umi also helps maintain the local, neighborhood vibes of a homey, go-to sushi spot. read more

Umi - Agedashi Tofu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We ordered the bento lunch special and it's not great. They give you white rice, salad, miso soup, and two choices of very select items. I got California roll and tuna roll. The California roll had a few really cold imitation crab which I feel like didn't defrost properly maybe? The salad was okay, the miso soup is good and my two rolls were just okay as well. I wish I could have substituted my white rice for something else. My fiancé got the same but with California roll and chicken teriyaki. He said his chicken teriyaki was ok as well. The miso soup is the only good part of this bento box I believe read more

Their sushi is a cut above, and i really appreciate their dedicated vegan and gf menus! The specialty rolls could be a little bigger for the price. Even though I'm surrounded by sushi places in the Mission, I make the pilgrimage to Umi for the quality and creativity of their food. read more

Tasty, fresh fish in a cozy, cute spot in Potrero Hill with pretty fast service. Love that they try to source locally and sustainably, although I'd love to know more about what "sustainable" means to them. The miso was rich, warming, and salty, with bits of seaweed and tofu. Loved how tender and flaky the gindara misoyaki was. They also have fresh wasabi for $1! read more

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We ordered takeout tonight and truly hoped it would be one of our new favorite places in the neighborhood, but it was so so disappointing. To start, we ordered a Caterpillar roll for 17 dollars and it was tiny. The entire roll fit inside a 6x6 takeout box and it was only slightly bigger than the size of my iPhone. Moreover, the roll had barely any eel, wasn't completely cut through, and fell apart when we tried to pick it up. The flavor was mediocre at best. We also had the 41 dollar Sashimi Deluxe. The sashimi was tough, dull, and bland. Although the slices weren't tiny, it was still on the small side. The miso soup and rice that came with the set were completely uninspiring. And lastly, the shiso leafs had black spots on it. For over 70 dollars (including tip), we ended up so hungry that we had to supplement our dinner with leftovers. Take your money somewhere else. read more

Cute little neighborhood place. Very fresh and delicious sushi and great appetizers as well. A friend of mine got the normal sushi platter and I got the extra special sushi platter. I didn't end up loving the two extra types of sushi on the extra special sushi platter (one was sardines, which I particularly did not like) but the sushi I did like tasted very fresh and one of the fish options was super rich and buttery, which was great. read more

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Quaint sushi place with decent sushi. == Ambience == The place is pretty small, I came on a Sunday evening and there wasn't a wait at all. Sitting outside was pretty nice but can get a little chilly. The service was nice and pretty quick. == Food == I ordered the nigiri regular set and the nigiri special set. Nigiri Regular Set - It came with the miso soup which was a little flavorless, usually the miso soup broths I drink have a little more flavor. The nigiri set came out and the fish tasted a little dry and not as fresh as I would've hoped. The rice was plain rice as well, not the standard vinegar rice. The set came with some tuna rolls which I usually don't like, but this one was pretty good because the fish was really creamy. The Nigiri Special Set - highlight was the dungeness crab. == Overall == Wasn't really satisfied with the quality or value of the meal. It's a cute and intimate place though! read more

Some pretty amazing sushi. We got the dragon roll, Potrero, rock n roll and California. All were good but the dragon roll was the best one and it was amazing! The restaurant was small and quiet and the service was fast. I would recommend this place. The only downside is that it is expensive but it is San Francisco. read more

Umi - Rock n roll (top left, x2), California (top right), Potrero, Dragon - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been here multiple times with my partner as we live in the neighborhood, and it's easily walkable. The place is easy to miss as the sign isn't very large, but I appreciate the pared back aesthetic along with the choice of either indoor seating or open-air patio dining. The chirashi and nigiri samplers are quite fairly priced, and they also have a variety of seasonal offerings depending on the time of year. The garlic edamame is also wonderful (yes, garlic isn't very traditionally Japanese, but it makes the appetizer much heartier), and I appreciate that they also offer fresh horseradish and sometimes actual grated wasabi root. All in all, it's a nice place to come for a casual weekend or weekday dinner if you're in the mood for something a little more refined. read more

Thank you yelpers ! Was craving sushi with the BF and read all the good reviews. Came on a Thursday night at 6 and no wait. Small and cozy place. When you walk in you see all the sushi chef and then you are lead to the back where all the seatings are. Order: Miso soup California roll Regular sashimi Potrero Fire Dragon Everything was amazing! One of the best sushi's I've had in the bay area, especially for the price point! The sashimi is cut on the thicker side, not complaining and it's really fresh you can taste it. BF and I can't wait to go back! read more

Umi - Sashimi sooo good!!! - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Coveted sushi and katsudon contemporary place! Their katsudon is homely and yummy. I was surprised or maybe I was just hungry. Their katsudon was of perfect crisp pork and sweet sauce over slurry egg and rice, was delicious! Sushi and sashimi was fresh and delightful with the whole meal. Rounds of bottle beers, were refreshing and warmed up the palate. It made of great and cherry fun! Service was attentive. Semi-outdoors and airy dining area with the quaintness ambiance that is adorned. My dining partner was of entertainment and enlightening. It was a good hidden spot! read more

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This is well beyond a neighborhood gem. It is one of the best Japanese restaurants I have been for quite some time. Not only great for the excellent sushi but also for all the other dishes they serve. Staff really nice and friendly, place cozy and intimate. We brought some friends from out of town and they were really happy of the whole experience. read more

such a small and intimate sushi spot in potrero hill, i went here with my friend but definitely want to come back, it has a pretty interior and definitely date-vibes. the sushi was good quality, and i will be back read more

Umi - salmon nigiri - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

In Potrero Hill, there are several big gems such as Plow and Chez Maman, but there are also some less shiny gems which stand out for being the only ones around. Umi is such a place. If crammed into any other busy SF district, I probably would have never stepped foot in here. But for potrero hill, it's definitely a nice find. The vibe is rather intimate with limited seating and dim lighting. Service felt a bit slow as the waitresses took their time doing their tasks. The food was pricey for what you get but not as americanized as I expected (except for the fact that most of the sushi rolls came with avacado). The shrimp tempura rainbow had very decent shrimp tempura and was lightly seasoned, true to a more japanese palate. Sampler plate was small but served with miso and a bowl of rice. Miso was way too salty and I did not enjoy it, but the fish in the sampler was not bad--very tender. read more

Umi - shrimp tempura rainbow roll $14 - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Delicious fresh sushi in a no-frills setting. Came here for dinner with some friends. Restaurant is small but had some seats open so we were easily able to get a table. I got the chirashi bowl, which came with a miso soup. Overall the fish was fresh and delicious. One thing to look out for is my friends ordered the maki and they did seem to be a bit on the smaller side. read more

Umi - Chirashi bowl - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Got this item on Too Good to go from Umi, thought it would be something I could it in the office. Turn out it's some dead fish head and skin. read more

Umi - Raw fish with skin - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Umi became my go to sushi place during the pandemic. I appreciate the high quality fish, the family owned vibe, and now that things are reopened, I love their heated and cozy outdoor patio. Because I enjoy their sushi so much, I opted to ask them if they'd prepare some sushi trays for me for a party I had. Stewart was very easy to work with, gave me great suggestions, and stayed within my budget. The platters were beautifully prepared and definitely elevated my little shindig at home to a higher level. It's nice to have such a reliable spot so close to home. read more

Umi - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Ambiance was great. Hole in the wall type of restaurant but very nice inside. Service was solid. And food tasted great. Got a couple rolls and a nigiri special. Everything was tasty and decently priced! read more

This is probably THE WORST place I've ever eaten sushi. I am no sushi fan, so I can't really tell between great or good sushi, but i can definitely tell you when it's: 1. Expensive! 2. Inedible 3. Burnt old oil for frying 4. Small 5. Disgusting I think it sums it up. I got 6 tiniest pieces of burnt shrimp sushi roll i've seen in my life for 15$! read more

Umi was great. It had this cute little patio that was both outdoors and shielded from the San Francisco wind/cold. All the raw fish was incredibly fresh, the Agedashi Tofu was exactly what I wanted on a cold day and the specialty beers were A+. Would definitely visit again. read more

Had an impromptu date night and was fortunate to have found seats at Umi on a Saturday night! Servers were very attentive and we were very comfortable during our meal. If you're into beer, please try out "Shiro"! Absolutely amazing :) read more

I came here for a quick dinner before meeting another friend, and ordered the chirashi bowl which also came with some miso soup. The fish was fresh tasting, and you get a little bit of the typical stuff you'd find in a normal chirashi bowl plus more. While, it was decently portioned and let me preface you with, I would've never thought that I would ever say this, but the pieces of fish were cut so overwhelming large that half way through the meal, I could not eat it anymore. I was so tired of the large pieces of fish and I could not eat it in a single bite. Difficult first world problem I know. I think there should be a perfect ratio of fish to rice with each bite and this was just disproportionate. The rice was also a little bit heavy on the vinegar, and slightly dry. It wasn't the worst experience for me, but overall was just very just okay. read more

Umi - Chirashi bowl - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We don't have a lot of sushi bars around the area so I was excited to try this place. It is a smaller restaurant but not too crowded. We got here around 7 right before the dinner rush. The waiters and owners are super friendly. They are also super knowledgeable about what fish they have available for the day. The menu is pretty intensive! I personally have my favorites but it was nice for the waiter to recommend different options for me. I ended up getting the sashimi combo. It was chef's pick and it comes with rice and miso soup. The fish itself was good but was also a little fishy. The miso soup was also a bit bland. I wish there was more flavor in the miso soup. My partner got the dragon roll. He said the tempura was a little soggy but overall still very good. We also got the agedashi tofu as an appetizer. Generally, our experience here was pretty good. Since it is close by, I will probably end up coming back and trying their other options. read more

I was definitely very impressed with this place. I've been meaning to come here for some time and I was so happy that I finally got to try it. I went on a Sunday night and we were seated right away. They were a little slow to take our order but, since there was only one waitress taking all the orders, I understood. Their menu is pretty standard for a sushi restaurant - rolls, nigiri, hot entrees, etc. What was unique was there additional menu listing a selection of fish that they imported from Japan. Definitely pricier than the regular menu but it looked more affordable than some other places I've been to. I ended up ordering only from the regular menu but I definitely do want to come back to try their Japanese selection. We started with agedashi tofu. It came out fresh and it was delicious. I liked that there was still a nice crispy texture on the outside of the tofu. The sauce was very flavorful. Definitely a great start. For sushi, we ordered the sashimi deluxe (18 piece sashimi), the portrero roll, the shrimp tempura rainbow, the rock n roll, and a spicy tuna hand roll. The sashimi cuts were generous and all the cuts were very fresh. The rolls were great. They were the perfect size to eat in one bit. I also liked their fish to rice ratio. The only downside to the portrero roll, which isn't a fault to how it was made, was that they ran out of salmon for the top. It was still good, it just wasn't exactly what was described on the menu. The rock n roll was great - good flavor to the eel. The spicy tuna hand roll was spicier than all the other places I've ordered this hand roll from. They don't play with the spice which I don't mind but other people in my party thought it was unexpectedly too spicy. read more

Umi - Sashimi deluxe, spicy tuna hand roll, rock n roll, portrero roll, and shrimp tempura rainbow roll - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

excellent. people are warm and friendly and I felt like home. fresh fish and portions were excellent. read more

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Great value lunch sets and really fresh sashimi. The yellowtail kama is a limited edition item and really large! Very friendly staff who recognized me when I came back for the second consecutive day. They were really attentive with providing tea and water. Love this small eatery and I've already been there over 5 times! read more

Delicious fresh sushi with friendly amazing staff. I order Togo from here often and the food is always amazing. I always get the same thing--cucumber avocado roll and agadashi tofu no bonito flakes. My family members get shrimp tempura roll, tuna rolls and salmon rolls, sometimes California rolls. Everything is so delicious! I almost always order to go but the service is great when I eat in too. They're so accommodating with my being vegan and always get it right when I ask for no bonito flakes or other modifications. Best sushi in sf. I recommend this restaurant so much!! read more

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I came here on a Friday night and was seated immediately. The nigiri and rolls were quite standard, but I tried not to order too much nigiri/sashimi because the selection didn't look too fresh. I found a bone in my sake sashimi, but it was probably just overlooked - which made me lose confidence in the rest of the sashimi... The prices are standard and although I probably wouldn't come back, it's good for a quick sushi fix! read more

Umi - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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3.5 stars We had... - Sake - Dragon roll - Spicy tuna roll - Nigiri: halibut, yellowtail, and tuna belly The halibut was decent, but other two were really chewy and fishy; I see what the other reviewers meant! Service was good, and there's a fair amount of seating inside for such a small space, but it is pretty tight. read more

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We have a few options in Dogpatch/Potrero for sushi, and 18th St has restaurants of every variety. One of those restaurants is Umi, and I stopped while running errands on the street to grab some to-go dinner. Even though I ordered to-go, I already liked the space. It's small, tidy, and feels very Japanese in ambiance. 18th St window shoppers can watch the sushi chefs work their magic from the sidewalk. Their menu is varied, but I was impressed by the price point. I ordered the regular sashimi platter which is a whopping 12 pieces of sashimi, miso soup, and a side of sushi rice. This was perfect b/c I like nigiri except for all the rice, and this platter lets you control your rice portion. The dish was plated very nicely even in a to-go box. Even though their restaurant was full on a Sat, it only took them 10 minutes to take and fulfill my order. Everything was delicious and fresh, and I'm glad I finally made it in to another 18th St treasure. read more

If it weren't for Yelp, many hidden gems in SF would probably remain undiscovered. Umi is not exactly a gem, nor is it a destination spot but it's a nice neighborhood spot to go to if you're in the area and if you're craving sashimi, sushi and tapa-style dishes. Although I love dining out and trying new things, my credits cards have been giving me the middle finger. So, I try to conserve as much as I can; keyword being "try". *sigh* Anyhow, I found Umi on Yelp several weeks ago and read that they have fresh sashimi at affordable prices so I was game. On Saturday, October 16th, my friend and I came to Umi a little before 6:30 PM. We didn't make reservations but was seated right away. The restaurant was pretty slow for a Saturday night especially during peak dinner hours. When we arrived there was one couple finishing their dinner and just one other gentleman dining. FOOD: *Seaweed Salad ($4): OK. The seaweed was crunchy and the dressing was salty and sweet with a slight citrus tang. The toasted sesame seeds added a crunch and nutty flavor. *Butterfish Sashimi (5 pieces - $10): MEH! The butterfish tasted fishy and didn't have that silky melt-in-your-mouth texture that fresh high-quality sashimi normally has. I ordered fresh wasabi for an extra .75. The wasabi numbed my mouth a bit for a split second just enough to mask the fishiness of the butterfish. Perhaps I ordered the wrong fish, but I'm not sure what "fresh fish" other Yelpers were talking about. *Agedashi Tofu ($5): GOOD! The tofu was fried to a light golden brown and was sitting in a pool of sweet and savory dashi broth. As you sink your teeth into it, you get a light crisp followed by a gelatinous pull from the potato starch and then the silken tofu just melts in your mouth. *Yaki Nasu ($6): GOOD! The eggplant was so velvety smooth that it actually melted in my mouth. The miso sauce which was salty, sweet, savory, and nutty was drizzled (as opposed to being slathered like some palces) on the eggplant so it didn't overpower the delicate eggplant flavor. *Beef Enoki Mushroom and Asparagus Maki ($11): GOOD! Thin slices of beef were wrapped around enoki and asparagus spears, grilled, and then brushed with a teriyaki sauce. The beef was soft and tender which was a nice contrast to the enoki and asparagus which had an al-dente crunch. I wasn't fond of the teriyaki sauce b/c it was a bit salty for my taste and masked all the beef flavor. *Katsu Asparagus ($12): OK. A take on the well-known pork katsu; asparagus spears were wrapped around slices of pork, breaded with panko, and fried to a sun kissed golden brown. The katsu arrived fresh out of the fryer and was warm and very crisp. However, the pork was very dry and bland; so much so I actually mistaken it for turkey. *Poached Pear ($4): GOOD. The bartlett pear was soft, tender and slightly sweet. It was drizzled with a pear compote, giving it an additional layer of sweetness. Too bad, there wasn't vanilla ice cream b/c that would have been a nice complement to the pear. SERVICE: Our waitress was friendly, attentive and made sure our tea cups were never empty. Considering only one other gentleman was eating, the timing of the plates were very slow. After getting the seaweed salad and sashimi, it took over 20-25 minutes to get our other dishes. We saw 3-4 chefs, so I'm not sure why it took a while to get our food. AMBIANCE/DÉCOR: Simple and contemporary designed. As you enter, you walk through the sushi bar (no seating) to go to the main dining room where there's seating for less than 20-25. There's also a back patio which I can imagine is a nice place to have lunch/dinner especially on a nice hot summer day. Teetering between 3-4 stars... Given there are so many Japanese Restaurants in SF, Umi is average at best. Although I enjoyed the tapas, the "fishy" sashimi was a big no-no to me, so unfortuantely I have to round my rating down to 3 Stars. read more

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Open for takeout during the COVID19 pandemicand well worth it! Before COVID, we actually dined here once and remember it being really good. Fish was fresh and service was excellent. At the time, I thought the prices were pretty expensive but I came back post-pandemic and found the prices to be really fair. We got 2 rolls, nigiri set, additional nigiri and a hamachi Kama. All very tasted really good and fresh. They're handling the pandemic / social distancing thing really well. We finally found our go to sushi place! I hope they survive the pandemic so we can visit them in person some time. read more

This is a hard one to call. On the plus side, Umi is a nice locals spot serving up delicious green tea and fresh fish. We had two standout dishes in our order: their broiled Hamachi Kami (Yellowtail Cheek) which was savory and terrific, and their poke roll, which we found spicy and potentially addictive. They have some unusual and delicious Japanese beers. The fish is fresh and colorful. Their edamame order is generously sized. But for us, service was frustrating. We arrived at dinner time but sat outside in a patio area without much attention, and without being asked to take a food order for about twenty minutes. They were simultaneously short staffed, but not fully busy. We were ultimately able to order when a new waitress came on her shift. Several of our more expensive rolls and nigiri were average tasting: the Fire Roll with Crab, despite a respectable burst of heat upfront and beautiful color on the plate, tasted surprisingly bland. Our tuna maki fell apart. The nigiri cuts were average sized. The miso was somehow missing that nutty, salty umami flavor. As a value proposition, we found prices toward the high end. In a city with lots of great sushi, Umi is a nice, solid neighborhood option, but maybe not a stand out. read more

Umi - Rolls and nigiri at Umi. Really enjoyed the Poke roll. - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Pleasant, attentive servers. Tons of seating over two rooms; plenty of tables early-ish on a Friday night. Got the nigiri sampler which had some good pieces. Item ratings (all from Japan except the hirame): 7 - Hirame (halibut) 7 - Kanpachi (amberjack) 7 - Mejina (opaleye) 7 - Suzuki (seabass) 8 - Inada (young yellowtail) 8 - Hon Hamachi (yellowtail) 9 - Nama Hotate (Hokkaido scallop) 8 - Sagoshi (king mackerel) 9 - Ma Saba (mackerel) Friends were happy with their dishes. Doesn't quite rise to Saru level but not bad and certainly more affordable. read more

When a sushi joint isn't that memorable, isn't that an automatic 3 stars? In this case, I have my pictures to prove that I was there, but I don't remember much about this place. And I'm not saying I forgot, like I was in a drunk stupor and forgot both my briefs and my jeans sort of thing, I'm talking about honestly forgetting just because it wasn't memorable. That's what this place was for me, so with so many other memorable places, why would I return? read more

Umi - Mediocre - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Umi is a hidden gem with a small outdoor patio you can't quite identify from the sidewalk due to its cool metal screen. We enjoyed a generous serving of seaweed salad to share. The asparagus special was a little more doughy and deep fried than I had hoped for but still delicious. The crunchy spider roll was quite good. Loved the miso soup which came in a good sized portion. My partner had the sushi special and was very happy. read more

Intimate, expensive sushi on Potrero Hill. They had a ton of variety - which as a foodie I adore - but only some things were true winners. They had three preparations of butterfish - "regular" nigiri, Japanese nigiri, and a cooked one. The cooked one was super tasty (though I find cooking butterfish usually ruins its butteriness), and the "regular" nigiri might have been my favorite nigiri of the night. But the Japanese nigiri didn't have as much flavor despite its cost. Our other favorite was the miso black cod, which will come as a surprise to no one who's had a well prepared version of this dish before. It was tiny though - we barely managed not to do a Sumo face off over the last bite. read more

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Had high hopes for a neighborhood sushi spot but the hamachi kama was over cooked and dry with no side of ponzu sauce (even though they said it was marinated in it, it didn't taste like it) and the tuna tempura roll was served in a plate of sweet and sour sauce that had drowned the roll and made it soggy. It was so underwhelming that we forced ourselves to finish the food and went next door to order a burger instead. I likely won't be coming back. read more

Don't get me wrong, service was good here, but 4 stars, really??? We wanted Chez Mama for lunch but read the reviews on the wait. The place is kinda nice for a teeny neighborhood joint. The agedashi tofu's batter was nice & light...probably the tastiest thing we sampled. We all got our own bentos for $9. I got the tonkatsu & California roll (they gave me 6 though which was nice). I know we've all become accustomed to the fatty portions of the American way, but Umi's portions are tiny! The salad was mixed greens instead of the typical lettuce & the dressing tasted like some kind of vinaigrette & not Japanesey. The miso wasn't salty which I appreciated but tasted kinda watery. The roll was okay, noting to write home about though. And the tonkatsu was pretty much lackluster. For about the same price I could get at least twice of the food at other places I frequent. Props to them though for using all natural ingredients. Needless to say most of us were still hungry, allowing for a visit to Polly Ann's for some ice cream...deliciousness outing for the day! read more

Umi - tonkatsu & california roll lunch bento - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California