Umi is one of my favorite sushi spots in RVA Service is always great sushi and rolls fresh and very soothing atmosphere They have all basic and several speciality rolls Quiet atmosphere, comfortable seating. They take reservations and do takeout. My rating rationale  +1 Service +1 Food~Taste/flavor/quality +1 Presentation +1 Atmosphere/vibe +1 Value read more

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I LOVE Umi. It's my favorite place to get sushi in short pump. It's dark and kinda sexy inside, and the service for both dining in and takeout is really quick. The presentation and quality of the sushi is always beautiful; when I get several rolls to go, they always arrange them so beautifully in the container! read more

So sad to see them go, this is the best quality sushi in town. I even asked for their soy sauce and they sold it by the pint, I wish I can contact the owner for the recipe, it's so good. The salmon and yellowtail melt in your mouth, their rolls are a better value and can satiate. Hurry, only less than 30 days left! read more

Excellent sushi! Attentive and cheerful service. Interesting special rolls. A little pricy but well worth it! read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Restaurant location - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Wonderful service. Super fresh sushi, including hard to find toro. Great plating. Would definitely return.

Went back after many years, but now with my family for NYE. Food was delicious, fresh and my boys were so impressed with their amazing sushi! Service was good and the nice ladies gave me sons some treats as we were walking out. We can't wait to go back! read more

This is some of the best sushi that I've ever had! Wow! Beautiful restaurant, very nice staff and absolutely delicious food. read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Salmon nigiri and spicy crunchy salmon roll - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Umi Sushi is really great every time I come! The first time I came was a couple of years ago, and I came back recently during the pandemic to eat in. The employees handled social distancing really well and always kept masks on. Also, the place is super clean and the tables are spaced out. As for the food, the sushi is a little more on the expensive side but absolutely worth it. They have great options for rolls and are flexible - you can get a mix of rolls, individual pieces, and more. I think their raw fish is very fresh, especially for a place like Richmond. Definitely recommend for a date night! read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Miso Soup - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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First time here stopped in on a whim. Was greeted and seated promptly. Ordered a soda, salad and two rolls. Wiggle crawly feeling. Salad was delicious and I should give all the credit to their own homemade ginger dressing. I could have eaten the dressing like a soup because it was that tasty! Wiggle wiggle. Crawly feeling. I found several small brown sugar ants on the table and on my legs. That's what caused me to wiggle and feel crawly. That's when I felt grossed out. To be honest the sushi was meh - nothing to brag about rather underwhelming. I'd say sushi I got from Publix was tastier and more visually appealing. Once and done. Bring Raid read more

I miss the good sushi from living in the San Francisco Bay Area...and it can be scary to not go to a good sushi place and be painfully ill (GI). I am so happy my boyfriend loves sushi also...so he knows the area so much better than I do. When my boyfriend and I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised...A sushi place that reminded me of my old sushi places! Beautiful interior, a little darker and chic, perfect for me. I treat sushi as an experience, not just a meal. This was just what I needed. I have a food allergy and they removed the seed I'm allergic to, without grumbling at all. Our wait staff and the owner were fabulous and I had a wonderful experience. I hope to return very soon. :) The dishes we selected were very tasty, well done, the freshness of the sushi could be tasted and was very nice to see. As an example, the scallops dish we had, was actually freshly (I know this sounds rough, but it is what it is) done--as in the scallops were live until being selected for our dish. The staff were thoughtful about the tuna sashimi also: they did half with the sesame seed topping and half without--for me. I so appreciated that. Food allergies are scary and I hated to be bit demanding. I do have a photo for the special John Roll. You can also see the California roll on the plate...both were very tasty. The consistency of each dish was perfect for me, the tastes were of a lovely variety. Not one issue with any of the food offerings. read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - The John Roll, along with California roll - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Hmm... food was 3 stars but I will give 4 stars for good service and a nice interior. We came here for lunch on a Saturday and got a few simple rolls. We are huge Japan foodies and explorers, having visited Japan 3 times in the last 5 years and spending over 2 months there cumulatively. We also visit NYC 2-4 times a year for sushi. Given all that, we also are realistic and adjust our expectations based on our location. Anyways onto the meal we had: We came in for lunch so we ordered 4 simple rolls, the yellowtail scallion, salmon avocado, spicy scallop, and California. My husband and I prefer simple rolls that allow the fresh ingredients to shine, and we always try a cali roll at any new sushi restaurant that has it (there are indeed some TRULY good California rolls out there, trust me). We were hoping the salmon and scallop rolls would be maki (seaweed outside) not uramaki (rice outside) but that's ok. - yellowtail scallion: 3.5/5, this is normally our favorite roll to get and acts as a benchmark for us to judge a sushi restaurant. The flavor was good but the seaweed was a bit tough and soggy. There isn't a huge amount of filling. - salmon avocado: 3/5. Something felt very bland about this roll, I feel like the rice isn't as seasoned as it should be - like there isn't enough vinegar/sweetness in the rice to cut through the creaminess of the salmon and avocado. - spicy scallop roll: 5/5. The scallops tasted very fresh and had a lovely texture. This was the best roll by far. - cali roll: 1/5. So bland and kinda dry. I understand that some restaurants just have this on the menu for kids but it always feels like a wasted opportunity to do a cali roll well. It is a real, iconic roll with its own interesting history that shouldn't be so readily dismissed by both chefs and restaurant patrons. Oh well. Might be interested in trying this restaurant again for their nigiri! read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Umi was terribly disappointing. We went on a Saturday afternoon for lunch at Noon where we checked to make sure they'd be open. We were delayed a few minutes as we waited for a family member to join us which gave us enough time to realize this place isn't anything like I remember from the last time I was there a few years ago where we met and had a large group meal, similarly on a Saturday afternoon. Our service was okay (not trying to say anything bad, but nothing much good to say either), and similarly much of everything else I can critique follows suit. The decor, the atmosphere, the menu, the overall vibe and attitude of Umi is just 'okay'. Unfortunately our specialty sushi rolls matched the rest of the experience - drab, sad, and gave us no reason as to why we would ever go back. Unexpectedly odd was the music got cut off as we had finished eating and were politely talking. I know I checked to see what time they opened and we should have been fine, but without any communication or anything else the ladies shut down the place at 1:30 and were trying to give us the picture that it was time to go. I can appreciate they weren't exactly rude about it but it was also void of proactive, positive customer service by way of communicating with us their appreciation that we joined them today but politely let us know they would be closing soon. Instead they just passively made us awkwardly uncomfortable and without saying so let us know "you guys should leave". Umi officially earns a 1-star review though I would love to see the ladies who work there and seem to own it to turn it around and get it back on track. I don't see how this place would survive too long based on what we saw, ate, and experienced this day. read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Outside - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Whenever we have date night, we either get pho or sushi. Since our son isn't yet into these foods and they typically don't have a menu that is for kids, this is our date night choice. Our server was very nice and quick with our orders. My favorites of this night were the Tiger Roll and Superman roll. I'm always a fan of spicy tuna rolls too, but I'm just in love with any sushi roll that involves shrimp tempura or is any sort of flash fried. I added a tip here that if you are wider in the hips like myself, request a booth! The chairs at the tables were a tight fit for me and I was very uncomfortable the whole time. But since it was Valentine's weekend, all the booths were already reserved. I'm already looking forward to coming back here again. So many fun rolls on the menu. read more

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The sushi was very fresh and had great flavor. The ginger was also very fresh and tasted homemade in comparison to what you find at many places. I was however, taken aback by the cost - $17.75 for two rolls and a miso soup seems a bit more expensive than many other places. It's hard to say if the quality is worth the cost. The staff was very friendly, so I'd probably return. read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Salmon roll, Avocado roll, and Miso Soup - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Still the best sushi in Richmond. We did takeout from Umi still through COVID and have continued to come for our sushi fix. The sashimi is delicious with nice thick pieces. They cut back significantly on cooked items since COVID and I'm sad to see they haven't made a comeback yet but hopefully soon. Probably a cost-saving measure but worth it if it means they stay open. I've tried other places in town over the years and they're gimmicky and either have small pieces or covered with sauce. Looking forward to warm weather when they open the outdoor patio area again. It looks on the parking lot but still nice being outdoors. read more

I can honestly say that Umi is my favorite restaurant! My go to order is the spicy crunch salmon roll and spicy crunch tuna roll! I've been going there for years and have never been disappointed! I've tried other rolls like the John roll, rainbow roll, shrimp tempura roll, Ichiban roll, spider roll, and the California roll! They are all delicious, and you can really tell that they use the best ingredients! I've also tried the shrimp tempura, kani salad, seaweed salad and the miso soup! You can't go wrong with anything on their menu! The staff at umi are very nice and welcoming! I've taken all my family and friends, it's the best place to go for sushi! read more

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These chefs were way under-staffed for a Sat. night on a Mother's Day Weekend. They worked fast and furiously and even with a lot of tables not occupied, it took 40 minutes to get our first cocktails. After the extended wait time our sushi was FINALLY SERVED AS WELL AS COCKTAILS. THE MARTINIS were so strong we had to ask for a glass of pineapple juice TO DILUTE so we could drink them. ($2.50 upcharge for TEENY TINY GLASS OF JUICE WAS KIND OF TACKY, IN MY HONEST OPINION. ). FOOD 3.5 STARS. read more

Fantastic Fresh Fish! World class sushi in RVa? Yes! The fatty yellow tail and fatty salmon were the highlights. But the complementary piece of Toro for Thanksgiving (yes, seriously! She gave me a free piece of Chu Toro!) made me a customer for life. read more

This is my favorite sushi bar in Richmond/ Short pump area. Nice decor, low lighting & lovely ambiance. Staff is wonderful..attention to every detail! A very extensive sushi menu w/ daily (limited) specials. The fish is very fresh! Full bar and a large variety of sake. read more

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Knife cuts were good and thick. Everything is good here. The service and ambiance is nice. Prices a little high but overall, I would come back. read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Sushi Combo #2 - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The service is not bad, but the food is just nowhere close in quality to the price they charge. The sashimi is North of 40 bucks and comes with very little. NYC has high quality omakase for the same price with even more food. The prices are almost at ridiculous levels with uni costing 25 dollars for two small pieces. This only costs 3 dollars in Austin, a similar or lower cost of living area. How is this place still in business?? read more

It's been a long time since I've eaten at a restaurant in the states that was as good as the sushi in Japan. This place is fantastic in every way! Excellent quality and taste of fish and the staff is extremely pleasant and accommodating. Thank you so much for the wonderful experience! read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Blue fin - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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When I moved back to Richmond, I was devastated to learn Osaka closed their Short Pump location. I've never been a fan of their U of R outpost and it's definitely slipped even further in terms of quality and freshness. Tonight I gave Umi a try and am thrilled to report this is THE BEST sushi I've had since leaving NY. The sushi is rolled to perfection-- any sushi aficionado can attest to the skill required to produce superior sushi and sashimi. Everything was seamless-- from ordering over the phone to pickup. Bravo, Umi! read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Already started to eat, too good to wait. Check out the orchid! - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

We went here for the first time for our anniversary dinner and we were not disappointed. The pros- amazing food! Our dumplings, salad, and rolls were all perfect. We needed up with a Superman roll and a California roll and they were excellent with beautiful presentation. The soso- the service was good, but we went in Sept. of 2022 and it looked like they were a little short staffed. We didn't wait for anything but the interaction at the table was rushed. The cons- we ordered a bottle of warm sake and it was not good- no flavor, just the taste of grain alcohol. We didn't let it detract from the food, we just didn't drink it and the rest of our night was great. The inside is very nice, modern, and clean. We will be back read more

We once had an incredible meal in Japan in a sushi/sashimi restaurant where the owner closed the restaurant for our meal--he personally waited on just three of us all night. An amazing experience. And that's exactly how Umi owner Sue makes us feel when we drive 5 hours to eat at Umi. Extraordinary food and even more amazing service--and Sue will remember the food and drinks you like forever. She and her staff are fabulous. Make a reservation; with the pandemic still claiming victims, they are limiting seating and protecting staff. The hand-making of food like this takes years to train staff, and this is a small restaurant with very few staff and even fewer sushi chefs. If you're into mass sushi, no problem--there are plenty of places around Short Pump. If you want exquisite food, beautifully prepared and ultra-fresh, in a quiet private environment, Umi should be your first choice in RVA. read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Sushi-Sashimi combo--wonderful! - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Best sushi in Richmond. The fish is fresh and delicious. All the dishes are great but The Spicy Girl Roll and The Tokyo Roll are distinctive. read more

Food was fresh and well prepared and the ambiance was very intimate. The restaurant is dimly lit with many booths and some table options in the middle. I can see it as a good date spot or place to catch up with friends. The service is good and personable; our waitress was very attentive. The sushi was spectacular! The fish was fresh and they don't pad the sushi with too much rice to try to fill you up. We got the Richmond, Godzilla, and Tiger. Super good balance and mix of sushi. - The Richmond was my favorite. It had shrimp tempura, avocado, and eel on the top. It was super buttery from the avocado and the eel with a nice crunch from the tempura. So so good. - Godzilla was spicy tuna with avocado on the top. Super classic roll done right. They had big chunks of tuna in the middle and ripe, buttery avocado on top. - Tiger was very fresh and light. It had avocado, crab, and mango in the middle, with salmon on top. Also delicious! Would definitely recommend this place. The sushi was great! read more

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I've been to countless sushi restaurants in Richmond since I moved here 4 years ago. With that said, Umi is without a doubt my official best sushi restaurant in all of Richmond. The ambiance is sexy and upscale, making this a great place for a date or a special occasion. Best of all, the food is phenomenal! Your mouth will praise God, Buddha, Shaft, Paul Walker or whoever with every bite you take from any of the expertly crafted dishes that are made with the highest quality ingredients possible. The menu is large, but not overwhelming. I especially like that they have hard to come across traditional items like whole baby octopus. But whether you choose to be adventurous or just keep it simple, everything is cooked/ presented to you with absolute perfection. And as expected with an establishment like this, service is great. If you're indecisive or not familiar with this type of cuisine, the servers do an awesome job at helping you to figure out what you like by making comparisons and suggestions. So I'll end this review by saying, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and maybe there is a place that I haven't found that may be better than Umi (which I doubt), but Umi has exceeded my expectations to a whole new level and I honestly have no interest or faith in finding a place to top them. If it ain't broke then don't fix it! read more

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Pretty Olay Sushi for take out. The service was excellent! Not a long wait time. Would go again! read more

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I love this place! I've been here a few times. The service is awesome. You are greeted and you feel very welcome here. The sushi is delish!! They get busy during they dinner hours and on the weekends so I would recommend making a reservation. The quality of the fish is excellent. It super fresh. The decor is very nice. I highly recommend this place to anyone. read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Delish!!! - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

If you are looking for fresh, high quality sushi in Richmond, this is the place to go! This is one of the pricier sushi spots, but you do get what you pay for here. The dim lighting gives it more of a romantic vibe, so it would be great for a date night. The only part that was lacking was the service - it was a bit slow and they forgot a few things. read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Rainbow roll in the front and spicy tuna in the back - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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The restaurant atmosphere is excellent, but the $19 of 9 pieces sashimi is ok quality. The Teriyaki steak lunch box is far better. And the squid salad appetizer is the best! Overall is kind of disappointed because I have high expectation of their sashimi dish. read more

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We went there to celebrate the birthday. We ordered sushi , curry , fish dumpling , spring roll. The sushi are delicious and the service is good . They also gave a box chocolate to celebrate the birthday. read more

I've been around to many sushi places, VA, DC, NYC, Taiwan. I would say in VA the best sushi restaurant is this place Umi Sushi Bistro. If you truly love sushi, you value the flavor of fresh, well prepped fish (nigiri and sashimi) give this place a try. First of all, the rice, it's just as important as the fish. At Umi the rice is not smashed and overcooked. The individual grains are still in tacked soaking up the flavor from the vinegar, sugar, and kombu. It's cooked just right with a slight bite to them like well cooked pasta would. When gripped together by the Chef while making nigiri, the outside of the rice is firm while the inside is loose giving it a very light but flavorful mouth feel. The fish, it's sliced in proper thickness, not too thick, not too thin from sashimi to nigiri. Their Fish has a sheen to them, not dried or ripped. On the nigiri the fish rests of top of the rice with wasabi in-between acting both as bonding element and flavor enhancer. The manner in which the fish and the rice comes together is almost if the fish was draped/wrapped around the top of the rice, making the nigira comes alive. The proportion of the rice and the fish is also very important, a perfect proportion when eaten in 1 bite will combine the fish, rice, soy sauce, and wasabi together in your mouth in harmony. To me preparing sushi or any other cuisines for that matter is a combination of art and science. I believe the head chef at Umi Sushi Bistro understand the nuances of how to handle and prepare sushi properly. They are constantly seeking improvement in all areas, feel free to tell them your opinion if and when you pay them a visit. read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Very good sushi and an attentive staff. The appetizers came out quickly, but sushi took a really long time to come out. I will say the presentation was outstanding and the sushi was extremely fresh. I would definitely come back again. read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Absolutely love this place! Great service, amazing food.... we do take outs at least this a month here

If you go to Sticky Rice or Sushi Box and think their sushi is actually good, don't waste your money eating here. Now, if you REALLY know sushi - definitely give this place a visit. This is the best sushi restaurant in Richmond in terms of freshness and authentic sushi flavors. The sashimi slices are cut thick and is actually fresh and served on bed of ice. The ambience of the restaurant and presentation of the food is beautiful and elegant, and makes for a perfect romantic dinner out or you can take someone important out to dinner. The prices are tad bit more steep than other sushi restaurants but it is well worth it if you enjoy and recognize authentic sushi flavors. read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Sashimi combo - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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The best! Pretty pricey, but for a very good reason. The difference in price compared to say, Kabuto, is justified in the difference in taste, freshness, and quality. Skip the basics and go straight for the chef's special rolls. I highly recommend the superman roll (very good!! shrimp tempura with smoked salmon, warm, melty cream cheese and a spicy sauce - tastes sort of bacon-y from the smoked salmon), richmond roll, tokyo roll, spider roll, and double crunchy. don't ask me what's in half of them. I forgot. I go here so much sometimes and we always go in a group and get those as well as a new roll and share it all, so it get's confusing as to what's what after a while. Just order one or two of them and you won't be disappointed! The same family also own Ichiban (the more affordable range, more casual-feeling restaurant), which has about 6 rolls in common with this place and everything else is different. The average rolls here are about $12 - $16 dollars, but they go up to as much as $23. Those 6 have the same prices. The common rolls are just about everything I mentioned besides maybe the superman. BUT anything you see at one restaurant, you can ask them to make at the other with no problems. The prices are the same at both restaurants for identical items as well. Umi just offers more higher end options. By the way, they also have a great photo album menu to let you see what the rolls look like, which is a really great help! read more

This was our second visit to this restaurant during our Richmond trip. We ordered the Sushi & Sashimi Combo. The dish exceeded our expectations. The assorted raw fish was salmon, tuna, and bluefin tuna from Boston. The sushi we had was bluefin tuna, salmon, madai, shrimp, and yellowtail. The sashimi pieces were so generous in size and the pieces were so fresh it melted in our mouths. One of the best sashimi I ever had. This dish was shared between my boyfriend and I, and we were stuffed when we finished the plate. (Ok...I did start with a house salad, which I loved the ginger dressing, and bf had a side of rice as well.) The service was excellent. Our server remembered us from our last visit and even remembered our preference with the sushi (bf did not want the wasabi in the sushi). There were plenty of servers to refill our drinks and check up on us throughout our meal. The restaurant is clean with a modern look. Only slight negative is the location can be challenging to find in the evening. The shopping mall does not have much lighting, and the restaurant's name sign is backlit with dark blue lighting. Our experience was a fantastic one. When we come back to the area, this restaurant will be one that we will visit again. read more

Umi Sushi Bistro - Sushi & Sashimi Combo. 5 pieces assorted sushi, 12 pieces assorted raw fish, & spicy tuna roll (w/ seeds & mayo). - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This place is so cute! Perfect for a date or for a group of friends. Super clean! I loved how dim the lighting was. It seemed casual, yet fancy at the same time. But its very quiet. My friend said it could maybe use a little bit of low music playing just to help ease up on all the quiet, but personally I didn't mind. The food was FANTASTIC. Started off with a miso soup which was in a pretty big bowl. I got kind of full from it, but the show must go on! Next came out calamari and gyoza. The calamari was tasty! The batter was so thin and light it didnt soak up any oil from the fryer. OMG the gyoza were so good, not fried, not steamed, but crispy and soft. Maybe pan seared, but I dont even care because they were exceptional! The sauce that comes on the side is the perfect enhancement to an already flavorful gyoza. The squid salad was very refreshing and all the different textures compliment each other so perfectly. The squid was very tender and savory while the cucumbers provided the perfect crunch. Delicious. For the sushi, I got a spicy tuna roll. The presentation is beautiful. They go out of their way to make sure the food is as appealing as it possibly can be. Very fresh fish, not a fishy taste or smell. I love how they leave a cute miniature pot of soy sauce on the table. I feel like my spicy tuna roll could have used a lot more spice, but it was nothing wasabi couldn't fix! OMG PLEASE SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT!! The mochi, fried ice cream and banana tempura were so good. The banana tempura was suuuuch a good idea. I never knew a battered and fried banana could be so delicious but its a gift on this earth! The hosts and servers here are really nice and attentive! read more

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