If customers are waiting before the restaurant opens, you know that you are in for a treat, right? I mean, this was our first time to Uma Japan Eatery (didn't know it was formerly Ramen USA) and we were a little confused when we arrived because there was signage for Uma, Ramen USA, and M Cafe. So we got out of the car and saw someone pull up in front of the restaurant and jump out at 11:59. As soon as the door was unlocked at 12pm, this customer went in, and a few others after them. This is a small joint, and it was already half full by the time we ordered, then sat down (they told us the table at which to sit). I didn't know, but asked, and found out that a salad bar and miso soup are also included. The salad bar was pretty decent, with fresh vegs. They even had French fried onions (my guilty pleasure) and a very good House dressing (ginger vinaigrette). The portions are enormous. The couple next to us got ramen, and it was practically overflowing. We ordered takoyaki (too much food, we didn't need). I had the Pork Katsu bowl and my companion had a Katsu curry. I wished I had ordered the curry -- it looked dark and rich and thick like pudding (not like a boxed curry). They also gave us a bonus piece of chicken karaage which was so large and crispy. I think I'll get the curry next time, or the ramen. We originally came because we were going to get a karaage sando, but get the curry. read more

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I was disappointed with the food. First the name difference (Ramen USA) on Yelp compared to their website and Google maps kinda threw us off. There's also discrepancy in their menu and what they actually have available as it seems they also display items for the the cafe next door. We happened to arrive during happy hour so some menu items were discounted. They also have a complimentary salad bar. We ordered chicken karaage, potstickers, salmon avocado sushi, and I had the katsu sandwich. All the food items we ordered came separately over a span of 20+ minutes, with the sandwich arriving last and cold. Not only did the sandwich come on a cold sourdough bread, the meat also had an unusual texture and so I ended up throwing it out. The other items we ordered were lacking in flavor. The chicken karaage was prepared well but it had no flavor. I'm regret spending money at this establishment. read more

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Small decor, and super friendly service. I had the pork cutlet sandwich. It was filling & good. Price was great. The guy next to me had the ramen. I'll definitely e back to give that a try, it looked phenomenal. read more

Uma Japan Eatery - Pork cutlet sandwich - Japanese Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

The website might say Ramen USA. There are plenty of signage out front and it is in the same plaza as Lowes, but tucked away in the back. There was plenty of parking space. The server is friendly and there was no line behind us on Memorial Day weekend. The place is clean, but low key. We tried the salad bar which was very fresh, especially the cherry tomato. We ordered the Unagi Don, which was a little too sweet. It came with a piece of fried chicken and miso soup. I ordered the special for the day, Kimchi Ramen. There was only one slice of chasu, but it was thick and tender. The Ramen is on the spicier side as they added pepper flakes as well. The dish was liberal with the kimchi and it was the biggest bowl of ramen that I have seen in a long time and definitely a value at $13.99. I will definitely return and maybe try the MCafe next door for their sandwiches and dessert. read more

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Aside from being a bit expensive, the foods were well made, and the portion size is significant for most dishes. The udon was a bit pricy for how much it is, but the kids liked it very much. The curry was very flavorful but a bit too dark and thick for the kids liking. I was hoping they'd have matcha or roasted green tea but they had tea bag tea, which wasn't bad. It's self serve complementary if you spend over $11. They have a salad bar that's self serve too, which was very near. I liked the options they had. The cups are styrofoam which I felt was not super environmentally friendly but I guess it works for both hot and cold water. They had chopsticks and plastic forks but no spoons unless it came with the dish. It was a bit hard to split food among the kids, and the serving spoon is too big for the kids to eat. The special poke was very good, there were a good amount of sushi rice underneath, which I ended up sharing with the kids and husband. Husband's ramen was pretty good too, pretty flavorful and lots of variety of foods and vegetable like cabbage and bean sprouts. It was pretty filling for him. The spicy salmon appetizer was not bad but I think I'd either just get that or the special poke but not both. Overall, it was a great experience, and I'd come back to try more. read more

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Since Feb 16 of '24 has this establishment not updated to it's new name change & ownership on Yelp, which I found confusing. It is now known as Ramen USA for 13 months as of this review on March 10 of '25. This is why I started with 1 star. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ramen+USA/@42.0531481,-87.9966178,1075m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x880fb10de1dc42c9:0x940ba0c3b8aa128b!8m2!3d42.0531481!4d-87.9940429!16s%2Fg%2F11qrfkdbh0?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMwNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D Add 2 stars for the ability to enjoy salad & veggies plus various condiments, but remember I last visited this place once a quarter going back an entire year. However, the chef & the maitre de specifically does not prefer the house dressing bottle to be transported away from the buffet area. Notice this particularity about them, it has something to do with hygenic expectation &/or adequate supply, i.e. displeasure for hogging a shared item at one's table vs. politely dispensing it strictly at the buffet table only. Add a star for the convenience of self-service where most amenities as chopsticks & spoons napkins, etc are easily available to the customer. Add the final star for proper satisfaction & enjoyment of the entree selections. I'll see what I can do to post pictures for them to help them; truly a sort of hidden gem for those within the know. They are flexible & attentive to the dining experience, one must exude politeness & graciousness. Pictures to follow, once updated ones are found. read more

We just moved from the city out to the burbs, and one of the things I know I'm going to sorely miss is a large variety of different cuisines close to home...but the Arlington Heights area is known for Japanese food, and I'ma big fan of it, especially outside the common realms of sushi and ramen. The pics of the sandwiches look nice, but I made the call to come here because of one of my favorite Japanese dishes, curry. It wasn't too busy when we came on a Friday night with our toddler. You order before being seated, so we looked at the screen and I decided on the hamburger curry, while my wife got the pork katsu and we ordered a pork bun for our little one. The kind person taking our order let us know she was going to tell the kitchen to remove the spicy seasoning from the bun. I was pleasantly surprised to find my wife's and my entree came with both access to their salad bar and a miso soup. I have to shout out the soup - we all know how miso soups look generally, but here it feels like they make it in house and not just out of a mix? It definitely looked unique. The curry was amazing. I've made it a lot at home, usually by creating my own pork broth then mixing in the boxed Japanese curry roux blocks. Their curry here though was exceptionally rich and beefy. Lots of box curries trend toward sweetness, but this was umami all the way. I even got a little piece of fried chicken on the side. My son's bun was cooked perfectly, and the pork wasn't too chewy while still being tender, and it even had a little American flag on top. My wife also liked her dish and we both agreed this was a place we had to return to. The staff was super friendly and we had no problems being there with a 2 year old. Highly recommend whether you're a Japanese food expert or looking to expand past raw fish and noodles. read more

My husband and I were looking for a quick dinner and this place was on my list of places to try. The place is cute and the staff is super friendly which was really nice. We ordered the Katsu sando, Eel on rice & Takoyaki. All were decent in flavor. We also got the Rose and Sakura Matcha milk tea which was good. The sweetness was the right level for us. There's a cute cafe next to Uma where the milk teas get made and the staff there was also super friendly. They sell different sandos if you want more variety plus they have cheesecakes for dessert. We want to try their ramen next to see if this could be a potential ramen spot closer to our apartment. Something to keep in mind: the GPS will bring you to Lowe's but it's on the opposite side of the parking lot in a little corner read more

Uma is one of those spots that makes me excited to try Japanese food without heading into the city. The space is clean, friendly, and casual, perfect for lunch or takeout. read more

We got here around 11:45am and decided to do a carry out since the sitting area was pretty small. Ordered the bento box with beef curry and pork cutlets and big pork cutlets sandwich. Both dishes were very filling and the bento box came with lots of side dishes. I would definitely be back for pork cutlets sandwich but the bento box was ok. The beef curry was very delicious but the pork cutlets was too hard and almost tasted like a store bought/frozen cutlet. Most of their side dishes also tasted like frozen foods. There was only one person eating inside the restaurant. I don't know if they had many other to-go orders or what. But it took +30 mins to get my orders. So in the future if anyone wants to order take outs, recommend to order ahead. read more

Uma Japan Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Why have I not heard about this til now? This place is located inside a strip mall but it does have some legit Japanese food! I have never had Mentai pasta before and it's spicy and good. We also got other Japanese food ( tonkatsu, omelette rice, sushi) but they were all in my belly before we get a chance to take a picture. I would definitely go back and you could order via their text system too! read more

Uma Japan Eatery - Mentai pasta - Japanese Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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We arrived at their opening hour, 11:30am on Friday. They opened the door on time, we immediately got a table near the window. There are maybe 5 or 6 tables, so seating was pretty limited. Hand sanitizer bottles are everywhere, bathroom was nice and clean. We ordered and paid at cashier first, then got a table. I could see that they take this COVID-time seriously. I appreciate their effort for such a tough time! Our order: -Potato salad -BIG fried pork cutlet sandwich w/corn soup -Pick-two lunch box w/chicken nanban and Demi glacé Hamburg Appetizer They offer 5 complimentary small cups of appetizers. 1. Cheddar cheese, cubed Ham, and pickled olive 2. Seaweed salad 3. Potato salad 4. Imitation Crab - Mayo salad 5: Cheese cake cube All tasted good. I especially liked the potato salad and pickled olive. In an Italian chain restaurant nearby, their olives were "hit or miss". But this place's olives were nicely done! If we knew they offered a complimentary cup of potato salad, we might order something else, but it tasted good - so not a big deal. Miso soup - 5 stars out of 5 Good dashi flavor. Nice and hot. Classic taste, no complaint. Corn soup - 5 stars out of 5 Rather gentle milky flavor than peppery. Lots of corn pulp on the bottom. Great soup! BIG fried pork cutlet sandwich - 5 stars out of 5 This item was recommended by our friends. And I am glad they were right about it! Pork was cooked crispy outside, juicy inside. Bread had a nice color outside and still fluffy. Sauce is my favorite Aurora sauce (Japanese mayonnaise and ketchup). The name BIG was not a lie. It's HUGE! Probably the biggest pork sandwich I have ever seen in my life? LOL So cost performance is really good, considering the leftover snack for later. Demi glacé Hamburg - 5 stars out of 5 Hamburg was properly cooked, nice and juicy. Carrot and broccoli were fresh and matching well with Demi glacé. I really liked their Demi glacé. I think a little "sourness" was the key to make it taste more refreshing, even though it is beef. So I do recommend this dish to first-timers! Chicken Nanban - 3 stars out of 5 Chicken was juicy and soft inside. But unfortunately, it was a little too oily for me. They offered fried egg roll and fried gyoza as sides, they were a little too dry. To be fair, we arrived right at the opening time, so maybe fryer equipment was not quite ready. But from this experience, I would try more grilled foods than fried ones. Over all experience, I rate 5 stars! They got great signature dishes! My dish of the day was BIG pork sandwich, but the Demi glacé Hamburg had great flavor too. I liked the polite employee, cleanliness of the bathroom, sunny window seats, and atmosphere of Japanese family restaurants. To try home-made style Japanese dishes, I recommend here! read more

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The food was delicious! The lunch special was well with it and the service was excellent! The lady that served me was so kind and generous.

What a hidden gem! Tucked away in the corner of a Lowe's and Goodwill is this delicious Japanese shop (renamed Ramen USA). The ambiance of the restaurant is super fun with Japanese ramen shop decor all around and cute little carts for cutlery and seasoning. The food took a little bit to arrive as everything is made to order but it was well worth the wait. The standard Champ Ramen is *loaded* with meats... thick slices of pork, tons of seafood, and perfectly chewy ramen round out a steal of a meal. Our takoyaki balls were perfectly chewy and fried. The flavors on the sweet and savory sauced pork cutlet hit the spot complementing our bowl of ramen. They knew what they were doing giving a complementary piece of chicken karaage too... I don't remember having chicken so tender and juicy. It definitely reset my standards for freshly fried chicken karaage (yes, we ordered a full side after that one piece). Add in the complementary hot teas, incredible value, and extremely friendly service - easy five star review. Glad we stumbled upon this place, definitely check it out - we'll be back. read more

We are loyal a customer for Umcamon after the pandemic hit and afterwards they closed. I'm glad there Uma Japan eatery. I have my Japanese pork katsu fixed! We ordered: Bento box you pick 2 : $12.50 Yakiniku and Japanese hamburger. When you mentioned Japanese hamburger is meatloaf with sauce and rice. It was good!! The bento came with rice, fried spring roll and gyoza also miso soup. The amount of this lunch box is good portion and match with the price Breaded pork sauce cutlet bowl $12.50 The best! Crunchy, the sauce and the rice just right! It comes with miso soup. I'll be back for this! Panko fried meatloaf $5.99 It's a lot! The sauce is the best. I'm can't finish this after ate my bento box Takoyaki $5.99 for 5 Pieces I thought it too pricey but the octopus inside the takoyaki is very generous! The taste better than mitsuwa. Bottom line: the price and the food is good. Just right. Not too expensive no too little. I'll be back to order and try other bento or sushi. You can eat there with vaccine card but the place is small and the wait for the food a bit long. I prefer order to go. read more

Uma Japan Eatery - Meal bento box you pick 2 $12.50 Yakiniku and demi glace hamburger - Japanese Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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I think the sign says Ramen USA but it's the same place. It's a weird location between Lowe's and Good Will but a good warm lunch as it gets cold outside. The ramen is a large bowl with a good amount of protein and noodles. The free salad bar is sparse but you know - Free. It has a nice miso dressing but the typical dressings are also available. It's not much to look at but the food is good. It's like a Ramen Fast food set up. The people are nice too. I go there when I need a Ramen fix. read more

This place is a hidden gem for sure. The food is amazing and authentic. Very clean and the service is excellent! Of course I stuffed my face before taking a photo, but my friend and I ordered two combos and a side of ginger pork and OMG that pork was the star of the show for me! The shrimp and oysters were fresh and the fried meatloaf was really good too. We had the fried chicken which is never a bad choice. Definitely coming back here to try other dishes. You're getting quality clean authentic food for the right price. read more

Uma Japan Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Staff was super nice. The lady greeted me nicely. Apologized my order was still being completed. Said I can pay as I wait. She asked how I found the place and sparked a short conversation with me while I wait. Food was delicious! My Australian husband has been looking for a good Japanese curry and this was it. We got the beef curry and torikara fried chicken. He's such a food critic and he loved both dishes. Portion size is big and price was affordable in my opinion, especially for a Japanese restaurant. Beef curry came in a 3 partitioned bowl. Two largest partition filled with curry and the small filled with some fries. Beef curry came with miso soup as well. We also got Philadelphia roll and spicy tuna roll which was okay. There were 8 pieces for each one. It was cold which I didn't really like but not a deal breaker. It had equal portion of rice and filling. I didn't get to eat the spicy tuna because it was a bit discolored and I wasn't sure if I should. We were even given a complimentary mini salad pack and plenty of condiments and utensils. And because we got take out, each entree was nicely wrap and nothing spilled during my 30min drive home. Definitely going back here despite the distance. read more

I'm so glad to find this place again; I had been going often when they were Umacamon. This place is great, delicious food, excellent service! The prices are so reasonable for what you get, and I've never been disappointed. I drive for 40+ miles one way for takeout, and it's well worth it. Pro-tip: you can order via text (224-310-9734) after checking out their menu online, and they give you free appetizer samplers. Response was fast and immediate. read more

Yes yes yes! I am so happy they re-opened. They used to be Umacamon across the street near that Sushi Station plaza. I used to go there all the time! I was so sad when they decided to close. Today we ordered: spicy tuna roll, salmon avocado roll, unagi bento, and a pork cutlet. They are still so delicious!! Everything is fresh and they give big portions- you could easily get two meals out of it! There is no indoor dining. You can either go in and order, or text/call your order. They will bring it out to you for curbside pickup. I will definitely be going back! So happy they're back!! read more

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Uma Japan is a lowkey hidden gem in an unassuming strip mall next to the Goodwill on Algonquin Road in Arlington Heights. It is so lowkey that there's a good chance you might have trouble finding it. The pink neon "Uma Japan" sign is tiny, and the windows are covered in concealing blinds. I visited at night so the only reason I knew it was there was because of the sign. Me and some friends made dinner plans here after a random Yelp search in the area, and I must say, I was so happy about the choice! The interior of the eatery is nothing too outstanding or special. Similar to a typical fast food restaurant, you order first and seat yourself, but the workers do bring it to your table. They have a little section for miscellaneous Japanese merchandise (mostly anime) that is most definitely cheaper on Amazon, but cute if you want a spontaneous treat/gift while you're eating, or if your kid insists on it. I will say off the bat that I do plan on coming back and exploring more of the menu, but for my first visit, I ordered four sides for the table: mozzarella sticks + onion rings, gyoza, veggie egg rolls, and takoyaki. I immediately regretted my decision as the portions are pretty large, and my table of three finished less than half of the four sides. But they were all pretty good! Nothing revolutionary about those sides, but if you're in the mood for one of them in particular, you can't go wrong with what Uma Japan has to offer. For my main meal, I got the pork cutlet sando. I haven't had an authentic Japanese sando since the last time I visited Japan in 2010, but man, the sando was SO good. The bread was crispy and lightly toasted, the pork was very well cooked, and the toppings were balanced perfectly. My only complaint was that the bread was pretty thick and filling, even though it was good. The order comes with 4 sandwich halves, so about 2 full sandwiches. I was only able to finish 2 of the halves because the bread was so filling. On the plus side, the sando is really good to reheat for leftovers so I wasn't too mad since I had a meal for the next day. The sando comes with a side of creamy corn soup, which was decent, though I wish there was less corn in it and more cream. At the end, I was left with a lot of soggy corn that I ended up throwing out. Again, not bad, not worthy of a star reduction, but could be better. Some things I want to try for next time: their curry, their sushi, and perhaps a bite of mentai pasta, though it'd be risky considering my fish allergy haha. The only thing I wish they had more of were drinks; the drink selection was pretty paltry: canned soda, bottles of aloe, and bottled water. I was hoping for a wider selection of Japanese drinks, but it didn't bother me too much since the food was so good, and you have places like Kung Fu Tea right across the street if you need a drink. I highly recommend Uma Japan as a cheaper, quieter alternative to the hustle and bustle of the nearby Mitsuwa. If you want something simpler and less mainstream than what Mitsuwa has to offer, come support this humble business. read more

Great customer service. The food does take a little time to come out but the food is quality. The champ ramen portion size is big for its price. All the combos are good. Will need to keep on coming to try the different menu items read more

Everything Uma serves is top-notch! Ramen, gyoza, tonkatsu, everything! All tucked into a cozy corner of a strip mall. Highly recommended!

Champ Ramen is big and tasty. Layers and layers of flavor. Soo much of seafood pieces almost seems like there are endless discovery. So happy Rediscovered Uma again. read more

Great Japanese selections...I had a bento with beef curry and pork cutlets...the box came with rice,egg roll, dumpling and as half hard cooked soy sauce egg. The place has as few seats but looks likes a great takeout option for lunch. Lots of options for newbies and the seasoned Japanese diners. read more

We ordered Katsu-don (pork cutlet with rice) from this place. Serving was huge and made us very full. Highly recommended!! they have cute green tea tiramisu too, a must try. this place is little hard to find, but it's in same strip mall as Goodwill, and next to Lowe's. read more

Cute Japanese restaurant near Mitsuwa. It's sort of hidden when looking for it and only has signage on the window. This is definitely somewhere you'll need to call ahead of time to pick up food because the wait will be long (I waited about 30 minutes for two sandwiches). But the portions are huge and the people working there are super nice. Will definitely come again to try their other food! read more

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A good spot for take out night. Portion was HUGE, packing was extremely careful. They wrapped every container including miso soup. The fried chicken was a little disappointing, it was a little soggy and greasy. read more

Uma Japan Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

This cute little store is a little hard to find but definitely worth a visit. The prices are super cheap for what you get ($11 for a meal too big for one person to finish) and you also get miso soup and some little appetizers. The menu is extensive and the staff is very friendly. Great for take out and dine in! Will definitely be visiting again in the near future. We got a ginger chicken, ribeye rice bowl, and the big sandwich - probably a 9/10 for the price point. read more

Uma Japan Eatery - Big sandwich, ginger chicken, Beef Rib Steak Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Love this place. The interior is still in disarray from Covid, and it's tucked away, making it a little difficult to find (and difficult to tell if they are open when you do find it). It reminds me of an authentic Japanese diner. The Katsu was cooked perfectly, a crispy panko crust on the outside and tender, juicy chicken on the inside. I really enjoyed their poke bowl, which is basically a deconstructed sushi roll. I was pleasantly surprised by how fresh and buttery the fish tasted. Even with the recent price increase, it's a bargain. The bento boxes have a lot of tasty options and the portions are generous. And don't forget to try the matcha soft serve for dessert. It's very well balanced: enough of a matcha flavor without being overpowering. read more

Best price for the stuff they make. Service quality is high for the price you pay. Just don't think you can find many good comparisons for bento or the noodle they make. I was sad they they closed they previous location. Until today, I found out that they just moved to a different spot. I am grateful to dine in there today. Totally love it. read more

Had a takeout from this place for the second time today and I am so impressed with everything I've ordered so far!!!!! Portion is very generous and everything we have ordered tasted amazing! So glad that this place is near by and cannot wait to try more dishes! read more