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Umai

3.6 (303 reviews)
ModerateJapanese
Closed • 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Order Umai Takeout or Delivery

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UMAI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids

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Sushi Rice, Spicy Shrimp Tempura Roll (6 Pieces)
Terra B.

Not bad sushi, pretty tasty, nothing fancy. The restaurant was small inside but that's how Newbury Streets set up is. The spicy mayo mixed with rice made all the difference, might not return but you'd never know.

Chirashi Don Dragon Roll (8 Pieces) Spicy Tuna Roll Spicy Shrimp Tempura Roll (6 Pieces)
Angela H.

The sushi here was okay. Definitely didn't feel full from the rolls. Service was a little slow, there were only 2 waitresses but it seemed like they were attending to everyone else but us. The chirashi bowl was decent, the squid was a little too slimy than what I've had before and the salmon didn't hit for me.

Tonkatsu bento
Annie C.

I recommend this place only if you've been burned by Yamato two and are looking for something marginally but not significantly better. The bento box appears delicious and is very filling, but the temporal was over fried and not lightly fried. in the Japanese style, and the breading was too thick. In addition, there was no salad except for edamame in a random cherry tomato underneath a bed of grease. The other reviews are correct and if you are desperate, this could be a last resort option if you haven't had Asian food for a month and are desperate. They did have very nice servers and the decor is nice.

Edamame
Lily K.

We stopped in to grab some food after studying at the public library all day. This place is on Newbury street, a great location for business as there are always lots of hungry shoppers in that area. On this day, the restaurant wasn't busy at all and we were seated immediately. We sat in the window area which was very small but cute. Apps: We ordered the boneless fried chicken and edamame. While these were both okay in taste, the portion sizes were pretty small. When we order edamame at restaurants, we usually get a decently sized bowl overflowing with it. Here, we got a small plate with like 30 pieces. I Don't feel like the price reflects the amount you get. The chicken portion was also very small for the price. Entree: we ordered a Newbury maki which was delicious! The salmon on top was wonderful with the contents of the sushi. TL;DR: the food was good, but the portion sizes are rather small. There are many other Japanese restaurants in the area that serve larger portions for the same price range.

chicken karaage, gyoza
Linna M.

Super super good! I would definitely come back jusy for the chicken katsu curry and everything on that menu. The salmon on fire was also so so so cool! 10/10 experience would come back again (also great for aesthetic pictures!)

Massimo M.

What a great little find in Back Bay. Little hole in the wall, maybe 50 tops. Cane here for lunch with "her" got sat by the bay window and pretty view of Newbury street below. I had the salmon bento box she had a salad. Super prompt service. Great fresh food and this day and age the price was reasonable. Definitely coming back when visiting Boston.

Shrimp Tempura
Raina O.

The food was good but the portion is kinda less than expected. The service was super good. The ambiance is very nice it's a cute place.

salmon Salmon with Avocado Roll, Spicy Scallop Roll
Ashley J.

I really liked Umai!! I did takeout because I was staying at a nearby hotel, but the atmosphere did seem very nice, tables were decently spaced out & didn't feel super crowded / loud! The sushi tasted really fresh. I got a salmon avocado roll and a spicy scallop roll, and both tasted really great, not fishy at all, and the amount of fish/filling was also perfect! I think it was a decent price as well!

From top to bottom  Alaskan baked roll Prudential making Sunflower maki  Umai Maki
Angela W.

Came here after shopping at the prudential center! We ordered four rolls and two miso soups for two people and it was more than enough. Each roll is about $16. The restaurant is pretty small but lots of seating. The rolls were delicious and our favorite was the baked Alaskan roll! The sauce on top was delicious. We usually don't even like baked rolls.

Newbury Maki Spicy Tuna Roll
Hailey S.

10/10 sushi. Fresh, flavorful. Perfect spot for lunch if you get a window seat even better. Definitely try if you're on Newbury Street!

Nigiri and a Volcano Maki
Andrew J.

The nigiri was good but by no means spectacular. Service was fast and good. The volcano roll was very good. I'm not usually a fan of specialty rolls but found the volcano roll delicious. The avocado seafood salad was delicious but was light on actual seafood. Overall not a bad spot in the area.

Ponce C.

Clean restaurant with friendly service but the food was mediocre at best. They nuked my miso soup and it came out lukewarm. The chirashi don was just mediocre, the tuna was chewy but didn't have any sinew in it which was very strange. Definitely not something I would recommend, I was expecting much better because of the location but I was definitely mislead.

Kris M.

We came here for dinner and chose to split some Maki rolls (we ordered both of the rolls with lobster and a few others to include the scorpion roll and the umai roll). We loved having lobster on the sushi, as we hadn't seen that before! I found the sake list to be really comprehensive with a lot of choices. I ended up getting the Murai family nigori genshu--and it was so good! It was smooth, milky, and had vanilla just as the description suggested. Highly recommend this restaurant!

Sashimi Pizza

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3 years ago

Delicious food! Great service! Amazing sushi, ramen Bento boxes and drinks selection.

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9 years ago

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3 years ago

Very quick take out! Food was fresh, hot, and delicious. There is also dine-in service and the place looked clean and inviting.

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3 years ago

None friendly, I wouldn't wast my time here again. Food was nasty. Please avoid at all costs. Unfortunately I got food poisoning.

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Yume Ga Arukara - Spicy hot udon

Yume Ga Arukara

4.5(263 reviews)
1.9 mi•Waterfront, South Boston
•$$

On my last day on the East Coast, I was DYING for some Asian food... and I'm so glad I found Yume…read moreGa Arukara! We arrived a little before 5:30 p.m., and we had to wait a few mins. The restaurant is on the smaller side, so there is limited seating. We were seated at the bar, so we got to see the udon being made, which was fun! The service was quick and attentive. I got the spicy hot niku udon and it was delicious. The udon was chewy and the perfect consistency. The beef was thin and tender. Lastly, the spicy broth really brought it all together. If you're a spice lover, I would recommend this item! 10/10 When we wrapped up, there was a long wait. I recommend coming for an early dinner, but the line also looks like it moves fast because they turn tables so quickly.

Came here 4ish on Saturday and there was a handful of empty seats. A small queue formed by the time…read morewe finished eating at 5pm. I got the hot udon without beef. My brother got the cold spicy udon with beef. Overall I was underwhelmed by this place. It's solid and good pricing but I wouldn't queue for it. My brother said it was much better the previous times he's been here, and my friend raves about their cold udon. Well unfortunately I can only base my opinions on when I've tried it. Udon itself was a bit tough and not chewy. I guess it's better than being mushy. I don't think it's a matter of how long you cook it, because the texture didn't improve by the time I reached the end of my bowl which would've been an extra ten minutes of heating up. Hot udon comes with broth which I think is worth for $2 more than cold which doesn't come with broth. It's chicken based which indeed invoked childhood flavors for me. However, I wish it was even stronger in chicken flavor and less creamy. It tasted a bit msg to me too. It lingered in my mouth a while afterwards. The tempura bits got in the way of me eating the udon, drinking the broth, and eating the scallion. I think hot udon doesn't benefit from tempura compared to cold brothless udon. The spicy oil wasn't actually spicy to me. The flavor reminds me a bit of black bean chicken feet marinade at dim sum restaurants. I don't think it's additive. My brother said that non-spicy cold udon is refreshing and tart. That sounds more interesting. Beef tastes unnecessary to me. It's not value added to my noodles. It's a bit too sweet and too fibrous. 3.5* but putting down 3* since my expectations were unmet after hearing and seeing hype.

Photos
Yume Ga Arukara - Yume Ga Arukara 8/2026

Yume Ga Arukara 8/2026

Yume Ga Arukara - Cold spicy niku udon & hot spicy niku udon

Cold spicy niku udon & hot spicy niku udon

Yume Ga Arukara - Spicy hot niku udon with an onsen egg.

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Spicy hot niku udon with an onsen egg.

Tora Japanese Restaurant - M1. Pinku Maki

Tora Japanese Restaurant

4.4(955 reviews)
1.1 mi•Chinatown
•$$

Casual, popular, and bustling Japanese spot in Chinatown. Very tight for space and limited seating…read moregiven it is a basement spot in one of the Chinatown complexes! And it is popular for a good reason. Service is quick, I'm sure they are trying to get people in and out. Very fresh kaisendon (fish bowls) with delicately cut, plump fish. A friend and I got the salmon and tuna don, which were appropriately priced under $20 if I remember correctly. Lots of different cuts of salmon and tuna, which were all covering fluffy white rice, and served with a side of miso soup and Japanese radish/pickled vegetable. If you were to compare this place with other casual Japanese spots serving sushi or sashimi, there is an easily discernable difference in quality. You can tell by the texture and appearance of the fish in your bowl! This is a classic in Chinatown for a reason, and I will never say no to a kaisendon from Tora.

I came here on my last trip to Boston and liked it so much that I knew I had to come back again!…read more Tora Japanese is located in Chinatown--in the basement area of one of the buildings, so seating is pretty limited. I came for lunch with two friends, and they didn't have a table for three, but the hostess was able to quickly accommodate us by rearranging another party that just sat down, and we were able to get some seats at the bar. Service was really fast and friendly throughout our dining experience. I ordered the sake don from the lunch menu, which came with a good-sized portion of rice topped with salmon sashimi and a side of miso soup. Definitely a great spot for a quick and affordable lunch in Chinatown!

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Tora Japanese Restaurant - Inside!

Inside!

Tora Japanese Restaurant - K11. Sake Maguro Hamachi Don

K11. Sake Maguro Hamachi Don

Tora Japanese Restaurant - LR2 Lunch menu

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LR2 Lunch menu

Nagomi Izakaya - Premium Omakase for to go

Nagomi Izakaya

4.2(152 reviews)
0.7 mi•Kenmore
Takes reservations
Kitchen open late

***TO-GO ORDER***…read more Food 5/5 -Aburi sushi set of 8, this was the best sushi set I have ever eaten but also the most expensive. Fish was fresh, seared to perfectly smokey but not overdone. My favorite favorite favorite piece was the foie gras. Highly recommend for a special treat. -Torched toro maki, caviar feels like a fancy touch but did not make a significant different honestly. The toro was really good though, overall still an above average quality sushi but I don't think it's worth the price. -Seafood maki, insanely luxurious roll with sweet shrimp and uni and scallop, just all the most delicate ingredients you never see in a sushi roll. Tasted amazing and I would get this again even though it's very expensive. Packaging was superb, sushi was in great condition through delivery service.

I got the premium chef's omakase and bomb handroll -…read more TASTE: 5/5 - solid omakase w oysters, sushi, sashimi, and torched toro maki. And the bomb handroll was perfection: torched scallops, toro, uni, caviar, and truffle everything! TEXTURE: 4/5 - miso soup and edamame to balance the rest of the tender sushi PRICE: 5/5 - $88 premium chef's omakase is a steal, would come back! Handroll was indulgent at $28 though lol SERVING SIZE: 5/5 - more pieces in the omakase than I expected, plus the sake! Filled me up SERVICE: 5/5 - made the Sunday 12:30pm reservation on tock just in case, though wasn't busy when I arrived. My waitress was super attentive throughout my whole meal ATMOSPHERE: 5/5 - upscale decor in this narrow space PARKING: 4/5 - got a metered street spot right on Beacon St x Commonwealth Ave

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Nagomi Izakaya - Premium omakase

Premium omakase

Nagomi Izakaya - Roasted foie gras maki

Roasted foie gras maki

Nagomi Izakaya

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Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House - Wagyu tartare

Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House

4.4(138 reviews)
1.1 mi•Chinatown

Exceptional service with high quality meats and no wait on a weekday lunch! Had the pleasure of…read moredining here with a friend today & enjoyed the basic set, which contained meat that tasted better than some premium cuts at other AYCE restaurants. Milk tea on tap, sauce bar with raw pasteurized egg. Salmon and mackerel also included in the unlimited apps menu now, too. Location is compact given it's in Boston Chinatown, but it has what you need! Restrooms have mouth wash and floss tips, which is great post meal. Been to Mikiya in CA, which has a bit more elevated ambiance & feel but the food and quality is the same. Service was phenomenally efficient, respectful, and great! Come hungry, leave happy :)

It was my first time returning to Mikiya since going for their grand opening about a year or two…read moreago. This time I decided to go for late lunch & experienced no wait time. We got the silver set, which comes with American and Australian wagyu meat options. We opted for this one because it includes the seafood platter, vegetable platter, and choice of one of the following specialty dishes: wagyu tartare with chips, sweet shrimp sashimi, bone marrow, & wagyu nigiri. We decided to each get the wagyu tartare. For broths, we did half sukiyaki and half spicy miso. I think next time I will just get only sukiyaki though because it is so good! We ended up just cooking everything in the sukiyaki broth. The pasteurized eggs are amazing in this broth btw! For all of the AYCE options, you get unlimited drinks + tea, seasonal fruit, ice cream, sauce bar, pasteurized eggs, ground wagyu, wagyu curry, and can order appetizers off their appetizer menu. For appetizers, we ordered seaweed salad, eel nigiri, chicken karaage, & fried shumai. They all tasted as expected, so we were happy about that. I enjoyed the ground wagyu! It was tasty and even tastier after adding in some garlic & chili peppers. Wagyu tartare looked and tasted very fresh. I think if it had some more citrus, it would've been even better. Because raw beef doesn't really have that much of a taste and I think some more lime would complement this well! The seafood platter was awesome. My favorites were the lobster tail, fresh abalone, scallops, and oysters. Amazing! I would say the only thing that I didn't like from my recent visit was the vegetable platter. It had great variety BUT I wasn't have that some of the veggies they gave us were not properly cleaned. Make sure to inspect the vegetables!! The watercress and bok choy still had some dirt on them. But everything else was fine. I always inspect everything before eating (anywhere) but I especially make sure to inspect watercress because it's known to be pretty dirty. For meats, we mainly stuck with the Australian wagyu chuck ribeye! It is my favorite cut from this set. Overall, I'd come back again! I think it's a great place to go for hotpot & is different from your typical Chinese hotpot experience. The silver set is the best to get in my opinion because you get a little bit of everything & to be honest, I don't think you can really taste the difference of the different wagyus (American vs Australian vs Japanese) unless it's being grilled.

Photos
Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House - Interior

Interior

Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House - Seaweed salad

Seaweed salad

Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House - Fried chicken karaage

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Fried chicken karaage

Yume Ga Arukara - Signature Cold Niku Udon

Yume Ga Arukara

4.6(871 reviews)
3.2 mi•Porter Square
•$$

Four words: spicy cold niku udon. The signature is also good!…read more I've been a fan of Yume ever since I found out about it when I went to Tufts for college. It was the Asian-American community's go-to spot for dine-in, take-out, or both! This was back when they had their location in the Lesley University food court too - people would be lining up for 30+ minutes to get a coveted seat at one of their humble seats. I look fondly on when they would yell "perfect" whenever I finished my bowl, praising how I slurped every freshly cut udon noodle and devoured every ounce of broth or crispy tempura bit they put in there. The new location is just a few stores down, still in/out of the Lesley University mall area. It has a nice ambiance and feels less cramped. While I miss the "perfect" yelling, the flavor still tastes just as good even if it's gotten an insane amount of hype since then. Would highly recommend ordering takeout if you're in a rush - they do it very efficiently, both at the original Cambridge location and the new Seaport location too. I'm so happy for all of their success!

Food: hot udon, DD had hot niku udon and hubby had spicy hot niku udon. The noodles tasted very…read morechewy and the hot udon soup base was ok but I've had better. Note that it was a little spicy because they put shichimi on top, so if you don't want that be sure to tell them. It gave added flavor. Service: we went extremely early (before 5pm) so there was no wait and service was efficient and water glasses filled without request. Ambiance: quite a few tables and several bar tables. Came here because my daughter loves this place but I thought it was just ok.

Photos
Yume Ga Arukara - Interior seating

Interior seating

Yume Ga Arukara - Spicy Hot Niku Udon

Spicy Hot Niku Udon

Yume Ga Arukara - Spicy Cold Niku Udon (to go)

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Spicy Cold Niku Udon (to go)

Umai - japanese - Updated October 2026

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