Great new sushi spot in Braintree! I came in for lunch today and ordered the Spring Sake from the Specials menu as an appetizer which was perfect for a hot day! We also each ordered from the lunch menu. I ordered the Una Don Lunch and my husband ordered the Maguro Sushi Set. Both came with miso soup. The eel in the Una Don was cooked perfectly and the portion size was pretty big for a lunch portion! The restaurant is small with just a few tables. Most likely is more of a take out spot but very comfortable for eating in as well. Service was also great and everything came out pretty quickly just in time for us to get back to work on time! read more

Umai - Spring Sake - Japanese Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

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It looks like this restaurant may be under new ownership, but it's still serving up delicious Japanese cuisine! We came for the pork curry katsu. The pork katsu curry was absolutely delicious, packed with flavor, and came in a very generous portion. Definitely worth the price, especially considering the quality and amount of food! The staff was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and attentive throughout our visit, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The only thing we wished for was a little more variety for younger diners. Having juice options and a few more kid-friendly choices on the menu would make this an even better spot for families with little ones. Overall, great food, generous portions, and excellent service! We really enjoyed our visit and would happily come back again! read more

Umai - Pork curry katsu - Japanese Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

I usually don't order sushi delivery in hot weather, but I was craving it after a cleaning, didn't want to go out, and wanted to try a new place. Decided to try this place even though it is 25+ min away from me. Alligator Maki - Outside: eel, crab stick, avocado, scallions, tobiko with eel sauce; inside: shrimp tempura, cucumber - the shrimp tempura will taste better if they use panko instead of bread crumbs. Tornado Maki - Outside: snow crab, tobiko, spicy mayo, scallion; inside: shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber - too much spicy mayo on top, and the shrimp tempura will taste better with panko. Pink Lady Maki - Salmon tempura, asparagus, avocado, tobiko, cream cheese in pink soy paper with spicy mayo - this maki tasted bland without the spicy mayo, but they used too much (it would be better if they drizzled the sauce lightly). The salmon tempura coating is different from the shrimp tempura's; no breadcrumbs. Not a fan of it when it cools down, stronger oil taste. Overall, I did enjoy the sushi, even though nothing was really special. read more

Umai - Japanese Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

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I heard so many positive things about this place. The restaurant is small (for about 15-20ppl capacity). The sushi bar is across the entrance with loads of fresh ingredients. The restaurant was busy when i came but i got seated within 5 mins. Server was nice and friendly. Food came out within 10mins. I ordered their snow crab roll, eel avocado roll, and white tiger roll. I was skeptical at first that you can get snow crab sushi for $8, but i was wrong. The snow crab inside the roll is real the flavor is perfectly balanced with the other ingredients. The white tiger roll sauce is heavy and creamy. A bit on the sweet side but not bad. The eel sauce on the eel avocado roll is rich and umami. Better than any other sushi restaurant in the area. Highly recommended!!! read more

Umai - White tiger roll (bottom), snow crab roll (middle), and eel avocado roll (top) - Japanese Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

We had a selection of maki (Tornado, Crispy Mango, Super Yellowtail) and a house salad. We were thrilled at the freshness of everything. The salad is big and real green lettuce and other ingredients, no iceberg! The dressing is housemade we think and very flavorful. The mango is just right and really stood out. Overall the food and experience were really authentic, and our server friendly and engaging. Recommending to all of our friends!! read more

Umai - Maki selection - Japanese Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

Cute spot in South Braintree! Greeted right away and seated on a Sunday evening for dinner. They also have specials menu as well if there is interest in that. Good way to introduce different things and keep things new. We ordered: wild fire - Top: seared tuna, garlic paste, jalapeños wit ponzu sauce Inside: spicy tuna cucumber This was my personal favorite! Loved the spicy siracha sauce jalepenos and torch seared tuna. Tuna and salmon are my fave proteins for sushi night. Triple torch Top: seared tuna, salmon, hamachi, tobiko with spicy soy Inside: California maki Triple torched was nice balanced, Cali roll filling. It probably would be even better with some more crunchy bits or toss one spicy salmon inside instead. Crispy mango Top: tuna mango, key lime, yuzu, honey glaze Inside: tempura flake, cucumber, mango spicy mayo The wifey's pick for favorite. I also enjoyed this one very much. Nice acidity, fresh mango and cucumber. Makes you feel light and rejuvenated. This'll be a favorite of ours come summer. It was balanced, light and we savored it! Curry katsu (pork), Hefty portion with curry potatoes carrots onion and white rice. Everything was cooked well, pork i thought might have been overly dry but it was right there on edge with pork. Complimentary Miso soup. It was well balanced, seaweed was a nice portion not too much. Flavor I enjoyed. Cute owners, nice service staff. Repeat customers for sure and they are close to home. Will need to try spicy bulgogi pork (my go to for Korean dishes.) more rolls and sashimi. See ya soon. read more

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Umai in Braintree is the newest sushi spot on the South Shore! Family-owned and run, everything is truly made with so much love and care. The staff is so friendly and accommodating. They're so open to feedback as well since they just opened! The sushi was really fresh and offered at a great price. Everything was plated so beautifully. I was really impressed by their Salmon on Fire ($17) and Salmon Truffle ($17). The raspberry sauce for the Salmon on Fire was really unique, and the presentation was so eye-catching - yes the Salmon is actually on fire! The Salmon truffle was insane as well; there were gold flakes and LITERAL truffle pieces. I also tried the South Shore Maki ($17) and Tornado Maki ($17). The South Shore Maki is probably one of my favorite makis right now. The wasabi mayo paired with the mango filling made the best sweet, savory, and spicy combo. The tempura flakes added the perfect texture crunch, too. I liked the Tornado Maki as well; the snow crab was really delicious. Overall, Umai is a small but mighty restaurant. Located unassumingly in Braintree, they're serving up some high-quality and tasty dishes. Definitely recommend giving them a try! read more

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Umai is a newer Japanese restaurant that opened in Braintree a few months ago. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of their rolls! We've already started planning another visit soon because of how much we loved the maki rolls we tried tonight. It's an unassuming restaurant but such a local gem. Delicious rolls for pretty reasonable prices. Here's what we got: - triple torch maki roll - crispy mango maki roll - wild fire maki roll - Pork Curry Katsu (comes with rice + miso soup!) Everything tasted amazing! Fish was fresh & liked the rice to filling ratio... not too much rice :) My favorite rolls are usually torched but today, my favorite was the Crispy Mango! The yuzu honey glaze really complimented the roll well here. The Wild Fire maki roll was wonderful, as well. I've realized I LOVE rolls that have the jalapeño + sriracha (or similar) combo on top. Wish more restaurants did this but I'm glad we were able to find that here. The Triple torch is an elevated California roll & consists of seared salmon, hamachi, and tuna on top of the roll with spicy soy glaze + topped with tobiko. Not spicy at all but SUPER YUMMY. Lastly, we had the pork curry katsu! Listen, I love curries but not the biggest fan of Japanese-style curry usually and I found myself going back for more bites haha. Flavorful and the pork was perfect, nice and crispy. Staff was super sweet + kind. I'll definitely be back soon. This might even become one of my new go-to's for casual sushi. 10/10 experience ;) Parking: free street parking & there is a Municipal free parking lot across the street. read more

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Very cozy family run sushi spot! Owners are super sweet and friendly. I've had my eye on this place for a few months now and I'm glad I finally pulled the trigger. Would recommend trying their sushi apps and rolls! Quality is super fresh. Salmon truffle, jalapeño hamachi and spicy scallops maki were great. Can't wait to come back to try more items. read more

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this has easily become my favorite sushi spot. everything was incredibly fresh with complex flavors that didn't overwhelm the fish. rice was cooked and seasoned perfectly. the combination of flavor was well balanced and had us reaching for more. service was quick and efficient, the seating might be limited but it is clean and comfy! read more

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Went there yesterday and Everything was fresh and delicious. Ordering takeout tonight from them because I just want to try more!! So happy it's here in Braintree! Convenient parking lot across the street! read more

Umai - Salmon truffle - Japanese Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

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Just had the best sushi here. The service was amazing, Lillian was amazing, super sweet and attentive. Good cozy environment. I got the crazy maki, Chiraski, and salmon maki. All perfect and tasty. I also got two giant ice cold Sapporo's. All together spent $70, totally worth it for the portions and taste. Also got complementary mochi when Lillian asked if it was a special occasion and i said first mom night out alone. If your looking for a cool, lowkey, but affordable sushi place this is the place for you. 5/5 stars if i could give more i would! read more

Umai - Crazy maki, salmon maki, - Japanese Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

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The sushi chef knows what hes doing. Fish is fresh, cuts are good, and while its on the pricier side, im so glad to have this in braintree

One of the best compliments you can give any restaurant is that everything tastes distinctly different in a really good way. Umai Restaurant fits the bill. I read that they just opened a couple of months ago and decided to give it a shot today since it's Lunar New Year. And by "give it a shot," I mean ordering a bunch of things and then sitting with friends, tasting everything, and then seeing what people think. The bottom line is that the food here is excellent. One thing I've noticed about Japanese food is that although it's always best to dine in the restaurant, doing take-out is a better way to more carefully judge the food. We started with pan-fried gyoza, and they were excellent. One of the problems with many restaurants is that the skin of the gyoza has a sub-optimal consistency, and oftentimes they keep it in the pan too long. These gyoza were perfect with delicious filling. Then we moved onto the soup, and I ordered Korean Mandoo Guk. I've never seen a Japanese restaurant service this, but I've had it from some of the best restaurants in Korea, so I was curious. It was very good. The broth was clean and a little lighter than I'm used to, but all the other ingredients in it were excellent. The only negative is that I would have liked for more sliced rice cake pieces (dduk) in it. The beef bulgogi and spicy pork bulgogi were well-prepared, and again this was a bit shocking because I've never seen a Japanese restaurant that serves these two Korean dishes. What also was surprising is that they tasted distinctly different. A regular restaurant would have used the same marinade for both types of meat, but Umai Restaurant prepared these two dishes so that they have a distinctly different flavor profile. Just a warning that it is a bit expensive, but you can taste how carefully prepared it is, and quality does come with a certain price tag. The Chicken Katsu Don was moist on the inside and crispy on the outside, and it's probably one of the best I've ever tasted. As for the sushi and sashimi, the rice was cooked on-point. Would I have liked to have tasted a little rice wine vinegar? Yes, but I haven't found a place on the South Shore that really does this. As for their fish, it's fresh and has that unique melt-in-the-mouth quality that only fresh fish has. And to get as much variety as possible, we ordered a Chirashi bowl and the South Shore Sushi Set. Finally, the miso soup. There is the standard watery stuff that most places serve, and then there is Umai's miso soup which has that subtle and wonderful depth of flavor that excellent Japanese restaurants take pride in. Not only was the taste amazing, but they give you a full pint of it, as opposed to most places that give you something closer to 6 ounces. Umai Restaurant is definitely one of the best places on the South Shore to order Japanese food, as well as the Korean food on their menu. One last thing to love about this place is that they don't have an enormous menu like many other places have, and that's a credit to Umai Restaurant. A smaller menu with well-prepared dishes is the mark of experienced management. And when you combine that with the care that the chefs at Umai Restaurant present the food, well, they may be a small place, but they are mighty! read more

When I walked in, I immediately noticed the space was on the smaller side. The menu was clean, well thought out, and easy to navigate. I do wish there were more non-alcoholic drink options since I don't drink, and my only choices were water or soda. I ordered the takoyaki and appreciated that they were generous with the octopus, though I'd rate it an 8/10 because it was a bit too fried for my preference. I'm not usually a fan of fried soft shell crab, but my boyfriend loved it and said it was delicious, giving it a 9/10. The sushi was amazing! The Alligator roll is essentially a dragon roll, but still very satisfying. I was pleasantly surprised by the truffle on the salmon sashimi, which added a nice twist in flavor, and the salmon itself was thick and very fresh. The service was friendly, but they did seem a bit slow today since they didn't expect to be so busy for a Wednesday and only had one sushi chef working, so the food took a little longer to come out. That said, the quality of the food made the wait worth it. I'd definitely return, and this might end up being my go-to sushi spot since everything tasted incredibly fresh. read more

Umai - Fried Soft Shell Crab - Japanese Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

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We love this place. My daughter and I are sushi fans. She likes some of the more exotic things I like some, but I like the standbys, as well. Both of us love everything we get. I've spoken to the sushi Chef on more than one occasion and he's a very nice, well trained Chef. You won't find better made sushi in this area. We've been eating sushi for over 20 years, in a lot of different places from Nantasket Beach to Boston and Cambridge. Umai is tied with my favorite place which I can't recommend because I know the Chef left years ago. So at the present time this is my go to and I'm lucky, it's very close by ha ha Oh yes, he has lunch very reasonable and good. read more

Cute little sushi spot on the south shore. The service is great and sushi was good. My boyfriend and I tried their tuna tartare, pork gyoza, jalapeño bombs for appetizers and they were all great. As for sushi, it was fresh and delicious. Prices are fair. We will be definitely be back to try other items soon! read more

I might say the best sushi I've ever had but it's at a minimum the best sushi I've had in such a long time that I can't even remember when I had better!!! read more

I want to gate keep this place. But since they've only been open for couple months, I want them to be super successful. Simply put. Amazing! Stand out dishes were the scallop crispy shiso, Hamachi toro sushi, salmon toro sushi. read more

Tonight I had the joy of dining @ Umai. My husband and I visiting for the weekend from NY. Very delighted to have the delicious, fresh and outstanding sushi, Miso soup was absolutely tasty on this chilly night. Panfried Vegetable dumplings were really good. The staff is classy, attentive and have created a chill, calming atmosphere. Wonderful experience!! Can't wait to to return . read more

I've had Umai twice now, once for takeout and once to eat in. Both experiences were wonderful! The fish is super fresh and service is very kind. Quality wise, the sushi is on par with places in Cambridge/Somerville- this is the best sushi I've had on the South Shore. They've re-done the space nicely, it's a small but quaint dining room. read more

Umai - Maki - Japanese Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

I never write reviews. This place is incredible. Top tier quality of fish, very organized, and they even give you a little tray for soy sauce (takeout). Great rice to fish ratio, not drowned in sauce. Incredible sushi read more

First time here. Very, very nice sashimi and miso soup dinner. Beautifully presented by the chefs and the attentive staff.

Sushi was amazing! Waiter was great! And the crispy mango with the key lime was to die for!!

The food is great a the staff is friendly. We got the hamachi truffle maki, snow crab maki and soft shell crab tempura. Glad they use real snow crab! read more

My dinner was amazing! Everything is thoughtfully prepared and delicious. Fresh ingredients with just the right amount of sauces on the sushi without being too sweet. This is Japan level dining out with very reasonable prices. James and his staff are so welcoming, you really can taste the handcrafted talent that goes into the meal. read more

We were five friends looking for sushi on a Saturday night and happened upon this new restaurant. Everything was delicious and so fresh! The staff was very friendly and welcoming, and the service was excellent. The restaurant is very pretty and comfortable. read more