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    Umai Cafe

    4.0 (23 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated a few days ago

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    Jann D.

    I've seen this place on Instagram and my friend's story so I had to try! The place was cute and quaint. Also, the employees were nice. I got a Strawberry Matcha, Aburi Salmon sushi, Onigiri (Salmon Mayo and Tempura Mayo) with Potato Salad and Miso Soup. My friend got the Niku Udon and a sweet chocolate drink (I don't recall the name from the menu). I wish they had their official menu posted on their social media because some of the menu pictures here are outdated. I wanted two things one being the Blueberry Matcha and they didn't have that anymore :( My friend's udon took a while because my order as well as others were coming before her which I wish they prefaced first. When we asked they said it takes a while to prepare carefully. The sushi was so yummy and melted in my mouth. This was first time having onigiri and it was nice and filling. The miso soup and potato salad was okay. My matcha was okay not anything special. I tried my friend's udon and it was really good. I would come again to try their other items!

    Black Pepper Beef Waffle
    Marykate D.

    Caramel macchiato was delicious, and so was my waffle. Bit of a wait for food, but worth the wait. Inside felt very cozy and was nice and clean.

    Jeffrey I.

    I really wanted to like this place. Unfortunately, it feels like one of those influencer hyped spots that looks great in photos but doesn't quite deliver when you're actually there. Food: 3/10 We ordered the Umai Soufflé and the Chicken Katsu. The katsu looked promising, but the taste didn't match. Chicken was bland, and the "egg" was just a few scrambled bits thrown in not much of it either. The soufflé pancake had solid presentation, but flavor-wise it was just alright. Matcha latte? Drinkable, but not memorable. What really killed it was the timing. They told me the soufflé would take 30 minutes, which was fine... but it came out 45 minutes later. Meanwhile, the person I was with got the chicken katsu and it came out in about 20-25 minutes. By the time my pancake showed up, they were nearly done eating. Kinda awkward eating brunch solo at a table for two. Ambience: 5/10 Tucked-away spot that's clean and cozy. But the music was weirdly loud for the vibe they're going for. Service: 3/10 Main issue was how out of sync the food came out. Also, you have to bus your own table. Not a big deal at a casual spot, but when you're dropping $50+ for brunch, it feels a bit off. Price: 2/10 Paid around $50 for two dishes and a latte. The chicken was a miss, the soufflé was mostly for the photo, and the latte was mid. I don't mind cleaning up after myself, but for that price, I shouldn't be doing cafeteria duties. I've had better, more filling brunches elsewhere for less money. Side note: the hours are super limited too, so even trying to catch them open takes some effort. All in all, not somewhere I'd return to anytime soon. Maybe it'll improve, but right now it feels like one of those places that's riding the hype wave without backing it up.

    Aburi sushi (Salmon)
    Elaine W.

    What a wonderful place! Very cute interior. Inside is nice and clean. Great place for an afternoon tea or snacks with friends. Service was excellent! They even gave my kid a free cup of milk since it wasn't on their menu and he really wanted it. Got their aburi sushi ($14). First time having it and it was very tasty. Never saw it at other sushi places. Salmon is seared. Tasted very fresh. Great texture and flavoring with the jalapeño. Kinda like a combination of nigiri and sushi roll. The filling was very minimal but taste was excellent. Would probably try their sushi rolls next time though. Strawberry waffle ($15) was HUGE. Lots of strawberry and 2 scoops of icecream included. My kid loved it. We also had so much leftover. Well worth the price. Would definitely return! Highly recommend!

    Yaki Onigiri 2 pcs set served with potato salad
    Michelle W.

    My friend and I have been looking for a new sushi location to try so we decided to give it a try. Unfortunately we didn't have time to sit in the cafe and eat so we ordered a carry out. The cafe was nicely sized with several tables to sit at. We were warmly greeted when we walked in the cafe and the lady taking our order explained the menu and made recommendations. I opted for the Sakura Roll and the Yaki Onigiri. The food was freshly made and so good. I will definitely return!

    Decor
    Mehruba A.

    I visited Umai a few weeks ago and I was pleasantly surprised. It's a small cafe so the seating here is limited. The decor is really cute and earthy, with lots of natural wood furniture and plants. I tried the shrimp tempura sushi and umai waffles. The sushi was pretty good, but the waffles were definitely remarkable. They were super light and fluffy and served with fresh bananas and strawberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The combination was divine, and the subtle sweetness from the ice cream was the perfect touch for the waffles. They do not serve it with syrup, so you might have to ask for syrup if that's what you prefer with your waffles. The service was slow, and that was probably the only bad thing about my experience. It took about 45 mins for me to get my waffle order, and it was not really busy in there when I went.

    Munzer R.

    I absolutely love going to this place whenever I'm in Troy. Ever since I visited Japan, I've been looking for a good place to buy onigiri, and I love the baked salmon onigiri they have here. On top of that, the cafe is super cute and I have worked out of here on numerous occasions. They have a fantastic sweet selection, with over the top pancakes with ice cream, etc. I also really like the sushi options and the matcha lattes. Before you go, I'd be sure to double check their hours because they are closed some days and have some break times they close as well.

    Macchiato with oat milk. Delicious.
    Tonee S.

    Ambiance: cute little cafe. Plenty of parking. Wouldn't recommend for large groups over maybe 6 people. Nothing fancy but points for them as they were playing Demon Slayer when we came in . 7/10 Customer Service: everyone was super helpful. This was my first time and I didn't feel rushed to order anything. I went with a friend and though I ordered before her, my food came out almost 15 minutes after her. Otherwise, 7.5/10 Food: I'm excited to go back. My friend and I ordered the shrimp aburi roll, firecracker roll, fried avocado appetizer, and the umai signature roll. Everything was delicious. Solid solid food. They have options for everyone. Excited to return.

    Part of the seating area
    Kaylyn N.

    Very cute! The food was delicious! However I'd recommend asking exactly what comes on the food if there are any allergies or restrictions! I ordered the chocolate holic waffles- the description only said a bunch of different chocolate items but I received fruit on top as well as the chocolate items. No complaints here, just a warning!! Most of the employees were nice but some of them weren't super welcoming. While the food was yummy, it took a long time to come out. It did seem like there were only a few people working but it took about 30 minutes for my food. The atmosphere is warm and aesthetically pleasing! The Japanese decor was gorgeous and the anime playing on the TV was a nice touch! The place is well kept and cleaned. The entrance isn't super handicap friendly but definitely accessible thru some bumps and humps. It's definitely a little hole in the wall cafe that I think is a nice experience! It's a tad expensive in my opinion, but I think it's a nice place to try!

    Dina D.

    I have been dying to try the viral Japanese fruit sandwich and it did not disappoint!

    Matcha latte

    I ordered the salmon onigiri and I was surprised by the miso soup and potato salad that came with it! Everything was very good and the food came out quickly. Everyone was very nice as well, especially when I had questions about the menu. There was a good amount of seating options, and I can see myself coming back here to study.

    Menu aburi

    Hidden gem cafe! The cafe is like in one of those cafes in Kdrama movie, it has a nice decor with cafe style lights and cool background music that gives a comfortable cozy ambiance. We were greeted by a sweet young lady, who also prep the food (waffle) for us! Thumbs up for her passion for creating the plate. We tried aburi salmon, tuna, umai signature roll, strawberry waffle n black coffee. Yum! The sushi is out of this world! A perfect bite of burst flavor! This aburi style gives additional umami taste. The waffle is a piece of art, full of colors n flavor! It made me happy just by looking at this plate. It is a generous amout of serving- good for sharing. We enjoyed every bite of it. And a good level of sweet goodness. I highly recommend this cafe! Check it out

    Strawberry waffle

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    2 years ago

    Cute place. Really nice people. Just be aware that orders may take a bit due to staffing. But otherwise, I enjoyed it.

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    Sushi Kafe

    Sushi Kafe

    4.6
    (306 reviews)
    8.1 mi
    $$

    Our favorite sushi place by far!! Highly recommend!…read moreAwesome service!! Super fast! Shrimp shumai And REM ROLL are great. Very nice people!

    I've been wanting to try this spot for a while, so I ordered a little bit of everything: miso soup,…read moreTako Su, gyoza, shumai, sashimi appetizer, beef bibimbap, and two sushi rolls -- the S n T and White Tiger Roll. The miso soup came out first and was pretty standard. The Tako Su had large slices of octopus with plenty of cucumbers. It was decent, nothing standout. The gyoza was actually an accidental order because I thought I had ordered shumai. Looking back, I probably should've realized something was off when the server asked if I wanted them steamed or grilled. Ironically, they ended up being one of the better items. I took them home and even cold later on, they were still good. The sashimi appetizer had a nice variety and was probably one of the stronger dishes of the night. Unfortunately, the shumai completely missed the mark. It was very wet -- you can even see it in the photo -- and just not how shumai is supposed to be prepared. Personally, I think Asahi Sushi does this dish far better, including the sauce. The beef bibimbap was also disappointing for me. I love bibimbap served in a scorching hot stone bowl where the rice crisps up and caramelizes at the bottom. This lacked all of that. In my opinion, both Asahi Sushi and Sumo Sushi do bibimbap significantly better. If that's what you're craving, this wouldn't be my recommendation. As for the sushi rolls -- the S n T and White Tiger Roll -- they were just bland. Not terrible, not inedible, but very forgettable. Overall, my experience was okay, but nothing about it stood out enough to make me want to return. The servers were pleasant, but there were no recommendations or guidance offered, and the food never really moved beyond average. I ended up giving this place 2 stars for three main reasons: 1. The servers lacked recommendations or menu guidance. 2. The food overall was bland. 3. There are significantly better sushi options nearby. If you're looking for exceptional sushi, udon, and bibimbap, I'd personally recommend Asahi Sushi instead. It's only about 12 minutes away and, in my opinion, absolutely worth the drive for the quality, presentation, service, and overall experience.

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    Sushi Kafe
    Sweet potato roll
    Sweet potato roll
    Triple Spicy Roll

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    Triple Spicy Roll

    Umai Cafe - sushi - Updated June 2026

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