Probably one of my favorite sushi spots in Chicago! The fish was super fresh and the service was really kind. The sushi itself was honestly really good - like the spicy tuna roll?? So solid!! It was unique but also really savory and packed with umami. Definitely one of the highlights for me. I also tried the mentaiko udon. It was a bit salty for my personal taste, but I can totally see why it's popular. It's one of those dishes that's definitely worth trying at least once, even though I probably wouldn't order it again myself. Overall though, the quality of the fish really stood out. Fresh sushi, good service, and a great spot if you're craving sushi in Chicago. read more

Umai - Mentaiko - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Spacious place. Service was very good. Staff around and available. Sushi was excellent - highly recommend. Spicy edamame and potstickers were delicious. Ramen was good- not great read more

Umai - Gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I got the steak with veggies and rice in a soy sauce base and was disappointed! The steak tasted like cafeteria steak, I started experiencing a stomach ache almost immediately after eating a few pieces. I had ordered it thinking it was going to be of quality but it is clear that it was probably sysco garbage!! The inside was so beautiful and was the reason why I chose this dish, even while knowing how common it is for these type of establishments to use cheap meat. read more

Ordering delivery via Grub Hub guarantees on time fresh deliciousness like my faves: age dashi, chef's specialties, gomae, shrimp tempura with curry sauce and rice. Sides of salad and miso soup rounds out a full meal. read more

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South loop mediocrity strikes yet again. I was desperate & I deeply regret it. After spending $60 I was infuriated. One of the rolls was disgusting, the truffle one. No shrimp detected in the shrimp roll. This is exactly why I'd gladly drive an hour to the north side in rush hours. Let me be frank, this is some of the worst sushi I've ever had. Reminiscent of gas station sushi. read more

Umai - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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So yummy! My friend and I went here on a weekday around 6 pm, no rezzy required, and were able to easily walk in. Service was fast as well. The inside was cozy with ample seating. The sushi was delicious and definitely hit the spot! Would recommend. read more

Umai - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ramen so fucking good. Service good. Art work and overall ambiance is great. They also let me and my gf stay while it was raining out even after we payed our bill. read more

Busy place but they keep it moving. Efficient service. Yummy sweet plum wine. Tasty dumplings. Flavorful curry udon. Excellent sushi rolls! Those were the star. Colorful decor, murals, and movie posters. Laid back vibes. Indoor and outdoor seating. read more

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A great spot if you're looking for nice quality sushi and really fast and attentive service. I got the Chicago roll and the the Umai crunch roll. I slightly preferred the umai crunch roll. The eel sauce really set it off. Next time, I wouldn't get two rolls that both have the crunchy topping. read more

Umai - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My boyfriend and I are both certified sushi lovers and this was our very first sushi date together! There is plenty of street parking outside, and it's hard to recognize the name as it's written in Japanese outside but the font is big, bold, and blue. There is a good amount of street parking outside and pretty easy to get a reservation especially on a weeknight. The service was great and ambiance was warm and inviting. I loved all the rolls we shared, especially the spicy tuna roll as it was soft, savory, and fresh. Everything was presented well. I will say it was a little overpriced for the portion size though. read more

Was craving something warm and soupy and thankfully this was around the corner from our Airbnb. We ordered beef tongue skewers and the curry udon. First set of skewers were good but second set was ungodly salty. Udon was a little too light for my liking but it satisfied my craving for the time being. Servers were quick and friendly. Cute and cozy spot for some Japanese food. read more

Umai - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My family loves going to Umai; however, I'm usually busy when they go, so I finally got to go with them. The food was amazing! I'm usually skeptical of going to sushi places, outside of AYCE, but I got their katsu don and it was delicious! It had crispy pork, egg, mushroom, and tons of flavor. We also got individual nigiri pieces, and they were so fresh. My katsu don came with miso soup and a salad as well; both tasted very fresh. The service was very good. They always checked up on us and made sure our drinks were filled. The ambiance was very clean and looked fancy. I love how you can see the chefs prepare the sushi as well! read more

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Cute patio, but definitely at the corner of a bustling (sometimes rowdy) intersection. Our service was good and they never rushed us after we finished our meal, which I appreciate! Overall, Umai's food was average. But I think it's still a good option if you're in the south loop and looking for reliable Japanese food! Hyunjin approves. - AD read more

Umai - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My family and I were in the area and saw great reviews about this place and decided to eat here. It was confusing to find at first because there was no sign above their restaurant, but our gps said we were in the right location. Anyways, we were immediately greeted and seated. The restaurant is a decent size, with modern decor. Our waiters were very nice, attentive, and knowledgeable of the menu. All of us ordered different things to share and everything tasted great, leaving us happy and full. Would definitely return whenever visiting Chicago. read more

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Best Ramen ever. And the service is second to none. I like the ambience and the quality of food

Beautiful ambiance, excellent service, and consistently delicious sushi and ramen. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the food comes out fast without feeling rushed. Perfect spot for a pre-concert dinner or a cozy night out. Highly recommend. read more

Umai - Winter soup and Nabukoyi soup. - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I passed by this place multiple times, and I never knew it would be this good. The ambiance was really nice, and I liked how it was decorated on the inside. The service was good! They were attentive, and they had quite alot of staff. The food was really good! I had the ika karaage, spicy chicken wings, and shrimp shumai. All of these appetizers were very very taste. I could tell the fish was high quality in the sushi. It tasted fresh, and it didn't have an overly fishy taste. I had the sloopin roll and the Chicago roll, and I thought both were very tasty. The salmon sashimi was very good as well. I also tasted the katsu kare, and the curry that came with it was so delicious and flavorful. I wanted to try the salted carmel creme brulee, but they were out unfortunately. I would recommend this place for sure! read more

We came late on a cold weekday and the food hit the spot! It was about 9p and there was still plenty of people. We called ahead just in case but they said reservations are only accepted for parties of 6 or more. We still were seated quickly. We got some ika karaage and white truffle roll to start and also ordered katsu kare and tsukemen both with extra egg. Food came quick! Both the noodles and katsu were "dry" but that was what the sauce is for! The Yelp page said no Apple Pay but they were able to accept at the front. read more

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A nice hidden spot in south loop. Haven't actually dined in usually do takeout. Good Japanese meals like sukiyaki and Katsudon. The real style. Haven't tried their sushi but tempura is also really good. Definitely worth a try. read more

The special rolls can be overwhelming with their unique ingredients so I tend to stray away. Maybe it's because I'm not too adventurous with my sushi special rolls. Their regular/typical sushi rolls are good. Noodle dishes are always a hit. One of my favorite tonkotsu ramen in the city. My friends ordered the karage and it was a generous amount. Umai is always busy. Wait time can vary but I've never waited more than 20 minutes for a table. read more

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food: decent/a little below average in food department. Nothing special & luckily the prices aren't high enough for it to be an issue. A good casual restaurant to bring friends or family to Service: average, a guy puke outside & they still sat him down inside which I feel like the business has the right & should've turned him down in case he was sick Ambiance: I liked the interior, gets busy & loud read more

Umai - Udon Kare - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

There's a reason this place is highly rated! Service was friendly and the restaurant itself was nice. The menu has plenty of options which is nice. We split garlic pork ramen and the broth was so good! The sushi was fresh and good too! Overall, really tasty food! read more

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Cute and vibey spot just a few mins from south loop if you don't want the tourist restaurants. The food is pretty reasonably priced and service is attentive. The spicy tuna roll is actually SPICY, beware? It's pretty good though. read more

Umai - Ika karaage and spicy tuna roll - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Oh, Umai... you had a good thing going, but then you went a couple steps too far. Namely on the sugar and salt. I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen with black garlic oil and half a Chicago maki roll. The Tonkotsu was solid. The broth was savory, the noodles pleasant, and it was well balanced in terms of veggies. The Chashu pork was middle-of-the-pack, though I do appreciate the layers of meaty and fatty. Overall, it wasn't melt-in-your-mouth, but also wasn't an uninspired piece of boiled meat. Where this bowl of ramen goes wrong is the salt content. Look, I fully understand and realize that by its very nature ramen is salty. However, this specific bowl took is a step too far. When finishing a bowl of ramen, I ordinarily happily slurp up whatever broth remains. In the case of Umai's Tonkotsu, this was impossible. Now, let's talk about the sushi. This Chicago roll had a lot going for it: a generous amount of fish, the stalwart classic avocado and cucumber, and some tempura(ish) stuff for crunch. Unfortunately, they took this classic and ruined it was a heavy handed use of the honey miso sauce. Sweetness in a sushi roll isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it must be done carefully. Here, the overly generous use of an extremely saccharine sauce clashed with anything the roll had going on and overpowered everything. To be fair, I would be open to ordering this one again, providing I can get the honey-miso on the side, or excluded entirely. Finally, the vibe is modern with black, wood, and just the right amount of splashes of color. The service was also appropriately fast and reasonably attentive. Thus, while I am curious to try the spicy ramen, and the Chicago roll without sweet sauce, given the size of Chicago's dining scene - I do not necessarily feel a pull to return. read more

Umai - Chicago (half) - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Nice service, great decor (pretty plates) and fresh tasting sushi, sushi rice especially. My friend got the spicy tuna roll and one other. This and the takoyaki had a larger amount of fish than we expected, which we appreciated. Veggie rolls were just ok. Veggie sushi sounds silly but it can be really well done. I've had better. But I'd come back if friends wanted to. I do really want to try the lychee ice cream read more

Umai - Shitake roll and Asparagus tempura roll - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Service and ambiance were great. We were seated really promptly and did not wait too long. However I was not impressed with the rolls at all. I would say they are average.. but good enough that I would come back and give other dishes a shot! read more

We came in for an early dinner and we're seated right away. The waiter was quick to bring water and take our order. We had some miso soup, spicy edemame, and shumai for starters. I loved the wasabi shumai. They were different and had a really great flavor! The miso soup was piping hot. I almost burned my mouth multiple times. We had a couple salmon avocado rolls and half of a specialty roll. The sushi was really good! Everything was fresh! The rolls were packed well and didn't fall apart. I would come back to Umai! The food was really good! Definitely get the wasabi shumai! read more

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Ordered from Umai twice and had a satisfying experience. The fish are fresh and portion is great for the paid price. Smoked Sake: the fish is fresh, but not the best marinated piece I had. Not recommended. Tako: Octopus is fresh and love the combination with seaweed and cucumbers. It is a very refreshing starter. Even though it comes with rice vinegar, it is not sour at all. Kampyo: Gourd is greatly marinated and seasoned, not salty. However, sometimes the rice to veggies portion could be improved on. Yamago Gobo: I didn't really enjoy this roll as much as I have expected. The burdock is super crunchy and kind of salty. I definitely enjoyed Kampyo over this roll. Sushi Appetizer: I don't recommend ordering this because the selected fished are really basic, don't really expect you will get a higher quality fish. If you want to try a specific sashimi/sushi then I suggest you to just go ahead and order it. Naked: Very interesting sushi. As described, there's no rice. The cucumbers makes this a very interesting and refreshing roll. This is a very light dish, worth a try. Hamachi Kama: Greatly grilled, the lemon juice adds a hint of sourness. However, the size of the yellowtail collar varies, depending on your luck for that day. I wish the size could be consistent. Nama Sake Don: Love this don! The sides and shiitake greatly pair with the rice and salmon, making this dish not plain at all! The portion is worth the price. Definitely recommend on ordering this! FYI, it comes with miso soup. Overall, this is a great place for Japanese food. It would be great if they can keep the portion consistent. Would love to visit the place one day to get a feel of the atmosphere and service. read more

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I was excited about my first visit and it did not disappoint. We started with a Sloopin roll. The serving was large enough for three. I chose delicious breaded pork on a bed of rice topped with a tasty sauce. The entree was accompanied by a salad and a cup of miso soup. So delicious. My friend ordered the Spicy pork ramen. If it was half as delicious as its aroma, I will definitely try it next time. The restaurant is charming and the service was excellent. read more

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Favorite neighborhood sushi spot. The hot food portions are generous. The sushi folks are well executed. The fish is always fresh. It can be a wait at peak times. It's a small spot but if you time it right, it's not too bad of a wait. Definitely check out if you're in area and hankering for Japanese food. read more

Umai - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Surprisingly pretty good Japanese spot. I'm typically skeptical of spots in the loop, but this place was pretty good. I got the curry udon and my friends got the katsu curry. The curry had good flavor with a god portion of beef in it. The beef was a bit tough and I wish it came with more veggies in the curry. Overall, decent Japanese spot. read more

I've been going to Umai for several years now, and I think they consistently deliver tasty food. Usually you have to wait a bit to get a table during normal eating hours, but it is worth the wait. This time around we ordered the gyoza, goma-ae, and the beef tataki. All three are awesome, but the gyoza here has to be the best in all of Chicago. And the beef tataki is a gem. For main entrees, we ordered the shrimp tempura udon, miso ramen, katsu don, and the katsu kare. We all enjoyed these dishes. I highly recommend bringing your family and friends to this restaurant. read more

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I was quite surprised at how busy this place was on a Thursday night around 8pm. It was literally 100 degrees outside and we walked in thinking we could easily cool off inside, but unfortunately the inside was still pretty warm. Their AC was probably working as hard as it could, but with all of the bodies in there, plus the insane heat outside, I don't think it could keep up. Our server(s?) did an amazing job of refilling our water glasses which really helped us out a lot over our course of our meal most definitely. Onto the food: we ordered 4 different rolls, from the regular to the signature maki as well as a beef tataki. We also ordered a cocktail each. The beef tataki was a perfect "cold" appetizer that we both really enjoyed to start off. I'm not personally sure if I've ever had that specifically before anywhere so I can't really say how authentic or if the quality of it is on par with what it normally should, but we really really liked it! Onto the rolls - I'm kind of indifferent on them. I think they were all decent, but that's as far as I would go. I'd say the Dynamite was the best one out of all the ones we ordered. I don't think I'd go out of my way to come back to this place based on the taste and quality of the sushi, but if I'm in the area, I think it's solid. It's just not the *best* sushi I've ever had. I'd definitely want to try other things such as Udon for example! read more

Umai - Beef Tataki - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Umai is so reliable and consistent with their menu items. Not only do they have an excellent selection of fishes to choose from, but they also have great grilled skewers and other warm food items - there's something for whatever mood you're in. What we ordered: Nigiri Omakase Set: The omakase comes with a salad and miso soup. Then you get 10 pieces of chef's choice nigiri. My favorite was the eel, and I love the little sweet tamago at the end to wrap up the meal. Spicy Scallop Hand Roll: Extremely good. Cannot believe I didn't discover this any sooner. They are so generous with the amount of scallop in this hand roll; the scallop goes all the way to the last bite of the hand roll. I will come back just for this :) read more

Umai - Omakase set - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came on a Friday night and got seated within 10 minutes. This is a casual restaurant that is perfect for dinner with friends. Food, atmosphere, and service were great. I like sushi rolls, but am more of a nigiri/omakase type of girl. I gotta say - the sushi rolls here are amazing. I expected them to be pretty basic, but I was pleasantly surprised. I tried the white truffle tails, umai crunch, and chicago rolls. I'm not a huge fan of the basic rainbow or dragon rolls, so these were creative and delicious. A couple of the rolls here have asparagus in them, which I wasn't too excited about, but it works. Also tried the omakase set. It's nothing special, but the fish is fresh and the price cannot be beat (10 pieces for $30). Beef tongue was also pretty good. The restaurant has a large variety of food on the menu such as ramen and katsu, so I did not expect to be impressed by their sushi. I would definitely come again. read more

Umai - Umai crunch, chicago, & white truffle rolls. Omakase set. - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place has a lot of windows and is in a great area. Service was okay but things came out quite slow and I filled up fast waiting. Rolls were tasty but not a lot of entrees for vegetarians or pescatarians which was a bit of a bummer. read more

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Love this place! The food is amazing and the service is great. I highly recommend it and always bring visiting friends and family here. read more

Umai - Gyu-don - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was delicious, both rolls and the katsu were great! Curry was perfectly spiced. Lots of seating, it was a great spot to grab lunch. read more

Umai - The food was delicious, they had lots of inside and some outside seating for lunch. - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had a great first meal in Chicago. Loved the Nabeyaki udon with its variety of fish and veggies. Recommend the sushi here too.

Another Chicago spot during my visit that I didn't expect to go to but am really glad I visited! Umai is really close to my friend's apartment, and I was rushing to go to the airport for my flight. Their menu is very extensive, and their sushi looks really good. Prices are also reasonable, especially for their omakase and sushi combos. I ordered a gyu don and loved how the combo includes salad and udon. The gyu don's meat was so soft and delicious, and I added an onsen egg for some protein. The sauce from the meat seeps into the rice, so every bite is really flavorful. Their udon was really yummy too, and the noodles were cooked perfectly. Overall, I had a great experience. read more

Umai - @meganyli.eats on IG for more food content! - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois