The Japanese people are specialists, perfectionists and masters of their craft. These culinary masters focus and hone their skill and customer experience to perfection. If you go to Japan, you know that generally Sushi places serve sushi/sashimi and don't serve ramen, ramen places don't serve soba or udon, Okonomiyaki places don't serve yakatori etc etc unless.,. You go to an Izaksya. The Izakaya experience dares to take on the specialized master dining experience and serve many varieties of Japan cuisine under one roof. Yowzer! Certainly bold move and risky move in a world of master perfectionist dining experiences. Often Izakaya's can be good but quite "ordinary" (kind of like a diner) unless you have the skill and confidence to bring A game talent to the dining/customer experience, which I'm happy to say that Umai's delivers across the board. First, the two sides of for to ceiling glass walls allow generous amounts of light into the warm, casual hi ceiling space. The menu is quite diverse with sushi, various types of noodles, rice dishes, yakatori, tempura,, multiple appetizer options and more. Portions are generous and price points quite reasonable for the portion size, quality and service experience, which comes with lots of smiles. The food comes quickly and with visually appealing plating, Good selection of reasonably priced Saki's. (Generally cold saki's are the better quality ones) The food, value and overall experience is terrific. Well done for delivering a terrific Izakaya style dining experience. read more

I got the pork katsu kare and enjoyed it. The curry itself was my favorite part. I thought the pork portion was very generous, but the pork was cut a little thin and was kind of tough. I also would have liked more veggies, but that might just be my personal preference. I was also a little surprised that they were all cold since I expected the green beans to be hot. I thought there was a lot of rice for the amount of gravy and that the brown rice (it's the purple kind with a little wild rice in it) was a little congealed, maybe not the freshest. The taste overall was on the saltier side. Overall though I liked it. My husband got ramen and enjoyed it. The service was fast and the spot is cute and not too busy for a Sunday evening. read more

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

Umai is my go-to place for a quick fix to my Japanese (especially Ramen and Sushi) cravings. The Spicy Pork Ramen is the ramen I always get. It was very tasty with a lot of flavors, although the garlic chips can be too chewy occasionally. We've been only ordering takeouts since the pandemic, but this ramen never let us down. The broth is kept in a separate container and it is always warm/hot when we receive the delivery. Umai has a wide choice of sushi and skewers, but Goosebump sushi and Pork Shoulder skewer are my favorite ones. Glad Umai has been delivering fresh and delicious food to my place. read more

Umai - I merged the sushi in one container. - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Chef's choice of sushi were fresh and big on the portion. Uni was a highlight. Grilled beef tougue was chewy and that's where I took a star off. The place got packed fast on a Wednesday night but service was fast too. read more

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Came on a Sunday night and there was no wait for a table for two. Food was delicious and the servers were attentive and kind. Restaurant wasn't too loud and it was easy to hold a conversation. read more

Umai - Spicy Roasted Garlic Pork Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

BEING ASIAN IN THE MIDWEST IS HARD! That statement has nothing to do with racism or anything like that--It's more pointed toward food LOL. IT IS HARD TO FIND GOOD QUALITY ASIAN FOOD! Being from the west coast I was so use to seeing an izakaya or ramen shop on every street, but here there's only a handful in an entire city here--and most of those are also not very good. Thankfully I came accross Umai! My partner and I went to Umai for lunch with our friends. They have both indoor and outdoor seating (we sat inside since it was raining - there was a tornado watch) LOL. We were seated right away with no reservations and our server was extremely attentive. I was like a kid in a candy store there so when it came time to order I ordered: - Sashimi Appetizer (5pcs) - Unagi Nigiri - Spicy Tuna Roll - Beef Tataki - Lollipop Chicken - Gyoza That was just for me lol. All of our sushi was amazing! I was surprised with the quality of the fish we got- the unagi wasn't dry and rubbery, it was moist and soft and perfectly sauce'd. The Sashimi was perfectly cut -- not too thick and not too thin. Now, the Beef Tataki was really good too, but I didn't like the garlic chips that were on top...they didn't taste very edible lol. The lollipop chicken also wasn't anything spectacular or different from a regular chicken drumbstick. Overall, the food was great and extremely affordable. I think that we might've gotten lucky with the rush because it started getting really busy once the rain died down, so I would recommend making a reservation. ALSO, there was a parking structure right around the corner that you can park at, I think it's like $10 - $15 not too sure if the restaurant validates either. read more

Umai - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was delish! Only 4-stars for service - we got water right away, but then that was it for 15 minutes. When the server did show up, she asked if anyone had taken our order - once we got our pre-dinner cocktail, all was good; just took a while. I do have to say this was the best Salmon Shioyaki I have ever had - cooked perfectly and the salt on the side is such a good idea! read more

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Umai is always my fav restaurant! The food is delicious, service is great! All sashimi is super fresh!!! Recommend to check it out read more

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Amazing ambience (great for date nights!) food and service. Kinda jealous of my friend who lives so close to this great place. Went early on a weekend evening at 6 P and got a table pretty quickly. Service was super quick and efficient. I got the Katsu don and my friend got omakase with spicy tuna roll. Both his food and mine were delicious! I hadn't had such a flavorful katsu don in a long time. We were also given miso soup and a small salad before our food arrived, liked that little touch. Service was great, everyone was super nice and friendly. Can't wait to go back. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

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Stumbled into this place on a wet and drizzly afternoon while waiting for my passport to be completed. Sat down to a delicious bowl of hot steaming Ramen that hit the spot as well as some green tea. Ambiance was cozy, clean and airy, service was prompt and attentive. Yummmm! read more

Umai - Spicy Roasted Garlic Pork Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was very surprised and pleased with this place! I generally don't find South Loop to be a booming place for out of the world food experiences, but Umai has exceeded my expectations when it comes to Asian food in the area. The fish quality with their omakase is really good and decently priced compared to other sushi options that I see around the city. I also got introduced to their Sukiyaki dish which is also a nice heartwarming dish to keep you warm during the winter. The beef is super well marinated and flavored and the vegetables provide nice balance to the overall dish. This place seems to always be packed and booming and I would say it deserves the hype it gets. read more

Umai - Sukiyaki - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The food was great, staff were polite, and the music was fun. Would reccomend! I got the Katsu Don. Was pretty large portioned, so come with a strong appetite! read more

Umai - Katsu Don - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Been coming here over a year and it delivers great food and service every time. Their sushi (especially rainbow roll) is top notch and their miso soup is to die for. Great spot for a date! read more

Umai - Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was my second time trying Umai. Overall, I think it was a good meal. Loved the lychee martini. Everything else was very fresh. Service was good. We did sit outside which is right by a busy intersection on Clark, but didn't mind. read more

Umai - Spicy edamame, smoked salmon nigiri and a Lychee Martini - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We rolled into Umai first thing when they opened and the dining space quickly filled up within the hour. We ordered the Spicy Roasted Garlic Pork ramen and Sloopin' and Umani Crunch for dinner. The ramen broth is more creamy and true to a bland pork broth than other ramen shops. Their flavors are much lighter and delicate. I love the ramen noodles, diced green onions and ground pork used. I was no a fan of their sushi rolls. I am typically not a fan of sushi rolls piled with unfried panko crumbs. It's quite unrefreshing and easy to fill out a sushi plate. I'd reorder the ramen and not the rolls. The waitress also had hindsight of giving us plates to share, we had to wait for her for 10-15 minutes after all food was served to get those plates. read more

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Overall, ok. I had the spicy pork ramen, Zaru soba and sashimi. The ramen was decent. The flavor was not special but good. The noodles were a little doughy. The accompaniments were likewise decent. The waitress was right; it was not very spicey at all. The sashimi was average but the zaru soba was a little disappointing. The noodles had a strange texture and the soba tsuyu was way too sweet. That kinda ruined the meal for me. Overall, good to average. read more

one of the perks of moving to south loop was being close to this restaurant. i always get the chicken katsu kare. it is so filling and only $12. it comes with white rice which is hidden underneath all the katsu in my picture. love the flavor of the curry and the texture of the chicken. wasn't dry at all. my husband was a fan of his katsu don as well but i think he preferred my dish. :) on top of that, the service was great, and our waiter was friendly. of course, we will be back! read more

Umai - Katsu Kare (chicken) - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We came here for lunch and the food tasted all fresh and delicious. Over ordered, ramen, sushi and nabeyaki udon plus a a couple of apps. The service was good, but one of order was either misheard or we misspoke. I'm not gonna fault the restaurant. The sushi was all very fresh and delicious but did feel puzzled with the smokey flavor of the white tuna. The spider roll was probably my favorite. The tempura udon was very good with a perfect soft egg. I tried my son's spicy ramen and it had a hearty flavor. I would definitely come back and try other dishes. It's a solid tasty Japanese restaurant. read more

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We used really like this place because the foods are very fresh. We went to Umai this morning, the foods were the same, pretty good but the service is bad. One of ladies she seemed weird and gave me her attitude. I came out and eat for good foods good service instead of giving me your "resting bitch face". I hope their onwer can talk and train well for the waitress. Again, foods are really good. read more

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Came in on a cold Chicago day & what a delicious place for some yummy soup! My husband got the spicy ramen and I enjoyed his broth a little more as it had more flavor than the dashi broth in my udon soup, although I did love my udon noodles! I definitely would like to return to see how their sushi tastes, but definitely would come back for some more soup read more

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

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Umai is my go-to spot when I'm craving Japanese food but don't want to venture too far from my neighborhood! I usually get the nigiri plate combo but the dipping ramen is really good too, it's pretty flavorful and not overly salty and the noodles are the perfect thickness. It is a little on the pricey side! read more

Umai - Tsukemen dipping ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We live right around the corner from Umai and they never disappoint. They no longer are doing reservations, walk-in only during covid. Got there at 8:00 and they were at maximum capacity, but we only waited about 5 minutes to get seated. Service was great, almost too quick when receiving our food! I admired how the service worked as a team. One server gave us our bill, another one stopped by and dropped off a paper bag for our to go dishes. We had spicy garlic pork ramen, shrimp tempura, lychee martini (all pictured) and so good. We also had spicy tuna roll that had just enough spice and the chicken teriyaki. read more

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I love this place. Whenever I come to Chicago I have dinner here. The service is amazing and the restaurant is cute and chic. Last night I had the yellow tail collar, grilled tofu, miso and hot sake read more

Umai - Warm Sake - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped in for lunch with coworkers. First time here. Fantastic service from the moment we sat down. The sushi rolls, spicy edamame, and sashimi were all fresh and tasty. The ambiance was quiet and relaxing. read more

This place is a stone's throw away from home so decided to go for an early dinner. There wasn't many people there around 4:30p. The service staff were very friendly and smiled often. I went to the bathroom to wash my hands to be responsible with all this Covid-19 mess going on. Was disappointed to see there were no paper towels to dry my hands nor sanitizer. To some, this may not be a big deal but for me..uh uh. I had to dry my hands under the dryer which was fine but had to use my shirt sleeve to open the door. I ordered the salmon, mackerel and unagi sashimi. They were all very good. I then ordered a half roll of the goosebumps. It was ok. I just felt the calamari was a little chewy but enjoyed it overall. Probably wouldn't order it again but I would go back to Umai. But will probably do carryout only. Haha. read more

Umai - Goosebumps- half roll - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I always come here with my sister and this time I brought my best friend for her birthday. Great service, great food and great atmosphere. I went to try a new wine and didn't like it, the server switched it for no additional cost which she didn't have to do. I loved the seaweed salud and chicago rolls read more

Umai - Chicago roll yum also recommend the Mexican - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Tried this place for the first time this past week and it was still pretty busy for a weeknight! The restaurant has a variety of Japanese options such as donburi, sushi, and ramen. Sushi was on par with what I expected for this restaurant and portion sizes were were more than expected. Ambiance was comforting and trendy with lots of room as well to fit large parties. Will definitely be back to try new dishes! read more

Umai - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

3.5 food with an added .5 for service. No real complaints about any of the dishes I've tried. Only minor issue is the use of Sriracha in the Spicy Tuna Maki. I know Sriracha is Thai, but I'd much rather them use other Asian flavors. The Lollipop Chicken is really popular for good reason. Crispy and seasoned well. The sushi is fresh and even the ramen is pretty good. Can't go wrong with Umai. I will admit these new Yelp Health Scores are alarming. Even some of the best restaurants across the country are shockingly low. read more

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I came back here again for date night before catching a movie at Icon! I got the Katsu Kare which was phenomenal. The Goma-Ae cold appetizer was really nice. It's sauteed spinach which is shaped in a dense block with a sweet sesame sauce. I haven't had anything like it before but really enjoyed it and was an easy way to add vegetables to the meal. Even on a Saturday night at 6pm the wait was only 15 minutes. They have a patio set up with an enclosure and heaters, so it was warm even though it was 40 degrees outside. I tasted the tsukemen, I prefer the standard ramen here. Service was great, they came by to fill up my water multiple times and were friendly. read more

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Hands-down one of my favorite sushi places in Chicago. Everything I had here was absolutely stellar. The quality was amazing. My friend and I ordered a bunch of different things to try and we just split it amongst the two of us. We were plenty full afterwards. What I had and recommend: -escolar nigiri -goosebumps (half roll) -umai crunch (half roll) -spicy roasted garlic pork ramen (split amongst 2 people) The service was great. Plenty of seating. If I come back to Chicago again, I would definitely come back here for my sushi cravings! read more

I love this place! Every time I visit Chicago, I have to stop by Umai for their omakase 10 pc special & a lychee martini. The food and drinks are great quality and well priced. read more

Umai - Omakase Sushi 10 PC & Lychee Martini - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was great, I got the gyoza and a shrimp tempura roll and my partner got a Chicago roll, they were all soooo incredible and came out super fast! The venue itself was very beautiful as well. Service was also incredibly kind, attentive and considerate! read more

There's paid parking around this area since it is in Printer's Row, but definitely accessible by CTA as well! It's a great location with a lot of restaurants to see but was in the mood for Japanese food so stopped here! It was packed on a Sunday night but was able to be seated right away. I got takoyaki and ton katsu ramen. Both were sufficient portions and both very delicious! I never usually finish my ramen at the restaurant so they let me pack up the remainder of my ramen to eat at home! The food came pretty quickly to be honest and I'm glad because I was starving! Overall, the atmosphere was really nice and comfortable and the food was delicious! The staff was also very kind, which is always a plus. Definitely a great spot for dinner if you're in the mood for Japanese food! read more

Umai - Ton Katsu Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Such good sushi. I wish it was a little less pricey because I would go here a lot more if it were.. fresh fish and it's delicious!

Experience: With a party of 2 we were able to be seated fairly quickly on Sunday evening. For this business, they do check vaccination cards which is not a problem. Parking: It is the South Loop, so parking my by difficult. However, on Sundays, there is free parking on LaSalle (The street behind the restaurant). Besides that, paid parking pretty much everywhere. Worth: Absolutely worth the visit. Great service. Great food. I had the Spicy Garlic Pork Ramen and it was delicious. Not too spicy in my opinion. Takoyaki came in 6 pieces which was great for 2 people. Overall, awesome place to get some ramen! read more

Umai - Spicy Roasted Garlic Pork Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Right away you know how good this place is by seeing all Asian people around. Don't worry about PC because I am one myself lol. On point with food and service. Had the dengaku sweet miso steamed eggplant and it was excellent. My friend had white tuna jalepeno and it was good but a bit too small. I also ordered a side of shirataki noodles with eel sauce just to try it. read more

I went for lunch on a weekday and most of the tables were taken. I had a lovely lunch here. The staff is courteous and quick to refill your water. I would say the service is no frills but they are efficient. The lychee mojito was delicious as was all my food! They accommodated my request for no bell peppers in the tempura. The chicago roll was my favorite, but the spider roll was tasty as well. It's also nice that they let you order 1/2 rolls so you can try more. This is a solid sushi spot if you're in the area. read more

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Umai, like many Japanese restaurants in Chicago, offers multiple Japanese dining options (to run a profitable business, to be sure). Umai provides a variety of experiences: ramen, sushi, izakaya, yakitori. After days of meat and pizza, I hankered 4 somethin' on the surf side of life. The fish looked good through the glass so I sat at the bar. I didn't opt for nigiri as the rice looked a bit dry and opted for the chirashi. The fish was fresh, generous cuts, the temperature of the slices a bit colder than expected; the rice was definitely dry. I saw good bowls of ramen so maybe I'll try that next. Perhaps I'm a bit spoiled living in LA where Japanese food is approximating what it's like in Japan. If I wanted ramen, I go to a ramen shop, sushi at a sushi resto and others. I reckon maybe LA started off with restaurants like Umai and evolved to what we have today, so I can't possibly fault Umai. Chicago also needs to evolve and places like Umai is a start. Since I come to Chicago twice a year for 3-4 weeks; Umai does serve as a good option for Japanese and will return. Silent cringe when I see a restaurant that serves Thai food and Japanese food (and I've seen this in Chicago) as a business; I think that's dragging the concept of eating good food far and wide for the sake of money. Tip: Two blocks from the L stop. Lines form during peak meal times. Full bar! read more

Umai - Umai's chirashi. Very good thick slices of fresh seafood. Rice was ok. - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Umai is our go to place for decent, inexpensive sushi in south loop. We absolutely love the curry katsu and their nigiri options. The place is always crowded and loud. But service is always exceptional. Highly recommended. read more

This place is very clean and has a great ambience. I really enjoy sitting on the patio in the summer :) read more

Umai - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois