Soooooo good and great staff!! Loved the environment and the food was very very good!

Upon entering, you are greeted by a multi-level establishment with sushi bar and small dining area downstairs and a larger dining room upstairs all laid out in subdued, modern chic, Asian vibe. The staff is amazing, attentive, friendly and efficient! Thank you Kay, for taking such good care of us! We started off with the Kara-age Lollipop chicken, which was finger lickin' delicious. For our entrees we shared the 6 Set Umai Temaki and Sashimi Nori. Super fresh, flavorful and beautifully presented. I got a kick out of the canned sake and maybe over indulged...but so much fun! We felt the value was very good, 27 pieces of generously portioned and fresh sashimi for under $60! We'll make this a regular stop when in DC. Cheers! read more

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UPDATE: Unfortunately, after probably 30-40 visits since moving to Washington, my fiancée and I will no longer be returning to Umai Nori. I'm leaving my original review below because it accurately reflects how much we have enjoyed this restaurant. The food is excellent, and many of the servers have been wonderful. We became genuine regulars, eating here roughly once a week. But we have also overlooked some increasingly difficult behavior from the manager. On numerous visits, we have watched her berate and yell at members of her staff in front of customers. It is deeply uncomfortable to witness. Tonight, that same attitude was directed toward us. My fiancée and I do not eat shellfish for religious and allergy-related reasons. For dozens of visits, Umai Nori has accommodated this when we order its hand-roll sets by substituting the shellfish items. Tonight, the manager abruptly refused. When we explained to our server that we had an allergy, that this exact accommodation had been made for us probably 30-40 times, and asked if the manager could come speak with us, she refused even to come to our table. When I ultimately spoke with her at the hostess stand, I explained that we were extremely regular customers and that if the restaurant was no longer willing to make this accommodation, we unfortunately wouldn't be able to continue coming. Her response, in substance, was that she did not care how often we had eaten there and did not care if she lost our business. Restaurants are entitled to have whatever substitution policies they want. What is unacceptable is treating longtime customers with contempt for politely asking why an accommodation they have received dozens of times is suddenly unavailable--particularly when an allergy is involved. There have been other strange inconsistencies we've overlooked--the house sake, for example, seems to arrive in wildly different quantities despite ordering the same size--but none of that would have stopped us from returning. Being treated this way did. It's genuinely disappointing. We love the food and would have happily continued coming every week. But after repeatedly watching this manager treat her own staff disrespectfully and finally experiencing the same treatment ourselves, we're taking her at her word that she doesn't care about keeping our business. --- ORIGINAL REVIEW: Outstanding neighborhood sushi spot. Consistently great, fresh food and service. Handrolls and cut rolls that really pop and are inventive. read more

Came here for one thing and one thing only - the hand rolls! I've been to Kazu Nori and other places that serve hand rolls so I wanted to see the hype around this place. I ordered the 5 set hand roll with Hottie scallop, Kanpachi, Torch me slowly, Spicy salmon and Mango Tango. I loved the flavors of each one but the wrapping was tricky. Some of the rolls wouldn't come off because the wrapping had a lot of moisture so I ended up just eating it deconstructed. I prefer how Kazu Nori gives you each roll one at a time to prevent this. Overall great hand rolls but it's super messy so I'd give it a 3.8/5. read more

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This spot is super popular so was happy my friend made a reservation for dinner! We got there a few minutes before and waited by the bar before our table was ready. To start off my friend got the seared salmon roll and I ordered the chicken karage lollipop. They both came out pretty quickly! The lollipops were fried to perfection and tossed in this delicious sweet and spicy sauce! For the main, I went with the Spider roll and the shrimp tempura rolls from the signature section. Both rolls came with a good amount of crab or shrimp and came with a crab leg and entire shrimp in addition to it! The rolls were super filling and honestly couldn't finish them. My friend loved her rolls especially the appetizer one which was the seared salmon belly. This place is definitely worth the hype! read more

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4.75/5 Great service and high quality fish. A mistake was made on one roll (a small piece of Saran wrap left behind) so they comped it, fixed it, AND gave us an additional special nigiri for free. I have been looking for a nice but casual sushi spot since moving to DC since there's no sugar fish here and this place fits the bill! I will be back. I wish it was bigger and in a more happening area read more

Umai Nori - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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One of the best sushi spots I've been to in DC! Outstanding selection of rolls. I highly recommend the Kevin Bacon. The applewood bacon pairs really well with the shrimp tempura. We sat at the bar and it made the meal an experience. It was a ton of fun watching the chefs behind the sushi bar. Perfect for a date night. Small selection of wines, but large selection of sake! read more

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We arrived on a Wednesday at a quarter to noon. We beat the lunch rush and were able to be seated right away. For my family of four, we ordered three lunch specials. I am glad we did not order a fourth because they were massive lunch portions. We ordered the beef bento, the sushi teishoku set, and the 2 specialty roll + 1 regular roll combo. Each lunch special came with miso soup and greens with sesame dressing. The food: Beef (Gyu Niku) - our original intention for coming to this restaurant was not for beef, but I thought this was super flavorful and very tender. It was my favorite part of the meal. Nigiri - I only tried a few of these, but the ones I had were well made. Rolls - we got the Rainbow Roll, Caterpillar Roll, Yellowtail Roll. California Roll and Spicy Salmon Roll came in two of the other lunch combos. Everything tasted pretty good with good quality fish. One small complaint was the rolls were formed a bit oddly so everything but the Spicy Salmon and California were on the verge of falling apart. Tempura - I thought the shrimp tempura was very good and crispy. I was a little underwhelmed by the other veggies - the batter wasn't as crispy and the temperature of the food was cooler. For the bento, the tempura sauce is put in a very shallow tray, making it quite challenging to dip. Overall, a solid place for sushi. Large portions. Surprised myself finding a fantastic beef dish when we were going in for mainly sushi. read more

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This place was solid! We started with spicy tuna crispy rice which was pretty good. Also got the crab calamari which was not at all what we thought it was- it was crabmeat wrapped in squid and then fried. Really unique concept and I thought it was pretty good, if not a little heavy. My bf got a chicken bowl and thought it was fine (his fault he doesn't eat fish). I got the nigiri collection, which was very fresh and had a great variety of fish. Some bites were amazing, like the toro and the scallop, while some were just fine. I wish they told me what of all the fish was because some of the whitefish pieces were great too but it's so hard for me to distinguish! Our servers were really nice and we sat in the cute upstairs balcony section. I'd go back and try other stuff on the menu! read more

Umai Nori - Nigiri Collection - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Surprised to have stumbled in this little spot near Kim's Tailoring in DC. They had this nicely presentable set of handrolls which were tasty tasty but messy to eat and the mechanism to separate the seaweed from the plastic was not easy to do. Id say that difficulty takes away from the experience. Other than that, highly recommended! read more

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I've been to Umai a few times and always have a great experience. The folks that work here are kind, hospitable and the fish is always super fresh. I also appreciate that I'm able to get in and get out pretty quickly. The nigiri collection what really drew me in the first time, and it's still my favorite go-to order. Since I've only dropped by during off peak ours, I've never had a reservation but also have never experienced a wait and the food typically always comes out quickly! Additionally, I love that it's a little tucked away making it super easy for ride share drop off and pick up. Definitely a special place with high quality sushi! read more

It's actually a 3.5/5. Came here for my birthday celebration and ordered a bunch of items to share. The seared salmon belly appetizer was phenomenal, probably my favorite bite of the day. Sushi and roll combo was decent. Good cuts, maybe a little too much rice. The 5 hand roll combo was pretty good. Our favorite was the scallop. One issue was that it's difficult to eat the rolls neatly as they're in a taco shape as opposed to the more familiar cone shape for hand rolls. The Pete's Sake roll is huge but there's nothing about it that really stands out. Wouldn't recommend. Ambiance was cozy, it's a good date spot. Overall it's probably worth checking out if you're in the area or super close. read more

Umai Nori - 5 Set HANDROLL - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Umai Nori miso soup, seaweed salad, roll me a fatty and sweet potato roll forgot to include our second miso soup and side of eel sauce in the delivery :/ read more

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The fish here is so fresh and I'm very happy to find a spot in DC that does handrolls! Highly recommend both the nigiri set and the handroll set. The portions are big and definitely worth the price :) the staff is also very kind and welcoming. We only waited around 10 min to get seated on a weekend evening, and it was a great spot to catch up with friends over good food! I'm excited to come back and try the rolls next time. read more

Umai Nori - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I was staying at a nearby hotel for work and decided to venture out for dinner. As a solo diner, I asked to sit at the temaki bar. It's a smaller restaurant but very nicely decorated. I wanted to try some different things so the set of 5 hand rolls looked like a good choice. Really good presentation and the hand rolls tasted delicious- my fav was the scallop. Service was good. read more

Umai Nori - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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What's open for something a little bit more satisfying the spicy tuna had a weird orange tinge to it and the shrimp tempura had a kind of funky taste and when you looked at the inner portion of the shrimp, they were weirdly, disintegrated and seemingly not fresh all in all walked away, looking for some better sushi read more

Yowzer, this place was AMAZING!! I've had some exceptional sushi in my day and usually I try a dozen or so before I find a really good one. This place is one of the very best. The quality was sublime - so fresh, it made me feel like swimming (like a fish) and the presentation was beautiful. I had a delightful server who was kind and willing to offer recommendations. They had water that was so cold and crisp - not sure if it was the steel glass or the ice but it was the best water I've had. The value was solid for the experience. The restaurant had a nice vibe to it - bottom line, I went there expecting it to be a typical 4 or 5 out of 10 - but this place is a 10 - on par with Nobu and premium places that charge double. I'm actually excited knowing they are open for lunch so I can return tomorrow - even though all that soy sauce has me feeling stuffed and bloated - but tomorrow is a new day and I look forward to another feast! read more

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I stopped by Umai Nori in DC for a late lunch. It wasn't too busy when I went, but I could definitely see this place getting packed for dinner. The layout is interesting -- there's an upstairs when you walk in, but the sushi bar and a good bit of seating are downstairs. The menu is pretty straightforward with a mix of hand rolls, appetizers, specialty rolls, nigiri/sashimi, and traditional rolls. They also have a few solid combo deals, though I usually prefer trying a variety of items instead. Service was quick, which is always appreciated at a sushi spot. We ordered a few specialty rolls, two traditional rolls, and a couple orders of sashimi, all served together on one platter. The rolls were a great size -- filling without being overly large. The sashimi was fresh, and the traditional rolls really balanced out the meal nicely. The flounder and tuna sashimi were both excellent, and the California roll made with real crab was simple, fresh, and really satisfying. The total came out somewhere in the $70 range, so after tip and splitting it between two people, it was about $40 each to try multiple rolls and sashimi. Definitely fair pricing for the quality and amount of food. This spot had been on my list for a while, so I'm glad I finally made it over. I'd recommend checking out the menu beforehand so you can go in with a game plan and try the items that stand out most to you. read more

My family and I had another great lunch here. Our party of 4 adults and 3 babies ate until we couldn't. We had 2 special maki rolls for the mothers that are avoiding raw fish. We also had a sushi + sashimi combo, a beef don, a nigiri dinner set, and some appetizers (gyoza, tempura, and yakitori). The nigiri sushi and the sashimi were super fresh and tasty! The wagyu+uni was out of this world. The appetizers were mostly for the babies. They loved them! The portion on the beef don was incredible. I'm pretty sure it can feed 2 adults! The atmosphere was awesome and the experience was great as usual! We will keep on coming back! read more

Umai Nori - Sushi & Sashimi & Sushi Combo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Service was great! Staff were very welcoming when we first arrived. A nice and intimate sushi bar where the chefs prepared the food right in front of us! read more

Umai Nori is a great little sushi bar with amazing food at affordable prices! The quality is always excellent, and the staff is super friendly and provides outstanding service. Definitely recommend! read more

grabbed takeout for dinner before headed back to my hotel. ordering process was easy but i was kinda miffed that they did not disclose that they charge a 3% fee for credit card transactions. yes, i kno it's getting more and more common, but i still feel it's a little shady when they don't even disclose it. for what's worth, i did have cash to pay for the order. anyway, i got the spider roll (good!), roll me a fatty (funny name, even better taste), shrimp tempura roll (meh), and edamame (fine). the shrimp tempura in the shrimp tempura roll were old and the tempura batter was VERY hard. it was definitely not freshly fried shrimp tempura. what a disappointment. overall, an okay spot but definitely not in a hurry to return. read more

Obsessed with this place! My boyfriend took me here for my birthday dinner. Little did he know, it was a restaurant I had bookmarked for a while, so it was a lovely surprise getting to actually go. Everyone here is really kind and it just made the experience even better. When you are seated, you are given a hand wipe to cleanse your hands before you begin the dining experience. We then chose a cocktail which in all honesty I was a little bit lukewarm about, but the real selling point of this restaurant is obviously its stellar quality and fish. We tried one of their preset hand roll options; everything was really fresh and delicious. We also tried their sashimi nori which was a heavenly box of all the best cuts. Would 11/10 order again. When it comes to ambiance, the place is homey and there isn't much spacing between tables, which was a slight downside since you can really hear your neighbors speaking. read more

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Some of the best sushi I have had in DC!! Service was welcoming and friendly. The food came out quick and was all delicious. From the miso soup to the nigiri collection, I would order it all again and then some. To note, their lunch specials are only on the weekdays Umai Nori, you will see me again!! read more

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Wow this place exceeded my expectations. My friend and I split the sushi tacos and they were so good and fresh! read more

Umai Nori - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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All I can say this is one of the best sushi places I've been to since living over a decade in the DMV! Hands down point.blank.period!!! I was in the area during lunch time and was in the mood for sushi and since I'm in DC I wanted to see what Yelp has for me to choose from and great stars. So I found Umai Nori and it was during the week which was even better for me. Because we all know how DMV traffic's and trying to find parking can be so week day for the win for me. I believe I was able to park in a garage nearby and walked over to the restaurant. I'm not going to lie seem like I passed it a couple of times but once I figured where I needed to park I was good. Walking into this restaurant I was greeted with a very quick decor nice and bright and colorful. It is a smaller restive as many places in DC, but was so cute. I decided to eat upstairs as I was dining alone. The lunch menu was extensive and because I am a tuna and salmon lover I decided to get those rolls. I wanted some wine so I ordered I believe either Merlot or Cab which I took a picture of the bottle because it was so good. When I tell you the sushi was so fresh! It was so fresh as if they just fished it out the ocean. As you can tell from the picture everything was so nice and neat. The miso was pipping hot too almost burned my tongue..lol The lady who was my server was really nice and didn't want to be in the picture with the bottle which was funny as I told her she could have been. Now that I live near DC I'm able to find some great restaurants and Umai Nori is the top of the list! read more

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I came in without a reservation for lunch and was quickly seated! I shared I knew what I wanted since I was in a rush and they took my order right away. The food came quickly, first the salad then the sashimi set. It was FILLING. A lot of food for $31- absolutely worth it. I ate at the bar and was able to have my computer out so I appreciated that. I think there was seating upstairs too! Such a great space. The fish was very fresh. I parked right outside but I recommend taking the metro if you come at night! read more

Umai Nori - Salad that came with lunch sashimi platter - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This was a quality sushi spot in the city! The classic rolls were well made, the service was well paced, and the decor felt true to the Japanese ambience. I would suggest making reservations ahead of time as the seating does fill quickly. Be prepared to fit at a bar top during your reservation rather than a table. We had no issues with it, but it's good to know. read more

Umai Nori - Classic rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Very mid-grade sushi. The service was pleasant, but the actual food left so much to be desired. I ordered a yellowtail scallion roll, a fatty tuna, scallion roll, one scallop temaki, eel, Nigiri, and one piece of sweet shrimp Nigiri. The scallop temaki was awful. Instead of a full piece of scallop, it had chunks of scallop in a mayo based sauce. Did not expect that and did not like it. The seaweed was also soggy because it was not served to be promptly as temaki should be. The fatty tuna scallion roll and the Hamachi roll were OK, but nothing to write home about. That eel nigiri was probably the best piece, but, again, not the best I've ever had. The sweet shrimp nigiri was almost room temperature and very bland and taste. During my meal, I also heard someone coughing often and I later realized it was someone behind the sushi counter who was preparing food. He was not wearing a mask. Pretty disgusting. Lastly, I have to note that this restaurant charges more for credit card use than for paying by cash which I'm pretty sure it is illegal. Including tax and tip, I wound up spending $50 even on this very forgetful lunch. I'm regretting that I did not choose to get the salad that I had been thinking of earlier. read more

Truly a 6 Star experience! Walked by the night before and looked interesting but small. The entry is small but it is a very nice and expansive space. Dropped in to sit in the bar. Great hostess, quick process, went for my normal round of wakame, goyoza, hamachi and kampachi. I asked for her favorite and followed her recommendations on the Aji as an add on. I find the wakame is always a helpful first cut at a sushi restaurant. They knocked it out of the park with simple, clean and fresh vegetables. Great color and texture. This isn't an art project restaurant like Kru, this is hitting all the right notes perfectly. Same with the gyoza. Wow, flavorful, tender, perfect texture on the pork. They were placed on small lemon slices which cut the oil just right. This is usually the dividing line, way too many in the competition are rubbery and tough. The fish was great, very clean and fresh. Just the right texture. Cut with some thickness, so you can appreciate it. I tried the garnishes and they were correct and fresh. This is actually pretty rare. The Aji came on rice raw and a quick fried small fish. Wow. I loved both. Definitely get this. The staff are great. Fast, helpful and super personable. I think this is a superb restaurant that just needs some exposure. I eat a fair bit of sushi all over the US and I only have a couple favorites. This is a new one for me. read more

Umai Nori - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Delicious! Came here twice in one weekend because the fish was so fresh and flavorful. I really loved the unagi hand roll with guacamole on top, and the kampachi nigiri was astounding. The upstairs seating is very cute and service was quick and super friendly! 10/10 read more

Umai Nori - Spider Hand Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I do not recommend ordering takeout from this location. While I enjoy the food, the service has consistently been disappointing. Last week, I placed an order for pickup at a specific time but ended up waiting an additional 35 minutes. When I informed the staff that I would prefer a refund rather than continue waiting, they assured me that my order was being prepared and would be ready in five minutes. Ten minutes later, I spoke with the manager, who told me they were only just starting my order. After all that, I received a complimentary salad and cold miso soup. Despite this experience, I decided to give the restaurant another chance because I genuinely enjoy the food. Unfortunately, my next takeout order was also disappointing. Every addition I had paid extra for was missing, including jalapeños, crunchy toppings, and eel sauce. This is not the first time my order has been missing paid additions. Overall, I would not recommend ordering takeout from this location. There are plenty of nearby restaurants that offer much more reliable service. read more

Ordered takeout and the crab calimari roll was so good. Not a traditional sushi roll but extremely tasty! The yellowtail was also very good, very fresh and filling! read more

Umai Nori - Crab Calamari and yellowtail roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here for lunch because we were craving some sushi and had rolls! Service was fast and super friendly. Prices were very reasonable considering the portion size. Ambiance is very casual-- it's a good place to come for a quick lunch or dinner. We both ordered the 5 handroll set. Overall the fish was pretty fresh and they def didn't skimp out on the toppings-- really good bang for your buck! As for cons, the handrolls were pretty hard to eat... and some of the handrolls were better than the others (spicy salmon and spicy scallops were good, but the ebi tempura was soggy and the white fish handroll was a bit flavorless). read more

Umai Nori - 5 Set HANDROLL - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Wow, just wow! This place was FANTASTIC, the best Sushi I have had ever! Great service, beautiful art design. Now my go to place for lunch or dinner date. A little pricy, but soooo worth it! A great value. read more

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We were nearby and stopped by lunch and this place looked nice! They have a variety of sushi & hand rolls but we went with the 6 pc hand roll set and subbed the salad with another soup. It was really delicious! I enjoyed the kanpachi & hottie scallop one! The miso soup was good too but the only downside is that the hand rolls were messy to eat. We thought they'd be rolled up and were surprised to see them open like a taco with a plastic lining which was a bit annoying to get off. But other than that it was a clean space with excellent service so would go again! read more

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Umai is a solid hand roll spot; I appreciate there's not many in DC sadly. It was a good meal and I enjoyed all the hand rolls I picked. I didn't do any of the preset options so I could select the flavors I actually wanted. like it enough that I would return! read more

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This place is exactly what we were looking for. Great Sushi at a relatively reasonable price. My wife had a special Mango Mango Roll instead of her normal shrimp tempura roll at the suggestion of the waitress and said it was the best roll she's ever eaten. I had some basics like both a tuna avocado and salmon avocado and my daughter has a spicy tuna roll. All were bursting with fish. I highly recommend this place. Atmosphere is great too. read more

Some of the best handrolls I've had! The fish is fresh and presented well. The staff is accommodating and gave a great recommendation with the seared salmon belly. I sat at the bar since I walked it, but would recommend a reservation if you would like a table or have a large party. I will definitely come back! read more

Umai Nori - 3 Set HANDROLL - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Came here to post-celebrate my birthday with my partner. The inside looked as if we were in NYC with the two floor seating arrangements, and the interior was nicely decorated. We were seated at the counter, which I haven't had the experience of doing so until dining here. What caught my eye was the Sashimi Mori - chef's choice of fish neatly presented in a 3x3 bamboo box. The sashimi mori was close to an omakase experience - there were a few names of the fish I didn't quite catch and that's okay. Overall a nice assortment of white fish, salmon, and tuna as well as scallops, clams, and mackerel. Though we weren't told an order of how to eat it, we ate it based off of what we thought was the least fatty fish to the fattiest fish, in this case toro. The fish was super fresh, and I loved using the radish and perilla leaves as palate cleansers. We also wanted to try some regular rolls as well. We went with the hamachi negi roll and the toro negi roll. The nori that they use for the classic rolls was premium - probably the best nori I've had outside of Japan. The hamachi roll had a good amount of fish and the toro roll was topped with an abundance of butter-like toro. Even though it wasn't my birthday on the day, they still went out of their way to provide a complimentary birthday mochi. Since we also were at the counter, the chef's also provided a seared wagyu nigiri professionally presented with sauce and edamame beans. 15/10 experience. We were already planning on coming back, but the birthday mochi and the wagyu nigiri (which I couldn't find on the menu?) cemented our decision to come back. Highly recommended Umai Nori for your sushi cravings and special events! read more

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