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Umai Omakase

4.4 (140 reviews)
ModerateSushi Bars, Japanese
Closed • Closed

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Kat C.

Absolutely appreciated the authenticity of this place. There are so many sushi places that are so Americanized / gentrified that they've lost the art of sushi itself. They claim to fly in most of their fish from Japan daily (for fish denoted on the board with an asterisk) and the taste certainly makes this claim believable when compared to other authentic establishments in NYC and California. Here - you can eat your nigiri and maki rolls with your hands! No chopsticks! Keep it authentically Japanese. Firstly, you don't need to do omakase- there's an a la carte menu and more of the typical rolls you'd expect at all sushi places. We opted for the 18 omakase course so we could taste a variety and enjoy the creativity. We started with edamame drizzled with delicious truffle oil. The menu is designed to start with lighter to heavier, fattier fish. Wow. What a delight. You need to come here with an appetite. There were a couple of pieces that were quite rich for me and the chef also cut some of the bigger pieces in half for me as one bite would have been overwhelming for me. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner along with the sake we brought. Since we came in for the second seating on a Thursday night, we had the pleasure of having the full, undivided attention of Chef Kevin. He was fantastic and his magic alone would make us return here. The place is small, inviting and the staff is wonderful. We cannot wait to bring others along for dinner and we will very likely not get sushi from anywhere else (they also offer takeout!) unless we need to.

Omakaze 1st flight
Rebecca B.

Amazing Omakaze! We had dinner here on a Thursday night & it did not disappoint. We had miso soup, truffle edamame, tempura shrimp, 12 piece Omakaze and some à la carte items. Everything was super fresh and delish! Highly recommend & will definitely be back.

Wagyui
Karina A.

Got the 18 piece omakase the selection is so good and fresh. I love the uni, it's the freshest and most buttery and tender uni I've ever eaten. I also really did like the fatty tuna seared, that was so delicious it was melting in my south. Also the service was so fast so you're never waiting too much in between rolls. Also it was not that busy when we came in which is nice so it was quiet.

Andrew C.

My friend had lost our yearly bet on baseball so he was on the hook for dinner. In the only right fashion, I decided to pick an Omakase for the occasion. Umai Omakase is not off the main road so I really hadn't known about it other than the recommendation of a friend. The space inside the actual restaurant is fairly small but had a comfortable atmosphere. The chef we had for the occasion was friendly and pleasant. He had a few attempts at humor that didn't always hit but I appreciated the effort. The food itself was fresh and delicious. I thought the variety of the fish and dishes was well-thought-out. For the duration of the 18 piece meal, I never felt overly full and thought the pacing was great. Omakase is not something you'll get all the time (my bank account wouldn't survive) but I thought the experience here was top notch. The next time I win a bet or just want to have a nice sushi experience, I wouldn't hesitate to come back to Umai Omakase.

Shari A.

Finally! A high quality sushi place which specializes in omakase. Cannot believe it took me this long to get to this Essex county gem. I guess I had lost faith that there could actually be great sushi in NJ. (Admittedly I generally go to the city for my omakase fix) The chef restauranteur was there the entire time overseeing it all. We loved our seats closer to the chalk board, this spot allows you to see all the prep going into the creation of each piece. We opted for the 18 piece omakase for $150 which I thought was a fair price. The fish quality, cuts and presentation were spot on. We had only 1 piece, the hamachi which was so so. But everything else was delish. The wagyu was delish, they had the seasonal goldeneye snapper which was also lovely. They do a few cool unique preparations for the last three pieces. One is tuna with a raw quail egg topped with uni. It's a pretty amazing decadent bite. The sushi rice is yummy too. We learned by speaking with the chef/owner that this location will be converting to an all omakase place with a standard 15piece omakase which will include a handroll and dessert. This is I being done as they prepare to open a new concept place called Fat Buddha with 150 seats down the way in Caldwell. I am going to continue to patron this little hole in the wall omakase place. It is so exciting to have a spot like this less than 15 minutes from my home. No tunnel, no parking fees and no hassle of going to the city. Well done Umai. A total winner.

Marvin S.

Tucked away off the main road in a tiny little complex sits Umai Sushi & Steakhouse. The restaurant itself is very cozy inside to the point that I'd recommend doing a reservation prior. After hearing lots of good things from friends and coworkers alike, I decided to venture out and try the Omakase menu. The menu consisted of either 12 pieces for $85 and 18 pieces for $150 along with some A La Carte offerings on the side. I opted to do the 18 piece omakase, and safe to say it did not disappoint at all. The fish was very fresh and each piece of nigiri was crafted to perfection while still maintaining their respective and distinct individual flavor profiles. I definitely had some personal favorites excluding the heavy hitters like the wagyu and the toro/otoro. . I had an 830pm reservation and, I believe ended around 10pm ish . So please set aside a couple of hours if you're planning on going . It was the most delicious 2 hours I've had doing NJ omakases to date . Thank you chef and I will definitely be coming back !

Umai Sushi Big Special Roll and Spicy Crispy Crunch Special Roll
Marilen R.

My new favorite sushi place in NJ! I was very impressed by the freshness and quality of the fish. You know it's a legit sushi place when they have toro and uni on the menu. For apps, I recommend the toro tartare, yellowtail jalapeño, and kani salad. They also gave edamame on the house. We had the following rolls which were all excellent: - Umai Sushi Big Special Roll - Spicy Crispy Crunch Special Roll -Alaska roll I have also returned and had the omakase. The pieces were excellent! Chefs kiss* The place is small with a few tables and bar seating, so reservation is necessary. Modern ambiance with techno/ambient music playing in the background. Place is run by a family and they are efficient. Highly recommend.

Jocelyn L.

After hearing a lot about this place, we finally decided to try it. We did the 18 course omakase. I really wanted to like this place and the fish was fresh, however, some of the flavor combinations did not sit with me. I almost would have preferred the fish to be served as is without the extra toppings/flavors added since the fresh fish alone speaks for itself. I really wanted to like this place since we've been looking for a good local sushi restaurant. It was an experience but I wouldn't go back.

Van V.

Very interesting to see so many five star reviews, with most focused on omakase. This place is nearby so we thought we'd start by trying some rolls, both a basic tuna roll and a few of their specialty rolls. They were all good, not more outstanding than our favorite spot in Montclair but as good. Nicely done interior for this little spot. Guess I will have to try the 12 piece omakase soon to see if I agree if the chef's choices warrant it or not. Great for Verona to have this place, and in the same strip as our wonderful Empanada Lady. Will this become an outstanding international food court for Verona? We could use a really good Indian, French bistro, and ramen! Very good sushi already!

Elizabeth L.

Fantastic addition to the community. In a county that's pretty densely populated with so many "sushi" options, this one is by far a stand out spot without being pretentious. We kicked things off with the soft shell crab appetizer which was a crispy delight and I have had my fair share of soft shell crab. I would highly recommend the Omakase option (12, 18 or 22 pieces) each piece was not just fresh but you could taste every single delicate texture and flavor each held its own down to the warm perfectly cooked and seasoned grains of rice. We opted for the 12 piece; it's hard to say my favorites but if I had to pick: Himachi, Aji, Toro, Wagyu. Every single piece was like a new gift and that's not an exaggeration. Allen (hope I spelled that right) is a great example of identifying a passion and sticking to it no matter what stage in life that might be. I really didn't take pics because I was too busy enjoying every single bite. What a treat and I cannot wait to come back! Staff: Friendly, and thoughtful Space: bar seating, high tops and about 5-6 tables that could fit between 2-6. Parking lot or street parking

I was looking for a high quality Omakese sushi experience without having to travel into New York City. After doing some research, I came across Umai Omakase. If you are a fan of sushi, this establishment has to be on your bucket list to visit. We did the 18 piece Omakase experience, and it was absolutely exceptional- every piece meticulously crafted using the highest quality fish flown in from Japan daily. This experience gives you the opportunity to try rate fish not often found in conventional sushi establishments. I early anticipate my next visit.

Soho Special Roll

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Excellent food and service. Place is clean. Chefs went out of their way for our birthday party

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Ask the Community - Umai Omakase

How many pieces is the omakase here and what's is the price point?

12 pc is $85. 18pc. $150 Fish is flown in from Japan every day. Best sushi in NJ

It seems like the restaurant is closed. Are they on summer vacation or something?

Reopening 9/6

Can we byob here?

Yes it's byob.

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Second time coming to Nami Nori and had amazing service as always! Always good to make a…read morereservation ahead of time as it gets pretty busy during the dinner rush! We love nami nori for its upscale and clean feel! Its well lit and doesn't seem like a night club lol. Food was amazing!! The spicy tuna dip was delicious and actually spicy! The caviar service has gone up a bit in price since we came here a couple years ago but it was too good of a deal before! All the handrolls were amazing but our favorite was the toro scallion. We added some of our leftover caviar from the apps and it mixed perfectly!!! Spicy lobster is definitely a must as well! Can't wait to come back for our next date!! Pro tip: theres a parking deck right across the street behind the bike store! You can cross through the lit up alley pretty safely there.

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Umai Omakase - sushi - Updated October 2026

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