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Philadelphia, PA

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Umai Umai

4.2 (566 reviews)
ModerateSushi Bars, Japanese
Open • 5:00 pm - 9:30 PM
Updated over 3 months ago

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UMAI UMAI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Intimate
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Umai Umai

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Crispy Brussel Spout & Crispy Rice
Nicole C.

So happy to dine back at my favorite sushi spot after taking a pregnant sushi break. As always ; their sushi is fairly inexpensive for Philadelphia City pricing and fresh/delicious! Their crispy brussel sprout is my favorite shareable appetizer. The crispy rice tot is my favorite (non-shareable) appetizer. I tried the Krakken roll (without almonds) for the first time since I always opt out of this roll since I have an almond allergy but I was glad to sub out the almond and try this roll! Already can't wait to come back.

Funnel Cake fries and Vanilla ice cream

I went to Umai Umai yesterday evening and it was hands down the best sushi I've had in Philly so far. Such a great experience from start to finish. Our server, Krystina was amazing! She asked what kinds of flavors we like and gave us recommendations based on that and she was spot on. Let me start by saying they have the best miso soup. My friend got the Henrietta Roll and the Pingu Roll. I had the Krakken Roll and the Spirited Away Roll. I also had the vegetable gyoza (dumplings), which were really good. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and so good. We also had a rice "potato-style" appetizer topped with tuna that was sooooo good. For dessert we had funnel cake fries with vanilla ice ice cream... 10/10. It's a small corner spot with a really good vibe. Not too loud, not too quiet just a fun, lively atmosphere. Krystina checked on us consistently and had such a friendly, upbeat personality that made us feel really welcome. Food was a 10/10, service was a 10/10, and I'll definitely be back.

Restaurant interior

We arrived early after a whole day looking at art. The wind was blowing a chill so we began with miso soups, just right. Our waitress was attentive, friendly, helpful, and cool. We had the Henrietta and the Eternal Sunshine chef specials and they both played off each other wonderfully. Our waitress suggested a dessert, the banana wrapped and fried, with bean paste and vanilla ice cream, delicious! The atmosphere was warm and relaxed. Definitely would return, and if we lived here, we would be regulars. Highly recommended.

Henrietta roll
Riley C.

Delish BYOB spot with fun rolls and fresh fish. Waitress suggested the Henrietta roll and she nailed it- so good.

Chirashi
Clare D.

A nice Chirashi bowl filled with many delicately sliced cuts of fish atop seasoned rice. I'm hoping to see a different set of fish next time I go. The portion size is on the smaller side so those with larger appetites should order an appetizer as well.

Oyster Shooter, Crispy Rice Tots
Alyson S.

We loved our dinner here. A BYOB sushi place with creative rolls and a warm ambiance. Highly recommend the Tots to start with- these were amazing. Another highlight was the shrimp tempura. On to the entree, I got the Traffic Light and the Lost roll. Look how beautiful the Traffic Light is! Tasted delicious too. I will definitely be returning- think I found my go-to sushi joint!

Inside

Good food, very cute aesthetic and great service. Also byob so that's always amazing .

Seafood Paella, Spicy salmon + spicy salmon roll, pad thai
Andrea Q.

Gone here a few times and haven't been disappointed! I got the Seafood Paella, and my friend got the pad thai, and we split a spicy tuna and spicy salmon roll. The seafood paella was an interesting take on a spanish classic that included green curry and mozzerella but I enjoyed their spin on it. My friend enjoyed the pad thai but it wasn't my particular taste when I had tried it. The sushi was fresh tasting and yummy. The ambience: Its super intimate and quiet which is great for conversation! Service was extremely nice and attentive. BYOB which is always a plus.

Spirited Away roll
Natalie C.

Heard fantastic things and was so excited to finally get to come to Umai Umai. Quaint inside to this Japanese BYOB. Few outdoor tables. Fantastic food quality. I'm still giving it 5-stars despite the terribly slow service, but there was one server for 15+ tables and we weren't in a rush. Here were the highlights - Half dozen oysters: three different sauces on top of these small oysters Scallop carpaccio: this was fricken AMAZING. Beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. Crispy rice tot: also amazing. So much so we ordered them a second time. The crispy rice, spicy tuna and avocado mousse...a party in your mouth. Henrietta roll: larger roll; absolutely fantastic and delicious Spirited Away roll: too much rice but overall decent flavor Ping Pong roll: slow flavorful profile that develops in your mouth as you chew. Yummyyyy Such an enjoyable meal. Can't wait to come back!

Shishito Pepper & Edamame
Khalil M.

Definitely my favorite sushi spot. At some point in the last year or so, our favorite servers have left (or been replaced?). However, the sushi is still great. I'd say Umai Umai is a great sushi spot for folx on the fence about sushi. The Speciality rolls are DELICIOUS. My favorite of all time is Pingu, but decent runner ups include Krakken,Poseidon, Eternal Sunshine (like Ariana Grandes new album). Also LOVE the crispy rice tot and Brussels sprouts for apps! Small inside, but typically no wait to be seated during the week. Very nice outdoor seating in the warmer months.

Spirited Away
Phylicia H.

Food 3/5 Service 3/5 Atmosphere 5/5 This restaurant has been on my list for awhile and I finally checked it out last night. It sadly wasn't the best experience :( Very cute neighborhood restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating available. My bf and I dined outside and brought a few drinks with us. Nice quiet area in the neighborhood. Service was just okay. Our waiter took forever to place our orders, never refilled our waters, forgot to give us utensils so we grabbed it ourselves, and the entrees took a while to come out. Food wasn't bad, but it also didn't stand out. For apps, we ordered the seaweed salad and tapas for two. All of the tapas were just okay. For entrees, we shared the crispy spicy scallop roand spirited away roll. We were shocked at how small the portion size was when it came out. I thought the sushi was good, but my bf didn't like it at all. Kept mentioning it was too much rice on the rolls. We were still hungry and wanted to order another roll but decided not to because it took forever for our food to come out and we didn't want to wait a long time. So we left and picked up a slice of pizza to fill our hunger.

Traffic light with old avocado, canned crab. Gross
David M.

Have been coming to this place for years. Moved to another neighborhood (Fishtown ironically) and decided to revisit after several years absence. Just picked up NYE sushi for a quiet night at home with my wife and I can't express how poor the fish quality was. Poorly cut. Mushy rice. The lowest priced whitefish in the mixed Nigiri/Sashimi combo. The traffic light, a fixture of this place, seemed day-old. There is no talent left in this place outside the service staff. But that is not enough to ever bring me back here. Same prices, bad sushi.

Oyster Shooters
Monica T.

Yummy BYO sushi spot in Fairmount! Our service was quick, friendly, and knowledgable. Food was. served quickly and tasted delicious and fresh. The restaurant is walking distance from Whole Foods where you can grab some stuff to bring for the BYO aspect. It's not a massive space I recommend a reservation for Thurs, Fri, and Saturday. I'm not sure about the other nights and their availability but a reservation never hurts!

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Kissho House

Kissho House

4.5(44 reviews)
1.2 mi•Rittenhouse Square

Okay, I've had the lunch chirashi and the Moriwase Box, so third times a charm. I had an amazing…read moreomakase at Kissho House on October 16, 2026. Sushi Chef Jeff Chen has worked at Royal Izakaya and Hiroki so he has a superior knowledge of edomae sushi. These were the 18 courses I had for the incredible price of $150: * Three Components Appetizer - Shako, Maguro, Hotate * Seared Japanese Yellowtail, Pear and Daikon Sauce, Shredded Shiso, Myoga, Cucumber * Black Cod, Eggplant, Mushroom, Scallion, Tomato grilled in parchment paper * Madai * Kinmedai * Aji * Snow Crab, Carrot Sauce, Cucumber, Pomegranate in Monaka * Saba * Akami * Otoro * Uni * Anago * King Salmon, Sundry Tomato, Truffle Spring Roll topped with Osetra Caviar * Wagyu and Uni * Toro Tamaki * Miso Soup * Tamagoyaki * Strawberry Cheesecake Each course was delightful to amazing. Perhaps the only course I didn't enjoy that much was the snow crab monaka, but everything else was absolutely delicious. The aged akami is amazing. The steam rising up from the anago (saltwater eel) is like sushi bliss to me. To everyone who doesn't know: Your sushi chef should not be flametorching every piece of sushi! Chef Chen does it right by using aburi sparingly to enhance rather than hide flavors. I am so glad I finally got to try Chef Chen's omakase.

Great spot for a variety of Japanese cuisine even if you're not sushi focused. The decor was very…read morenice and not too noisy. Service was on point and we felt adequately attended to. Started with cocktails and sake. Great and reasonably priced. Tried the grilled octopus - wasabi with seaweed app. Really good. And the charcoal skewers - the pork collar and the ribs. Both were good but I recommend the pork collar. We got both the maki roll combo and the nigiri combo. Really good assortment. All were good meat and not too much added rice. Ended with the passion fruit - mango cake dessert. Not too sweet or tart. Good combo. Great way to end the dinner. I recommend. Will dine here again.

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Double Knot - Scallop

Double Knot

4.3(1.6k reviews)
1.2 mi•Avenue of the Arts South
•$$

Bang for your buck: 9/10 Quality: 10/10…read moreService: 10/10 Ambiance/Location: 8/10 Overall: 10/10 Quite possibly one of the best meals I've ever had. The food was out of this world. Our server couldn't have been more knowledgable and attentive. She helped us round out our dining selections and made sure we knew when happy hour last call was, which was certainly appreciated! Looking forward to going to Philly again so I can dine here again! It's a must on your Philly itinerary!

As a lover of food, I always try to be honest in my reviews, and this is easily one of my favorite…read morerestaurants in Philly and one of my favorite Shulson restaurants. The entire experience is a solid 9.5/10 for me. The service, ambiance, food, everything. From the hosts to the servers to the managers, everyone is always so attentive and hospitable. The downstairs is so romantic, cozy and intimate. My only complaint is that the lighting is SO dim that if you don't have 20/20 vision, good luck reading the menu. Now the FOOD. Everything is just good. The quality, the seasoning, the flavors, all of it. My go to orders are their double knot sushi, beef skewers, and their Wagyu, which is honestly one of my favorite Wagyus I've ever had. Their drinks are great, too, especially their lychee martini. I genuinely don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu. This is one of those restaurants that just gets it right, and I will always recommend it!

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Terakawa Ramen - Terakawa Ramen

Terakawa Ramen

4.3(2.1k reviews)
1.2 mi•Chinatown
•$$

When searching for the best ramen in Philadelphia, not only did the reviews lead us here, but the…read moresuggestions from the locals did as well. We started off with a few appetizers. The edamame was standard, and the takoyaki and pan-fried dumplings didn't taste homemade. Rather they both reminded me of what you would pick up at the frozen section at the food market. Nevertheless, they were passable. After all, we were here for the ramen. I opted in for their Terakawa special. The broth was flavourful, and the chashu was the most tender and juicy chashu I've ever had. As for the girlfriend, she opted in for their spicy ramen which was also spectacular. I absolutely loved her wavy noodles. I would have loved to have swapped out my straight noodles for her wavy noodles. They have a nice bounce and slightly chewy texture. Their marinated eggs were to die for. We put in a few extra orders for these. Overall, a great experience. The staff seemed to be right on the ball, and this small and cozy restaurant definitely makes you feel transported to Japan.

Came here for a Friday night dinner because I was craving Japanese takeout. I pass by Terakawa…read moreRamen all the time, so I figured it was finally time to give it a try! When I arrived, the restaurant was very busy, and the space itself was pretty small. Thankfully, they have a self-service kiosk to join the dine-in waitlist and another kiosk specifically for takeout orders. The ordering process was simple and straightforward, but unfortunately, the wait was quite long. Despite ordering relatively simple dishes, my food took about 30 minutes to prepare. There also wasn't anywhere to sit or wait inside, so I ended up standing outside for the entire 30 minutes. For my appetizer, I ordered the mini chicken curry, which was pretty good! The curry had that classic Japanese curry flavor I was looking for, and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of chicken included, especially for an appetizer-sized portion. For my entree, I went with the gyudon, which was also pretty solid. The beef was a little fattier than I expected, and I felt that the rice-to-meat ratio was slightly off, with significantly more rice than beef. However, the overall flavor was good, and it definitely satisfied my craving for a Japanese rice bowl. Overall, I enjoyed the food and would definitely consider coming back to try their ramen, especially since that's what they're known for. My biggest complaint was the takeout experience. Hopefully, they can improve their efficiency with takeout orders or find a way to better accommodate customers waiting for their food. The food itself was satisfying, but a 30-minute wait for a couple of simple dishes felt a bit excessive.

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Sagami - Chirashi

Sagami

4.3(741 reviews)
5.5 mi
•$$$

If you're looking for really good sushi and Japanese food, I recommend this place. I saw Japanese…read morecustomers dining there. It's a good sign that that they serve legit food. Enoki and egg soup is my favorite appetizer. Light broth with umami and perfect saltiness. My second favorite appetizer is agedashi tofu. So silky like pudding with light teriyaki broth. Beef roll up with scallions: beef is tender with some kind of sweet teriyaki sauce. It's pretty good. Eggplant filled with ground chicken. It looks appealing but unfortunately a bit too greasy. The sushi here is very special. The sushi rice is silky and moist. The fish piece is bigger than the rice. The eel is a must try here. It's very big compared to the rice underneath it. It very flavorful too. Mt entree is steamed salmon with seafood broth. I recommend squirting the lemon to the broth to make it taste like yuzu sauce as it lightens the whole dish and makes it less fishy.

This restaurant is my husband's and my go to spot for Japanese food, and it never disappoints! The…read moreambiance makes you feel like you're in Japan, cozy, warm, and inviting. Our absolute favorite is the chirashi bowl, so fresh and delicious. We always eat it wrapped in nori (seaweed), which makes it even better. The shrimp tempura udon is another must: light and flavorful broth, chewy noodles, and perfectly fried shrimp that are fresh and a great size. Honestly, everything here is amazing! you really can't go wrong. The service is excellent, very attentive and friendly. It does get busy on weekends, so I recommend calling ahead for a reservation. Perfect spot for a date night or a family dinner if you're looking for something truly authentic.

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Morimoto

Morimoto

4.3(2.2k reviews)
1.5 mi
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We chose it because it's one of Chef Morimoto's restaurants, and as an Iron Chef fan, it was worth…read morechecking out. We were seated at the sushi bar, which ended up being one of the best parts of the night. We got to watch the sushi chefs prepare dishes up close and even chat with them a bit, which made the experience feel more personal and fun. I would recommend requesting this if you are a party of one or two. The restaurant itself has a very clean, sleek look, with mostly white decor. It feels modern and upscale without being cold. The space is large enough that it doesn't feel crowded, but still intimate enough for a nice dinner. Our server was fantastic and gave great recommendations for cocktails, sake, and dishes. I tried a sake flight and ended up not enjoying it, and he kindly brought me something else with no issue and didn't charge for the flight, which I really appreciated. The sushi was fresh, and every dish we had was seasoned perfectly. They have seasonal tasting menus if you are more adventurous. The dishes are beautifully plated. Overall, this was a great experience and I'd definitely recommend Morimoto for a higher-end dinner in Philly, especially if you're a fan of TV chefs or just want a memorable sushi experience.

What happened to the real Morimoto?…read more I came here years ago and had an exciting, innovative meal. Today the menu still has those classic old Nobu-inspired dishes from the 1990s - crispy rice with spicy tuna, hamachi carpaccio, miso cod - but there's not much of anything novel. Worse, we made the mistake of ordering a sushi assortment. There were five kinds of fish: cooked shrimp, fluke, salmon, tuna, and yellowtail, just like at any corner sushi joint. The server called the yellowtail kampachi, but it lacked the usual springiness of amberjack; it was just regular hamachi as far as I could tell. And apart from a tiny unidentifiable topping on the fluke, there was nothing special about this fish at all, nor was the rice particularly good. Apart from an inside-out spicy salmon roll, nothing about this said Morimoto. The service was okay (though our main dishes took forever to arrive), and the prices weren't over the top. The decor is a time capsule, just like the menu. Morimoto is phoning it in - could the chef answer the call himself?

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Sakana Omakasè Sushi - Toro Handroll

Sakana Omakasè Sushi

4.4(216 reviews)
2.2 mi•Fabric Row, Queen Village
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An absolutely incredible experience. I can see why this restaurant books up quickly as soon as the…read moredate becomes available. We were lucky to secure 2 seats via online reservation for the 2nd seating at 8pm. Arriving 5 minutes before opening, we were directed to have a seat at one of the surrounding tables. We watched both servers efficiently clean up after the first seating. Afterwards, we were shown our seats where Chef "K" arrived and quickly went to work. We watched this chef and the head chef/owner Sam create our first courses which were exquisite. Not only were they presented beautifully but were absolutely delicious as well. Next came the first courses of nigiri. Piece by piece, we watched in excitement and anticipation. Each piece was fresh, crafted perfectly with the right amount of perfectly seasoned sushi rice. Then came a break in between the first and second courses of nigiri with a seafood dashi soup which consists of scallops, tofu, seaweed and dashi. A warm and refreshing way to break up the nigiri courses. The second wave of nigiri came, and these were just as incredible as the first courses. We loved the fact the ones that came with a topping or sauce didn't take away from the natural taste of the fish, rather it enhanced it and elevated it. Finishing off our course with the signature uni bowl which consist of wagyu beef, scallops, salmon roe, Japanese Hokkaido sea urchin, yuzu jelly and squid ink foam. This was a wow-factor dish that blew us both away. Stunning presentation and tasted even better. Finally, for dessert a roasted green tea ice cream which just brings everything together. Some side notes, I loved the attention to detail from both chefs. They're right on it if they see your gari (pickled ginger) is low and will happily refill it. I loved the place wasn't too stiff and you're able to make small conversation with the chef. And the service was top notch and not overbearing. Overall, this is some of the best sushi I've ever had and if I'm back in Philadelphia, I would happily return. A 10/10 experience.

Went on a Tuesday so it was a much more intimate experience as there were only a couple of us. The…read moreomakase is 19 courses and the establishment is BYOB. The sushi chef was very friendly and chatted with everyone throughout the at course. If you get up to use the restroom he will wait until you get back before making your nigiri- just a nice subtle touch. The fish was very fresh, basically melting in your mouth. The uni was wonderfully sweet, so fkd those unsure about it, definitely give it a try!

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Sakana Omakasè Sushi - Signature Uni Bowl
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Chubby Nori

Chubby Nori

4.7(173 reviews)
1.2 mi•Chinatown

first time here and it was AMAZING food was so fresh and…read morecame out so quick 10/10 will be back

Service was okay by the staff that took the order but what disappointed me was the lack of…read morecommunications and enthusiasm sushi chefs had at the counter. They didn't speak a single word to us or to each other and just placed the items on the counter with zero explanations or anything the entire dining experience. Never sat at a sushi counter and not hear them speak at all. Food: Started with Chawanmushi. Bland, just tasted like steamed eggs and hot water. No umami in their dashi broth and probably the worst one I've had in any of the Japanese restaurants I've tried. Next was salmon cup and one of my cup didn't even have avocado and everything was unevenly spread and was a slob of mess. Spicy tuna hand roll was the worst spicy tuna I've had. No flavor and was basically a chunk frozen ground tuna (tuna was cold and flavorless) wrapped in nori. Scallop hand roll had too much cucumber and just made my scallops taste like water. Miso butter cod the cod was cooked ok but had no miso flavor and felt like it was just cooked cod with a block of butter. Toro mushroom, toro's quality was pretty good. Execution for the toro was horrible. They just cut one huge slab and called it a day. Either really lazy or really bad cutting technique which made the tendon really hard to chew and I had to take the toro with my hand and pull them apart. No way I'm chewing that tendon and nori and not choke on them. Uni was the best thing I had and kind of saved my night a little but you don't really need any cooking or cutting technique for this so if the Uni was bad, there would be a serious problem. Overall, felt pretty ripped off because of their execution they had for hand rolls not even sushi and it wasn't the fish quality.

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Royal Sushi & Izakaya - 9/13/24

Royal Sushi & Izakaya

4.4(439 reviews)
2.3 mi•Queen Village, Fabric Row
•$$

Royal Izakaya deserves all the hype. I've been many times and I've never had a bad meal. It's one…read moreof my favorite places to take people who haven't been, whether they're Philly locals or visiting from out of town. And there are A LOT of really good restaurants to choose from in Philly right now. The city has absolutely boomed into a foodie town. Dare I say it, I think we're eating better than Brooklyn right now. Which makes it mean even more when I say Royal Izakaya remains one of my favorites. Best sushi I've had in North America, no question. And I don't say that lightly. The quality of the fish, the preparation, the balance of flavors, the consistency, all of it is remarkable. There are very few restaurants I return to again and again with the same level of enthusiasm. Royal Izakaya is one of them.

Back to Royal for izakaya. Still good vibe and decent drink selections. It's a bit too dark to even…read moresee the menu or dishes, might be better if there's a small lamp on the table. Service was prompt and friendly. Didn't see much skewer options, and the small dish options are lacking a bit varieties. Overall pretty good, but the sauce and flavor profiles are very similar, nothing wowed us. Sushi/sashimi fish cut is pretty fresh, but portion size is small. Wagyu steak didn't have much taste and was tough to chew.

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Royal Sushi & Izakaya - Pickup window

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Yanaga Kappo Izakaya - Hamachi ceviche

Yanaga Kappo Izakaya

4.5(60 reviews)
1.7 mi•Northern Liberties

Third time here and this place is so good! Make sure to get…read morethe mazzemen and add rice to it when you are done! I came here the first time and it was great and got chirashi mazzemen and a roll Second time I got some new items and wasn't a fan Back for a third time and stuck with my originals and loved it! Will be back sooner than later now that I love it again! Staff is kind here and I love the chill and fun atmosphere!

A little unsure how I feel about this place but here it goes. Cute little neighborhood spot with a…read moredivey hipster atmosphere. Came for HH after seeing what a large variety they had on the menu for the 2 hour special. Few hits and more misses, but maybe I was expecting more traditional than a fusion take on Japanese cuisine. Great cocktails and good selection of drinks. Service was on point and friendly. The food was just okay sadly, though we only tried a few things as we weren't too hungry, a lot of them missed the mark. The mini spicy chirashi was decent, but unfortunately everything else we had was subpar. I may have a pretty high standard for sushi as I'm from NY so maybe I'm being a little too critical but they just didn't work for me, maybe I just didn't order the right things. Anyway it's just my opinion and what do I know, maybe find out for yourself if this place is worthy of all the high ratings. Stay hip mother suckers

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Yanaga Kappo Izakaya
Yanaga Kappo Izakaya - Crab roll

Crab roll

Yanaga Kappo Izakaya - Outdoor entrance area

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Outdoor entrance area

Umai Umai - sushi - Updated October 2026

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