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Umai Umai

4.2 (564 reviews)
ModerateSushi Bars, Japanese
Closed Closed
Updated over 3 months ago

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Umai Umai Sushi Bars Restaurant Photos

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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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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.

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.

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!

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.

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 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!

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.

Justina A.

The smallest sushi rolls I've ever seen The sushi is so thin! Probably around half the size of standard rolls at other sushi restaurants. The rolls were also subpar, in my opinion. Scallop carpaccio - refreshing & very pretty plating! - thin slices of scallop w/ a citrus-soy sauce with ginger, chives, and olive oil Spirited Away specialty roll - tuna with crab, cucumber, avocado - very muted flavors Godzilla specialty roll - shrimp tempura with avocado, strawberry - I was a little confused by the mix of flavors in this roll, but my friend really enjoyed this one Eternal Sunshine specialty roll - escolar (similar to a white tuna according to the waitress), cucumber, avo, salmon, with a blueberry-balsamic and apricot miso - this was my favorite roll of the night - unique flavors and I liked the escolar Spicy salmon basic roll - tiny!! - just a standard spicy salmon roll - more rice than salmon Eel basic roll - I usually love eel, but the eel here was oddly fishy I wouldn't recommend coming here for sushi. I've had better sushi in the city. The prices here are pretty steep for what you get.

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!

Karen L.

Not impressed by the sushi at this location. Main critique is the rice is way too wet, too mushy and sticks to your mouth. Sushi needs to be made with sushi rice and rice vinegar. This location has great ambiance and is BYOB. We got the oyster shooters. The oyster was small and not in the oyster shell. It was very small compared to others that I had. The octopus came with a nice vinaigrette salad. The octopus was smoky and taste best warm. The salad was too acidic, unfortunately we choked on it. The sushi- crispy scallop is too dry, the soft shell crab was wet and did not have a crispy crust. I do recommend the king kong as it is a good roll but the rice just made it hard to eat. The rolls were not cut evenly and way too thin. The service is good but I am not impressed by the food.

Poseidon, Ping Pong designer rolls ... look how tiny they are! Although each rolls were around $10

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Double Knot - Scallop

Double Knot

4.3(1.6k reviews)
1.2 miAvenue of the Arts South
$$

Double knot is such a wonderful dining experience. Our group had the tasting menu, a selection of…read morebasically every section of the menu and dessert. We were seated downstairs. It feels like a converted cellar lit with candles, very vibey and romantic. Only thing I would say is it's pretty dark so if you have bad eyes it makes it hard to keep reading the menu to make your selections, so preview it off you know you are doing the tasting menu. The food was really good, and everything was presented well. The service was outstanding, the staff was attentive professional, and very patient. Stand out dish was grilled scallops. My table loved the fried rice. Enjoy your meal!!

We went to happy hour at Double Knot and had the best time. The drinks and food were amazing from…read morestart to finish. I ordered the Butterfly cocktail and another pink cocktail whose name I can't remember, but both were delicious. For food, we ordered sushi, chicken bao, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and beef. Everything was excellent, but the Brussels sprouts were absolutely delicious and definitely one of the highlights for us. Our bartender was outstanding and really made the experience even better. The place itself is beautiful, quiet without feeling dead, has great music, and such a good vibe overall. Between the food, drinks, atmosphere, and service, this was an amazing experience and I'd absolutely go back.

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Double Knot - Inside bar area

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1225Raw Sushi and Sake Lounge

1225Raw Sushi and Sake Lounge

3.6(614 reviews)
1.2 mi
$$

Great Happy Hour Tuesday - Sunday! I stumbled across this place wandering around Sansom street and…read moreI'm glad that I did! They have really great options to choose from on Happy Hour and their regular menu! The Bao Buns & Steamed Dumplings did not disappoint! I was full after those two options but the HH menu had plenty to choose from. Fresh sushi is also prepared as you walk in! Beautiful dim lighting right at the entrance. That was my first time having that beer, not bad. I switched over to a special cocktail made my the bartender; great customer service! The host was also incredible with his greeting and recommendations. The place is clean, spacious and cozy. I say the bar, much space and many TVs. Check it out!

FOOD We ordered their spicy tuna roll, pork belly sumo buns,…read moremushroom sumo tacos, spicy citrus sumo wings, and fries. All of them were tasty and filling, and for happy hour, decently priced. It's a good place to try and to meet up with friends. DRINKS We had their yuzu paloma and one of their specialty cocktails. Both were good but VERY strong, so if you're looking for something sweeter or something that doesn't pack too strong of a punch, then they might not be for you. SERVICE The staff are kind and friendly. AMBIANCE It's a great place to catch up with friends over some finger foods and drinks. Located at the heart of Center City, it's also nearby a variety of other establishments if you want to hop around. PARKING Paid street parking is available at a limited capacity. Parking garages are also located nearby at a fee.

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Sampan - Hamachi Ceviche

Sampan

4.1(2.4k reviews)
1.2 miAvenue of the Arts South
$$$

The Kim chee fried rice is always a go-to. I usually omit the poached egg and have been able to get…read moreit with a scrambled egg instead. It comes with shrimp and it is definitely filling. It's not overwhelming with Kim chee, so that could be a miss for die-hard Kim chee lovers and great for people who aren't entirely sold on Kim chee. The service is amazing! Food is quick, waiters are quick and hospitable. 10/10! The ambiance is gorgeous, dimly lit and just a vibe overall. I love the colors inside that light up on the walls. I enjoy sitting at the bar in front of the kitchen. It's an experience!

My sister recommended this pan-Asian restaurant. We made reservations for dinner and were promptly…read moretaken to our table. The restaurant serves modern Asian small plates meant for sharing. We ordered the crispy chicken bao buns, crispy shrimp, general tso soup dumplings, wagyu beef, Korean bbq beef, and hamachi ceviche. We were a group of 3 so one thing that was nice was that our waiter added 1 additional skewer/bao bun for the meals instead of ordering 2 plates of them. Out of all the food we ordered the most delicious were the meats; the wagyu and Korean bbq beef. They were so tender and lightly seasoned because the beef quality itself was good. The Wagyu beef was paired with an apricot dip that was really good. The chilli crisp chicken bao was also good but didn't have much sauce, so it was on the dry side. It was supposed to have chilli so we expected it to be spicy but it was not. We all really liked the crispy shrimp--it was truly crispy. The sauce and the radish paired really nicely with the shrimp as well. The one meal we did not enjoy were the soup dumplings. When we got them they were dripping of raw dough and had no soup in them. The waiter was kind enough to replace them but we still didn't really enjoy them. I did not try the hamachi ceviche because I'm pregnant but it was also a favorite from the group. For dessert we had the mini ice cream cones. The waiter again added an extra one for us. The flavors were chocolate banana and mango. They were good, small bites. One of them melted so quickly and fell on the table and the waiter was really kind and got us a replacement. I did use the bathroom and absolutely hated it. It was unbelievably dark in there and there were weird sounds playing in there. I went in there to make sure I didn't have food in my teeth but couldn't even see. Super inaccessible, hopefully that's something that can be changed. The service overall was clearly excellent! I would recommend this place, especially if you come for the meats. It was surprisingly filling too.

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Sampan - Bar

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Sampan - Kobe Beef

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Sampan - The perfect way to start your meal: crisp, flavorful spring rolls and a bright lime sauce that brings the whole thing to life! ⁠

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The perfect way to start your meal: crisp, flavorful spring rolls and a bright lime sauce that brings the whole thing to life! ⁠

Aki Nom Nom Sushi & Ramen

Aki Nom Nom Sushi & Ramen

3.5(683 reviews)
1.3 miWashington Square West
$$

As a disclaimer I have not been paid for this review, I was not requested to complete a review, nor…read moreshould anyone think that any of the following is untrue In any way. This is such a phenomenal ramen restaurant. The service was excellent. The gentleman that was at the bar tonight, was also our server and when I say impeccable attention, and service it feels like an understatement. The pork bao buns were incredible, sashimi and sushi fresh and tasty, and the Ramen (THE GOD DAMN RAMEN) could have caused the chef to be assaulted because it was so good. If you live in the city, support this place. If you're visiting the city, please do not leave without stopping here. I can assure you that disappointment is not listed on the menu. To the establishment, thank you for giving us a phenomenal experience and an amazing date night. We will absolutely return!

The AYCE price for what you get is very solid! We ordered almost half of the rolls on the menu and…read moresome were more of a miss than a hit. There are not too many of the popular traditional rolls and these ones are a little more creative, and more tempura and imitation crab rather than eel or salmon fillings. My friends and I barely finished our 3 rounds and did notice that the nigiri had a lot more rice towards the end than it did in the beginning. Would recommend this place if you're looking for quantity of sushi for a good deal.

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Aki Nom Nom Sushi & Ramen - Restaurant

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Aki Nom Nom Sushi & Ramen
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Umai Umai - sushi - Updated May 2026

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