I'd been hearing great things about Umaii for a bit so I convinced two girlfriends to drive all the way across town to try it for dinner one night. It's in Porter's Neck near Italian Bistro. There's some parking in front and a ton out back. We decided to eat inside because it was hinting at rain, but there's a cute patio that would be great if the weather was good. Our server, Samantha, was seriously the best! She was friendly, funny, honest, and super approachable. We never felt rushed in any way, and she checked on us just the right amount of times. I decided to try the pad thai as a baseline- definitely passed the test. I had it with shrimp and there were so many shrimp in the dish! It was huge, and the leftovers tasted great the next day. I also love love sushi so I decided to also try the caterpillar roll and the cherry blossom roll. Both were fresh and delicious! One of my friends loves spicy food. Samantha tried to warn her about the spice levels, and my friend determined she wanted what the owners would consider spicy. Samantha then also brought her a tray of additional spicy things. My friend was ecstatic! She added so much more to her food to the point that normal humans would need an ambulance and loved every single bite. Definitely recommend, and I'll definitely be back to try other menu items and enjoy the patio. read more

See all

I asked questions about a food allergy and the staff, three different people started to laugh to each other other because I asked two waiters and the manager. The waitstaff truly were not certain and the manager was not too friendly. The tune was warm in my sushi which was definitely strange! The waitress never came to check in until we were done. It's another fast food restaurant attempting to look like fine dining/fusion. The staff needs to smile and learn to be friendly. Please get to know ALL of the ingredients in your restaurant. Please use real Kiikkoman in your bottles versus the generic ingredients. The light soy sauce tasted very brothy. Dive deeper into Wilmington for good Asian/Thai/Vietnamese!!!! read more

They included Tom Yum and Tom Kha soup on their menu - with none of the signature flavor! No sour, no spice, no sign of lemongrass. And both the mushrooms and tomato look like they hadn't touched a pan before being put into the broth. Disappointed. Pad Thai was good. Duck curry - sauce was good, duck could have used salt I think, but good spice. Unfortunately leans basic and safe - for what we had hoped might resemble real Thai cuisine. The sushi we tried was good, only tried some nigiri so maybe we'll give it a shot for that side of the menu. read more

Umaii - Tom Yum Goong - Sushi Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

STILL great, every single time! Food is always flavorful and everything is extremely fresh... We have been to much more expensive locations and the quality and freshness of the food here still wins us over every time. Staff is always amazing, very friendly and wonderful service. read more

Umaii - Poke Bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

See all

Best Pad Thai and chicken satay I've had in North Carolina. The peanut sauce that came with the satay was incredibly delicious, and the Pad Thai was saucy, which I love; it is awful when I order Pad Thai and it is dry and tastes more like plain rice. I so enjoyed sitting on the patio alone at 2:00 in the afternoon. It was relaxing, and it gave me an opportunity to eat a meal while chatting on the phone with a friend without disturbing other guests. My server Alyssa was super friendly and attentive. My husband is not a Thai food or sushi fan, so I usually enjoy this alone, and Umaii is the perfect place close to home where I can relax while stuffing my face with the best Thai food I've had in the 30+ years I've lived in this area. Excellent experience in all aspects. read more

See all

Food is good, but twice I've had poor service. I have reservations about a third visit. Maybe this place is better for take out.

As a longtime patron of Umaii in Porters Neck, I have always enjoyed the food and the service has been pretty consistently Good. When Mika was there, service was great! My big gripe is that T he men's restroom is on par with an unkept gas station bathroom in the middle of nowhere. It seems neglected. It has never been great, but it really needs to be cleaned up and it really needs a facelift. A fresh coat of paint, some drywall work done, but more importantly cleaned on a daily basis. It's so bad, I don't even want to use the bathroom there. I can't wash my hands enough coming out of there. It's just gross. My recent visit is likely to be my last. I would much prefer a cleaner, fresher establishment. Come to think of it, there's a newer one down the street that is very clean and well kept. In fact, I've walked into that establishment shortly after opening for the day and never found wait staff sitting around the restaurant waiting for guests to arrive. That place is pristine and I have never tipped less than 20%. I guess Umaii is slipping...like so many restaurants do in time. read more

Umaii is still my fav Thai restaurant in town. I have never had anything here that wasn't excellent. I absolutely love their Tom gai, and larb gai. Their homemade hot oil is the best thing ever. Service is hit or miss but I don't care cause I have such great food at such a reasonable price. My meal tonight was only $12.00 for larb gai and a huge plate of sautéed veggies. Their noodle dishes and rice dishes are also amazing. Love it here! read more

See all

Ps. If you are a customer don't read this, mainly just wanting to let the establishment know. We go here a lot, we bring friends here, and as shown, order take out. Love the food, not a big sushi type of person but my boyfriend loves their sushi. Yet, we just got our takeout from here, and after a few bites in I found this (in the third pic) in my food. I work in the kitchen for a restaurant so I know this is part of a metal sponge. So if you are a customer reading DO NOT LET THIS STOP YOU FROM COMING HERE! We love it here and will keep coming. I just wanted the establishment to know so they can make sure this doesn't happen again. read more

See all

A little over hyped in my opinion (artificial crab meat is in an uncut chunk, unlike other places) it was OK. Drinks were okay, but our server was super sweet and helpful. Miso was cold, sushi was slightly above grocery store grade. Probably wouldn't go back for sushi, didn't try the Thai element. read more

We just ate at Umaii last night for dinner. It was busy but we were sat immediately. The restaurant has a nice ambiance and cool lighting, and they have a nice outdoor seating area as well. The service was great. I enjoyed my sushi and My wife got the Pad See Ew. It was delicious. Tom Kha Gai soup and Miso soup were great. read more

Food was good! Large portions and options for meat eaters and vegans. Servers are nice but don't know the food menu or drinks whatsoever and have to go back and forth with kitchen with minimal questions. Overall good experience while visiting for Thai food! read more

If ypu are single, be prepared to wait for at least 45 minutes as they serve larger parties, take out, and whatever else is more important than a single diner. Just sit at the sushi bar and watch everyone around you get served, because they are about quantity, not quality. Even though I was starving by the time I received a sushi roll, I wanted to order a salad, but no one had time for that as they were serving the two men who had just been seated beside me. I have tried this place three times. First time meh, second and third disastrous. Go to Indochine, a professionally run restaurant with great food. The sushi rice at Umaii was hard and slimy at the same time, the seafood in the sushi was hot and tasteless. My hands reeked of smelly fish when I left. Guessing they are intact because of location, Run away.... read more

Outstanding service!! Vivian helped us make the best food selections for our first visit to a wonderful appointed seating space. Very private but easy to access. Enjoy! Ken Elliott read more

I dine at this establishment between one to two times a week, for the past few years. My fave is Pad Ka Prow beef - stir fried onions, bell peppers (I omit this on my dish) and Thai basil in garlicy brown sauce. It says spicy on menu, but it is NOT. My second fave here is the Tom yum noodle soup. Thin rice noodles in a sweet and sour lime broth with bean sprouts, scallions, cilantro and topped with crushed peanuts. If you like a bit of spice, ask for a side of garlic chili oil (dumped in soup before I took pic. Sorry ) Papaya salad here is really good as well. Perfect to pair with a fried shrimp for appetizer. Alot of dishes are good, but noodle dishes (pad see ew, drunken noodles, phad Thai, etc) can be a bit on the dry and overcooked side. Today I ordered phad Thai. It pains me to say this, but it was not good, sweet and fishy. Service used to not be so great, but they are making progress with new and more staff. Bathroom can still be cleaner,need tidy up more often and actually clean everything. I hope all this helpful information and you find a dish you'll enjoy and keep coming back for. Oh! And fiat prices, too! read more

Umaii - Phad Thai. Stir fried noodles in phad Thai sauce, egg, bean curds, bean sprouts, scallions and peanuts. Garnishes with lime. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

See all

Stopped by on my way out of Wilmington going home and was happy where it was located.. it's across the street from Harris teeter as you first drive into town on 17. Nice location in front of a shopping center. Has a very nice covered outdoor seating area with fans and lights. It was noon so no lights needed.. warm but nice breezes so I decided to eat outside in fresh air. I was only one outside which was nice. My waitress Kara had no problem with me sitting outside. She was attentive and sweet. My drinks and miso soup came out within a min or two and my sushi came out just few minutes later.. the miso soup was perfect.. tasted so good and fresh made. My sushi roll was kung Fu Panda and it had a lot of flavor.. it's not spicy at all but the roll was so big it hardly fit in my mouth lol.. came covered in nice sauce too.. it was delicious!! The servers all seemed to be very attentive to their customers.. I'd love to come back and bring my spouse as he's a big Thai fan.. they have a lot of dished sounded amazing but I just wanted a light lunch today. I will definitely be back and will recommend to friends! read more

See all

Very good food, my husband and I go here a lot! If you're GF they have many options which I love but what I don't love and why I deducted a star is that they updated their menu to not include indication for GF items and you have to ask for each item to know.. bummer! Would recommend though! read more

Everything was great! Great service! Great food! The price was reasonable for big portions. Everything tasted amazing and authentic. We got the big monkey, Godzilla, drunken noodles and vegetables delight. 100% would go back! read more

Great menu, diverse options. The food is great as well. Both the surf and the turf! We will be back to try more

Stopped in for lunch and had some very delicious Pad Thai! Huge lunch portion also!! I'll be back! read more

Umaii - Pad Thai! So delicious! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

One of my favorite things about this restaurant is their customer service. Every time that we come here to eat, they are so kind, attentive, and give our little one some extra attention. It does not hurt either that their food is very good. It is a smaller place so I am sure during peak hours they can get busy but we eat at a toddlers schedule so we have never ran into any issues. We have tried their sushi and a few menu items and I have pictures below from our most recent trip. They do not have a kids menu but they will make some plain noodles with some light sauce for the littles or can do a small rice which is perfect. We normally get the Pineapple Fried Rice and it is always a large portion with plenty for the next day. Many of their items would be perfect to share with someone. Lastly, they do have a nice drink menu and plenty of beers to choose from (some on draft which is always a win for me). read more

See all

Stopped by here for a quick lunch during my work day. Sat at the bar and food came out quickly. The tuna poke bowl was absolutely delicious. I got a side of spicy Mayo which took it over the top! Tuna was super fresh and my friend enjoyed his curry. read more

Umaii - Tuna poke bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Hands down the best Thai/Sushi in Wilmington. Extremely fresh, consistently excellent food. Great portions. read more

See all

I found this place while driving in the area, so I stopped by. They had outdoor seating, which was great, as it was a gorgeous day. I order a glass of wine (Tuesday they have half price glasses of wine). I had the Pad Ka Prow with pork ($9). Very tasty and a decent portion for lunch. I'll definitely come back when I'm in the area. read more

Umaii - Pad Ka Prow with pork and white rice. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

We are here! And they are closed for lunch. The door sign states they're open. Their open sign is on, google says they're opened but they ARE CLOSED bad biz read more

See all

I really wanted to give this a higher rating. The spring rolls and miso soup were great. However, my granddaughter and I were very disappointed in the three sushi rolls we ordered. We have eaten lots of sushi and these were extremely bland- tasted as tho there was no seasoning at all. This review makes me kind of sad because the atmosphere and staff is so amazing. We will try it again, but will lean toward the Thai cuisine and hopefully that will be a five star review! read more

Second time trying Umaii and while quality is good, other important areas have been lacking. First trip - they were missing a key ingredient in one menu item (basil in a dish labeled with basil in the name) & when I asked about a substitution, none was suggested. The flavor wasn't bad but definitely lacking something. Otherwise, a quality was still sufficient. Last night I called just before 8:00 pm for a sushi order to go. I was told 30 minutes and arrived a bit early as I was coming straight from the airport and starving. I waited just shy of 45 minutes for my order of two rolls and soup. And they were NOT accurate or done well. I ordered a spicy roll and was given salmon + cucumber sticks. And for the crazy roll, it was just the fish pieces inside rice wrapped in nori with blobs of sauce. 5 pieces for $11 and presentation was poor. I was told while waiting that "the sushi guys are backed up" so maybe that's why the end product was inaccurate and poorly done? I'm not sure - but I left thinking something should have been done to right the long wait and got home to find my rolls were...disappointing. Hope to give the Thai side of the menu another try and maybe dine in sushi is done better? But with so many other local options, not sure I'll risk my time or money again. read more

Umaii - Sushi Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

This is the absolute best spot. I know a lot of people say that about places they like but this is truly our go-to once a week. I know people in the area love another Thai spot but this is our favorite. There's a ton of different options to choose from and the sushi is amazing. It can be super busy Thursday-Saturday evenings so try and get there early! We love to start with an Umaii fresh roll, Philadelphia roll with smoked salmon, and occasionally, the hubs will order the chicken satay. The Pad See Ew is ON POINT. Legit tastes like home. It's always a must order. I also switch it up with the Vegetable Delight when I want a rice dish. If you're looking for a thinner noodle, Pad Woosen is delicious. The sushi is also a winner - Dynamaii Roll FTW. End it with mango sticky rice or Thai tea. You won't be disappointed with what you order from here. The staff is super nice and it'll be your go-to spot soon enough. read more

Pleasing clean atmosphere. The appetizer Thai TNT Shrimp delicious. Edamame just ok, the pineapple fried rice was good not great. Lacking flavors often in this dish. Ordered nigiri and it was good. Two sushi rolls were just ok... again, the flavor lacked. Only tasted the Sirachia I wanted to give this place more but the sushi bar is a 2. The Thai food dishes had a couple hairs from I don't know where read more

Umaii - Patio seating !! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

My best friend, my sister and I came here for the first time tonight and I'll tell you what, the service and the food was incredible! We came around 8:00pm..an hour before close. Our waiter MAX was the bomb! He really took time to answer our questions and was super attentive! I can't brag on him enough. We hardly had to ask for anything. He was on top of it. Thank you so much for such a pleasurable experience. We will definitely be back and hopefully max will be our waiter. I mean wow. I'd give this man my last dollar. read more

Umaii - Sushi Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Great service. Can get very crowded. Curry is some of the best I've had. Sushi...not so much.

Yes!!!! The food is amazing! It is not overly salted which is a rarity in many Asian kitchens around. The service is fast and friendly. A rarity for me and I am happy to say...the music is at a reasonable level and you can speak and have a lovely conversation with the rest of your group as you dine at your table! 5 STARS!!!! My son stole my husband's soup as it was so good and we had to order a second one. The sushi was fresh. It wasn't rolled tightly but was quite good! The highlight was our main courses in my opinion: I had Drunken Noodles and my husband ordered PanNangCurry read more

Great Thai food, and sushi is some of the freshest in town! My go to's are the Kanom Jeeb and Tom Yum Soup apps, and the Basil Eggplant for dinner, with whatever protein you prefer. read more

Great Thai food, and some of the freshest sushi in town. Good appetizers and drink selection to choose from. My favorite entree is the Eggplant Basil with whatever choice of protein you prefer. Good Tom Yum soup and Kanom Jeeb are my go to appetizers. Service can be somewhat slow during peak dinner hours, but staff is very friendly. read more

Fresh and always on point with every meal I have ever had. Be sure to ask about the bar/cocktail specials. read more

Phenomenal food. I suggest the smoked salmon tempura roll. I believe their rice is really good as well. read more

Umaii - Smoked salmon tempura roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Sushi was great! I did not care for the pad Thai- Service was great despite being exceptionally busy and probably short staffed. Would definitely go again. read more

I am here at least once a week when possible. Food and service is excellent and they always use the freshest ingredients. My favorite go to dishes are the drunken noodles and all the curry dishes are excellent. read more

Went here for lunch. Service was just ok. Food was not special. Doesn't compare to Indochine or its offshoots.

Definitely try the Volcano Roll with the sushi dipping sauces! Wilmington Thai Food, Sushi & Bar Umaii I can't remember how I found out about Umaii, but I'm glad I did! We went in for an early lunch and ordered from the regular menu so we could enjoy the food seen on Yelp. Our waitress was very helpful and accommodating. Appetizers: TNT Shrimp Crispy Spring Roll Sushi Menu: Crab on a Stick Nigiri Fireball Roll Volcano Roll Mango Roll read more

Umaii - Definitely try the Volcano Roll with the sushi dipping sauces! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina