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    Umami Ballard

    4.0 (28 reviews)
    Open • 11:00 am - 8:30 pm

    Order Umami Ballard Takeout or Delivery

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    Inside
    Skye P.

    Food is decent! Comes in to-go containers even if you eat in, they feel compostable but are not explicitly marked so unsure about it. Vegetarian ramen is hard to come by so like most places they have 1 non build your own option. The vegetarian shoyu is loaded well with toppings, but I do wish there was a creamy vegetarian option! The broth was okay, not the most flavorful. The tofu was cold but the rest was hot, so just let it sit for a minute to warm it up. The spicy snow crab salad was also loaded! It comes cold and could have used more spice so I asked for sriracha on the side. The watermelon boba tasted more like bubble gum and was pepto pink, I asked for it less sweet which was helpful but probably won't be getting boba here again. Mixed tea drinks do not have adjustable sweetness. Didn't see good parking. Since it's slow I got the one spot that is left of the building on 15th (6 spots, most were taken likely by staff), but probably reliable most busy days. Staff was nice!

    Sushi burrito
    Diana C.

    We got takeout and it was all excellent! The packaging was very good, though one of the boba cups did break once we had it out of the bags and all (not at all their fault - more of a freak accident I think). The food was excellent though. I also loved the option to do combos and that the vegetarian combos were clearly labeled online. We would definitely order again and then come back.

    Build your own Poke Bowl
    Ana K S.

    There has got to be something in the Umami water because their stuff is truly addicting! The shrimp tempura on the poke bowls is perfectly crunchy (even after walking 15min to get back home) and it's also slightly sweet and all around delicious. The tuna is also amazing and I love that the bowls are hefty even if you only get a couple of free toppings. The taro boba tea was so good too! I got it with half sugar and I think that or 1/4 is the way to go if you're not wanting something super super sweet. The ramen is also incredible, though I think the poke bowl is for sure my go to now. I also appreciated the custom take out bag that came with my order, it came in clutch immediately by helping keep my food dry from the rain.

    Poke Bowl
    Patty L.

    Umami is a great place for some takeout in you're craving poke or ramen. My husband opted to build his own poke bowl, which allows for one protein selection and three sides. He had the salmon with tamago, seaweed salad, and corn on top of the brown rice. The fish tasted pretty fresh and the tamago was sweet and delightful. I do wish you could add more toppings though. I ordered the traditional tonkotsu ramen with bok choy, sliced wood ear mushroom, and green onions. The broth itself is not like a traditional japanese tonkotsu broth - it actually tastes more similar to a chinese pork bone broth since there was also an herbal taste to it. I still enjoyed it regardless however. The veggies I ordered were fresh and the noodles were nice and chewy. I give it a 4/5 since the ramen wasn't what I expected from a tonkotsu ramen though.

    Gagan G.

    Tasted pretty good! I ordered the passion fruit tea with boba. Could use more boba. No one else was there.

    Mango Bubble Tea Traditional Tonkotsu Ramen
    Camile F.

    The food was outstanding! The ramen had a delicious flavor. The pork was cooked nice and crispy, and I loved the shrimp tempura. The noodles were good, but I did prefer to have a little bit more. The mango bubble tea seemed to be made with a different type of mango base than what I am used to, and I actually liked it more than most boba places!

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    3 years ago

    Yummy chicken and boba tea! So glad I don't have to go to my favorite place in China town that makes similar chicken

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    4 years ago

    Delicious food and bubble tea. The quality is also great, but for the amount you get the price is pretty steep. Otherwise, excellent.

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    4 years ago

    Love this place! Great service, food (you can customize your ramen and poke bowl) and amazing selection of teas! Great addition to Ballard !

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    Ask the Community - Umami Ballard

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    4.3(2.5k reviews)
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    I'm from the Bay Area and have tasted a lot of good ramen in my time, but even by that standard,…read morethis place is at least 95 percentile quality. Good noodles, good chashu, and delicious broth on their "Original" ramen (which is pretty much Tonkotsu, I think). It's lacking in nothing. I also appreciate the way they structure the menu: most toppings are optional (like egg and seaweed) in exchange for a modest base price. Yet even when you add stuff back in, the sum is still reasonable, e.g. with added seaweed and a shot of extra noodles, my bowl came out right around $20 after tax/tip. Service is quick and courteous. This place has only one problem: the wait is damn eternal. I waited 50+ minutes, and the only reason I got in that _fast_ was because I came solo and qualified for counter seating. The couple ahead of me in line waited at least 90... and this was on a Monday! But that's hardly the restaurant's fault.

    I think this is a good spot if you are looking for a standard bowl of ramen, but I did not find it…read moreparticularly amazing. There can be a long wait, though they are pretty efficient with service and turning over tables. I got the classic ramen with very firm thick noodles and standard broth thickness and richness. I do like that you can customize both the noodles and broth based on your preferences. The flavor was overall okay. Nothing was wrong with it, but nothing particularly stood out or felt unique either. Overall, a solid option if you are craving a classic bowl of ramen!

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    Midnite Ramen - Miso bold ramen

    Midnite Ramen

    4.4(143 reviews)
    2.4 mi•Fremont
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    This is a great place to get your ramen fix. Its legit. You…read morecan tell they really put alot into their ramen; the broth was great, the noodle is good and the portion was perfect. You order via kiosk; and wait your order to be called when its ready. They got condiments of fresh garlic and chili oil as well. What we got: Kyoto charsu ramen (4/5) Great broth and very flavorfull. Portion was perfect. Miso Bold (4.5/5) Very very rich broth and the black garlic was great. Portion was oerfect for how rich it was. I add the spicy paste and it was great. Overall This is a great spot. I highly recomend it to anyone in the area.

    Word of mouth was Midnite Ramen being one of the top ramen spots around. While tasty, the broth…read morehere is a simpler style and I personally enjoy a richer umami broth. Nested in the brewery, it's a convenient spot to catch up with folks, grab a drink, and grub. Parking can suck however, since this is Fremont and you'll need to find street parking. I don't like the idea of hot soup in plastic but it's street food style and the disposable bowls are consistent in theme. Zangi - Hokkaido style chicken karaage! Delicious, juicy, and flavorful with some hints of garlic. Larger pieces than typical karaage, these were a hit for me. Highly recommend and the spicy mayo on the side was tasty. Hakodate Shio Ramen - shio sea salt was my choice for their simple, chicken and kelp foundation. Basic is good, comforting, and hearty, but hard to be special compared to others. Lots of additional toppings are included but what surprised me was the takoyaki inside. They got soggy which is a stark contrast to my expectations for takoyaki. Little small, but can be filling because of the quantity of items inside.

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    Rondo Japanese Kitchen

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    Yummmy. Seems like a real family owned spot. The decor is fun and cute- had Kiki's delivery service…read moreon the television and toys smattered about, but it's still a chill vibe in there. And it gets POPPIN here. We were ravenous in the morning thank god so we got there right as it opened. Line quickly formed soon after. Bento box - star of the show, good deal and all the items were good Unagi bowl - delish but small! Black garlic ramen - still delish but I'd maybe hop elsewhere for knock out ramen

    Stopped by while I was in Seattle and enjoyed this spot with a couple friends…read more We came without a reservation and luckily only had a short wait. It's located in Capitol Hill with a fun vintage Japanese-inspired interior. Service was friendly and the host was especially nice. We also had no trouble finding street parking nearby. We ordered quite a few things to share but these were my favorites: - Uni Seafood Creamy Maze-Udon: best item here imo. Creamy, rich, and topped with a variety of fresh seafood. Definitely the most memorable dish of the meal. - Tokyo Shoyu Ramen: Yummy! The broth was light but flavorful and the noodles had a nice chew and grabbed onto the soup really well. The veggies added a nice crunch. - Bara-Chirashi Donburi: Super fresh with a nice variety of high quality fish and perfectly seasoned. No additional soy sauce needed but I did ask for extra wasabi. We also tried a couple other items. All were good but nothing that particularly stood out. Glad I checked this place out while I was in Seattle! I enjoyed the meal but with so many places to eat in the city, it probably wouldn't be on my must-visit-again list.

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    Umami Ballard - poke - Updated September 2026

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