I had originally given this place 5 stars I will leave my review that I originally wrote at the bottom. After my recent encounter at this place I would given them less than one star if I could. I recommended all my friends to go here because the food and services were so amazing. So the only reason they were there was because of me. My friends decided to eat here and I went to Ike's that day to get a sandwich and I brought I back. Our waitress came to our table at first and didn't say anything and then she came and said that we weren't allowed to have outside food to eat here and asked me to eat outside in the balcony that was 109 degrees. I was starving so went outside to eat. Then another guy who I assume may have been the manager, young man with manbun and beard and blonde hair, came up to me and said didn't we tell you you can't eat here. Extremely rude. Regardless of who I am, does not make it okay to speak and treat another human being like that. Then I told him please don't approach me like that your waitress told me I could sit out here and eat, not to mention I was the only my one out there. And he told me to put my food away and I couldn't eat there. I've never in my life been treated so disrespectfully. A normal response I would have expected is "hey we don't really appreciate outside food and I see you're already eating so next time please don't bring outside food" I'm extremely disappointed in how I was treated and that the manger was acting like that. I will make sure to tell everyone my experience and what to expect if they go here. original review: Hands down the best ramen place I have been to EVER. I'm not that big on ramen because I haven't liked places in the past, but I've always been looking for a good one because of all the hype. And I sure did find one! I got the spicy tan tan broth with roasted prom spicy corn and garlic paste. It was simply amazing. They cut the carrot so cute in a flower shape and the fish cake as well. For me what makes this the best ramen place is the freshness, the inclusion of veges in the broth, that the broth is not too thick like other ramen places, and the service and location. I don't think I would even want to try another ramen place now that I've found this! Our service was also exceptional. I can't remember our server's name but he was just amazing and so helpful. I came with 3 other girlfriends and they all got different broths and they all loved it as well. If you don't like ramen this place also has a pizza place so for those pizza lovers who have friends who love ramen join them as well. In addition, for those of you who are vegan they have vegan only options, 2 that I noticed. I will be going back here and bringing a crowd too! read more

So I was in tempe and super craving ramen! So I looked on yelp & found this place & I'm glad I did. I got the american paitan ramen and added a soft boiled egg! I am always so pleased when I find a ramen place that has non pickled eggs. Let me tell you, the flavor was great! Such a prominent but not overbearing garlic flavor, the noodles were cooked perfect & so much corn & scallions! Plus such a large portion! I would definitely order it again. My husband ordered the spicy shoyu with added pork belly & a soft boiled egg. The shredded pork was good but very dry. Overall my husband enjoyed it but said the broth, unlike mine, was not very flavorful. The server was very friendly, and super prompt to greet up and get our order despite how busy they were for a Tuesday evening. I ordered to drink, a gin based drink which was so good! It had Hendricks, elderflower and cucumber and was so tasty! Overall, due to the reasonable prices & overall experience I will definitely be back! read more

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Where else can you get pizza and good ramen??? Nowhere! The ramen quality has gone down over time. But it was always my FAVORITE ramen. The pizza is awesome too. The only negative is that parking isn't super easy to get. read more

I've been dining at umami for several years now and it's hands down the best ramen in Arizona. I get the same thing every time- Spicy Tan Tan Man, roasted pork, garlic, extra spinach, butter, and "love" which is a secret menu item that's basically all the fatty goodness from the pork. At their previous location, it was more readily available so I'm not sure if they don't really make it anymore. The ramen is always consistent. Packed full of flavor, rich and creamy. I could live off the broth alone and die happy. I really dislike the new location, however. Parking sucks and it isn't easy to get to. You either have to park at a meter or in a parking garage which is pretty expensive. Plus, it's right by Mill Ave so it's a busy area in general. If you aren't familiar with the area, it can be pretty confusing to find. Even though I moved 20 miles north, I still make the drive to get my favorite ramen. read more

Best ramen I have had since coming back from Japan. Often get the Tantanmen and it is always tasty. Thank you for the amazing ramen! read more

My 1st visit, cool place ! Great for weekend party, 2patios & inside about 3500 sf, service was fine on Sun Quick lunch it was slow, I Ha d a Shoyu Ramen unfortunately not true Japanese ramen flavor and little to high prices for a ramen ! read more

Umami - My 1st visit, quickly lunch! Just had a Ramen, it's cool place for weekend party! Menu is Asian Fusion, unfortunately not true Ramen flavor. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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The first time I came here I was told that they don't have ramen between 3-5pm..I quickly yelped the place and didn't get warned that they won't have ramen between those hours. I was quite disappointed because I really wanted to try it out. Came back the day at the ramen hours and no wait -- which is fantastic. It's a self-seat kind of setting so we sat on a table. It took the waitress 10 minutes to good us our menus. I ordered the spicy tan tan noodle with a soft egg, fried chicken, and roasted pork. My husband ordered spicy tan tan noodle with a soft egg, hard egg, and pork belly. I believe we waited a good 40 minutes then our food came..it wasn't even crowded..I don't know why it took that long. But good thing I wasn't starving at the time or else I would have been super cranky and the rating would be lower. The food came and to my surprise, my roasted pork was actually shredded pork..interesting. It tasted fine (pork is always good) but I was just surprised. I tried my husbands pork belly and that was wayyyyyy too fatty to consume. I felt like I was going to get a heart attack haha. The fried chicken was ok. The broth was ok, too. Definitely not spicy (which I was hoping for). And the bill came out to be $30. Overall good was ok. Money? $30 isn't much but I can go to Tampopo and grab two satisfying bowls of ramen for just $20. I definitely like Tampopo better. read more

Great service, great ramen. Technically the facility housing the restaurant is called "Shady Park". So if you see that sign, you're at the right place. At the time of this post they're currently open 5pm to 9pm for take-out (due to Covid-19 restrictions in AZ). Not realizing the temporarily adjusted hours I placed my order right around 9pm and they were still happy to serve me and my girlfriend. Truly great service and great food. I highly recommend this place. read more

This place is pretty good. It gets very busy on Friday and Saturday nights, good luck finding a place to sit. The food is a little pricey, especially for the sushi. The ramen comes in a good portion size for the price, especially if you don't opt for a build your own ramen bowl (get a bowl on then menu and add to it). I would reccomend getting the pork belly to your ramen. The cocktails are a bit pricey, so I would opt for the combo (beer, sake, ramen $10), which is a very good deal. read more

UGH. This place blowssssssss. Tried the "buy 3 get 1" to start. Yikes. Kimchi was gross. Seaweed salad was gross. Squid salad was gross. My boyfriend pointed out that everything was clearly packaged....and then I sadly had to remind him how I love the jarred kimchi from Asian markets and even the packaged seaweed salad from freakin COSTCO. We persevered through that because we read that the ramen was supposed to be bomb dot com....... Then the server told us they ran out of vegan ramen. At 7 on a Thursday? What? Why? How? The place was empty. Like ghost town empty. I may have been spoiled living near LA's K-town and Little Tokyo so I try to have lower expectations.... But not low enough to eat garbage passed as fermented food or to come back to try the ramen that "ran out". This place clearly doesn't serve fresh food. Still haven't found good Asian food in this area. Le sigh. read more

3/14/2017 Yelp review Umami Tempe AZ 26 E. University Dr. (480) 625-4565 Umami is easily the best ramen shop I have been to state side. Many other restaurants may have decent ramen bowls but Umami is truly a Ramen shop. The main portion of their menu is dedicated solely to their ramen, with a few selections of appetizers that go along well. To start the atmosphere at the location is very relaxed and enjoyable. Its located at a place called Shady Park where Umami, a pizza place and a bar are all located. This is extremely convenient if you are craving ramen and have friends that are not feeling it at the moment. It has got a comfortable open-air environment with a covered patio in the front and a decent sized back patio that resembles a small park with its grass and large trees shading the area, hence, Shady Park. The staff at Shady Park is extremely friendly, fast and always have smiles on. They respond well to questions about the menu, however, I don't really dive deep into the pizza side since I am there for Umami. There has been a couple times that I've been during lunch hours and they seem a little understaffed, but for the most part I have never experienced an issue. The pricing of the food seems to be reasonable. When ordering ramen you get to build your own bowl, so you first choose the type of broth you want, proteins and finally the extras. If you are looking to stay below $10 you can still get a tasty bowl of ramen but if you're like me and want the extras, you can rack it up to a good $12-16 easily. Each addition clearly states the extra charge so you can easily manage your funds with your tastes. They do have a handful of pre-designed bowls to choose from if you are looking for something different than your norm or if you are having trouble on deciding what to get. These bowls also save you a couple dollars since they are the specials. The food itself is amazing. When the bowl gets placed in front of me my first action is to take the ramen spoon and taste the broth. This is the true winner for this place. The flavors that come from the broth itself is absolutely outstanding. The next step is to ruin the wonderful plating of your add-ins. Decorated on top of your bowl are the additional items you wanted, placed with care and intent. The mix of colors, shapes and food make the bowl look just as good as it tastes. The main part of the meal comes from the noodles, which are always cooked to perfection. They hang in the perfect limbo of under and over cooked, where the noodles start to suck up the flavor from the broth. From the presentation to the last sip that you can muster, Umami does ramen the way it was meant to be. read more

Best vegan ramen in Pheonix (or Tempe). I went to their previous location, so I can only comment on the food. I will need to come back again to try out their new spot. We came here whenever we were craving ramen while living in Mesa. The broth was flavorful and not too salty, and not boring. I like the topping they put in the ramen and also the option to add whatever else you would like to it. If you're vegan and want some ramen, come here. It may not be the best I've ever had, but it's probably the best in the state of Arizona. read more

They say a house divided will surely fall, and that too many cooks will spoil the broth; but it is clear Umami will endure. Long live the spirit of this fine cuisine! Also the vegan shio is so amazing. read more

In town visiting and wanting some comfort food. Pretty cool looking place, you seat yourself and it's not a long wait for a server to appear. I ordered BBQ wings to start, it was ok and cooked thoroughly. Next I ordered Shoyu Ramen with pork belly. It looked really good, pork belly was diced up. Wish it was sliced, makes it easier to grab with noodles. The broth was a little too salty for me. Overall, the place seems like a cool place to hangout and the is super friendly. read more

Yesterday was my first time eating at Umami, and I must say it's the closest I've gotten to great Japanese food since I moved back to the states from Japan. read more

Umami - Miso soup, with pork belly, and a hard egg. It was delicious!!! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

They used shredded pork instead of sliced pork. I wasn't paying attention since I never ever ever everrr had shredded pork on any ramen I tried both in LA and AZ. It is bad bad idea because all the juices soaked in the shredded pork interfere with the flavoring. Whatever spices that they added on the soup wasn't able to penetrate the shredded pork, as result the ramen soup tasted like ramen soup mixed with pure salted pork broth. I know ramen broth is made out of pork but what I'm trying to point out is that it's the mix of pork broth and whatever magical seasonings they added in to that pork broth that make it Ramen Soup. So by adding shredded pork soaked in unseasoned pork broth is like diluting the soup. I will come back but I will not order the meat everrr.... I guess this review is dedicated to Taylor Swift Circa 2012 read more

Really awesome atmosphere. They have 3 different rooms which is really cool (including a patio area). Unsure how pizza fits into the mix but we got it with our ramen anyway. It was good (because bread, cheese, and sauce can't be bad), but nothing extraordinary. Also got the chicken noodle ramen with vegetarian broth and subbed house noodles. Their broth was pretty salty (unsure if that's what it's always like) but the noodles were fantastic. They also have live music on some nights but when we were there it was an $18 cover which I think is a little steep. I'll come back for their house noodles and to give their ramen broth a second chance. Great place to come hangout with friends because of the atmosphere. read more

One of their servers just assaulted me after I had been a paying patron for 3 hours...I was in the smoking area, and when I tried to leave he literally slapped the cigarette out of my hand! read more

Amazing ramen. You choose your base broth and then add items. It can get pricey, however, so worth it. The portions are huge and atmosphere is awesome. read more

So glad to see Umami back in business! They now share space at Shady Park with two other businesses. As others have said, it's less Zen chill and more college hangout. I do miss the old ambiance, but I'm so happy to have the ramen back. My go-to is the vegan shio broth with togarashi, fish cake, spinach and soft-boiled egg. Side note: I do wish the restaurant would get their eggs right. A soft-boiled egg is supposed to have a SOFT (runny) yolk that oozes out when cut in half to enrich the broth. Even the soft eggs here have hard centers. It's disappointing but not a deal breaker. read more

I really love the atmosphere that shady park offers; it has that in the city kind of vibe while still being intimate! The concept is really cool too. They have 3 restaurants under one roof so all members of your group can find something that caters to them. I'm a ramen enthusiast so I had to come here to taste what they had and I wasn't disappointed. I had the shiyo ramen and I've had the miso ramen in the past. They have build your own where you pick the broth and toppings, or you can get their pre-picked options (which have pretty cute names btw!) the price of the toppings start to add up if you get a lot. The only negative I would have to say is that the broth is pretty salty. Both times I've been the broth was pretty salty. Overall a nice little spot to cure your ramen cravings! read more

First I must say I actually don't like soups but I took my Chinese friends to Umami and they're from province in chna that is known for their noodles-- so they ordered ramen w spinach and pork belly. WOW!! It was awesome and just wonderful. Who knew AZ had this little secret here in Tempe. read more

Great ramen noodles... Taste is very similar to Japan. I would suggest the serve the ramen a lot hotter so that the soup is still hot when you finish there noodles. Good seating. Music was a bit strange but not loud. read more

Umami - a bar with brown leather stools - Asian Fusion Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

I was looking through the reviews and noticed everyone is commenting on the pork belly; however, the roasted pork is really where it's at. My go-to is the spicy tan tan men with roasted pork (togarashi corn & soft egg added) but spicy shoyu is always delicious if you are into spicy. Seriously, the roasted pork is very soft and tender and absorbs the delicious flavors of the broth. Haven't found a better ramen place as of yet. read more

There was a bartender inside Shady Park and he argued with me about getting food. I was wanting to order food at 10:55, he said the kitchen closed at 11. Then proceeded to argue with me about ordering then when the time changed to 11 he said, "now" the kitchen is closed. I will be informing all my military buddies to avoid here. Terrible service! read more

Sooo yummy! This is definitely my new favorite ramen stop! I had never got fried chicken in ramen but it stood out to me and wow was it delicious! Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and overall savory. I feel like other ramen restaurants serve quite low quality meat in their ramen but this looked and tasted great! The noodles were perfect. I absolutely hate soggy noodles and these were cooked exactly to my liking. I am so impressed with this restaurant. Ramen was reasonable but it can get pricey if you go crazy with your toppings. I do believe none of the ramen includes actual meat so if you want some you need to add it as a topping to your ramen. They also give you a big chilled bottle of water so you can give yourself refills and I think that it great. The service was friendly and they answered all my questions in regards to the menu. This place is definitely worth the time. read more

Umami - Delicious Ramen with fried chicken! Check out the adorable carrot flower. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

We went before going to Gammage. It is a conveniant walking distance. It might just be our new go to place before a show. The raman was delicious. Full of great flavors. You can't beat the prices either. You get so much food. They have sushi specials for happy hour too. Indoor and outdoor seating. It was great place for conversation too if your companions are hard of hearing. Will definitely be coming back. read more

Moved from Hawaii to Arizona and I was super excited to try out this place. Ample parking. Greeted by everyone at the door. Wait was only about 5 min. Got the beef yakiniku dishes. They were all delicious! The server was super nice and good conversationalist. The owners were great and friendly. Definitely will be coming back and recommend to friends! read more

Ramen was very salty and the service was very slow even there was only few people. And we asked for hot water the server said we do not have a hot water. It was very disappointed place and felt bad! read more

The food was really good. Prices were very fair and reasonable. There was a good variety of local brews that complimented the food. We built our own ramen with a side of their house wings. They come with so many sauces it was slightly overwhelming. The staff were very friendly and attentive to our needs. The only reason it lost star for me is that it was hard to find the actual location because the sign in the front of the place does not say Umami. We walked around in circles until we saw the inside said Super Umami. Overall good experience. read more

Pork ramen was not what I expected. Shredded pork in soup just isn't my thing, I went in by myself so the waitresses would seem to just forget about me. Took 30 minutes to get my ramen & was patiently waiting 20-30 minutes for my check to come until I went up to waitress to ask for my check where she then told me she'd be right there. Then that took another 15 minutes. So just don't get the pork ramen IMO and go in with someone so they're attentive, probably will have a better experience than I did. read more

The food was very good! We found out after inquiring that the vegan shio isn't actually vegan the way it is - which is very deceiving. You must order the vegan noodles with it. As a vegan this is very upsetting. When something is labeled "vegan" it should be vegan as is, unless it specifically says it needs adjustments. My friend ordered the vegan shio the prior time she was at Shady Park, and the server did not inform her the noodles it comes with aren't vegan. This is a huge deal and can be fixed easily. Please automatically put the vegan noodles in the vegan ramen - it's a no brainer. Service was slow. The atmosphere was nice, loud and busy. read more

Loved this place. I'm a huge ramen fan and bf is a pizza man, so what could be better? Service was great, atmosphere was cozy, bar environment without the sleazy feel. Quick service and nice waiter. Little more on the expensive side but located just east of Mill this was to be expected. Definitely will be back! read more

Umami - Asian Fusion Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

One of the best ramen places in the state of Arizona! Being from the PNW I'm pretty picky about Asian food in general, and more specifically ramen, we have the best in the country! But Umami has always been good, even when it was its stand alone store. They have quite a few options for vegans especially now that they've added a sushi menu! read more

You'd think Phoenix would be a ramen desert... but that's not quite the case. Umami, despite the hokey inclusion of also serving pizza (they're on a college campus and have a bar, okay, you can't really blame them, right?), also serve pretty solid ramen. Don't expect anything quite as stellar as you'd get along the coast, but it definitely satisfies those cravings everybody gets from time to time. The service is also awesome, at least when I went - my order was apparently messed up (they brought out the wrong ramen entirely), and despite my insistence against any special treatment, they still brought out (on the house) the ramen I ordered even after I told them I was perfectly satisfied with what they'd served me! My one tip, however, would be to avoid the pork belly. I may be biased from having had the pork belly from Hi-Five Ramen in Chicago, but I wasn't too impressed with it here; substitute with grilled chicken instead, and you're golden. read more

This is probably one of my favorite places to eat Ramen in town, other than a few select places which I won't mention to draw attention away from Umami. I could eat here twice a week, if my girlfriend would let me, hahah! Great service, seat yourself & prompt deliveries for food. They close mid day in order to maintain the amazing quality of their broth, some people complain about this but don't realize it's for the benefit of the guests as well as keeping high standards for their Ramen. read more

Umami - Spicy Tan Tan Men from Umami - Asian Fusion Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

I thought this was authentic asian noodles.l but it's not. Other than that the food here is a 7/10. I would recommend trying noodle republic. read more

A friend recommended this restaurant to me. She really talked it up and we took a couple of our other friends to try ramen. The food was okay, wasn't that big of a fan of the vegan shio. I won't be coming back here because of the horrible service. The same friend who recommended Umami went to Ike's to grab a sandwich since she'd eaten at Umami the day before. The waitress saw we had outside food and didn't say anything at first. Later when we were finishing up she told us we weren't allowed to have outside food and that my friend would have to pack up the food or sit out on the patio and eat (it was 109 degrees). My friend was really hungry so she went outside alone and was finishing up her sandwich. The restaurant was not busy and there was no one else out on the patio but a blonde man with a man bun (maybe the manager) felt the need to go outside, get in her face and tell her "didn't I tell you you can't eat that here" and pushed a trashcan towards her. She didn't want to throw away her sandwich so she packed it up. She told him our waitress told her she could sit out on the patio and eat. He left but she felt very uncomfortable and wanted to leave immediately. I understand many restaurants have no outside food policies but I think the situation could have been handled very differently. My friend went from loving this restaurant to never wanting to come back. I also love ramen in general and wanted to take my brother to this place on my friend's recommendation. I won't be taking him or anyone else here after what happened. The worst part was as we were leaving the restaurant this same guy was snickering at us and making sarcastic comments from behind the bar. As a paying customer the whole situation made me really upset. I hope no one else has an experience like this. read more

Awesome, great place for noodles. Excellent food, excellent service, excellent prices. You can get a very satisfying meal for $10. Try it! Quality is not sacrificed for price! read more

This is my second go to ramen place beside Tampopo Ramen that I would recommend. They did good job with the kakuni (braised pork). I recommend adding that and soft boiled egg to your ramen. Service was okay nothing bad or spectacular. Price is competitive and in my opinion the kakuni makes it worth it. Venue wise, nothing great. It's okay. Not really a place to bring date with unless you know your date. If you are trying to impress this isn't it. read more