Charming zen like atmosphere, delicious freshly made food and excellent service. A hidden gem!

Their pho never disappoints! The recovery day here is so so needed and the owner here is very nice when you get a chance to talk to him. :)

"You order first, then I you get napkins!" The Vietnamese guy, possibly owner, was impatient and rude to my wife in front of other patrons. Not happy about how we're pushed to order without menu. Our friend also had a special need child a which made things thougher. This place used to be our favorite, but lately the service has taken a dive. There's no need to be mean! read more

The name fooled me. I expected this to be a small café and was surprised to see a beautiful garden as I passed the gate. This was just perfect as we were coming back from a short hike with two dogs. After checking with the owner, I went back to my car to get our 4-legged friends. Here comes the second surprise. We ordered 3 dishes. Short rib pho, beef salad, and duck bun. I had to order inside, similar to a fast-food restaurant, but the quality of the food matched that of full-service restaurants. The pictures of the food seem to be very rare because we're sitting outside under a red umbrella. Let's start with the pho. I rarely drink the soup base as they are typically salty and full of MSG. I am not against MSG, first of all. This soup base is different. It has such a clean taste with a hint of MSG. Just perfect. I really liked it. The beef salad was awesome. I felt they could've added a bit more avocado, but I understand the cost of avocado as well. The duck bun was very delicious without being too sweet or salty. In fact, every dish I had there had a good balance. I will not hesitate to recommend this restaurant to all my friends, especially if you are with your dogs! read more

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Really great find and highly recommend it. Restaurant with areally nice outdoor seating with a nice pond. Food was great, staff was great and place was great. What we got: Classic Pho 4.8/5 - Broth is reaaaallllyyyy delicious! - Great portion. Taiwanese beef noodle soup 3.5/5 (4.5/5 when you add the chili paste) - The broth was very light and refreshing compared to the taiwanese beef soup im used to; its almost taste just like regular beef pho; but when you add the chilli paste to it; its gives more depth to the soup and really make the dish reallllyy good. Lime chiken wings 5/5 - nothing but greatness. The sour, the umami from the fish sauce, the crunch from the fried garlic and the fresh cilantro; so so so good! Vietnamese coffee 3.5/5 - good but not great; i wish it was stronger. Overall its a great place to eat. I will for sure return and try their other offering. read more

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3.5 stars * Red curry chicken 3/5 * Chicken and rice 3/5 * Bubble tea 3.5/5 The food didn't excite me. It was middle of the road for sure. They have a lot of options and the outdoor seating is really nice. Not bad prices and easy parking. read more

Umi Cafe - Red Spicy Roasted Chicken Curry 3/5 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

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This is a perfect date spot for a nice summer day if you're craving Asian food. I'm usually wary of pan Asian type of menus (they include Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai) as I worry about authenticity of taste. We got the bah mee (dry egg noodle dish with wontons and bbq pork) and the Taiwanese beef noodle soup. The bah mee was ok but the beef noodle soup was surprisingly authentic in seasoning. The highlight was definitely the outdoor patio with a lily pond. If you sit outside, orders are placed inside and paid up front but food is brought to the table. read more

Umi Cafe - Outdoor resting area - Bubble Tea Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

Great and friendly service. Was excited to try this place as I was really missing Taiwanese comfort food and was not disappointed. The popcorn chicken was crunchy, light, flavorful and the Taiwanese beef noodle soup was warm, had just enough spice. Duck bun special was good as well. Definitely will come back. read more

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Umi Café is such a hidden gem! We stopped by after a medical appointment and were blown away by how good everything was. I ordered the chicken pho and it was so flavorful, comforting, and delicious. I could honestly eat it every day. My husband had the Umi chicken and said it was packed with flavor as well. We also tried the fries, which were surprisingly great! They were crispy and perfectly seasoned. The location itself is really lovely. They have outdoor seating right next to a koi pond, which creates such a relaxing, peaceful vibe- perfect for enjoying a meal. The combination of amazing food, friendly atmosphere, and such a nice setting makes this spot one we'd absolutely drive back for. Highly recommend! read more

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Fun little Vietnamese place in Issaquah. Service is prompt yet feels like a family run business. Everything's clean and well kept, food is well presented and tasty. I feel like a lot of the places nearby are a little too "local" and/or "casual" - Umi would do just as well (if not better) in downtown Seattle. read more

Umi Cafe - Roast duck buns - Bubble Tea Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

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This is our favorite Asian restaurant here on the Eastside. We have been going here monthly for years. Just amazing food, really quickly cooked, and a great location with a pretty pond and outdoor eating area. read more

After troll hunting, Amber found a close spot nearby to grab a bite. Boy, did we luck out. The outside area is super chill. I bet it's tranquil over the summer with the little water feature outside.  HIEN the owner told us anything we order, we will like. HE WAS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!!! On top of that, it was the fastest service ever!!! For apps, we ordered the Crispy chicken gyoza...perfectly crispy that went well with the sweet chili sauce. We also had the pork belly bun. The pork belly was  braised with pickled greens, cilantro, and came with a delicious homemade sauce. Wow. That pork was so tender! It melted in your mouth! The sauteed green beans in caramelized garlic... Yaaaas!!! So fresh...so garlicky...LOVE!!! For entrees, we got the Beef Coconut Curry. It had thinly sliced braised beef in coconut milk and red curry. Omg absolutely delicious!!! The thinly sliced beef was a nice surprise and new experience with curry. On the specials menu, we ordered the duck bun. The roasted duck was cooked to perfection  paired well with the pickled greens. I could eat these all day! ;) We also ordered the Umi noodles. Fresh shrimp and bok choy were delightful, and the homemade sauce was dancing in my mouth. A little sweet, a little spicy, a little sour...omg. Drinks were delicious, many to choose from. We were all super satisfied! And the best part....we got to sit outside in the beautiful fall weather before it rained. And the food... FASTEST FOOD THAT HAS COME OUT AT A SIT DOWN RESTAURANT. We were all shocked! I know i said at least twice during the meal that I'd trek back up to Issaquah JUST for this amazing mom and pop small business! Thanks, Hien! We WILL be back! #FoodieLife #Foodie #foodiejourney #UmiCafe #FoodieFamily #ARestaurantADay  #supportlocalbusiness #supportsmallbusiness #LocalEats #IssaquahLocalEats #IssaquahAsianFusion #FoodPorn #RealFoodReviewFromRealPeople #IDontGetPaidForMyReview read more

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This place was great for a summer night dinner with family! The entrance door makes you feel like your are entering somewhere in Asia. The garden is beautiful! The staff were super friendly, we tried the pork belly plate and wonton soup. The wontons were super soft and the stuffing was extremely tasty. Their chili oil was amazing. We were visiting and this place really left a mark in our trip! read more

This place is pretty good, but not exceptional. You order, take a seat inside or outside and the food is brought to you. Expansive menu, with options for everyone. The outside is really peaceful with some water features. Had the Szechuan beef starter and classic pho as my main course with a Thai iced tea. Everything was good, but again nothing knocked my socks off. Would come back to try more! read more

Umi Cafe - Outside seating area - Bubble Tea Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

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I haven't heard of this place til I started looking on Yelp for some places to eat in Issaquah. It was a nice sunny day so I decided to come here for brunch and took advantage of dining outside when it's not so hot out. Upon arrival, I noticed the outside looks like a temple with many trees surrounding the area. When you walk inside, it was very tranquil with a pathway towards a pond and to the restaurant. There's a sign outside that said you have to order in advance before taking a seat outside the patio area. I ordered the strawberry milk tea while my partner got the snowing white coffee. I thought the milk tea was mediocre, couldn't taste much flavor due to so much ice. The coffee was surprisingly good though. It had coconut syrup which made it delicious on Vietnamese coffee. We decided to share a few small bites since we weren't too hungry at the time. Here are my thoughts on each: Salt and pepper tofu: really love this dish! The tofu was soft inside and lightly crisp on the outside. The flavor profile was on par as well. Pork belly bao: the pork belly slice were tendered and juicy, paired with pickle veggies inside. They do not skimmed down on the size of the meat. Will definitely order this again! Honey basil garlic wings: I thought this was okay. Didn't really have much flavor except the sweet chilli sauce. Order at your own risk if you don't want to attract bees outside. Popcorn chicken: we thought this was okay as well but there wasn't much seasoning. For $10, I will pass on this next time. Soft shell crab bao: I was looking forward to this one and thought it was worth a try. The crab wasn't too big but perfect size to sandwich in between the baos. For $13, you get two baos to share. I pleasantly enjoyed this one. Overall, a nice hidden gem outside a neighborhood in Issaquah. Definitely one of the best Asian fusion restaurants we've been to just for the food and atmosphere. Will come back again next time to try their other main entrees. read more

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Best of the best. Real people. Real food. Simply authentic dishes that just hits the spot throughout all seasons.

Umi Cafe is a hidden gem of a restaurant. This family-owned restaurant produces some of the most delicious food in Issaquah. They take exceptional care in how they prepare their food and cut no corners in the ingredients that they use. I usually get the Lemongrass Chicken or the Garlic Steak Cubes, but I tried the Spicy Roasted Chicken Curry today which was also excellent. The Green Beans are another must-try item. Though I usually don't get a drink, I tried the strawberry latte today and wow, was it was it tasty! Another reason why we return frequently to Umi Cafe is that food is delivered surprisingly quick. They must have their kitchen processes well sorted to be able to deliver food that quickly. Finally, their outside seating area is one of the nicest around the entire Eastside. read more

Umi Cafe - Spicy Roasted Chicken Curry - Bubble Tea Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

The pho is terrific. The short rib version is a great speciality, but everything we've eaten here is great. Deserts are a treat. The place is run by a nice family and is friendly and efficient. Service is prompt. It is out-of-the way and has an outdoor koi pond. We go to Umi Cafe for dinner and also get great take out. It is reliably good! read more

Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this restaurant. Looking at the pictures, I thought I'd enjoyed the experience. The Umi chicken was good, but it wasn't restaurant quality food. I felt like I could've made this dish at home. The portioning was okay too. The pho, however, surprised me. It was authentic and tasted pretty good. Portioning was good as well. The service wasnt good. The servers weren't friendly and we didn't feel welcomed to the restaurant. The food was made pretty fast though. The food wasn't well priced. The pricing of the restaurant is above average. For the quality and portioning of the food they give, the cost should be lower. I didn't enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant. It looked like the place was renovated from a house. There's seating inside and outside. The outside seating doesn't look too nice and I was reluctant eating out there. The inside of the place was okay. read more

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A hidden gem! Beautiful Asian garden with indoor and outdoor seating. I ordered the spicy vegan noodle soup and substituted for gluten free rice noodles. My spouse had the Duck Buns special and a Viennese coffee. We enjoyed everything and the owner even shared a list of other items that could be made gluten-free for my next visit. We sat inside on a rainy weekday afternoon this time, but I can't wait to come back on a sunny day and sit outside in the garden. read more

Beautiful outdoor patio, peaceful setting, great food my kids love.. yet, consistently super rude service. I don't even need friendly or kind, but zero tolerance for rude. Threw a drinking glass on our table and water went flying everywhere. When we asked a question about what was in a dish, the response was, "how should I know?" So done here. Owner needs a major attitude adjustment. read more

eat here if you must, but the taste and authenticity of the dishes are hit-and-miss, which I guess is what you get when a restaurant tries to serve maybe five different cuisines. Service is cold, ambience is interesting but homemade. Overall never really want to come back read more

The food is incredible but sadly the owner is so rude and no matter how kind I was he treated us very poorly. I won't be coming back.

A beautiful winding pathway greets you at the entrance with outdoor seating by a small bridge, pond, and gardens. Orders are placed at the counter if dining outdoors, otherwise indoor seating with regular service is available. The menu had a selection of various Asian cuisine with appetizers, banh mi, noodle soups, rice entrees, and curries. The Short-Ribs Pho was plentiful while the Roasted Duck Curry was scarce on the protein. Flavors of the dishes were decent, especially the curry. ----- Popcorn Chicken: deep fried marinated chicken coated with potato flour, served with house made mayo sauce and deep-fried basil ($10). ----- Umi Wings: deep fried wings tossed with vinegar & house mustard sauce and dried red chili peppers ($12). ----- Short-Ribs Pho: flat rice noodles with braised bone-in short ribs, rare steak, topped with red onions, scallions, cilantro in beef pho broth, served with bean sprouts, basil, lime and jalapenos ($17). ----- Roasted Duck Curry: roasted duck with coconut milk red curry, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and basil. Served with white rice ($16). ----- Street parking was difficult to find as there was an evening concert at the park. read more

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It checks the all boxes for me. - Tasty Foods - Friendly service - Clean **Bonus** During the warmer sunnier days it's a beautiful place to go eat outside. read more

Umi Cafe has a beautiful outdoor door area. It's tranquil and there are tables if you want to eat outside. A nice days the outside is very popular. We arrived, and all the outdoor tables were taken, so we went inside. We asked the guy about grabbing a table inside and he was less than courteous and I'm being polite. I'll give him the benefit of a doubt that he was having a bad day, but it was not a great way to start our experience. The inside is kinda cozy but pretty comfortable. There's some subtle but interesting decor, but it does not compete with the patio. It was clean which is always a positive. The menu has quite a variety of options to choose. We decided to get some garlic fries because as an appetizer and ordered Pho and some coffees The coffees were pretty good The garlic fries came out. The fries were cooked nicely but a little light on the garlic side. In all fairness I am a big fan garlic so bear this in mind. The Pho toppings were brought out. They looked fresh but i felt the portion was small for four orders of Pho. The server was hustling so we did not ask for more. The Pho was brought out. Nice presentation. It was pretty good. Broth was a little lacking for my taste so i added hoisin sauce. I'd definitely eat here again as there is a nice variety of menu items. read more

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Pho tasted like water and meat was weird. Worst pho I have ever had. Something something 85 character minimum

As I do with any first time try, I first looked up Umi Cafe on Yelp and immediately fell in love with the photos of their restaurant. Super cute exterior and interior, and today that was enough for me to give them a try I ordered (delivery) their classic pho and spicy roasted chicken curry. Both items arrived to my door piping hot (granted this was partly due to how close I am to the restaurant) and were nicely packaged. Each item was $14, which I felt was a good price for the curry given the portion but, a bit pricey for pho given its portion. The pho had a very subtle clean broth, came with a few pieces of cooked beef and a few raw. Along with the usual add ins of basil, bean sprouts and jalapeños. For me, the broth was missing the deep beef flavor you get from a traditional bowl of beef pho. Definitely a bit more Americanized than what I'm used to. The curry was a yellow curry, and on its own was a fairly basic curry. Just like the pho, not as deep in flavor as I'm used to. The chicken was roasted and spiced and submerged inside the curry, and something about it just didn't marry well with the curry itself. I ended up fishing out the chicken and having that on its own. It comes with white jasmine rice which was cooked perfectly. Overall, the food was good but, very much Americanized in flavor. For some folks it will be perfect for their pallet, it just was a bit lacking for me personally. Both items I had were very muted and subtle. I would definitely recommend dining in as the restaurant is so pretty I feel it might have compensated for the food to an extent. read more

Umi Cafe - Spicy roasted chicken curry and classic pho - Bubble Tea Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

We've been here a few times now and the food and drinks are always delicious! This has become a go to spot for us.

Food was great, and service was fast! Loved the garden atmosphere with the waterfall. The chicken fried rice had tons chicken and was light and not greasy. We loved the green bean appetizer. read more

The food is pretty good here, coming from a long time local foodie. However, the customer service is seriously horrible. The guy who always seems to be the only one taking orders (we always get take away), is consistently unpleasant. His demeanor is impatient, superior, annoyed, rushing, I could go on but I think that's sufficient to describe how unpleasant he is. If their staff was just a little nicer this place would be great! I've been at least 6 times before writing a review and this guy was consistently rude, impatient, aggressive with the customers, and flat out unpleasant every single time. The food isn't worth the pain of dealing with this dude. Last time I was in, he kept giving me a total for my order after every one item I said. I told him politely, despite the fact that he was anything but polite to me, that we weren't finished ordering and that I would tell him when we were done. Even after that he kept giving a total and trying to usher us out the door before we had even received our food or finished ordering. He's not just pushy and in a rush he's also got an awful attitude and even yanked my credit card out of my hand when I told him that was all for the order. What the actual f. Not okay. Not okay at all! read more

Some friends and I dropped in after a hike recently and were seated right away. The menu options seemed pretty solid, and I had a hard time deciding what to order, but ended up with the beef coconut curry and a Vietnamese iced coffee. The food was served very quickly and at first glance was very visually appealing - the natural light from the large windows also made for great photos, but that's about all the high marks I can give this. The food was just alright: I think the rice was warmer than the curry, and the curry was also fairly watery so I was a little disappointed that I was essentially having room temp curry soup with a serving of rice in it. The slices of beef were so thin and marbled with fat and tendon that I ended up using the side of the spoon to cut segments of the clumped up mound of meat into bite-sized portions to eat with the broth and rice. The server was also fairly aggressive. Not sure if he was frustrated that we were there as a group (there were five of us), but he seemed to always be in a rush to do anything else at any given moment. At least he was straightforward - for example, a friend asked if the curry was spicy and he said: "it's all from the same curry paste and it's a little spicy so if you can't handle spice don't get the curry," or when another friend ordered a milk tea without any toppings he told her that once they make the drink they won't remake it if she decides she wants toppings later. Overall, it was difficult to feel welcome in this place, so I likely won't be coming back, which is unfortunate because I would have been willing to try something else to see if their other food options were good. read more

Umi Cafe - Beef Coconut Curry - visually appealing but moreso room temp coconut curry soup with rice and a thinly sliced beef mound under the veggies. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

I absolutely love their spicy veggie tofu pho and get it at least once a week. I personally haven't had a bad experience with the staff as some other reviews have mentioned and think the service is quick and not rude. I highly recommend this place, the food is pretty great for the price and nice friend hangout. read more

Umi Cafe - Spicy veggie pho w/ tofu ($16) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

This place is definitely a hidden gem for me. It's pretty damn hidden. But the exterior and interior is a catch for me. Very traditional and remind me of hometown. The food is pretty fusion for different Asian cuisine. Not to mention, the food there is great!!! I gotta say that their beef noodle soup is the bomb! The broth is very tasty and huge portion as well. And as well as other entrees! Friendly staffs and fair pricing for what you get. The couple beef are good, as well as their Umi chicken. The dumpling is just whatever lol don't see the highlight on that because it doesn't taste like handmade. I will definitely be back here. I almost went this weekend but was on the other route so didn't get a chance to stop by or I would totally ! read more

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I've been dying to try this place for forever, I finally got the chance on Mother's day and it definitely lived up to it's expectations. Tucked away in a neighborhood, there is a really cute outdoor area as well as indoor. Servers are very attentive and the food comes out super quick here. That's always a plus. We've tried the chicken curry, steak cube rice plate, taiwanese beef noodle soup, gyoza, and Vietnamese coffee. I will say that we genuinely liked everything and I'm excited to try more things! We did notice that items had somewhat of a sweet note to them, but that is usually the case when you're eating Asian food that's been fusioned or Americanized. The Vietnamese coffee was a little more mild than what I was used to. Prices were decent, the portion sizes are slightly on the bigger end so you are getting bang for your buck. read more

First serious question for your day! WHY ARE YOU READING THIS REVIEW and NOT sitting down at the UMI CAFE! OMGAWD this hidden-gem-of-a-gorgeous-coi-pond-of-a-place is litterally straight out of heaven! I don't give two flying squirrels about any other review on here, this is straight up, a tiny slice of Issaquah Asian Paradise. I'ver never been here before, and now I don't want to go anywhere else! This gem is a hideaway. Do you like hideaways...when I say hideaway, I really mean it. It's in the "older", very old part of Issaquah that feels less loved and a little more neglected. It's tucked away and hard to find, but once you walk through the archway, you enter another world. It's so beautiful and charming outside and the inside dining room is pretty tiny and less inviting TBH... but it wouldn't keep me away. The food is mind-boggling good. I mean blow-you-away-delish! The unique flavors are layered ... like lime, with cilantro, with jalepeno, with honey, with chives, and with red onion..... and each layer hits your palate at a different moment in time, making the dishes litterally POP with delight in your mouth! The flavors are complex and so unusual and different. This is by far some of the best ASIAN infusion food I have ever had in my life -- and I have lived in/visited Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Hong Kong) and have had the pleasure of eathing nothing less than amazing food from all of those countries and this place takes the cake! I HAD to ask the waiter, "Ummm excuse me Sir, WHO is the amazing person in the world responsible for making these recipes so phenominal?" He told me his SISTER! She makes everything....and makes these dishes and her gorgeous desserts all by hand. This place is special. I cannot wait to go again and I am probably not going to eat anywhere else, but here for LONG, LONG time ~ LOL! Thank you for a wonderful experience! read more

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Street parking was plentiful on Bush St. and the walk through their garden to the front door was lovely! We showed our vax cards before choosing a booth in their dining room. Service was quick and attentive and our server Hien was friendly and informative. We split the Daily Special Duck Bun as an appetizer, and we both really appreciated that each bun had a hunk of duck rather than shredded duck. The duck was cooked well and the pickled diakon added a nice punch of complementary flavor! The drink menu is no joke! We both got iced coffees this time, but we're excited to try more off their extensive menu. Both the Umi Coffee and Vietnamese Coffee came with a house-made caramel sauce which was yummy, and the Vietnamese Coffee can be made hot if ordered that way (comes iced otherwise). He had the Umi Chicken off the regular menu and I had the Umi Noodle, another Daily Special. For the Umi Noodle, I thought there were generous amounts of both vegetables (bok choy, onions, carrots, mushrooms) and protein (shrimp). The sauce was a complex mix of savory, sweet, and spicy elements. Definitely a pleasure to eat! read more

Umi Cafe - Duck Bun $12, Umi Noodle $16, Vietnamese Coffee $5.50 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

Awesome Pho! Great portion, hot and tasty. Saw there are a bunch of mouth watering curries too. read more

Umi Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

Sat outdoors because it was such a nice Saturday afternoon - the restaurant has a cute garden surrounding the patio and restaurant building. When you're ready to order, you go inside and they'll take your order. The food came out so fast! I tried the crispy tofu dry noodles. The tofu was super crispy on the outside and silken and soft on the inside. The salt and pepper tofu had the same tofu pieces in the dish. Forgot to take a photo but the food was good and the service was quick and very nice. read more

Umi Cafe is a bit off the beat and path of most of the retailers in DT Issaquah, yet still pretty close. I've been here about 4 times now and have had an enjoyable experience and delicious food each time. This past week we went on a warm summer day and took advantage of dining outside by the fountain. We ordered the beef curry and also the pork belly. Both were perfect and showed attention to detail. Prices are reasonable and menu has many options from soups, sandwiches and entrees. Definitely a great find! read more

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