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Came here for a work lunch and wanted to try something new and near the job site. This Potrero Hill area is quaint and varied in their restaurant choices. From the outside, Umi isn't much to look at; kinda drab and dark. Inside, there is a covered outdoor patio, where we sat, and a dining room to the right. I had the bento with beef teriyaki and maguro. Coworkers had the Saba bento and the chefs 9-piece sashimi. Our food came out and looked good but on the smaller side portion-wise. My beef had lots of flavor, miso soup was slightly salty. Tuna sashimi was fresh, but again, on the smaller size. Service was ok, not good, not bad. I asked for hot tea but was told they don't have it. I'd like to rate it as 3.5 but there's no option for it.
Cute neighborhood sushi spot! Came here around 6:00 PM for dinner, and there were plenty of seats available. We got seated in the little outdoor patio, which was lovely and still quiet despite being so close to the street. The staff were very fast with getting our food out too which was great. I got the nigiri combination meal, which came with miso soup and a tuna roll. It's not too big of a portion and a bit pricey, but the fish was great quality! Love how tender each piece of fish was, and the freshness was so apparent. The whole combination meal was a great light dinner, really enjoyed my meal here.
Went in for lunch and was very impressed. Super cute place which actually hasn't changed that much since this space was occupied by Thai BBQ about a million years ago. Service was good (nobody else was there) and food came out pretty quickly. The food was all really good homestyle Japanese, and portions were large. Daughter liked the chirashi (combo A) a lot. Husband got the bento box with saba, teriyaki chicken and tempura. He scarfed it all down. He commented that the saba is better at Gombei in San Jose but nobody could verify that as it had already disappeared...lol. I had niku donburi-the portion was extra huge and the quality of the beef was better than I'm used to... I think next time we will order one less thing. I would expect that dinner is very good but for my family the draw is homestyle food which is only available at lunch T-F.
Came here on a Friday evening with no reservation and was quickly seated. There is tons of parking nearby and a great bar Nextdoor for a post dinner drink. Got 4 sushi rolls to share and bottle of cold sake. The fish here is easily the best quality on San Francisco, cannot recommend this enough!
Wonderful little sushi spot in Potrero. Great food and the service was also fast and nice, will come back again.
Came with my friend to try out a new sushi restaurant before trivia! We ordered two rolls to share, and it was very good! The pieces were on the smaller side though. The fish was very fresh, and the rolls were both quite delicious - a solid 8/10! I would definitely come back for a quick bite in the future! The service was very fast and the servers were attentive! Moreover, I also enjoyed the ambiance. The seating area is a bit on the smaller side, but I enjoyed the decor and the vibes :)
Ordered as a to go pick up order. I don't live too far so the quality of the food, like temperatures, texture, etc didn't go down as it sometimes does with some to go orders from other restaurants that might take 20-30 min to deliver. Pick up service was friendly and quick. Tuna poke - personally wasn't a huge fan of the poke. For the price, the portion seemed a bit small. Weighed it out to about 3oz. Smaller and a bit pricier than a couple other spots I know for a similar dish. Tuna tasted fresh though which was good. A sauce or shoyu I think might complement nicely. Agedashi tofu - well made, classic agedashi tofu. Definitely recommend having this order in house vs to go because of the soup container. All the bonito is at the top, due to the narrowness of the container, so my first bite was just a big clump of bonito. I should have mixed it (but I didn't want to break the tofu). Not on the restaurant but just my observation that it's a tasty dish that would be better enjoyed in house.
In contrast to the crowds lining outside popular neighboring restaurants, Umi seems like a quiet place at a quick glance but upon entering it has a lively and bustling atmosphere. The kitchen is immediately to the right of the entrance and the staff greet you warmly. Their menu isn't extensive but it feels curated to focus on quality, not quantity. I ordered the nigiri sampler which was one serving each of their special nigiri that night. I will definitely order this again, whatever they list as a special I will get next time. The quality was excellent and the fish was exceptional. I also ordered uni, which - for the price point, was a reasonably generous size and was a luscious burst of delicate brininess tinged with sweetness. For our small group of 3 people we ordered a couple of small plates to share: Katsu Asparagus Maki and Beef Enoki Maki. Don't miss out on these. The katsu was a perfect blend of texture and flavor combination with the crunchy breading outside and tender asparagus rolled inside. The beef was served in nine bite-size pieces that almost melt in your mouth. I love that they also had two of my favorite Japanese beers on their menu - Coedo and Echigo - along with a third beer option (Orion) and a couple of sakes. Although they have a covered patio, it's part of the restaurant itself and not one of the sidewalk structures. I don't think dogs are allowed here and that's okay. The tables are a decent size that we didn't feel cramped and it looks like a group of 6 or 8 could probably be accommodated in the main dining room. Good place for happy hour and casual dinner. I'll be back soon.
Came here on a date and it was a pleasant experience! The place was not packed at all on a Sunday night at 6 pm and we got seated right away. Good: - Super nice servers and the food comes out really fast - The prices are great here - The sushi rolls were all solid - I had the dragon roll and the portreo roll - it was pretty filling as well - Nice clean simple aesthetic Bad: - The sushi wasn't the best I've had, but for the price, it was a great steal! Overall, a great bang for buck place, I'd recommend it for a fast date activity!
Came during a weekday lunch for their lunch special. I got the beef teriyaki and salmon avocado roll for $17! The price is pretty good and the food comes fast so I can get back to work! The lunch special comes with miso soup, salad and rice.
Small neighborhood sushi place that hits the spot and doesn't drain the wallet. Sure the rice could use a bit of work but the fish is fresh and tasty, I can always get a table, and service is friendly. There's usually enough parking in the area so it is rarely a problem but you could also take the Muni and hike up the hill. I've tried a variety of items here including the sushi combination and sashimi combination. They also have specials of the day that change with the season. The sashimi combination set comes with rice and miso soup and is good value for the amount of fish they include! Since the sushi selection changes with the season, it's hard to say what will be available but I've found that hamachi is always a good bet. I also like their gari-saba roll (Saba with sushi ginger) which is very refreshing and has a good texture to the sushi. The rice they use is long grain rather than short grain sushi rice so it's a little underwhelming in that regard. Or they might mix in long grain as well to keep costs down. They also don't use fresh wasabi but I wouldn't expect that for the prices. There is a decent selection of sake if that's your thing, and offer them in different sizes as well so you can consume as much or as little as you like.
Small & quiet restaurant in Potrero Hill! I came in on a Wednesday night and got seated immediately. We ordered Golden Dragon, Crunchy Spider, and Hamachi Sashimi. I liked how all of the rolls were a set price ($17) but each piece was definitely smaller than I expected. I feel like it wasn't the worst I've ever had or the best especially since there's so many sushi restaurants in SF. For the average value and quality, I probably wouldn't come here again.
Nice little Japanese food joint with plenty of table in two rooms. Street parking is ok. Relatively quiet since I have dinner early at 6 pm. Hostesses are good and attentive. Food is quick and tasty and fresh. Portion is small. They have many house special. Life is a box of chocolate or in this case a chef special combination, you get whatever available at the chef's hands wish for the best. Give them a try.
4 months ago
6 months ago
i really wanted to love umi, but a few things made it fall short to me. first, the portions were very small and the value was not there for me. the sashimi pieces were extremely small and each roll piece was so small it was almost a joke. the caterpillar roll had eel and the eel piece was super thin and barely noticeable. second, the rolls were very basic and not very inventive. lastly, the flavors were a bit lacking -- the misoyaki (miso cod) was very subtly flavored and could have been marinated for longer. the yaki nasu (miso eggplant) had great miso sauce on it but the actual eggplant was underseasoned, could have used some more salt or something! i felt that overall the restaurant was a bit stingy with portions, servings, and service. there were only 2 servers in a busy small space, and they did not refill water unless asked. read more
7 months ago
Umi offers sushi with high-quality fresh fish. I enjoyed my Potrero Roll ($18), which came with spicy tuna and salmon. The restaurant is pretty small and was just the right amount of crowded on a Friday night. The waitresses were very attentive and kind. Overall a solid sushi spot! read more
Came here for a work lunch and wanted to try something new and near the job site. This Potrero Hill area is quaint and varied in their restaurant choices. From the outside, Umi isn't much to look at; kinda drab and dark. Inside, there is a covered outdoor patio, where we sat, and a dining room to the right. I had the bento with beef teriyaki and maguro. Coworkers had the Saba bento and the chefs 9-piece sashimi. Our food came out and looked good but on the smaller side portion-wise. My beef had lots of flavor, miso soup was slightly salty. Tuna sashimi was fresh, but again, on the smaller size. Service was ok, not good, not bad. I asked for hot tea but was told they don't have it. I'd like to rate it as 3.5 but there's no option for it. read more
1 year ago
Cute neighborhood sushi spot! Came here around 6:00 PM for dinner, and there were plenty of seats available. We got seated in the little outdoor patio, which was lovely and still quiet despite being so close to the street. The staff were very fast with getting our food out too which was great. I got the nigiri combination meal, which came with miso soup and a tuna roll. It's not too big of a portion and a bit pricey, but the fish was great quality! Love how tender each piece of fish was, and the freshness was so apparent. The whole combination meal was a great light dinner, really enjoyed my meal here. read more
10 months ago
Went in for lunch and was very impressed. Super cute place which actually hasn't changed that much since this space was occupied by Thai BBQ about a million years ago. Service was good (nobody else was there) and food came out pretty quickly. The food was all really good homestyle Japanese, and portions were large. Daughter liked the chirashi (combo A) a lot. Husband got the bento box with saba, teriyaki chicken and tempura. He scarfed it all down. He commented that the saba is better at Gombei in San Jose but nobody could verify that as it had already disappeared...lol. I had niku donburi-the portion was extra huge and the quality of the beef was better than I'm used to... I think next time we will order one less thing. I would expect that dinner is very good but for my family the draw is homestyle food which is only available at lunch T-F. read more
9 months ago
Came here on a Friday evening with no reservation and was quickly seated. There is tons of parking nearby and a great bar Nextdoor for a post dinner drink. Got 4 sushi rolls to share and bottle of cold sake. The fish here is easily the best quality on San Francisco, cannot recommend this enough! read more
2 months ago
4 months ago
Wonderful little sushi spot in Potrero. Great food and the service was also fast and nice, will come back again. read more
2 years ago
Came with my friend to try out a new sushi restaurant before trivia! We ordered two rolls to share, and it was very good! The pieces were on the smaller side though. The fish was very fresh, and the rolls were both quite delicious - a solid 8/10! I would definitely come back for a quick bite in the future! The service was very fast and the servers were attentive! Moreover, I also enjoyed the ambiance. The seating area is a bit on the smaller side, but I enjoyed the decor and the vibes :) read more
2 years ago
Ordered as a to go pick up order. I don't live too far so the quality of the food, like temperatures, texture, etc didn't go down as it sometimes does with some to go orders from other restaurants that might take 20-30 min to deliver. Pick up service was friendly and quick. Tuna poke - personally wasn't a huge fan of the poke. For the price, the portion seemed a bit small. Weighed it out to about 3oz. Smaller and a bit pricier than a couple other spots I know for a similar dish. Tuna tasted fresh though which was good. A sauce or shoyu I think might complement nicely. Agedashi tofu - well made, classic agedashi tofu. Definitely recommend having this order in house vs to go because of the soup container. All the bonito is at the top, due to the narrowness of the container, so my first bite was just a big clump of bonito. I should have mixed it (but I didn't want to break the tofu). Not on the restaurant but just my observation that it's a tasty dish that would be better enjoyed in house. read more
8 months ago
2 months ago
2 years ago
In contrast to the crowds lining outside popular neighboring restaurants, Umi seems like a quiet place at a quick glance but upon entering it has a lively and bustling atmosphere. The kitchen is immediately to the right of the entrance and the staff greet you warmly. Their menu isn't extensive but it feels curated to focus on quality, not quantity. I ordered the nigiri sampler which was one serving each of their special nigiri that night. I will definitely order this again, whatever they list as a special I will get next time. The quality was excellent and the fish was exceptional. I also ordered uni, which - for the price point, was a reasonably generous size and was a luscious burst of delicate brininess tinged with sweetness. For our small group of 3 people we ordered a couple of small plates to share: Katsu Asparagus Maki and Beef Enoki Maki. Don't miss out on these. The katsu was a perfect blend of texture and flavor combination with the crunchy breading outside and tender asparagus rolled inside. The beef was served in nine bite-size pieces that almost melt in your mouth. I love that they also had two of my favorite Japanese beers on their menu - Coedo and Echigo - along with a third beer option (Orion) and a couple of sakes. Although they have a covered patio, it's part of the restaurant itself and not one of the sidewalk structures. I don't think dogs are allowed here and that's okay. The tables are a decent size that we didn't feel cramped and it looks like a group of 6 or 8 could probably be accommodated in the main dining room. Good place for happy hour and casual dinner. I'll be back soon. read more
Came here on a date and it was a pleasant experience! The place was not packed at all on a Sunday night at 6 pm and we got seated right away. Good: - Super nice servers and the food comes out really fast - The prices are great here - The sushi rolls were all solid - I had the dragon roll and the portreo roll - it was pretty filling as well - Nice clean simple aesthetic Bad: - The sushi wasn't the best I've had, but for the price, it was a great steal! Overall, a great bang for buck place, I'd recommend it for a fast date activity! read more
7 months ago
2 years ago
Came during a weekday lunch for their lunch special. I got the beef teriyaki and salmon avocado roll for $17! The price is pretty good and the food comes fast so I can get back to work! The lunch special comes with miso soup, salad and rice. read more
4 months ago
Small neighborhood sushi place that hits the spot and doesn't drain the wallet. Sure the rice could use a bit of work but the fish is fresh and tasty, I can always get a table, and service is friendly. There's usually enough parking in the area so it is rarely a problem but you could also take the Muni and hike up the hill. I've tried a variety of items here including the sushi combination and sashimi combination. They also have specials of the day that change with the season. The sashimi combination set comes with rice and miso soup and is good value for the amount of fish they include! Since the sushi selection changes with the season, it's hard to say what will be available but I've found that hamachi is always a good bet. I also like their gari-saba roll (Saba with sushi ginger) which is very refreshing and has a good texture to the sushi. The rice they use is long grain rather than short grain sushi rice so it's a little underwhelming in that regard. Or they might mix in long grain as well to keep costs down. They also don't use fresh wasabi but I wouldn't expect that for the prices. There is a decent selection of sake if that's your thing, and offer them in different sizes as well so you can consume as much or as little as you like. read more
Small & quiet restaurant in Potrero Hill! I came in on a Wednesday night and got seated immediately. We ordered Golden Dragon, Crunchy Spider, and Hamachi Sashimi. I liked how all of the rolls were a set price ($17) but each piece was definitely smaller than I expected. I feel like it wasn't the worst I've ever had or the best especially since there's so many sushi restaurants in SF. For the average value and quality, I probably wouldn't come here again. read more
Nice little Japanese food joint with plenty of table in two rooms. Street parking is ok. Relatively quiet since I have dinner early at 6 pm. Hostesses are good and attentive. Food is quick and tasty and fresh. Portion is small. They have many house special. Life is a box of chocolate or in this case a chef special combination, you get whatever available at the chef's hands wish for the best. Give them a try. read more
1 year ago
The food was delicious and reasonably priced. I got the lunch sashimi. There seemed to be a lot of regulars there, which is a good sign I was mainly there to pick up my Too Good To Go order. There is one other person who gave this place 1 star for their TGTG order because it was all head and bones. And yeah. That's what it is. This is a delicacy, and it is a skill issue if you can't even make broth out of it. I got FOUR heads (generously packed with meat) and an entire backside of a fish! I'm gonna be eating grilled fish and soup for a week! I won't post a picture here cause I don't think most people looking in the reviews WANT to see it, but know that it was a generous amount and super fresh. I can see why it sells out so quickly read more
I really like this restaurant and was able to meet with my old high school friend for lunch. I had the Hamachi Kama Misoyaki lunch special. It was charred wonderfully: full of miso flavor. It came with miso soup, a small salad and rice. The service was very nice and the server was attentive. I really liked the fact that the fish and sushi served are fresh. Umi is my go to Japanese restaurant. read more
We stumbled upon this cute little Japanese restaurant and decided to give it a try since it looks pretty authentic. We were seated right away on an early Sunday evening, street parking wasn't too bad either. They have indoor seating and also a semi-outdoor seating area. They have a separate menu for the specials. The uni and ikura Don was from the specials menu. Uni was very fresh but portion was on the smaller/delicate end. We also tried crunchy spider and Potrero rolls. Rolls were decent with fresh fish. Overall, we had a great experience with the place and would come back again. read more
5 months ago
6 months ago
2 years ago
Omg, sooo yummy. Umi hit the spot. All of their dishes tasted very fresh, yummy, and well considered. We ordered the tofu and poke appetizer, spider crab, and the Potrero roll. They have an option for people to sit inside or at the semi-outdoor patio space. We sat inside, but I'm open to sitting outside when it's a bit warmer! The restaurant's ambiance during the evening was relaxed, somewhat romantic, but also could be considered platonic. Also, bonus! The service was very speedy. The staff was attentive and we got seated on a Friday night right away. I would recommend Umi if you're in the Potrero Hill area for sushi! read more
Puzzled at the other bad reviews. Maybe the chefs changed? Or maybe I lucked out on my choices? This is a hidden gem in my neighborhood. - Bincho otoro: fresh, "creamy" but holy cow it was $25. I'd probably skip it tbh. - Salmon sashimi: fresh, the cut was just the right size. Good! - Dragon roll: I'm a fan of uni so I got this roll. The tempura was well done, combined with the uni on top. It's so good. 5/5 - Golden Dragon roll: I like this too. They put a tiny slide of yuzu on top of I'm not wrong. - Hotate nigiri: very good - Hotate maki: it's spicy in the middle, gave the dish a good kick. 4.5/5 - California maki: I like how they use fresh crab meat instead of fake one here. Love it. The rolls were quite "skinny" on the rice but it's totally fine by me. I actually love it since I don't need so much carbs. Even though this isn't the most value for money sushi spot, I love the food & vibe here and will definitely come back for other dishes :) read more
10 months ago
Our absolute favorite neighborhood sushi spot and hidden local gem! Delicious, fresh sushi with many other excellent dishes. We especially love the impeccably prepared agedashi tofu and butterfish among others. The service is attentive, and the ambiance is cozy and quaint. There is both an indoor and enclosed outdoor patio area for seating that is dog friendly. read more
2 years ago
5 years ago
Ordered for takeout! The shop is small and easy to miss. It also has a tiny outdoor dining area embedded next to the restaurant. I got the nigiri deluxe, which comes with eight pieces of nigiri, six pieces of their California roll, and miso soup. The slices of fish for each piece of nigiri was comically longer than the rice underneath it, but hey I'm not complaining about getting more fish! Some of the nigiri were hit or miss as some slices of fish were cut thicker or were more fresh than others. There was one piece that didn't really do it for me, it was oddly sweet? The miso soup was powdery with a few slices of seafood and tofu, and the California rolls looked a bit sad. The rice could've been packed better for each of the sushi pieces. Overall it was good, slightly overpriced, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here again. read more
Small cute sushi restaurant in Potrero hill with fresh sushi. This would be a cute date spot. Everything was good but I wasn't a fan of one roll, I think it was the Union. The other two were good. But the stand outs were the sweet scallop and the seared red snapper nigiris! Those were soo good!!! read more
5 years ago
We went to Umi for diner. We wanted to seat outside to enjoy the warm weather, unfortunately, their patio was full. We were about to leave for another restaurant, the owner quickly offered to seat us on the sidewalk by bringing a table and chairs - we loved the idea! A friend of ours had described Umi as an expensive place with small portions. We did not think so. Items were reasonably priced and the quality was on point. It is no the best sushi I ever had but I definitely enjoyed my meal! The service was very friendly and fast. The waitress made sure we had everything we needed, promptly refilling my partner's glass of water before she could finish it. I had the Sashimi Deluxe, 18 pieces of chef's choice raw fish with a side of rice. My partner had the Potrero rolls, spicy tuna topped with salmon, and avocado served with spicy garlic chili sauce. Everything was tasty. I had a Japanese beer, Coedo "Shiro" beer, a first-time for me, it was a nice discovery. Umi is a solid Sushi place, not something to cross San Francisco for, but definitely a place to go if you are around. read more
2 years ago
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More info about Umi
1328 18th St
San Francisco, CA 94107
Potrero Hill
Directions
(415) 355-1328
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http://umisf.com
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Ask the Community - Umi
How many locals eat here?
I live in the neighborhood and eat here. I'd argue this venue sees more locals than tourists
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