Umi Sake House

Sushi should not taste like smelly fish. When I asked the waitress to smell it, she commented that it must be good or they would not serve it.
We left. Will never go back, Just don't understand this. Found a better place in the neighborhood called Gamba's Japanese and French restaurant. Plus much more affordable.

Cons: Service, smell,

Posted 11/03/09

Our party walked in off the street at 6:40pm on Friday night 4/11. We had a party of 6 with no reservations and were told it would be a 30 minute wait. We headed for the bar where we got a round of drinks and proceeded to wait for a table to open. Much to our surprise, at least half the tables were empty. There was one set up for 10, but the rest were tables of 2 or 4. We figured they would be filled soon so we just decided to wait our turn.

After about 45 minutes we noticed that those tables never were filled. At 7:45 (over an hour) I decided to go ask the hostess when we could expect to be seated. She was apologetic and explained that there were reservations for those table and that we'd just have to wait, but it should be soon. I explained that it sure looked strange that half the restuarant was empty and had been since we came in over an hour ago. But I went away to wait to be seated.

By 8pm we were still not seated and those empty tables were still not filled. I found a woman who I approached and asked to speak with the manager. She said she was the manager and I explained that we had been there now over an hour and 15 minutes and not only had not been seated but that all those tables were empty. She said those tables have reservations and we'd just have to wait. She was very short with no suggestion of any empathy or understanding.

About 10 minutes later, a man came up and said he had heard I was upset and that he was the manager. I once again explained the situation and that the tables still were empty (now about 8:15). He also said we'd just have to wait but he'd see what he could do. He was also very short and didn't seem to have any ability to understand our predicament. I was there with my mother-in-law and had now been standing around for 90 minutes.

As the manager attempted to see if he could find us a table, I asked my son (who standing about 6 feet away) to call Wasabi Bistro to see if we could get in there because I had had enough. The waitress walking by said we were disturbing the customers and we needed to talk more quietly. She was exceptionally rude and condescending. This when we were in the walled-off bar and the only tables close were still empty!

After that our party left never once having the management made any effort to try to make things right. We're not going back, which is too bad since the food looked pretty good (as it went by as we watched longingly).

Pros: None

Cons: Extremely rude with poor service, particularly from Managers

Posted 04/11/09

Our group ate at Umi on April 3rd. We had made a reservation for 4 people, but ended up having 6 people. The hostess seated us at a four-top table with 2 two-top tables on either side of us.

At the time we were seated one of the two-top tables was empty. We asked the hostess if we could pull the table together with ours to accommodate all 6 of us. She said no because the tables were reserved. Long story short, the two-top table remained empty the entire time we dined.

We were uncomfortable and cramped during dinner. This was very disappointing. I looked around the dining room and there were at least 6 vacant tables the entire time we were there (for over 2 hours).

The food was great, as usual, but our service was extremely rushed. The prompt service and attention to detail that we have experienced every other time in the past was not the case this time.

We spent nearly $300 at Umi that night. We will definitely take our business elsewhere next time we go out for sushi.

Pros: Food and Sake

Cons: Slow Service, Rude Hostess

Posted 04/09/09

My husband and I went to Umi on 3/8/2009. Before this experience, Umi was our favorite Japanese restaurants in Seattle. We have frequently taken our local friends, out of town visitors and business acquaintances there. The food is excellent though the mishaps that Sunday proved to be enough for us to take our friends (and expense accounts) elsewhere.

My husband ordered his usual spicy scallop roll and a 'Green Decadence' roll and I requested the nabeyaki udon. We also asked for a geoduck appetizer. In a series of major FUs, the tea was lukewarm so we send it back. The waitress apologized and said that they just refilled the brewing machine. In my head I was wondering why she would send out tea that she knew was tepid. But whatev, I had a ginger sake martini in my hand....

The geoduck was tasty and we were happy. A roll came out and we were ignorantly munching along. Then my nabeyaki udon came out. As I was stirring the bowl, I realized that there was no udon in it! That's the equivalent of leaving the meat out of a hamburger! So I send it back.

Then two rolls came out. But wait! We already had a roll. The waitress told us that they first roll was a mistake but it was ok, we didn't have to pay for it. And what was in the first roll? CRAB! My husband doesn't eat crab. He's allergic! I tried to explain the gravity of the situation to the waitress and she totally didn't get it. I gave up and ordered a second drink. To add insult to injury, the second Ginger Saketini was tooth decayingly sweet!

The following day, my husband was violently ill. We left a message on their answering machine the next day to speak with a manager. We really wanted to salvage our relationship wtih our fav Japanese place. Just a simple apology would have sufficed but we have not heard from them.

Pros: great rolls

Cons: horrible, horrible service

Posted 03/15/09

Service is great if you are lucky

Posted 03/08/09

Service is great if you are lucky

Posted 03/08/09

this is my favorite sushi place in Seattle. they have incredible menu choices, and amazing presentation. they are also starting to do some sake tastings (went to one this past week) that was FANTASTIC!

Pros: best sushi in Seattle

Cons: make a reservation on the weekend! but its worth it

Posted 03/04/09

UMI is amazing. Grat ambiance, AMAZING SUSHI, and really great price. i've been to almost every major sushi city in the world, and Seattle never stops amazing me. Incredible.
If you're going on a Friday night chances are you might have a little of a wait, so call and reserve before hand. In my book , TOP SUSHI.

Also, the HH is great! :P

Pros: Amazing sushi, great price, outstanding personnel.

Cons: Very popular, so its hard to get a table last minute

Posted 01/22/09

My boyfriend & I celebrated our 21st birthday here with a bunch of our friends and it turned out so well. They were kind enough to call me at most twice to confirm reservations and explain the policies to me. The hostess was so kind to our group of friends. She was quite attentive and the waiters always made sure our glasses were full. The food was great and it was served quickly. I hardly found anyone waiting for their meals. I would definitely return here for large group dinners or just to come have a drink with the girls during happy hour.

Pros: Great atmosphere, attentive service, delicious food

Posted 12/29/08

I went to Umi having gone to everything from Nishino to the trendy and (in my food-first opinion) overrated Blue C Sushi... it was just an entirely different world from Nishino, and it stood out by a million stars against Blue C in every regard except noise, which both have a serious excess of...

That said, the portions were big on things that should've been small -- in other words, why no single pieces for the things you can't beginnnn to eat much of? (like monkfish liver, which let me tell you, it takes a few people to handle a serving of, since it's just too heavy/ rich /thick/ someotheretherealword to eat as a main food... on the other hand, the rolls were good... but overpriced. Some sushi was really good... others (like sea urchin) were disappointing. Edamame also disappointed... and that is something to really have perfect when your specialty is sushi!

This sounds "harsh" but it's only getting 3 (not 4) stars because it costs way more for what you get than its competitor down the road... Ototo... which has serious Mary Poppins syndrome going on--practically perfect in every way. Frankly, I won't return to Umi when Ototo is right down the road and is flat out amazing if not entirely sublime.

Pros: good enough food for most, non-picky sushi eaters will think it's great

Cons: price point, weird serving sizes, I can feed 4 at Ototo for what feeds 2 here...

Posted 11/02/08

My first experience at Umi Sake house was amazing. Of course the sushi and sake were delicious, but the wonderful service is a reason to come back. There are a lot of good sushi restaurants in Seattle, but our server was so nice and personable, she made the difference for us to want to return. Emily was able to answer all of our questions about sushi and sake since the menu is large and overwhelming. It was a pleasure to be served by her.

Posted 10/31/08

The best sushi place in town by far! Very cozy interior , good crowd, nice staff, outstanding food!!!

Posted 09/25/08

Excellent sushi, unique presentation.
Good service.
A little loud, but great for a group of friends who want to be out on the town.
We'll definitely go back.

Posted 09/19/08

I visited Umi Sake house few weeks ago and since then I have been wanting to visit it ever night. The sushi here is the best in Seattle, or probably the best in US. Crunchy lizard, Flaming Tuna and the Lobster Tempura is to die for. They also have great selection of sake cocktails along with traditional cocktails.
Its a big place and the ambience is amazing.....definitely definitely recommended !!!!

Pros: the best sushi in the city, great ambience

Cons: difficulty finding parking on wekeends

Posted 07/27/08

My first real experience with sushi was at Umi Sake House and has since never been surpassed. The fish was very fresh and the rolls were amazing. I recommend the California Crunch. This place is very busy so I recommend reservations. It's worth the wait though because the food is incredible!

Pros: Freshest sushi in town

Cons: Crowded and busy

Posted 07/02/08

I have only been to Umi once, that was enough for me. The food wasn't too bad but for what you get it is pretty over priced. The service was not that great but the ambiance is wonderful. It has such a chic modern feel. The music was entirely too loud though. I don't mind loud music, just not while I eat or am trying to have a conversation with the person in front of me. Overall though I would say it is better then some of the other sushi places in seattle, it just would not be my first pick.

Pros: Great decoration and style

Cons: over priced with too loud of music.

Posted 06/05/08

I LOVE UMI!!!... The flavors are so unique and the fish is fresh. Try the camamari salade... It'll knock your socks off!!!...The cocktails are divine.. What more can you ask for!!!

Pros: Cute staff

Posted 05/12/08

Umi is simply the best Sushi in Seattle!!! I have been eating Sushi for 23 years and I think Umi is my favorite place in Seattle by far. I've tried all the other well known places but nothing has even come close to the flavors and the atomphere you get at Umi. The menu is great and the service is even better.. There is one waitress there who always remebers us and is happy to see us, even if we don't sit in her section... Now thats a friendly!!!... Try the cucumber saki martini and the calimary salade.

Pros: Freshness

Posted 04/22/08

This was the first time I'd been to Umi for happy hour. Earlier in the year we had dinner there with another couple and had a great time. Service and food were great. We tend to follow Billy wherever he goes. He wasn't there today, and I don't know if that indicates anything. But the waitress my friend & I had was completely witchy in that "I can't spare you the time of day" sort of way. Lindsey, dear, I'm in the service industry too, and I know about good customer service. We were unable to catch her when we were ready to order (blew right by us 2x and must not have heard the "excuse me, miss?"). We snagged the GM who sent her over. She didn't even wait to hear the entire menu item when we wanted to add to our order (spicy tuna is not spicy ginger chicken no matter how you cook it), and rushed us at happy hour last call. Can you at least pretend to give us a moment before you snap up all the menus? Benefit of the doubt, maybe she had a bad day. But check that at the door. Happy hour food is a great deal. Next time i can hope for a different server.

Pros: happy hour , food

Cons: waitress

Posted 04/07/08

We had a bad experience recently DESPITE having reservations at Umi Sake House. Four of us were to shown not to a table, but two tiny loveseats facing a coffee table. This was definitely not what we wanted. When we asked for a regular table, the hostess refused with snooty "you should've asked for a regular table." So rude! Well, how is one to know! One would assume the tables are regular! As expected, the low coffee table was not conducive to a lot of roll eating, we got bits of sushi and sauce all over ourselves. Worse yet, when the decibel level rose later in the evening, we had to hunch WAY over just to hear our table mates across the coffee table!

Pros: lots of variety in sushi rolls, including some "nouveau" rolls

Cons: bad hostess, be aware of very low coffee tables to eat off of

Posted 03/31/08

Not only is Umi overrated, the sushi is bordering on gross. The fish is fresh and high quality - don't get me wrong - but all of the rolls are covered with spicy mayo and often deep fried. Forget about getting a nice clean roll with the taste of the sea. Walking out of this place, your mouth will burn like spicy mayo...you will barely even taste the fish. I honestly don't know what the owner was thinking when he or she developed this menu. I've noticed this place is getting emptier and emptier as months pass. I hope management reads this and takes the opportunity to fix a place with a lot of potential. The sushi at Wasabi, Ohanas, Red Fin, Ototo, i love sushi, Shiro's, and even Rice n' Roll is better AND cheaper!! Unless you have a craving for mayo and deep fry (then go for fish n' chips), go to one of the aforementioned places, all of which are a better experience in my humble opinion.

Pros: Sake

Cons: Everything else - spicy, fatty sushi

Posted 03/11/08

I went with a lot of friends(10+) for dinner on Saturday, and we weren't happy with our experience. Our waitress was not friendly,even though she should've known she would get big tip from our table. She rushed us to order, then we waited long until the sushi came. Umi Sake also has a weird policy for groups; 3 of our friends didnt come, but we had to keep ordering food until we covered the amount that our 3 friends would spend if they come...so our waitress kept asking (almost forcing) us to order more and more, even though we were already full. I would rather go to WASABI BISTRO next time, their sushi and service is so much better than this place

Posted 01/05/08

Umi Sake House is pretty nice, and most of the food we had was pretty good, but one particular event that took place means I will not be returning. One of the diners in our party ordered a particular sushi roll. The roll took a long time to arrive (everyone else was half-way through their meal). Several bites in, the diner issued yelp and pulled out a piece of glass from her mouth! That's right, there was glass in her sushi. Luckily she was not injured, but this is beyond unacceptable. We notified the waiter, and the manager came over and gave us a half-hearted appology and mumbled something about "free dessert".

Needless to say, this particular diner did not order dessert. A bad dining situation was made worse by the nonchalant way the staff handled it. I cannot reccomend Umi Sake House as I am not sure I can trust their food or their staff.

Posted 12/02/07

This place has a nice ambience. We did not experience what the other reviewers were raving about when it comes to quality seafood. In fact all 3 of us were truly dissapointed. We like the miso soup but the sashimi were not all that fresh and the cod was burnt. It didn't help that we were waited upon by a waitress with an attitude. I may go back again but perhaps only for happy hour not dinner.

Pros: perhaps happy hour

Cons: bad service and mediocre food

Posted 11/25/07

I've been to Seattle many times over the past 8 years and I've been on the lookout for a great sushi restaurant for the past five. Now you'd think that would be a dime a dozen in Seattle (right on the coast, super fresh fish, long history of Japanese population), but in my book I'd not yet found a place that matched up. Yes, I'm from Minneapolis and you may think that means, "ew, sushi in the midwest?!" but then you obviously haven't tried it. Our sushi chefs do amazing things with flown-in fresh fish; far more amazing than I'd experienced here in Seattle ... until Umi.

The fish was, of course, divine. Melt in your mouth divine. Fresh to the point of being edible by those who would say "I don't eat fish" while scrunching up their nose. But what Umi does is match up to the artistry of Minneapolis' modern sushi. Their roll list was extensive. So much so that I'll probably visit it multiple times every time I'm in town until I make my way through it. In addition to the set menu (and yes, they have several noodle dishes for the non-sushi eaters), they had a nightly menu of about a dozen more rolls and a handful of other special items.

Of the 8 rolls we got, only one was kind of a clunker, and even that was only so because it was so daring and little overboard. The portions were really generous for the price and we were all able to try each other's selections, while each still having a few of our own to savor at the end. The sake menu was also great and the service was fine (I say fine because we were just so damn happy with the food that it wouldn't have really mattered, but if it had been bad, I'd be talking about it).

Highly, highly recommended for those looking for a creative menu with artful presentation and spectacular flavor and texture combinations.

Pros: creativity and flavor, value for price, exceptional fish

Cons: tear apart chopsticks (picky, I know)

Posted 10/24/07

A friend of mine took me to Umi for the first time on a late Thursday night about a month ago. He said; "it was the best he had ever had". I said; "I'll be the judge of that I've been eating sushi long before it was trendy" (18yrs). We were seated promptly and began browsing the menu and I was shocked at the selection. I had a hard time making up my mind. On top of that the prices were very good. My friend recommend the sushi sampler as a must have! We ordered one sushi sampler each (he said it was too good to share) and we also ordered some sushi rolls (very creative and tasty rolls). It was FABULOUS!!! I liked the place so much that I've been recommending it to all of my friends and requesting that we go there at every opportunity (birthdays, happy hour, and drinks). It has a great atmosphere, great prices, great selection and the BEST DARN Sashimi I've ever had! Now that's saying something considering the experience I have. Plus, it?s in the heart of Belltown! You can't beat that!!!

Pros: sashimi, sushi, atmosphere, price, location,service

Cons: none

Posted 09/11/07

I consider myself a sushi connoisseur and enjoys trying out new sush restaurants. I did not expect Umi Sake House to taste like sushi made in Japan or even Vancouver B.C. However, I thought it would be similar to I Love Sushi or Shiro's. I was greatly disappointed with their service and freshness of their sushi. Stomach ached for two days after eating at this place. They try to reinvent classic sushi dishes but failed miserably. Being creative is good but changing for the sake of changing, you get people sick.

Called to make reservation but was told that I need to provide my credit card # so if we were late or decide to cancel, they would charge $100.00 onto my credit card. This is not something an upscale and service oriented restaurant would NOT do. Got there on time but had to wait 30 minutes for our table (you would think with a credit card hold, you get your table quicker). Service was horrible, you have to flag the waitresses down to get their attention. Placed our order but waitress forgot a few items and we had to remind her a few time. No apology from the waitress for forgetting our order since gratuities were added.

There are many good sushi restaurants in Seattle, don't waste your money here. Try Wasabi Bistro, Shiro's, or even sushiland.

Posted 08/14/07

I totally agreed why this restaurant got 5 star rating. I felt like I was eating fresh seafood back in Hokkaido, Japan. My husband and I went there both regular price hour and happy hour. Happy hour price was unbeatable and quality (and quantity) of sushi was same as regular price hour. Only thing I could ask more for would be sushi rice quality but I may be asking too much :) We tried same sake and they were excellent as well.

Pros: fresh seafood, variety of sake

Posted 07/26/07

Gone is Bada Lounge, but Umi is much better. The decor is amazing, front porch, backyard, traditional seating...etc...The specialty drinks are great, Leche Lemonade is my favorite. The spicy cassidy roll is excellent, all the pan asian dishes are well thought out. The plum sorbet is to die for when dessert comes, and the happy hour is rediculous, the menu is long and super cheap. I prefer the late night happy hour. I read reviews about the wait staff being an issue and I can see where that comes from but that will be found with any restaurant, humans aren't prefect especially on a busy Friday night. I recommend going to Umi on a off day and sitting in the backyard. A true Seattle gem In my opinion.

Pros: Happy Hour, deep menu, plum sorbet

Cons: Very busy on Friday/Saturday

Posted 06/24/07

I travel to NY, Chicago, Cali, Florida, TX, etc, etc and have been to plenty of GREAT sushi places, but this one is my favorite. The head chef is super nice and very helpful in making suggestions. The lobster soup is amazing, the 007 roll is also amazing, and all the sushi is extremely fresh. It was so good that I ate there twice on my last trip to seattle. I cant say I have tried other places in Seattle, but it would hard to beat this place in terms of quality and value.

Pros: Food, Head Chef, Fresh, creative

Cons: not open for lunch, wait staff is not attentive, sit at the shushi bar

Posted 06/11/07

The makimonos are very delicious, specially bad boy roll and the ultimate dragon! However, the badboy roll is similar with Las Vegas roll at Wasabi Bistro. The calamari salad is to die for! Don't forget to go @ their happy hour and get a very very good deal. The happy hour is everyday, yes it's everyday! from 4-6pm. I heard they're also having a happy hour at night, but no minors accepted. Open until 2am in the weekend I guess. So, U have to try this one!!

Posted 06/02/07

Not the highest quality sushi but it's just fine if you pop in for Happy Hour and want to grab a bite. The happy hour prices are very reasonable and the selection of sake is quite large. The service staff was fairly knowledgeable about the sake list and made some good recommendations.

Pros: Happy Hour, Sake List

Posted 05/31/07

I have been to Umi's several times recently and each time I am more amazed with my experience! They have the best deal for happy hour and the sushi is delicious. The atmosphere is chic, modern and relaxing. I would definitely recommend going for fresh seafood/sushi, for anything from a romantic date to a business meeting. I have been craving Umi's sushi ever since I went and now want to go there every time I eat out!

Pros: Amazing happy hour, fresh sushi, great atmosphere

Cons: slightly slow service

Posted 05/27/07

It's a very cool atmosphere. If you're looking for good food and chic atomosphere on a budget, this is the place. The food was good and pretty inexpensive for sushi. The happy hour does have good prices on the rolls, but the happy hour sashimi was pretty expensive for what you get. The specialty rolls are good and quite big. I would go again.

Posted 05/10/07

I have to say that I've eaten at every single sushi joint in the puget sound area. Yes, there are good ones and bad ones. There are few great ones and I believe Umi Sake House is one of those. The food is outstanding and I am always impressed. The chef at Umi is very knowledgeable about the fish that he is serving. I am constantly learning more about the sushi world. I usually eat at Umi on thursday night because the chef has a special delivery of unique and rare fish delivered to him from Tsukiji, the largest fish market in Japan. I highly recommend this restaurant to any one who enjoys extravagant and well prepared food. The sushi from Umi Sake House does not compare with anyone else in the city!!!

Pros: Exotic and fresh fish

Cons: None

Posted 05/06/07

Overall, Alright. I have gone there several times, but will continue to do so. Service is better when its busy, kind of odd. WHen its slow, the service is just alright, but when its busy its not bad.
The bathrooms are awesome
You can still see the BADA lounge, but i'm not complaining about the interior design. the design is great!
Wish they can come up with newer rolls. There are similar rolls at wasabi bistro~

Cons: PARKING

Posted 05/04/07

This place is super fun.My girlfriends and I eat out 300+ days a year.For nearly a year we've been coming here once a week.We have always had a good time sometimes way too much fun sitting at the sushi bar. We used to go to other places in belltown but the other sushi bars don't have as many fish.We tried flying fish and I'm not talking about the roe but the actual fish which was delicious.I think Umi is very generous with their portions and sushi chefs are fun.Especially,when they know you,they'll hook it up!

Pros: fun chefs,food,variety of sushi and sake

Cons: parking

Posted 04/30/07

I used to come in when this spot was the old Bada lounge and I have to say that it is absolutely beautiful now! over 45 different kinds of sake?!?! Who knew? The raw bar is awesome and it's just an all around amazing place. Good for groups too!

Pros: Amazing Happy Hour

Cons: Parking

Posted 03/25/07

Umi is our absolute favorite for sushi and happy hour! the food is great and the happy hour price is so incredibly wonderful. very cheap. we always get prompt seating and the atmosphere is super cute. the only down fall is that the lazy service. the waitress as well as the bartender are incredibly slow and unattentive. its amazing how long my water or drink glass stays empty till one of them even notices. and if we need anything, we always have to initiate by asking for ourselves instead of them coming to see and check on us. if the service wasnt soo slow and unattentive, Umi's would rate a 10.

Pros: happy hour, great food, great price

Cons: parking, service

Posted 03/24/07

Takes my sushi experience to a new level. First time i tried Sashimi and i loved it. I have gone back quite a few times just to try a new roll. Presentation is wonderful! Try the happy hour, its one of the longest i have seen. Service is great. Bartender was a little nicer than waitstaff. If you can, get an appetizer and a dessert. You won't be dissapointed! Amazing ice cream!

Pros: Great Sushi

Cons: Parking

Posted 03/16/07

I've been a local sushi fanatic for almost 20 years now. I'm always looking for the next hidden gem I have yet to discover. Umi Sake House is my latest find. Typically I would keep this information to myself and a few close friends but I want to make sure this place stays in business. There are different 'levels' of sushi restaurants depending on what you are in the mood for from conveyor belt all the way to super gourmet with kiss your feet service. Umi has that rare combination of excellent quality sushi, a diverse imaginative menu, excellent atmosphere and surroundings, decent service and awesome prices (if you go for Happy Hour). Service typically can be the most erratic quality of any restaurant and your perspective really depends on your expectations. As long as they were back to our table within a minute or two of when my beer or sake ran dry, then that was all the service we needed. And that is what we got, decent but not off the charts - actually just right, gave us our privacy without hovering over us to much. The sushi quality is as good as it gets anywhere. If you go during Happy Hour you will be astounded how much you get for your money. We thought they were going to be these tiny little Happy Hour appetizer size rolls and sashimi plates like other restaurants. They weren't. The rolls and pieces of nigiri and sashimi plates were as big as I've ever seen in any sushi restaurant. We couldn't finish it all! I will definitely be back to this place to feed my sushi addiction without breaking the bank. The sushi was so good, I would even go back during regular hours. Thumbs up!

Pros: Possibly the Best combination of quality, value, and atmosphere in Seattle

Cons: Non-Happy Hour could be pricey. Service may not meet expectations of the picky.

Posted 02/28/07

This has got to be my absolute favorite place to have happy hour. Not only does it have a great happy hour menu but it also has unique sushi for an average of 4 dollars a roll, not just your average california roll. However, since this is my favorite place to go for happy hour I only thought it would be as good during regular hours. A problem I ran into was making reservations for my birthday. I was planning on having a group of 15-20 people and when I called in for the reservation not only did I have to give them a credit card number to hold the reservation but with such a big group of people each person had to spend at least 20 dollars to make up for the minimum amount total, the group had to spend. If we did not meet this minimum amount the remainder of what we were to spend would be charged on MY credit card. This totally turned me off in having dinner here so I cancelled my reservations. However, this totally did not turn me off from their happy hour, my favorite items on their list was the california cruch roll and the short ribs along with their vanilla tempura ice cream. Dinner may not have worked out for me and my group of 20 friends but happy hour will always be worth it!

Pros: Happy Hour

Cons: Charging $20+ per person for groups bigger than 15

Posted 02/19/07

I had a party of eight going in the restaurant. The place was quite empty, with probably only 30% of the tables seated. We asked the waitress to take picture of us and she said she was too busy and will be back in a second. We waited and waited then finally we asked the water boys to take our pictures instead. Two of us got up to go to the restroom and by the breeze way, we saw our waitress leaning on the wall of the breeze way, chatting up with another waitress that was getting off work. I thought to myself, couldn't believe I defended her at the table when my friends complained that it was rude of her to say she was too busy to take one picture because I said, maybe she's the only wait staff here tonight.

Then it comes the time for us to pay, and she had trouble spliting up the amount although we had told her from the moment we sat down that we need to split the check. She couldn't explained why she couldn't split the check and just said, the system is just not set up that way (and maybe there is not a single calculator in the restaurant??), then she added that most restaurants work this way so we will have to do the math ourselves (as if we had never been to other restaurants?). After a 20 mins wait on the bill finally coming back to us, she threw the cards and receipts on the table and stromed off without saying a word.

Well, I don't know how other restaurants work but I definitely had a LOT better experiences with the service aspect in other places. Umi had good drink, food, atmosphere (even thought the red plastic chairs are a bit cheap looking and uncomfortable), but the BAD service seems to overshadow the entire experience for us. I have to say that the water boys are very attentative and nice. Maybe the water boys should switch jobs with the waitresses.

Pros: food, drinks, ambience

Cons: really, really bad service

Posted 01/26/07

I was referred to Umi Sake House by a friend who told me that there's an awesome Japanese restaurant with the largest sake list. My friend was right about the sake but I wasn't particularly impressed with their food. Nothing really stood out in terms of taste and the presentation was often sloppy.
What was worse was their service or should I say their impoliteness. Sure it was 20 minutes before the store closed, but the waitress shoved the check at us then began to put up all the chairs on the tables around us even though we were still eating and drinking.
I probably won't go back unless someone begs me or gives me a good reason to do so.

Pros: Lots of sake

Cons: Impolite service

Posted 01/22/07

I have been to Umi almost every weekend since they opened in June. Their atmosphere is beautiful, fun and the decoration is even better. Where can you go and get the freshest sashimi set for $8 during happy hour? Billy and the whole sushi bar crew are the best! They know what you want and remember what you ordered from them, the last time you visited Umi. That's what I call SERVICE. When there is no room at the happy hour area in the front porch, I usually end up at the bar and get happy hour til' 8pm! Wil and James are wonderful bartenders and very attentive to your needs! Try their spicy seabass with a bottle of Sato No Homare- "Pride of the village" Junmai Ginjo. This is the best sake!!! Their food is absolutely amazing and so is their service. DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED!!!!!

Pros: Second happy hour (Sundays through Thursdays 11pm-1am), beautiful atrium area, service, ambience

Cons: None

Posted 11/30/06

The happy hour is the best deal in town, both early and late, but the real treat here is the overall fish quality. Truly, if you're going to judge a sushi restaurant, it only makes sense to talk about the fish! Try to find bluefin toro or uni anywhere else in the city that tastes better; I couldn't. For people that aren't accustomed to the more unusual sushi delicacies, the selection of wild rolls and 'izakaya-style' appetizers are excellent as well.

As far as the sake goes, the menu reads like a small novel, and describes the bottles well enough that even a total novice can choose something with confidence. Something like 55+ sakes at all different price ranges. I hope to try most of them as time goes by. ( Try the Okunomatsu ginjo or Kanbara as an introduction to great chilled sake!)

The service is friendly and well-informed, and the decor is comfortable (live trees inside!) although a bit unfinished looking in places.

Overall great quality at a reasonable price! I'll be back.

Pros: great food, good ambience, friendly service

Cons: ummm

Posted 11/29/06