good general ambiance. we arrived right at opening and there was no wait. the flavor was a little lacking in the bowl. too much plain rice in it

I absolutely love Umai and think it's so underrated here in Chicago. The sushi is always incredibly fresh, and the food consistently comes out piping hot. They also offer delicious skewers alongside a great mix of traditional and modern Japanese dishes. The staff is super friendly, too. Tip: be sure to make a reservation on weekends, as it can get busy!

We came late on a cold weekday and the food hit the spot! It was about 9p and there was still plenty of people. We called ahead just in case but they said reservations are only accepted for parties of 6 or more. We still were seated quickly. We got some ika karaage and white truffle roll to start and also ordered katsu kare and tsukemen both with extra egg. Food came quick! Both the noodles and katsu were "dry" but that was what the sauce is for! The Yelp page said no Apple Pay but they were able to accept at the front.

The special rolls can be overwhelming with their unique ingredients so I tend to stray away. Maybe it's because I'm not too adventurous with my sushi special rolls. Their regular/typical sushi rolls are good. Noodle dishes are always a hit. One of my favorite tonkotsu ramen in the city. My friends ordered the karage and it was a generous amount. Umai is always busy. Wait time can vary but I've never waited more than 20 minutes for a table.

I've been going to Umai for several years now, and I think they consistently deliver tasty food. Usually you have to wait a bit to get a table during normal eating hours, but it is worth the wait. This time around we ordered the gyoza, goma-ae, and the beef tataki. All three are awesome, but the gyoza here has to be the best in all of Chicago. And the beef tataki is a gem. For main entrees, we ordered the shrimp tempura udon, miso ramen, katsu don, and the katsu kare. We all enjoyed these dishes. I highly recommend bringing your family and friends to this restaurant.

Favorite neighborhood sushi spot. The hot food portions are generous. The sushi folks are well executed. The fish is always fresh. It can be a wait at peak times. It's a small spot but if you time it right, it's not too bad of a wait. Definitely check out if you're in area and hankering for Japanese food.

This place has a lot of windows and is in a great area. Service was okay but things came out quite slow and I filled up fast waiting. Rolls were tasty but not a lot of entrees for vegetarians or pescatarians which was a bit of a bummer.

Ordered from Umai twice and had a satisfying experience. The fish are fresh and portion is great for the paid price. Smoked Sake: the fish is fresh, but not the best marinated piece I had. Not recommended. Tako: Octopus is fresh and love the combination with seaweed and cucumbers. It is a very refreshing starter. Even though it comes with rice vinegar, it is not sour at all. Kampyo: Gourd is greatly marinated and seasoned, not salty. However, sometimes the rice to veggies portion could be improved on. Yamago Gobo: I didn't really enjoy this roll as much as I have expected. The burdock is super crunchy and kind of salty. I definitely enjoyed Kampyo over this roll. Sushi Appetizer: I don't recommend ordering this because the selected fished are really basic, don't really expect you will get a higher quality fish. If you want to try a specific sashimi/sushi then I suggest you to just go ahead and order it. Naked: Very interesting sushi. As described, there's no rice. The cucumbers makes this a very interesting and refreshing roll. This is a very light dish, worth a try. Hamachi Kama: Greatly grilled, the lemon juice adds a hint of sourness. However, the size of the yellowtail collar varies, depending on your luck for that day. I wish the size could be consistent. Nama Sake Don: Love this don! The sides and shiitake greatly pair with the rice and salmon, making this dish not plain at all! The portion is worth the price. Definitely recommend on ordering this! FYI, it comes with miso soup. Overall, this is a great place for Japanese food. It would be great if they can keep the portion consistent. Would love to visit the place one day to get a feel of the atmosphere and service.