The Good: The food is delicious! I ordered the Yellow Curry Lunch Special and every part of it was amazing. I hate tofu but somehow, even though I asked for no tofu and was given it, it actually didn't taste awful, which is my usual experience. The spring roll was perfectly crisp, and fresh tasting. Also, the delivery person was prompt and very courteous. I really enjoyed this experience. The Bad: I asked for no tofu and received some. Admittedly, my order is often difficult for restaurants to process because I do not want meat or tofu and this seems to confuse even the best places.
(4)
Norma R.
Went there today for lunch. If I hadn't purchased the groupon deal, probably wouldn't have went. Food is overall okay. Not the best or worst sushi I've had. Their Miso soup is great, along with their Lemon Grass soup, best I've tasted. Atmosphere is great; very calm, romantic, dim lighting, in a lower-level setting. I love the exposed brick. Pleasant, classy. Prices are great and reasonable. Service: okay, that waitress didn't talk much, but much more pleasant than my previous visit at the restaurant. My male waiter kept disappearing, and I didn't see him for a long time. Didn't refill our water, had to keep an eye our for him for refills. Both times I went in there, we were only 1 of 2 tables occupied, so the place was pretty empty during mid-week lunch time.
(3)
Tuff Cook E.
I can't help but use a "for the price" as a big part of my rating scale. I had a groupon for this, so "for the price" it was very good, for regular price - it was meh. This place serves Thai, Chinese & Japanese - and mixed food ethnicities is usually a bad sign, but we had sushi and Thai and both were good. The restaurant was not crowded at all, but service took forever - 10 mins to take our order at least. He came once during our meal to refill waters but never asked the obligatory 'is everything ok?' The Thai 'drunken noodle' was a decent sized portion, not amazing, but pretty good. However, it did come about 10 mins before my 2 friends got their sushi - so I was half done when there's came. They liked their rolls- one fried shrimp one, another w/mango. They were ok size, fresh, but not amazing & fell apart all over the place. They were still hungry & wanted to order another, but we knew it would be 15 mins at least - so we left a little hungry. Weird atmosphere too - underground, exposed brick, sparse - no art or anything. Whatever, it's pretty cheap, pretty decent - I don't live near there so I probably won't go back - but if it was next door & I had a coupon I would. Not a glowing review...
(3)
Jordan S.
I really liked this place. I came in by myself with a $40 Groupon and had a good 5 sushi rolls. I cannot remember most of them but I remember liking everything. I really liked the environment too. It was very cozy. The service was really bad though. I was there by myself on an empty night and they made me feel doubly lonely. After bringing my food, I was never visited once after. I had to find the waiter just to get the check. I probably would've been more annoyed, but I did not have anyone to commiserate with so my frustration subsided with no one to egg it on O:). I will say I remember the Crunchy Spicy Tuna Sandwich was pretty amazing. I definitely been craving it. I love the idea of coming back here and being able to order my favorites from either Thai, Japanese, or Chinese, especially if I come back with a mixed crowd. Worth a try at least.
(3)
Amy A.
Stumbled upon this place while doing touristy things with my bff and friend who was from out of town. We walked down a set of stairs and opened the door to a dark, but lovely dining room. The only issue really was the holes in the ceiling. Perhaps they were in the middle of a construction project, but I was half expecting to see something crawl out. We were greeted immediately and given water. Thank god, it was a million degrees out. I drank until I gave myself brain freeze and took a look at the menu. This is an Asian place with Chinese, Japanese, and Thai selections. They have a very nice lunch special and because of the temps outside, I quickly decided on sushi. I ordered the crunchy spicy tuna and unagi roll. It came with a salad, which I didn't really enjoy, but I'm not a huge fan of that ginger dressing to begin with. My sushi was tasty and filling and accompanied my $2 draft beer. This place was a pleasant surprise and the price was right too, $9.95 for the lunch special. Nothing knocked my socks off, but I would certainly go again if I was in the neighborhood.
(3)
Kristin W.
Umai Desu (aka Umai Royal) is not much to look at from the outside. The idea of going into a basement Asian sports bar for sushi is really not appealing. But once we were in the restaurant with a few unclosed holes in the low ceiling, our expectations around the sushi were exceeded - the portions were good-sized and fresh. However, service was unreliable as our waitress forgot to bring the salad that came with my entree and food was delivered plate by plate...so it was a span of 20 minutes over which the 5 of us got our food. Good thing it's not like the sushi was getting cold... My recommendation would be to try the sushi here for take out or delivery, but maybe hold off on an in-restaurant dinner until they get a few details ironed out.
(3)
Anna L.
I would give this place zero stars if I could. I had all kinds of cheap sushi - supermarket sushi, gas station sushi - but this is by far the absolute worst I've ever eaten. Everything is bland, the rolls are falling apart, even tea smelled suspiciously. Staff was more interested in watching TV than serving us. Don't buy the Groupon deal and avoid this place for your own sake!
(1)
Michael G.
So I walked a mile for lunch to actually go to Fat Salmon but by the time I got there they stopped seating. I had not much time to search out other choices but I thought I heard a lot of great things about Umai and I stopped in. This is NOT the place that I heard raves about; it just has a similar name. This downstairs restaurant features Chinese, Thai, and Japanese foods. Since I was here for lunch, they had daily specials for each. Although I really wanted sushi, the choices were just not appealing to me. I instead went with the $7.95 Chinese dish of chicken, pork, and duck with vegetables. It came with a spring roll, and wonton soup. I have to say that everything was not that bad but it also wasn't the greatest. It was on par with better Chinese take-out. The sauce with the main dish was too oily and thick. There was not much flavor to everything on the main dish. The spring roll was tasty, and the wonton soup was fine. Service was attentive and filled my water quickly when asked. I think you can do better in the area; Chinatown is just around the block! For the substitute I had to make from Fat Salmon, I was disappointed. The best part for me was the 2 miles of exercise walking in the nice weather! $11 including tip for lunch for one.
(3)
Kathleen M.
I ordered off the Thai menu, the Thai Basil with beef and I ordered it extra spicy. First, the food was good. And for take out, NOT GREASY which I liked a lot! They were super fast (actually an hour early bc I ordered it for 7pm on Eat24 but it got there at 6pm). So I want to ding them for 'too early' but I can't bc they were fast, piping hot food, and I actually had to wait for it to cool down. I can't fault them for being early. Second, this may be my new Chinese take out spot (not Thai) bc they gave you the option to adjust this spice level, so I chose Most spicy (bc so many places say their food is spicy and even after I tell them to bump up the heat, it STILL lacks ANY heat and always seems like a thick sweet sauce with little to no spice). Well, I LEARNED my lesson! This place takes heat SERIOUS and my food was almost 'too' spicy. But, I totally LOVE a place NOT afraid of HEAT! I am excited to try different dishes with amped up spice levels! Pros: NOT afraid of spice! Cons: didn't read that I want it at 7p not 6p Will order from there again for sure! It was NOT typical grease!
(4)
Matt D.
So the bi-weekly sushi craving caught up with us last night, and we headed off to Umai with a good Groupon deal in hand. We both thought the basement restaurant decor was a little odd, but after a few minutes we decided on "intimate" rather than "food dungeon." Everything was consistent and good. The miso soup was far better than I expected. It had more miso than what I'm used to, which made it a little thicker, and I found myself craving a second bowl. They were a little slow in preparing our food, but I was impressed by the attentive server, who made sure to keep refilling our water. There wasn't a loser in our selection of rolls, but we really enjoyed the Lord of the Ring and White Snow rolls. Both were unique and the flavors were memorable. The spider roll was a touch on the salty side for me, but all-in-all, well worth the walk up to Walnut St. For those of you looking for a good deal on sushi, this place is very reasonably priced for Center City, and it's even better with a Groupon.
(4)
Gabby M.
The food was delicious. The pad Thai was great and so was the sushi. I was disappointed by the drink selection, especially the beer. The servers were friendly but service was really slow; it was even hard to get water refills. However, maybe going at a time when is not too busy will make the experience more enjoyable; the food is definitely worth it.
(3)
Mitch N.
1 Green Curry Lunch Special $ 9.95 1 California Roll $ 4.95 The green curry lunch special was pretty good. Very flavorful. However the california roll was very small and not very fresh, thus the overall experience was easily 3 stars but the price was very expensive for the quantity of food served.
(2)
Miguel V.
Didn't go here for Sushi but rather for Chinesse cuisine. And I have to tell you I was very impressed. The ambiance is insane, I love the natural brick feeling walls, and I love the quietness of the entire place. Meal was great, tea for days to keep you warm and great service.
(4)
Steve C.
Ordered the thai fried rice with beef lunch special. It comes with a spring roll and soup. The soup and spring roll were pretty decent so I guess I had high hopes for the main dish but I was sadly let down. The meal smelled very strange and the meat consistency was questionable and chewy so I imagine it's low grade meat. It really just smelled old like they reused the food from yesterday that they left out and not refrigerated. Had to throw the food away as I couldn't get through more than a few bites. Won't be eating there again.
(2)
Erin O.
Straightforward Thai, Japanese and Chinese. Nothing fancy, but consistently good. I get takeout from here a couple of times a month. Don't shy away from the sushi rolls just because this restaurant also serves hot dishes - the fish is fresh! The weekday lunch specials are a great deal.
(5)
Monika S.
In short, this restaurant is alright. I probably will not come eat here again. If I didn't have a Groupon when I came, I think I would've been disappointed. Came here in the evening for sushi. Something about the fact that they make Chinese, Japanese, and Thai food is a bit cheesy. The sushi was just okay. There are a ton of other sushi places I've been to in Philly and this one ranked really low for me. 3 stars because it wasn't horrible, nothing was crawling from our plate or anything, but if you're considering a good sushi night, pass this place and search higher up Chestnut/Walnut around "Center City West" or Chinatown and Arch. There are other places more worth downtown dining prices.
(3)
Becca -N- Drew F.
Went here last night with a groupon. The restaurant is downstairs and has a cool set up. There is a bar area with big TV to the left and a small sushi bar in the middle, and the dining room to the right with tables and nice big booths. The prices were pretty cheap for center city and after eating there I see why. The food was generic and not very tasty. For starters we got Por Pia which looked like typical spring rolls which didn't have very much taste. We also ordered bbq spare ribs they came cut which I like because its not as messy, but some of them were kind of cold like the hadn't been in a microwaved long enough to heat them all up, not very appetizing. Than for entrees we ordered salt and pepper shrimp and drunken noodles. The shrimp was pretty good but there were probably only like six or seven medium sized shrimp on a bed of lettuce and I got a side dish of brown rice and the drunken noodles were pretty good nothing really stood out with either dish. The waitress was ok but did not refill drinks until I flagged her down. Overall this was a blah experience, so many better places to eat I would recommend skipping this one.
(2)
Patrick T.
I recently moved from Lansdale to Old City and have been struggling to find really good, reasonably priced sushi place down here. I know there are decent choices like Zento and Kisso, but I just haven't been satisfied. When I was in Lansdale, my favorite sushi stop was Umai near the Pennbrook train station. Getting takeout from there was always a special experience. The chefs would greet you as you walked in, and the food was top-notch. When I saw this new sushi place called Umai Desu, I was hopeful they were related. When I sat down and saw my usual choices like the Mexican Roll and Green Thunder, I couldn't have been happier!! So enough of that...how was the food?? Excellent!! I started with the Shrimp Shumai, and it was served with a sweet and sour sauce and a mustard sauce. Thinking this was normal Chinese mustard sauce, I dipped the shumai in without thinking and the wasabi that was mixed in to the sauce brought tears to my eyes. Mind you, that is a good thing if you are up for it! The rolls here are unique and very good. Tonight I had the Dynamite and the Green Thunder and both were as good as expected. Can't wait to come back and try more of the special rolls. The Umai in Lansdale would give an after-dinner "dessert" on the house consisting of a piece of fried banana and a small shot of kale juice. Sounds nasty but actually very good. It would be a nice touch for this Umai to do the same, instead of the usual fortune cookie. Otherwise, I am extremely happy to have this new option available to satisfy my sushi cravings. One final thing to note, they are offering 20% off your order until August31st.
(5)
Nate E.
Horrible Japanese, horrible Thai, horrible Chinese. And overpriced.
(1)
Jenna D.
I'm really surprised that someone had a bad experience here because I have been going consistently now for months and I have NEVER had a bad experience dining in or getting delivery. Even the other night my boyfriend and i ate in, they were a bit backed up so they came out and offered a free squid and ginger salad. It was so good! I really appreciated the attention they gave us even though they were a bit slow that night. The pricing here for what you get is unbelievable. I got three rolls, my boyfriend got a miso and two rolls, and we got edamame and beer on top of it and the bill was 52 something dollars. And the sushi is always good! The lord of the ring wrapped in the soy wrap instead of seaweed is seriously amazing. You guys are definitely my go to sushi. And I love the atmosphere of the restaurant! the basement is amazing.
(4)
Shannon M.
Another delivery order- the food here was pretty good, but standard. The prices are a bit high for what you get. The veggie coconut soup was really good- if you order from this place I recommend it! Haven't been inside the restaurant so I can't really comment on that.
(3)
Elva L.
Stopped in in the early afternoon once, and also ordered through GrubHub once. I won't be doing either again. The food ranges from unremarkable and overpriced, to basically disgusting. At the restaurant I got some kind of a platter. It's food court Chinese, and I'm really just glad I didn't get adventurous and try any of their Japanese and Thai fare. I think that would have most definitely turned out worse. When we ordered delivery, The Boy got a satay appetizer and sesame chicken and the sauce for the two was 1) identical, 2) a lot like watered-down & sweetened peanut butter. That was really gross. We ended up dumping it. I had beef chow fun (flat, wide noodles), and it was drenched in oil and nearly tasteless otherwise. I am particularly susceptible to craving greasy Chinese food while drunk so I am constantly scouting for cheap places nearby or that will deliver. Besides accessibility and taste, my only other requirement for drunk Chinese food are that it's terribly unhealthy and terrifically cheap. I need it to be cheap because then I feel less guilty about what I'm doing, which is essentially poisoning my body. Obviously it has to taste good as well as be cheap to justify the infraction... In the end this place, though accessible and probably very unhealthy, is far from the perfect drunk Chinese place I'm looking for.
(2)
Dorinda O.
Glad I didn't read the reviews first. Ordered food through grub hub. It was quick and delicious. I had one of the Thai dishes and asked for it to be spicy. Watch what you ask for because I was almost crying from the heat. Loved it!
(4)
Dev K.
Huge place in a great location.... yet always empty and with good reason. While the food's not bad, there's really nothing all too special about it. Slow service and kinda pricey as well.
(3)
Alexandra W.
Delivery took nearly two hours, the order was missing soup, and the sushi wasn't good. Waste of a lunch break.
(1)
John R.
Excellent special rolls...very good Thai! Quality/cost ratio outstanding! Hidden gem!
(4)
Erin C.
There was some sort of meetup.com event here for so-called young professionals. It was pretty much a disaster. I met up with a friend, whose friend took us here for the event. We arrived about 45 minutes after the event began (8pm). Staff witnessed us entering the place. Some of our party even caught a waiter or two's eye. We waited nearly half an hour for anyone to acknowledge our presence. We finally received menus, and not five minutes later the grumpy waiter returned asking if we were ready. Should have responded with a resounding YES, because aside from agonizingly bland conversations that were taking place around us... we didn't see another staff member for a solid fifteen minutes. Then, turned out, on a Friday night before ten in the evening, the place was out of, not just sake (out of SAKE), but also ingredients to make half of their cocktails. Each of five of us ordered either a roll or satay. Nothing spectacularly involved in terms of preparation. And yet, we waited aeons. And, while a couple friends were pleased with their average rolls, I was not. An eel roll is not something that requires phenomenal finesse, and I was completely turned off by the demeanor and lack of service at Umai. And the drinks? that were premixed? came out piecemeal, with our food. Ultimately, and here's a shocker!, we waited another 20+ minutes to receive a check. This included asking for the check, which never came. We discussed in all seriousness the dine & ditch option. But we, we were better than Umai and the creepy characters this meet up attracted (from an apparent tweeker art teacher to an argumentative man in denial about his height). The drinks were left off our bill initially. We thought perhaps this was to make up for the abysmal service, and either way we did not care. Grumpy waiter, manning the register when we became impatient enough to walk out, didn't do anything about the drinks until after ringing up my card. So he ran a second bill with the drinks. Luckily, he was unaware that I had a beer and didn't factor it into the bill. Sucks for you, grumpy sucker.
(2)
Brenna M.
Just ordered for take out. Super fast and great service!! I ordered the Sushi Royale which was to come with Miso Soup. When it was delivered the soup was missing. I was a little bummed, but thought - not a big deal. Ten minutes later, a knock at the door, and they delivered my soup! Couldn't believe they came back JUST for my soup. Such a nice guy. Great service. Will definitely order from here again!!
(4)
E S.
Had a great experience here. Never would have known to stop in since it's in a quaint little exposed brick basement, but I found it on Groupon. Great sushi and romantic atmosphere. We will go back for lunch some day because of the central location.
(5)
Thomas G.
I live right upstairs and have so for a very long time. I used to order from here quite often but since the new management has taken over, I stopped after a pretty average experience. Today I wanted something quick and did not want to travel far, so I ordered the sweet n sour chicken lunch special. The girl who answered the phone barely spoke; when I said "That's all", she hung up. So I had no idea how long it would take; after 15 minutes I went to pick up my meal. There was nobody at the front to greet me or help me, but after a few minutes of staring at what I knew was my lunch, the server girl came over and rang me up. She did not speak to me or even look in my direction as she handed me my change. The fried rice was COLD; the chicken was burned to a crisp, but there were about 4 pieces that were not as burned. The wonton soup was flavorless, and the broth could have been water it was so bland. The spring roll was OK, but kind of crunchy. Overall, HORRIBLE experience; I would've felt better giving my $8.59 to a stranger on the street. I'm writing this review so I do not forget how awful it was and ever order from here again. I know everyone in my building, as well as so many people on the block, and I will let them know as well.
(1)
Vincent L.
Customer Service: The customer service here was amazing! Presentation: Awesome. You got to see it for yourself. Price: Reasonable. Food: I love the combination of Chinese, Japanese and Thai food. Me: Great spot to grab lunch
(5)
Florentina L.
Me and my family went to Umai Royal to celebrate Chinese New Year this year! We arrived around 8:30pm and were immediately seated in a booth. We order our usual Victoria Island as our drink. Then we started with Shrimp Sui Mai, Avocado Salad, Chicken Tom yum soup, and Seaweed Salad as our appetizer. Everything were very delicious, especially the Avocado Salad. When our entrees came around 20 minutes later, we were half full. We ordered Seafood Royal, Sirloins with veg, Shrimp with broccoli, and 4 sushi rolls(Tokyo, Crouching Tiger, Fire, and Flyers). Our favorite dish is Seafood Royal and Flyers roll, both were very exceptional. The only disappointment of the night was the kitchen and sushi bar were close before 10pm, so I couldn't order any take-outs. *
(4)
Brent W.
My wife and I went on a Friday night. We were looking for sushi but the new management apparently caused a lapse of their raw food license. Instead of sushi, we had Thai. It was delicious. Their bar was very light on ... everything. But, the prices were great considering they're in center city. My wife had saki ($8 for a carafe) and I had Dewars on the rocks ($6). The drunken noodles with beef and the yellow Thai curry were great. The service was very friendly, and also the place has beautiful exposed brick. I would go again.
(4)
Dennis D.
Where's a good place to go watch USA Olympic hockey and ensure you get a spot to sit in front of a TV? An Asian restaurant, of course! Umai Royal is a great underground spot for Asian cuisine. Seriously, it's literally underground so if you walk by it once or twice without realizing it, keep in mind it's below you. The interior has a lot of exposed brick giving it great natural feel to its decor. It's very clean inside as well. For a restaurant this nice looking the prices are pretty good. I didn't look at the full menu, but for the lunch specials you can't beat the prices. I ordered the General Tso's chicken. It comes with white or fried rice, soup, and a spring roll for $7.25. The portion size was perfect for lunch, which means it's almost 1:30 and I don't have "The Itis". I asked for the chicken to be extra spicy because every time I see it on a menu it says it's supposed to be spicy and never is. Maybe the Chinese have more delicate palates than Americans? It came with a great tasting spicy seasoning on top of the chicken and was delicious. As for the sauce, it wasn't to thick and heavy, nor thin and light. As for the rest of the meal, the fried rice, egg drop soup, and spring rolls were also very good-- I know not very descriptive, but they were solid. I'm looking forward to going back to try their sushi next time.
(4)
Sammiyah Sunflower T.
Food was great and the bartender Victoria is awesome... Because of her our evening was wonderful....
(5)
Joel W.
We got a gift certificate to go to this restaurant. When we arrived, there was a note on that door stating that the place was closed until further notice...it looked abandoned and the mail was piling up in the entry way.
(1)
Kiki V.
I asked for sake. The bartender asked if I wanted hot or cold, I ordered cold and was served plum wine. When I asked for sake instead of plum wine I was told it was 'plum flavored sake'. I have no intention of ordering food here I might get beef when I order chicken.
(1)
Danan R.
Really liked the lord of the ring. The fish was fresh and the soybean wrap was a nice change. The green thunder roll was very good as well but I just so happen to love rolls containing mango. The menu is limited but the items on it are good and service is very attentive. It's no bluefin but still pretty delicious.
(3)
Mary D.
I went to Umai Desu with my bf today for the 2nd time in a few months and I loved every single bit of it! We always get the Regular Party Boat which consists of 10 rolls and 4 sashimi. All this for $39! The quality of the sushi is really good and the service is always great!
(4)
Patrecia F.
I must say that Umai Desu is THE BEST sushi restaurant i've ever been in. Their sushi is so fresh and so good, the service is two-thumbs up, the place is so cozy, makes you don't want to leave and lastly, the price is very reasonable! If you haven't tried it, you should deff give it a try! :)
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street, Validated Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Intimate Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Jayna B.
The Good: The food is delicious! I ordered the Yellow Curry Lunch Special and every part of it was amazing. I hate tofu but somehow, even though I asked for no tofu and was given it, it actually didn't taste awful, which is my usual experience. The spring roll was perfectly crisp, and fresh tasting. Also, the delivery person was prompt and very courteous. I really enjoyed this experience. The Bad: I asked for no tofu and received some. Admittedly, my order is often difficult for restaurants to process because I do not want meat or tofu and this seems to confuse even the best places.
(4)Norma R.
Went there today for lunch. If I hadn't purchased the groupon deal, probably wouldn't have went. Food is overall okay. Not the best or worst sushi I've had. Their Miso soup is great, along with their Lemon Grass soup, best I've tasted. Atmosphere is great; very calm, romantic, dim lighting, in a lower-level setting. I love the exposed brick. Pleasant, classy. Prices are great and reasonable. Service: okay, that waitress didn't talk much, but much more pleasant than my previous visit at the restaurant. My male waiter kept disappearing, and I didn't see him for a long time. Didn't refill our water, had to keep an eye our for him for refills. Both times I went in there, we were only 1 of 2 tables occupied, so the place was pretty empty during mid-week lunch time.
(3)Tuff Cook E.
I can't help but use a "for the price" as a big part of my rating scale. I had a groupon for this, so "for the price" it was very good, for regular price - it was meh. This place serves Thai, Chinese & Japanese - and mixed food ethnicities is usually a bad sign, but we had sushi and Thai and both were good. The restaurant was not crowded at all, but service took forever - 10 mins to take our order at least. He came once during our meal to refill waters but never asked the obligatory 'is everything ok?' The Thai 'drunken noodle' was a decent sized portion, not amazing, but pretty good. However, it did come about 10 mins before my 2 friends got their sushi - so I was half done when there's came. They liked their rolls- one fried shrimp one, another w/mango. They were ok size, fresh, but not amazing & fell apart all over the place. They were still hungry & wanted to order another, but we knew it would be 15 mins at least - so we left a little hungry. Weird atmosphere too - underground, exposed brick, sparse - no art or anything. Whatever, it's pretty cheap, pretty decent - I don't live near there so I probably won't go back - but if it was next door & I had a coupon I would. Not a glowing review...
(3)Jordan S.
I really liked this place. I came in by myself with a $40 Groupon and had a good 5 sushi rolls. I cannot remember most of them but I remember liking everything. I really liked the environment too. It was very cozy. The service was really bad though. I was there by myself on an empty night and they made me feel doubly lonely. After bringing my food, I was never visited once after. I had to find the waiter just to get the check. I probably would've been more annoyed, but I did not have anyone to commiserate with so my frustration subsided with no one to egg it on O:). I will say I remember the Crunchy Spicy Tuna Sandwich was pretty amazing. I definitely been craving it. I love the idea of coming back here and being able to order my favorites from either Thai, Japanese, or Chinese, especially if I come back with a mixed crowd. Worth a try at least.
(3)Amy A.
Stumbled upon this place while doing touristy things with my bff and friend who was from out of town. We walked down a set of stairs and opened the door to a dark, but lovely dining room. The only issue really was the holes in the ceiling. Perhaps they were in the middle of a construction project, but I was half expecting to see something crawl out. We were greeted immediately and given water. Thank god, it was a million degrees out. I drank until I gave myself brain freeze and took a look at the menu. This is an Asian place with Chinese, Japanese, and Thai selections. They have a very nice lunch special and because of the temps outside, I quickly decided on sushi. I ordered the crunchy spicy tuna and unagi roll. It came with a salad, which I didn't really enjoy, but I'm not a huge fan of that ginger dressing to begin with. My sushi was tasty and filling and accompanied my $2 draft beer. This place was a pleasant surprise and the price was right too, $9.95 for the lunch special. Nothing knocked my socks off, but I would certainly go again if I was in the neighborhood.
(3)Kristin W.
Umai Desu (aka Umai Royal) is not much to look at from the outside. The idea of going into a basement Asian sports bar for sushi is really not appealing. But once we were in the restaurant with a few unclosed holes in the low ceiling, our expectations around the sushi were exceeded - the portions were good-sized and fresh. However, service was unreliable as our waitress forgot to bring the salad that came with my entree and food was delivered plate by plate...so it was a span of 20 minutes over which the 5 of us got our food. Good thing it's not like the sushi was getting cold... My recommendation would be to try the sushi here for take out or delivery, but maybe hold off on an in-restaurant dinner until they get a few details ironed out.
(3)Anna L.
I would give this place zero stars if I could. I had all kinds of cheap sushi - supermarket sushi, gas station sushi - but this is by far the absolute worst I've ever eaten. Everything is bland, the rolls are falling apart, even tea smelled suspiciously. Staff was more interested in watching TV than serving us. Don't buy the Groupon deal and avoid this place for your own sake!
(1)Michael G.
So I walked a mile for lunch to actually go to Fat Salmon but by the time I got there they stopped seating. I had not much time to search out other choices but I thought I heard a lot of great things about Umai and I stopped in. This is NOT the place that I heard raves about; it just has a similar name. This downstairs restaurant features Chinese, Thai, and Japanese foods. Since I was here for lunch, they had daily specials for each. Although I really wanted sushi, the choices were just not appealing to me. I instead went with the $7.95 Chinese dish of chicken, pork, and duck with vegetables. It came with a spring roll, and wonton soup. I have to say that everything was not that bad but it also wasn't the greatest. It was on par with better Chinese take-out. The sauce with the main dish was too oily and thick. There was not much flavor to everything on the main dish. The spring roll was tasty, and the wonton soup was fine. Service was attentive and filled my water quickly when asked. I think you can do better in the area; Chinatown is just around the block! For the substitute I had to make from Fat Salmon, I was disappointed. The best part for me was the 2 miles of exercise walking in the nice weather! $11 including tip for lunch for one.
(3)Kathleen M.
I ordered off the Thai menu, the Thai Basil with beef and I ordered it extra spicy. First, the food was good. And for take out, NOT GREASY which I liked a lot! They were super fast (actually an hour early bc I ordered it for 7pm on Eat24 but it got there at 6pm). So I want to ding them for 'too early' but I can't bc they were fast, piping hot food, and I actually had to wait for it to cool down. I can't fault them for being early. Second, this may be my new Chinese take out spot (not Thai) bc they gave you the option to adjust this spice level, so I chose Most spicy (bc so many places say their food is spicy and even after I tell them to bump up the heat, it STILL lacks ANY heat and always seems like a thick sweet sauce with little to no spice). Well, I LEARNED my lesson! This place takes heat SERIOUS and my food was almost 'too' spicy. But, I totally LOVE a place NOT afraid of HEAT! I am excited to try different dishes with amped up spice levels! Pros: NOT afraid of spice! Cons: didn't read that I want it at 7p not 6p Will order from there again for sure! It was NOT typical grease!
(4)Matt D.
So the bi-weekly sushi craving caught up with us last night, and we headed off to Umai with a good Groupon deal in hand. We both thought the basement restaurant decor was a little odd, but after a few minutes we decided on "intimate" rather than "food dungeon." Everything was consistent and good. The miso soup was far better than I expected. It had more miso than what I'm used to, which made it a little thicker, and I found myself craving a second bowl. They were a little slow in preparing our food, but I was impressed by the attentive server, who made sure to keep refilling our water. There wasn't a loser in our selection of rolls, but we really enjoyed the Lord of the Ring and White Snow rolls. Both were unique and the flavors were memorable. The spider roll was a touch on the salty side for me, but all-in-all, well worth the walk up to Walnut St. For those of you looking for a good deal on sushi, this place is very reasonably priced for Center City, and it's even better with a Groupon.
(4)Gabby M.
The food was delicious. The pad Thai was great and so was the sushi. I was disappointed by the drink selection, especially the beer. The servers were friendly but service was really slow; it was even hard to get water refills. However, maybe going at a time when is not too busy will make the experience more enjoyable; the food is definitely worth it.
(3)Mitch N.
1 Green Curry Lunch Special $ 9.95 1 California Roll $ 4.95 The green curry lunch special was pretty good. Very flavorful. However the california roll was very small and not very fresh, thus the overall experience was easily 3 stars but the price was very expensive for the quantity of food served.
(2)Miguel V.
Didn't go here for Sushi but rather for Chinesse cuisine. And I have to tell you I was very impressed. The ambiance is insane, I love the natural brick feeling walls, and I love the quietness of the entire place. Meal was great, tea for days to keep you warm and great service.
(4)Steve C.
Ordered the thai fried rice with beef lunch special. It comes with a spring roll and soup. The soup and spring roll were pretty decent so I guess I had high hopes for the main dish but I was sadly let down. The meal smelled very strange and the meat consistency was questionable and chewy so I imagine it's low grade meat. It really just smelled old like they reused the food from yesterday that they left out and not refrigerated. Had to throw the food away as I couldn't get through more than a few bites. Won't be eating there again.
(2)Erin O.
Straightforward Thai, Japanese and Chinese. Nothing fancy, but consistently good. I get takeout from here a couple of times a month. Don't shy away from the sushi rolls just because this restaurant also serves hot dishes - the fish is fresh! The weekday lunch specials are a great deal.
(5)Monika S.
In short, this restaurant is alright. I probably will not come eat here again. If I didn't have a Groupon when I came, I think I would've been disappointed. Came here in the evening for sushi. Something about the fact that they make Chinese, Japanese, and Thai food is a bit cheesy. The sushi was just okay. There are a ton of other sushi places I've been to in Philly and this one ranked really low for me. 3 stars because it wasn't horrible, nothing was crawling from our plate or anything, but if you're considering a good sushi night, pass this place and search higher up Chestnut/Walnut around "Center City West" or Chinatown and Arch. There are other places more worth downtown dining prices.
(3)Becca -N- Drew F.
Went here last night with a groupon. The restaurant is downstairs and has a cool set up. There is a bar area with big TV to the left and a small sushi bar in the middle, and the dining room to the right with tables and nice big booths. The prices were pretty cheap for center city and after eating there I see why. The food was generic and not very tasty. For starters we got Por Pia which looked like typical spring rolls which didn't have very much taste. We also ordered bbq spare ribs they came cut which I like because its not as messy, but some of them were kind of cold like the hadn't been in a microwaved long enough to heat them all up, not very appetizing. Than for entrees we ordered salt and pepper shrimp and drunken noodles. The shrimp was pretty good but there were probably only like six or seven medium sized shrimp on a bed of lettuce and I got a side dish of brown rice and the drunken noodles were pretty good nothing really stood out with either dish. The waitress was ok but did not refill drinks until I flagged her down. Overall this was a blah experience, so many better places to eat I would recommend skipping this one.
(2)Patrick T.
I recently moved from Lansdale to Old City and have been struggling to find really good, reasonably priced sushi place down here. I know there are decent choices like Zento and Kisso, but I just haven't been satisfied. When I was in Lansdale, my favorite sushi stop was Umai near the Pennbrook train station. Getting takeout from there was always a special experience. The chefs would greet you as you walked in, and the food was top-notch. When I saw this new sushi place called Umai Desu, I was hopeful they were related. When I sat down and saw my usual choices like the Mexican Roll and Green Thunder, I couldn't have been happier!! So enough of that...how was the food?? Excellent!! I started with the Shrimp Shumai, and it was served with a sweet and sour sauce and a mustard sauce. Thinking this was normal Chinese mustard sauce, I dipped the shumai in without thinking and the wasabi that was mixed in to the sauce brought tears to my eyes. Mind you, that is a good thing if you are up for it! The rolls here are unique and very good. Tonight I had the Dynamite and the Green Thunder and both were as good as expected. Can't wait to come back and try more of the special rolls. The Umai in Lansdale would give an after-dinner "dessert" on the house consisting of a piece of fried banana and a small shot of kale juice. Sounds nasty but actually very good. It would be a nice touch for this Umai to do the same, instead of the usual fortune cookie. Otherwise, I am extremely happy to have this new option available to satisfy my sushi cravings. One final thing to note, they are offering 20% off your order until August31st.
(5)Nate E.
Horrible Japanese, horrible Thai, horrible Chinese. And overpriced.
(1)Jenna D.
I'm really surprised that someone had a bad experience here because I have been going consistently now for months and I have NEVER had a bad experience dining in or getting delivery. Even the other night my boyfriend and i ate in, they were a bit backed up so they came out and offered a free squid and ginger salad. It was so good! I really appreciated the attention they gave us even though they were a bit slow that night. The pricing here for what you get is unbelievable. I got three rolls, my boyfriend got a miso and two rolls, and we got edamame and beer on top of it and the bill was 52 something dollars. And the sushi is always good! The lord of the ring wrapped in the soy wrap instead of seaweed is seriously amazing. You guys are definitely my go to sushi. And I love the atmosphere of the restaurant! the basement is amazing.
(4)Shannon M.
Another delivery order- the food here was pretty good, but standard. The prices are a bit high for what you get. The veggie coconut soup was really good- if you order from this place I recommend it! Haven't been inside the restaurant so I can't really comment on that.
(3)Elva L.
Stopped in in the early afternoon once, and also ordered through GrubHub once. I won't be doing either again. The food ranges from unremarkable and overpriced, to basically disgusting. At the restaurant I got some kind of a platter. It's food court Chinese, and I'm really just glad I didn't get adventurous and try any of their Japanese and Thai fare. I think that would have most definitely turned out worse. When we ordered delivery, The Boy got a satay appetizer and sesame chicken and the sauce for the two was 1) identical, 2) a lot like watered-down & sweetened peanut butter. That was really gross. We ended up dumping it. I had beef chow fun (flat, wide noodles), and it was drenched in oil and nearly tasteless otherwise. I am particularly susceptible to craving greasy Chinese food while drunk so I am constantly scouting for cheap places nearby or that will deliver. Besides accessibility and taste, my only other requirement for drunk Chinese food are that it's terribly unhealthy and terrifically cheap. I need it to be cheap because then I feel less guilty about what I'm doing, which is essentially poisoning my body. Obviously it has to taste good as well as be cheap to justify the infraction... In the end this place, though accessible and probably very unhealthy, is far from the perfect drunk Chinese place I'm looking for.
(2)Dorinda O.
Glad I didn't read the reviews first. Ordered food through grub hub. It was quick and delicious. I had one of the Thai dishes and asked for it to be spicy. Watch what you ask for because I was almost crying from the heat. Loved it!
(4)Dev K.
Huge place in a great location.... yet always empty and with good reason. While the food's not bad, there's really nothing all too special about it. Slow service and kinda pricey as well.
(3)Alexandra W.
Delivery took nearly two hours, the order was missing soup, and the sushi wasn't good. Waste of a lunch break.
(1)John R.
Excellent special rolls...very good Thai! Quality/cost ratio outstanding! Hidden gem!
(4)Erin C.
There was some sort of meetup.com event here for so-called young professionals. It was pretty much a disaster. I met up with a friend, whose friend took us here for the event. We arrived about 45 minutes after the event began (8pm). Staff witnessed us entering the place. Some of our party even caught a waiter or two's eye. We waited nearly half an hour for anyone to acknowledge our presence. We finally received menus, and not five minutes later the grumpy waiter returned asking if we were ready. Should have responded with a resounding YES, because aside from agonizingly bland conversations that were taking place around us... we didn't see another staff member for a solid fifteen minutes. Then, turned out, on a Friday night before ten in the evening, the place was out of, not just sake (out of SAKE), but also ingredients to make half of their cocktails. Each of five of us ordered either a roll or satay. Nothing spectacularly involved in terms of preparation. And yet, we waited aeons. And, while a couple friends were pleased with their average rolls, I was not. An eel roll is not something that requires phenomenal finesse, and I was completely turned off by the demeanor and lack of service at Umai. And the drinks? that were premixed? came out piecemeal, with our food. Ultimately, and here's a shocker!, we waited another 20+ minutes to receive a check. This included asking for the check, which never came. We discussed in all seriousness the dine & ditch option. But we, we were better than Umai and the creepy characters this meet up attracted (from an apparent tweeker art teacher to an argumentative man in denial about his height). The drinks were left off our bill initially. We thought perhaps this was to make up for the abysmal service, and either way we did not care. Grumpy waiter, manning the register when we became impatient enough to walk out, didn't do anything about the drinks until after ringing up my card. So he ran a second bill with the drinks. Luckily, he was unaware that I had a beer and didn't factor it into the bill. Sucks for you, grumpy sucker.
(2)Brenna M.
Just ordered for take out. Super fast and great service!! I ordered the Sushi Royale which was to come with Miso Soup. When it was delivered the soup was missing. I was a little bummed, but thought - not a big deal. Ten minutes later, a knock at the door, and they delivered my soup! Couldn't believe they came back JUST for my soup. Such a nice guy. Great service. Will definitely order from here again!!
(4)E S.
Had a great experience here. Never would have known to stop in since it's in a quaint little exposed brick basement, but I found it on Groupon. Great sushi and romantic atmosphere. We will go back for lunch some day because of the central location.
(5)Thomas G.
I live right upstairs and have so for a very long time. I used to order from here quite often but since the new management has taken over, I stopped after a pretty average experience. Today I wanted something quick and did not want to travel far, so I ordered the sweet n sour chicken lunch special. The girl who answered the phone barely spoke; when I said "That's all", she hung up. So I had no idea how long it would take; after 15 minutes I went to pick up my meal. There was nobody at the front to greet me or help me, but after a few minutes of staring at what I knew was my lunch, the server girl came over and rang me up. She did not speak to me or even look in my direction as she handed me my change. The fried rice was COLD; the chicken was burned to a crisp, but there were about 4 pieces that were not as burned. The wonton soup was flavorless, and the broth could have been water it was so bland. The spring roll was OK, but kind of crunchy. Overall, HORRIBLE experience; I would've felt better giving my $8.59 to a stranger on the street. I'm writing this review so I do not forget how awful it was and ever order from here again. I know everyone in my building, as well as so many people on the block, and I will let them know as well.
(1)Vincent L.
Customer Service: The customer service here was amazing! Presentation: Awesome. You got to see it for yourself. Price: Reasonable. Food: I love the combination of Chinese, Japanese and Thai food. Me: Great spot to grab lunch
(5)Florentina L.
Me and my family went to Umai Royal to celebrate Chinese New Year this year! We arrived around 8:30pm and were immediately seated in a booth. We order our usual Victoria Island as our drink. Then we started with Shrimp Sui Mai, Avocado Salad, Chicken Tom yum soup, and Seaweed Salad as our appetizer. Everything were very delicious, especially the Avocado Salad. When our entrees came around 20 minutes later, we were half full. We ordered Seafood Royal, Sirloins with veg, Shrimp with broccoli, and 4 sushi rolls(Tokyo, Crouching Tiger, Fire, and Flyers). Our favorite dish is Seafood Royal and Flyers roll, both were very exceptional. The only disappointment of the night was the kitchen and sushi bar were close before 10pm, so I couldn't order any take-outs. *
(4)Brent W.
My wife and I went on a Friday night. We were looking for sushi but the new management apparently caused a lapse of their raw food license. Instead of sushi, we had Thai. It was delicious. Their bar was very light on ... everything. But, the prices were great considering they're in center city. My wife had saki ($8 for a carafe) and I had Dewars on the rocks ($6). The drunken noodles with beef and the yellow Thai curry were great. The service was very friendly, and also the place has beautiful exposed brick. I would go again.
(4)Dennis D.
Where's a good place to go watch USA Olympic hockey and ensure you get a spot to sit in front of a TV? An Asian restaurant, of course! Umai Royal is a great underground spot for Asian cuisine. Seriously, it's literally underground so if you walk by it once or twice without realizing it, keep in mind it's below you. The interior has a lot of exposed brick giving it great natural feel to its decor. It's very clean inside as well. For a restaurant this nice looking the prices are pretty good. I didn't look at the full menu, but for the lunch specials you can't beat the prices. I ordered the General Tso's chicken. It comes with white or fried rice, soup, and a spring roll for $7.25. The portion size was perfect for lunch, which means it's almost 1:30 and I don't have "The Itis". I asked for the chicken to be extra spicy because every time I see it on a menu it says it's supposed to be spicy and never is. Maybe the Chinese have more delicate palates than Americans? It came with a great tasting spicy seasoning on top of the chicken and was delicious. As for the sauce, it wasn't to thick and heavy, nor thin and light. As for the rest of the meal, the fried rice, egg drop soup, and spring rolls were also very good-- I know not very descriptive, but they were solid. I'm looking forward to going back to try their sushi next time.
(4)Sammiyah Sunflower T.
Food was great and the bartender Victoria is awesome... Because of her our evening was wonderful....
(5)Joel W.
We got a gift certificate to go to this restaurant. When we arrived, there was a note on that door stating that the place was closed until further notice...it looked abandoned and the mail was piling up in the entry way.
(1)Kiki V.
I asked for sake. The bartender asked if I wanted hot or cold, I ordered cold and was served plum wine. When I asked for sake instead of plum wine I was told it was 'plum flavored sake'. I have no intention of ordering food here I might get beef when I order chicken.
(1)Danan R.
Really liked the lord of the ring. The fish was fresh and the soybean wrap was a nice change. The green thunder roll was very good as well but I just so happen to love rolls containing mango. The menu is limited but the items on it are good and service is very attentive. It's no bluefin but still pretty delicious.
(3)Mary D.
I went to Umai Desu with my bf today for the 2nd time in a few months and I loved every single bit of it! We always get the Regular Party Boat which consists of 10 rolls and 4 sashimi. All this for $39! The quality of the sushi is really good and the service is always great!
(4)Patrecia F.
I must say that Umai Desu is THE BEST sushi restaurant i've ever been in. Their sushi is so fresh and so good, the service is two-thumbs up, the place is so cozy, makes you don't want to leave and lastly, the price is very reasonable! If you haven't tried it, you should deff give it a try! :)
(5)