UMI Japanese Restaurant (Imperial Lexis KL) — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

Order: Atami Course (Yakimono) Time of entry: 6:30 pm

Coming in here, I had quite high expectations. Given the pricing and the stellar reviews, I would expect much of the same for my visit. Since I would be here for probably the only time in the foreseeable future, I decided to go big and order their Atami course. They have a more expensive kaiseki option which is the Kamakura. The main difference between the two is that you get to pick 2 hot dishes (mains) in the Kamakura, as opposed to only 1 in Atami.

The appetiser was nice. Assorted bites on a bed of mashed potato was an interesting mix, but the tastes complemented each other quite well.

Then came the sashimi. There were 4 kinds of sashimi that came with this dish, the most memorable one for me being the salmon. A tad biased since I love salmon, but the rest of the sashimi was still quite okay.

The chawanmushi was delicate, and quite tasty as well. Nothing else to say about that.

The main course came in, which was grilled fish on a bed of... something. I couldn't quite nail the texture, but the addition was acceptable. The fish felt like it was prepared steamed instead of grilled; I stated it was grilled because I requested for yakimono (it certainly didn't taste like it was grilled, although the fish was nice all the same.)

Now as I am writing this, I should point out one aspect of the experience that cannot be described by pictures alone - service. Rather, the timing of the courses. In between the appetiser and the sashimi (mind you, the first two dishes in the course) I had to wait a total of 20 minutes in between finishing my appetiser and receiving my next course. I can't even attribute this delay to the chefs being busy as, as I walked around, my table was one of only 3 tables that were waited. If this is the speed that I was served at in this capacity, I dread to imagine someone ordering this course when this place is full.

The next dish that arrived was the 3-piece nigiri. One of them was unagi nigiri which delighted me, and the other two were quite nice as well especially the uni. Unfortunately the unagi fell short of my expectations.

What came next was the soup. Within was an assortment of various mushroom. The taste was quite light, and the mushrooms were delicious.

Next was the mini-don. Nothing noteworthy about this, just some salmon stacked on rice. The texture of the salmon left something to be desired, and the aftertaste felt a bit off. Perhaps getting beef instead would have been better. Then again, maybe I should've ordered the una-jyu and saved myself all the gambling and time and trouble (as well as a fair few ringgit. Or a hundred.)

Last was dessert. This honestly saved my dining experience. The tiramisu was lovely, not too sweet yet still managing to satisfy that itch. The cream was exquisite also. No complaints about dessert.

I'm hesitant to call this course a complete write-off; the sashimi was nice, the chawanmushi was delicious and the dessert was a strong end, but everything else left me wondering; what did I pay for, exactly? Was it the view? The location? The food? Am I missing something?

The real kicker is the speed at which the dishes came. I left at 9pm, which is a good 2 1/2 hours after I entered. The last half of the course came in at a reasonable speed, but perhaps that was because I brought this up to my server twice already. It is good to keep in mind that the guests here are most likely also hotel guests; time needlessly spent here is time not spent in the pool in the rooms, or the skypool, or skydeck, or literally anywhere.

Perhaps I am being too harsh, but at this price point I would expect something close to perfection; what I got was just shy above adequate. Maybe next time i would order a simpler dish, an ala carte - or maybe I could just walk 10 minutes to Sushiro and gorge myself full for...

Umi delivered an absolutely exceptional dining experience that exceeded every expectation. We enjoyed the Atami course, which showcased incredible attention to detail from start to finish. The standout dishes were undoubtedly the chawanmushi topped with unagi, perfectly silky and rich, and the sashimi platter featuring beautiful cuts of salmon, tuna, and other premium fish. When I mentioned my seafood allergy, they didn't just remove items but elevated the experience by substituting octopus and prawn with luxurious chuutoro topped with gold leaf and caviar. Every course was thoughtfully prepared and authentically executed, from the creative negitoro appetizer with mashed potato to the satisfying don finale with whjte fish and ikura, capped off with a delightful matcha tiramisu.

What truly sets Umi apart is the warmth and professionalism of their team. Despite the upscale atmosphere, Chef Danny, and the entire front of house staff (Faraharu, Shaz, Robson, Jasmine, Adam, and Jairul) made us feel completely at home with their genuine hospitality and impressive menu knowledge. Being the only diners that evening felt like having a private dining experience, yet the pacing was perfect and service impeccable. The evening concluded with the sweetest gesture - a photo with all the chefs, which felt like the perfect ending to an already memorable night.

For anyone seeking authentic Japanese cuisine with exceptional service in KL, Umi is absolutely worth the investment. The combination of skillful preparation, accommodating service, and genuine warmth creates a dining experience that feels both sophisticated...

Romantic atmosphere with amazing KLCC view. They put a lot of hard work on plating / food presentation.

The food itself is terrible, with this pricing. We had the special Xmas menu. It come with cold noodles, it’s a ridiculous cold Wonton Mee! It’d be good if you just serve me normal soba, but definitely NOT Wonton Mee.

The atmosphere is very dim after sunset. So you can barely see the food. I thought it’s white radish puree but it’s pure salt 🤮 Understand they want to create that “Romantic” feel, but at least make the food visible la.

Also we ordered Genmaicha. We’ve reminded few times to refill Genmaicha but we got green tea every time. Since you charge higher for Genmaicha, please pay more attention to the details 🤦🏻‍♀️

One of the senior waitress shouted loudly when passing message to her colleague. We felt like we’re at mamak / food court.

Even the dessert was bad. The fruits were so raw that the kiwi texture like biting raw carrot. All the fruits are not ripe / sweet.

It can be very cold especially during rainy days. Good that they provide scarf.

Overall, if you just want to Instagram or amaze your new partner, you could give it a try with...