Umi — Restaurant in London

I've visited this place twice and have always come out more than satisfied after enjoying quality food and service.

I've had the sashimi bento box which consisted of salmon, tuna, mackerel and sea bass plus a few gyoza (fried dumplings). The fish was fresh and well-prepared, with some pieces neatly arranged to look like a flower. The gyoza was fried to perfection and accompanied by a sweet and spicy dressing which worked beautifully with it.

Unagi (grilled eel) temaki was another one of the menu items I've had. The fish was well-seasoned and served with a teriyaki dressing, a classic combination that never fails.

On my most recent visit, I went for the Norway Roll Deluxe, Eel Roll and Spicy Tuna Maki. Once again, everything was fresh, delicious, and I enjoyed every morsel. The Norway Roll featured fresh salmon paired with avocado and mayo, and topped with masago; classic. The Eel Roll was served with unagi prepared in the same style as described above, and the spicy tuna maki was decent, although I think the spicy sauce was too strong and overpowered the fish.

Wasabi peas are served as an amuse bouche after guests are seated, which certainly helps in creating a good first impression. This isn't common for most restaurants at the same price range too, so it also helps to set Umi apart from the competition. I've noticed these being served to customers ordering food to go as well, which gives them a little snack to munch on while waiting; can't go wrong with that!

Bobby manages the restaurant and does an excellent job of making every diner feel welcome. He tries to make small talk with as many as he can and will occasionally joke with regulars, which I'm sure they enjoy as well.

Price-wise, this restaurant doesn't ask for much and if you come during weekday afternoons (I believe Saturdays as well), the set lunches provide amazing value for your £.

Overall, great food at a reasonable price with good service! I'll definitely be...

My favourite Japanese restaurant. Correction: my favourite restaurant, full stop. If you think Japanese food is just raw fish (sashimi) and sushi, then think again. This place has it all: yes, all the sashimi and sushi you can dream of (of course), but also tempuras, ramen and udon noodles, teriyakis, donburis, bento boxes and so much more. Try new things - you will be absolutely delighted. Everything here is just perfectly prepared and utterly delicious. If you haven't had the grilled eel, for instance, that melts in your mouth, then try it (either as a teriyaki or donburi), savour its special sauce, enjoy it and thank me later. And don't forget to have a dessert at the end. The black sesame ice-cream is exquisite - proper ice-cream for adults! And while you obviously know all about Sake, if you have a sweet tooth I highly recommend its more prestigious cousin: plum wine. The flavour will dance on your taste buds and fill your mouth with joy. This is a restaurant that I keep coming back to, and not just for the wonderful food. The service is always so friendly and welcoming, it somehow manages to make me feel both special and also at home. Amazing. I would strongly recommend booking before coming, as while you probably would get a table as a walk-in, it does get full at times. You can either come here by bus (33, 490, R68 and R70) or drive. If you come in the evening you should find free parking both on-street and in the...

We had a pretty-okay last lunch in London here. The service was splendid. We ordered eel roll, inari, curry katsu bento, and spicy chicken ramen.

The sushi was alright, but as a hopeless ramentic, I was a tad bit disappointed with their ramen as nothing in the ramen bowl tasted Japanese and some bits of the noodles came clumped together. What surprised me (not in a good way) was the bell peppers and bean sprouts. I know some parts of Japan do use bean sprouts in ramen to provide a different texture but I haven’t seen Japanese ramen with bell peppers in my entire life.

In addition, the chicken still carried some sort of stinky taste when I chewed it, which meant the chicken meat didn’t soak up the broth properly. The meat should have been marinated ahead of time to mask up the smell (if it’s kept frozen in advance). That said, I think their food is value for the money, especially their lunch set menu, since each lunch set comes with gyoza and miso soup. Perhaps other dishes taste better. I just had a bad luck with the ramen. Curious to hear what Japanese diners here think about the ramen though!

Other than that, I liked their toilet - it’s...