Shumi Japanese Cuisine — Restaurant in Leonia

A 14-course omakase for only $59?! I'm in! I found out about this special through Instagram. They only have two seatings per night (5:30 and 7:30), and it's only Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Each session has 8 spots, and you have to book and prepay on OpenTable. You really do have to be on time because they don't start unless everyone is there, even if you're not in the same party. Our party of four came on a Thursday and I arrived right at 7:30 and it seemed like they were waiting on us. They brought out the two appetizers, but we waited a while until the actual omakase portion. That didn't start until 8:15, so that was kind of late.

The courses include: Chawanmushi with ikura - I really liked this version. As you eat more of it, there are some surprises hidden in the egg, like mushrooms, and fish cake. It was fun having each bite different than the next, even though it's such a small dish Otoro roll in miso (?) soup - I thought this was a little strange at first but it grew on me Chilean sea bass Otoro w uni - always a favorite Yellowtail belly - I'm seeing more and more yellowtail belly on omakase menus and it's another one of my top contenders Itoyori Kinmedai (golden eye red snapper) Scallop & caviar Kohada (gizzard shad) - this is the one with the silver skin. I usually don't like it because it's super fishy and it was what I expected Shimaji (striped jack) Engawa (fluke fin) Unagi (eel) - I don't like eel but I did like the sauce, which they said takes a few days for them to make in house Red shrimp - another fave of the night, especially the crispy shrimp head. Although it was fried, it still tasted light Miyazaki beef

Next time, I would opt for the 5:30 session because you know they have to be on time in order to clear out for the 7:30 seating. I'd also come back to check out their regular menu. Prices are affordable for higher quality sushi. I'm glad North Jersey is finally getting some real...

My wife and I visited Shumi Leonia for the first time tonight, excited to enjoy quality Japanese food. Upon arrival, we were impressed by the modern interior, pleasant lighting, and good music, which set a positive tone for the evening.

Unfortunately, things quickly went downhill after we placed our order. My wife's fried oyster appetizer took 30 minutes to arrive, and when it did, it was disappointing. The crust was hard, thick, and mostly made of flour, while the oyster itself didn’t taste fresh. We typically prefer a light, crispy crust, but this missed the mark entirely. To make matters worse, her Salmon Bento Box came out an hour later—after we were told the other bento options had run out by 6 PM. Feeling hungry, I tried some of the rolls from her bento, only to find they contained nothing but egg inside the rice, which was underwhelming. In my opinion, a roll should be more than just rice and egg.

The food tasted like what you would get at a regular Japanese takeout spot, lacking any distinctive quality or flavor to justify the high price. The bento boxes on the menu range from $20 to $40, which we found overpriced, especially considering the lackluster food and options.

As my wife was finishing her entrée, I realized my appetizer still hadn’t arrived. When I asked the waitress about it, she simply said, “the kitchen is backed up,” without offering an apology or even checking on my order. I was taken aback by her indifference, and after expressing my frustration about the poor service, food quality, and overall experience, she remained unfazed and walked away as if she didn’t care at all.

We went to Shumi Leonia with high hopes, but we left feeling frustrated and still hungry. With bento boxes priced from $20 to $40, and Omakase meals starting at $100 to $150, paired with poor service and mediocre food, I cannot say this restaurant is...

It was a good experience, but quite disappointing for Omakase experience. The total for two was about $300 without tip. I would say the food was great, but hard to say it was worth the money for many reasons. The ambience appears great, but it loses the true essence of private experience. It was loud in the back with the music.

First, the ambiance appears great because they invested in the interior design, but the chef did not even sit in front of us for the Omakase experience. I can hear them giggle and talk. We had no touch of private attention given to us other than three different waiters and waitress trying to do their best to serve us. The manager really tried his best by giving us a dish on the house which tasted quite bland and not delicious.

Second, the service doesn't live up to the Omakase expectation. I walked in and three people walked up and asked for our reservations and asked if we want to be seated far from where the chef would make sushi. I was confused. Maybe I'm inexperienced when it comes to Omakase.

Third, the food is delectable, and the seafood is fresh. The representation is pleasant and there is a lot of food. I can't recall exactly how many dishes came out. I would say maybe 5-6 courses.

All in all, I refuse to recommend it for Omakase experience, but for lunch or dinner, I...