Umiya Sushi — Restaurant in New York

The food was good overall, but the experience was disappointing. We made a 7 PM reservation for Sunday dinner, and after sitting down, the server told us that both Uni and Toro were unavailable. We had traveled a couple of hours just to try this place, so hearing that after being seated was really frustrating — if we had known, we would’ve come another day.

We wanted to try other premium items like the Wagyu Sando, but it didn’t feel worth it at that point. We even had to pay an extra $5 for one order of Wagyu Sando because the server said she couldn’t give it to us otherwise, which was fine, but a bit odd.

After our first round of sashimi, our original server disappeared. When we tried to order more with another server, she said, “I don’t have the iPad,” instead of finding someone who could help. Then, when a new server finally came, they told us they were out of salmon and tuna too — which was really disappointing since those are basic items. She explained they were very busy the night before and had run out of many ingredients. She did offer us a discount, which we appreciated.

Honestly, the only staff member who seemed organized and attentive was the non-Asian server who handled our reservation and helped take our second order. The restaurant should be more transparent and notify guests in advance — either before seating or on social media — when they’re out of key menu items. We spent hours traveling only to end up with a very limited AYCE selection we could’ve found...

I made a reservation and went during the first week of soft opening. I really want to support local spots, but a few things need work:

Staff knowledge: Servers should know the menu and ingredients better. Ours couldn’t explain what’s in some dishes (even in Mandarin Chinese), and the menu itself had only names — no pictures or descriptions. That’s risky for anyone with food allergies.

Food quality: I think the sushi/sashimi etc. are mediocre, but it could be that I was bearing higher expectations; , but the hot appetizers were the worst I ever ordered from anywhere. The pork bun wasn’t properly steamed (half hard), and the chicken karaage didn’t taste fresh.

Professionalism: After one table over-ordered (understandably, given the unclear menu), ); the lead server made an "exception" and allowed them to pack and made it to-go, then, some staff gossiped about it in Chinese after the guests left loud and clear in public. Not a great look — especially in NYC where the community is diverse and people notice. (btw as a common sense on NYC you should know that most sushi place are Chinese-owned) LIC is a new Chinatown, don't do that

Too many restaurants opened and died in LIC. I do want to support good local business, I will visit the shop again, if they improve I will...

Went during soft opening on Friday night and honestly, my experience was completely ruined by who I believe was the manager or owner. Whoever hired this guy made a huge mistake.

After we placed our order with our server, this “manager” comes over holding our order slip and loudly says: “THIS IS WAYYYYY TOO MUCH.” Excuse me? Any decent AYCE spot would simply adjust the order in the kitchen if they were running low. Instead, he made it his mission to embarrass us and interrogate who took our order.

If 10 slices of salmon sashimi for two people is considered “too much,” then don’t call yourself all you can eat. He said its the end of the night and they need to make sure that there is enough fish for everyone. Then also please don’t seat customers an hour before closing without a single word that last call is in 30 minutes.

He spent the rest of our meal hovering and complaining about how stressed he was, how the place just opened, and how he had to “babysit” staff. Newsflash: the staff was great. The only problem was you. You were inexperienced, unprofessional, and created unnecessary tension in the dining room for us and your staff.

Never in my life have I met a restaurant manager who made a dining experience this uncomfortable....