Umami Steak and Sushi Bar — Restaurant in Philadelphia

An Unforgettable Culinary Experience — Umami Is a Must-Try in Philly

If you’re looking for a restaurant that delivers both exceptional quality and a memorable dining experience, Umami in Philadelphia should be at the very top of your list. We had an absolutely phenomenal evening here—easily one of the best dining experiences we’ve had in the city, and we dine out often.

What makes Umami so unique is its ability to flawlessly marry two seemingly different worlds: premium steakhouse dining and top-tier sushi craftsmanship. We came in excited, and left completely blown away.

🐟 The Sushi: Fresh, Rare, and Sublime We started with the rock shrimp appetizer, which had the perfect crunch and a rich, spicy aioli that we couldn’t stop dipping into. The coconut shrimp roll was creative, light, and packed with tropical flavor—balanced just right so it wasn’t overwhelming.

But the stars of the sushi side were the sweet shrimp (amaebi) and toro tuna. Sweet shrimp is rare to find done properly, but here it was fresh, buttery, and elegantly presented. The toro was decadent—exactly what you hope for when ordering high-end fatty tuna. Silky, flavorful, and expertly sliced.

🥩 The Steak: A5 Wagyu Done Right Next came the A5 Japanese Wagyu, which was in a league of its own. It arrived beautifully marbled and then was charred tableside, adding a theatrical flair and a smoky crisp to the rich, melt-in-your-mouth beef. The attention to detail here was next level—the chef knew exactly how to enhance the natural flavor of the Wagyu without overcomplicating it. It was pure indulgence, and worth every bite.

🌟 Service: Friendly, Professional & Personal We were lucky to have Alex as our server, and he truly elevated the experience. Alex was genuine, knowledgeable, and made us feel completely welcome from the moment we sat down. He walked us through the menu with real enthusiasm, answered all of our questions without pretension, and made thoughtful suggestions that turned out to be spot on. His timing, attention to detail, and easygoing nature struck the perfect balance between professional and personable. It felt like we were being taken care of by a friend who just happens to know a ton about steak and sushi.

🎯 Atmosphere & Final Thoughts The ambiance strikes the perfect balance: upscale and polished, but comfortable and welcoming. Great for date nights, celebrations, or even a sophisticated night out with friends.

Umami delivers not just a great meal, but an elevated experience that rivals some of the best restaurants in New York or LA. From the rare and perfectly prepared sushi to the expertly cooked Wagyu, everything we tasted was unforgettable.

We’re already planning our next visit—and bringing friends. This is the kind of restaurant you want to introduce people to....

We heard about this restaurant through an Instagram post. The food looked very tasty and we have to say it exceeded our expectations. We had the honor of coming during their soft opening. Whether or not they were just buttering us up, they have won our hearts and our stomachs. We sat at the sushi bar and Chef Mike made our dinner experience very special. It was "ichi-go ichi-e." This is a Japanese 4 character idiom that describes a cultural concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment.

Chef Mike is very personable and humble. He does not give himself enough credit, but we know he will only create more exciting culinary experiences due to his passion, talent and drive to continue to learn and innovate. We let chef Mike take the lead and it was truly an amazing sushi/sashimi/nigiri journey. The food Chef Mike creates are firmly rooted in traditional Japanese styles but not tied down to the tried and true. This allows him to create plates with both the excellent taste we have come to expect from true quality sushi and he goes further to add a unique, fresh and entirely original flavor.

The Koji aged steak was very unique and makes it stand our from other steak house flavors in the city (and we do like a good steak). The head kitchen chef carves the steak for you at table side. Worth the experience.

The staff is very attentive. Peter the manager was very kind and really knows how to make you feel welcomed and at home.

We hope that as the restaurant gets busier (which we know it will) that they will somehow be able to keep the sushi bar experience personable and wonderful. We wish the restaurant only the best and we will...

At 4.7 stars, this place is underrated. It is truly a hidden gem. This is the freshest sushi/sashimi I've eaten within the past year, and I probably eat sushi/sashimi 30+ times per year and in different cities. Within the tri-state region, the quality of this restaurant's food easily competes with Momoya in NYC.

I'll provide some more specifics about my order: I ordered Chef's choice sashimi that I upgraded with fatty tuna toro and Hokkaido uni (and the cuts provided were a bargain compared to anywhere else you could add this a la carte, if even available), then paired it with a dry rosé. In the picture provided, I'd eaten about ten pieces before I could pull myself away from my chopsticks to appreciate this meal with a picture. As you can see, that's a lot of fresh fish. The cuts were subtly seasoned to bring out the natural flavors of the fish, such as the mineral notes in the scallops and the buttery notes of the shrimp and toro. It was so fresh, I could almost close my eyes and become the scallop sunbathing in the intertidal zone, and that fresh uni from Japan finished me off. I'm on Cloud Nine now, guys.

I was unable to resist trying their dessert: ginger creme brulee. The ginger was very mild; it was light despite being a custard and not too sweet. Basically, I balled out at this meal, but it's my birthday soon, so whatever.

There's street parking, and it's worth the Uber if that's your thing. You can definitely eat a fantastically fresh meal here with staff who will serve you with exceptional attention to detail, whether you're looking for something ordinary or...