Umi Kitchen and Sushi Bar — Restaurant in Spokane

A Decent Sushi Spot with Friendly Service and Stylish Touches

Our experience at Umi Kitchen and Sushi Bar was overall pleasant. The pricing felt average for a sushi spot, and the food landed in that same category—solid, but not exceptional.

We ordered the Himachi Supreme ($18 for 6 pieces) and the Yellowtail Collar. The Himachi sashimi itself was fresh and enjoyable, but what stood out most was the sauce—it was beautifully balanced and really elevated the flavor of the fish. In fact, we found it much more complementary than the sauce that came with the Yellowtail Collar, which leaned too sweet and strong for our taste.

As for the Yellowtail Collar, the grilled fish was decent, though a bit drier and less flavorful than we hoped. Personally, I’d opt for Black Cod or Butterfish miso over this dish in the future, as those tend to be juicier and more delicate in texture.

Despite that, the overall experience was still good. The restaurant was clean, and service was attentive and friendly. I don’t think we’d go out of our way to return, as the food was relatively standard compared to other sushi and sashimi spots we’ve tried. However, for a small bite near downtown Spokane or Riverfront Park, it’s a convenient and enjoyable stop.

One thing that stood out in a great way was the interior design—I really liked the modern lighting fixtures hanging overhead. Their varying shapes and heights—some resembling ovals, spheres, UFOs, or vases—added a fun, stylish flair to the dining space. There’s also outdoor seating, which is a nice option, though we noticed a lack of umbrellas, making it harder to find shade on sunny days.

⸻

Final Thought If you’re in the area and looking for a quick sushi stop with good ambiance and service, Umi Kitchen is a decent pick. Just don’t expect standout flavors beyond the...

I stopped by I noticed they were a little busy upstairs, but still have a couple of tables. I asked if they had any space in the bar. Was told they had several tables in the bar.

I went down to the bar with the intention of getting a table to order their lobster roll ($35), and explained I would dine in with that, and then I had and to go order. ($130+)

I was cleanly dressed, make a very good living, certainly didn't look like I was broke. Or act like it. I was polite and nice, explained. I wanted to get a table that I was going to be ordering to go and but I was going to order something for there. So while I was waiting, and the waitress stopped midstride taking me to table and said oh well. These tables are for people that are eating here. Maybe you could wait outside.

Do not go here. This is how they treat people.

She didn't think she was going to get a big enough tip, so she didn't want to bother. She didn't even bother asking me what I was ordering.

I cannot stand snobbish, and stuck up people in any position.

There is no reason this person should have a job dealing in a service industry. And if it was orders from the management, then that place does not need to be in business.

I would suggest the people look to South Hill, as there is a sushi restaurant there on Grant that is in the middle of a remodel, but has much much better sushi and much...

We were really excited to try this restaurant out! We called ahead and made reservations which I highly recommend. We requested a more quiet/private spot which they suggested was downstairs. It took us quite a while to find a parking spot and when we did it was about a half a mile down the road as there was an event going on. It would have been nice to have a heads up about that from the person taking our reservation.

Once seated, we noticed there really isn't any seat in the house I would consider cozy nor private. In fact we were seated directly across from an open door which was quite cold so we asked to move. Luckily there was just one table open at the moment. Our waiter was pleasant and patiently answered our questions since it was our first visit. As to the web page stating dessert, not really, they have a fried banana with a cream cheese topping and that's it. Do expect to drop about $100 for 2 people easily. They also only have white rice.

The food was prepared and presented well, the portions were ample, and drinks were good. We did want to try the dessert at the end of our meal as discussed with our waiter but apparently they do a "hard kitchen shutdown" at 8:30pm. He didn't tell us that when we were discussing it at the beginning so make note of that. All in all, it was a nice night, could have went smoother but no...