Umami

This place used to CRUSH the entire ramen scene in Phoenix but sadly what is left of a once great establishment is no longer worth the visit. A ramen bowl these days can easily run you $20 and Umami is no different. But what is different is the greasy broths, slimy overcooked noodles and chewy meats. Such a massive let down for one of my former favorites eats. Summary of Order: Seaweed Rice Roll, (1) Shio Bowl with spam and garlic paste, (1) Spicy Tonkatsu bowl with pork belly, butter, corn and garlic paste, (1) can of Funigachi sake = $66 + Tip.Sad face all day.

Umami is is a ramen/sushi bar and restaurant located in the downtown part of Tempe. We didn't try the drinks or sushi on our visit. but I can vouch that. the ramens we tried were very good. Both broths (shio & vegan shio) were developed with flavors. The pork belly was especially good and stayed crispy. The noodles were also. good and chewy. Eggs come in either soft or hard and are lightly marinated.Service was efficient.Sunday mornings they play non-stop Grateful Dead music. Call for hours because they might differ from what is posted on Yelp. On Sundays they open at 12:00. Before 12:00 they were giving out meals to the homeless. This is downtown so parking might be challenging to some.4.5 stars

We had a lovely evening at this restaurant. Hubby had skewers I had sushi. Both were delicious. The staff are attentive courteous and informative. We really enjoyed the top notch very fresh food and chatting with a couple of servers. We will definitely go back oh BTW the bar tender does a great job also!

This is a very popular place. I stopped by on a Sunday evening at 7.30 pm and the place was popping. I really like the indoor-outdoor vibe with bar seating too. I order a spicy ramen bowl which was absolutely delicious -- one of the best I've best I've ever had. The broth had a wonderful depth of flavor, the egg was beautifully soft and the shiitake mushroom were so good. They get an A grade on the ramen. It took a while for it to come out so I think they could be a little better organized. But definitely a great little place.

I remember going to Umami for the first time several years ago and I remember it being SO salty. I was not a fan. A few months ago, my friend wanted to grab dinner here. I knew it had previously closed down, but I saw that it reopened at Shady Park. My friend really likes Umami so I figured I would give it a try. It had been several years and I felt like that was ample time to improve.First of all, I knew parking might be tricky, so I looked into where I could park. I saw there was a small lot behind the building that seemed promising, especially for dinner during the week. When I was about to make the turn, I saw that the entrance for the street to get into that lot was under construction. Ugh, just my luck. So we had to park further away and pay for parking. We had to walk all the way around the building to get to Umami, and let me tell you, it was COLD that night. It was so unpleasant. I was ready to be inside and get warmed up by my ramen. We walked inside and the only comfortable open seating was at the 2nd booth from the entrance. We quickly realized this was a mistake because they kept the door open the entire time and anytime there was a gust of wind...we definitely felt it. By this time though, other spots got taken, so we were stuck. I ordered the chicken noodle house bowl. My friend ordered the vegan fish tacos and the vegan ramen with some extra toppings. We waited for our food....waited.....waited....and waited. Did I mention it was cold? It was the worse combination: cold and hungry. It took about 45 min from ordering to actually get our food. It took about 25 min of waiting for our server to notify us that there was an issue in the kitchen that was delaying the ramen. Our server told us she appreciated our patience and that other tables were not so patient. While we understood that things happen, it's best to let the customer know asap.Once we got our food, I was disappointed yet again. The broth was as salty as I remembered. It was not enjoyable at all. The chicken was also very overcooked and dry. Other than the taste, I felt like the portion size was also small. After finishing my ramen, I was still hungry. I would definitely not come back. If someone suggested this place, I would steer them in another direction.

My sister-in-law is an ASU student and has been coming here regularly. She knew we love ramen and wanted us to check it out. The Build Your Own Ramen starts at $9. This includes noodles, some veggies (spinach/bamboo shoots/scallions), and a naruto (fish cake). You pick your flavor of broth, which only has one is a vegan option. Then you add more toppings. I went with the Spicy Tan Tan Men, which is chicken/pork broth with house spices. I then added the pork belly and spicy garlic paste. My husband ordered a very similar ramen bowl except he added a soft egg. The total price tag for my bowl was $13.25 (plus tax). My husband's was $15 (plus tax). The broth itself was very good. I liked what comes with the standard $9 ramen and was disappointed with the pork belly. It wasn't very crispy to begin with and as it sat in the broth it became softer and softer. For the added $3.50, I wouldn't get it again. It'd be better to go with the roasted pork, if you wanted a meat option. The spicy garlic paste was a nice addition but almost unnecessary with the spicy broth I chose. Overall, the service was fast and friendly. The food was pretty tasty and very filling. Not the best bowl of ramen I've had, but if you are in the area, it's definitely a cool spot to check out and enjoy!

BIGGEST RAMEN BOWLSConveniently located across from the ASU campus green space. On the sunniest of days this was a darkened, cool haven.Came here during the hugely popular and crowded arts festival but as this was off the beaten path we were able to secure a table, no problem. The ramen bowls are huge and the seaweed salad is terrific. Someone in our party got the soft tacos an he loved them. They had a huge bar with lots of televisions. Come here when you want to beat the heat or the hangry. You want be disappointed. Great portions, taste AND value.The waitress and service couldn't have been any better.

Hands down this is one of my favorite Ramen spots in Tempe! It's inside of Shady Park so you have other options including sushi and pizza if you're in the mood for something else. My go-to, which is their best seller, is the spicy shoyu. This Ramen choice already has a nice kick to it but adding a little chili oil and sriracha never hurt nobody! This ramen is perfect to eat in their outdoor area on a cool night since it definitely keeps you warm. The spicy tan tan is also a good backup choice just in case they're out of the spicy shoyu. I love the pork but the fried chicken in the ramen is also very good! Speaking of fried chicken, why not try a sushi roll with fried chicken in it!? Their lord of the wings roll is an awesome touch to traditional sushi with a little twist!If you're in the area, stop on by and give Umami a try.

I haven't been to Umami since they were in the Brickyard, but I was seeing a show at Gammage so I thought why not. I got their Ramen and decided to add the fried chicken. Big mistake. The chicken tasted like it was friend an hour ago. Barely warm and not good. The rest of the Ramen was solid tho. The location is very open. Had to sit inside with the fans to cool off a little. I'll try them again, but stay away from the fried chicken addition to their Ramen. They have a lot more options as well (small plates and sushi) if you are in the mood for that as well.

I went here with my friends, they said they've tried it before and didn't really like it. We just came for the DJ sets at Shady Park.I ordered the ramen, and my friends were definitely right. The broth was watered down and made the entire dish tasteless. Top Ramen you get at the grocery store for $1 had more flavor than this stuff. One of my friends ordered the sushi and she said the same thing- it had no flavor.My other friend ordered chicken wings and said they were good. Maybe just stick to the American food and stay away from the Japanese stuff. For the price point you pay at this place you could go to a real Japanese restaurant and get a much higher quality meal.