Umami

Booked this restaurant for my birthday dinner after I read about it in Scene magazine. Our waiter was really knowledgeable about all of the specials and I appreciated that he took the time to answer all of my questions. He definitely gets 5 stars.
Food: we ordered the scallop appetizer and green beans. The scallop app was perfect. I would have preferred a touch more heat to the dish, but it was tasty. Green beans were delicious, and the vinaigrette reduction was sweet, but not overly so. For entrees, husband got the elk and I had the nairagi. The dishes were beautiful, but the temperature was warm at best. My dish seemed as though the chef was afraid of a touch of salt. Lovely plating, but just mediocre flavor. For dessert we shared the chocolate pot de crème with cherry whipped cream. That was a to-​die-​for dessert. We each had two cocktails and an espresso. The espresso with dessert was perfect.
Ambiance: lovely, quaint and a little tight. Wish it was a touch bigger space, but still a lovely restaurant.
I would eat here again for a special occasion as it is a bit on the pricey side. Total bill: $ 150.

To the reader,
Welcome to the official Unilocal page of MJWF Culinary Professionals.
In summary, our meal at Umami in Chagrin Falls was nothing short of exemplary! The ambiance was on par, as was the service and food. Below, we will go into a more in-​depth review of all aspects of our experience, this brief intro is just an overview.
Ambiance:
The ambiance was very nice, good lighting, although it would be foreseeably more difficult for older patrons to read the menu, as it is with most restaurants in this day and age.
Service:
The service at Umami was most excellent. Our waiter was knowledgeable gregarious, walking us through the finer aspects of the menu and evening specials. At Umami, it is clear that the staff works as one unified whole.
Sashimi Special Appetizer: $ 30
The sashimi special of the evening was yellow fin tuna, himachi, and Faroe Island salmon. All of the fish was excellent, sushi-​grade quality. In addition to the excellent fish, were three types of soy sauce: regular, smoked, and citrus-​infused (ponzu). The regular sauce was nothing special, but both the ponzu and smoked soy-​sauce were excellent. The smoked soy-​sauce possessed a light smoky flavor which significantly enhanced the flavor of the fish. The same can be said about the ponzu sauce. Finally, the pickled onion was the crowning jewel, a real treat to compliment the fish.
Udon Noodle Entrée: $ 21
The Udon Noodles were excellent. The broth was superb and the steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The noodles were cooked to a point where they were not too sticky but also not too mushy, in other words, al dente. The mushrooms in the broth complimented the steak very well and overall I would order the Udon Noodles again.
Duck Special Entrée: $ 28
The duck special entrée was most excellent. Consisting of asparagus, roasted garlic, 5 spice spaghetti squash and red coconut curry all mingled creating an amazing palette experience. The duck was cooked to a succulent rare, and had a beautiful 5-​spice hard-​seared crust. Beneath the duck was a concoction of spaghetti squash, asparagus, and coconut curry. Of course, the spicy cream sauce can not be understated as, in my opinion, it provided the most crucial counter-​point to the fat rich duck meat. Also, the asparagus was cooked perfectly, without any trace of stringiness, as poorly cooked asparagus has. Overall, the duck special was amazing.
Pot De Crème Dessert: $ 8
Ahhh, words can barely describe the heavenly pots de crème. I guess it is necessary to begin at the top, with the freshly made honey whipped cream. It was light and fluffy, with the proper amount of sweetness. The chocolate pudding was divine, with a velvety, intense chocolate flavor. Every single aspect of the pots de crème was amazing, and we would highly recommend it.
Fruit Crisp Dessert: $ 8
The fruit crisp was also most excellent. the crisp itself contained a lot of fruit, and it had a good sweet to tart ratio going. There was also honey whipped cream smothering the entire crisp in sweet goodness. Highly recommended!

This is a very small space and very popular, so reservations are recommended. We ended up ordering exclusively off the specials so on our inevitable return we’ll have to order something off the regular menu. The featured cocktail: the cherry blossom martini was well made and the perfect temperature. The local venison potstickers had nice flavor and was an interesting juxtaposition. The big eye tuna special was the stand out. It was seared perfectly. Staff and service was friendly and helpful. Definitely worth a visit.

Sad to say this restaurant is losing it’s way. They seem to be losing grace and gratitude. Still good food.

The lamb chops and grouper specials were delicious, creative. Portions were very adequate. Exhortatory note: there is a lot of obesity in this country and portion size is a major factor. The chef attempts to use local fresh produce from the area and the green salads were great! And the vegan onion soup was amazing. Very attentive service. Noisy and very busy during this Saturday summer evening. Very clean well maintained restroom. Keep in mind that this is a small venue with tables so close so as not to be conducive to intimate conversations. We expect to be back soon.

Went there with my youngest Son. We read the menu (outside) and decided to go to Shinano’s for a better selection. I can’t for the life of me figure out how such a limited Sushi menu is attractive to Sushi fans. I, and my Son, like variety in our sushi outings.

This is chagrin falls only worthwhile restaurant. Meaning if it wasn’t in a great locale it’d still be worth the effort it takes to get a table in this little gem.

The food is always solid here. I love their creative fresh fish dishes (always very flavorful) as well as their Massaman chicken. The setting is cozy and intimate. Take note that there is no bar to wait at before your table is ready. In addition, reservations are a must on the weekends.

We had an early dinner prior to going to a art show.
People at the restaurant are the best friendly and helpful. Whenever I go to this place I always aim to try something new. Last night was a grand slam oyster mushroom app. And fish both specials off the board. My wife enjoyed a salad and the duck Breast. In addressing the cost of dinner, I can only say the value was there. We will return.

Drinks: their cocktail menu is good and there are a lot of custom drinks which I appreciate at any restaurant. They do tend to be on the sweeter side and use a little too much fruit juice/​syrup. Otherwise certainly strong.
Food is amazing! The sashimi is fresh and their goat cheese appetizer will blow you away. A must try! Main courses are light, with unique flavors.

I sometimes wonder how many people are involved in the restaurant business in this area that give poor reviews because they associated with another competing restaurant. I have eaten 2 dinners and as of today one lunch at umami. Each time I’m impressed and happy to pay the bill. If you expect 2 quality ingredient, nutrient-​rich dinners, 2 apps, 2 trendy drinks, and a desert or salad for under $ 85 before tip then stop leaving poor reviews and maybe I’ll see you at Red Robin. If you say something isn’t spicy enough, tell them to add some when you order. You won’t be able to taste any nuances, but who cares — you’ll similarly be gracing the fluorescent light filled Chinese establishments.
If you want more than eleven pieces (I counted) of filet mignon in your lunch portioned soup (mind you, full size «bites») then go to an all you can eat Chinese restaurant and enjoy yourself, but don’t write a poor review.
If you DO like a meal where the udon beef is carefully constructed with crunchy bok choy, fresh green onion on top, udon noodles that were not previously cooked or mushy, and al dente (read «fresh») shiitake mushrooms, all in a rich, slightly spicy broth with a bit of melted parmigiano reggiano (non-​domestic — I checked) for $ 10 bucks for lunch –get a job!
I do remember having one of the best fish dinners I have had in a long time here, and would joyfully return if I could only remember it. The wine was so fabulous that night two of us ordered 2 bottles –each.
The ambiance is great and please don’t criticize the slow wait staff. You embarrass us when you travel to Europe and expect to be in and out for dinner so quickly you complain. Ugly Americans should also not be dis-​allowed review status.
Try this place out. Communicate with the staff, they are very accommodating and eat your heart out. You’ll enjoy it!

Love this place, it’s very small do be sure to book ahead, it’s worth it. Fantastic food and excellent service every time we go. I would highly recommend it.

Too expensive for small helpings of average food. Tried apps. to determine if we’d go for dinner some time. Had the following:
Spicy Tuna Roll — lame. Honestly, supermarket sushi is better. Rice was cold and, worse yet, mushy. Spicy tuna was, eh at best. This item was clearly pre-​made and sat in a fridge.
Pork meatballs — 4 meatballs on top of a flavorless coleslaw for $ 9.
Cheese dumplings — this actually was a tasty app. but, again, kinda small for the price.
Good beer list and the house cocktail list was good. But this doesn’t make up for the food prices. Very nice atmosphere and good service.
We won’t be back as the food was too expensive and merely average at best.

Girlfriend and I were excited to try. New, small, quaint, personal… then the food came. Cali roll was decent but that was it. Goat cheese appetizer, beet salad, sashimi and scallop entrée… all terrible. Waiter recommended the nairagi sashami (special) and after he brought it out (well presented and plated), I picked a piece up and before it was 6 inches from my mouth I got a gut-​wrenching whiff of rotten fish… I have had bad sushi before but I have never smelled sushi like this in my life (and I am from the midwest where there are some questionable places). We were subtle about it but before we could tell our waiter, a very nice woman sitting next to us leaned over and said «is that bad? I can smell it from over here… the same thing happened to my husband a few weeks ago», which obviously begged the question of why they would ever come back, but I didn’t ask. The waiter tried to convince us it was fine and said they’d been serving it all night, which was both laughable and disturbing. The stench lingered for about 5 minutes after he took the plate away. Scallop entre came, again looking quite visually appealing, but scallops tasted slimy and old and quality aside the recipe was poorly designed and executed.
Worst part was paying almost $ 70 for one entrée and 3 apps… and leaving hungry and sick. We had just gotten back from a weekend in San Francisco where literally for the same prices (most places) you can eat the best food of your life. Not to sound arrogant but it disturbs my soul that these ammateurs can gouge people like this in Cleveland who probably dont know any better.

I had the BEST soup I’ve ever had there last night. It’s was a coconut fish chowder. Sweet baby Jesus. The food is incredibly fresh. They ran out of a lot while we were there and although some would see that as bad, I see that as fresh, being made daily, damn good– food. The ambiance is so wonderfully trendy yet warm. The staff was attentive and described the food perfectly. We ordered all specials but the main menu sounds amazing as well. We will most definitely be back.

Can we all agree that the phrase «hidden gem» is beyond played out?
Okay — now that we’ve got that behind us, Umami is that and then some.
A favorite of mine, especially throughout the frigid Cleveland winters, this warm and inviting establishment reliably offers nothing but lovely experiences. So, when friends (with high expectations and an appetite for quality seafood) were in town from Boston last week, I knew exactly where to make reservations.
Much appreciated was that the manager was kind and accommodating enough to make room for a party of six with slightly short notice (and on a popular evening with the holidays quickly approaching) — not such an easy task for a quaint restaurant. The server was knowledgable, the food was superb, and the atmosphere was perfect — lively and somehow festive, as we celebrated our valuable time with close friends.
Thank you, Umami, for being just what your name suggests — a beautiful taste.

Chef Matt is the best. His food is killer and he gives so much back to the community. He is always sourcing the best local products around.

Good location is pretty much the only thing this place has going for it.
Completely overpriced! The menu is so limited and the food is… meh…
If you’re going to serve udon noodles soup for $ 20, it better be the best damn udon soup, with fillet mignon steak floating in it. In fact, it was mediocre at best.
The sushi wasn’t tasty at all. It honestly felt like they weren’t even trying to cook great food for those prices.
I went to try it cause they had a groupon, and for this this is a good way to get introduced to new restaurants. Well, I’m glad I had the groupon discount; cause I wouldn’t be happy paying that bill in full for the small and not so tasty portions we got.

Food was just OK, but over an hour to get an entrée? Here is our not-​so-​great experience, followed by details about the restaurant.
The not-​so-​great experience…
We had lunch reservations, were seated promptly, and our order was received within 10 minutes of our arrival. (I know these times because I had to watch the clock that afternoon.) When we didn’t see our appetizers for 25 minutes I noticed, like us, many tables had patrons but no food. Having prior engagements, we asked to change our order to take-​out, which was humbly accepted. Appetizers were received boxed and bagged now 35 minutes after our order (see pictures) — still no entrees. At 45 minutes after our order, we were advised that the entrees would take at least another 15 minutes — 1 hour after the order went in! Disappointed, we had to ask them to cancel our entrees off the check, which they did, and later scarfed the meal down in the car.
The restaurant…
Umami is located in pretentious downtown Chagrin Falls along the popular strip of restaurants near the falls. It has a narrow, slot-​type layout with an aisle down the middle. Diners are seated on both sides of the aisle in a bench-​table-​chair format along one wall and in booths along the other wall. There are 10 — 12 tables inside and 2 outside on the sidwalk. Of the inside tables, only the most outermost 2 tables are by windows.
The food…
Simply Asian fusion, emphasis on Japanese — the lunch menu featured 6 little plates and 7 large plates. Our appetizers (california roll, goat cheese dumplings, and spicy tuna roll) were nothing exciting or dramatic to write home about — the flavors were nice but rather subtle and calm. I found both rolls (served maki style) rather bland and «needed» the wasabi and pickled ginger garnish. (Unfortunately, those garnishes are meant to be accoutrements to enhance sushi flavors, not be the sole provider of flavor.) We were actually looking forward to trying our entrees (massaman curry chicken & the sturgeon lunch special) but we can’t judge what we didn’t get…
Again?
Probably not. There are many good Asian Fusion and traditional Japanese restaurants to choose from out there both proven and left for us to explore.

First of, I’ll admit that I came to the restaurant already biased. My expectations were set low; why? Because Umami Asian Kitchen is an asian kitchen run by those not asian. I’m generally avoidant of japanese restaurants run by any type of asian non-​Japanese, as well as Italian not run by italian and so forth.
On the other hand, having had Chinese food run by indians, cooking what amounts to Indian styled Chinese food, I must say that cultural hybrid cuisine can occasionally be very interesting if not compelling.
After all, American Chinese food is a thing all its own…
But what about Umami? Is it really U-​ma-​mi? Honmono desuka?
Well, it’s a yes and a no. The executive chef’s Japanese influence is pretty clear in the menu selections and execution. With Kimchi flavoured skewers, tuna tataki, assorted rolls, the Japanese beers and selection of spice balances, the nipponification is definitely in there.
It’s like you took an Izakaya, simplified the menu, westernized the flavours just slightly, and also pub-​i-​fied the ambiance. It’s quaint, cozy and intimate — very much like a small izakaya would be like if the décor ran more western.
And I think that’s precisely what this is, a westernized Izakaya. The prices might well be out of Ginza as well, which is really the sticking point. The food is decent. If you were served the food without respect to the price, you’d eat an enjoy the stuff.
But the prices are a tad steep. I don’t really know the pricing schema of Chagrin falls, but this seems a little over the norm.
So, a 3 is reasonable, maybe a 2.9.
A plug for the crisp pork-​belly though. That is something I’d order and put over a bowl of rice any day. That dish is a 4 star flavour/​texture.