Umami

My wife and I loved the Ramen we had on our recent trip to nyc so when we returned to AZ we wanted to see what was available in Phoenix. We. settled on umani because of the reviews and also because it seemed to specialize in Ramen. Wow great place. Not as good as toto Ramen in nyc but still so good.
We both got the paitan broth. You can choose from shio, soy, miss, paitan, or vegan. We will, be back to try the others for sure. You can add pork belly and other items. We added spicy corn and roasted garlic. So good. The noodle. are the wavy variety and wonderfully chewy. Service was quick and efficient. Value was ⁵⁄₅. Food ⁵⁄₅. Service ⁵⁄₅. We will be back asap. :)

Some of the best Ramen in the valley! My favorite is their Posh collaboration menu, better than the stuff at Posh! Sadly the place is closing December 10^th 2015.

This hip japanese noodle /​Ramen house is off the beaten path bear Mill Avenue and hard to find. When you do find it, you will be happy.
You fill out a subway style menu choosing your broth, then add additional toppings such as soft egg, garlic, corn, etc.
They have a decent Sake selection including unfiltered. Service is actually really attentive. The ambiance is definitely casual and mellow. If you sit in the center zone, they are often playing old Japanese marital arts movies.

I’ve never had «real» ramen before Umami, and now I keep coming back!
The service, despite a few reviews here, is fine. The waitresses don’t bother the snot out of you while you eat, but they also don’t leave you alone to die when you’re not quite good enough at eating ramen with chopsticks yet. They’re very helpful when it comes to questions about the menu, they deliver your food quickly, and they’ll easily accept alterations to your meal minutes AFTER you hand them the check-​off order sheet.
The atmosphere is really cool. Simple but modern, with a couple chalkboard walls to advertise their specials/​deals and let customers draw their own designs. The bathrooms are pretty and very clean.
But most importantly, the ramen is amazing. The broth is flavorful (yes, a little salty, but I’d rather it be that way than not salty enough), rich and soothing to a sore throat (this is a perfect restaurant for those suffering from colds). The meat is tender (get the pork belly and the chicken) and the vegetables, though I often remove them, are well cooked. All of the flavors meld together nicely and if you happen to have extra by the end of your meal, this ramen actually makes for great leftovers.

One of the worst places I’ve ever been to for ramen.
1. the ramen was severely under cooked
2. there was zero customer service, all the staff was too busy talking to their friends or on their cellphones…
3. One of the employees was licking her finger nails… and playing with nail polish.
are you kidding me? is this a nail salon?

Not bad, but after living in Asia for 11 years I’m a bit of a ramen snob… Mostly I give them a high rating because of the execution.
The staff and friendly and helpful, the ordering is easy, the place overall is nice. Nice bathrooms. Parking is a bit funky but after arriving once you get the gist of it.
The ramen is a bit above the regular Phoenix ramen. The noodles are thicker and have a firmness to them which is the way I like it. But… and this is because of my history overseas, the broth is your typical stock with some spices added to it. The ramen broth I’m used to is a lot thicker and bursting with flavor. If you can see the bottom of the bowl through the soup then you’re having more of an instant ramen kind of thing. So far only Cherry Blossom’s tan tan ramen meets the standard.
The price is on the high side. It was $ 12.16 for ramen with pork topping and a diet coke. After tax and tip the meal was about $ 15 which is a bit expensive for a bowl of ramen. Not really filling but like I said, nice execution overall.
If you’re used to Phoenix ramen then you’ll probably like the place. There’s nothing particularly wrong with it so I give it good marks even if it didn’t quite give me what I was looking for.

Best ramen in the Phoenix area by far. Got the chicken and pork broth with tofu, pork, corn inside. It is for sure comfort food. Just perfect. I love how the broth just come with so many great sources of protein and and fiber in it. I also got green tea which was also delicious. It is served with a lemon and honey packet. The service was actually great for us. There were so many people helping out at all tables. And we were there on a Friday night at 7. I can not wait to go back

Finally a decent ramen place! It’s not the best ramen I’ve ever had but it is the best in the area. I enjoyed their miso ramen. I’ll be back again when I get my ramen cravings.

YES it is finally cold enough for warm comfort soup!!! My friend and I are from California. We wanted to celebrate finishing an exam and we thought Umami was worth the drive out to Phoenix. We set our standards low though…
The Parking: Woah, I did not expect to not find parking on a monday night. But we luckily found a spot at a meter near by. Meters are FREE after 6pm! Umami’s sign is small and a little tucked away so you just have to walk around the 21 Building in a circle and you’ll eventually find it hahaha
The Feel: very modern, very trendy, definitely reminds me of any typical LA eatery. BIG THUMBS UP! You can use pencils to write on the cups at the table, or use chalk to write on the big wall across the bathrooms.
The Service: great! Our water were filled promptly, our orders were taken right away (which was awesome because we arrived at 6:55 and happy hour ends at 7pm HAHAHA)
The Food: Happy hour items only
–paitan/​miso broth with chasiu aka pork belly meat ($ 6): what a steal!!! I added a soft boiled egg and garlic. The broth was flavorful, a little bit on the salty side but nbd. The soft-​boiled egg was a weeny bit too cooked. BUT the chasiu meat, oh baby, the chasiu meat. It was soft, tender… The sort of heavenly goodness that just melts in your mouth. ORDER THIS, you’ll thank me later.
–sunset cocktail ($ 5) so delicious, it was perfectly fruity with a hint of alchy. Recommend for all the fruity drinks lovers.
The Con: the menu are paper and had lots of water and food stains on it, kinda gross. And the menu where you fill up your choice of ramen and additives were also reused, they just erased the previous order. I think there might be classier ways to be green and reuse your menu guys, like using lamination and use erasable markers…
Overall: our bill came out to be about $ 32 with 2 ramens and 2 drinks. Not bad at all! Umami is in the perfect location where you can take a walk down Mills road to work out some of that pork belly fat you just ate, or not, let it sit and marinate happily in your belly. Hahah, Umami, I’ll be back for more@

Umami, is a small hidden gem located on mill avenue. What you’ll find you’ll never know! But right where you enter you’ll a cool bar, you’ll think of it as a coffee modern bar, but there’s lounges the bathrooms are nice and before you enter is a huge mirror out front for a whole body selfie including wall chalk art behind you. Other than the cool interior, with bright neon colors and bright wall art you’ll definitely enjoy eating here! For a good meal you’ll most likely spend under 20 dollars which is really good! They definitely meet the college needs with ramen with the price but you can’t beat it! Specially with the unique tastes and broths make it a ramen bowl you’ll want to try over and over again! You also have choices to customize and add things to your bowl, drink specials are available and also a happy hour! Service is awesome and small so you won’t lose yourself in forgetting about them or vice versa! This is my go to spot in Tempe for ramen and I would say in the Phoenix valley area! So stop by! Enjoy Kompai!

This is a very cheap ramen joint. Ordered the spicy shoyu ramen for $ 6 each. The broth was extremely salty make but sure you get add-​ons with more veggies and meats for a few more $.
The staff were very busy tonight but were friendly and tried their best.

Wow, Arizona finally has a decent ramen shop, I’m impressed. The variety of broths is good and the toppings were excellent.
Place is in a crap location though. I think the address is misleading and it’s hard to find. It’s in the same complex as Ike’s, Steak and Shake, etc. It’s probably close to 7^th street than 6^th. It’s right behind the down ramp into the parking garage on 7^th street and really close to church.
Now back to the food. I got Paitan — which was super flavorful pork and chicken bone. Definitely a stronger broth than what I got at Republic Ramen. The toppings I opted for were chashu, soft egg, and garlic paste. The chashu was almost melt in your mouth with the beautiful fat marbling. And who doesn’t love breaking into the rich yolk of a soft boiled egg. And as for the garlic, I got a decent smear on the side of the bowl, but not sure if I’d pay for it again.
Due to the customization, it was a little pricey at 12. However, they have cheaper options — a $ 10 special for chef ramen picks, sake, and a beer. I think it’s good food to have if you don’t want to get shit faced on Mill. Or just want good ramen.

I absolutely love the ramen here! And you definitely get your money’s worth.
You start by picking a flavor. I usually get the Paitan. Which is a pork and chicken bone. I then add cracklings, spam, soft egg, corn and butter. Their broth is very tasty however I do think it’s a bit salty. The customer service was ok. I didn’t think the staff was very sociable.
This isn’t california so you’re not going to get the best ramen in the world. But I think you do get your money’s worth and it is quite delicious despite it being a bit salty.

So good!
There are so many different options for PHO

I love how you can customize your ramen choices here. Service is wonderful and I love the décor. I’m not too fond of the parking, but definitely worth coming to satisfy my ramen fix.

I’ve been coming here 1 – 2 times weekly since I found out about this place 2 months ago!
The food is always fresh and flavorful, the beer selection is good, and the staff is always friendly and welcoming. And they even have good music playing constantly!
I love that you can pick and choose what you want in your ramen; it’s extremely customizable.
I always feel very well taken care of here. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would!

I ordered the ramen with miso soup, added tofu, egg, and spicy corn.
The soup was a bit too salty and it sucks they removed the different options off the menu. There was only ramen or the bento box.
Service was excellent.

I come here decently often and I honestly wont stop until they close it down, or drag me out after too many sakes. Their broth is the best in the valley, and I’ll fight you if you mention republic of ramen being better. Just. Don’t. I’ve had all of the broths, and it depends on my mood for which one I choose! The staff is awesome too. I’m pretty sarcastic, and when a staff matches me in that department, they get instant brownie points.
I crave umami while sitting in 115 degree weather. It’s true. I’m a sick individual.

This restaurant should change its name to Salty. If there were any umami flavor, it was overpowered by the salt.
–1 star for food: the paitan broth was too salty and the roasted pork was good, but it stuck to my teeth as if it’s superglue.
–1 star for service: while the broth made my mouth as dry as a desert, the «servers» never offered to refill my water despite seeing everyone at the table had empty cups.
Overall, it’s an okay place. It would be a two-​star place if it’s not located on Mill.

You really should check this place out. It’s in a weird spot, but plenty of parking below in the the parking garage, and they validate two free hours of parking
Definitely get your ramen with SPAM, unless you get the shoyu or spicy shoyu (soy) broth, then the salt is a bit much. Don’t bother with the pork, it pretty flavorless and not woth the extra couple bucks
I’d go 4.5. .. why not a 5 star? Considerable improvement in quality from just last year, and their broths really have taken on a nice depth, but outside of happy hour, they’re priced a tad higher than maybe they should be. Once you add toppings, your $ 8 bowl of ramen can easily turn into $ 12-​$ 15.