Umai Sushi in Nanaimo

I bought a cucumber and avocado roll for $7 and it was very small. Tasted like grocery store sushi that has been sitting all day. The rice was dry with very little cucumber and avocado. I also had a tuna Maki and there was only the tiniest piece of tuna inside I felt quite ripped off

Great quality, great service and reasonable prices!

Best sushi place in Nanaimo

Parking: Easy and available. Food

Best sushi in town for a decade. We used to live here and got takeout all the time. We ve moved now and its our first stop when we visit the island! Bowser roll, Mt Benson Roll, Mt Fuji Roll, Eby sunomono, Seafood & Veg tempura ..a few favourites but everything is fantastic Phone tends to ring and ring forever till answered. Sitting inside is pretty but a bit cafeteria feeling with hard plastic chairs. We prefer to takeout.

I love how nice the servers are and the food tasted fresh and delicious

Great food and great staff.. So personable and friendly!

This place is still one of the best on the island. I ve been here a few times over the years and I ve never had a bad experience. I can t recommend it enough if you re in Nanaimo!

Had the prawn and scallops teriyaki and it was delicious! Fresh and tasty. Service was quick and friendly. Would definitely come back.

They didn t take the plastic off the crab in my roll and my girlfriend had a hair in hers. Other than that a pretty good experience but I don t think we ll be coming back.

Delicious

Excellent service and delicious food!!

Great tasting food. Came quickly after ordering. Nice and attentive staff. Vegetarian options: Theres eggplant for certain dishes instead of meat. They also do vegetable tempura. Dietary restrictions: If you inform them of any restrictions they will accommodate.

Always good, very consistent and tasty, the staff is great too. Please go here and support a local business!

It is my favourite Asian restaurant in Nanaimo! Stuff is really friendly ( they give you candies in the end), good and tasty food! Me and my 3 sons LOVE to get Dragon eye roll, and I highly recommend it! The atmosphere is also very nice! So come and check it yourself.

Everything was so great. Loved the food and the service was amazing.

Always amazing sushi and experience at umai! It s our go to spot for fresh sushi and amazing service!!

Super safe for coeliac! Tasty and the price is super reasonable! Staff is friendly :)

Always do an amazing job

Great little sushi spot, made with very fresh ingredients! Prices are a tad high, but I guess you can say you get what you pay for with this location. Really love the idea that they have takeout, premade sushi boxes to go at the front door and that you can also get wild salmon and brown rice options for your rolls! Highly recommended and would come back here, when in town again!

Sushi was good, bites a decent sized and overall a good meal. Perfect for a beach picnic

Very friendly staff, didnt have to and was absolutely delicious! Server brought the wrong dish and they remade the right one super quick. Also the deserts are very cute

absolutely amazing service!! had paige and myra as my servers. amazing food and great prices. thank you umai

Perfect sushi, best in Nanaimo!

Disappointing. Our 1st time there since we are on vacation. We had ordered over $100 worth of food between the 3 of us (two adults and my young son). We stayed slightly pass closing time (10mins) because our deluxe sashimi came out late. The owner (lady at the counter) was speaking in korean to her colleagues regarding why we were eating for so long in a very annoying posture. Unfortunately for me because I do not speak Korean and had even gave her a good tip at the end. But after we left, my wife told me what she heard and translated to me what they said. Unbelievable!! Cant even find a good restaurant with good service anymore. If this was in Korea, she would no longer be in business as quality and service is paramount to success. Kid-friendliness: Not kid friendly at all because you will need to eat fast

Food and service were exceptional. Prices were quite fair and ethical. We really enjoyed our experience. We had not been there before but thought we would try it. We have absolutely no regrets and wished we would have found this place sooner.

Salmon sashimi was fresh, but toro sashimi doesn t taste like tuna belly but rather tastes like regular tuna Tempuras were cold and were pre-made, sushi rolls were dry, ramen doesn t taste authentic (there were bell peppers in the ramen). I don t understand the 4.6 stars review here because food tastes kind of bad

This is a small restaurant so sometimes you are close to others. We don t mind. The food is very good. I absolutely adore the eggplant bowl - it s vegan and delicious!! I come her particularly for that. It has these crunchy pickles under the flavourful eggplant and it is such a great mixture. The rest of the family like it here too. We ve had good service and the prices are reasonable.

I order from here quite a bit, and this is the first time that I was a bit disappointed in the service. We specifically asked for wheat free soy sauce due to an allergy and did not receive any. One of the rolls was also not the correct roll that we ordered.

Great sushi choices, and all are delicious! They do tend to forget the side stuff, such as chopsticks, extra soysauce, and one time a full roll,(to be fair they were very busy and the counter staff had just experienced a very rude and entitled customer) I do like to go here often for the awesome food! Vegetarian options: Good vegetarian options Parking: Lots of parking Wheelchair accessibility: Level entry, and lots of room inside the entrance for wheelchair, or four wheel walkers.

Amazing food and service I highly recommend Food

My husband and I go quite often. Its the best sushi in town, in our opinion. It is always fresh, never once has it been fishy and in all our time there we have never sent anything back. They do sushi right! Its my pet peeve when rolls are too loose and the innards fall out and when they are loaded and way too big to fit in my mouth. I have never had this problem at UMAI SUSHI. The owners are very nice people. They quickly recognised that we are regulars and treat us in a kind, respectful and thankful manner. Two enthusiastic thumbs up

Food was good price; but unfortunately it was not Japanese food. Udons were overloaded with soy sauce. Meat was burnt. Tokoyaki and gyozas were deep fried to save time; but still cool in the middle. The service however was very good!

Umai is always so good. Lunch special is particularly a good value. But honestly you cant miss. Also for those with gluten issues, they can accommodate which is always appreciated.

Very good Went back for seconds! Dinner! Wonderful place a 10! Food : 5/5

I ordered a special roll but was hesitating because it mentioned a spicy Korean sweet sauce and teriyaki which I was trying to wrap my head around how that would taste. Turns out I didnt like it. The chef was very good and made me a new one with the sauce on the side and it was very good. I appreciate the consideration and the service was very attentive. Sauce on the side might be a good option when ordering

We went because of rave reviews from friends - absolutely deserving of those recommendations! Others in our party had sushi rolls, which looked creative, and delicious. Loved the cherry blossom decor, the food was well-prepared and prices far more reasonable than youd expect, for the uncompromising quality.

Great fresh sushi everytime! Favourite place to get takeout from when I m in town. Place is always fairly busy but wait times aren t long and staff seem happy.

Served me before they closed! Will come back again!

We absolutely love coming to Umai Sushi for dinner. Not only is the food great but the service is wonderful. Its also the perfect atmosphere for our family. Kid-friendliness: Its a great place to bring your family.

Im very sad to share my experience because Ive often enjoyed both the atmosphere service and food. I arrived at the restaurant on a Saturday evening at 8:13pm. I walked in and was asked if I was picking up. Odd because ive always been welcomed into a restaurant with a hello. Id like to place an order for take out I said the server then promtly told me theyre already closed. This is a bit of a shock to me since i had just looked at the hours... but i accepted that they were closed and left. I had to wait outside since I was dropped off so I could order the food while my husband went to pick something up nearby. It was not long at all maybe 5 mins and the staff was leaving and locking up the front door. When I got into my car, I decided to check to see if I was wrong but the hours online say open until 830pm (google) or until 845pm (facebook, which is what i had seen). Personally Ive worked in the restaurant business. When a business has hours they need to adhere to them. Its quite unreliable and unusual to have staff closing the shop and walking away before the posted closing hours. Yes to speed things up you can have the restaurant ready to close, not allow dine in, take final temps, have things tidy. Final clean up should be done after closing, and can take a half hour or more depending on the tasks. Staff should be able to serve at least take out until close. If staff are scheduled until 8 you should close the restaurant earlier. So i suppose be warned if youre hoping to get some food in the evening, it seems they may close earlier than the hours displayed.

You can choose any variety of sushi . Each is delicious . I can say it s the one of my favourite places to grab food and be so happy

We were pleasantly surprised with the size of the boxes we ordered, there was plenty of food and plenty of variety. Service was top notch.

First time and my husband and I both loved it.

We had an incredible dinner here with our three kids. The only reason why we dont have photos to post is because we ate the amazing meal too quickly. Our kids tried new things and loved all of it.

Had a wonderful experience here today. We got all sorts of sushi rolls, mango, unagi, mt benson, etc. My friend had a bunch of sashimi and loved it. The rolls were a mixture of small and tight and larger. The servers were fantastic. Honestly, can t say enough to emphasize how awesome this place is.

Great sushi at a reasonable price, friendly service every time we visit.

Went to have lunch with my husband and ordered the deluxe lunch and a special roll. Food was delicious, service was great and the place is nice.

Another wonderful meal.

Best sushi in town.

I ordered take out with a sushi platter and beef yaki udon. I was given the bag horizontally with the udon stacked on top of the platter. Turns out the beef yaki udon was leaking out of its cardboard box and broke through the bag leaving a big mess in my car and on my poor father s lap. So frustrating and disappointed

Vegetarian options: Veggie platter Parking: Lots Food : 5/5 |

This is the best sushi I have found in Nanaimo. They also have a lot of gluten free items Vegetarian options: Varied menu will work for anyone Dietary restrictions: Lots of gluten free options Wheelchair accessibility: Entry is flat with lots of space to get around

Great food!

Best sushi around 10/10 recommend

Ordered the Kalbi Lunch Box expecting a good rib dinner but was VERY disappointed to see only three small slices of rib in the box. What is going on here? The rib is the feature portion of the box and the quantity should reflect that. I expect at least 6 slices of that size. I suggest the owners or management review their menu and decide what constitutes a REAL serving. Having been to Korea I know they do not go shy on the meat portion. You wont lose money folks! 6 slices will improve this menu item. The good thing is, is that everything Ive eaten at this restaurant is excellent. Flavour is not the issue. Our dollars are stretched enough and it would be nice once in a while to get some value. For that price there better be more rib!!!!

Great sushi, one of my favorite spots for it in nanaimo

OMG! I love this place! Friendly service & fantastically delicious food! Reasonable prices. Everyone working here is so friendly!

Placed at a table I did not prefer that was left wet. Hit from behind by other clients because I was squeezed into that table and though staff seemed friendly it was not a pleasant experience. Not a place for me so I changed my order to take out. It gets worse.. I opened my take out to find it was soup not noodles. Called to get clarification and told there were noodles in it. Burnt my hand on the plastic bowl incased in cling wrap and on the soup stock while trying to open it. And though I cant blame them for my taste in seafood not being the same as theirs it was so heavy with muscles it was very unpleasant. So I threw it away. What a waste!!!! Never again.

OK sushi, not the best Ive had and not the worst

Came here on my way to Whistler. Food was amazing and delicious and service was amazingly fast (2-3 mins). Would recommend to anyone wanting tasty sushi around the Squamish area!

Umai is lovely !!! Beautiful setting and beautiful decor !! Just stopped over for some Sushi !! Didn t disappoint The staff is nice and friendly as well :)

The best place for sushi and all things related! The nicest people you could ask for and a lovely dine in spot. The food is amazing! So fresh and made with love and care.

1st time getting a take out here. Sashimi was fresh and prawn tempura was very good. Sadly the browser scallop roll ( from the chefs specialty list) smelled a bit off and questionable. My husband stopped eating it after one. I wonder if the ingredients used were in the roll were fresh, the scallops pieces on top were good. A tad disappointed here. I was offered a tea while waiting for the order, well appreciated.

Nanaimo has a lot of amazing sushi restaurants. However, this place rocked it. Affordable, unique, great atmosphere, wonderful staff, and the sushi and sashimi was such quality. We will be back again and again.

Upset I got charged a .25 cent bag fee. Did not ask for a bag. Low rating for that. Hate being dooped.

the rose at the end was perfect! amazing and fast service.

This is my absolute favourite sushi place I have ever been too they have the cutest designs inside out out and on Valentines Day they gave me a rose just made my night! They are amazing Parking: Nanaimo

Located near London Drugs, my friend suggested we go in for lunch. Was extremely impressed as was she with the very polite staff even though two servers called in sick. The owner came and helped her, and was so pleasant and to really make it a great experience was our lunch. She had the Beef Teriyaki Beto Box and I had the Salmon Bento Box with 10 piece prawn Tempura.. DELICIOUS.. spoke with the people at the other table and they were earring a huge Mt Fuji Roll tuna, scallops, salmon .. we will definitely go back.. one of the best in Nanaimo.. sorry I didn t take pics.. too hungry.. oh and the Miso Soup..

We really enjoy the sushi here

Best sushi place in the town. Highly recommend. Staff food and everything.

We always come to this for freshly prepared food.

Good food, good portions, helpful staff

We just had lunch in Umai Sushi today. Great experience fresh and yummy bento box and great service! Server gave kids free icecream for treats! will visit again!

First time here, amazing food and great price!

Service are excellent

super sweet servers and a really polite and welcoming atmosphere :)

they have really pretty and super good food. the staff are super friendly and the restaurant is really cute

Wonderful service & delicious food! Will be coming back. :)

Vegetarian options: Good variety, very clear to indicate what is vegetarian without confusion, we appreciate that! Food

Absolutely love this place! The food is always top notch while the staff is friendly and helpful. We particularly appreciate their various veggie options and how accommodating they are to special requests. You can tell they enjoy and take pride in their work. Thanks UMAI :)

Loved this place. Dietary restrictions: Awesome understanding of food restrictiions Kid-friendliness: Very friendly

Amazing sushi, wonderful attention, everything was perfect here! Thanks so much!

We had the best experience for our last meal at Nanaimo island thanks for every little detail that makes you feel super comfortable. One of the best sushi s I ve been!

The server we had did an excellent job at sharing the traditional Japanese experience. She told us about the cherry blossom petal falling into your drink meaning good luck. Which she then came back out with a free tea with traditional petals transported from Japan. 10/10 service. The food was also to die for! I loved the Takoyaki!! The food was gone in 20 minutes. Highly recommend going here.

Best sushi in Nanaimo, I ve never been disappointed!

Amazing food very filling

Excellent sushi i think best in town, service could be better

Top notch service and decent pricing too. Food was great and all the staff are incredibly friendly. They go out of their way to ensure you have an enjoyable visit and dinner. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a delicious and enjoyable sushi experience.

Super delicious and fast

Really great place with good food. We were very pleased.

Always great service really good sushi, they ask important questions like wild Salmon or? Not super fancy but clean and great atmosphere, and prices are reasonable too! Thanks Umai! Food

We are from Alberta, traveling through & we were so very impressed amazing food, service, price & atmosphere. Great job!!!

Very good experience dining in.

Awesome service, food was delicious and was prepared quickly and beautifully. I love that there was an option of small and large miso soup on the menu as that was specifically what I was coming in to order. I was pleasantly surprised to see there was a large size on the menu, instead of the usual regular size only. Impressed, will return next time were back in town and will recommend to friends.

To start of with the ambience, when you walk in, you really take in all of the color, and the amazing view. Then for the food, the food was amazing, almost as good as the sushi that I had in Norway. I love the variation, and the multichoice of all the rolls, and the tradirional japanese foods such as udon, rolls, apatizers, bentos ect.. And finally for the service, our server was very very welcoming and nice, she was very amicable. Overall, evrything was amazing, and great. Evrytime we come to Nanaimo, this is our go-to Sushi place, I hope this restaurant wins the competition.

Nice little place. Food was very good.

Great food and Atmosphere

So fresh and so yummy!

Amazing food, the service was incredible and I just love the whole ordeal. Sill absolutely be back more Vegetarian options: More veggie

I mostly come here for take out sushi, and its always super fresh and delicious! Staff is very friendly and the restaurant is beautifully decorated. Vegetarian options: Nice options for vegetarian people

Excellent food, very lovely staff!

We ve ordered take here before, but it s our first time dining in. It is such an unassuming little place, but they take great care in the quality of the food, presentation and service. It was a delightful and delicious experience.

Fast, friendly service. Very fresh sashimi and tasty sushi. We also had the KPG for the first time - one of us would have preferred the very tasty sweet and spicy sauce on the side, while the other was happy with the sauce on the tempura prawns.

we visit this restaurant quite often it s always good and fresh foot we even got some free samples for tasting thanks to John also the service is very nice they really welcome you highly recommended

Delicious every time! Vegetarian options: Lots of delicious no meat options! Food : 5/5 |

If youre sick of bad service everywhere, come here for an excellent experience!! This team clearly prides themselves on providing a lovely customer experience. Service was great and food is tasty and well priced. Well be back next time were coming through Nanaimo. Thank you Kid-friendliness: They brought a high chair and a cup with a sippy lid attachment. They were very kind and accommodating to our 3 year old.

The food is amazing and the servers are so nice and kind!!

Had an amazing lunch there with my daughter today! Chi was amazing, the fish was really nice, and the tempura batter is a thing of beauty. A good price for the meal as well!

Delicious food great people

Good prices, great service and good sushi!!

Kid-friendliness: Good sizes and perfect for kids. I loved it! Best sushi in the world!!!! Food

Best sushi in town by far!!! Highly recommend if youre looking for some good food to eat under some rad cherry blossoms!

The waitresses and waiters had awesome and fast service, and the yaki soba was immaculate Vegetarian options: They had a good selection of vegetarian rolls, also a vegetarian gyoza!

Our favourite place to eat Japanese food - Being visiting this restaurant for last 2 years - never disappointed with quality of food and reasonable pricing on their food . Once you visit this place , you will definitely go there at lest once a week - for many more years - The staff are always smiling and ready to help Parking: No issues

Excellent food and service. Floors were dirty in bathroom and in the main dining area.

Lovely as always with complimentary desserts!

Kind and efficient staff and service. Delicious and fresh food. Good value

Amazing Veg lunchbox, hugh portions and great variety! Vegetarian options: Great options and a large variety of veg items in the lunchbox Food : 5/5 |

Just in town visiting and have been craving sushi. This place nailed it. Great service, fresh food, and amazing prices. Next time I m in town will for sure stop by again.

We used to live in Nanaimo over 6 years ago and this was the place we would always go, we moved away, and our first time back brought back great memories, the food was fantastic, we love the spicy roll combo, and after trying many other places here and in other countries Umai is still the best, the quality is amazing.

Great food, everything fresh and delicious, friendly staff

Very cute staff. Good price, good food. My new favorite place. Highly recommend Food

A great sushi joint atmosphere, with a kitschy sakura theme. This is about where the authenticity ends, sadly. The service in the last three visits in 12 months have been ludicrous if not absent. Value and plating of rolls is here, however the quality of the ramen left much to be desired. With a few small corrections to service and quality, this sushi spot may be able to resume some of its former glory.

Quick and easy pickup. Ordered 3 rolls and each were delicious. The victoria roll stood to me as a favorite.

*celiac beware* went to this restaurant and was amazed at some of the gluten free options until I started asking the server about the agadashi tofu which is marked gluten free not gluten friendly. The batter used on the tofu is gluten free but the cooking process contains cross contamination as it uses the same oil as everything else.They still tried to charge us for the tofu even though the menu is mislabed and the lady working at the front proceeded to get upset with us when we pointed out a very dangerous flaw on the menu. There is a very big difference between gluten friendly and gluten free.

Definitely some of the best sushi in Nanaimo. Price is fair. Tried the Mt. Benson platter. A bit too sweet..will try a different platter next time. Sashimi was super fresh.

Food is really delicious, and staffs are all super friendly. It s my go-to restaurant during lunch break.

excellent service, great food and well priced. my favourite is to get the lunch special tofu vegetarian Bento box:)

The food was astounding

Umai was amazing in every possible way! They fed us well with generous portions the absolute freshest ingredients. Incredibly fast service and exceptional quality. Umai has the complete package.

Purchased through the Too good to go app, was delicious with lovely customer service.

Ordered Alaska Roll which was fresh, tasty, fulfilling and decently-priced. Simple and swift service from food ordering to food arrival. Restaurant atmosphere is quiet enjoyable and inviting. Lots of menu variations other than sushi rolls. Take-out options are available by the cashier for quick grab and go. Will definitely recommend this restaurant to anyones looking for a good Japanese / sushi restaurant in Nanaimo. Parking: Easy to find parking as the restaurant is conveniently located on a large mall.

These great people consistently produce amazing fresh sushi. Have eaten in twice, (very modest but nicely vibed seating area) but mostly do take away for clients and family. You will not be disappointed!

Quick service with tasty food. Just the order of things got mixed up...drinks and appetizers first, soup next, main course last. That wouldve been proper. Vegetarian options: Amazing vegan unagi!

I so enjoy coming here - I am treated like royalty and I am usually on my own - they treat their customers like family!

John and the Umai Team are exceptional at creating delicious food and a positive, attentive atmosphere that we can rely on when we are in the North Nanaimo / Nanaimo North Town area. The food (especially the Sashimi, Nigiris, and Rolls) are so fresh and of great quality. If you re looking for a sushi restaurant with delicious food and a great customer service atmosphere, Umai Sushi in North Nanaimo is the place to be!

Great place to eat! Always fresh and friendly staff Food

worst food with highest price. wont come back~ if you tried other sushi restaurants then you will know.

Umi is our fave place to go for an amazing meal out!! Staff, chefs and food are outstanding!! Prices are also crazy amazing!! Highly recommend to anyone!! Vegetarian options: Niece loved her vegetarian dish Dietary restrictions: Little something for everyone Parking: Huge amount of parking Kid-friendliness: Always see kids there Wheelchair accessibility: Nice flat easy access

My boyfriend and I have been here twice for dinner and the servers have always been very hospitable and lovely! They were working on new additions to the menu when we first came and we were very happy to see them last night! We both work in the food industry and this is honestly such a gem to find in Nanaimo with the hospitality of chef John(sp?) who has come to check on our meal and desserts both times while sharing his process of making the desserts and food. Weve noticed that mutiple people order takeout from here but encourage dining in just to experience how quaint and lovely the place is! Everything weve tried so far is fair in price and delicious. 5-star recommendation overall!! Dietary restrictions: Lots of lactose-free options

Amazing date spot. Delightful atmosphere. Delicious food. Incredible staff. Unassuming from outside, as soon as you enter you are welcomed. Chef John and his team have worked hard to bring their passion to your table. Do yourself a favor and treat a loved one to a relaxing dinner; they will thank you for it! Another gem spot in Nanaimo!

We like this place! The sushi offerings range from standard fare to creative items. Prices are reasonable. The restaurant does take out and dine in. The decor is uplifting, eye catching, and the ceiling is hung with cherry blossom branches. Very nice! There are many vegetarian/vegan options. There are several dishes other than sushi as well. Enjoy! Vegetarian options: Several rolls and other items are available for vegetarians and vegans. Dietary restrictions: Good for gluten free and lactose intolerant. Parking: Theyre are lots of nearby parking spaces. Kid-friendliness: Kids are very welcome. You find families eating there all the time. The cost is fair.

What a beautiful atmosphere, calm and attentive service, and last but not least exceptionally prepared food, including the deserts. They were lovely with the kids too. Update: Went two more times. Still amazing.

Its one of my go-to sushi restaurants. Food is always good, and the service is always quick. Would recommend.

The food is amazing especially the nigiri! I had the authentic sushi combo and it had a little butterfly made of a cucumber and the atmosphere is amazing!

Our order was not what we had expected, but that was out fault for ordering something we thought was different. Umai quickly resolved the issue with class and speed. Thank you very much, well be back!

Everything is great but they have started giving really cheap chopsticks with take out. Sounds picky maybe but it makes a difference

Waiter rude

Completely satisfied with our visit to Umai Sushi. Polite staff and delicious food. Interesting offers for lunch. Pictured is the DRAGON EYES ROLL, my favorite in this place. Food

Freshest sushi I ve found in Nanaimo! So excited to have this new gem for my sushi fix.

wrong hours, restaurants is effectively closed from 2.45 till 4 with only a few precooked grab and go items are available

The food is soooo good and I just love the tea! The restaurant itself was so beautiful and the staff are so nice

Vegetarian options: Variety of rolls to choose from Food

My elderly mom enjoyed the calm music as well as her bento box !

Wonderful experience. Good food and very nice service. Vegetarian options: Veggie options are great Food : 5/5 |

Always Perfect!!! Highly recommend!!! Not 5; 6 stars Food : 5/5

Very good all around, I really like the seaweed salad.

Umai Sushi is so lovely! The staff are all so friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is very inviting and cozy! Cant wait to come back!