Umami Express Japanese and Korean Food Takeout and Catering in St. Catharines

Super friendly,excellent service, very tasty dishes.

Try it! Dont sleep on this place, its a first pick for I dont wanna cook nights

I tried the Teriyaki Mayo Don and it was delicious. They were kind to switch the chicken out for beef for me. Very friendly and great service and atmosphere. Will come again.

Vegetarian options: The Tonjaru Soup is spectacular! (Be certain to order the 12 Oz.) Their desserts are homemade, with excellent quality ingredients. Delicious! Food

Spicy Bulgogi and plum drink. Wowww!! Will definitely return. So many yummy things on the menu I want to try. Definitely recommend!

Awesome Asian food! Good portions too :)

Awesome Authentic Japanese food. Highly recommended. As somebody who lived 20 years in Japan I can guarantee you will get authentic food here.

Great atmosphere even better service and food. Do yourself a favour and try it!

Always awesome fresh, hearty, friggin delicious nothing else around hits the same.

Amazing hidden gem, get your Korean and Japanese food here

As a Japanese native, I can confidently say the food here is truly authentic. If you re craving delicious Japanese bowls, this place is an absolute must-visit!

Really good food and friendly service! Homemade kimchi was delicious, and the dojima rolls for dessert were tasty too. we will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu.

the Best Japanese and Korean food EVER!! taste sooooo great!!!

Wow, this place is incredible. St. Catharines are so lucky to have food of this quality. I cant wait to try the Ramen

Super cute place with really good food! The portions are a good size and the staff is really nice. Big fan of the beef bulgogi in particular

If your looking for authentic Korean or Japanese cuisine this is the real deal. I went in for there ramen Friday, and hands down the best ramen I have ever tasted. I will be back to try some of the rice bowls, thank you for the great service

This is a true Niagara region gem! I hope they continue to thrive. All their meals are fresh and delicious! Owner is super friendly and kind.

Just ordered lunch here. Wow, order the wasabi mayo beef bowl. Friendly service too.

Found this place by accident yesterday. Ordered the Brisket Teriyaki sandwich online today and im almost finished it. WOW, what a good sammich! I didnt look all that big, but its packed with brisket, and its soooo good. Glad I work around the corner, Ill be back for sure!

The food was delicious and the person working the counter was very kind! Will be back for sure to try other dishes.

Okay so first off the owner is a really nice guy, down to earth. Easy to talk too. Just had the Teriyaki Sandwich and honestly it was 10/10. Sometimes I even just poke my head in when Im walking my dog and he grabs me a coffee quick and even the coffee is amazing and this is no joke lol. Amazing place. Local secret.

The food is amazing! Everything is very tasty. My favorite place in the area

Great food

We just tried them today for the first time and were so impressed with not only the food, but also the atmosphere. The person that helped us was so kind and helpful, the restaurant s decorations were lovely, and the food so fresh! We got the gyu don, Bulgogi with cheese and kimchi, and Okono miyaki with cheese and kimchi. The beef in the gyu don was packed with flavour and the rice in both it and the bulgogi were super tasty. We were obsessed with how flavourful the Bulgogi was and highly recommend it if you like kimchi and a bit of spice. The Okono miyaki was amazing too - it was packed with fresh ingredients and the sauce was delicious. We want to try the seafood one when we come back because we think the flavour would work super well with it, too! If you want to try a restaurant with super fresh food (I looked into it and a lot of their ingredients and sauces are made in-house like their kimchi), I highly, highly recommend giving this place a try. We re looking forward to coming back in the near future!

My husband and I love this place! The sandwiches, rice bowls, and cream cheese brownies are delicious! Plus, the owner is super nice.

Amazing food and really nice owners

First time coming here, and we are so glad we found it! The service was quick and friendly, and the food is outstanding! Everytime should come and try this place!

I never leave reviews, ever. But the Shabu Shabu Don from Umami Express in St. Catharines is so good that before I fall into a food coma from shoveling it down my throat, I have to let the internet know that its my new favorite dish. People. If youre stuck in a boring relationship with your regular take-out options, try a saucy rendezvous with the Shabu Shabu. You wont regret it.

I ordered the beef curry with rice and my partner ordered the chicken curry. This was our first order and it took 1 hour and 5 mins. The order arrived and we wondered where the protein was. This was how the sauce was even when it came. No beef, no chicken. It s quite disappointing that dinner wasn t served in time and didn t meet our expectations.

In my mind, this spot has a lot of potential but unfortunately, based on raving reviews, I didnt experience the wow factor Id anticipated. The location is intimate and inviting. The owner is absolutely delightful, but the food was just ok. Personally, we found the ratios a bit off as well, with more rice/veg than meat. Either way, I think it is worth another visit - the menu highlights housemade bread with a variety of sandwich options that caught my eye.

So good. Lovely selection of quick takeaway and prepared items. The only thing I ve been able to eat in a while cause I ve been sick but it was worth the wait.

Highly recommend. I ve been twice so far and the food is as wonderful as the owners.

Went in looking for Alligator Pear the first time and found Umami Express. Gave it a try and have returned many times since. They take such great pride in preparing your food and the quality of the ingredients will meet anyone s standards. Don t hesitate to eat here.

Bulgogi rice bowl was awesome. Great price for the food you get.

My brother brought me there today after a trip to Burlington. I ordered the Korean udin noodle special. It was fantastic!!! Generous portions and hot...I actually had to let it cool down before I could eat the rest. Excellent flavours and very satisfying.

Excellent dinner!!! Friendly staff! Were going back soon! Recommended dishes

Delicious food (especially seafood okonomi yaki & fig macarons), great dish variety, friendly atmosphere.

This place is DELIGHTFUL. Incredibly tasty food and 10/10 service. The owner is a gem. We were looking for something new and are so happy we discovered this little place, and have been back several times since!

Very friendly and accommodating. Great good! Dietary restrictions: Very accommodating. Food : 5/5 |

Hiroki was amazing in facilitating the catering for our St. Josephs Heathcare event in Hamilton. Everyone at the event raved about their sandwich, salad and dessert. The food as fresh and was boxed up lovely. he even labelled every box with my staffs names on them. He was also amazing in coordinating the gluten free options. I highly recommend this little gem of a venue to anyone looking for catering or just stopping in for lunch for a quick dinner St. Josephs Healthcare Hamilton used Hiroki again for our retreat On February 2, 2024. The food was again amazing, fresh and boxed up lovely with each staffs name attached. Hiroki had everything ready for me and helped me into my vehicle with the 40 boxed lunches. Hiroki is kind, accommodating, efficient and his food and presentation are top notch! I highly recommend Hiroki and Umami Express!

The only place I know of in Niagara that makes Katsu Curry. Weve eaten in, taken out, and have had bento catered for over 100 people. Eat in is tiny. Take out is our norm. Foods always great. Yoshida-san and his wife put their heart into this place and its our go-to place for a comforting Japanese food experience.

Very friendly staff and delicious food!

Amazing food and fantastic service, if you haven t eaten here, I cannot recommend it enough!!

I m so glad I found out about this place. I ve eaten here very often over the past few months and I don t see that changing. My order is always the same; a vegan sandwich, a vegan rice bowl with extra teriyaki and side salads with sesame dressings. The owner and his wife are incredibly sweet and lovely people. I call ahead to order and let them know I ll bring my own containers and they are happy to pack everything up once I get there so there is no waste. The food is super fresh, nutritious and delicious! I d recommend to anyone who needs a quick and healthy lunch/dinner option! Vegetarian options: 3 great vegan options!

I tried the kimchi mayo guy don and it s was good . Good food and service. Would recommend

Good food and service. Brisket sandwich and lentil soup were good as well as their kimchi. Oh and the browny too :)

Great food and great service. Tried a few different dishes because we didnt know what to get. Was not disappointed. Fresh and delicious. Homemade kimchi is not too hot and lots of flavor.

First thing first, the customer service workers here are very kind and accommodating. They give the impression that they genuinely care about the experience of their customers and quality of food and service they provide. Their baked goods are fresh and delicious. The Gyu don is a classic and delicious. I wish they had more pickle options like onion or cucumber but the kimchi with their home made hot sauce elevate the simple rice bowl and it s easily addicting. I will say that I ordered their rice bowls through delivery so I can t speak on the in person dining quality of the food, but when ordered the rice may be a bit mushy. I don t know if that s from it steaming under the meat and in the packaging, or what. But I am also a rice lover so I may have too high expectations. I would recommend this place to anyone. I absolutely loved them. 11/10 would eat again.

Had a rice bowl spicy Korean chicken it was very spicy. Very fresh. I ll be going back for more. Highly recommended.

Love their food. Spicy Chicken Rice Bowl and Kimchi is the best taste I ever tried. Price is very competitive too.

Owner is super friendly and food is great!

Super yummy, great prices, and the owner is lovely! Already looking forward to going back:)

Very friendly and the meals were delicious. I really liked the ginger salad dressing, and my chicken thighs with mixed veg was soooo yummy. Good price for the quality you get for sure! The owner was very nice and helpful. Parking: Easy free parking right in front.

Have been here twice and both times the food has been excellent. Most recently I had the bulgogi bowel and the beef was so nicely done! The portion was also very generous. The owner/chef is also quite nice and pleasant.

So excited to find Japanese and Korean home cooking. The owner is very kind and lovely to talk to, and the food is delicious! Ive tried the gyu don and sukiyaki don (rice bowls) so far.

Excellent Japanese curry!

Ive tried the gyu don and teriyaki brisket sandwich, and both were outstanding! Very tasty and well presented dishes. A must try if you havent yet. Food

Food was delicious and fresh, great service its a hidden gem.

Amazing place!! The owner has such kind hospitality you just know you are eating well! The food is guaranteed always fresh... standards are extremely high which I value! But price wise also amazing value. Best brisket sandwiches ive ever had, and we also love the bulgogi rice bowl. Fresh salad, amazing kimchi. And the miso soup again best Ive ever had. Perfect portions and very energizing for lunch and dinner. This place is a local gem! Cant wait to try more of the menu. Great St Catharines staple. Thank you so much :)

I went searching for a lunch option on Google maps and located in a sea of your standard sub shops was the newly re-branded Umami Express. The rice bowl and miso soup were packed full of flavour and the service was top-notch. I left incredibly satisfied with my choice and will definitely be back for more.

I ordered the Katsu Curry and a chocolate brownie and I have to say that the katsu was probably one of the most amazing things I ve had. It s a more subtle curry and very mild spice if any, the katsu was so crispy and flavourful it paired perfectly with the curry and rice. Their baked goods are so amazing I highly recommend. I am looking forward to my next order so I can try something new. Great job I will most certainly be a regular customer!!

5 stars in an understatement. The food I ordered was phenomenal!!

Very nice owner. Passionate, friendly, accommodating. Will definitely be coming back. Homemade kimchi is a must!! Delicious food. Food : 5/5

I am so happy we have a place here serving food like this! Everything we tried tasted amazing and they have an awesome little freezer section with take home dishes and desserts. Must try!!

The owner is such a nice guy and he makes everything super fresh to order. I m really happy with finding this place. Excellent choice for lunch at the very least. Don t pass this place up if your looking for some great home cooked Korean/Japanese food. Thanks Heroki! P.s. I hope I didn t butcher your name spelling!

I ordered takeout from this place today, and the food was Amazing!! ( I genuinely never write reviews but the food was so good I had too) Before ordering I was looking at previous reviews and one mentioned the Kimchi being the best they ever had and I couldn t agree more! Overall 10/10 will be back again. What I ordered: Katsu Don Kimchi Pork Okonomi-yaki

I ordered delivery but this was my first time trying Umami Express and its a hidden gem in St. Catharines that I wish I had found sooner! I ordered the shabu shabu don and it has so much flavor and its extremely delicious. Definitely coming back for more to try out the other items on the menu and hope to visit the physical location at some point. 10/10 would recommend.

The best okonomiyaki I have had in a long time! Super friendly, great value for $. The miso soup was delicious, too. And the kimchi is homemade. A must try place.

I usually dont leave reviews, but WOW! This place, hands down, has the BEST food in St. Catharines. Great prices, amazing service, absolutely delicious food! I will never stop recommending this place!

Stopped by for a quick lunch. The person working was so kind and efficient. Got the bulgogi rice bowl combo which was really good. Came with a salad and pop, the ginger salad dressing is homemade and amazing! There is also a bunch of frozen meals/desserts to purchase for home. Definitely will return.

Out of all the Japanese food Ive eaten since coming to Canada, it had the most delicious and Japanese taste Also, the handmade kimchi was really delicious, and the restaurant is run by a lovely couple. I will go again

This is my new favourite takeout place. This is my second time having food here. Today I had the Tonjiru soup, and the Extra Spicy Dakgalbi. Both were excellent. The soup was so flavourful. The Dakgalbi was fantastic. The extra spicy part did not disappoint. It was SPICY. My gf and I loved it. Portions are good, one main dish and a soup was plenty of food for 2 of us. And the prices here are better than other Korean / Japanese restaurants on the delivery apps. I met the guy the last time I went in and grabbed takeout. Really friendly dude. They had frozen food to take away too. Do check this place out.

Got a gyu-don rice bowl and it was absolutely delicious! The portion was big and the service was amazing! Highly recommended this place if you want to try Asian food.

Stumbled upon this when I was in St. Catherines. Amazing food, the rice bowl I had was awesome along with the porchetta sandwich I had to go. If you re ever here, be sure to check this place out.

Had amazing bul gogi and kimchi!! Real fast service, great prices and friendly atmosphere. Haven t stopped talking about that kimchi for a week

I recently found this place and so far so good! Food is delicious! And the owner/ chef is very nice and friendly I ll come back soon!

This has easily become my new favourite spot in St. Catharines. The owners are incredibly friendly and passionate, culinary artists. From the Japanese or Korean rice bowls, sandwiches and unique selection of desserts, Ive tried them all! Theyre all AMAZING! My kids and I love Umami Express.

Honestly, I got the Yakatori-don and I REALLY LIKED IT. Ordered pickup, it was ready in 15 minutes, gentleman at the counter was super friendly. Seemed like a nice little spot. I will definitely go back.

Every single meal I ve purchased here whether hot or cold, has been amazing. (Edited to add this was for Alligator Pear, not sure if this new place[same location] is still run by the same people or even serve similar food, but I ll happily try it!)

The gentleman working at the times I visited is amazing. Remembered my ordered from a month ago or so. Great vibes, delicious food!

This is a very humble but quality place to be.

Stopped by after reading up the reviews. Chef Hiroki is friendly and welcoming from the moment you walk in through the door. I ordered the gyu don and spicy jeyuk rice bowls and they were made to order. The food is delicious, the portions are generous, and most of all, its made with care. Ill certainly be coming back with my wife when I need a delicious rice bowl and maybe pick up some of the desserts from the freezer.

First time for a quick lunch (take out). Very enjoyable experience. Eatery clean and bright. Food fresh and made to order. I will be back.

Amazing frozen options, highly recommend their veggies and cookies. Their take out bulgogi is great for a quick meal! Extremely nice chef!

Delicious food, very reasonable prices, and they go above and beyond with customer service. We come here a lot and will continue to do so.

Always the best

Been here several times, trying different things from the menu and from the fridge. Every time it is a hit, including with the toddlers. There is also a different interesting thing to see (food or shopping option, or book) every time we come. The owner/operator Hiroki is really nice and makes delicious, authentic tasting Japanese and Korean rice bowls. He and his wife (she has a job and then makes all the desserts after) work so hard to deliver us with a wonderful food service. Makes me really want to support them, especially when they pay such attention to detail. Oh, the homemade sesame sauce is vegan friendly. Parking: Take out location, there are chairs but I dont think the primary function is for dine-in. That said, it is nostalgic to have a rice bowl while standing and listening to Japanese music.

One of my favorite lunch spots! Always fresh and flavourful!!!

Stop looking for the best breakfast / brunch / dinner place! You have just found it. High quality and fresh ingredients. You won t regret giving this place a chance.

Dropped by this afternoon for lunch. Purchased the Korean soy sauce beef rice bowl. The gentleman who prepared my food was very friendly. The dish itself was fresh and tasty. I will definitely be coming back for lunch soon. If I could describe my dish in one word, it would be.... Yummy! Update Dec 13/22 Today I tried the spicy chicken. More yum yum yummy goodness.

Very delicious. Thx for a great lunch Dietary restrictions: Gluten Free

My wife and I love their pizza. Very well made with fresh ingredients.

Delicious sandwiches and friendly service!

Our go to place for lunch on a Friday! Great sandwiches and the Friday night pizza and wings are fantastic! Good selection of home cooked frozen dinners. Keep it up Tara!

the best sandwiches in st. catharines

Good food

Friendly people and great food!

The best pizza and wings in the city... And they dont even make pizza all week long.

Best pizza in town for sure! Fridays only though

Quality food!!!! You get great food at great prices

Steak panini and mushroom soup today, outstanding! Friendly service and very clean kitchen. Definitely returning.

Stopped in to check out what smelled so good ~ ended up ordering a sweet potato panini and couldnt resist the avocado chocolate pudding it was off the chain! I will definitely eat there again!!

Love the variety of take-home items. The soup and sandwiches are all home-made, and the prices are pretty good too.

Great place for dinner and lunch!

A small hidden gem !!! Food and prices were outstanding!!! Must return!!

They were very friendly, and they gave our dog some water!

Good food!

Once again great food

Love the food

Food is delicious, especially the wings! Great service as well.

WOW... this place is amazing. I can thank skip the dishes for bringing this place to my attention. I am not disappointed at all. Ordered the turkey wrap and wow, I made a mistake and only ordered ONE. Do not pass this place off, you will not be disappointed at all. I will be ordering much more from them. Such a fresh taste, you can tell the employees care about food quality. As for contact with staff, I did call them to verify the address the food was going to since it was in a plaza and didnt have an option to state that. When I called and talked to the women on the phone she seems very polite and friendly. HIGHLY RECOMMEND you stop looking of a place to eat and just order from here.

The pizza is incredible, my hard to impress boyfriend was blown away by it. I had the lentil soup and loved it, and the brownies... holy smokes they re massive. Everything was amazing! Thank you so much!

Best wraps in town!

So I have now confirmed this is the. Set lunch stop ever . Begone sandwich amazing and squash and carrot some stellar Check it out

Ordered the chicken panini sandwich and it was great. Staff was very friendly. Will be back again soon.

Great paninis!

Great place downtown. The spicy pork sandwich was made with actual slices of roasted pork loin, served on really fresh bread. The chicken wings are baked, not deep-fried and theyre really flavorful. Nice folks, good food and not terribly expensive.

Alligator pear... what a pleasant surprise! I stopped by here last night on my way home after probably passing it a million times. I was greeted by the owner Tara right away. She was friendly and very accommodating. I ordered the pizza, wings, a panini and a brownie. The pizza and panini were good. Tasted just like youd make at home. Fresh, real ingredients. The wings were even better!! They only come in one flavour and for good reason because theyre great!! Sweet, salty, spicy and paired together perfectly! But the real star of the show was the peanut butter and chocolate brownie! OMG! To die for! I shared it with my husband and we both sat there in awe when we were done. It was moist, rich and HUGE! Next time Ill be ordering two. WeIl done Tara!!

Great healthy food, Great service!!

Wow...Best chili I have ever had! It was delicious! Cant wait to try more of your homemade entrees!

I love how you can personalize anything