Umami Sushi Lounge & Grill Fusion

My wife, 5 yr old and I decided to try out this place. I ordered the Ramen noodle soup. I have to be honest. It tasted very very similar to those packet Ramen noodles that you heat up in the microwave. The texture of the noodle and even the broth tasted very similar to microwaveable noodles. I would not recommend the Ramen noodle soup, not to mention… it was $ 10 for the bowl. Other than my dish, the service was great. The place was clean & well decorated.

Tried my first Bento Box today! AMAZING great service! Hands Down Best place to eat sushi and Japanese food in Conway! Service is A1.

Nice environment, bad sushi. Here’s the rundown:
-$ 2 house salad: This was delicious, one of the best house salads in any Japanese place around central AR. Great, fresh ginger dressing with more veggies than just iceberg lettuce.
–Big Daddy Roll– $ 12. 6 pieces. Are you kidding? This one is deep fried, so it was pretty good. However, there was too much rice and not enough flavor.
–Key West Roll– $ 11. 6 pieces again. You’re killing me! This one is what I was most excited about. Wrapped in soy paper, has lots of veggies, including jalapenos… I was expecting tons of flavor and a kick of spice. I got nothing. Very bland, too much rice. Are you seeing a pattern?
At that point, I stopped ordering before I had to take out a second mortgage. Won’t be back.
GO TO KIYEN’S IN WLR. This place has the best sushi I have ever had, from CA to AR, it can’t be beat.

The pad Thai missed the mark as a whole. As an Asian person who knows pad Thai really well, this one was bland. Avoid at all cost. The proportion is too small. Not worth the money.

I wouldn’t say I’m an expert in instant ramen, but I am a college student. I’m 99% positive that they served me instant ramen for the Umami Ramen Soup. The meat was alright, but a little overcooked. A member of the group believed their sushi tasted a little old. One member commented that, «the Fire Bang Shrimp Bento Box was less bang and more peh.» Another member had to wait over ten minutes after everyone else in the party received their meals. His was the simplest, fried rice with the steak. The food took a little long to come out. The servers were nice, though. They were good about getting refills once the cup was empty. The bathrooms were nice and clean.

Amazing food !!! Shane III the ultimate Sushi chef !! He loves Arkansas !! Conway Special is his speciality make sure to ask for it !!!

«Fire Bang Tacos» are they only three Japanese words I will ever need to know.
I’ve been to the Umami restaurant in Russellville but the one in Conway is a completely different animal. The Russellville location is about the size of my garage. The one in Conway is huge by comparison. In Russellville there is no Hibachi grill, in Conway they have a large room with about half a dozen grills working. Russellville has a dozen or so small tables crammed together with a goofy bamboo wall covered in LED light strips, Conway has a large dining area that looks like it was decorated from this decade.
Ok, enough comparison, let’s talk about my dining experience.
I stopped at Conway on my trip from Little Rock to Ozark for a quick bite to eat. I was expecting a takeaway burger from a clown restaurant but when I saw Umami I thought I’d actually go in and eat. I should have remembered it was February 13^th, the day before Valentine’s Day, and I would have realized the place would be packed.
The hostess greeted me and when I told her I was alone and I didn’t want to sit at one of the Hibachi grills she seemed distressed. I could tell she didn’t want to give up one of her tables to a single diner. I told her I would be happy to sit at the bar and she brightened up.
The bartender at the bar was a very nice guy. He was working his butt off but he still took the time to answer a few questions for me then recommend the Fire Bang Tacos. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude for bringing those tortilla wrapped slices of Heaven into my life.
I wish I had taken a picture of them but the moment I saw them I dug into those babies face first like a starving hyena with a wounded hippo. I had sauce covering my face and hands and I couldn’t have cared less. It may have been the best dish I have ever eaten. I just wish I had the slightest knowledge about cooking so I could have figured out what was in them. I could identify the shrimp because it said it on the menu but other than that, I don’t have a clue. All I know is they were amazing and the weird sauces on the plate and in the little cup they give you, just made them even better.
I would drive back to Conway just to eat those tacos.
Unfortunately, no sunny day can pass without a little shade. I do have one negative thing to say about my visit.
The bar where I sat is «L» shaped and the other leg of the «L» is the sushi bar. There were 6 or 7 people sitting there and 3 or 4 chefs preparing dishes. Here is an exchange I heard.
Customer: Where can I get one of those hats?
Chef: You can’t.
Customer: Thank god.
Chef: Forget you, mother eff-​er.
(he actually said, «mother eff-​er». I wasn’t cleaning it up)
Everyone laughed but I was thinking, «I don’t think I’ll bring my family to eat here anytime soon.» It seemed inappropriate. That’s the only thing keeping this from being a 5 star rating.

Nice surprise here. Very good sushi and nice hibachi grill dining. Food was fresh and well prepared.

Hands down the best sushi in Conway! The prices are great and the service is fantastic. I can’t wait to go back and try some more of their amazing rolls!
The fish was extremely fresh and very well presented on the plate it was almost to beautiful to eat, notice I said almost! It was seriously delicious!
If you want great sushi at great prices get over there!

We went for my husband’s birthday dinner, and as always, we were not disappointed!
The Poki-​Ini is AWESOME! I’ve actually considered asking them to just make me a dinner portion! BUT! Then I couldn’t get sushi and sashimi!!! The seaweed salad is superb– I’m a little light-​headed just thinking about it! Mmmmmmm…
My Darling has the miso glazed salmon– it was so good, I had to pout to get a bite!
I had a sushi dinner– «C», I think? Dunno, because I was swooning over it– YUM!
The only problem I have when I go here is I literally want to work my way through the whole menu, but I remember all the wonderful things I’ve had here beforeand want it again… *sigh* If only they would make a «Sampler Platter” — just one bite of everything on the menu. *swoon* Price would NOT be an issue– I’d sell a kidney if that’s what it took! :)
Rain (sp?) is an attentive, knowledgeable (MOST sushi places, the staff looks at you like you’ve grown a second head when you ask a question, HA!). But not Rain! She has that rarified talent of being there whenever you need her without hovering or «stalking» you!

I always get a spicy tuna roll with whatever i am eating at sushi places, and this is hands down the best I’ve had. It was actually spicy which is sadly not always true and you could tell how fresh their fish was. The inside was nicer than i expected, staff was friendly, and the prices were very reasonable. My new sushi place, still have to try out the hibachi!

Whether you are in the mood for sushi or hibachi you will be happy with this place. The service is excellent with (usually) knowledgeable wait staff. The nigiri and sushi dishes are reasonably priced and plated very well. It’s the best Japanese in Conway by far.

My wife and I eat at the Umami in Russellville regularly when having a date night, but this time we were seeing a movie in Conway, so naturally wanted to visit Umami there as well. First things first, the staff was very inviting and the establishment super nice if not a little swanky. We sat at the sushi bar and were greeted by Sean the Head Sushi Chef who was very personable and helpful. He allowed us to see and even smell dishes he was creating to aid in ordering. We told him what we like and gave him full creative licence. We were not dissapointed… best sushi we have ever eaten. If you want a beautiful and delicious meal, great conversation and a little education from a Chef who has prepared for a President, come to Umami.

I had the pad Thai noodles with a few chicken breasts thrown in. The noodles and the chicken were cooked very well, and portion sizes were more than adequate. I also got the California roll and was not disappointed. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone. The service was also exceptional.

If your looking for the best sushi in central Arkansas you need to come by umami and sit at the bar. Let Sean slice you some fresh in sushi. He had some Spanish mackerel and purple snapper… Both were delicious. Highly recommend coming by for the sushi.

Unbelievable shushi here on Conway. I travel all over N America and this is some of freshest dish and best shushi I have ever had!

We went for my birthday on a Saturday night. The menu is very diverse and met everyone’s needs. The prices are extremely fair and affordable. I can’t say enough about how wonderful the food was. The sushi was perfectly formulated. I got shrimp pad Thai and had a lot of shrimp with an amazing pasta sauce. My husband got flat noodles with steak and it too was generous and delicious. Also the umami lemonade cocktail was awesome. I found my new favorite place!

Fried crawfish appetizer is very good, the dipping sauce is made there on site and very tasty. They have ½ price Japanese beers and saki until 6pm. The eel rolls I ate were decent size for the price and well made. I sat at the bar and was well taken care of.
The atmosphere here is pretty cool. It was Wednesday night and it looked like many brought their dates in. Nice place and very clean.

One of the best things about traveling for work is the restaurants… Until I’m stuck in a dry county in the middle of Arkansas. For a weekend escape I ended in Conway and ate sushi at Umami. I’m almost in tears writing this because I know this place is too far for me to become a regular. The food is amazing! Umami… it’s not you, it’s me.
The rolls are very fresh and emphasize the flavors of the fish by avoiding the use of tons of sauce. And the mochi ice cream was plated extremely well and was equally as fresh. If there are two things in life where freshness matters, it’s fish and mochi. Check out the Long Island roll.

My boyfriend and I went here for some hibachi and drinks, it was excellent! I liked it because the hibachi show wasn’t super in your face, like some other hibachi grills that you go to (no broccoli or shrimp being aimed at my face). The chef was friendly and the show was fun to watch.
I ordered the Ruby Red Tuna Hibachi, it was fantastic! I wanted my tuna rare, and the chef cooked it just how I wanted. The portion of fried rice was gigantic (but delicous) and I ended up taking most of it home. The veggies were delicious as well, I just wish that I could have gotten a larger serving (maybe more veggies less rice next time?). We ordered a few mixed drinks, all very tasty, but a little pricey.
Overall, it was a great experience, I have a feeling that we will be returning soon!