Umi Cafe

Came here for dinner on a weekday around 4:30pm, there were quite a number of cars parked along the road outside the restaurant, but inside there were only 3 tables occupied. Love the outdoor seating area and the garden was beautiful. Food was tasty, I ordered the caramelized pork belly, it was good except the lean meat part was quite dry and hard to eat. Service was normal.

Remember guys, COFFEE served iced only. The owner gave us a warning before ordering many times LOL. The coffee is amazing though, so give it a try. We tried the buns and they were amazing. The Taiwanese beef noodle soup was nice and rich. Great atmosphere and service. I would recommend this spot if you’re looking for great food and vibes.

The food was decent. It wouldn’t be my first choice but if I need to get something to curb the Asian comfort food cravings, I’d come back. Pet friendly: no Family friendly: yes Parking: small parking in the front and street parking in the back FOOD: 1) Popcorn Chicken (deep fried marinated chicken coated with potato flour, served with house made mayo sauce and deep-fried basil) $10: 3 Stars – Very crunchy but not crispy which is weird since it was deep fried. Maybe it was the potato starch… I really wanted to like this more but it didn’t have a lot of flavor but oddly enough I don’t think I’d mind eating this again. The house made mayo was super thick so I ended up dipping the chicken in the sauce that came with the lime wings and the curry from the roast duck curry. 2) Szechuan Sliced Beef (beef shank sliced thin tossed in house-made sweet & spicy Szechuan sauce topped w/ cilantro and green onion) $9: 3 Stars – This was sliced way too thin as it made the beef kind of hard, not chewy, but hard like if it was air dried. Overall it was okay but I can see why folks like it. 3) Lime Wings (deep fried wings tossed in house made zesty sauce topped with red onion, scallions, cilantro, and fried onions) $12: 5 Stars – One of the best items we had over all during this visit. The combination of everything was really good. The sauce was zingy and very yummy. This is only second because of Burnett Pub in Renton is the bomb. 4) Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (Thick egg noodles with Taiwanese beef broth, bok choy & scallions, served w/ a side of braised beef) $15: 3 Stars – One of our group said this was really good so I had high hopes. The broth wasn’t bad but it was missing something. I cant put my finger on it but it was something that would have completed the soup. 5) Caramelized Pork Belly (tender caramelized pork belly served w/ bok choy, napa cabbage) $15: 4 Stars – The pork belly was braised amazingly! Great flavor. 6) Roasted Duck Curry (roasted duck w/ coconut milk red curry, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, basil) $16: 3 Stars – The curry base was good but the vegetables were seemingly thrown in last minute as they weren’t cooked down at all. RESTAURANT/MENU: We were in the area and one of group mentioned it as she really likes this restaurant and they have something for everyone, even one of our friends who have a lot of food restrictions. The restaurant is small with about 4 booths and 5-6 tables. When you walk in, it smelled so good, like a restaurant you know the grandma was making things fresh daily - I was excited! I was a little confused by the menu as the exterior had Chinese character so I thought it was a Chinese/Taiwanese restaurant but the menu had a mix of Taiwanese/Vietnamese/Thai items so yea… I guess it did have something for everyone. SERVICE: Our interaction was pretty limited with the folks that worked there. They seated us, took our drink/food order, and brought us our food. There wasn’t a lot of checking in or discussion. Pretty much the benchmark of a stereotypical Asian restaurant experience LOL

This small little cafe tucked back by the community center of Issaquah is an absolute gem. I can't believe that I have been bringing my kids here to play basketball all year and just now discovered this place. The service is incredible. The owner is attentive, patient and really cool, the food is out of this world! We had Pho, Curry, wings, fries and popcorn chicken and it was all incredible to say the least!! The place fills up quick so come with patience and enjoy the atmosphere. It'll be well worth the wait!!

A beautiful and serene gem in the heart of Issaquah! The price was reasonable given its location. We chose the outdoor space under the umbrella and our food came quite fast from the time we ordered (about 10 minutes), which was fabulous! Normally, the timeliness of the food would mean alot to but I was enjoying the beautiful garden-like space so much it didn't matter this time. Try the matcha tea with cheese foam cream if you haven't! A nice discovery on our long trip back from Walla Walla. Will definitely come back for more of everything! :)