Umai-Ya Japanese Restaurant @ Damansara Uptown

4 Nov

Umai-Ya Japanese Restaurant @ Damansara Uptown

Posted by kampungboycitygal in Damansara, Japanese Food, Selangor. 20 Comments

The occasional craving for Japanese Food struck. Umai-ya seems like the right place because we aren’t looking to spend that much or venture out of the neighborhood.

Situated next to Izzi, Umai-ya is occupying two floors and has a casual, subdued feel to it. The restaurant uses the “tatami” style seating where you’re sitting on an elevated dining room sunken well for your feet.

The buffet menu is available on Saturday/Sunday from 11.30 am to 2.30 pm where it is priced at RM 45++ per head.

Since it is a quiet Monday, we go for the bento set to enjoy 15% discount (15% off for all bento set on Monday, Wednesday and Friday). CK ordered the fried rice set with fried kushiyaki while I opted for the grilled mackerel set.

Every bento set is pretty standard, it comes with a very refreshing vege salad, smooth and silky chawanmushi, a bowl of miso soup and a small fruit platter.

Slowly grilled to perfection, the skin blistering and slightly charred salted mackerel is so juicy! I finish every bit of the flesh until nothing is left attached to the fish bone. A squeeze of lemon give it a slightly sourish taste and reduce the oiliness of the grilled mackerel.

The fried rice, according to my friend, is flavourful and aromatic. However, it would be better if the rice is served soft and fluffy instead of wet and clumpy.

Kushiyaki is actually breaded seafood or poultry in a skewer. With generous portions of filling piled into the skewer, CK is having a hard time to finish it off.

Umai-ya’s bento set and buffet definitely fits the bill as well as being easy on the pocket but the ala-carte item is price at the higher side. The staff is very helpful but unobtrusive by refraining me from taking pictures. (GRRRR). I feel that the food falls in line with the Japanese cuisine style, but nothing is a specialty on its own.

Umai-Ya
49G, Jalan SS21/37,
Damansara Utama, Uptown.
Tel: 03-77264410

G-3A, The Place, Jalan PJU 8/5D
Bandar Damansara Perdana
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-77290015

20 Responses to this post.

Posted by Lyrical Lemongrass on November 4, 2007 at 3:03 pm

Hmmm. I’m surprised that they didn’t like you taking pictures. I thought Umai-Ya welcomed publicity.

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Posted by Xiu Long Bao on November 5, 2007 at 2:43 am

Har? Was quite determined to go till u said they stopped u from taking pix, no fun already lar…

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Posted by ~Christine~Leng on November 5, 2007 at 3:02 am

most outlets nowadays just dislike us taking pictures… being afraid that we’ll ‘copy’ them somehow! issh.. i don’t feel comfortable too
A buffet on weekends for RM45++? Affordable! wonder if they taste good as well… hmmmm

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Posted by mama bok on November 5, 2007 at 3:46 am

That’s too bad.. about the photo taking..! donch you just hate it..! when they do that..?? *hmmmpphh.!*

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Posted by rokh on November 5, 2007 at 12:58 pm

mmmm….seems like a good place for a jap fix. what is the price range of the sets?

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Posted by ekeng on November 5, 2007 at 3:59 pm

this must be a new Japanese Restaurant at Uptown,cos i never notice this Jap restaurant before.

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Posted by ai wei on November 6, 2007 at 12:42 am

no picture taking?! that’s quite annoying. but u manage to took down all *wink*
the buffet priced reasonably.

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Posted by jasmine on November 6, 2007 at 2:29 am

you did manage to take a lot of photos tho good job!

thought the chawanmushi looked a little dry…

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Posted by MeiyeN on November 6, 2007 at 6:37 am

O_o they stopped you taking pics? quite like da food at umai-ya though.. i mean da one at damansara perdana. i heard da food at uptown here so-so only…

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Posted by KampungboyCitygal on November 6, 2007 at 7:45 am

lemongrass: im not sure, whether its their policy or that particular waitress is being bossy?

xlb: maybe u can try the damansara perdana outlet

christine: yeah we are not spy or anything but giving them free publicity..yeah not sure about the quality of food

mamabok: yeah was irritated ><

rokh: it ranges from rm 22 to rm 30++

ekeng: hmm they are quite new, just beside Izzi

aiwei: hehehe..yeah keep snapping when they are not looking

jasmine: hahaha yeah i just have to take the pics..not reli dry though

meiyen: uptown outlet is not too bad too, quite decent

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Posted by jason on November 6, 2007 at 7:46 am

Ah.. I hate it when people ask me to stop taking pictures. >:(

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Posted by voon keong on November 7, 2007 at 9:59 am

woah, no picture taking? If so they should’ve put a no camera sign at the entrance. Too bad you were stopped, the food looks great o_o

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Posted by smiley_kiat on November 19, 2007 at 1:23 pm

i went for the buffet with my friends last weekend. food was great, but better don’t order any shushi before you finished all other dishes, heehee. the shushi is kinda normal and there are a lot of special dishes. there are 2 kind of hotpot kinda like steamboat included too!!

i don’t really like one of the waiter as well. the 1st time we were ordering he already say we could not finish it. then when we want to order more, he non stop telling us ” i’m pretty sure you all cannot finish it”
buffet mar, sure wanna eat as much as possible, cannot finish mar sit longer try to finish lo. we cannot finish mar charge us la. they already stated that can’t finish 500grm will charge, they have the right to charge and i will just obey the rules if we really cannot finish, everytime come take order also saying the same thing, sienzz!! >.<

damansara perdana has another outlet? i went to the uptown outlet. for me, i prefer umai-ya compare with shogun and jogoya

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Posted by KampungboyCitygal on November 19, 2007 at 3:13 pm

jason: yeah being treated like spy

vkeong: hah but i still manage to snap all

smiley kiat: whoa the buffet sounds good wo, the steamboat thing is sukiyaki? yeah something must be done to their training staff, to be more courteous to customer..hahaha..yeah usually i would go to the uptown uplet..:)

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Posted by kit on July 8, 2009 at 12:46 pm

funny though…first they don’t allow you to take food pictures, now they referred to your post here on their website under “Blogger Links” section. LOL

check it out here
http://www.umai-ya.com/linksfeedback.php

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Posted by Chris on August 23, 2009 at 9:40 am

Isn’t it interesting how you are on their blogger links but they stop you from taking photos? =p

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Posted by casey on November 9, 2009 at 4:29 pm

If u guys want to go umai-ya don’t order the promotion set especially the rm150.00++ dinner set for 4pax coz it really not worthy and u will regret at the end.

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Posted by amy young on December 15, 2009 at 12:27 pm

saw the blog above.. its all 2007.
how about year 2009?
is it worth going? better than Rakuzen & Tenji?

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Posted by amy young on December 15, 2009 at 12:28 pm

something wrong with the year and dates?

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Posted by Tao Cuisine All-You-Can-Eat Japanese Buffet @ Sunway Giza | KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL on June 9, 2010 at 3:31 pm

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