UMI by Vikram Garg

Review summary

1. K

   Kevin

   VIP

   Anchorage

   25 reviews

   5.0

   25 reviews

   Dined today

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   A gourmet experience in a lovely setting. Service was top notch, food delicious and ambiance so beautiful.
   

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2. R

   Robert

   New Orleans

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   My wife and I were in Oahu and were looking for something special. Well folks, look no further than Umi by Chef Vikram Garg, located in the Halepuna, a boutique hotel in Waikiki. From the moment we walked in, we were warmly welcomed and seated at the exact time of our reservation. The atmosphere was calm and relaxed. After a long day of touring the island, we needed a refuge and this place was it. Five out of Five Stars on the ambiance. The staff was warm, friendly, and attentive. Five out of Five Stars for service and staff. You couldn’t ask for better service! Our sommelier was as knowledgeable about the wine that they served there as any you would find in New York, LA, or Chicago. The manager of the restaurant visited our table as well and was very helpful in guiding us through the menu. And oh, what a menu it is! And now. . . the food. If you are looking for burgers and fries, this is not your place. But, if you love food and consider yourself a foodie, Umi is definitely THE place for you. I haven’t experienced such an original and intriguing menu as Umi’s in a long time. For our first course, we tried the Ahi Tuna Crudo. It did not disappoint! The ahi was so fresh, enhanced by the daikon and cured lemon. Simple and perfect. For the second course, we had the foie gras gyoza. My wife and I both love foie gras. Neither of us had it presented to us as gyoza before. It was phenomenal. So good! I couldn’t recommend it any higher. For our main course, my wife had the scallops and prawns and I had the lobster. Both dishes were show-stoppers! So fresh and original. Elegant and sophisticated. It was dining at its finest. The only downside was that we were so full, we had no room for dessert! We will have to do that next time. I give Umi a five out of five stars for the food as well. If you appreciate the imagination and the skill it takes to prepare a quality dining experience, you won't be disappointed. Chef Vikram Garg is an artist!
   

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3. J

   Jennifer

   VIP

   Las Vegas

   27 reviews

   3.0

   27 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   Skip this place, way better options in Waikiki. Hostess was annoyed we didn’t send a special note that our third person was our young child, even though there were other kids, older and younger, already in the restaurant. I guess because their main thing is their prix fixe. We had thought this place had great seafood and were prepared to spend a bit but the service was so bad (didn’t get menu for 10 min, sommelier ended up as our waiter and got our order wrong, etc.), we just ordered the bare minimum and closed our tab asap. The food we did have was fine but nothing special, so we are glad we didn’t get more. This place was ready easy to book last minute and change last minute on OpenTable for prime time dinner reservations- my first clue something was wrong with this place.
   

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4. P

   Penelope

   VIP

   Hawaii

   102 reviews

   4.0

   102 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Very nice special occasion breakfast and great for treating guests. The menu items are quite extravagant, with no "simple" items for those who have a restricted diet. A very pleasant experience and nice valet parking at Halepuna or Halekulani.
   

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5. C

   Charles

   Hawaii

   205 reviews

   5.0

   205 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   A truly remarkable, lovely dining experience from every perspective! We ordered the new Umi tasting menu with wine pairings. Every serving was special but the abalone was one of the best ever, anywhere. We travel the world and often eat at Michelin starred restaurants, none better than UMI by Vikram Garg! Fast, well timed service by knowledgeable, friendly servers of amazing dishes and unique wines. Thank you for a memorable dining experience!
   

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6. B

   Bree

   VIP

   Denver

   4 reviews

   1.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on 28 December 2024

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   Where do I even begin? My experience at Umi by Vikram Garg was terrible. I wish I could rate this place zero stars, but unfortunately, I had to give it one because of our “helper” Juliette, who was actually great. However, that’s the only positive part of this night. To start, the owner's wife came out and said she was our server for the evening. She was nice, but you could tell she was more of a manager than an actual server. In reality, it was Juliette who served us, which was confusing from the get-go. The restaurant seems set up for either a tasting or à la carte menu, which we were fine with. I ordered the caviar (an expensive side), which was the only thing that was actually delicious. My husband had the Scallops, and while they weren’t bad, they were off-balance with a high acidity level. The wait, however, was absolutely ridiculous. After waiting for over an hour and twenty minutes for our second course, we asked for our tab. Another 15 minutes passed before the owner’s wife came to apologize. She didn’t offer to take care of the tab, cover our drinks, or even offer a reasonable solution. Instead, she promised to buy us dinner the next time we visited (which, given that we’re not locals in Hawaii, was laughable). The least she could have done was take care of our meal or drinks that evening, but no—just empty promises. She also mentioned they have another 14-year lease on the business and that, hopefully, next time we visit, they can afford to have more help. Very interesting thing to say to a customer, and it’s probably the reason they didn’t take care of the tab. By the time we gave up and decided to leave, we were still hungry. We had already spent $240 and were starving, so we ended up going to another restaurant. For our 10-year anniversary, this was a complete disaster. Oh, and the abalone was so overcooked it was inedible. I’ve had abalone before, and this was nowhere near the quality I expected. Do yourself a favor and skip this place.
   

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7. R

   Roxanne

   VIP

   Hawaii

   32 reviews

   5.0

   32 reviews

   Dined on 28 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   We enjoyed celebrating 2 birthdays for dinner. Our server, Juliette was excellent. She Was attentive and very professional. Food was Amazing as always.
   

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8. A

   Angela

   VIP

   Washington DC

   9 reviews

   5.0

   9 reviews

   Dined on 23 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We started with beef, tartar, the scallops and oysters all were outstanding. The service was perfect as was the atmosphere a great experience.
   

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9. J

   Jim

   Raleigh

   26 reviews

   5.0

   26 reviews

   Dined on 22 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   The food is creative and delicious! If you’re looking for some authentic Hawaiian cuisine this is the spot!
   

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10. PC

    PacCruze

    Hawaii

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on 20 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    We always enjoy our time at Umi, especially the pre-fix menu.
    

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