Salmon nigiri and assorted sushi prepared at Umai Sushi in Nanaimo

Today in the dining room

43-seat dining room

Handmade blossoms.
An unhurried room.

Sit down for lunch or dinner under cherry blossoms we made by hand. A small team, one focused kitchen, and a warm room in Nanaimo North Town Centre.

Short on time? Call 250-585-8900 for pickup

43 seats•Lunch & dinner daily•Easy parking

Umai now

Checking today's service

Today at Umai

Lunch and dinner in the dining room, with pickup and the grab-and-go fridge for quick stops. Call to confirm live hours.

🏆 Nine consecutive years among Nanaimo's top three sushi restaurants, 2017–2025

Come in, sit down, stay a while

A Room to Stay In

43 seats under handmade cherry blossoms, made for long lunches, family dinners, and regulars.

Fresh Ingredients

We source carefully and keep ingredients fresh with fast rotation.

Focused Menu

One small kitchen and a focused menu, so fish moves quickly and every plate gets attention.

Small-Team Hospitality

A small team that keeps the room personal and the pace unhurried, at lunch and dinner.

Why the blossoms are handmade

The handmade cherry blossoms around our dining room aren't decoration for decoration's sake. They come from a simple memory: picnicking under cherry blossom trees as a kid. That feeling, calm, warm, unhurried, is what we wanted to build a restaurant around.

Behind the room is one small kitchen team: three sushi chefs, two hot-kitchen chefs, and one prep cook serving 43 seats from one focused menu. No shortcuts, and no rush.

Nine consecutive years among Nanaimo's top three sushi restaurants, as voted by Nanaimo News Bulletin readers.

The Umai Sushi kitchen during service in Nanaimo

More than decoration

A calmer way to run a sushi restaurant

Umai is built for sitting down: fresh sushi, a warm room, a small team, and operating choices that reduce waste where they can.

43 seats, one kitchen, and a small team that keeps the room personal.
Cherry blossoms made by hand for the dining room, from a childhood memory of picnics under the trees.
Lunch and dinner service every day from one focused menu.
Short on time? Call-ahead pickup, a grab-and-go fridge, and easy parking.

From our kitchen to your table

Umai Sushi dish 1
Umai Sushi dish 2
Umai Sushi dish 3
Umai Sushi dish 4
Umai Sushi dish 5
Umai Sushi dish 6

When you can't stay

Short on time? We make it easy.

Call-ahead pickup

Call 250-585-8900, then come straight to the counter when your order is ready.

Grab-and-go fridge

Fresh rolls made through the day. Selection changes as rolls sell. Grab & Go →

Easy parking

Inside Nanaimo North Town Centre on Uplands Drive, where parking is easy for a sit-down meal or a quick stop.

North Nanaimo sushi

Why Nanaimo keeps choosing Umai

Fast fish rotation

We keep the fish list focused so it moves quickly from our kitchen to your table.

North Nanaimo convenience

Umai is inside Nanaimo North Town Centre, close to Woodgrove, Lantzville, Departure Bay and north-end errands.

Local favourite

Nanaimo News Bulletin readers have placed Umai among the city's top three sushi restaurants for nine consecutive years.

Work with us

Help us keep the room warm

We welcome general applications for front-of-house and kitchen work from people who care about good food and good hospitality.

Careers at Umai

Local sushi in Nanaimo

Found us on Google? Come sit down with us.

If Umai is your sushi spot in Nanaimo, a short Google review helps more local customers find us.

Questions, platters or pickup? Call 250-585-8900

Umai Sushi FAQ

Do you have vegetarian or vegan options?

Yes. The menu includes vegetarian rolls and dishes such as veggie spring rolls, agedashi tofu, salads, and vegetable rolls. Please call if you need help choosing around a specific dietary need.

Can I order platters or larger pickup orders?

Yes. Call ahead for party trays, family meals, or larger pickup orders so the kitchen can confirm timing and availability.

When is grab-and-go sushi available?

The grab-and-go fridge is stocked through the day, but selection changes as rolls sell. Busy days can sell out earlier.

Do you offer catering or venue rentals?

For catering-style trays or group requests, call the restaurant directly. Venue rentals are not a regular offering, but we can discuss small group needs case by case.

Can you handle allergies or gluten-free requests?

Tell us before ordering. We can guide you, but the kitchen handles fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, sesame, and other allergens, so cross-contact is possible.

Visit us

Hours

  • Monday to Sunday11:30am to 2:45pm / 4:00pm to 8:30pm

Last call for dine-in and takeout is 8:15pm. Because we prepare fresh ingredients daily, some items may sell out and we may close a little earlier than 8:30pm on busy days.

Location

303-4575 Uplands Dr, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6M8

Inside Nanaimo North Town Centre

  • A 43-seat dining room for lunch and dinner, seven days a week.
  • Inside Nanaimo North Town Centre on Uplands Drive.
  • Easy parking for dine-in, call-ahead pickup, and quick grab-and-go stops.
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