I did not intend to drop in here while visiting the Japanese Garden for a performance. Then I realized I needed to take some medication. I am not a tea drinker and was making all these assumptions. I assumed they would be busy and they were not plus they are very well staffed so even if they were I do not see it as an issue. There are a great number of seats through the in and outside or you can take your tea and snacks with you. The tea, per my friend who got some, said it was truly amazing. And they mindfully make your chosen blend. The whole building is window and there is a cherry tree {currently just about to blossom!} right next to the building. There are not bad views anywhere around the Japanese Garden so taking a moment for a snack and sip is lovely. I love yuzu and they carry a soda {there are two other flavors I could not tell you anything about since they had me at yuzu!} which is just juice, cane sugar and fizzy water. I am pretty picky about soda and always expect I will loathe it. These are crazy good! I also appreciate a glass bottle I can screw the top back on since I was not able to finish it until later. They have quite a few flavors of mochi. I grabbed my favorite which is mango so I knew that would be great. I also got to try my friend's brownie which was a slight chocolate with so much hazelnut. They have a chicken teriyaki I would be curious to try. I definitely recommend grabbing even some water here to pause.

First thing's first: You'll need a separate reservation to eat here. Admission into the Gardens doesn't come with access to Umami Cafe so plan accordingly! Ok, now for my review. Umami Cafe was pretty good! My wife and I placed our reservation in conjunction with our guided tour of the Gardens and I highly recommend you do the same if you're planning a visit. Coincidentally, we visited the Gardens when it was really cold and raining so eating here was a perfect way to end our little adventure. The hot tea and miso soup made us feel so warm and cozy, but I'll get to the food in a bit. The restaurant itself isn't too big but I think that adds to the ambiance and aesthetic. The seating gives you an almost 360° view of the grounds which kind of made it feel like you were enjoying tea inside a glass clubhouse built on top of a very tall tree. The customer service was great. Our original reservation was at 3PM but before our 12:15PM tour started, I tried my luck with pulling the reservation up. Luckily, someone else had canceled so we were able to successfully pull up our reservation. The hostess was so helpful and nice. And the food service was the same (helpful, nice, and attentive). Our food recommendations are: * Sencha & Costella (hot sencha and a super soft sponge cake). This was good! The hot sencha warmed our bellies and the sponge cake was so soft and fluffy. * Miso and Rice. This is exactly what it sounds like (a scoop of rice into a bowl of miso soup) and this was great, especially after spending an hour and a half outside touring the gardens in the cold and rain. * Mochi Flight. 3 mochis (chocolate, green tea and mango). I couldn't pass up the mochi. This was really good! * Macha & Hojicha Brownies. This was a great little treat! Note, these have walnuts and hazelnuts, so beware if you're allergic! My wife and I are not allergic but thought I'd mention it here in case you (the reader) are. I think we will definitely eat at the Umami Cafe again, but we'll likely save it for more "special occasions".

lovely tea house amongst the trees of the verdant japanese garden. they take reservations, but i was able to get a table without them. the decor is very light and zen. love the wood ceiling and large windows. they have outdoor seating on the balcony. service was very attentive. they pour more water for the tea up to two times after the initial service. i had the ochazuke which is a rice ball with green tea poured over it. i went with the shitake mushroom options. loooved it. it was a highlight of my pdx trip.

A calm relaxing cafe in the middle of the Japanese garden. There are limited options of tea and sweet combinations. You can get a refill of resteeping the tea leaves twice. The service is friendly and servers are attentive.

Umami was a very delicious cage inside the Portland Japanese Garden. The traditional Japanese Desserts, tea, and soup were all amazing. The staff were also great and quick. I had the Miso soup, a Japanese sponge style cake, and a sparkling soda with mochi ice cream. It was all really good and had excellent flavors. I highly recommend this spot if you're in the gardens for the day. I would highly recommend a reservation as they get busy!

Umami Cafe is expensive, considering you can get similar stuff from Behind the Museum Cafe, but what you're really paying for is the view and sitting amongst the tall trees at the Japanese Garden. After all, it's a cafe inside a museum/garden attraction so prices reflect that fact they have a monopoly on the clientele. With that aside, we had a good visit. We opted for a set with matcha and kinako mochi , a set with kukicha and a daifuku, and the matcha hojicha brownie set. The kukicha was very good, the matcha was so-so, per my tea ceremony performing mother, but most folks wouldn't notice a difference. The sweets are also bite sized - it makes for an authentic Japanese experience but most folks might leave surprised and hungry. Again, yea, it's overpriced but you're also paying for experience. Service from one server was wonderful while the other server was too quick to take dishes and cups away, making us feel rushed. Overall I'd still come back again with the changing seasons and to try their monthly specials. It's just relaxing to sip some tea after walking the gardens.

Wow. That's the first word I said when we arrived to Washington Park in Portland, OR (I know right, how offensive to name a park Washington in Oregon!). This park has some of the largest trees I've ever seen, but the real attraction is the Japanese Garden located at the top of the hill, and upon entering the garden you can't miss Umami Cafe. It's glass windows and architectural design immediately pull your eyes into its direction and it is a must stop on your tour of the Japanese Garden. You MUST buy tickets to the garden and it's recommended that you make a reservation at Umami. I'd suggest stopping at Umami first for tea and relaxation, and then take your stroll through the garden. You will feel at ease, calm, and renewed! My wife ordered the savory option on the menu. I liked how it was an interactive food experience because she had to pour the green tea over her food. She really enjoyed it! I went with their seasonal tea - a smoky flavored tea that was aged in whiskey barrels. It paired well with their sponge cake. The teas we ordered also came with 2 additional seepings so we decided to order their brownies while we enjoyed the rest of our tea experience. Overall we had a wonderful experience at Umami Cafe and would go back to try other teas on the menu before walking through the garden!

Been meaning to check this place out. The last time we visited the Portland Japanese Garden was back in 2020 and Umami Cafe wasn't open to the public due to local Covid restrictions. We decided to go back to the Portland Japanese Garden this past Saturday since the fall foliage was in full effect and, of course, to check this little cafe out. ~ MAKE A RESERVATION ONLINE ~ I highly recommend you make a reservation online at Umami Cafe ahead of time. Once you have that finalized, you'll need to purchase an entrance fee for the Portland Japanese Garden. We paid a total of $43.90 for 2 adults, or $21.95 each with the added fees. When you purchase an entrance fee, you have to choose an entry time, so make sure you give yourself at least 30 min. before your Umami Cafe reservation so you're not rushing and have a bit of time to explore before. Our reservation at Umami Cafe was at 11:00 AM on a Saturday, and we entered the Portland Japanese Garden at 10:00 AM, giving ourselves an hour to enter and wander around for a bit. ~ SIT OUT ON THE PATIO & ENJOY THE GREENERY ~ We went on a gloomy, fall day, so the vibes were just perfect for sipping some tea and enjoying the gardens. We were seated right away and had a choice to sit indoors versus outdoors. We chose a table on the outside patio because the weather was just too perfect. ~ SIMPLISTIC & TRADITIONAL MENU ~ The menu is minimal which made it easy for us to order something right away. I went with the Genmaicha & Manju tea set and my husband ordered the Matcha & Chocolate Mochi Ice Cream tea set. The platter it came with was very traditional and minimalistic. It was my first time trying the Genmaicha and I felt it to be an acquired taste, but I still enjoyed sipping it while enjoying the greenery. I definitely enjoyed the Manju that it came with. It wasn't too sweet, just perfect. My husband also enjoyed what he ordered. Although the serving size is small, it was the perfect size for a little snack break while visiting the Portland Japanese Garden. ~ ATTENTIVE SERVERS, NO COMPLAINTS ~ The service was great! The hostess and servers were all attentive and made sure that we got everything we needed. All in all, this was a unique and beautiful experience that's definitely worth trying once.