Yumi Izakaya In Lecce

After our experience in Bari, we were keen to try this one too. While it's obviously aesthetically identical, I'd say it lacks the same professionalism and experience. Upon arrival, it's unclear how to get in; the sliding door is difficult to interpret. In fact, that evening, all the new customers, after a period of frustration, waited for someone else to open. The very kind and customer-friendly waitress who greeted us showed us a seat. Given the size of the place and the exposed soup burners, it was difficult to adjust to the pungent smell of the broths, but after a while, they became part of the ambiance. The menu QR code didn't work, and we're talking about a normal Saturday night at 8:00 PM, where everything had yet to begin. Given the circumstances, the waitress was forced to share her cell phone with guests to show them the menu (passing it from hand to hand to strangers) or, even worse, share her private number to send photos of the menu via WhatsApp. It's quite unprofessional, but I think the person who was probably the owner didn't offer many alternatives, and as an employee, what do you do? Again, emphasizing that it was Saturday at 8:00 PM, I'd like to focus on the lack of soft drinks because "they haven't refilled yet" (a Coke Zero was requested). Then, in my opinion, I moved on to the most sensitive issue: at the end of the meal, around 9:00 PM, the request was "Do you want anything else? A dessert?" Obviously, like most customers who frequent the place, the famous Taiyaki dessert filled with sweet red azuki bean paste was requested. Obviously, it wasn't available.

High-quality food, Japanese-style! The atmosphere is very nice: it feels just like being in a Japanese tavern. Prices are medium-high.

A super minimalist and completely immersive venue with an Asian culinary experience. Nothing more to add if you love this type of cuisine. Highly recommended. Simone, the head waiter, was incredibly thorough in answering any questions I asked when choosing dishes. Extremely friendly. A must-visit for those who love this type of ambience and cuisine.

I went for the first time on Saturday, and despite the larger crowd, we had a perfect evening. From the food (the octopus balls, ramen, ravioli, and dessert were all delicious) to the impeccable service. Excellent value. We'll be back.

The food is really good. The place is a bit small and smoky. Maybe better outside in the summer...

Simply SUBLIME! The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the staff is incredibly kind, and the food…divine!!! The yaki udon is amazing, the gyoza are spectacular. It feels like you're truly in Japan. This place alone is absolutely worth the trip.

Very kind and helpful staff, excellent food.

I had high expectations for this restaurant for the class it finds itself in of price, review range and menu it offers. At first impact the place is very nice and has an original Japanese Omakase atmosphere. The staff weren’t very professional in my opinion and didn’t have much experience as it was a very cold introduction, not saying they weren’t nice but I was expecting more from a restaurant with an average spend of 30-40€pp. We selected the sushi Aburi Oshi zushi, Takoyaki, Tamagoyaki, Tako o Ebi Yaki soba based on the servers recommendation and I had to stop ordering because I didn’t want to spend more money on things that weren’t satisfying our expectations. When 9pm arrived the staff were welcoming guests also upstairs and the service started to slow down completely and it became more unorganised I think one more server would’ve helped them. For someone that eats fresh and raw fish a lot sushi was terrible to be perfectly honest the actual quality of it this was disappointing as I visit salento often and I know the quality of fish that there is and this is unacceptable. Anyway, I had high exceptions as a friend recommended to go here I would’ve even been happy to spend €200 here and try as much as possible but we closed the bill and left.

While an izakaya is supposed to be a casual place to eat delicious dishes, upon entering Iumy, I felt like I was entering a classic Japanese restaurant with a "traditional" chic style, the only difference being the service (seating in a line at the counter instead of tables). The food is well-stocked, and the staff is friendly and helpful. We started with two bowls of ramen: a tonkotsu ramen, with fried pork, truly delicious and appetizing with a crispy coating even in the broth; and a miso ramen, a vegetarian option with a delicate flavor and a wonderful aroma. We continued by choosing the wagyu and vegetarian ravioli, nothing special, also because the accompanying sauce covers and evens out the flavors. It's a shame, because the wagyu flavor is lost. We then ordered a portion of dengaku nasu, grilled eggplant with miso and sesame seeds. The dish was quite spicy given the small amount of miso, and it arrived without sesame seeds, which we had added later. One particular disappointment was the spring onion, as it was used in all the dishes in excessive quantities, especially considering that, instead of using the more delicate green part, only the white part was used. Overall, an average experience. We might return for the ramen. Total cost was €65, with a €3 cover charge per person and €10 for a 33cl Japanese craft beer.

Friendly welcome and food prepared in front of customers. The sushi is nicely presented, but the rice is a bit mushy, which prevents it from reaching the quality of truly good sushi.