Welcome to Umami Express
At Umami Express, we celebrate the rich tapestry of Asian flavors through wholesome, gluten-free bowls. Located in Anaheim, California, our culinary journey offers an innovative fusion of health and taste. Inspired by the love for nourishing food, we craft each bowl with quality ingredients—fresh vegetables, organic proteins like juicy pulled chicken and baked tofu, and umami-rich heirloom forbidden rice. Our signature house-made Szechuan chili oil adds a delightful crunch and kick. Perfect for anyone craving a quick, healthy meal, we prioritize quality, convenience, and flavor, making each dish a palette-pleasing experience. Come and find your umami!
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1560 S Lewis St, Anaheim, CA 92805 Hotline: (657) 295-0019
Welcome to Umami Express, a hidden culinary gem nestled in the vibrant city of Anaheim, California. Located at 1560 S Lewis St, this gluten-free, Asian fusion eatery is designed for health-conscious diners who crave delicious, satisfying meals without the dietary compromises.
At Umami Express, the focus is on quality ingredients and bold flavors. The menu features a variety of mouthwatering options, including their signature Juicy Chicken Bowls, savory Pork Shoulder Bowls, and flavorful Organic Tofu Bowls, all crafted from high-quality, fresh components without gluten, dairy, or refined sugars. Prices hover around $11.95 for a bowl, making healthful eating both accessible and enjoyable.
- Juicy Chicken Bowls: These bowls boast a base of shiitake-garlic heirloom forbidden rice complemented by pulled chicken, vibrant vegetables like broccoli and carrots, and are finished with a house-made Szechuan chili oil crunch that adds a touch of heat and texture.
- Pork Shoulder Bowls: Slow-cooked to perfection, the tender pork shoulder is layered atop multigrain rice and accompanied by crunchy water chestnuts, ensuring every bite is an explosion of flavor.
- Organic Tofu Bowls: A vegan delight, these bowls are filled with slow-baked organic tofu and a medley of fresh greens and vegetables, creating a satisfying meal that appeals to both vegans and non-vegans alike.
Customer reviews emphasize the convenience of the quick service—most orders are ready within minutes of placing them online. Despite the ghost kitchen model, where there's no dine-in option, patrons appreciate the innovative self-service kiosks and the efficient pickup lockers. Diners like Claire and Brittney have praised not only the delicious food but also the convenience of a contactless experience. It's an ideal setup for those on the go!
One standout feature at Umami Express is their commitment to nutrition. All dishes come with nutritional information, making it a breeze for those who are tracking their macros or simply aiming for a balanced diet. The blend of flavors, textures, and colorful ingredients does not only satisfy the palate but also delights the senses with its visual appeal. Many diners highlight the umami flavor that resonates through each bowl, creating a deeply satisfying meal that's good for the soul.
Whether you're a local looking for a fast yet healthy meal or a visitor exploring the Anaheim area, Umami Express should definitely be on your radar. With its focus on wholesome, flavorful dishes and an environment designed for on-the-go enjoyment, this restaurant epitomizes the best of modern eating. So why not treat yourself to a bowl that not only fuels your body but also excites your taste buds? You won't be disappointed!
I love all of the Ben's Fast Food takes! I loved the water chestnuts and flavors in the bowls. The sauces and chili sauce are great. Service is fast for pickup. I order and the food is ready within a few minutes, and it's so convenient to pick up from the locker with just the click of a button on your phone.
Easy to order on kiosk and food is good. But when you need service for missing utensils or sauce it will be difficult because this place doesn't have people working at the front to help you with any assistant. You need wait until someone comes by...
grabbed a quick bite from this place to eat a home on a saturday morning and it was pretty good! this place operates out of a ghost kitchen so you have to order online and pick up your order. i wanted to try this place because they make asian fusion rice bowls that used fresh & high quality ingredients and all of their food is dairy, gluten, & sugar free which makes me feel good about putting it into my body! we got two protein lover bowls, one with cabbage & rice and one with rice, and it was delicious! their website also lists the nutrition facts of their items which i appreciated so this place is also great if you're tracking macros/calories. the dish came with 3 kinds of protein: chicken, pork, and tofu. the chicken & pork were both shredded and the tofu was just cubed and presumably pan fried. i think it would've been better if the chicken was also cubed so you got chunks of chicken just to add some texture variety instead of eating just shredded meats. the bowls also came with forbidden rice which was cool. altho a bit overcooked and wet, it was something different! there was also steamed & chopped veggies (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, chestnut) and the cabbage wasn't cooked but i think it would be better slightly cooked so it's not as hard so i microwaved it for a few seconds to make it easier to eat. the crunch chili oil it comes with is also good to add some crunch, but it wasn't that spicy. i also though the lemon soy sauce would be more soy saucey, but it turns out that both their sauces are creamy, which i personally don't care for/like as much so it was just okay with the dish. overall a really good place to get food from when you're in a rush or just want some healthy food to eat at home! it was also a pretty reasonable price (i think around $12-15 per dish except the wagyu) for the portion, as i ate half and saved the other half for later. i think the cooking techniques (how cooked the foods are and how the proteins are served) and sauces need a little work but it was still good!
My partner and I decided to order a quick grab & go after our workout. We wanted to find something healthy. It was around 10pm, and we found this ghost kitchen that served many foods from different restaurants. Parking: This ghost kitchen is located in a lot. It looks a bit sketchy, but fear not. Free parking, but finding a spot can be difficult. It's super busy, and I noticed there were a lot of food delivery workers going in n out. Environment: It's a very small space. No dine in. There are lockers to the right where you'd pick up your food when it's ready. We didn't place an order online, so we ordered through the kiosk. I don't think they take cash. Everything seems contactless. Service: We didn't speak to anyone. It was self order, and we waited for our food. We were texted when our order was ready. Throughput was under 10 minutes. What we ordered: I ordered the chicken rice & cabbage bowl, and my partner ordered the protein lover rice & cabbage bowl and a coconut green smoothie. I really liked my bowl! The multi grain rice paired well with all the toppings, chicken, and sauce. The cabbage was fresh and not soggy. Careful for the sesame seeds, it might get stuck to your teeth lol. I'd prefer a bit more chicken, but other than that, I enjoyed it. I also tried my partner's bowl. His bowl definitely had a lot of protein! It was all delicious! The toppings were similar to my bowl. I did not try his coconut green smoothie bc I don't like coconut, but I'm assuming he liked it since it was gone in 5 seconds. Pricing: The chicken rice & cabbage bowl was $11.95, the protein lover rice & cabbage bowl was $15.65, and the coconut green smoothie was $5.95. I'd say it's worth its price. The bowls left us fulfilling, and we enjoyed everything.
Tucked away is delicious restaurant that can be easily missed if you're not paying attention to what you're looking for. Straight ahead when you enter the parking lot is where you'll pick up your order via locker. Around 9Pm on a Saturday, it was busy in the parking lot but our food was ready quick. We got the chicken bowl with extra tofu. The chicken was grilled and seasoned well and the water chestnuts added a great touch to the bowl. It was layered onto a bed of forbidden rice and brown rice which had a savory umami flavor. I'd definitely come back again as I'm interested in trying the coconut greens smoothie.
I was in Anaheim and just searching for something healthy to eat. Glad I came across Umami Express on here! Ordered from inside Anaheim Food Co. at the screen. Easy process and food comes out fairly quickly like within 10 min of ordering. Small area but always clean. I chose the "Protein Lover Rice & Cabbage Bowl" ($15.35) because I know I needed to pack on some protein before my disney day! According to the description for the bowl, it states "Dairy free, gluten free. Base of shredded cabbage, heirloom forbidden and brown rice, chicken, pork, organic tofu, crisp water chestnuts, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, fresh green onion, toasted sesame seeds, our house-made Szechuan chili oil crunch, and a choice of our signature sauces. // gluten, dairy free // zero refined sugar" Sounded like health in a bowl to me so I was excited to try it. I chose the Garlic Sesame Soy Sauce and it was a good pairing. I appreciate that it comes in a little container on the side in case you don't want all of it in one go. I opted out of having water chestnuts because I wasn't in the mood to have that crunch while I ate. The Szechuan chili oil was also SOO GOOD! Had the perfect amount of spice for me. It was pretty hot so if you're not a fan of spice then stay away! The entire bowl tasted delicious. I actually didn't care for the pork esp it was large stringy chunks of meat that I don't think I was in the mood for either. I ended up trying to just give it to my bf to eat. I believe it's pork shoulder since there's a section of "pork shoulder bowls." The tofu was also good, large, super firm cubes. This is a pretty large portion especially there are 3 proteins in it. I enjoyed it so much that I cooked something similar at home for meal prep. My bf ordered the Chicken Rice bowl ($11.45) and it was basically like mine except no tofu or pork. He also loved the chili crisp and it was a good portion for him overall.
I doordashed the Wagyu Beef Rice and Cabbage bowl with black rice (which I don't know if I'd tried before, and it's really delicious and hearty) for lunch while at a conference and it was truly delicious. I got the chili sauce to add and it gave it a great kick. All the textures together were so satisfying. Definitely expensive like all things seemed to be around Disney, but I'd order it again for sure.
This is within the Anaheim food co where other online brands sell food as well. You place your order online and pick it up from their lockers. It seems new but I guess it has multiple chains? It's a health conscious quick bowl place. They have the black rice, keto option, and vegan options. It was a filling bowl that made for two meals for me. I tried the orange sauce and it was very interesting. Gave a refreshing taste but I prob would get the soy type sauce for the pork bowl next time. It is not like orange chicken sauce fyi. Overall I think it's a solid lunch or dinner spot when you are looking to have a nutrient packed meal.