08/22/2026
Review of Yumi in St Paul
Yumi is located at 400 Selby Ave in Saint. Their website https://www.yumisushibar.com/. They have a 4.4 rating with 392 Google reviews. What they say about themselves…" In 1999 Myoung Kim, affectionately known as Yumi, opened Yumi’s Sushi Bar in Excelsior. Her goal was to serve the highest quality sushi with exceptional hospitality, and as owner/operator of the restaurant for over 20 years, she delivered. In 2018, as Yumi neared retirement, two of her regular patrons and local restaurateurs Aaron Switz and Mikael Asp, became owners and operators, ensuring the legacy of Yumi not only continues but grows. Yumi the name, as written in Japanese characters, translates to dedication, freedom, excellence and beauty, and upon those ideals and the long-established traditions of hospitality, the new owners have refreshed the original Excelsior location, and have since opened Yumi’s Japanese Restaurant + Bar in Saint Paul’s historic Cathedral Hill neighborhood and Edina (Southdale)”.
They are open daily from 4 - 9pm. And until 10pm on Friday and Saturday. Their menu is located at https://www.yumisushibar.com/saint-paul/.
The interior is lovely and has the charm of one of St. Paul’s historic buildings. The interior is bright and inviting with lots of windows. A huge bar dominates the room. The kitchen is open and you can watch preparation of your food. Parking is free if you validate your car at the host stand. Bathrooms are clean and modern but the walk to get there is a little bit of an adventure.
The service was wonderful. Our server was Taylor and I recommend requesting her!
Reservations can be made with OpenTable, or you can call 651-207-6810.
They allow dogs on the patio, so I give the restaurant an extra half star for that consideration.
What we had to eat…
• Regular Sashimi Platter – 5 prices of fresh fish, which included maguro, sake, Hamachi, escolar and chef’s choice of 18 pieces. Served with wonderful miso soup and a side of rice (rice was not sticky and could have been fresher). Fish was very good with some better others. Nice presentation and was a value even at $52.45.
• Regular Sushi Platter – Includes maguro, Sake, Hamachi, Escolar, Bincho, Ebi, Tako, and chef’s choice of 10 pieces. I liked the quality but served with too much rice. Priced at $41.95 which is a value. Nice presentation
• Fresh Wasabi order – was a disappointment. Was dry and not creamy.
I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars. That includes an extra half-star for dog friendly patio. The atmosphere and charm are wonderful. Food was very good. Service was outstanding and very attentive. Bathroom was attractive and clean. Good value. I will come again.