Umma’s

by Charlottesville29

200 W. Water Street . Charlottesville, VA . (434) 326-0406
https://www.ummasfood.com/

In 2022, the winners of the two prior years’ best Charlottesville food truck/stand joined forces to open a brick-and-mortar. It was hardly a coincidence. The owner of one, Sussex Farm‘s Jen Naylor, is the mother of co-owner of the other, Basan‘s Kelsey Naylor.

Named in honor of Jen’s mother, Umma’s means “mother’s” in Korean, and the restaurant is as worthy a tribute as any mother could hope for. Born in Korea, Jen is a longtime apostle of her native cuisine and has been spreading the love with ingredients from her farm for more than a decade, originally at farmer’s markets and now at her restaurant. Her daughter Kelsey and Basan co-founder Anna Gardner, meanwhile, have a passion for the food of Japan, where they once moved just to immerse themselves in the country’s cuisine. While Jen veers towards classics like kimchi and banchan, Kelsey and Anna can have a flair for the inventive. The result is the best of both worlds: traditional Korean and Japanese dishes, alongside inspired new creations — a worthy addition to The Charlottesville 29.

What to Order

Feel like something traditional and reliable? Umma’s always delivers, with dishes like ramen, kimchi, bibimbap, and more. Feeling more daring? Kelsey’s and Anna’s latest inspirations offer options for adventurous diners. Below are our picks.

Our Picks

  • Kimchi
  • Banchan
  • Spicy Miso Paitan
  • Classic Karaage
  • Dolsot Bibimbap
  • Big Mac Dolsot Bokkeumbap
  • Specials