We recently checked out Akami Sushi in Redwood City, and it was a solid place to dine in (place was too local and hidden that we didn't expect it to be that good). We really recommend checking out their off menu items (they will hand you a hand-written note when you get there) because the chef is just clearly so talented. Here are the highlights: * Ankimo Nigiri (off menu): Have to be honest, I was actually pretty scared to try ankimo (Google said it's monkfish liver - like who even dare to eat liver ), but I'm so glad I did. It wasn't fishy or difficult to eat at all, but incredibly rich and creamy. I'm obsessed!!! * Otoro (off menu): This was the star. The tuna belly was pure umami, super fatty, buttery, and literally melted the second it hit my tongue - really recommend ordering this one * Lobster Roll (off menu): As a girl who's on calories deficit, my body screams for help when I found out it had shrimp tempura (I tried to avoid fried food), but this roll was so damnnnnn savory! It's made of lobster, shrimp tempura and a combo of eel sauce, spicy mayo, and tobiko - no need anymore dipping sauce cause they were just phenomenal * Kaisen: This was a refreshing roll - made of tuna, salmon, hamachi (yellowtail), and white tuna. Shiso (perilla) really enhanced the flavor of the fish and brought fresh taste that I think is the best pairing for any sushi/sashimi dish * Woodside Roll: This was the only miss for us. It uses minced spicy tuna, which honestly ruined the texture and flavor of the fish. We prefer tasting the real meat rather than a mash :( Overall, we like everything that we order, and our bill came out at around $100 for all that we had (budget friendlyyyyy) and we were really satisfied with the sushi quality. Will we go back? Definitely! Do we recommend it to our friends? Heck yeah! read more

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I absolutely love this place and visit all the time! The rolls, miso soup, and handrolls are consistently excellent -- fresh, flavorful, and always satisfying. The service is friendly and welcoming, which makes the experience even better. Make sure to call ahead and make a reservation, as it can get busy and there's often a wait if you don't. The space itself is very small and cozy, giving it a true hole-in-the-wall charm, but they also have a to-go option if you prefer. This is definitely a hidden gem and one of my favorite spots for sushi -- I can't recommend it enough! read more

We were seated at 7:45pm, ordered at around 7:50pm. We ordered a kaisen sushi roll, and two chiraishi dons. The kaisen sushi roll took 20 minutes to arrive. Our chiraishi dons took a little over 40 minutes to arrive. I had to ask around the 30min mark and they said it was on the way. When I asked again at the 40min mark for the check and to ditch the two chiraishi dons since it has been 40min suddenly they said it was already prepared and to just wait a few more minutes, then it finally arrived. Other people who came after us and ordered after us were getting their food far sooner. For an establishment with only 9 tables, six of which are for 1-2 guests, and getting walked past with other people's food without checking up on us, this was frankly absurd. I get that all tables were full and there were a lot of takeout orders, but to forget your order is outrageous. It looked like they only made rolls and any other order was just forgotten about. I don't usually care about service tbh like if the service is rude or annoying. I do however care when they straight up forget about you or don't communicate if there's an issue or something, we would've been happy to change our order. And as if to put salt on the wound, the food was just OK..? The sushi quality for the salmon and toro were fine, but all the other cuts (hamachi, scallop) were mid and watery. The ikura tasted old. The size of the sushi was also on the thin side and not as generous as other places. Also weird to pair the chiraishi don with wakame but whatever. Also! The rice was way too sweet??? Overall nothing remarkable worth waiting forty minutes for when there are better options around that dont straight up forget about you. If it was at least prompt it'd get a 3/5 on food alone. Other notes: They low-key just play anime music the whole time on repeat as if that's what the ambience ought to be for a Japanese sushi restaurant. Also they walked through the dining area and past the main entrance to toss out the food trash instead of a back area, which is kind of an odd choice and unhygienic. read more

Akami Sushi - The 40min chiraishi ‍ - Sushi Bars Near Me - Redwood City, California

Fresh, service is pleasant & helpful Cozy inside. Small parking lot shared with 3 other businesses so depending on time/day that may matter. We'll be back! read more

Cozy spot and very satisfying for the price. The fish tasted fresh and good quality. The chirashi don had a great variety of toppings and sauces, plus plenty of rice -- I was definitely full after the meal. The miso soup was very savory and paired really well with the rice. read more

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Very high quality sushi and vibes here! Probably the best sushi restaurant I've tried in the Peninsula. Came with a couple of friends and the atmosphere was great for a cozy catch up over yummy food. We had the hamachi shots, volcano roll, umami roll (my favorite), baked salmon roll, and the Redwood City roll. Everything was super fresh and tasty! Would love to try their omakase for my next visit. read more

Akami Sushi - Volcano roll, baked salmon roll, umami roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Redwood City, California

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Salmon skin hand roll was so hard could not eat it. The flavors were great in the Wagyu Tataka, and they were great at creating a speciality. The ambiance is nice and intimate. Good energy. Not sure about the service because there was only one person serving and packing up all of the to go orders. We had to wait unusually long for server to take our order and linger for our food and at the time we were the only dine in guest. read more

Akami Sushi - Wagyu Tataka. The flavor and texture was great. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Redwood City, California

Pretty good spot on the Peninsula for sushi that's bang for your buck! For $45, you get 8 pieces of nigiri, 1 hand roll, and a miso soup - you can't beat that price. My friend and I grabbed dinner here on Monday night, and it was quite empty besides a couple of tables and pick-up orders. We both ordered the moriawase nigiri set and a chicken karaage to share. Unfortunately for me, the karaage was a miss. The sushi seems to be the main thing to order here. The fish was fresh, and there was a good ratio of fish to rice. Each piece of nigiri was pre-seasoned, and the sushi rice was flavorful too. The server was attentive and efficient, although it was just her and 1 sushi man working. I think this is a great spot to get delicious and affordable sushi! read more

Akami Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Redwood City, California

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I think this place is not bad. It used to be a coffee shop so the interior is really small. I would not recommend bringing large parties unless you call ahead or something. I like that there is a crosswalk next to this small plaza so that you can more safely walk here if you are walking from the neighboring streets. I tried the sukiyaki don and thought it was pretty decent. They give you a lot of meat and rice and there is also a seaweed and cucumber salad on the side. The Ikura was ok (the eggs tasted a tiny bit old, since they were a little slimey). My spouse got the grilled mackerel fish bowl and he liked it. They give you a lot of rice. He said he would be willing to come back again. read more

My friend took me to Akami Sushi on a Wednesday night and we had a great dinner! The interior was on the smaller size, with a casual ambiance and some traditional decor. We skipped drinks and started with Miso Soup, which was predictably good. For sushi, we shared two signature rolls - the Salmon Just and Kaisen. Both were fantastic! The fish tasted fresh and the Kaisen roll was especially protein-generous. Service was quick and friendly. Would return to try more! read more

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I give this place 4.8 actually. Very closed to being perfect sushi spot! I was in the area and thought maybe i'll try a spot. Ive heard great things about sushi places in peninsula! First i was seated right away on a little corner, but even so the server didnt miss a chance to check on me. Its a little cute restaurant with probably less than 15 seats? I ordered the Deluxe Chirashi Don, and the Ume soda i love. The server told me there wasnt uni so the chef will give Toro instead. I thought it would be in the don, but a little cutie patootie toro nigiri came out first. It had TWO layers of fish, and the rice was chef's kiss!!! Anyway to the Chirashi Don. The best ive ever had and I have had ALOT. The fish was so thick and fresh. Theres even hints of sauces on some of them. The rice is sooo yummy. Im picky with sushi rice but this is perfect for me not too sour! Overall i will recommend, a little downside- very little parking area. I was going to leave after the 3rd drive around but luckily i found one! read more

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We ordered takeout per friend's recommendation. We ordered the deluxe chirashi don and yellow tail collar. Absolutely loved them. The chirashi don is a must get: ingredients are fresh, and portion is pretty substantial. Yellow tail collar is also pretty good. Highly recommended! Theres plenty of parking around the premise. Its a fairly small place with few tables (and a fairly big kitchen for its size). Feels like an izakaya. Note: when taking out, expect the food to be ready even after the estimated wait time. They are pretty busy with lots of take out orders. So just order ahead and dont arrive too early. read more

Akami Sushi - Hamachi Kama - Sushi Bars Near Me - Redwood City, California

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Really solid sushi spot in Redwood City! It's really small but they've made the space so functional and really home-y. Will be back as the rolls were delicious! read more

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Came here on a Saturday before lunch closure. Chinese family owned. Small plaza, entry to parking can be off the small street or woodside. There's no one way sign but the parking alignment gives it away... to enter off of woodside. *IF YOU DO NOT LIKE SAUCE* you should tell them when you order. I checked the menu and it isnt clear... my orders all came with extra sauce ‍ Very Japanese feel. With the wooden boards, they mustve spent some time there. The menu can be a little tricky if you do not know the Japanese english name. For example: salmon is sake. Though.. no one really asks for sake in japan now-a days. Literally just salmon . Ordered tea and it came with its own hefty tea pot. You can see it was well thought out and they put effort. No bar seating area though. Good variation on menu and couple wagyu beef options. Legit wasabi with ginger. Very nice start! I ordered: Hamachi shot- okay. Not something you can shoot, I would order it again with way less sauce. It would he better with less sauce. Onion was a but over powering. I now only taste onion and ponzu sauce with tobiko bites. Wagyu beef roll- alright. I didnt taste much of the truffle oil until middle of the roll. You taste the sauce and the texture of the beef then the rest is cucumber. Legit didn't even taste the shrimp tempura until the last three pieces. Nigiri salmon (sake) and hotate (scallops)- good. Wouldve been great if it didnt have seasoning that came with it. I wasnt expecting the seasoning. Or... it couldve been okay if it wasn't doused in seasoning sauce. I had to just put extra wasabi on top. The menu did not mention seasoning on top. Very unclear... the size of the hotate and salmon pieces were good though. Cheesecake = green tea cheesecake. I wasn't expecting it also... I was just wanting a regular cheesecake. Damn lol it was still ok though. Texture was nice and creamy. I would've had a better experience had it not be surprises after surprises. I'm a expect what Im reading in the menu kinda gal.. but good to know absolutely no sauces if you aren't a fan! The wasabi is a nice touch! That cant go unnoticed! Total came out to be about $80 with tip. I will give this another try though. read more

Akami Sushi - Wagyu beef roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Redwood City, California

We stopped to have a lunch for New Year! We had, Hamachi Toro, Chirashi Don and Miso Hama Don. This place is cozy and the sushi's are fresh. I had Miso Kama Don that I like the way they handled the grilled Kama very well with rice which is quite tasty. My wife also likes the chirashi that the sashimis are thinly sliced and fresh. Will definitely come back when we are around there again. read more

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Love this spot down the street from my house. The crispy crunchy roll is my favorite. Quality is on par, whether or not I dine in or DoorDash. read more

Akami Sushi - Crispy crunchy roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Redwood City, California

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Just moved to Redwood City and found this little gem! Sunday evening got busy after we sat down, really good service and flavor was phenomenal, my bf got a veggie roll 9/10 and I got the Redwood City roll 9/10, seaweed salad 10/10. Definitely coming back read more

This place used to be better. The fish quality was still very good but the sushi rice was overcooked and lacked texture. (Chirashi) I also ordered the Wagyu beef tataki and it was over-sauced covering up the beautiful aroma and natural flavor of seared beef. read more

My friend from out of the country wanted to eat Japanese food, so I searched around and found this restaurant with great reviews. The restaurant also has its own parking lot, so you don't need to drive around looking for parking. The restaurant was small but cozy, and there was no sushi bar seating available. The waiter seated us near the window, and we ordered different kinds of sushi, yellowtail head, and sake. Everything came out great. I will definitely go back again. read more

Come here if you want to be left waiting and leave disappointed. This is the second time in a row receiving poor service for a take-out order. I wanted to give this place a second chance but have left deeply disappointed. The food is not worth the horrible service and cramped environment they have. The first time I was ignored by one of the workers and made to stand and wait for 10mins before anyone asked if I needed help -- they assumed I was doordash. Now this time I arrived 15mins after the estimated order pick-up time and was told it would be 5 more minutes. After waiting for some time I was then informed that one of the items I ordered was no longer available. It would have been nice to be told at the beginning. read more

Fantastic tuna rolls and the albacore tataki was a hit!! I highly recommend this spot.

Pros: I like the local restaurant (mom and pop kinda spot). And the service was great. I ordered a hotate (scallop) nigiri--comes in 2 pieces), walu nigiri (also comes in 2 pieces) and a negritoro (tuna belly, I think?) hand roll that I asked to make spicy and add shrimp tempura to it for a crunch texture. Cons: I was disappointed that all of the items with different raw seafood I ordered didn't taste so fresh. The seaweed for the hand roll was also hard to bite through and rip up with my mouth. It was stretchy because it wasn't lightly toasted. The sushi rice also wasn't consistent with flavor. Not sure that I'd come back to try more dishes based on my experience. read more

The sushi rolls at Akami are generous in size and presented beautifully. Each roll I have had is photo-perfect and always delicious. The owners are attentive and service us excellent. It is a little gem tucked away off Woodside Road, so parking can be challenging some times. read more

Big fan of this local sushi spot. Super flavorful and fresh. Only ordered pickup so far but it comes very quickly.

I'm not sure where to start with this one... Let's start low and finish high: My boyfriend and I called earlier in the day (Friday) to make a reservation. We made a reservation for 2 at 7:30pm. We arrive at 7:30pm and walk in, immediately greeted by a full restaurant and lots of people waiting. While there is a list to the right to put your name down, we wait to flag someone down to let them know we have arrived (as we have a reservation). When we tell a staff member that we have the reservation, he tells us to put our name down on the list. Weird. So we do, and walk back outside to wait. 10 min pass and worried that maybe we booked a reservation for a different location I call the same number to confirm the address is right. She says yes and then after I tell her our situation, she says "restaurant is full do you want to make a reservation for later?" After emphasizing that we have a reservation for 7:30pm (it is now 7:45pm) she says ok I have table for you. So that's how we were seated... Food! Arctic char tataki: Not bad, ponzu sauce went well with the fatty fish. Cherry blossom roll: Pretty good, maybe a little heavy on the sauce, but no complaints. Hamachi Kama: delicious, i love hamachi kama and glad it came with the ponzu (no grated daikon though) Moriawase sashimi plate: ok... so... yes it's not a bad deal for 24 pc (although the receipt said 21pc?), but I did have qualms with the way the fish was cut. It was sloppy and I thought the presentation of it all was not it... That being said the quality wasn't bad, but I do believe the way the fish is cut impacts the way it tastes (mouthfeel and all that). Either way... The experience itself wasn't the worst ever, but they shouldn't take reservations if their seating process is so chaotic... Food wasn't bad and was decently priced, thus the 4 stars. Would give 3.5-3.75 stars if I could though. read more

Maybe my fiancé and I just came on an off night. We were craving for sushi one night and we didn't want to go to our usual spots so a quick Yelp search led us to Akami Sushi. The photos of the food looked good and the ambiance inside looked cozy so I was excited for us to try somewhere new. Located in a small plaza, there's parking inside and along the streets. The restaurant itself was certainly cozy with the waitlist right by the door and a few chairs off to the side for waiting. We were lucky and got seated a little after entering the restaurant at the handicap table that was already occupied by 2 people on one side. No complaints there - we were just happy to grab a seat without a reservation! After getting seated is where it fell for me for the whole experience. They were clearly understaffed as there was only one waitress taking orders + rushing back and forth from the kitchen. I'll applaud the two gentlemen that were trying to assist her with bringing water and cleaning tables, but the whole night was chaotic in my opinion. We arrived around 615pm and didn't leave till about 8pm and it wasn't because we liked keeping the seats warm... it was because it took that much time for us to order, get our food, and get the check. Overall, while most of the food was good, it's really hard for me to want to come back when I think of how much time was spent just waiting for service. Not only that, but it was cold that night so when the door was open it was cold and when the door was closed it was too hot inside. There was no happy medium. read more

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Love this sushi place. Casual and easy. Not too outrageous prices. I do like their plain sushi more than the sushi with sauces.

This is a wonderful sushi spot located in Redwood city. They have some of the freshest sashimi in the bay. I usually go for the chirashi bowl and the enthusiast nigiri platter. The service is really quick and the interior is super cozy and quiet! read more

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Amazing restaurant. All the other sushi restaurants have barely any reviews and are sub 4.5. Their sushi was incredible and extremely fresh, very cozy ambiance, and good service. Would highly recommend the nigiri. We wish we had gotten all nigiri rather than just 2 and 2 rolls. Very authentic and high quality. read more

Delicious hole-in-the-wall sushi spot. Small business, very fresh fish and great service. There was a convenient parking lot in the front, and the prices were decent. Will be coming back very soon. read more

Akami Sushi - Rainbow Roll, Sake Nigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Redwood City, California

Food was good, I enjoyed the place. The service was ok. Prices were good. When you did get service they were nice. When I got home I had a stomach ache throughout the night. Had wagyu beef tataki, golden dragon roll, miso soup, seaweed salad, and special Don buri plate. Oh and tea. Tea was excellent. Golden dragon roll was excellent. Enjoyed everything. Something didn't agree with me. Maybe not their fault. Service was lack luster. read more

I think I have found my new favorite sushi restaurant in the South Bay. The restaurant is small but cozy, all the ingredients feel fresh and the rolls are very smooth. I really recommend this place, in terms of quality and price it is far superior. read more

I'm actually still shocked with how full I left after my $99 (before tip and taxes) omakase here! This is probably the best value i've found in the bay area for an omakase !!! 3 appetizers, full cooked salmon dish, salmon carpaccio dish, mini chirashi don, 10 pieces of assorted nigiri AND dessert !!! Everything was super tasty, they have parking on site and the staff are very attentive and explain all the dishes when presenting them. read more

Akami is very quickly becoming our go-to neighborhood sushi spot. While not the highest omakase level quality, I find that the quality is pretty good (certainly much better than grocery store or delivery) and well worth the price. They seem to have a decent sake/soju offering as well! They have a small parking lot right outside, and not to mention it's usually not too crowded around 5:30/6 even on Fridays, so a good option for a last minute lets-eat-out night :) read more

This sweet spot is worth a trip to Redwood City. The food is superb. There are innovative dishes as well as imaginative rolls. Best of all, everything is fresh, highest quality and seasoned to perfection. Service is great, as well as the ambiance. read more

The sushi here is amazing. Favorite sushi spot in all of the south bay. The ambiance is great and there are such great vibes in there. read more

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(Overall: B) - I was intrigued to visit Akami after seeing their Chirashi Deluxe at a price point just under $50 with all the premium cuts. The bowl was very large with lots of fresh seafood, with my favorites being the ikura and pickled wasabi. I was a bit disappointed that there was no uni and it got replaced by a "premium" white fish when I specifically said that I was least interested in these firm white fish. Nevertheless, this is quite a good deal in the bay that is worth checking out, with other interesting items on their menu. I would highly recommend calling to make a reservation as the establishment is quite small. -- Food: +1 Presentation: E Price: +1 Atmosphere: E Service: E Menu: +1 Overall: +3 B Insta/Beli: @amei_eats [Note: unfortunately, due to data loss, my photos from my visit were erased.] read more

Fantastic sushi and donburi. The ambiance is really cozy and the service is great. It is a very relaxing and calming experience to eat here

Never misses. So so fresh and so so yum. The service is fast, seating is fast, everything is good. I'd say the rolls and sashimi are better than their appetizers. The sashimi slices are THICC and melt in your mouth !!! read more

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I wanted to give a local restaurant a chance and was severely disappointed. Not only was the food bad, but the owner/chef was extremely rude and defensive. I have never been treated so poorly by a restaurant before. I ordered the Sukiyaki Donburi and it was fatty, low quality meat, sliced cucumbers, seaweed and a lot of rice for $24. I voiced my disappointment and the chef was super ungracious and would not serve me anything else and basically told me to shove it! I would never return or recommend this place to anyone. Not only was the food bad, but the owner is a mean person who doesn't care if their customer is satisfied and should not be supported by the community. read more