Cute little sushi place with lots of options! Hubby and I went on a Friday night at 6pm. We had originally wanted to try out HiroNori Ramen but the line was CRAZY LONG! So, we ventured over to Amakai for a different type of Japanese food. There were plenty of tables inside. I read quite a few reviews complaining about service. I didn't notice any of that when we were there. In fact, service was pretty attentive! Maybe it's because it wasn't crowded when we went? We just wanted to snack a little, so we got gyoza, spicy tuna roll, and hamachi roll. Gyoza was just decent, but the rolls were pretty good. Our bill turned out to be $24 for these three things. Not a bad place to get sushi if you're in the area! read more

Amakai - Hamachi roll (left) and spicy tuna roll (right) - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Mixed results. I got the small deluxe sashimi and the sashimi tasted fresh but the escolar tasted weird. It tasted like it was sitting in water so it was a bit mushy and too wet. As I ate the escolar, it dripped a clear liquid. My dining companion would not eat it. The sake (salmon) was very good. The yellowtail cheek was pretty good. It tasted good but was slightly burnt. The disappointment of the meal was the dragon roll. Dragon roll is normally my favorite but not at this place. The rice was really mushy, the tempura shrimp wasn't crispy and the worst was the sauce. The eel sauce tasted salty and sweet but not in the typical blended way that complimented one another. Major fail. With all the good sushi places out there, I rather go somewhere that doesn't fail at my favorite roll. Because the fish was mostly good and the service was good, I'll be generous and give it 3 stars. read more

Like other reviews, I agree it is a solid three stars place. Taking one star off due to the customer service I encountered. When we got there during a slow weekday lunch hours, a waitress informed us that they wouldn't accept dine in customers after 1:30pm since they close at 2pm. (It was 1:31pm when I checked my phone.) She did offer us to order take out as an alternative. We ended up getting the food at 1:50pm, then we saw the waitress took off work because we happened to park next to her car. The quality of customer service is important as quality of food. The sushi places are quite competitive in the Bay Area. We will continue supporting other local business. read more

Incredible! Seriously one of the best sushi spots I've been too. Plus the atmosphere was amazing. Surprisingly not too expensive either. We had a large group, probably 8-10 of us and they sat us fairly quickly. Our waiter was great with his suggestions and they did a great job making the ham fried rice at the table! Go here! You won't be disappointed. read more

Rather quiet at 1230 pm on a Thursday . Presentation and quality both great. Just hate it when I ask for ingredient adjustment, ridiculous charges get slapped on. read more

Amakai - Pandora Roll - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Recently ordered sushi from here, and will definitely eat from here again. I really enjoyed their potstickers. The outside was crispy and had a nice crunch while the filling was savory. The dragon roll was very delicious and fresh as well. read more

Amakai - Potstickers - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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The service was really bad. We were sat at a table for over 20 minutes and no one came to take our order. After 20, they instead moved us to a different table and made us wait another 10 minutes before taking our order. There were two servers working, and one of them kept staring at us and walking past our table without acknowledging. read more

The server didn't take our order until I had to ask about 15 minutes later and it was just us and another table. The staff not knowledgeable on the menu either. They had to go ask the chef. read more

The food is ok and the service good. Our waitress was a good. She was attentive and checked on us frequently. I ordered a bento or combination. My particular bento had salmon teriyaki, which was over cooked or bone dry. The chicken katsu was dry as well but not nearly as overcooked as the salmon. My son devoured his dinner but it was likely because he had just played two games and ate a light lunch. Located in a strip shopping center, parking is difficult. Wish I could give a higher rating as it seems like a family owned restaurant. read more

Thought everything tasted good while i was there, but then right when i got home, i got diarrhea. Enough said

Take me to the Amakai these guys are eating at! I might be wary of inflation - there's no way this is even close to the best sushi in bay Service is nice, but it's closer to the average/decent sushi joint that you'd expect. I should have expected it for a weeknight dinner, but when I came it was pretty empty. Ah well, more attention for me and my order! I got takoyaki, the chirashi, and the spicy tuna roll. Takoyaki felt a little subpar. The flavors were all there and there were good chunks of octopus, but from my picture and bite it felt slightly overcooked. Also the first time I've been served 4 pieces instead of 6, but that's not a dealbreaker. I opted for the chirashi since that would give me the most fish in one go to try. I did like the presentation and the cuts/variety of the fish. But again, a lot of the pitfalls I'll see in other places. Unagi felt too sweet from the sauce for one. As for my favorite pieces, like the salmon and the yellowtail - it was more from the qualities of the fish rather than that specific cut at the restaurant. Nothing really surpassed Japanese supermarket quality. Which again, is still pretty good. Still a little hungry I opted to try a smaller roll, say spicy tuna. Here I actually felt disappointed. The roll was super heavy on the rice, and the pieces kept falling apart - both the rices and the seaweed. Sometimes I chalk that up to a rushed job, but with over half the seats empty and a single roll for the table? C'mon. After reading a certain review I also tried the miso soup. Dude, it's miso soup. Don't expect a game changer, but you'll get what you want. Honestly, the whole experience was meh. I was less disappointed in the food than I was in my Yelp hype. I got what I paid for and mostly expected. I was just looking forward to the next rising star in the South Bay craze. Amakai wasn't it. read more

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Cute restaurant tucked away in a small plaza. Came for a weekday lunch and was immediately seated. Waiter brought us extremely hot tea upon request and we ordered. My roll had salmon on the inside and out and was super delicious. My friend had unagi. This restaurant has plenty of fully cooked and raw options to please everyone. Pretty busy spot during the lunch hour, seems like lots of people drop in during their lunch break. read more

Amakai - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Finding the place easy.. its in the only strip-mall on that corner. Be aware parking lot can be tight with anything larger than a small sedan. This was a take-out. The staff were nice. the place looked good inside. would have been a place i'd like to sit and eat at; comfortable for a drop in in comfy clothing. I do have high expectations of sushi/nigiri/sashimi and all typical food from Japanese restaurants. The slices of raw fish were fresh, good looking, and tasted good - but very small for the 7-piece assorted sashimi and felt more expensive than maybe it should. Lunch Bento with beef and gyoza... beef a little tough and gyozas small, tough shell, and low flavor mushy middle. CA rolls mostly tasted like avocado. Rice, salad nothing different. Maybe its just that the times have caused higher than expected cost and a slightly lower quality of food which I have been experiencing even with my favorite places so my vote is based specifically on my experience, that what I think they can potentially be like once economy and food become more easily available to handle. read more

The food here is good but the service is painfully slow. The BF and I had dinner here the other night and there were about 4 other tables in the restaurant. It took us to 40 minutes to get our appetizers which were ankimo and hamachi carpaccio. Both dishes only requires you to slice, sauce, garnish and serve... We also ordered the scallop nigiri and the Pandora's roll. The Pandora's roll was really good which makes me want to come back and try the other rolls. Honestly, food wise, everything tasted fresh and I would give this place 4 stars but service was too slow that I am lowering it to 3 stars. BUT, I am going to give this place another try and update my review in the future. read more

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Came in for dinner on a Saturday and it wasn't busy so was seated right away. I ordered the teriyaki salmon dinner and was really disappointed. The salmon was really dry and the rice tasted like day old rice - it wasn't sticky at all and was hard. Again quite disappointing and won't be back. read more

I came on a Monday night and to my surprise, it was pretty busy. However, I was greeted quickly by a server. Charlene was my server and she was very helpful with her suggestions as it was my first time. Throughout the entire time, she was friendly, attentive, and anticipated what I needed before i even asked. The food was also great, I got the bento box and it was warm. I was slightly disappointed with the portion of the salmon though. The other rolls and sashimi tasted amazing. I will definitely come back. read more

Awesome! Currently attending a four day California DECA convention and came across this cozy little place. Highly recommend: 007 roll spicy and delicious Agedashi tofu Ramen soups Busy but our waitresses were attentive and friendly. Going back tomorrow for sashimi read more

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Best sushi in the bay hands down. Great date idea! The staff were very friendly and recommended great dishes for first timers. Will be back soon. read more

Look like change in ownership. They don't know how to do rice for sushi. Bad staled food. I would not come back. We ordered unagi, shrimps nigiri, rose and dragon roll. None of it is any good. Pay a lot for bad food! read more

Top quality food. Good ambience and excellent service. Very memorable experience and one I will have again and again.

A family ran Japanese restaurant. I have been here many times. Recently my wife and went there as we visited CA. She really enjoyed. It's an affordable, casual and decent restaurant. It's not a chain. I will support this small family run business. Nothing fancy here... read more

Came for lunch one day with my boss. Friendly and fast service. The rolls were tasty and fresh. No complaints here! read more

Amakai - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Great food! The host and staff were very friendly and accommodated our group very well.

It's ok.. mediocre Korean sushi. We had sushi/sashimi combo, unagi handroll, New York roll and dragon roll. You could tell avocado was not so fresh and the unagi was a bit off color on the dragon roll, but they covered it up with sauce and panko bits.. For a similar experience, Sake Bomb sushi is better. *hiro nori in this same plaza is a great option for ramen. read more

Amakai is definitely my go-to sushi restaurant in Santa Clara. I'm very picky with my sushi and Amakai never disappoints! Definitely obsessed with their Tiger Roll and Rose Garden roll (because I'm a tuna lover) but I've tried quite a few other things on their menu and they never let me down. P.s. Not only is their sushi great, but so is their customer service! Every time I come in, all of the staff if very friendly and welcoming and I always leave full and happy. read more

Amakai - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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The sushi is very good! Tastes fresh and has a little bit of everything. The service was great as well and the staff is helpful, kind, and welcoming. I like the vibe in this restaurant. read more

This is the best sushi within 50 miles. Respectfully staff was amazing and food even better

What a cutie little sushi place in an unassuming strip mall! The food was yummy and the prices were decent for the portion sizing. My only issue was that they would not seat me and let me order some beer or sake while waiting for my friend who was very late for our dinner. I'm not sure what the issue was since the restaurant only had about 3 other tables occupied. When she did arrive, my friend and I were seated and then waited a bit until we were offered drinks and menus. Could be a one off experience. All in all, I would be back if I was in the neighborhood again. The location is good for the nearby hotels and businesses that surround it. read more

Food. All the food tastes bland. Only the sushi is good. Maybe that's why it says sushi bar. Maybe they should stick to sushi.

Found hair twice on sashimi, the owner was rude like it's my fault. Would never come again. To reply to the comment below: As a sashimi-holic, I've never seen anything similar to what I saw on salmon at this place - so I am pretty sure it was NOT bloodline. read more

Great quality sushi and service. Been dropping by here for years as it's near my office.

I really love the aesthetic of the place -- traditional decor -- and it even feels like a mom n pop shop. People were very nice and friendly as well. But, I thought it was just an average sushi place. I enjoyed my sushi experience but it didn't offer anything spectacular. My companion and I tried the tiger and the Rose garden. The tiger as quite good; the sauce was very flavorful. I'd definitely recommend it. Rose garden was ok. The flavor combinations had the potential to be really good -- salmon and avocado is a really good combo; but, the yellowtail kind of brought it down a bit. Price to portion was pretty standard for sushi places: two signature rolls for ~$35 dollars. Probably wouldn't be on my list of sushi places to go again, but it was a good meal and satisfied my sushi craving. read more

Amakai - Rose garden - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Buried in a group of restaurants- a true gem - family ran restaurant serving great sushi, food is great and the service is as well. read more

Amakai - salmon, avocado, and rice - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Love the 007 :) great customer service. It's a family owned restaurant so I'm sure quality is very important to them.

Came here for dinner on a weekday. Service was slow and sushi was overpriced. We got a Spicy Unagi roll, Green Dragon roll, and Love roll. Spicy Unagi - bbq eel on top of california roll with shrimp tempura inside (similar to crunchy roll). The spice came from the sriracha sauce. The eel tasted salty and a little slimy. I didn't like the texture. Green Dragon - typical crunchy roll with pesto sauce at the bottom. Tasted like a fusion dish, but the pesto sauce was way too overwhelming to taste anything else. Love - baked scallop rolls (25-30 mins to bake). This was my favorite of the three if I had to pick one. The sauce was a little sickening with too much mayo. Overall, the quality of the food does not live up to its price. Won't be back again. read more

Wow. Can't believe all the good reviews given how bad this place is. Service is ok. Not good or bad. Just not overly friendly. What is really bad though is the food. The sushi was very unfresh. Not to the point of making you sick or anything but completely devoid of flavor. Texture was awful and each piece of nigiri and sashimi was super cold with a gummy texture. Even the color of the sushi was so drab and unappetizing. Rice had absolutely no flavor and was like a block. The rolls were slightly better but the softshell crab tasted like it had been sitting out a little too long before being fried. The ramen was effectively packaged Ramen with some hard boiled eggs thrown in (you could visibly see the packages of shin ramyun in the back room). I would have given two stars but the prices were at a premium even for lunch. $18 for a signature roll and $9.50 for standard is about as high as it gets outside of the top tier places. Nigiri/Sashimi combo was $28 which puts it in range with Amami and Sushi Tomi. Compared with them this can only be one star. Probably the worst Japanese restaurant I have been to in the Bay. read more

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14 piece sashimi is my go-to, Tuna and salmon yes but it's the other fish that really make this dish. Make sure it's open before you go.

Sushi was tasty, service was good. We were on lunch break so didn't have a lot of time and sushi rolls came out fast. The dragon roll was good, and the Vegas was a table favorite. The hamachi was basic as expected, but had nice fresh flavor. For a basic low-mid grade sushi place I really didn't have any complaints. read more

Went here with my boyfriend the other day and we loved the atmosphere. The sushi is good and there are so many choices. It is a bit of a smaller restaurant but this is a family owned restaurant which is the kind of restaurants we prefer going to. We ordered the amakai which is soft shelled crab roll with tuna and salmon on top. Luckily we came at the perfect time, the place was empty and the minute I got out the restroom, it was packed! So crazy!! Highly recommend to go here, its super kid friendly, you don't need to worry about your noise level, just have fun and eat! read more

Amakai - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Amakai has this really friendly and familiar vibe to it. I feel like if I come to this restaurant again, the waiter and the chefs will probably recognize and remember me. It's that kind of local restaurant. The food, while you can definitely tell it's high quality, didn't reflect it's price. Sushi was fresh. - The Green Dragon roll proved that Pesto goes with anything. - The Ikura was way too salty. - The Baked Lover's roll had too much mayo and I could feel my diabetes coming. - And the soba had a very interesting dipping sauce. ('Interesting' is my way of describing something that I don't like but haven't found the exact words to describe it yet) Would have come here again more often just for the friendly vibe if it weren't overpriced. read more

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