I ordered the bento box expecting it to be served in a traditional bento-bako (the classic compartmentalized Japanese bento box), so I was pleasantly surprised when my meal arrived beautifully plated instead. The presentation was incredibly creative and visually stunning; it was almost too pretty to eat! The way everything was arranged made the entire dining experience even more enjoyable. The food was crisp, fresh, and clean, and you could really taste the quality of the ingredients. Everything was flavorful without feeling heavy. The service was friendly and attentive, and the prices were fair and about what I'd expect. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant has a nice ambiance and tasteful décor. I visited on a quiet Sunday after church, and it was the perfect setting for a peaceful meal.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I dined alone this time, but I could easily see myself coming back with a group of friends or for an intimate date night. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The only reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 is because the table I was seated at was wobbly. It made eating a bit challenging, and my water kept spilling over the rim of the glass onto the table whenever it shifted.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It wasn't a major issue, but it was enough to take away from an otherwise wonderful experience. Overall, I'd definitely come back. The beautiful presentation, fresh food, inviting atmosphere, and good service made it well worth the visit. read more

Blue Sakana Blackhawk - Chicken Yakitori - Japanese Near Me - Danville, California

I've always loved this sushi restaurant. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance is very fun and lively.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have an amazing outdoor bar right on the pond.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff are very friendly and welcoming and are very interactive with customers. The Red Ginkgo roll is my absolute favorite. We also ordered the flat iron steak. What an experience! They bring at black rocks and you cook the beef on the hot rocks. The fish is always fresh, they have an amazing drink menu, and a great happy hour! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Had a great dinner here tonight on the patio.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They have a nice happy hour if you're there before 6. Service was excellent! My ramen was spicy but very tasty with prawns and an egg. Teriyaki salmon was a thick delicious portion. read more

Blue Sakana Blackhawk - Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Danville, California

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I KEEP giving them chance after chance after chance. But they seriously cannot follow simple instructions. I even called ahead after I placed the order and told them to make sure to read the notes. They insured me that they would. Come to find out once I get home they added extra wasabi when I specifically asked for extra ginger. AND SIMPLY asked for the roll to be THIN cut. I've ordered so many times they're familiar with my order. It's ALWAYS a thin cut roll. This is just pathetic. If I didn't have discount code from DoorDash this time I would have spent $30 on this order. BE WARNED!! The only reason I order from this restaurant is because it's convenient. I would love to have a reliable fresh sushi restaurant like Akira in downtown Danville in Blackhawk. ( if you live in downtown Danville don't bother coming up this way stick to Akira there) The owner offered me a credit once but that doesn't excuse the countless mess up of orders continuously. This is about the final straw. I'll have to continue to make yelp posts like this until something seriously changes. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great venue, sushi, and service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Sushi is fresh always with a special including fish directly from Japan. Drinks mixed perfectly with an option for mocktails. read more

Great place for my nigiri & sashimi favorites. The tempura was also well done. Excellent choices of sakes the cold Junmai Ginjos. No problem parking in Blackhawk Plaza and Tesla superchargers right across. read more

We came here for lunch, after a morning visit to the Blackhawk Museum for the first, Mid-Autumn Asian Moon Festival celebration. Blue Sakana takes over the spot previously occupied by Blue Gingko. The cuisine style seems the same to me - sushi, sashimi, teriyaki entrees and yes a pretty big cocktail menu. The food quality and service turned out exceptional, so 5 stars. Apps The free miso soup was very good - balanced, light, and not excessively salty. Popcorn chicken was fried crispy outside and soft and juicy inside. For a refreshing cocktail, the Ginger Mojito is a good option. Entrees Our 3yo loves teriyaki salmon, and the Blue Sakana version is a thick-cut Scottish Salmon with a nice rich glaze. Fish was moist and just perfect when mixed with sushi rice. Both the Teriyaki Chicken bowl and Diablo Ramen were both solid dishes too. It's tough running a restaurant, especially at Blackhawk Plaza given the high cost and loss of the theater and limited shopping. Hopefully Blue Sakana can thrive! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Located centrally in a beautiful upscale mall by the pond with whimsically decorated interior, this restaurant offers wonderful outdoor and indoor dining options.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The fish, the freshest, you can tell as soon as you taste the creamy uni! They offer some appetizers that are unique like the lettuce wrap and old favorite done right like fried calamari. Even their miso soup is special; they add mushrooms for enhanced flavor and texture. Service was also out of the league. Servers were very attentive but understated, the best! This just became my new favorite dinner spot after a round of golf!! read more

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I've been going to this restaurant for a while and my family loves it every time. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We always enjoy the summers on the patio[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and the servers are always personable. read more

Came here for a company dinner at 6pm on a Wednesday. Food was delicious, though I was expecting more taste-wise given the price point. Menu is huge so everyone can find something to order -- they sushi, sashimi, noodles, rice dishes, skewers, hand rolls, and grilled options. Service was great though the food was slow to come out. We were a big party so we tried a bunch of stuff: - sea salt + spicy edamame ($7 and $9 respectively) - eggplant ($11) - vegetable tempura ($19) - cucumber sunomono ($9) - pork belly skewer ($9) - crispy gyoza ($11 for 5) - jalapeno poppers ($14) - sashimi salad ($35) - braised short rib teriyaki ($28) - teriyaki chicken ($20) - garlic rice ($7) and a bunch of other rolls The entrees were disappointing but the appetizers were amazing. We loved the fried eggplant and cucumber sunomono, so much that we ordered 3-4 things of the cucumber sunomono. The eggplant was crispy, fried, and perfectly salty-sweet-umami and we couldn't get enough of the refreshing sour-sweet-salty of the cucumber sunomono. The jalapeno poppers were also amazing. The teriyaki chicken and braised short rib teriyaki, were good, but honestly not worth the price point. They were kind of boring (?) taste wise and the portions were small, so even the portions can't justify the price. FYI, they don't come with rice (kinda lame) so we had to order garlic rice on the side, which also ended up kind of bland unfortunately. Our servers were amazing and attentive, though I wish they coordinated with the kitchen better. Some of the appetizers took around 30 minutes to come out, and we were a little annoyed how there were long stretches of time where we didn't have any food. My boss didn't receive his roll until the very end of the meal, when everyone else had already finished eating. read more

The service is lacking a bit since they changed ownership. I think they're doing their best, but it's a bit of a mess. That said, they have the BEST sashimi salad!! The only thing that they don't include with it (but they'll bring if you ask) is ginger and wasabi. The sushi is also good, but the "soicy" edamame leaves a bit to be desired. It's more oily, a little spicy and a bit flavorless. The grilled artichoke was MUCH better, but I wasn't a fan of the aioli as it was a bit one note. I do think they'll figure out service, but it's not been the best. The last two times I went, we had to get up to find our server just to get our order taken. I say go either way. It can be my imagination, but I felt like the service was better outside than inside. Maybe because there are more people outdoors in the warmer weather & their focus is there?? Not sure. I say 100% get the sashimi salad if you're a sashimi lover like me. So good! Cocktails are pretty good, too, but their alcohol selections were a bit limited. Overall this is a regular go-to for me, and it will continue to be until further notice. read more

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Good service, good sushi...not traditional but still good. The waiter was attentive and the fish in the sushi seemed very fresh. It's in our neighborhood, so we will definitely go again. read more

We have been going for years and getting take out. The last three takeouts have had so little sauce on the Tatsu you could not even telll if there is any. Asked for extra sauce this time on three rolls hardly any on two of them and one didnt have any. The red Ginko had no sauce or any thing on top. $23 a roll just not worth it any more read more

This treasure is fortunately close to home and we try to dine there once a week! The fish is always super fresh and they have an extensive choice of delicious Japanese specialties. Happy attentive servers and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the ambiance is 5 star inside as well as their dining area outside by the lake.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

A comfortable environment, understated service, and high quality!!! sushi made for a memorable meal. Bonus: you could converse without yelling across the table, even with several tables nearby. read more

It breaks our hearts writing this.. Not the same quality and this totally sucks because this was a place we ate every two weeks! Have been going here for years. The shopping center is going downhill from what we can tell too... the pond is smelling bad and the overall maintenance both at this restaurant and the surrounding areas are not getting the attention it deserves! All we can do is hope management reads this and other reviews like it and sharpens up their efforts... read more

Best place to get high quality and delicious rolls. The management, bartenders, and service staff are absolutely incredible!

Best to make reservations before you head to the restaurant to guarantee a table, otherwise you can end up sitting at the bar height area with other people, which is also fine. On a nice day, it's comfortable to sit outside whether for lunch or dinner. Menu is pretty straight forward. It was busy on a Friday for dinner but our waitress did her best to attend to everything. I am posting a picture of my drink. It gave me a lil buzz so i'm gonna say it's perfect. read more

Blue Sakana Blackhawk - Sorry I forgot the name but the drink was good and gave me a lil buzz! - Japanese Near Me - Danville, California

I ordered the pokey salmon bowl. It was very small with a very minimal amount of salmon. Very disappointing I won't be coming back. Service was mediocre at best. I had to ask a separate server twice to close out my tab. read more

Great, very accessible sushi place in the traditionally nicer area of the east Bay Area. Really convenient and easy menus and lunch specials. I was visiting family in the East Bay and we had additional family coming into town so we chose this place because they had this great seating area in the back room that would be able to accommodate our large group. The menu is large enough where you could find something for picky eaters but also easy enough so you don't get overwhelmed. They have a few lunch specials that are a pretty decent deal. I ended up getting I think the lunch special three which is some nigiri as well as a roll. The lunch special comes with miso soup as well. I also ordered some Japanese longer because that usually goes well with sushi. The folks were super great and we had a great experience being able to catch up with some distant family. We came around early lunch time and the place wasn't busy. That's probably because he was around the holidays as well. My brother told me that this place is one of his usuals and I can see why. It's good for groups and seems to be very fun. read more

Blue Sakana Blackhawk - Roll and nigiri lunch special - Japanese Near Me - Danville, California

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Love Blue Sakana. We come here often and I've never once had an item that wasn't good, or was poorly prepared. Servers are so friendly and great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very reliable option for a delicious meal in a nice setting.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Which is why we return again and again! read more

Such good sushi! This is a go to spot for my family and I and we always leave full and satisfied! Great service as well!

Love this place! Previously known as Blue Gingko, different owner and slightly different name. Food is the same, quality is great and ambiance hasn't changed much. Love that they have many veggie options here aside from fish. The sesame miso sauce is amazing!! Put it on anything just about. I'm due for a visit here, craving it now haha read more

Finally, a place in the East Bay to enjoy vegetarian/vegan sushi. It was such a delight trying the variety of options - from noodles, sushi, to tofu. We tried the broccoli Gomae, agedashi tofu, vegetarian roll (without rice), ume & mint roll, nude caterpillar roll, and the banana pudding. There was nothing that I regret getting. The ambience was great for a casual weekday night but I can also see it being a great place to meet friends or have soju and sake on a weekend night. The service was exceptional - our waiter made great effort to make us chuckle and even convinced us to get a dessert! I'll be back here again and again and again! read more

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Really enjoyed our food and service. Highly recommend the specialty rolls Red Gingko and Salmon Melt. Appreciated these recommendations from our server. read more

We really enjoyed our Sunday dinner for four. Lettuce wrap appetizer was delicious. Sashimi and sushi were fresh and tasty, especially with fresh wasabi. We were impressed with fresh Uni's in stock. Not all Japanese restaurants have them. Bread pudding dessert was creative and not too sweet. In summary, we would love to visit again in the near future. read more

Really good! They had amazing service and the heart shaped roll was a really cool experience cause they set it on fire!! Highly recommend read more

This is one of our go to spots for sushi in Danville. The food is delicious, service is good, and [[HIGHLIGHT]]it's a great environment[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]! read more

Blue Gingko is our go-to sushi place in Danville. We ordered the following: Scallop Bites - scallops are really fresh melt in your mouth we ordered a second round of it. Albacore Tiradito- is one of our favorites. The sauce is really good I always use the rest of the sauce for my sashimi. We sometimes request to substitute Hamachi for the Albacore. Both amazing. Sashimi Tasting- variety of super fresh fish everything tasted fresh and fish melts in your mouth. This is always am excellent choice. Stuffed Shiitake Mushroom- first time trying this it was very tasty it is stuffed with crab and deep fried. So good! Hamachi Jalapeño- my husband likes Jalapeños and this roll definitely satisfied his taste. Sake Don - 9 pieces of fresh sake (salmon) underneath is sushi rice that is cooked and seasoned to perfection. Sake was fresh and i think its a pretty decent portion for the price. Overall: this place is still one of our favorite sushi spot! We come here regularly and each time we are happy with the food, service, location and the ambiance. We have yet to order anything that we didn't like. Everything in the menu in my opinion is great if not excellent! read more

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This restaurant was wonderful, food & service were excellent. Their expansive menu with very clear labeling was very helpful as a vegan. Their vegan rolls were delicious. Will be coming back. read more

The food is great. Fish tastes fresh. The appetizers are good. And the happy hour is a great deal. The staff is super friendly and the owner/sushi chef is very friendly and kind.!! Been coming to this place because it's close to home and easy. So much on the menu is good. I recommend the Alamo roll, canyon roll, and the temaki. I've had their chirashi as well very yummy and diverse sashimi selection. Just had their temaki hand roll and it's delicious! The decorations are nice and modern and the fish decor is so cute and aesthetically pleasing. Love this place!! The sushi chefs are super thoughtful and attentive. If you come regularly, they'll keep in mind your taste preferences and adjust your orders to your liking!!! Love love love this place!! read more

Blue Sakana Blackhawk - Mixed poke not sure exactly as they gave as a free taster!! - Japanese Near Me - Danville, California

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My wife and I were stuck in Blackhawk one evening while we waited for my son to come back from his Winter Formal. I remembered eating at this Blue Gingko a few years back and it was a positive experience, so I decided to take her here for dinner on a whim. When we arrived, it was pretty crowded inside, so we opted to sit outside on the patio. Since it was a little chilly, we had one of the employees put on a couple patio heaters, which was nice. We had the entire patio all to ourselves. Our server arrived and took our orders. We shared a spicy salmon roll and a vegetable tempura appetizer. My wife asked if the salmon was raw and the server said it was, but it arrived cooked, so that was a bit of a disappointment. Still, the food was good and left us feeling satisfied. Even though we were the only patrons sitting outside a crowded restaurant, the waitresses did not make us feel ignored. They were attentive and did their best to make us feel welcome. Overall, the food was above average, but we've had better (and cheaper) sushi and elsewhere. It would also be nice if their outdoor dining wasn't so dark. I could barely see the menus because of how poorly lit it was. Other than these minor suggestions, we were satisfied with our dinner and would come back here again. Most of my experiences with Blue Gingko, whether here or in Dublin, have been positive. read more

Blue Sakana Blackhawk - Tempura vegetables and shrimp - Japanese Near Me - Danville, California

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Nice outdoor patio eating area. The plaza itself is kinda deserted with a good number of shops empty. Had the lettuce wrap with tempura shrimp for $15. Kinda expensive for what you get. Parking was easy as the plaza was not busy. The salmon melt roll looked good and more filling. Service was great. read more

Top shelf service Top shelf sushi I would definitely recommend this place! Top shelf price, but boy it taste nice read more

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They have been better. The food is super tasty - it's still expensive. Inflation sucks. read more

Blue Sakana Blackhawk - Jalapeño Poppers - Japanese Near Me - Danville, California

Great appetizers and sushi. Staff is awesome too - very welcoming. Happy hour is a steal

This is my go-to sushi spot in the East Bay. The fish is always fantastic and they have a couple weekday lunch combos (nigiri/sashimi or nigiri/CA roll) that are really reasonably priced for the quality and amount of food. We also really like the eggplant, agedashi tofu, popcorn chicken, and hamachi kama. Service is also excellent, whether it be from the host(ess), waiters/bartenders, or sushi chefs. read more

Love Blue Ginko (looks like they changed their name) food is great and staff always wonderful Awesome place to go for happy hour or date night. Outside seating is so nice read more

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Very fresh and clean sashimi and sushi. Chefs are long experienced and doing their best all the time. Trust worthy chef is not everywhere. read more

Under new management, but the menu is largely identical to Blue Gingko. We highly recommend the sashimi salad and chirashi bowl. Prices are reasonable for what you get. read more