Had an amazing omakase dinner at the bar, and it was one of the best experience ever. The server was super friendly, patient and explained all the dishes carefully. I absolutely loved how they were able to accommodate any requests such as more wasabi, less rice, etc. We also ordered some cold sake to go along with our dinner, and everything was superb. The best part is that we sat at the bar, so it was great chatting with the sushi chef and Mikky was absolutely amazing! I know I will definitely come back here again, even by myself to enjoy delicious dinner at the bar. read more

We booked this place to celebrate valentines. We had high expectations from the positive reviews and exquisite photos, but the place turned out to be a real disappointment. Ingredients are not fresh: the nigiris are dried out and oily. One of the fish gave me the feeling of chewing on a chunk of butter, I had two cups of hot tea to wash the fat off my teeth. Crowded room, my table was literally two steps away from the door, no fine dining vibe here at all Dessert: a scoop of fruit flavored ice cream and supermarket bought pretzel? Really?? If you read the introduction of this place on yelp you will realize this is not the Japanese food you are looking for, it's also not the kind of fine dining it advertised itself to be. read more

Ichika - Sushi Bars Near Me - Milpitas, California

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To make a reservation, you have to go through ExploreTock and leave a $51 deposit for each person in your party. The seasonal prix-fixe menu is $168 per person and if you decide to bring your own bottle of wine, there's a $30 corkage fee. So the cost break down for two people comes out to; $102 deposit towards your bill, $30 for corkage fee, $168x2 per person, and tip = Total bill came out to $366 so technically $466 with the deposit included. With the cost alone, I feel like the value of the dining experience and food doesn't match the price. Decor is beautiful and warm, great sound system, and there are only a couple of tables to create an intimate and private setting. We were seated right next to the door, and another couple was sat next to us, arms length away. We ended up hearing their entire conversation + snooty inappropriate comments and it just killed our vibe. Onto the food; some stuff was good but the entire flavor profile across all of the dishes was sort of lacking and at best neutral. To be brutally honest, nothing really stood out. The Sunomono Salad and the Appetizer started out fun, but didn't know where the dining experience was going to take us. The quality of Seasonal Sashimi and the two courses of Nigiri was great, and while the Chawanmushi looked pretty with the foam and roe, the taste and texture was just OK... it felt more like a filler course with the amount that was served. The Tai Risotto was swimming in heavy cream and felt out of place. I could keep talking about the additional items but as mentioned, nothing really stood out with the exception of the uni and the wagyu, and the whole dining experience/journey didn't flow or feel cohesive, complimentary or refined. All in all, this is a beautiful restaurant but I feel like the menu needs some refinement to take you and your palette on a culinary journey, especially for the costs. Ichika has a ton of potential to be something special though. read more

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This place is really great! First of all, they accommodated husband's shellfish allergy. Second, they have lovely service. Third, the ambiance is soothing and gentle. The food is very fresh and great! Their omakase is perfect and enough for me. I tend to always call it quits for the last two meals but for this place, it's perfectly paced. We really appreciate the detail in their service and accommodation. It's rare to have such kind of restaurant in the Bay Area, so this place is a must try for sure! read more

My husband and I went to this restaurant as a surprise, spur-of-the-moment night out. The food is great, but they don't get 5 stars because they have some work to do. The staff is pleasant, the food is very good, but they have to adjust their menu just a bit to get the ultra premium experience they are going for here. Firstly, the ambience is great. The setting makes you feel like you are a VIP. The wait staff is very professional. They explain every dish to you (some are a little hard to understand) and make it feel like a high quality tasting menu. My issue is, three courses in, there was one dish that had a fish flavor that was overpowering. I continued to taste it in the courses to follow and I think that, while all of the ingredients are great, to achieve what you are attempting, you need to adjust your menu a little bit. Please keep going--you are creating something incredible in Milpitas, and for the price point, your food and service is great. But don't stop there! Keep iterating, and you'll start attracting a loyal following. We'll probably be back next year--just to check in. Cheers! read more

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We came here on a whim one night after running out of ideas for a date night spot and we don't regret it one bit. This was one of our favorite dining experiences yet! Their service is immaculate. Because it's such a small & intimate restaurant, the servers are incredibly attentive through the entire dining experience. As for the food, each dish speaks for itself. Everything was absolutely delicious & for a dining experience like this, you just have to put your trust in the chef to curate the perfect menu for you. Master Sushi Chef Shou Gomi did just that and more! read more

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Amazing food and service!! Servers are super soft spoken sometimes I have trouble hearing them But they're super attentive and friendly. Food presentation was top notch! Great for my gram They all taste absolutely delicious And the set come with so much food I was 80% full 1/3 of the menu in never experienced such at an omakase The ambience is stunning too. Definitely one of the best decorated and modern restaurants I've been in bay area. Love it and would come back!! read more

My husband and I decided to check Ichika to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We made a reservation a week prior online which requires a $50pp deposit). The restaurant is in an old shopping plaza, so when we walked in, we were quite surprised of how luxurious everything felt. The interior is dimly light and they have marbled black tiled walls with lots of gold decor accents which made the environment feel extremely elegant and intimate. There are not many tables inside, which we appreciated as it didn't feel crowded. We opted to sit at the sushi bar as we always do. There is only one option for omakase at $168 per person. We also ordered the Echigo lager and a carafe of the Dassai 23 sake ($60 - smooth but a tad sweet). Food overall was pretty good - appreciated all of the carefully picked serveware and the kaiseki-style dishes. The fish was very fresh and since we sat at the sushi bar, it was nice that we received the nirigi piece by piece, as well as being able to chat with the sushi chef here and there. I was quite impressed with the service here. My beer, sake cup, and water cup were constantly filled up and all of the kaiseki-style dishes were served at the perfect cadence. Overall we really enjoyed our omakase experience here. It definitely is a bit pricey ($500+), but I would recommend this for a special occasion. read more

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Came here for my first omakase experience and it was very memorable. The interior is decorated with lots of black and gold, giving the restaurant a luxurious feel. Service was very attentive and made sure that we were cared for. Unlike the more traditional omakase experience in which the chef prepares the food in front of you at the bar, we were actually seated in a booth. This allowed us to chat with one another more freely throughout the dinner. The food was fantastic. Each course had beautiful presentation, and the fish all tasted very fresh. My favorites were the beef tongue appetizer, sashimi omakase, and toro nigiri. The courses were very balanced and each one was exciting to see and eat. As we were celebrating a birthday, our dessert ice cream came with candles, and we enjoyed our ice cream while the restaurant played a happy birthday song in the background. Our dinner took around 2 hours, and I left the restaurant feeling very satisfied and full. Overall, I had a lovely time at Ichika and would definitely return. I think this is a great restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, especially since the booth seating creates a more intimate setting. read more

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Fun, friendly and overall a great experience. Of all the courses, only one didn't bode well with me but that was just personal preference. It is in a very unassuming strip center but when you walk through the door, you totally forget where you are and it feels like a small boutiquey spot in SF. Service was informative, friendly, and also funny at times. Definitely an experience to be had. read more

Great service Food quality was better than any other sushi restaurant around. Good raw materials delivered over the sea. But not quite ideal or expected outcome. Aging could've been done better. Quiet and nicely private ambience. If you are new to Japanese sushi omakase, it's recommended to try this place at least once to experience. If you're experienced, I don't recommend. read more

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We ate at Ichika for my birthday and it was fantastic. They had the most beautiful decor of any Japanese restaurant that I've been to. We had dinner reservations on a Thursday at 5pm and were the only people in the restaurant. They only have a tasting menu price fixe at $128/person and it was delicious. I loved the nigiri and the sea bass. The waiter was very nice and attentive. There was plenty of parking. read more

Wow. Ichika is one of those places that truly blew me away. It's so unassuming when you walk in, because it's located in a strip mall area around some casual Asian eats. You'd never expect an upscale restaurant to be behind the door. The decor inside is stunning, and the food is also superb. It's a great value for the food and atmosphere. The menu is Prix Fixe for $158, and it's 8 courses - but it's actually a lot more than 8. One of the courses is a whole tray of small bites. The sushi, uni, hassan, and wagyu chawanmushi were stars of the evening for me. The chawanmushi is served with a puff pastry top. I would've liked more beef in it, but the flavors were so lovely and comforting. For me, the only letdown was the dessert. It was a cheesecake and just too heavy on my palette. The friends I was with were more than happy to help me finish it though! I am obsessed and will definitely come back. read more

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We came here on a Tuesday night and we're the first ones there so we had first pick of seating. Their sushi bar didn't seem open so we picked one of the booths. We loved the interior designs and decorations. Their dishes are kaiseki styled with a prefixed menu. Overall food was decent but since the restaurant is still fairly new, I feel like it still has some things to work out. Compared to restaurants in sf, I feel like some of their dishes were lacking in flavor or that some of the dishes didn't pair well together. Since the dishes are also French inspired / fused, the flavors didn't go well with some of the other dishes. We also thought that the server could have done a better job at explaining the dishes. I hope they'll continue to improve on their service so we can give it another shot! read more

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Our server recommended the Homare black label sake and it was excellent. Service was impeccable and the dishes were unique and fresh. For this price point I expect near perfect and unfortunately there were a few minor misses when it came to flavor profiles and combinations. read more

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The staff here are professional and friendly. The environment is nice and lovely with a fancy sushi bar and decoration between tables to separate private area and avoid noise disturb. The food menu is designed with consideration, nice combination of various seafood, meat and vegetables. Each dish is serving with beautiful dish layout. My husband and I tried taste seasonal menu Nov 2021. The full menu shown in photos: Sakizuke (Salad + Complimentary Drink) Hassun (Chef's Choice seasonal seafood, meats and vegetables) OTSUKURI (Seasonal Sashimi, Oyster & Caviar) OWAN (Sakura Shrimp Ball Soup) YAKIONO (Miyazaki A5 Wagyu Beef | Seasonal vegetables) NIGIRI OMAKASE (Seasonal seafood nigiri) CHAWANMUSHI (King Carb | Japanese Steamed Egg Custard) DESSERT (Seasonal Dessert) We have three tables totally to celebrate birthday situation, the resultant nicely put birthday candles on dessert plate and played birthday sounds. It is really a great experience for this section. The only thing I do not like here is each table comes at different time (such as 6:00 pm, 6:30 pm or 7:00 pm). The chef and waitress try to make every course at the same speed. So for us with early reservation time, have to wait longer time between several courses. If the resultant could improve this, it will be much better experience. read more

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Came here with a friend for dinner and tried the premium Kaiseki option. Overall felt disappointed. The first several courses made me feel I'm not eating any Japanese cuisine. I think the style was mixed too much. The Chawamushi was topped with beef in heavy sauce and the egg was a bit over steamed. The first bite of grill salmon was kinda bad that I thought I was eating some kind of salty marinated fish. The nigiri was ok but the uni was a bit mushy. Nothing really caught my eyes and honestly this didn't make me feel like eating Kaiseki. Everything was very heavy with chunks of meat. The plate and decoration were also random, not delicate enough. And my two chopsticks had two different color... read more

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I had a wonderful time at Ichika, and I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who's down to splurge and indulge. We had reservations for 6:30pm on a Thursday. The food and service were outstanding, which was what I had hoped to expect from a Japanese fine dining - omakase experience. I appreciated the design and ambiance. My friend mentioned that he read how the restaurant sourced their decor, flatware, marble, etc. from businesses in the Bay Area, which was cool to know. Overall service was on point. The food came out in a timely manner, and the servers were highly attentive. I felt that they were very hyper focused on their tasks at hand, so they weren't particularly personable. It would've been nice if the servers not only explained what we were eating but also how to best eat the items or even tell a story behind the inspiration of the dish. I mostly loved everything that we got and thought the food was flavorful. The quality of fish was great, and I enjoyed the beef dishes (i.e. beef tongue skewer and wagyu sashimi). My least favorites were the Chawanmushi, which was a cold egg custard, and the chocolate "cheesecake," which was very basic and more of a mousse than anything else. read more

Great spot for special occasions! Went here for our anniversary, and it was worth the money. Service was stupendous and the decor was very romantic. The food was excellent. I really enjoyed the tofu with the ikura. The nigiri was excellent. Everything was excellent! read more

My wife and 1 finally got a chance to come try this place , since we had tried their another store at San Bruno , but different style . I'm a omakase lover , thats why gotta try their omakase style since the San Bruno store didn't disappoint me . We opted to sit at the sushi bar as we always do. There is only one option for omakase at $168 per person. We also ordered a carafe of the nanbu bijin sake($50 smooth and a tad sweet) , went well with sashimi and nigiri during the set , we really liked it . The fish are fresh , the most WOW me dish of tonight will be the peach tofu ( the small dish of appetizer) and Kani Chawanushi . It's nice tasting and favorable . I love their interior design as well , a place where is good for date night to enjoy . May be $168 it's abit pricey for other omakase lover , but I personally think this price are really reasonable , not just the food they provide also with a good service they had. We are really enjoyed it and definitely recommend this place for others to try the experience. Experience is the key part of the omakase . read more

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We came to Ichika for a private business function and was blown away by the service, food and atmosphere. Highly recommend this place for a nice dinner and experience. Hidden away but easily accessible! I will most certainly be coming back! read more

Yay, finally an omakase place near by! After my bf and I experienced omakase restaurants in SF, I find myself not enjoying regular sushi/nigiri like I used to. SF is sometimes too far of a drive for dinner so Im glad for this opening in Milpitas! My first impression of the restaurant was that it was nice and romantic! The ambiance was dark, mood setting, and the music was a perfect fit (jazz). The owner greeted us right as we sat down and we felt welcomed right away. The servers were delightful and informative. The menu was a fixed menu. The nigiri/sashimi came so fresh and delicious. We didn't wait long in between each course. There were some entrees that was new and unique to my tastebuds but I'm all for trying new things! I'll insert all the photos I took of dinner! Overall, I have no complaints and would like to return with my bestie.:) read more

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For me, great restaurants distinguish themselves through: 1)an atmosphere that is complements the dining journey, 2) service that makes me feel like I'm with friends, 3) a visual and tasty dining experience, and 4) a price that matches 1-3. Ichika definitely delivers it all (4.5 stars). The vibes 5/5: You wouldn't expect to find a fine-dining experience tucked away between a tea and pastry place at a Milpitas strip mall. Yet Ichika is one of the most stunning restaurants I've been to. One of the owners, Kai, masterfully architected this place blending in traditional and modern elements. The attention to detail can be seen and felt throughout: from the waterfall wooden wall accents to the incredibly comfortable bench cushions all the way--I wish I could just live there. The modern sounds playing in the background are just loud enough to create a great atmosphere without overpowering table side conversations. Amazing! The staff 5/5: Throughout the night, we had the pleasure of meeting the entire team and we left feeling like we've made some friends. We started off the evening with Christine, who got us some water and offered a great recommendation for sake (Dassai 23 was perfect). Then Denny kept us cracking up all night. He's also gave us a sneak peak of their cocktail menu (right now they only have beer and sake) by dropping off 3 different drinks for us to taste. They were all different, complex, and supper yummy. Last but not least, Kai showed us amazing hospitality from the moment we entered the place. He stopped by frequently and asked for feedback on food. Super nice owner who really cares about the customers. The food:4/5 As much as I wanted to give this 5 stars (and the presentation definitely deserved it), I gotta keep it real. -Ocean Garden Salad (3.5/5): Coming out gun blazing with a killer presentation. The standouts here was the ebi both raw and fried; the star was the citrus-bonito jelly (OMFG); the let down was the octopus that just didn't taste fresh. Overall an ok dish. -Golden egg tofu (4/5)Surprisingly, this was one of the standout dishes. The light and crunchy noodles, paired with silky egg in a yummy broth with mushrooms just worked beautifully together. Flavor bomb! -Sashimi Omakase (5/5): served with their homemade soy foam that perfectly coats the fish, I really lucked out getting 3 of my favorites that night: abalone, scallop, and tuna. It was heavenly. -Grilled Wagyu beef (5/5): It was the perfect portion to satisfy the meat-cravings without leaving me stuffed and unable to enjoy the rest of the meal. -Nigiri Omakase (4.5/5): Although all of the nigiri pieces were good, I wish I had left Hirame for last, as it end up being my favorite bite. Got to use the soy foam again, so it was fun! -Temptation (2/5): I LOVE uni and was pretty much waiting the whole night for this dish. Too bad that it was so disappointing. The uni was tiny, very bitter--not at all what you would expect from the usually sweet sea urchin. A suggestion to the team: maybe have a backup dish. You can't always control the fish that gets delivered; but you can control what is served to the guests. If the "premium" item is not up to par, please substitute it. -Clam broth (4.5/5): The broth was perfectly seasoned, the clams were fresh (got a few grains in one, but not an issue) and tasty. Such a great comfort dish. Could have it every day! -Surf & Turf (4/5): This course consisted of pork belly, squid, smoked salmon, sea bass, cow tongue and shrimp. The smoked salmon and the shrimp were by far my favorites. Unfortunately, everything got cold pretty quickly, which made some of the dishes less enjoyable. But overall good, and if you were still a bit hungry you would't be after finishing this dish. -Matcha Tiramisu: From the other desert photos I saw they used to serve some sort of jelly with this before. We didn't get any. But the tiramisu was absolutely amazing, especially when biting down on the edible spoon cookie. The value:At $128 for a 7-course and $168 for a 9-course meal, this place is a steal. The ambiance, service and creative delivery of food are worth the visit. We will definitely be back to try out some of Denny's cocktails once they hit the menu. Thanks for a fun night, Ichika team! read more

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I wanted to like this place so much bc the food is good, restaurant is gorgeous, and there's so much potential. The head chef served his time at Hashiri. However, it becomes really apparent that the two-team waiting staff was completely overwhelmed. Not sure why this wasn't an issue with anyone else but this was literally the longest meal I've ever had. No matter if your reservation was for 6PM or 7PM, our first dish didn't come out until 7:45, and the next dish didn't come out until almost 8:15PM. Every course item was brought out to all of the tables at the same time. Our total dinner time took 4 hours! That brought down the experience for me. Ocean Garden salad - Gorgeous visual for the opening dish. Nice crunchy shrimp head, vinegar dressing was pleasant. Sashimi omakase - It was OK. There's lot of stuff going on visually. Some fish is in a large glass goblet. Others are on the plate. There's a little boba in here but it's tasteless. The foamy soy sauce was the best part. Golden egg tofu (somen noodles, king crab, shimeji mushrooms, egg tofu) - Noodles were fried like an airy crispy pancake. A little messy but good. Crab was too salty. Nigiri omakase - 4 adorable, shiny round slices of fish wrapped around a ball of rice. Each piece was great. Temptation (Hokkaido uni, ikura) - Uni and roe on top of sliced apple was an interesting combination. It was OK. Everyone said the apple was really good, but I couldn't taste anything. Grilled wagyu beef (Miyazaki A5 Wagyu beef, chef's choice vegetables) - The best item on the menu besides the nigiri omakase. The slices were so tender and juicy. Clam broth (clam, unagi, daikon sprouts, rice cakes, bonito dashi broth) - Warm, comforting, and a solid palette cleanser. Surf & Turf (slow cooked beef tongue, burdock with conger eel, chef's choice seafood and vegetables) - Interesting small bites which I felt would've been better at the beginning. The fried roll was my favorite. The beef tongue was excellent. Grilled Seabass (green peas, creamy suace, ume sauce) + Risotto (bacon, cheese, truffles) - Chip was really good. Everything else was super creamy. Risotto was good but way too much food by then and had to take home. Dessert (matcha tofu tiramisu) - What a delightful finish! It was creamy, rich, thick, and satisfying! Premium Set B $168 per person. read more

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Great food, ambience and excellent service! My husband and I went for the first time and enjoyed ourselves. Although seafood was very fresh and tasty, Wagyu was a bit tough and not the best quality. read more

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We had a great time here for our Anniversary. The food was well presented and delicious. We both ordered Set B, the 9 course meal which included wagyu and uni dishes. The highlights for me were the sushi courses, wagyu, and beef tongue (probably the best beef tongue I've ever had). The uni inside an apple was an interesting dish: the uni was soft and buttery, but the sweet, crisp texture of the apple felt out of place. Ichika brings high end flavors to the south bay, making it great for special occasions when you don't want to deal with going to SF. read more

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I came here twice with my parents, this February and some time end of 2021. Both times we ate here, we were really impressed by the presentation of the dishes and the quality of the food!! My absolute favorite was the uni inside the apple, I still think about it to this day. What I enjoy the most is that their menu changes every so often, and so does the plating and presentation. It is always so fun to see the creations that the chef puts together. The servers are also very friendly! Overall both times we ate here were pleasant experiences. I will definitely be coming back to eat here. read more

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Ichika is such an amazing kaiseki restaurant and the best part of it all is that it's nestled right in Milpitas! Ichika took over the old Sushi Kai and completely transformed the restaurant. I dined with them during their soft opening and got Set B and everything was fresh and super tasty. The biggest difference between Set A and B tasting menu is that Set B includes uni and wagyu. If I could give five stars alone for the food presentation and service, I definitely would! I can tell that the chefs/owners of this restaurant have injected a lot of creativity into each dish to really make the experience. I got really excited to see how each course would be plated because of how creative their presentation was. Our server (who was also one of the owners) asked for feedback throughout our dinner to continue to improve, so I thought that was a really cool opportunity to help them perfect their menu! The service overall was really amazing- waiters were attentive and brought out courses at a good pace. I couldn't finish my last course (sea bass) so they packed it up for me and cooked up some extra risotto for brunch the next day. For ~$170 (Set B), I was stuffed and definitely felt like the value and overall experience was worth the price. Best part is that you no longer need drive all the way into the city for an amazing kaiseki! read more

We got the dinner set B and it was definitely the right choice. The wagyu beef and uni is super good. I love the sauce that comes with the wagyu beef. The ending with a matcha tofu tiramisu really ties up everything. I would really recommend this restaurant. The food is great and the atmosphere is awesome. The people working there are really nice and attentive to all details and needs. I will definitely come back to try out their different menus. read more

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Met Boss Tim and his wonderful team. You are so lucky to have a great server like Christine. I'd come back soon just to see her, too bad she's taken! Food and decor was fantastic, you don't feel rushed with the 2 hour time limit. It was a great experience to sit at the bar by the chef. Always fun to offer him a drink or five! The 8 course meal was just enough to make you feel satisfied. Everything was great but the shrimp ball soup and wagyu soup was my least favorite. Everything was fresh, even their soy sauce was unique. Not saying we needed the sauce but it added a new flavor to every dish. Will be back soon! read more

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We came here to celebrate a friend's career advancement recently and were all extremely happy with the quality, taste, and service of Ichika. We made a reservation online, which had a $35/p deposit to secure the time. The menu is pre-fixed and so is the time. It was 5-7pm for the first groups, and 7-9 for the 2nd set. It was fun to eat the same course as everyone else at the same time. The fish was very, very fresh. We started with a light appetizer, then moved into main courses. Then we ended it with a warm soup to wash it all down, followed by desserts (sesame ice cream and matcha cake). It was delicious! Shout out to Kai, the owner, for the service. He and his entire staff was very polite. Would definitely go again next time to try another's seasonal menu. read more

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I've dined here twice since the soft opening. Both times I've ordered the premium set by adding a uni appetizer and wagyu beef. They have two head chefs who take terms to work. As the two times, I've been there, the way they make sushi is different, and plate presentation was also different. The owner was very sincere when they ask feedback from customers and was able to make improvements quickly. The service was excellent. The owner himself was in the restaurant the first time we went and humbly asked customers' feedback on the food, the service, or any recommendations for improvement. And my friend was a chef himself, so he gave them some suggestions on the course presentation, the owner happily accepted all the suggestions, and told us he'd take into consideration and should see some improvements very soon. The 2nd visit was just one weekend apart, as I took my mom there to celebrate her birthday. As I've mentioned earlier, the whole presentation was different from the first time. I've seen the adjustment based on our first visit, which made the 2nd time a much-improved experience (food-wise). And I've told the waitress some of my thoughts, and again they gracefully took in all the feedback. I would rate the food 4/5, but the hospitality level was superb. Everyone working there was genuinely humble and respectful, and how quickly they were able to take the customer's feedback in and make improvements shows how sincere they were when they asked for feedback, so I gave them a 5-star! read more

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What an amazing place! Reminds me of the traditional Japanese kaiseki. Every item has a unique delicious flavor and texture. What an experience! read more

Snagged a reservation via yelp relatively easily. Ichika is still in its soft opening phase so there's still a few kinks to work out, but nothing major. The staff is super friendly and eager to please. My tea cup was never empty and they asked us how we liked each dish (even asking for feedback!). At one point, I hadn't even yet taken a sip from a full cup, and they were already refilling my drink. You can choose from set A ($128) or set B ($168). You get a couple more courses with set B (including the uni dish), so we decided to pay a little more for the latter option. The ambience is modern and luxe, but the background music can be a bit bass-y. It didn't bother me much, but it also doesn't quite fit in with a classy Japanese restaurant. We sat at the bar and got a good view of the chef preparing the dishes. He didn't interact with us very much and was very focused on his craft. Fish was fresh and they were kind enough to sub out the wagyu dishes with a pescatarian option for me. While I didn't love all the dishes, I still thought they were all fun and presented artistically. For example, I like the idea behind the temptation dish. The uni was pretty good and still melts in your mouth, but personally, uni nigiri is the best way to enjoy a solid piece of uni. The foamy soy sauce is so cool! I was obsessed with it and felt like it complemented the nigiri/sashimi well. I was also a pretty big fan of the dessert. It's a generous serving and the spoon it comes with is completely edible! It's just really hard to bite into, so be cautious and don't break a tooth. We were pretty full by the end of the meal. There wasn't too much of a lag time between dishes and I think the whole experience took about 2 hours. TBH, I was originally a bit wary when I found out the sushi chef trained at Hashiri. I did not enjoy my experience at Hashiri and was on the fence about my reservation. Fortunately, it was a good experience for a kaiseki meal. read more

My boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary at Ichika and we are so happy we did! Each dish left us in awe... truly by far the best dining experience we have ever had together. Every component of the dishes were so cohesive. And the presentation? Literally ART on a plate!!The owner took the time to explain each dish which made it even more meaningful. The decor was gorgeous - it was even better in person than in pictures! The service was soooo friendly and accommodating, you can tell they care about each person's experience and you can just sense their passion for what they do. The owner Kai really went above and beyond to make our anniversary feel special. We will definitely be back! read more

Ichika - Sushi Bars Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Let me start by saying this review is better than 4 stars flat. It is close to a 5, but there were just a few things that made me feel slightly let down during my experience at Ichika. I really wanted to give Ichika a 5 though! 1 - I felt like some of the portions I got were smaller than I had expected, after pouring through the photos of previous reviewers. I had waited days leading into my reservation, very excited for it, and then felt just a bit disappointed. Here are the dishes that I felt had skimped a bit: the sashimi omakase - small pieces of sashimi; nigiri omakase - I had thin slices of fish on my rice; little bits of uni in Temptation; and I had heard that the best dish was the sea bass with truffle risotto pairing, so I was eager to try it, but was disappointed that it got consolidated into the surf and turf without the risotto, and I feel like the bass portion is smaller. A bit of insight for the restaurant -- I think it would help if the dishes stayed more consistent since there could be more Yelpers like me who were looking at prior Yelper's review photos hyping themselves up for the experience. By consistency, I mean it's all good to switch out some ingredients for others, to keep things interesting and fresh and adhere to seasonality, but the portion sizes or the "bang-for-your-buck" factor must stay the same. Otherwise people can't help but feel a bit slighted. For example, I think I saw a Yelper's Temptation photo had lots of uni! But mine had less than bite-size pieces. I was also disappointed right upon receiving the menu and seeing that the grilled sea bass with truffle risotto was missing and the sea bass got added to the surf and turf which ended up missing duck. Another grievance -- I wish I got the frothy soy sauce. :( 2 - Maybe I just didn't know better since this was my first kaiseki, but I kind of thought the ambiance would be a bit quieter and more private. Turns out the restaurant is already super popular and a booked out Sunday night proved my expectation wrong. It's still nice though! The interior design was very beautiful and modern, and I especially liked the large group table that had elevated platform steps into the area over white rocks. The classy jazz music later turned into chillstep was very good in creating an awesome and elevated dining experience. If I had a restaurant like this, I would be pretty proud of how it looks. Now for the praise -- all the food tasted really good. 10/10 for presentation. I have never had such beautiful food served to me before. The ocean salad to me seems like an achievement for a chef to be able to create such a pretty dish. Almost felt bad eating it. It was a great first dish that started off the kaiseki experience with a bang. I stared at my boyfriend and both of us were smiling with glee over this edible artwork. I really liked the bonito dashi jelly flakes. I am still staring at my food photos days after I ate at Ichika. I don't normally do that after eating out somewhere. The wagyu, ocean salad, and seabass were my favorites among all very delicious dishes. I was delighted to taste so much umami and unique flavors coming from extremely small pieces of mushroom and carrot. But that's the thing -- the deliciousness doesn't last long in my mouth because it's so small. Maybe I'm just a fatass. Overall, I write such a lengthy review because I was very moved by my experience here. It was still fantastic. And I want Ichika to do well!!! Hopefully they can work out some of these issues I experienced and make it better for others! I can see the owner definitely puts a lot of thought into every little detail and as a person who obsesses over details, I really appreciate that. read more

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I was excited to treat my brother out to a nice dinner, and I've walked by this new local place on my last Tenren trip. I would sum up our experience as great customer service and very promising, but deeply underwhelming. For the price of over $400 after tax, tip, and a small discount, I expected a more flavorful experience. Lovely ambiance and beautiful presentations though. My highlights would be the amazingly fresh, high-quality sashimi & sushi, soy sauce foam accompaniment, perfectly cooked wagyu, the baby peach in the hassun assortment, a complimentary off-menu lavender lemonade cocktail, and matcha tiramisu (and honestly - the novelty of the edible dessert spoon lol). I won't go into the details of all the other dishes. In general - all of the ingredients were mostly prepared very, very simply. The five basic tastes were not in typical Japanese harmony - umami was especially not emphasized. There were issues with an oil-soaked eggplant, spongy overcooked chawanmushi, and fishiness from my shrimp ball (my brother's was fine though). *The amazing staff were receptive and appreciative of the feedback, explained that they were trying out the new seasonal menu, and graciously gave us a small discount and off-menu cocktails! I would probably return to this restaurant at the current price point in at least 2 years, to give them time to iron out a few kinks. As of now, there's certainly room for experience and improvement. read more

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Due to my new job offer, my big brother takes me to this place to celebrate. The ambiance is very nice and cozy. The service is amazing and I really love both server Zoe and Kai. They are very friendly and helpful throughout the dinner. We picked Menu B. All the dishes is an art work but it doesn't give me a wow impression. The dish I dislike the most is suff and stuff. The fish is little bit salty and the meat is kind dry. Also, the uni combines with apple is overpowered the uni taste which makes me little bit disappointed. All in all, its a good experience. However, if I pay for this meal, I would choose Michelin restaurant instead of this one. read more

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Really great experience, though I wish it started quicker. Our reservation was for 5:00 but the first dish didn't come out until 5:20 or 5:30. We ended at around 7. Everything was really great, especially the wagyu and uni. The dessert was also had a lot of flavor without being overly sweet. The only dish I was meh about was the clam soup. It just tasted like hot water with dashi. read more

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We are so glad we had the chance to come to Ichika during its soft opening and before word gets out on this place. The sashimi omakase was perfectly executed (with frothed soy sauce that we are in love with), and the grilled wagyu beef was melt-in-your mouth flavorful. Each course that came out was a delight and a surprise, from the "foggy" Ocean Garden Salad to the fresh uni with briny ikura that pops in your mouth. The nigiri omakase was fresh, tender, and well-balanced. It's clear that chef Shino San (trained in Japan and France) pays close attention to detail, not just in the deliciousness of the food but in the presentation, which is whimsical and colorful. Great selection of sakes on the menu as well. We felt especially welcomed by the owners Kai and Irvin who went above and beyond to make sure we were having a fantastic experience. The beautiful modern ambiance and attentive service contributed to an unforgettable time. We highly recommend this place and will be back. read more

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