First time at Leichi and had a great dinner! The portions were on the smaller side, but the quality of the food absolutely made up for it. You can tell they focus on fresh ingredients and thoughtful preparation. The restaurant itself is small, clean, and cozy--probably not ideal for big groups, but perfect for a quiet meal. Our waitress was super attentive and helpful, which really added to the overall experience. Definitely planning to come back! read more

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Every dish was amazing! Our favorite was the beef tongue. The salt on the side has a unique umami flavor that pairs so well that we couldn't get enough of. read more

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Located at the end of a larger shopping complex, Leichi is a cozy restaurant specializing in traditional izakaya-style dishes. While seating is somewhat limited, they can accommodate a larger group depending on availability. Our party sampled several dishes, including the refreshing cucumber salad with fresh seafood, crispy tempura, and an assortment of sashimi. All the dishes were delicious and served quickly. The menu offers a wide variety of choices, and since the portions are designed as "quick bites," it's easy for the bill to add up if you're not careful. Service was attentive and friendly throughout our meal. Pro Tip: Make a reservation before you come, even during the week, since this place is popular and can get crowded. read more

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Had this placed bookmarked for a while and finally decided to check it out on Labor Day weekend. Made reservations through the Yelp app for lunch. Glad I did as the restaurant had limited seating and was quite busy. We sat at the bar area that 3 seats. Service was quick and friendly. We ordered a variety of dishes to share. Portions were on the smaller side but packed with flavor. We especially enjoyed the cold soba, miso cod, and simmered daikon. Overall, it is on the pricier side, but we appreciated the variety of dishes that aren't on your typical sushi restaurant menu. read more

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Okay Leichi is legit one of my favorite Japanese places in all of the South Bay. You'll never be disappointed ordering anything off their menu, but the favs are definitely the yuba and the grilled black cod. The Hokkaidon and the Tai Chazuke are also must-orders. We got their house-made soba this time and it was amazing. Also had some of their sake tasting flight and the classic Hakkaiden was my fav. It's a small space so the servers were really busy all night. Food came out pretty quickly after we ordered it, but it can be hard getting tables on a normal week night. We made reservations at 645 but because people were still eating from the crew before, ended up getting seated closer to 710. Not a big deal since most walk-ins at that time were getting quoted 30-40 min waits. read more

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Sashimi in the treasure box and Takowasa were very fresh. They fry the shrimp heads from treasure box afterwards but they turned out too heavy in taste imo. The tempura was light and fluffy. For the hot soba they gave a lot of noodles, pretty filling. For desserts the panna cotta was jiggly soft and subtly sweet. Soba pudding has caramel sauce at bottom and overall just tastes like a less sweet pudding? Didn't really enjoy the lemon chu-hi. read more

Leichi - Soba pudding (top), Houjicha (roasted green tea)Panna Cotta (bottom), part of the fried shrimp heads - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Cozy place with good food. Love this place. Try to make an appointment first if possible. read more

This is such a cute little dainty spot for Japanese tapas and authentic soba made in-house. Everything was delicious and not heavy at all, it's the simplicity of ingredients and flavor that really made the dishes appealing to try! I was amazed from the fresh tofu skin with uni on top, something so delicate and simple could be a flavor bomb in your mouth - warning it's a bit slimy if you're acquired to texture. My boyfriend was a fan of the salmon chazuke with the piping hot broth served in a sake cup to let you pour it on your own. read more

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This is our favorite restaurant to eat traditional Japanese dishes. We don't drink alcohol, so most time we go there for lunch hour. Presentation for the food is good, home made side dishes all so delicious read more

Leichi - Shio saba (mackerel) set - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

The food was decent, though a bit overpriced (then again, that probably applies to 95% of Bay Area restaurants). The sea urchin tofu skin dish was a bit odd -- the soy sauce flavor was too overpowering, masking the natural sweetness of the uni. On the bright side, the soba noodles were excellent. read more

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Poor service from a shorter, older Asian dude. The food was decent and the ambience was not bad

We made a reservation for 6:45pm for a party of 5 but were told to wait for about 10 minutes until one of the bigger party left for the restaurant to seat us. Which was kind of odd because then what's the point of making a reservation? Other than that, we had a good time at Leichi. It seemed that they were understaffed but everyone was friendly- especially Suki, he always had a smile on his face and was very sweet. We pretty much ordered everything lol but we were starving so I didn't get to take pictures of every dish. Their tofu & soba noodles that are made in store were AMAZING, the sashimi was fresh and everything was pretty tasty. However, the dessert was everyone's favorite- their soba flan & green tea panna cotta were so special- everyone loved them. Overall a very nice experience, would definitely recommend to friends and fam! read more

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Overall 3.5 Food 4/5: food is great. Reminded my time in japan. Price is more expensive of course but the ankimo and Nankotsu was soooo amazing! Service 2.5/5: I went a few months ago. So basically we made a reservation for 3 but they tried to sit us at a table for 2, which was small... like we can't even open 3 menus at the same time. They said they would give something to us on the house as apology, but later on they switched us to a bigger table instead. Honestly, I'd rather wait a bit longer outside than settling down on a tiny table thinking we are stuck there for the rest of the night. Hope they do something about it in the future. Ambiance: 3/5 good place to hang out and chat. They check on you quite often. After switching table, we were way more comfortable. read more

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Pros: fast and friendly service Good presentation Parking lot Cons: ok food read more

I didn't know soba could taste so delicious! I've heard of Leichi's soba before, but hadn't had the chance to try until now. We ordered the duck cold dipping soba. It was very flavorful. I was actually bummed we had only ordered one to share since it was so tasty. After eating most of the dishes, we were still a little hungry so we asked our server to make a recommendation and he suggested the Buri Daikon. It was sooooo flavorful and delicious. The cuts of tuna were so fatty, I want to order it again. Con: We had made a reservation for two for dinner, but they ended up seating us at the bar instead of an open table (that ended up going to a walk in.) It wasn't bad but since this was a special dinner, it felt a little odd to be at the checkout counter. They had a ton of tablets for Uber Eats and Doordash there and it detracted from our experience. Get: Soba with duck! Buri daikon Maybe: Sashimi sampler (not a standout) Ikura Chawamushi Skip: Scallop Carpaccio (basil didn't work for me) Dessert (the panna cotta was too firm) read more

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My favorite thing about Japanese cuisine is that it stays true to good quality ingredients made in simplistic ways. Leichi really hones in on this concept and may I say, actually perfects it?! The menu is simplistic and guides you through three styles of cooking; deep-fried, steamed, and grilled. We started with the Buri Diakon. A yellow tail fish, which was steamed perfectly and had great umami flavor. It was accompanied by steamed daikon which will make you completely forget about its pickled alternative. This was probably my favorite dish and something I would order again, despite wanting to try the whole menu at least once. Our grilled fish was the salmon Kama, a grilled to-perfection salmon belly. The notes of yuzu weren't as abundant as the char flavors but the quality of the fish really stood out. Both fish dishes have bones so be careful! as if we didn't have enough Omega 3 on the table, we also ordered the steamed gindara a black cod simmered in sake. This was my first time trying something Sakamushi style. The flavors were a lot milder than expected. still flavorful as the sake gives it a nice tang. Other honorable mentions were the Agedashi tofu and Nasu Mizore - a steamed eggplant side w/radish sauce. Both were delicious sides and great for sharing. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting. The staff, although not friendly, were attentive. I did not have an issue with the table limit like other reviews suggest, so I guess they were accommodating in that sense. You do have to put your CC# down for a reservation and a $20 charge per person for no-shows/last-minute cancelations. Overall, this dining experience was both enjoyable and eye-opening, I highly recommend it. read more

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Great place amazing beautiful perfectoha sido una experiencia maravillosa cenar en esté restaurante

Leichi is one of my favorites because everything they make here is delicious and they have unique Japanese dishes you can't get elsewhere. They have an assortment of fresh sashimi dishes (honestly my favorite place to get fresh sushi nearby), grilled dishes, appetizers and noodles. Highly recommend making reservations to ensure you get a table! My favorites are: The Treasure Box - they don't always have it but can confirm they have it right now! It's an assortment of different sashimi and it's the best in the Bay Area, hands down). Wood-pressed Sushi - also known as box sushi and it's super unique because it's pressed in a box so it has sharper edges than regular nigiri. A5 Wagyu on a Stone Grill - MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH! Also super fun to grill yourself. Dipping Soba - the only place I've seen dipping soba in the Bay Area. Goma - their homemade tofu with sea urchin on top (you can also get their fresh homemade tofu without the sea urchin) Hokkaidon - scallop and sea urchin/uni on top of rice! Unagi Box - unagi (eel) on top of rice! Tako Karaage - deep fried mini octopus karaage! Super crunchy and delicious. Also have never seen this at other Japanese restaurants. Gindara Saikyo - marinated black cod! A solid staple! AND don't forget to try their desserts! They're phenomenal and the perfect level of sweetness (not too sweet IYKYK) read more

The food has strong gamy, bold and earthy flavors. If that's not your flavor profile than you might not enjoy this place as much. Shiokara was tasty with strong earthy flavors. Overall everything was wonderful and hubb call and son were very happy. I on the other hand tried everything, but not all was for me since I'm not a fan of strong gamy flavors. Service was polite and to the point. The interior is small and cute. read more

Leichi - Sake menu - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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This is a charming little treasure of a find! We were able to make reservations easily online. We ordered and ate family style. The Treasure Box is impressive. I especially loved the A5 Wagyu cooked on the hot stone. It melts in your mouth! read more

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Leichi - 05/10/23 Leichi is a very small restaurant, I had made reservations a few days before. I would recommend making a reservation before stopping by. We had many different dishes. The favorites - Marinated Cod - Mushroom tempura - A5 Wag - Sashimi was fresh and tasty - Chirashi bowl Others - Ika Karaage: was too chewy and not crunchy - Chawnmushi: lacked flavor, custard was too loose, had it with crab; no crab to be seen or tasted in the dish. Definitely a unique restaurant that's worth a try. read more

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Fantastic ambience and lovely private seating. I had really high expectations walking into the place l considering we had tried coming by a few times in the past and it was reservation only due to it being so packed! Unfortunately the food was a bit underwhelming. Fresh soft tofu was probably my favorite and loved the toppings it came with. I also enjoyed the Tako Karage (fried octopus) which was unique due to the usage of whole baby octopus. Still, the food fell a bit short. read more

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This was an interesting little spot that I tried while on a trip to San Jose! The food is a bit on the expensive side and there is a bit of a wait, but everything is delicious and high quality. The fried oyster exceeded my expectations the most. I was afraid it was going to be a heavy dish but it was actually fried well and was light and yummy. The squid was good as well, and the lemon really enhanced the flavor. The sashimi bento had really fresh fish and a lot of rice but I was hoping for more sides. The restaurant itself is small and has a cozy, wooden feel to it. It's a nice place to try if you're looking for Japanese dishes that isn't just sushi. read more

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We had a wonderful time at Leichi! From the moment we walked in seeing the cute decorated interior, to the final bite of dessert sad that our meal was ending. We came on a weekday night, only having to wait about 5 minutes for our table. Once we were seated, the server provided a brief overview of the menu and provided us recommendations as requested. The restaurant mostly does dishes tapas style so everything is in small portions, which I love because it gives you the great opportunity to try multiple dishes in one sitting. Everything we had here was great! My favorites were definitely the broiled salmon cheek, the salmon ochazuke (this might be an acquired taste though), and the roasted green tea Panna cotta, but you can't go wrong with anything here! Overall a great spot to check out to try a bunch of yummy dishes. read more

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Fofu is amazing here, as well as the desserts. Yuba is a must try here, you can taste the fresh of all the ingredients. Small portion so you can try a lot of dishes which is great. The duck is yummy. salmon chazuke is average. Beef on hot stone is good to have small portion of grill meat which is a plus. It is not that busy and can make same day reservations which is convenient. Something to improve : 1. The lighting here is terrible, most of the place are so dark after sunset that we cannot even see the food. This is not a romantic vibe but just poor considering about customer's dine in experience. You will never happy if you cannot even see what you are eating. And make it 0 star for food presentation.Even if other restaurants dim the lights to create an atmosphere, they at least have enough lighting on the food. Besides, this is an izakaya, not a fancy steakhouse. 2. Poor service overall, no water, no one show up to order until you wave your hands many times and ask for it. 3 stuff outside cannot serve well 11 tables. 3. Tako washabi is too salty, the seaweed inside is too salty to eat cuz itabsorbed a lot of the sauce. buri daikon is too slaty too, and I never try any Japanese food are so heavy seasoning. It will definitely be 5 Star if the dine in experience was improved. However this is most bay are restaurants cannot achieve now. read more

Leichi - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Ambiance: 8/10 space was a bit bigger than expected. Not really a place for big groups like 10 people. It's well lit and spaced evenly. If you want to have a date night, this is the place to be. Service: 10/10 we had reservations so we were quickly seated. But we noticed that on a Saturday night, the wait time wasn't too bad. We heard the server calling customers in every 15 mins. The waiters were super friendly and quick to serve our orders. Food: 9/10 For drinks we ordered the Senkin flight trio, this was the sweet one recommended by our waiter. My personal favorite was the muku, very light after taste and a bit sweet. I rarely m drink alcohol so this was a good recommendation. For starters we ordered the Yuba and takowasa (raw octopus marinated in wasabi). The yuba was so delicious, it had sea urchin, tofu skin and soy sauce (?). It was light, warm, mix of sweet and savory, would love to try to make it. Takowasa was refreshing, the wasabi was delicious. For main course we ordered: 1. Gindara Saikyo (black cod grilled marinated in white miso) - buttery, soft with a hint of smokey flavor to it. I see why it's one of the popular dishes. 2. Beef tongue stone grill - we opted for the beef tongue as we already had wagyu (from a different place) a day before. This was amazing, make sure to add salt and lemon when it's cooked. 3. 6 kinds of sashimi - 18 pieces altogether, at the time we came it consisted of white tuna, octupus, salmon, hamachi, hotate and mackerel. Everything but the octopus was divine (the octupus ok, not much taste to it). 4. Tempura Seiro soba - tempura was good. I loved their handmade soba, it was very satisfying. We ordered the cold soba but would love to try the hot next time. For dessert we had the green tea panna cotta and sorbet (yuzu). Panna cotta was nutty, had a roasted tea flavor. The yuzu sorbet was a great way to wrap up the night. read more

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A very cozy restaurant that takes me back to Japan. For appetizers, we got thinly sliced beef that you cook yourself on a hot stone/plate, so you can cook to your liking, such as medium rare or however you like it. Sprinkle some salt and lemon, and it was delicious! We also got the silken tofu, and another tofu dish. I got the cold soba with tempura, and I really liked the soba! The others got bentos since it was on the lunch menu. The tempura could have been slightly crispier, but still yummy nonetheless. The rest of the group has been here 3+ times, and they always get the thinly sliced beef on the hot stone (I think it was beef tongue?) so I would highly recommend that as an appetizer! Would definitely come again read more

Leichi - Cold soba with tempura - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Valentine's Day meal service was so good. Did have to wait a bit despite having a reservation, but they just happened to be really busy due to the holiday. Will definitely come back for regular service! read more

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This placed used to be one of my favorite izakaya places, but now all the items and the menu is underwhelming. They've got rid of a lot of items on the menu and for the price-- all the portions are very small and nothing was super amazing. I usually order the grilled beef tongue, sashimi and some appetizers but the last time I went I wasn't fully satisfied with what I ordered. The place is really small, so I highly recommend making a reservation or coming as soon as they open. read more

Leichi - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Came here close to closing (~9:30), and it was packed!! A great sign of a popular and loved place. Everything was great, except maybe the shrimp toast which only has the downside of being a bit too hard. Super cute place, nice staff, superb vibes. A real tucked away gem; don't be fooled by the liquor store next door!! read more

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Came here 15 mins before they opened because we didn't have a reservation. The space is small but cozy. We ordered a bunch of things from smoked ducks to uni bowl and wagyu. All of which were delightfully. This is a tapas so you'll end up ordering more than you thought. Service was meh. For the amount of food we ordered and how much we paid, service could be a bit more attentive. We constantly had to get the server attention every time we needed to place another order. read more

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[Food] - Goma Tofu ($10.50): A sesame tofu paired with sea urchin (uni), wasabi, and dashi soy sauce. I didn't expect the tofu to be so creamy and thick but I do enjoy it. Definitely a good pairing with the uni and dashi soy sauce. - Takowasa ($9): Decent and comparable to most authentic Japanese restaurants; no complaints! I do like they added some seaweed to it. Wasabi was just right for me. - Hamachi Carpaccio ($14.50): Another dish I really enjoyed as the, I think, truffle dab really enhanced the hamachi and made it more flavorful. I also appreciate they added some cherry tomatoes and love the sauce too! - Limited Sashimi ($36): My favorite was the amaebi (sweet shrimp). There were about 2-3 pieces of each sashimi (7). All fresh and tasty. - Tongue Steak ($19): Out of all the dishes we tried, this was my #1 favorite of the night! Super flavorful with the dashi soy and yuzu pepper. Cooked to perfection at medium rare. At first I thought it might be too thick for my liking but was amazing! Juicy, tender, flavorful! - Kamo Kunsei ($12.50): Presentation wise was pretty cool as you lift the cup to let out the smokiness. Duck was juicy, tender, and smokey. Balsamic sauce was one of the most subtle balsamic sauce I've ever tasted. Not in a bad way but most I've tried are more acidic and sometimes overpowering. The salad actually tasted best with the hamachi carpaccio sauce! - White rice ($2): Fluffy and moist! Definitely can tell they used Japanese short grain rice, my fav! [Service] - Fast, helpful, attentive [Ambiance] - Small, casual restaurant [Overall] - Been here previously a few times and will definitely come back as I love their dishes! read more

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Revisiting for the first time since the pandemic, and the quality is just as great as I remember! I visited during lunch on a Friday and there was luckily no wait. A downside is that their prices have increased significantly over the years. For lunch, we spent about $60 for the two of us. Unfortunately they no longer serve the Premium Lunch Set anymore, which is what I was looking forward to the most... Instead, we got a variety of dishes to share: Chawanmushi, Seiro, a Sashimi Bento, and Salmon Chazuke. Everything was prepared perfectly and the quality of each dish showed. The sashimi was buttery and fresh. The chawanmushi was decadent and addicting. The soba noodles were very firm, but tasty. The salmon chazuke was hearty and comforting. read more

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Overall good food and good service. Tako Karaage - deep fried octopus, good texture and good with the mayo Steamed Gindara - steamed cod, buttery texture, sauce is really good though salty, lots of umami Seiro Soba - cold dipping soba with handmade noodles, firm which I like, nothing to write home about but comforting The inside has a really nice ambiance and woody Japanese decor, which was surprising based on the outside which is unimpressive/ unassuming. read more

Leichi - Soba with dipping sauce - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Made a reservation in advance and was served right after arrival. The vibe was pretty calm. The dishes are on the smaller side, so would recommend ordering at least 1 carb based dish. They served the wrong dessert (soy pudding), but the cost was the same and it still tasted really good (my favorite from the menu now). read more

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I haven't been to Leichi is a long time. Too long! It's still great. We had a tofu salad, with loads of bonito flakes--delicate and savory, atop extremely fresh assorted greens. The assorted tempura had three big pieces of shrimp and various vegetables, perfectly fried. Something I have never seen before was the ebi baguette. A fish cake made with shrimp between slices of bread, battered and fried until well browned and crisp. So unique and soooo good! The smoked duck was served under a smoke-filled glass. Tender, juicy, and very, um, smokey. They really get all the details right here. Even the miso soup was exemplary--savory and flavorful. Service was fast and courteous. read more

Leichi - Smoked duck - Japanese Near Me - Santa Clara, California

authentic Japanese food and reasonably priced. Small hall in the wall restaurant and crowded read more

Legit, you'll be transported to Japan. Everything including the vibe to food. Each bite executed well. read more

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Best Japanese restaurant in the South Bay! Everything is really great but recommend trying the tofu and soba in addition to everything else. read more

I came here for a birthday dinner with my family. It was our first time and I'm glad we made reservation because the place was packed. Inside is spacious but the actual tables and seating area is a little tight, especially if you're sharing a side of the booth with someone. I didn't mind too much. The food came out quick and everything tasted really good! They serve small dishes that are decently priced. read more

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