TL;DR - clean restaurant, solid food, and responsive service I notice reviews are a bit less than stellar for Mikado, but my family and I enjoy coming here for lunch (nothing against dinner, we just haven't eaten here for dinner). Yes, it's not a fancy Michelin rated restaurant with a fancy chef's course or Omakase, but you're also not paying through the nose to eat here. The service always seems friendly, and while they try to be proactive with things like tea and water refills, they don't mind you asking while they walk by if you forget. We're never pawned off to "our server" as they all seem to share in the workload. The food is decent, and most importantly, the fish is fresh. We typically get a bento or sushi bento when we come. The nigiri slices aren't quite as thick as I'd like, but they are a decent size. They are conservative on the rice with their nigiri and in their rolls which I appreciate. For example, the spicy tuna roll has a high spicy tuna to rice ratio - only a thin layer of rice. The overall portions aren't huge but they're enough to fill you up for lunch. In addition to fresh fish, the restaurant seems quite clean which I appreciate. If you haven't tried them, give them a shot if you're looking for a solid Japanese / sushi dinner that won't break the bank. read more

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Delicious food. superbly clean. Gracious staff. Cannot be beat! The only thing they can improve on is the napkins they use. Would prefer linen. read more

6/3/2025 Mikado 161 Main St. Los Altos, CA 94022 I was walking and exploring DT Los Altos on an early Tuesday evening and stumbled on this somewhat hidden place (obscured by vegetation). I am more of a Bento Box and Entree over sushi guy and they had a strong menu of these selections. Parking in the surrounding city lots was ample but gets tight during high lunch and dinner times. It's a long and narrow clean contemporary booth and sushi bar setup. I was seated promptly and ordered the Calamari Tempura Dinner. The okay salad and above average Miso soup were brought promptly. The squid consisted of long tubes with a crunchy panko breading, no tentacles. This was very tender, indicating the cook knows not to overcook it and turn it into rubber. The accompanying tartar sauce was okay but I would prefer a spicy cocktail sauce. If you like long squid tubes, this place is for you, it's kind of unique. Service was good, obvious attention to detail and worth a repeat for other entrees. read more

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I always love the food here. Great bento boxes for lunch, fantastic service and very friendly all around.

We wanted a place to sit outside with our dog for dinner. This place exceeded our expectations. We got the Sex and the City Roll, Big Smile Roll, and the Lobster Roll. The Lobster Roll was one of the best things I've ever eaten in the Bay Area. The service was amazing and everyone was so friendly. Definitely will be back. read more

So for a Japanese/ Korean restaurant I thought this was very good. Not sure what to expect when I read the reviews. I had been here years and years ago. One of my favorites in the S Peninsula in Mt View had closed, so a friend and his GF took me here. The overall experience was great. Friendly staff and servers and it was clean. The Bento Box that I had was most excellent with a twist of this Korean Beef Dish that I picked. I most certainly will come back. Thank you. read more

Mikado - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

Had dinner at Mikado last night. I've been in Los Altos for nearly 20 years and have never eaten there (shame on me). It was really excellent. Super fresh fish, excellent flavors, great service and fair prices. I will visit again soon. read more

This was the best hidden spot for sushi in Los Altos. Through the years, the prices stayed about the same, but the quality of food went down from 5 stars to 2 stars now. -- shrimp shumai. It is just fried wonton. All breading, no shrimp. Taste of fried oil. Bad. -- sushi rolls. Fish cuts that are 2-3 days old, frozen, defrost, frozen again... no taste, bland,, even rice is completely bland. Cuts are thin, not the best cuts. --- CHEF: buy a simple rice spice mix in Marukai Japanese store. Mix it with your rice, at least something can have a taste. Sorry guys, not good food at all, food isn't cooked with the respect nor in Japanese tradition. To be avoided. read more

Stellar from top to bottom. Very good quality seafood. Spicy tuna roll was huge. Teriyaki Alambo was perfectly cooked. Edamame's we're done well. Service is superb here. Huge bento box for lunch for only $22 including soup and salad. The ambiance is so relaxing. Reminds me of being in Japan wherefbe food is not so salty. read more

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Their lunch special offers great value and is delicious! I especially like the chicken teriyaki lunch special, which comes with California rolls, miso soup, and salad. Dinner is just okay. read more

Food was pretty yummy, however the portions are just really small for the price. Service was great! read more

Mikado - Lion king + seared salmon nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

Fresh sashimi and house salad. Nice people. My favorite restaurant where I have often come for years.

We regularly go out for dinner to restaurants in the Los Altos/Mountain View area and always very much enjoy Mikado. There is a very nice atmosphere, good service and excellent food. Parking is never an issue, so the location is also very good. read more

Overall, I greatly enjoyed my experience dining at this Korean restaurant (: the workers were friendly and professional, delivering my company's and I's food in a timely manner. The food in and of itself was delicious as well, containing a variety of fresh flavors within our dishes. And lastly, the overall atmosphere of this restaurant was immaculate, feeling peaceful but also professional at the same time. I particularly appreciated how the seating area was a mixture of booths and also bar seating, the variety was nice (; so, I would highly recommend checking out this lovely restaurant if you are in the area to do so! read more

I have eaten here 3 times and feel like the food is good quality with excellent service every time. I'm surprised that the reviews are so low. read more

So excited to try this place in downtown Los Altos. Sadly cannot and will not recommend. Ordered a hand roll and bento box and absolutely nothing came out fresh. Chicken was pre cooked and bone dry and the sauces smelled strange. Gyozo was old, cold and each bite caused the oil to saturate mouth. Really old school and lovely inside though. Staff was fast and nice. read more

Great Japanese food. Fresh and tasty. We go there often. Nice ambience too. Great location.

As always do enjoy going to Mikado especially for the lunch bento box special. Today was no exception , as always can get a seat right away with friendly service ( note this is a smaller establishment and not adjustable tables so for large crowds it is limited ). Today was teriyaki chicken , avocado roll and gyoza , yes not so traditional but good quick lunch. Environment is nice , little bit older inside but well kept up and overall good selection of sushi , noodle etc. if in Los Altos give it a try and see what you think read more

Mikado - a bento box of food on a table - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

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Unfortunately the food is not fresh I got a roten lettuce. The fried calamari looked like a big portion, but inside the batter is a dry small flavorless peace of calamari, not fresh at all. I asked it to go but I didn't get the sauces, utensils, napkins. Very disappointed read more

Mikado - Roten lettuce, the fried calamari looked like a big portion, but inside the batter is a dry small peace of calamari, not fresh at all. - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

I came for lunch on a weekend day right after they opened. The ambiance is very characteristic of a Japanese restaurant with wooden booths and sake bottles on display and it didn't feel too noisy inside. The server seated us quickly and was very attentive in checking in to take our order. Took us a while to decide after considering the weekend special, dinner menu, and sushi menu, but ended up getting the spicy sashimi donburi and two rolls. The spicy sashimi donburi features house spicy sauce, which seemed to have sriracha as the base. The dish as a whole was a nice contrast with diced sashimi, crisp romaine lettuce, and warm sushi rice. The rolls, Rock 'n Roll and Jungle Roll, were tasty and well-portioned. Perhaps too much seaweed on the Jungle roll, but I get that they wanted the roll to live up to its name. Overall, I would like to come back on a day when the lunch bento box special is offered. Service was quick, which I appreciated. read more

The place was just fine, nothing really interesting. Just wanted a quick bite of food. The sushi rice was quite hard to chew on, and not well seasoned. Rolls tasted better than sashimi because of the sauce. One of their specials was steamed egg with shiitake and fish cake, but the flavor was meh. Not recommend this place if you want good sushi. read more

Mikado - Combo - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

Food is just so so. Service is ok. Very over price. The Los Altos street is pretty but the restaurant is not very clean. read more

Kind staff. Great sushi. This place never fails to please. Never a long wait to get your food.

I ordered the poki bowl twice for lunch. The first time I got it, I really enjoyed it. The second time I got it (on a Saturday) it was priced for dinner & missing 2 toppings, which was a huge bummer. I wish they were more consistent because the first time I had the bowl I was really amazed. read more

Mikado - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

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This is such an adorable place! The seating inside is more private, cozy, comfortable and romantic. Outside seating area is great too. The service is always perfect! Friendly, fast and just so welcoming. I love their huge selection of sushi rolls but I also love their lunch special which gives me the opportunity to try various little things at once. This time I chose the salmon bento box which came with miso soup and salad. The cute box itself came with fried gyoza, spicy salmon roll, perfectly seasoned and grilled salmon, rice and a slice of orange. Soooo good!!! And a generous portion! I really love this place and highly, highly recommend this neighborhood gem!!! read more

Mikado - Miso soup and salad - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

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Food and service is average. I've been here a few times over the past several years. Mostly a miss, but once it was really good.

If you're in the Los Altos area, Mikado is a solid Japanese spot to hit up for casual dinners with friends. They have a lot of classic Japanese fixings, from udon to donburis to sushi. Oh yea, they have a separate sushi menu that you can't miss. If you're feeling boring like I was, you can get the combination plate and get two mains with a side of gyoza, salad, and miso soup. Taste-wise, it wasn't spectacular to be honest. The gyoza were deep-fried and lacking that golden brown color that gives fried things additional flavor. The chicken katsu I got was generous - I think they might have given me double portions - but really needed a lot of the soy-based dipping sauce (tonkatsu sauce) to get through. read more

Mikado - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

The Mikado menu does not disappoint. It was hard to choose. Box lunches are always an easy choice, but the rolls were so lovely everyone at our table chose a different roll. We were all delighted. The roll with a variety of fish atop was certainly the most interesting. The tea is delicious and glasses are refilled. The waitress was efficient, the outdoor seating was comfortable and service was swift. Parking is on the street r in one f the local parking districts. read more

We are regulars here and have been for over a decade. It's solid Japanese food. Nothing amazing but we know we will get good food. They seem to have a healthy take out business and the restaurant itself is nice and cozy. We usually get bento box, yakisoba, agedashi tofu, sushi, tempura, katsu. We are usually here once or twice a month. Not worth a special trip, but if you live close by, it's worth it. read more

I usually come here for a lunch. The ladies working here are very nice and provide good service! read more

Mikado - Sushi Bento Box - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

4/3/2021 Saturday We were famished after hiking coyote ridge open space and redwood grove , decided to go search for a restaurant in downtown Los Altos. We saw Mikado outdoor dining area was pretty crowded so we've decided to try this place. We got seated right away , the server was quick and efficient. We got miso soup, salad, rice right away and they were all good, our main dishes came out soon after too. I had grill mackerel, they were so tasty and my bf was happy with his seafood plate too. We'll definitely be back next time in the area. read more

Mikado - Saba Shioyaki Hibachi comes with Miso Soup salad rice - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

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Second-best sushi in Los Altos. Akane is better but has worse hours and limited take-out. So this is my go-to place because it's open when I want it, the food is good, and the service is fine when you go live. Though recently, I get them a lot more through DoorDash than live. Favs include Rainbow Roll, Candy Cane Roll, the Ladies' Choice (no idea why it's gendered) sushi combo, and when in stock, Toro nigiri. Their side salad is always great. Overall, good reliable sushi. read more

Delightful place. Very gracious servers and staff. Calm sound ambience. Rolls are just right in size and no excess mayonnaise in the rainbow rolls.:-) Ginger and wasabi are fresh as we're all the fish items I had. extensive menu which I look forward to exploring. Bravo! read more

Very lovely place was hopeing for a step up from Phoenix but after trying a few places in San Jose Phoenix holds it's own with quality sushi. The uni was good I expected an extra freshness but it was good the sashimi good nothing out of this world. Nice place sushi chef not friendliest but female servers sweet as can be. They are open after 2pm which is a trend in the area all Japanese restetaunts in the Los Altos Mountain View area close from 2pm till 5pm or only after 5pm. So to be fair there may be really good shushi in the area but was unable to to wk in there hrs. They have good lunch specials. read more

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I never really knew there is a sushi restaurant in downtown Los Altos until I looked into Uber as they have discounts when you spent over x amount of dollars. I've ordered the Chirashi Donburi. They have to separate out the sashimi by itself from the rice to ensure quality and I didn't mind it all. The miso soup and salad on the side were refreshing. The salad dressing is light and creamy at the same time. I believed there is peanut butter used in the dressing. So if you are allergic to nuts please ask for further clarification. The sashimi itself was pretty fresh as well. For a price of $24 dollars, you get roughly 15 slices of sashimi (tuna, salmon, acarbose, etc.). Overall, I had a good experience with Mikado and will come back for more. read more

Mikado - Chirashi Donburi - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

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Their miso soup is essential to preserve good gut flora and raise immunity, especially before and after a Covid booster. However, they have no idea how many ounces are in the small size and how many ounces are in the large size. No precision when it comes to measurements. This is another Asian restaurant that rations paper napkins. If you ask for more than one paper napkin, they pretty much ignore you. Even if you leave a 20% tip. For some reason, the.customer needs to make do with precisely one napkin. This is where they become real precise. read more

Still the best of the best sushi, completely consistent and fresh. Huge portions and great value

Came for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. It was pretty empty and nice out so I ordered to go to sit outside. I got the bento - 3fried gyoza, salad, miso soup, chicken teriyaki and spicy tuna roll. Sounds good right? NOPE!! It was a major miss. Gyoza was meh - cold, salad was ice berg lettuce pieces that were kind of tasteless, miso was cold...but wait there's hope for the chicken teriyaki and sushi roll. NOPE!!! How in the hell do you mess up chicken teriyaki? It was cold and DRY chicken breast that was probably frozen and put into a toast oven it can with teriyaki sauce on the side so you can imagine it's like dried chicken jersey. Finally beat for last was the spicy tuna roll. The rice was completely soggy so the roll tasted like a paste. I don't know how hon can mess this up but they did. read more

My wife order Candy Cane Roll and and under the sea roll through Uber eats. Both rolls made us extremely sick. My wife and I threw up and continue to vomit the following day. I would be very cautious ordering your food from here. We should have smelled it before hand. Uber eats on the other hand has been extremely helpful with us dealing with this problem. read more

Mikado - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

Worst chicken teriyaki EVER!! Rest of bento box lunch was okay, but they really need to figure out the chicken teriyaki. Really!