Legit. It can get very expensive if you order from the Tokyo Fish Market board but the nigiri was seasoned well, very fresh and they had a nice sake list. Certainly one of the better sushi places on the Peninsula if you are serious about it. People who only eat rolls, I can't attest to how they are as I don't typically eat rolls. Environment is very nice, warm feeling and suitable for dates and special occasions but comfortable to come for a lunch special alone as well. read more

Sakae Sushi - Tokyo Fish Board - Japanese Near Me - Burlingame, California

Randomly looked up a Sushi place by the Aloft hotel, because I was there for a work meeting. The group wanted Sushi. This place had high reviews, and the place looked cozy. The wait staff was super nice, and the food was delish! None of the crazy rolls on the menu, and the the fish was fresh. read more

This restaurant is a nice find out in Burlingame if you're craving sushi! Entering the restaurant it felt like an authentic experience given the decor of the place. It's not a modern take of Japanese food, but definitely builds on the traditional type of Japanese food. My wife and I ordered some nigiri, omakase nigiri, seared white tuna tataki. The fish is fresh, the quality was definitely up there. The seared white tuna tataki had excellent flavor. Definitely enjoyed the heat mixed in with the sauce that compliments the white tuna. Omakase nigiri was good, my only issue (this is a personal preference) is, I felt it had too much wasabi, and it became overwhelming at times where I could barely taste fish and rice. It definitely overpowered my palate. Also for a chef's choice nigiri, you really just got the basic type fish and nothing premium. The o-toro was incredibly soft, buttery, such a nice texture. Service was good. The staff is attentive, and were really nice! This restaurant did feel like an authentic experience. Definitely worth a try!! read more

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Classic tools. Simple, delicate and fresh. You have to get the fresh wasabi. I can't seem to get that at other sushi restaurants. It's a game changer. read more

The BEST quality Japanese food in the Bay Area. Excellent service, peaceful environment, and delicious gourmet Japanese dishes. The sashimi quality is a 12 out of 10! I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant. read more

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Continue to love the sushi here but the price remains high. Had a really nice birthday / special dinner here and everyone was super satisfied. read more

Sakae Sushi - Tai? - Japanese Near Me - Burlingame, California

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High quality nigiri sushi. We went for lunch about 1pm so it was pleasantly quiet. Had time to converse with the owner. He was interested in things Hawaii. We had a couple of beers and started with the best toro. My son and I enjoy uni, hamachi, ikura and tamago to round things out. He ordered a few other fish which I was unfamiliar with. read more

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I really enjoyed the food and the wait staff were very friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, the macho boss chef guy had to harass my children and myself throughout our meal making us feel extremely unwelcomed. Disclaimer: I was well aware that my two young sons were with me and they did very well in letting their mom eat in peace. Also, it was early Monday evening and we sat in the very back of the dining area. Barely anyone was in the restaurant. Let's just say that I was glad to know that this dick head was on his break while my food was being prepared. I took out my phone to put in PJMask for my toddler so I can feed him....but believe the volume was very courteous and NOT at all loud. In fact while he was in his break standing right in the other side of the wall of our table, I heard his fucking phone loud and clear. But he obviously targeted my son's and myself because we were Chinese. There were other families seated in the front who were big eyed beautiful white babies making just the usual kid ruckus and didn't get shushed. Way to make paying polite customer feel like shit!!! But just because you were the dick head, doesn't mean your staff should get punished for their good service. I still left over 20% tip for them. It's very disappointing when the owner/boss of a good place to display such unesessary prejudice and bully people. Cuz you know he doesn't get in trouble by his staff for being a piece of shit. read more

Well this is a very small hole-in-the wall although they have more space than you would think. Overall very good sushi, great negri with some fatty tuna and salmon belly that were excellent. Dragon and rainbow rolls were very good too, not very crowed inside at lunch but I am sure post pandemic things will be much better. Overall highly recommended, this isn't the cheapest sushi place but the quality is excellent. read more

First time trying this spot. They are open for dine in now !! My friend wanted to eat sushi and we found this place on Yelp. I got the lunch special and some rolls . The miso soup was spot on and the chicken karate was light and crispy. I really liked their salad also because they had a different type of salad dressing that was light and refreshing. The one thing I did not like was the fact that they did not offer any Philadelphia rolls... if they did would have been 5 stars =(. The place was quite since they were about to close for mid day. I would recommend this place for you to try if you are in the Burlingame area . read more

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This is the place for quality, not quantity...or else, you probably don't want to visit sushi restaurants. We visited Sakae Sushi to celebrate our wedding anniversary and tried the Omakase Nigiri Course. The balance of vinegar in the Sunomono was perfect. The four-item appetizer box was exquisite. Every nigiri had a perfect amount of wasabi in it. In nigiri, the temperature of "shari" was warm but didn't overpower the fish, which delicately wrapped it around. Each came in a perfect one bite size. The shari rolled and then toro melted on my tongue. I appreciated that the chef paced the timing of each serving. Asari miso soup was served at the end and the beautiful desert satisfied both my tastebuds and eyes. I was reminded of how sushi should be served. Great hospitality; relaxed ambiance. It was a beautiful experience. We will return again. read more

Sakae Sushi - We ordered a crab chawanmushi to the course as an add-on. - Japanese Near Me - Burlingame, California

The food was good but the service might be the slowest I have ever experienced at a restaurant. It took us 10 minutes for someone to come up to the front and sit us down, and 20 more to have our orders taken. 40 minutes after walking through the door, we got our waters. read more

Sakae or Sucker? ... It's not the price that pisses me off, but the quality of service.... When you are paying top dollar, you don't want to see your beers or your sushi or your sashimi getting warm due to lack of waiters, nor do you want to clean your own table! It's a shame as the quality of food is good however.... The food was good but the service is sadly lacking... just not Japanese service .... read more

Terrible. Asked the waiter what's in the food, he says " I don't know!" Abrupt with taking order as if I Was imposing on his time. Terrible over priced not worth it. Stay Away! read more

Walked in at 9:05. Says they close at 9:45 and they guy said it was too late to take anyone. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me.

The food is solid but WAY overpriced. I was here a few weeks ago and the bill was over $500 for 5 people, NO drinks!

I love this place! The food is delicious and tastes so fresh. Some of the best raw fish I've ever had! I had the Set A chirashi bowl. The menu also has many Japanese tapas (perfect for if you enjoy sharing food and trying many different menu items!). My family decided to try the artichoke tempura this evening, and the artichoke hearts were perfectly fried. I also love the quiet ambience of the restaurant. My brother came home from college and was craving Japanese food/raw fish. The meal was so good we will be back again before he goes back to school. read more

Sakae Sushi - Set A Chirashi bowl - Japanese Near Me - Burlingame, California

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I had the best experience at this restaurant, I was introduced by a family friend and it couldn't have been any better than it was. Having been to the "renowned" Nobu restaurant, Chef Hiro's Sakae Sushi is nothing to compare. Chef Hiro and his staff are friendliest and they strive to make sure their sushi selection meets your taste palette. I tried the Omakase special and walked out completely satisfied (and full) with each plate I tasted. I had unknowingly walked into the best sushi I've ever had. I can't wait to come back to visit, thank you for your kindness and impecable sushi skills Chef Hiro! read more

Sakae Sushi - the best Toro I've ever tried (last two on the right)! - Japanese Near Me - Burlingame, California

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I came in at 9:30, just in time for last call. Ordered tea, and it costs $2-3 dollars. The rolls were alright, but not mind blown. Wasabi wasn't the fresh grounded ones. The fish that wrapped the Rainbow roll wasn't super exciting, but interesting how they included eel, which I didn't eat. I was very grateful they look me, as when I called before heading there, they said last call was 9:20pm.... Overall, above av erage standard good sushi, it is not a basic place. The reviews made it sound drop dead fresh authentic Japanese. Overall dinner, $50 including tip for one person. May come back with husband for final verdict. read more

Sakae Sushi - Tamago, tuna and salmon rolls, and rainbow roll - Japanese Near Me - Burlingame, California

I was looking for a place for Omakase sushi to celebrate with some friends. This wasn't on my original list of places to try. But since all the others were booked out, I decided to come here. Wow. I'm kind of glad I ended up trying this place. For $160 each, we had one of the best Omakase sets we've ever had. The course starts with a few tapas and a blue crab salad. Both were very tasty and well done. Then came a plateful of assorted sashimi. The fish selection was great and extremely fresh. After that, I think they brought out 10-12 different sushis in sets of 3-5. Each set made sense together. Each piece was fresh, delicate, and generous. After all that, they served a clam miso soup and a dessert. I wasn't a big fan of the dessert as the ice cream was a little hard and tasteless. But that was basically just a tiny blemish on an otherwise superbly executed Omakase. I was completely blown away by the sheer amount of high quality food we got. I am definitely coming back for special occasions again. Definitely one of the most affordable and delicious Japanese places I've been to in the Bay. read more

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We saw that this restaurant had 4 stars on Yelp, so we thought we'd give it a shot. Unfortunately, I found the food to be really average, the service to be a bit distracted, and, as a result, the prices to be much too high for what you get. My wife ordered the $120 omakase. Half the fish were tasty and fresh. But the other half were really meh. I tried the fatty Toro and it was fibrous, a bit mushy, and had a subtle fishy taste that you don't get with super fresh fish. I went a la carte. The hotate yaki was okay. A bit oversauced. The shrimp tempura was a bit too doughy and could have been much crisper. The hot tuna roll was good, but not worth the $14 price tag. Overall, decent sushi, but you can find much better sushi for the same price elsewhere. read more

Sakae Sushi - Green tea mochi - Japanese Near Me - Burlingame, California

Sakae is my favorite sushi place in the bay area so far! The omakase was so delicious. Be prepared to spend at least $100 per person though. They have basic omakase and fancy omakase available. Ugh. Of course, I'm gonna choose fancy omakase. We split one omakase and ordered additional items. I loved the nigiri. I could have done without the king crab nigiri because I destroy crab buffets. I wouldn't normally choose some of fish we were given, but that's the best part of an omakase - having the chefs choose for you from their best fish. I think we were given raw clam and it was so fresh and tasted like the ocean. Compared to other omakase we have tried, it truly began with the lightest dish and proceeded to heavier more fatty fish. I made a reservation for two a few days in advance. When we arrived, the lady was so sweet. She had placed a folded piece of paper with my name on it on top of our table to reserve it. How cute. She was a great server. I only wish I could understand her better when she was describing each fish we were presented. It's a good sign when the sushi chefs are older Japanese men :) Sakae is located in Burlingame (south of San Francisco) which has quite a few cute chain shops, small shops, and restaurants. It's a great place to go after picking someone up from the SFO airport. We parked in some random small lot far away. That area can get really busy around dinner time. read more

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Not recommended for lunch. Quality of fish (sushi, sashimi) and cooked (tempura) are really not acceptable. 1 star for food. 1 star for decor. Not sure about some of the great reviews here. I guess I came on a wrong day and I did not orders the most expensive things for lunch. read more

We were hoping to eat at sushi Sam's but they don't open on Mondays, so we tried Sakae for the fist time and the experience was just OK, to use hubby's words 'didn't quite hit the spot'. We arrived around 1:30 pm, restaurant was not busy I observed approximately 3 other tables eating. Not too familiar with the place , four of us went for the safe options i.e. 2 sashime lunches, a sashime tempura combo and and sushi sashime combo with some beer. Service was also just OK, a little on the slow side. Beer came first nice and cold then the piping hot tasty miso soup, so far so good. After 20 minutes or so our orders came, each with our plate of sashime, a small salad and chawanmushi for sashime lunch, sushi or tempura for the combo's. The sashime was fresh, the standard combination of tuna, hamachi and salmon slices; portion size was a little on the thiner side. Tempura looked skimpy and sushi was pretty ordinary. High light of the meal was actually the chawanmushi as part of the sashime lunch, it was perfectly steamed, full of umami flavor, creamy and smooth, one of the best. Hubby was still hungry after he finished so he ordered a plate of hamachi and a bowl of rice. They do make really good rice. We found the separate order of fish was of better quality then that of the lunch combo's. It was a good lunch; a little on the pricy side for the food and services received. read more

Sakae Sushi - sashime lunch served with excellent chawanmushi - Japanese Near Me - Burlingame, California

Authentic sushi. No Westernized, fusion-y junk. Very high quality ingredients, many items flown in from Japan. You get what you pay for. The top grade stuff is super expensive but worth it. It will remind you why you love sushi. read more

Appears to be Japanese owned. Quality of food and service were great as anticipated. On the pricey side due to being in Downtown Burlingame and current inflation, but great to indulge sometimes. read more

food is excellent as always. I love that they have a good variety of hot and cold/sushi dishes. service was a bit spotty at time, however I will make allowances given that they are short staffed the night I dined there. read more

Last night we had a craving for some sashimi, so we followed my Yelp friends reviews to Sakae Sushi. We arrived at 7:40 pm and the there were plenty of tables but we decided to sit at the sushi bar. There was one other young Japanese couple at the sushi bar. I perused the specials board and we chose the $98 Omakase sashimi and Uni Chawanmushi. The Uni steamed egg custard came first. It was good but not what you would expect. The steamed egg was hot but the Uni and caviar was cold. There was no marriage of the flavors. It sounded good on paper not so good in reality. $15. The Omakase sashimi plate had the following tiny cuts of fish: Bonito Scallops Kampachi Yellowtail Toro Ama Ebi Aji All the sashimi was excellent, but the actual tiny cuts, the actual number of pieces and the price is not a good value. I don't mind paying $100 per person for a good Omakase dinner but this was expensive for run of the mill fish. All of the prices were super inflated a small bottle of Koshihkari Echigo beer which I had last week at another excellent Japanese restaurant was $7 but was $14 at Sakae Sushi. On the specials board there was a $800 sake for 720 ml. "Wow are you Kidding" "A funny note" The owner ( or I assume the owner) behind the sushi bar was drinking with the very young Japanese couple sitting at the sushi bar. Through out the night, he was drinking a pouring them different sakes.. Towards the end of our meal the guy customer was "plowed" wavering and barely able open his eyes. I think a " taxi" was the last the last order. Street Parking. Service was excellent. read more

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After reading Yelp reviews about people spending $100+/person at Sakae, we went there with a plan. We decided to order only their Nigiri set: $30 Moriawase sushi (11 nigiri pieces and 1 roll): Akami (Very nice) Hamachi Ama-ebi (fried head came later) Anago Susuki Kani Ashi (Real crab) Salmon White tuna Tamago (Very nice flavoring) Uni Ikura Tekkyu maki (Not Caliroll) 'Toro E., you are an idiot! Sakae is known for their air shipped fish directly from Tsukiji, if you didn't eat the stuff on their white board that is like visiting Sapporo and not eating miso-ramen.' Valid point. However, I visit Japan often enough that I don't need to pay premium dollars for types of fish that is normally cheap. Plus, if their mainstream nigiri neta wasn't good, there is no point in going here. The Moriawase stuff (tuna, ama-ebi, uni, etc.) is mainstream for a reason --- it's what people enjoy the most! Yes, I once wrote that doing omakase is the way to go at sushi bars, so I admit that I talk out of two holes. Point is, we left there at $40/person. RESULT: Experience was possibly one of the best I've had in the bay area. The key word here was 'balance'. Size of neta to rice had a nice balance. Amount of wasabi was just right. The amount of vinegar in the rice was just right. Temperature of rice was perfect. Sweetness of tamago (egg) was just right. AMBIANCE: This unostentatious restaurant, just off the main street in Burlingame, feels warm. No one would label them trendy or swanky, but the place is clean and organized, which is important for a sushi bar. The two Japanese chefs behind the sushi bar are both really nice people, who would love to share their wrestling stories (competition wrestling, not Pro-Wrestling with masks). The main chef used to work at Sakura Japanese restaurant in Chicago Suburb (http://www.yelp.com/biz/Z-zm4hEQdijh4exsKe43Ug). WHAT TO EAT: At a place like this with a skilled sushi chef and a display full of fresh fish, you should stick to sushi and sashimi. They do make fusion rolls, but traditional nigiri is where skilled chef shines. They have non-sushi items, but I did not try it, so I cannot comment. TIPS: Hiro Endo, the owner, told me they were about to hire another sushi chef, so that him and his co-chef could each take two days off a week. Maybe the new chef will be a super itamae-san, but I'm going call and make sure Hiro-san is there before I head to Sakae. read more

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Sakae must be the only sushi restaurant in Burlingame, because it serves up over-priced and gimmicky sushi touting as the real thing. Well, it's not. It's not so much that the quality of fish was just that poor. But for the prices they are charging, it's really not mind-blowing at all. I got the omakase which includes two appetizers and 10 pieces of sushi chosen by the chef - for a price of $75. For a $75 omakase, the fish should be top notch. I got ordinary pieces like a not-so-impressive salmon that didn't taste like anything and a marinated bonito that... well, also didn't taste like much. The chawanmush was disappointing. The flavors and preparation are not authentic at all. It's a poor imitation of the real thing. Everything I tasted was mediocre. Also, the chef station was not very clean or well-kept. That's a peeve of mine. Usually the really good sushi restaurants have pristine chef stations. I just can't respect sushi that is so expensive yet so low in quality. It's sad that so many people come here and pay way too much money. read more

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Good, but really not worth the $140 we threw down for two people, we were seriously hankering for some fast food a few hours later. -Asparagus wrapped beef, HUGE spears, YUM! Highly recommended. -Pink roll, special roll, baked, I thought it was really heavy, the bf liked it. -Chutoro, 2 pcs, $18, had better, and SO not worth $9/ea. -Best Tai, Best Hamachi, what the heck does that mean? Compared to what? Sorry wasn't the BEST. All the sashimi was cut super thin and SQUARE. -Another roll, tempura on the exterior, too creamy, could not taste indiv flavors. -Prime Rib Teriyaki, I have to admit it was good & their teri was perfect. Our friends had the miso w/clams and complained there were MANY shells but ONLY three chunks of meat. What a rip. $6. Both lived in Japan for years and said the sunomono was authentic and the sushi was solid. We haven't seen our friends in over a year, but I think the food should have still come up in conversation, honestly, it was a means to satiate our rumbling tummies. Sorry Sakae, you just didn't blow my skirt up. read more

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My favorite sushi spot in the area. The chef puts in a lot of care into every dish. I'd recommend trying this place out if you're into authentic Japanese food and taste. read more

Sakae is located in Burlingame next to a ton of car dealerships. It's also somewhat close to the Caltrain. The restaurant layout is interesting. There is a small area in the front plus the sushi bar and then in the back there's a more private area. The food here is mostly sushi but they do have some non sushi appetizers and some main entrees. Lucky for me since the only sushi I eat are tamago, ikura, and California rolls (aka I'm a noob). I got the seared duck with eggplant served in a dashi broth. It was quite good! The dashi broth goes well with the meat and eggplant. The portion is pretty small though so I would get other appetizers to compensate. I got the spinach gomae dish. The sesame and peanut flavor was quite strong but I liked it. It's a bit salty as a result. The ikura was fresh but at $7 for two pieces this was on the more expensive side. The omakase sushi was good, so my friends told me. I watched them eat 10 pieces of fish which included eel, wagyu beef (wut), king crab etc. The deluxe meal was $110 each. read more

Sakae Sushi - Seared duck and eggplant - Japanese Near Me - Burlingame, California

One of my favorite sushi places. The food is great and most of time so is the service. Highly recommend their scallop nigiri.

My favorite sushi near the airport. Very clean restaurant & good quality fish. My favorite is their Jidori Yaki chicken with Yuzu sauce & shishito peppers. Also love their miso soup. All the sushi is fresh & tasty. Bookmark this place! read more

Came here for dinner last Friday evening with some friends. They accept reservations and our table was ready when we arrived. The service was attentive and prompt. I ordered the omakase for two just for myself. It came with 20 pieces of sashimi and the raw-filleted mackerel body and amaebi heads. They were more than willing to deep fry them for me. The sashimi were "premium chef's choice". It did come with two pieces of chi-toro ($18/each per the menu). It wasn't as thick as others I've had but did taste fresh and melted in my mouth. See my uploaded picture of the plate for more details. It did include hamachi, scallops, amaebi, mackerel, uni, and some other fish I've never had. The amaebi fried heads were fried perfectly. All in all a decent deal. I did go through two bowls of rice with it though! I've never seen a 33oz can of Asahi beer. It almost lasted the entire whole dinner :-) The food here is about 10-15% more expensive than a comparable sushi restaurant in the South Bay. Btw, the otoro was $24/piece! I would go back to try the other fish and items... read more

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Nothing but AMAZING things to say about Sakae, the employees, and the food. I get take out and/or dine in many times monthly. The employees are all so kind. They introduce themselves each time. The food is to die for! It's so fresh and absolutely out of this world. read more

Really good and fresh sushi. Very attentive service staff but the place is very dark. For two people, with an order of green tea and one beer, two salads and three entrées of sushi it came to $94. It seems a little high.... But I'm not sure. Not sure I would come back. read more

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I lived in Japan for 7 years so I have a huge appreciation for good Japanese food. In my opinion, this is the best, and authentic Japanese food in bay area with reasonable prices. What truly sets Sakae apart is their commitment to using only the freshest, highest quality ingredients. I have known and been a very happy customer at Sakae for more than 25 years, and they have continued to provide good quality food. If you're in search of an authentic Japanese culinary journey, look no further, Sakae is a little gem in Burlingame. read more

Food - I was never a fan of sushi but I ate here once and now I'm a convert. The sushi rolls were AMAZING I certainly recommend one of the combination platters to get a proper sampling of their food. 5/5 Ambience- The establishment combines the fancy authentic Japanese feel without the added annoyance of crowds. The experience is joy-inducing and amenable to luxuriatiation 5/5 Service -The time from seating to dining was minimal and additional orders were quickly fulfilled. The service was perfect 5/5 Overall - The place compares favorably for other sushi restaurants in its price league. It's nothing exciting but it offers a great dining experience for a reasonable price. 15/15 read more