This is the best Omakase that I've ever had, fish are fresh and juicy, Steve (the chef and owner, he's Japanese from Kyoto) makes sure that all sashimi are premium for his customers. He makes all sauces, finds and imports the greatest Sake and beer to go with. It's nice to be able to chat and know the story of Fish and Sake with the chef while eating the succulent dinner. I don't know why people complain about the generosity the cut of the fish, the bigger the cut the merrier it is, right? read more

Sawa Sushi - Me, $140 Sake, Scallop, Salmon, Tuna, Uni, Kama (not in the picture). - Sushi Bars Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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I had wanted to eat here for a long time. Finally, my best buddy flew from Korea (after a long trip in Europe) and we wanted a good, I meant great sushi. Now, I followed a lot of reviews, and always wanted to know, what the truth is. So here's my take to share. 1. Sushi. Nice. Quite nice. But don't expect 'traditional' dishes. They are 'creative'. If you expect the 'fresh raw' ness, pure sushi, perfect sizes, flown from Japan this morning, nah, don't think so. Well, where in San Jose anyway? But the whole experience is, unique and surprising. Loved it. No regrets on $100. 2. Chef Well, unique guy. Genuine. I see he can be very difficult. but i showed my respect first and he was respectful. I know some would not do that until they tasted anything, and I can't judge 'how the Chefs' have to behave to their customers. I've been at Soup Nazi and many other places where service is not 'kneeling down'. But again, I am not into 'smiling service' thing. I am into food itself. 3. Atmosphere and other stuff I found it very surreal. It was ok not to have any people waiting for you. I felt like a special guest on a special day. it was Mr. and Mrs. Sawa, caring just a few people on the sushi bar. BTW, did I mention I go for the food, not decor or which wood the table is made of? 4. One little thing He seems to push alcohol quite a bit. Well, any restauranteur would. I had beer. But there were a lot of alcohol recommendations, hard to kind of refuse. Overall, very good, unique, pleasant sushi dining experience. I definitely would recommend. One more thing. I saw it tonight again, but there seem to be some customers that because they pay 'so much', they are 'entitled' to something more special. I hope I don't have to put up with a customer like that sit close to me. Its just food!! read more

It has been a while since I've been to Sawa Sushi, but Dan's review made me want to comment. I went there for lunch with a couple of work collegues. When we arrived, the blinds were drawn, the sign said closed, and there was no one in the restaurant. One friend had been here previously, and we were allowed to enter. The food here was excellent. The highest quality fish (I have this on good authority from a friend of mine in the sushi biz. Sawa buys only the best fish.) This of course comes at a price. I didn't find the sauces overwhelming the food; they were perfectly complimentary. The beer we had with lunch was amazing. An imported small label, Japanese beer; not one of those brewed in Canada Japanese beers. Yes, there is a difference which I noted on my last trip to Japan. The exclusivity of the restaurant is a bit of a downer. While the food is good, and it is kind of fun to feel like you're part of an exclusive club ("No sushi for you!"). It also feel cheaply clickish and very high schoolish. Why do I need to be here and feel special because I'm here? I don't. Worth the experience once, but I'd rather go somewhere where I feel I'm known and liked. BTW, Steve does speak fluent Japanese, and my friends felt he is well trained in his art. read more

the thing with Steve is if he doesn't like you he will charge you more, he in fact doesn't want you back nor does he want your friends to come. That's why you see such a difference in reviews, the 1 star reviews were treated poorly because Steve didn't want them back. The guy has made more than enough money that he can afford to do what he wants which in his case is make awesome hit or miss sushi. I was there with a friend and our total bill came to $300 we ate far too many dishes and when I remarked that the bluefin tuna was delicious he simply cut 4 large slices for me, in any other place that would have been an extra $80. It's hard to recommend this place to people if you are under 30 and not willing to take a risk. But if you are up for the challenge you can have an awesome sushi experience. read more

What can I say? The fish here is amazing and this restaurant is worthy of ten stars. Steve didn't allow a few people who walked in off the street to have a seat at his bar, but the man has an attuned sense about who'll appreciate his sushi. He actually did these people a favor -- not only would they have not appreciated his food, but they would have thrown a fit over how much it cost. It's been over a week since I was here, but I am still dreaming about the uni... read more

I had a wonderful experience at this place. This is the most fresh and best sushi I've ever had - and likely ever will have. It was worth all the money I paid. I can't wait to come back. The place looks closed from the outside, and is clearly by reservation only as the chef's food purchases are on a just-in-time basis. It's wild to see all these negative reviews on here from people that didn't make reservations and thought they could be seated. They didn't even try the food... read more

I can see how previous reviews call Steve a sushi nazi, but my bf and I walked in on a random week night since we always drive by it. We walked in and weren't sure if the place was closed or not since there was only one couple at the sushi bar. We sat down and just let Steve serve us whatever he wanted since we were starving. Steve was actually pretty friendly and even offered us some fancy sake. It was definitely some of the BEST sushi I've ever had. If you are new to this place I suggest just letting Steve do his thing and don't be a prick. read more

It's true the fish is very fresh with a clean finish. We had the six course and toro dish. My husband requested one toro for himself and received about nine thick 1X 2 inch slices. Of course I had to help him out and had a couple bites. It was amazingly delicious. Here's the turn off for me. All our courses were sashimi each paired well with a special sauce. They were all delicious but we became fish fatigued after 3 consecutive courses of fish. Once we got to our sixth course and toro with more sashimi we were done and don't want fish for another month. I was looking more for a variety, for example hot and cold items. We did get a grilled fish collar but it was not enough. No carbs or veggies or meat or shellfish were served. We paid $320. For our meal without alcohol. Based on the pictures from this site, I saw a variety of raw and cooked methods of food preparation but we didn't get that. So if you choose to go, you might go on a night where he only serves sashimi and possibly experience fish fatigue at a high price. On the flip side my husband loved it and will return without me. read more

The absolute best sushi I have ever had!! My pallet is spoiled now. Mr. Sawa is an amazing chef. He's funny, sweet( to the ladies), smart, and really just an absolute blast. If you are a sushi lover you neeeeeed to go here!! It is an absolutely amazing experience. Note: you don't order. Everything is chosen for you, And he'll explain that if you don't like something don't eat it. Be honest and upfront(not rude), he appreciates that from what it looked like. Pay with card. read more

We had a near 5 hour course with another couple... Steve treated us like one of his long lost friend. He will show you the door if he realizes that you will not "trust the chef". We saw that for ourselves... but he was still polite by tell them what the term was, $95/person for 6 courses minimum. I suggest bringing him a gift of your culture and he will accept you as a guest of honor and tell you which CEOs are his good customers vs. picky ones or "don't know how to eat" ones. Steve Jobs, John Chamber, CEO of Nvidia are some of the stories I heard during the 5 hour course. read more

We paid for an almost private dinner with Chef Sawa and the experience was well worth it. He's such an incredible guy to talk to and he's got tons of stories of high level executives from the Silicon Valley eating at his place. Definitely a great experience for a special celebration or date night. I wish I had more money to eat here more regularly! read more

The place for business lunches and or private business dinners. Call ahead and Steve will deliver a dinner that will leave your clients ready to visit you more often! Great food, excellent sake with special requests being Steve's specialty. Expensive, you bet! That is why I go mostly for business, but do take my wife on special occasions. Is it the normal sushi experience, nope! Can Steve-san be unruly? Yep! But like any good thing, put the time in to know Steve and you have a friend for life! On the food side, lets Steve be your guide and you will not be disappointed. I do have favorites, with the supremely fresh uni at the top of the list. Try it, you will like it! read more

We arrived at the restaurant and we first thought, "is this place open?" when there's no signs or ability to see inside the restaurant... What we were in for was an amazing surprise. As for drinks, there is no hot green tea. Only water or UCC oolong cold tea, which was fine for us non-drinkers. A shock nonetheless. From there, chef Steve took us for an amazing ride of the freshest food experience we've ever had. We think we had about a 9-course meal including O-Toro, Uni, Sake, Scallops, Black Shio-Kara, and a bunch of other delicious dishes. Don't be afraid to speak with Sawa-San. He's funny and very opinionated but he truly wants you to join in on the experience. For the 2 hours or so, I urge you to park the price issue, and truly enjoy the food. It's not something to experience frequently, but that's the point. It's a treat. Thank you Sawa-San. We will see you again soon. read more

My wife and I are very knowledgeable diners and Sawa is one of the worst restaurants we have ever dined in. Do not believe the hype you see on their website that Sawa is a high-end restaurant. There is no hostess to greet you. There are no wait people, bussers, or food runners. The owner does it all: prepares the food (with his bare hands), brings the food (and you have to ask what it is before he runs away), clears the dishes, wipes the table, brings the check, and handles the money. Our dinner consisted of a series of sashimi dishes (cold and raw sliced fish) consisting of a cold, sliced scallop appetize, raw salmon salad, and then three dishes were brought all at one time, two sashimi dishes and an overcooked fish. Then, we never saw the owner-chef for 45 minutes, whereupon we asked for the check. There was no sushi, rice, soup, or anything to break up the boredom of the dishes. If you did not want sake, the drink was bottled water served in the bottle for you to chug. Sawa is not high-end; it is high-priced. The bill came to $170 per person. The owner also has an apron that says, "No reservation. There's the door." Disgusting. Never again. read more

Tonight was a made up for my husband's belated birthday so I want to find a very good sushi place. It's so great that we found Sawa, as it is one of the best Japanese restaurant we've ever tried! Fresh fishes, scallops, shrimps. Each dish has unique favor, combined with sashimi, it was delicious! Steve Sawa, the owner was very friendly, he served us food, tea, and talked to us. This was one great dinner experience. read more

A surprising business-model when you are not allowed to order anything and the chef chooses all for you would please not everybody. The interior is rather poor for the place of that price. Still the food is good, and the owner is quite friendly. read more

Havnt been here in over a year, and will never to back.. out of five dishes none of them were good very dry and bland This was the worst sushi I have had, food was dry, barely any sauce AND WAY EXPENSIVE, for bad food. read more

Heaven on the tongue! Here's the scoop. Almost all the negative reviews here are because people don't understand how this restaurant works, or they don't like the atmosphere, or they dislike how HUGE the portion sizes are. So, set your expectations properly, and you'll have the BEST sashimi experience of your life. WHAT TO KNOW: 1. No walk-ins. Reservations only. So call ahead and make reservations. It also means that Steve-San does everything he can to make his restaurant inhospitable to walk-ins. It's a hole-in-the-wall. The sign outside is broken. The open sign? NEVER ON. And if someone still walks in? They'll be told to leave. The only thing he hasn't done is put a flashing sign on his door that says "Don't come in!" 2. It's just one man, Steve-San, and his wife. That means the restaurant is super-small, and you're expected to sit at the bar where he can easily serve you, not tables. 3. Show respect. Steve-San is like a god in his own kingdom. His restaurant. His rules. Respect that. BRING A GIFT. If you show him respect, he'll show you respect and you'll have a very friendly experience. If you disrespect him, or his system, you're less likely to see his kind side and more likely to see his rude side. (just sayin') 4. No menu. It's Omakase style. You get what he serves you, plate after plate, until you tell him to stop. 5. If you want non-alcoholic drinks, your choices are bottled water and canned tea. He used to serve hot tea, but then someone sued him because she spilled some on herself and claimed it was too hot. So, he doesn't serve it anymore. 6. The whole experience takes 2-3 hours. You'll likely be some of the only people there. Embrace the emptiness. 7. It's expensive. That's because it's the best. We talked extensively about his sourcing when I ate there last, and I was very impressed by how picky he is! He's constantly rejecting seafood from his vendors that isn't up to his standards. So, be prepared to dish out at least $200 per person -- more if you add sake or beer to the mix or eat a lot of plates. 8. He's an artist. No joke. This is the best sashimi I've ever had - so tender you can cut it with your tongue. Perfect flavors. So fresh! Nothing remotely off or fishy about it. read more

Well it seems reviewer here are not much in middle ground. I came to Steve's place first time about year and half ago on a friend's recommendation. His dad owns a sushi place in Tokyo so he ought to know. We spent too much that first time and I came away saying the first $100 was for food and the 2nd $100 was for stories. And Steve had a lot of stories. We were the only customer for lunch that day and as his tradition, we went with omagase, chef's choice. We had the guess of many items and the various sauces he put in front of us, a few pieces of sashimi etc. Finally we had what seemed to be fried pork cutlet like on kasudon. It turned out to be fish. Tradition for omakase course is that guest will let the chef know to stop as they get full, he prepared the last item raw oyster with ponzu sauce (vinegar and soysauce) for us. It was an expensive lunch but again, the interaction with the chef was worth at least half of it. read more

four words - CHEF STEVE - FRESH INGREDIENTS the quality of the ingredients and the hilarity that is chef steve are what make this place worth coming back to. The atmosphere is nothing to write home about, and if this place could only get a little makeover it would be the number ONE sushi spot on my list. But im a sucker for atmosphere and there is not so much here. BUT THAT ASIDE.... the food oh man the food, definitely do it omasake style, definitely get involved with chef steve, he makes the evening very hands on, entertaining and enjoyable if you let him. The quality of the fish is exceptional, as is the price...don't go here with empty pockets. read more

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Had a chance to have dinner here last night. Sushi Steve is hella funny. Always cracking jokes at folks who come in, whether they have reservations or not. Our dinner lasted about an hour and a half with six courses. After the 6th course, he asked us if we were still hungry and offered us more food at no charge if we wanted. The six courses was enough so we stopped there. It truly is omakase style. I had no idea what was coming out, but judging by the pics in the yelp, the servings are pretty consistent with a little bit of variations depending on the season perhaps. It's a good experience if you wanna try something different and I'm glad the south bay has something like this. I spent about $150 in total and I think it was worth it. read more

Had a great dinner here... and let me say this, I have never been, i dont know anyone who goes there and I can't name drop... I just like food, will eat anything and love sushi. Steve was very nice and took very good care of us. I think we had around 16 courses, all very good. He told us about the food, taught us a few things and chatted quite a bit. We were the only two in the place at 7pm (for about an hour until a second couple came) and it was great. Any intimidation we felt when first walking in was quickly gone. It is very exensive but very personal and the food is great. read more

great sushi and sashimi. The owners are super charming and funny. The sake selection is amazing. I love this place. The restaurant is a little drab and in a strip mall.. read more

One of the best experience. Food was delicious and Steve himself was friendly. Appreciated his unique sense of humor. We had no problem making our reservations considering it was Valentine's day weekend. Yes it was expensive but once in a blue moon, to me, it was worth it. read more

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LIGHT YEARS BETTER that most South Bay sushi restaurants. Fresh, great quality sushi. Great presentation and flavor pairings. Excellent saki and Japanese beer selection. Uni and Madai beyond comparison. Tranquil and relaxing atmosphere, but hard to forget you're in a south bay strip mall. Host and chef, Steve was inviting, attentive, and highly entertaining. PRO: food, drink, ambiance, cleanliness, host CONS: venue smelled stale, South Bay strip mall read more

I am in no way trying to be disrespectful or rude as I know that Steve has worked very hard to establish his clientele base (he reminded us of that several times throughout the course of the dinner as he also reminded us of how good his food was). I tried going the recommended way as stated on his website, by writing him a respectful and personal email about my experience. Unfortunately, I haven't received a response or comment. If Chef Sawa is reading this, I would encourage him to please read this review and consider my one simple suggestion and maybe send me an email or reply to the review as a sign of acknowledgement and i will immediately change my 1 star comment. I wish I would have listened to the reviews. I thought that the bad reviews were from people who were just ignorant, but that is not the case. Many of the reviews resonated with exactly what I felt at my dining experience at Sawa. Just as an FYI to all the readers, we got in without any reservations so my gripe isn't with that, nor is it with the $120 min per person fee (which is NOT that expensive at all), and Steve was fairly kind to us. My main issue was the dining experience as a whole. Chef Sawa was unnecessarily cruel to so many customers and made faces on the phone when people called to cancel. To my disgust, his "regulars" were ok with his treatment and even encouraged him as if laughing along with a bully at school. Some people just like to be part of something cruel. It just doesn't make any sense and it frankly breaks my heart. I've dined at several very exclusive "no name" omakase restaurants where $$$$$$ isn't even discussed because it's expected that you will pay min $300 a head. Even in these places, the chef, though VERY VERY serious, doesn't disrespect or ridicule people. The chef is supposed to make you feel comfortable and give you an experience. IF putting other people down makes you feel good about yourself, then please go to Sawa. IF you care about a good experience, please avoid this place at all costs. Onto the food, in all honesty, Chef Sawa, your scallop dish and salmon dishes were amazing, along with the hamachi collar, which was cooked very well! The other dishes were overpowering with a (I'm not sure) yuzu and wasabi based sauce. The handling of the fish, cuts, and plating were mediocre. I didn't have the opportunity to experience any mochi or rice so i can't comment on this, but I'm not sure if you serve rice with any of your dishes. Chef Sawa, I do wish you well and have a feeling that this review will not affect your business in a harmful way, but I am hoping that you will consider being more kind an caring to those who want to experience your food. Thank you. read more

I ate at Sawa in Spring 2013 and was generally underwhelmed. Yes, the sashimi was very good, but the location was in a strip mall, the decor was mundane, and the place was mostly empty. The owner/chef turned away 3 other parties who came in by asking them, "Do you have a reservation?", then telling them "I have no menu and no price. I charge what I want." One party was game and sat down, but the others simply left. For the prices charged here ($150-$200 per person), I would expect good food AND good service. Anyway, my wife loves sushi, but she had about a year and half hiatus due to being pregnant and then nursing. As she was now ready to eat sushi once again, I told her I would take her to Sawa for some high-quality sushi. Both our birthdays are this week, so this was a sort of double-birthday celebration. We made the reservation 2 weeks ago, having specifically picked 7:30pm because it works best in our schedules and for our babysitter. We arrived at about 7:20pm, only to find a dark restaurant and locked door. The security guard outside said that the owner was there just moments earlier and mentioned that he had a reservation coming in tonight. The guard knocked on the door and even walked around to the back service entrance. We called the restaurant and heard a message with the owner's cell number. I sent a text to him at 7:31pm. (His cell #, by the way, is 408-529-1588). His response was, "Sorry I just left." I responded back that we had called 2 weeks earlier and had a reservation for a birthday dinner. He said, "you said 7pm Monday! you come late! BS!!!" (verbatim) I repeated that we had specifically requested 7:30pm (does this matter anyway?!?!?), and that for his prices, we expect good food and good service, and that I would have anticipated him hustling back to the store when he got my first text. His response was "hahaha i don't buy that!!! my note is 7pm!" At this point, I lost it, told him this was unacceptable, and that I would be writing him some very bad reviews. His response: "assho!!!! I love this!" I replied back, "You messed with the wrong guy, Steve." To which he said again, "I love it!!!" How could this possibly be acceptable from ANY business owner?!?!? Especially, when you consider that this is a HIGH-DOLLAR establishment catering to sophisticated clientele, this whole episode is completely ridiculous. I hope anyone reading this review opts not to patronize this type of owner, and not only that, but please spread the word about this guy. There are many better places to eat in the South Bay without having to deal with a jerk like Steve Sawa. read more

This place has serious issues! Honestly, the food is reasonably good. It wasn't "blown me away" good to me, not for the price anyway, but arguably won't leave you feeling like you paid too much. Let me be more specific... the ingredients are of top quality, the presentation befits the price, the portions are quite honestly generous... but the knife work doesn't live up tot he standards of a top itamae, the sauces and favoring can be slightly repetitive after half a dozen courses. In fact, I wish he'll go easy on the portions so an average dinner doesn't get stuffed and can better enjoy a entire string of courses. So, I'll say the food's good enough to befit the price, but (IMHO) not superlatively good like some reviewers indicated. The place is modestly furnished and renovated, which is fine. But, the chef is anything but modest. He's a bonafide A.hole -- arrogant, condescending, insulting and quite honestly irritating. He verbally insults would be customers who walk in, not knowing he doesn't normally take walk ins, by asking them to get lost. He doesn't answer questions about what he is serving but instead gives you a smirk. He has tables in the restaurant but won't serve you if don't sit at the bar. Sit at a table and he insults you before demanding that you move to the bar. It's plain ridiculous. There are better places to drop $100~150 on premium, authentic Japanese fare that doesn't involve driving to SF. There's Akane in Los Altos. There's Sakae in Burlingame. There's Wakuriya in San Mateo. There's Mitsonobu (what used to be Kaygetsu) in Menlo Park. There's Hachi Ju Hachi in Los Gatos. It doesn't matter how good Steve Sawa's food is. Customers deserve better. When I pay over $100 a head for a meal, I don't want to have to try very hard not to get pissed so I can continue eating. read more

Wow, I walked in and it was mostly empty. The host who speaks a little or English pointed to his shirt which says "no reservation, there's the door". I was in shock at how rude he was. Then he says its $150 per person in a demeaning tone. Wow, their customer service is terrible. I will never ever come back here. Seriously, that was very rude!!! read more

There should be zero stars for lack of service or even courtesy. True story: my dad called Sawa Sushi to make reservations for five people for this Friday, the 6th of Sept. He called about a full week prior to do this, and was verbally confirmed by the person on the phone, presumably the owner. He even went on to explain how that night's course was going to be a $150/person prix fixe sashimi meal "with no rice". Whatever. My dad remarked how the guy seemed to be distracted at the time and not really paying attention to the call. So I told my dad that he might want to call again later in the week to reconfirm just in case. Well, he called to reconfirm, and the guy said that he had no record of our reservation and something to the effect that he was 'going out of town'. Lame excuses. We have had sushi at some of the best places in Japan, and I am pretty sure that what people find to be quirky, charming 'sushi nazi' behavior over here is unacceptable over there. I don't give a rat's a*$ who this guy thinks he is, this is either poor service or bad business. Period. read more

Absolutely horrible experience!!! Guy was so rude and verbally insuting!!! I never experienced such rudeness in my life!!!

Ok, had no idea that this was a reservations only place. It says "make reservations" only for lunch on Yelp, not for dinner. Having said that, my family and I stopped by to try it out only to have the owner come out and admonish us for coming to a reservations only place. He went so far as to say "well that's why there's no 'open' sign outside and the curtains are drawn..." well excuse me I had no friggin' idea. He could stand to put a sign outside or something stating that. Why would I want to make reservations and try this place if this guy is so rude? Pass on this place. Again, we're in SUNNYVALE...its not like this is San Francisco or LA, lose the pretentious attitude. read more

I went here on a whim with my wife wanting some good omakase. The fish was fresh and tasty, some of the dishes were interesting, some I really didn't get, and we had a nice bottle of sake. When the bill came, I was shocked. I actually started laughing. I wasn't expecting it to be inexpensive, but what we were charged was exorbitant for what we got. I could have taken myself and 3 other people to Le Papillon for a tasting menu WITH wine pairings for the same amount. There are places around that are Just as good or better for Omakase, less expensive and have MUCH better ambiance, for example Katsu in Los Gatos or Tomi in Mountain View. Save your money. read more

CALL THE POLICE! I just got robbed by Sawa. All the positive reviews are overrated. The sushi at Sawa is not only mediocre, under presented, soaked in over powering sauces, the place is lack of service and the over all dining experience ended with a horrendous bill of $180/person for low grade sushi that I could have gotten from Mitsuwas supermarket and made it myself. Don't believe all the brightly lit pictures you see on the yelp review. I'm sure the owner took those himself because we were told "no pictures". Obviously because there was nothing picture worthy in the entires meal and he doesn't want the truth to go viral. The bill was a mystery too. The website said omakase was $125/person but when we asked why we were being overcharged ($180/person) he could not give us a clear explanation. There were no toro, nothing special about any of the dishes (hamachi, tuna, uni, tai, and scallop), and many of which we were asked to share. The cuts were so thick I felt like I might as well just bite in to a raw filet.... Don't believe the hype here. Definitely not going back. Fool me once, shame on u. Fool me twice, well...that's simply not going to happen. Done. I'm out. read more

So I am in the neighborhood and I am hungry for some healthy food. It's 8:25 pm on a Monday. I see a sign saying simply "SAWA" outside. I immediately assume this must be a sushi bar. As I get closer to the place ( I am walking ) I see the name is SAWA Sushi. Except the Sushi on the sign is dark and cannot be read. Okay - is this a sign they cannot afford to fix their sign??? Hmmmmm... So I walk in the open door and the sushi bar is full of patrons. Have you ever felt just a bit strange when EVERYONE stares at you as you walk up to the sushi bar and sit down? Well - okay - I know this is the first time I've been here, and all the patrons are Asian (which looks like a good sign to me), but I did feel uncomfortable. I waited for service for about 10 minutes. Then out of the kitchen, a man walks straight up to me from the kitchen and says - "Did you see the sign outside?" And I said - "Yes - it said SAWA Sushi" and he says "Well, you cannot be in here." And, a bit flabbergasted, I said "Excuse me?" And he said "Yes, we are not open." I read the Yelp review carefully after leaving, and I guess I was really close to closing time. But, as a business owner myself, I always accommodate my customers. Guess I need to arrive an hour before closing. It's just that you never know who walks in your front door. So being polite and friendly to everyone is just a good idea. Not a very cold one line statement making you feel that you are not welcome. I will find another establishment to imbibe tonight. read more

This place does omakase only. Which is fine but choices the chef made for the dining experience were unspectacular. One dish after another had way too much sauce on it. You don't get to really taste the fish. I felt like it he just took a roll and served all the ingredients without rolling it up. Too much going on with every dish. Sometimes simplicity is the best. Overprice and under delivered on everything. I would definitely not go here again and would recommend all of my friends away from this place. read more

very bad service. We come and ask for a menu. The guy spoke to us very rudely, "don't you have a smart phone?! You can check it by yourself!" Won't come again. read more

No good no good, people to eat hear are stupid or some what like a MS way of eating , the guy run the place is not Japanese , He is Korea, and the way He served the food just like to say your are the fool,and the price so high ,even the fish are fresh but so little pieces are not some thing need to even try. read more

Basically - this is the best sushi in the bay area period. Here is the deal: 1) Its far from the city (1hr +) and you are going to want to drink - either bring a designated driver or try to hire a car 2) Go in groups of 3 or 4 - you are going to want to talk about this food 3) Call ahead for reservations (the phone number connects to the chef's phone) 4) Only Omakase, only sashimi and some cooked items, be prepared to spend $250+ per person (if any of this freaks you out - please don't make the trip down) 5) Read number 4 again - if you go there and think you are going to order sushi rolls... prepare yourself to get kicked out 6) Sit at the counter 7) Never ask if the fish is fresh - that is so freaking insulting 8) Always ask where the fish came from (its fun to hear how its sourced) 9) If you are a cook or foodie - try to figure out the ingredients in his sauces 10) Engage with and talk to the chef - he is great and super sarcastic 11) Drink!!! - at a minimum you will need to drink the following: Sake, Japanese Beer, Plum Wine, and Lemon Sake 12) Bring a sushi lover with you - they will be blown away Good luck! read more

What a pleasant surprise! 1) The owner is not rude. Yes, you do need a reservation. Yes, it's not cheap. Well, you pay what you get for. We had a great conversation with Steve, he is personable and friendly. I guess the negative reviews are from the people who came with the attitude "I'm paying $$$$, treat me like a king". 2) The quality is truly amazing and the sauces complement the taste of the fish served in very generous amounts. The scallops are to die for and the last hot course (yellowtail cheek) makes me want to come back to Sawa very soon. 3) The minimalistic design of the place is not what we are used to but hey, it makes you feel like you are in Kyoto! I could never imagine that I would have found such a treasure in Sunnyvale. Deserves a Michelin star! read more