Please, everyone, avoid this place. Opt for another high-end sushi restaurant instead. They only serve thick sashimi, which is too greasy. This was, by far, the worst experience I've ever had. The chef is extremely rude. Also, it appeared to me that he treats his so-called 'loyal customers' well. He's the rudest person I've ever encountered. I have a lot more to say, but I will stop here. read more

I feel compelled to write an updated review of Sawa Sushi now that I have been a repeat customer and a future repeat customer, and again, and again. There is a reason one goes back, and it almost has nothing to do with the price tag sometimes. It's not hard to see why, many people find the food industry to be a service only industry where if you do not get good service, the restaurant almost suffers in food quality. Although this is acceptable in most places, the entire world certainly does not work this way. If you have never had an experience where you build a relationship with the chef who prepares your food, share stories of laughter, joy and sadness, all the way enjoying some of the finest fish you will ever find here in the entirety of the United States of America, then you have not had a good fish experience thus far in life. Steve is one of the kindest and at times funniest chef I've ever met. Every time I go he always has interesting stories to tell and funny antics to keep things entertaining during his long and very delicious 3 hour dinner meals that I've often extended to 4 all the way until past midnight. If you think that the service enhances the food at some restaurants, then Steve has gone above and beyond. However, not everyone can like Steve and most likely not everyone does. So lets just talk about the food, the one and the only factor for some people sometimes to go out and eat. If I had to judge this place on food alone it would be absolutely EXCEPTIONAL. I've, in all of my travel from Asia to America and inbetween, yet to taste fish the way that Steve prepares it at Sawa. And amazing enough, it's not like a nigiri only restaurant where you pay a lot and get full off of the rice (no matter how small the portion of rice is). You absolutely get your money's worth in fish, and just fish. I'm not talk about the normal kind of fish that you can find at a regular roll-based sushi place or even a regular sashimi based sushi bar. I even venture to say that my other favorite sushi bar, Sushi Sam, does not boast the kind of fish that you can find here at Sawa. These exotic species and preparation methods can only be tasted in few places outside of the closed doors of Sawa where the cost would be so exponentially enormous that it may not be worth the trip, the drive or even the four hours of your time (think Urasawa for $450/person!) Having sushi at Sawa with Steve isn't just dinner, it is a fantastic dining experience consisting of humor, great fish, and most of all that human connection we seem to all be missing when we're dining at BJ's Brewery or Chili's where the service is deemed good if they refilled your soda when it was empty. read more

See all

My go-to place in the Bay Area, love the quiet environment, love the food, love the owner Steve. The quality of the fish is top notch, if you know you know. And the combination of fish, homemade sauce and veggies, really brings you a whole new experience. But if all fish diet is not for you, might want to check with the owner first before going there. I like the cozy feeling in the restaurant, quiet room with dimmed lights, perfect for a relaxing night out. Would 100% recommend coming here! read more

This was terrible. Spent $366 ( not including tip) for two people. The guy is really funny and nice but the food was not up to par with some of the best sushi places in the Bay Area. I think maybe my expectations were set a lot higher for the price point. Just know, they don't serve rice or nigiris. The fish slices were super thick if you like that (I don't...it felt gross eating it after a while) and the portions are humongous. I liked the beer selection, but overall I would not come back and it was really disappointing. I actually had to stop my omakase, because I was too full and grossed out by just eating raw fish with salsa on the side. Sorry! Just an honest review. read more

Bad experience. Waste of money. I planned to treat my guests a nice meal. But I was embarrassed in the end.  First, the setting was not comfortable. I complained about the cold temperature at the restaurant. Then, the chef turned on a portable heater which was not strong. It was a decent size place, but felt very empty since there were only two parties, altogether five patrons at this restaurant on a Thursday night. We couldn't get a reservation at other omakase places, so we settled there. It was a mistake. Second, the food/fish quality was ok to say the least. My guests and I felt awkward about the ambience and emptiness of this restaurant, I was about to leave without dining. But my guests had good faith that the food quality could compensate for other shortcomings. But it was not the case. Some fish we had were cold as they were not fully defrosted. The chef didn't introduce us to the ingredients of the dishes. We didn't know what we ate until we asked. Third, we received minimal service and it was not good. The chef was the only person serving at the restaurant we saw. We asked for hot tea. He didn't brew any tea. He just heated up tea from plastic tea bottles that we find at grocery stores and charged $5 each. When asked for water, he gave us plastic water bottles to drink out of.  When it came to tips, he manually added 18% and put the amount on the credit card slip and asked me to just sign. And he said " I only added 18%." which seemed too little for him for his service!! Sickened by this kind of entitlement. This restaurant didn't earn any good tips but a negative review about our experience.  Another shocking thing to see was he was holding up a knife high when he was talking to us emotionally. I've never seen any sushi chef do this in front of customers!! We spent over $800 for three. And I ended up feeling embarrassed about the choice. I've been to other similar places with similar prices, I got more out of them than this restaurant. No wonder it is so easy to get a table... read more

Sawa Sushi is owned by Steve and he has a funny and entertaining personality. He has owned this restaurant for over 20 years. Many of the fish sources are from Hokkaido and the quality is superb. The sauces are mysterious, so tasty, the freshest, and paired so well with the fish. I wish I could take the sauces back home but I'll have to come back for more. The food makes up for the price but leave your expectations at the door. read more

See all

SAWA SUSHI IS STELLAR!!!!! My boss JT took the company here for dinner and it was by far the best Sushi I've ever had. The fish was so fresh I got a food/fish rush. Each plate he served was one awesome dish after another. I read the reviews before we went so I was a bit skeptical, but I must say the bad reviews are way off. Steve was awesome, a FULL PRO, he was very nice, great sense of humor and it was a honor to meet him. A very down to earth person. Steve knows great food, there was no need for a menu, that was the cool part about it. He just served us excellent food, and I mean EXCELLENT FOOD. Everything was so fresh and it just melted in your mouth. I know the bill is a bit heavy and I did see the comments about that, but if your going to treat yourself, then this is the place to do it. You will get what you pay for! So, make a reservation and honor it! You will have a memorable personal experience, great service and a STELLAR MEAL. I would like to thank Jimmy for a superb dinner and I really did appreciate your first class treatment. Again, you were spot on with first class taste. Last, I would like to thank Steve Sawa for such a great experience and such great Sushi. It really was a treat dinning at Sawa Shusi! I'LL BE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

See all

4.5 star. It's a very different experience compared to most other fancy restaurants. First off, Sawa Sushi is humbly tugged inside a stripped mall with a small entrance. Except the big sign that is in similar style as any other Japanese restaurants, it's hardly convincing that it's one of the Forbes Top 100 Restaurants. The chef and owner Steve handles everything, from reservation to cooking and serving. He's an interesting guy, not the kind of all open up chatty chef you see out there, but once awhile he talks, very little about the food he serves though. He's also a very low key guy that asks us not to take any pictures of the food...and sorry Steve, after the first 2 courses, I just couldn't resist.... The first dish was fresh sea scallop in light sauce and it tasted FRESH! I was later on told by repeating patrons that despite the daily new refresh on the menu, this dish is always there. Then we had the salmon with some freshly grinded wasabi sauce with fish roe, yum. Then uni on tuna, then halibut in green yuzu sauce (a bit too acidic in the end), kamachi kama, celery sauce fish and lastly a grande finale of fatty tuna with fist size uni and Russian black cavier. Ice cream mochi on the house came in 3 flavors too, sesame, chocolate and green tea. I was stuffed up to the neck by the time we called it a stop. I gave it a 4.5 star only because the half star goes to the Yuzu sauce. Total damage is $346 including tax for 2. A few tips: 1. It's Omakase dinner only, no lunch business. 2. Steve's not in favor of big parties where everyone has their preferences. 3. They don't serve hot tea or water, only bottled drinks like oolong tea, or beer, or sake, or bottle water. 4. Steve holds a high standard to the food he offers, so trust him and just sit back and enjoy the food. 5. Don't get too obcessed with the decor, there ain't any! read more

See all

Def an interesting experience. Just like the rest of reviews described, the dishes here are mostly sashimi. So if you are not a raw fish fan, you shouldn't come here. The owner/chef/waiter (all the same person) is funny and knows his food well. It's not the kind of nice decor/fancy service place, but it gives a unique personal touch because we get to chat with the chef directly at the bar. Minus 1 star because I would still have hoped for a slightly more balanced menu. At least my personal preference. read more

This place is a fraud! Have you ever been in a restaurant with no menu and no price? If not then SAWA is that place. We went there for dinner and when I asked for menu then Mr Sawa responded: "We will see!!" then we asked for drink menu and he brought us Sake bottles starting from $75 to $3K! OK! we started our dinner with this level of ambiguity and he started making us unnamed dishes! Well! the food was good no doubt...but the service and the fact that we had no idea what is included in the menu what are the courses? what type of fish are we eating? what is the sauce on top of the sashimis? Destroyed the whole experience. Mr. Sawa was the chef, the server, and bartender. And we were the only guests in the restaurant for the whole night! I am pretty sure that this restaurant experienced a period of Michelin's level service and food but not anymore! We ended up paying a fortune for the Menuless experience which was not pleasant at the end! read more

Rude staff. The chef was wearing a shirt that says "no reservation, there's the door" when people walked in he didn't even talk, he was pointing to his shirt only waiting for people to read and leave Not sure why the place has high rating, it is very small, very warm / hot inside Do not go here, there are better places in bay area read more

Really nice experience with Sawa today. Talked a lot about everything. Clean environment and really fresh and sweet food! Urchin is really really sweet with shrimp! Lovely chef I have ever seen! Remember to make a reservation before coming, just needs to send text to Sawa. He will response really quickly! Phone number is on sawa sushi website! read more

See all

Dining at Sawa Sushi with Chef Sawa is a wonderful dinner and experience. The food is amazing; the freshness of the ingredients and the expert preparation are apparent throughout, making this the best sushi/sashimi around. We are so happy we found this restaurant. Chef Sawa is passionate, attentive, and friendly the entire time, which makes the intimate dining experience uniquely special. Chef Sawa is upfront about any extra price of particular premium imported items that you won't find elsewhere or when selecting a special sake (sometimes we get an extra one to take home). We have never been disappointed following his recommendations and guidance on special combinations. Sawa Sushi is unique in that the ingredients and dinner are procured for each diner, so you simply have to make reservations. Chef Sawa is very responsive, so this is not difficult and well worth the amazing experience. read more

Rename this restaurant to: Sawa Sashimi. I felt so gross out after dinner. Portion is great, a little too good. Whole slab of toro. Whole slab of kanpachi. Whole slab of hamachi. My goodness. I was done by third entree. This is a great place if you just got out of prison. Also make sure you check his math. He overcharged us by $200 or so in the total bill. Random pricing honestly, you would rather spend the same money at better establishments like ju-ni. I essentially felt like I donated to him, he probably will retire soon. Good luck Steve. read more

Ambiance: Nice, quiet and clean Food: Everything that the chef fed us was delicious. It was a good Omakase experience. Everything tasted fresh and clean. They carry a wide selection of Sake which is not only top shelf but rare bottles. Service: The owner was the chef and he was very friendly and informative. Hope to come back soon to try other items they have in store for our next visit. read more

See all

This is the best, most authentic Japanese sushi in the Bay Area. I cannot recommend it more. All of the fish is imported from Japan and is extremely tasty. Don't miss Sawa if you're in the South Bay. read more

Had a wonderful night with my husband at Sawa Sushi! We had the honor of having Steve as our chef. We got omakase. The sashimi was fresh and thick. The sauces were packed with delicious flavors we haven't tried before. Each dish was a delightful surprise with much skill and poise. I'm glad to have finally found a real omakase restaurant in the South Bay! Best and freshest fish around. read more

Sawa Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

See all

I've been looking for good sushi in the South Bay for awhile. If you're willing to enjoy the experience and pay the price Sawa is the best sushi (sashimi) in the South Bay. read more

If you want a true omakase/"I'll leave it up to you" dinner, this is the place to go in the bay. Very private experience (reservation only and not online) as Chef Steve is the compete restaurant (chef/server/kitchen/host). Great quality fish that you can taste and nice thick slices. All the sauces are made in house and add that extra exclusivity compared to your traditional sashimi. Chef Steve even complimented the dinner with the best sake recommendation. For those giving this place less than 5 stars... what have you been smoking? If you can't afford fish that is flown overnight daily from Japan, this is not your place. Be prepared to pay for the quality of fish that you receive... don't compare your caterpillar roll to what real quality seafood is supposed to taste like. read more

Next to Subway and Kumon. All black tinted windows but enjoyable dining experience and great talking to Chef Steve. He tought me and my husband how to become rich. Lol so fun and we will come back! read more

Sawa Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

************* REVIEW 270 **************** I got to thank 1 of my special foodie, a gentleman that has the finest taste in food around the world, a Michelin fan, that travels the word for the finest cuisines out there. He took me here, what an honor, because he already a Sawa fan for 10 years. No better way to experience it with anyone else but him. Let's put it this way, if you want the finer food & if you have a palate for the finer taste to truly sushi, come here. Steve San makes everything fresh himself from sauce, broth, to his delicious wasabi. Minimalist decor, simple place, but the best part is not about the decor, but the freshness & finest fishes & seafood that Sawa San offers here. During out dinner, many walk-in guests asked to be fed, then when Sawa San explained no menu, no price, no funky rolls, no rice, no nigiri, minimum $100 to couple hundreds more per person! All got the face expression & all walked out, disrespectfully laughed out loud! What a bunch of rude walk ins. 1 couple said, no budget. I smirked, even Donald Trump has budget!!!! But they left with this rude face, again, & again all 4 hours long we were there! It likes this, you come my house, you respect my rule & vice versa. You come to a restaurant, you respect the restaurant's rule. You come to a country, you respect & follow that country rule! Simple as it. Funny how people react!!! No menu, no price! Omakase - "Trust The Chef." & here how we trust Sawa San. 1. Hokkado Hotategai - with special sauce, made fresh by the chef. 2.Shake - Special salmon from Japan, serve with special sweet sauce, really nice and refreshing. 3. Masu - Ocean Trout from Japan 4. Ankimo - is a Japanese dish made with monkfish liver from Japan - served with thinly sliced green onions and ponzu sauce. Ankimo is considered one of the Chinmi (delicacies) of Japan. Sawa San made his own ponzu sauce, it was so citrusy. 5. Komochi Kombu - seaweed with herring roe "tangle with herring roe" - tastiest ever - Sawa San explained to me when its man-made, the seaweed, is straight in a line, but when it's natural, its waved. I have never heard of this dish before. Sawa San goes on, a male fish, stick his sperm on the wall, then the female fish sticks her eggs over the sperm to protect her territory. There I have it a dish call Komochi Kombu, a union between herring eggs & kombu! How cool is that? It's definitely on the stronger taste & smell, I wish I have some fine Vodka to go with that though! 6. Special veggies that only this Fall Season from Japan 7. Sujiko - Also salmon roe. The difference is that sujiko is still inside its sack when it is prepared. It also has a different color; sujiko is red to dark-red while ikura is lighter in color, sometimes almost orange. Sujiko is also sweeter in taste. - It was the first time I ever tried it, I don't think I can ever eat IKURA no more! 8. Aji from Japan - I always love this shiny fish! sweet, & I like to touch its skin, I like to feel thing, smell thing, before I eat. I kissed the Aji, but it didn't turn to a prince charming! Arrr I will try to kiss a bigger fish next time! 9. Totoro from Japan - generous 4 pieces, buttery, nice texture & sweet. 10. White Salmon from Japan - this was a cooked dish, with special creamy sauce, delicious! I was super full by now! 11. Scottish Lobster Sashimi - he took care of the lobster right on the spot, fascinating, & if you are sensitive, this should be a good thing for your to watch. It was sweet, tasty, but then I'm allergic to fresh lobster! I ate anyway haha, then scratched myself on the way home! 12. Kanpachi from Japan - 10 pieces for 2, that's so much sashimi in my life. 13. Uni from Japan - you know how much I love this! but this was beyond words to describe how good it was! 14. Kumamoto - 2 pcs - with simple tangy sauce. 15. Kumamoto - 2 pcs - with thinly sliced green onion, special sauce. 16. Mochi - Wonder if was even able to move! I got to get up 3 times to walk around, before I can continue the dinner. My foodie friend brought a bottle of Riesling Spätlese, fantastic pairing, then we moved to beers. I took notes, asked Sawa San about his fishes, I warmed him up a little, when I showed my my fishing & crabbing pictures. He was warm, funny, & has a way to explain his food, very particular! He reminds me of my dad. I appreciate his conversations with us. I appreciate the art of tasting the finer things in life. My foodie friend laughed, Sawa San laughed, I laughed, another foodie from Seattle sitting nearby laughed. It was such a memorable meal for me. Probably right up there with Masa NY & Vegas, & Sushi of Gari, for the freshness of the ingredients! ******* Domo arigato gozaimasu Sawa San & my "foodie friend" - What a memorable night we had ******* read more

See all

Sawa Sushi is the best Omakase restaurant ive ever been to. i could easily write a thesis on my experiences there and why you should go there, but just like the sashimi dishes that Chef Steve serves there...ill keep this simple and neat. ---freshest cuts of sashimi that youve probably never had before. ---remarkable sake selection, ranging from $40 to $4000 a bottle. ---the most insane array of sauces that Chef Steve makes from scratch (including his own soy sauce) for those of you who really enjoy and appreciate FRESH & QUALITY sashimi, let me leave you with this quote from Chef Steve.... ME: "umm, Steve...can i have some soy sauce?" Steve: "you wont need it...that piece of fish on your plate was in the ocean yesterday so its still a little salty..." read more

See all

During a normal work week, I spend a few hours just searching for where to spend my dough on some good food for the weekend. This weekend was one of those where I deviated from the normal planned anal retentive motions I normally go through. PEOPLE!!! Trust the $ signs on Yelp, they are true, sometimes, I feel many rating systems are overly dramatic, but for Sawa, pay attention, it's no joke. Happened upon Sawa while shuffling through my apps and shrugged off the $$$$ notated, the only Japanese in the area I know of is in Menlo, no way I thought. I called to make the reservations, a male answered, asked me party size and time. Easy. Um, he didn't ask for my name. What the hell, I'm winging it anyways, so I wanted to continue the trend of spontaneity. I felt so naughty. Located in a strip mall, there are shades drawn on the inside, so onlookers cannot peer inside. The signage is nothing fancy or trendy, actually it looked like a $$ sushi joint. Walking into the restaurant we were greeted with stares from a party of four and an Asian couple with his friend as the third wheel. I understood why my name wasn't taken over the phone. The demand is not so high. SILENCE. For literally 60 seconds. Felt like forever. Finally Steve Sawa emerged from the kitchen and asked us to sit at the bar along with the other folk. We had other plans, we asked for a table in the corner, he immediately set up the table in the center of the room, stating the table in the corner is 'too tight'. We obliged and sat down, slightly irked by his pushy behavior. He hovered over us and asked, "You know we don't have a menu, right?" I nodded yes, completely lying. "How did you hear about us?" On the internet. "Oh you saw my website?" Nodded, again, lying. The line of questioning was slightly odd, but I was really intrigued, I love a crazy food adventure. "Six courses for $95." Okay. "What would you like to drink?" Can we take a look at the sake menu? No menu. He brought out 4 bottles of Junmai Daiginjo and one Ginjo. He points to the first one, lined by ascending price points. How much? "$600". We almost choked. We ended up choosing a $65 bottle. Do you have a bucket of ice? "No we don't have that, we are not fancy like that. it would ruin the label on the bottle." We would like to keep the sake cold somehow. "We can put into the fridge when you are not drinking." Can we just put on ice? "We don't have ice." Can we just put on ice? "I'll be right back." Sawa goes into the kitchen to locate a square tupperware and then goes next door to fetch some ice. He comes back and apologizes for the look of the tupperware. We thank him for his efforts and assure him we don't mind the tupperware, we just want access to the bottle and for it to be kept chilled. Sitting at a table is no different really from sitting at the bar, as Sawa does not display or prepare the fish at the counter. I'm actually fairly antisocial, but I do like to know what the heck I'm eating, Sawa would rarely announce what he was setting down at the table. Jumping online after, I can see from bloggers in 2007, Sawa used to serve a more fancy omakase, which I presume he charged more for. Our trip the plates were all white, not the typical Japanese ceramics and there were NO garnishes at all. The portions were HUGE. -Hotategai, scallop, four limp pcs sitting in a ponzu type sauce, the texture was amazing and so sweet. -Amaebi, succulant, butterflied with precision. -Toro, FOUR super buttery pcs without the look of marbled fat. -Cooked shrimp, savory sauce, so finger licking good. -Cooked Scallop, seared perfectly. -Unagi, beautiful, not overly sweet, went well with the uni thrown our way as an extra. Mid-meal we realized this protein fest was going to leave us tossed if we don't drink some water, we flagged Sawa down and he asked if we wanted bottled, we asked for tap. "Bottled, on the house." I thought it would be Fiji, or SOMETHING luxurious, he surprised us with ONE 16 oz bottle of Arrowhead. Hey, it's on the house, it was COLD and the glasses were chilled. Sawa excites me, I like a challenge. Weird I know. I like a little brutality. YES, I'm the PERFECT candidate to be physically abused. Even slightly off kilter, I still would return, I like eccentricity and I like good fish. Sawa has got it going on, if you're willing to suck up your demanding high maintenance ways, not compare this experience to traditional Japanese omakases, you will enjoy and live to tell the story. read more

Sawa aka TJL (The Japanese Laundry)! Stop complaining about pricing... Think about quality! If you go to Whole Foods, do you expect Save Mart price tags?! Do you step foot in The French Laundry and expecting TGI Friday price tags?! Be real, peeps!! You get what you pay for!! AND, he's not stingy on the cuts/portions neither. Steve is da man and he knows his shit! Quality!! read more

See all

Sunnyvale Sushi Nazi! We stumbled in here, actually had to bang on the door to get it opened, and so we were taken aback when Sawa informed us gruffly that "this special restaurant. I choose what you eat and what you pay". Once it sunk in that this was simply forced omakase we started to get excited "if this guy is such a dick his food must be out of this world!" We were brought an outstanding assortment of Japanese beer (which was kept well stocked all night), and Sawa started throwing out a few more barbs to test us "I don't think you like it here, maybe you should leave, I don't care!" We seemed to earn some respect by telling him to shut up and bring us some food, and the food started to arrive. We started with some incredibly fresh and toothsome scallop in a wasabi broth. Then moved on to a couple different fish sashimi courses, salmon with a cream sauce, and some epic hamachi that was blissfully served without sauce (if there's one flaw here it's that Sawa likes to drench some pretty incredible ingredients in some pretty overpowering sauces - it's unique but a bit distracting). There was a hot course of nicely crisped fish collar, made more enjoyable by Sawa's harassment of those of us who didn't fully pick through the cartilage to the meat beneath. Apparently "if you eat this you good at sex!" We ended on a utterly over the top fist sized pile of toro with uni on top - my favorite two types of sashimi, united in a way I've only experienced in Japan (maybe I'm sheltered but this blew my mind) In our way out Sawa gave us his phone number and told us to call next time. I guess we passed the test! read more

Sawa Sushi - Toro and Uni - Sushi Bars Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Simply the best Japanese Omakase restaurant in the bay area. Sashimi is so fresh and all the sauces are home made. It was the best Japanese course meal ever. I have been in the Japan to have experience like this but I didn't have to go that far after all. Must go place!! Special thanks to chef for all the unique and premium quality foods. read more

Best sushi I've ever had in my life, and I've been to Japan several times. Amazing service, unique dishes especially the sashimis with sauces. read more

Oh Steve-san, how I miss you, and your fish! I stumbled upon this gem when my DH was at Stanford Law. We didn't always want to battle traffic and lack of parking in SF, so we explored closer to home. We knew we had found the right spot when we saw many Japanese businessmen, freshly flown in from Tokyo. The high tech companies always wooed their Japanese businessmen (Japanese business women were scarce) here. The place is drab, it is a strip mall. Once we became regulars, we'd see these Japanese men enter with disappointed places. I flew in from Tokyo and this is where they take me? But after a few bites of fresh fish and sips of sake, their faces were all smiles. Happiness unbound. It wasn't as expensive as it is now, but with sushi and sashimi, you get what you pay for. If only people would buy more plays, I could go visit Steve-san more. If only my DH made partner, we'd pop in and pop out more. It's that kind of place. Where magic and foodgasms happen. One moment: Steve-san's English wasn't so good, so we always sat at the bar. So we could see what he was doing, what appealed, what others were ordering. One time, something really intrigued us, and we asked for one. We took a few bites, we're like, Steve-san, what is this? Steve struggled for a few moments, trying to come up with the proper English translation. Finally, he said, Ah, we call this...Fish Guts. The whole place burst out laughing. You had to be there. And you still can. Save the last omakase for me :-) read more

There is no menu and no set price. Chef Steve Sawa will serve you what he likes. When he is done, he will check to see if you want more. His portions are good size for sashimi. We got 5 individual courses (one dish per person) and 5 shared courses (one dish shared between two people). It was enough to be satisfied but not stuffed. All but one dish was raw so if you love sashimi, you will like this. They don't serve rolls, fried appetizers or other typical American-Japanese restaurants serve. What sets Sawa Sushi apart is their fresh fish. You can really taste the sweetness in the fish and the textures are spot on. The sauces are good but tend to be a bit repetitive in underlying flavors. That's not a bad thing if you like it. I really enjoyed the quality of the fish. Because there is no published pricing, go only if your budget can withstand a $450 - $500 hit for two. I'd be a regular if I win the lotto. read more

See all

Located in a mall strip in Sunnydale - who would have thought? Sawa Sushi... a no doubt, beyond 5 stars! Unlike your typical sushi place that serves sushi rolls, some good looking dishes, here and there sashimi, and etc... - Sawa Sushi is nothing like that! Let me tell you some of my experience at Sawa... (1) Omakase Chef's Choice: basically, no menu and you eat whatever the chief gives you. (2) We had the 6 course meal and it was enough for me. I recommend start of with 6 course and if you want more - ask him to make you more. (3) There's only two people: Steve and a women, maybe his wife? But, Steve, the chief is amazing! He's very entertaining - he cracks joke about himself and his family. (4) Steve will go in his way to TEACH you how to eat sashimi: "the right way." He came over and taught me to spread wasabi (homemade!) on the sashimi on one side and on the other dip it on soy sauce (also, homemade). He told me to never mix the soy sauce and wasabi together - I felt like I learned something. (5) Sashimi - MELTS in your mouth! Try it! Take little bites and like your saliva do its job! Chew on it.. this is to die for. ALL of his dishes, melted in my mouth. Very beautiful presentation. CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS! (6) Steve loves BEER, so he came out with a whole selection of beer for us to choose from! He described each one and what he thinks about it. (6) Eat whatever Steve gives you! If he didn't give you soy sauce ... he did that for a reason! Don't try to ask for soy sauce and wasabi. Try it first! (7) I came out so FULL and I had to sit in my car for awhile before driving away. **OVERALL: Sawa Sushi is not just about eating and getting full; it's beyond that! It's about trusting all about chief, and let him satisfy your stomach. Beyond a 5 star!!! Thanks Steve!!! - you're the best. We'll come back again. read more

See all

From the outside, this place looks very nondescript and almost looks like it might be closed. But once inside, what an experience! The owner prepares incredible omakase with fish that is of highest freshness and quality... Even the uni, which is usually more of a challenge for me to enjoy in general, was flawless here (see photo). He has VERY good top-shelf liquor (sake and whiskeys from Japan that go for $1k a bottle). The owner also delivers a very dry, witty sense of humor - evident from the start with his black t-shirt that reads "No Reservation? There's the door..." Some notes: 1) this is not typical sushi in that the dishes do not contain rice. 2) not suitable for young children (unless they already have a developed appreciation for sashimi). Amazing. We will be back. read more

Sawa Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

This is not your typical "sushi" place, it is something very special! While Steve-san might be a character, if you treat him with respect, he will treat you with respect in kind. He was nothing but a fantastic host, providing a truly amazing Omakase dining experience. I was not disappointed with ANY of the onslaught of mouth watering dishes he prepared! Super fresh ingredients, lovingly prepared and presented, and his sauces are ridiculously perfect addition the main ingredients in the dish. And yes, this is EXPENSIVE dining, but it was worth every penny! And since he primarily only takes reservations, you are treated with a fun, pleasant, and fully engaged host. If I could make my 5 star rating glittering with gold I WOULD! I can't wait to visit again when I'm back in the bay area. read more

Another outstanding quality and delicious dinner at Sawa within a month for my husband and I. Our family of 4 were treated to the freshest and highest quality sashimi. Each dish of sashimi was accompanied with unique, delicious sauce . Loved the melt in your mouth Japanese Wagu. Also the AAA quality Hokaido uni that tasted so fresh and sweet. Yes, dinner at Sawa was expensive but worth it. To get such high quality sashimi and personalized service , you may have to go to Japan. Chef-owner Steve Sawa was most friendly .He paid full attention to serving his customers ! Make sure you make a dinner reservation, otherwise Chef Sawa will show you the door. read more

My wife and I went there recently. We both have had omakase before, but this dinner was so delicious. Because it was omakase, I didn't know how much I would pay nor did I know what I will be getting -- I trusted the chef, and I am glad I did. My favorite part was the uni by itself, fresh from Hokkaido in a very exquisite packaging opened in front of us. (Fresh uni is supposed to taste a bit sweet, creamy, and a bit sea-taste; it's not supposed to have a very unpleasant taste.) I might have had onigiri, but I considered the remaining dishes to be memorable, and they were. When you're at an omakase, don't be afraid to ask how you should eat it but allow the chef to prepare and present the meal in a way that he thinks the meal should be made. If possible, it's best to interact with the chef. I hope to come again in the future! read more

Wow... Been wanting to try this place out for awhile and we finally got the chance to go! Anyone who comes here needs to know it's Omakase... and yes that means no sushi roll. If you want that then go to Cha-Cha sushi. Would have loved to make it to more courses but I think me might've made it to 5. Chef Sawa gave some great portions. I could of personally been happy with less so I can try more. He recommended a great sake to start with our meal and ended it with something that was like a Yuzu limoncello. Everything we had was such a treat. Love that we finally found a place in the Bay Area that served fresh sashimi. Our chef was a hoot and we loved the history on sushi from him. Definitely will be back. A must is the toro with the Hokkaido uni we supplemented and added the caviar. Boy was that a bonus! when paying for good food you know it is not gonna be cheap..... if you want an experience come here but if you want affordable sushi rolls go elsewhere ... Can't wait to come back and make it thru more courses!! read more

See all

I've avoided going here for a long time as I've heard many different and contrasting stories of the experience. Look at the different reviews here. You'll see some Japanese food purists here and some with less than stellar experiences or sometimes a mixed bag. However I've stepped up finally and been a few times and to my surprise I've had a very good time on all occasions. You'd not expect a place that carries the variety and quality of fish in a strip mall by a fitness gym. Don't let the locale fool you as there's an experience to be had here. I've eaten the spectrum of wack fusion sushi/sashimi to the most traditional purist places and while Sawa sides on the latter, Chef Steve still has his own vision and puts his own spin on his product. I think however if you can demonstrate the appreciation for the sushi tradition, it will take you a long way. On the flip side if you're only concerned with adherence to very traditional standards, this might not be the place for you as I said, they put their own spin on things here, and that vision is not absolutely traditional. Some of the things I've eaten in the visits: -Pickled eggplant/cucumber -Hokkaido scallop with wasabi marinade -Ankimo with dungeness crab/parmesan cheese -Steamed Monkfish Liver - Young salmon roe -Hamachi collar -Maguro -Sake -Hamachi -Chu Toro -Salmon toro -Wagyu beef wrapped over enoki mushrooms -Ikura -Uni -Peach mochi ice cream -Yuzu dessert sake -Kubota Manju Sake Everything has been delicious and in addition to the quality and variety of seafood, there's an impressive variety of sake to be had too. Chef Steve has been nothing but nice and accommodating to my friends and me so I have no complaints there. Service has been excellent every time. He's quite an amicable guy, so it's unfortunate other people have had conflicting experiences. The drawbacks? I'd say price and timing. For quality you have to be willing to pay. It's also not a place you can really drop in whenever. To set expectations accordingly, I suggest having a budget and making an appropriate reservation. Chef Steve will take care of the rest. If you love quality and variety, it's pretty hard to beat what you can get here. 4.5 stars. read more

This place just leaves me in a state of awe. It's not just the food, but the experience of it all. Steve (Chef) - Can seem a bit pretentious upon arrival, but that adds to his charm. He's quite the comedian (you can't help but laugh at his curt responses). He knows his food and don't bother asking what it is either. To him, it's delicate fish and sauces that he works his magic with. To us, more common folk, "FOOD" and he won't even let you finish asking the question. WASABI AND SOY SAUCE MIXERS BEWARE - don't do it. just don't. OMAKASE style - no menu, chef's choice So let's get started with what we had for the all 9 courses. Yes, 9 - and he wasn't skimping either. 1. Food 2. Food 3. Food 4. Food...get the drift? 5. and so on... I'm only partly kidding. Kubota Sake Manjyu (smooth with a very clean finish) - My friend called it a sleeper Ginkoubai Hannya Tou Plum Sake - Courtesy of Steve - I've never had anything like it. Sweet with a lingering spiciness. Dessert - Mango and red bean mochi! =) Thanks to C&H for the invitation. Added note: Eat everything on your plate. I left a half eaten daikon on my plate and he called me out on it. read more

See all

When we pulled up to Sawa Sushi for the first time, we found its nondescript storefront, situated next to a Subway sandwich shop in the middle of a semi-desolate strip mall, to be almost laughably ironic when compared to its reputation as being an exquisite Michelin star omakase experience. - THE FOOD: Oh man, the fish was delicious, and Steve also ended up doing some custom dishes for us in the end. We had MANY, many courses - I think far more than the average 8 or so - we ended up with around 12: scallop, hamachi, toro, uni, and various other sashimi served with deliciously light, fresh vinaigrette sauce. The key to eating this meal was just letting the fish just melt in your mouth before chewing to get the full extent of the flavors. We did ask us for any allergies in the beginning (peanuts!) and the overall meal was better than some dining experiences I've even had in Tokyo. I also loved the homemade mochi that was the last course - he ended up giving us an extra helping of it after we told him how much we loved it. - EVERYTHING ELSE + STEVE / aka what you may have read in other reviews ! : While it is true that the overall packaging of the food + ambiance/decor/etc is likely off-putting to the casual diner who is simply looking for an easy breezy Japanese meal, that's not really what Sawa is going for in the first place. Believe me, I always love a simple, easy sushi meal at a place that caters to the largest common denominator but that's not really what this is. Rather, Sawa is a restaurant dedicated to the true craft of sashimi - which makes it an exquisite experience for serious aficionados of Japanese cuisine. I think it's important to note what the definition of *omakase* is: basically it means you leave the selection of the entire meal up to the discretion of the chef, who takes it upon him/herself to craft the best experience for you. Menus do not exist; the only customization he'd do is if you had a deadly allergy to something. So yeah, if you walked into this restaurant where the chef is *world-renowned* for his omakase presentation and ask him for a menu, of course he'd be miffed. It would be like asking a master Parisian dessert chef if he would make you some spaghetti (not the most direct comparison, but hopefully you get the gist). - OVERALL: In sum, this place is really not for you if you: - are just looking for a breezy sushi meal - don't have a base understanding Japanese omakase service. luckily, you're here, and you know! :) - potentially take friendly sarcasm personally But this totally is the place for you if you LOVE Japanese cuisine and are open-minded/adventurous to new dining experiences! read more

Sawa Sushi - Custom script lettered post-dinner at the behest of Mr. Sawa. My thanks for a fantastic dinner. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

This was a very unique place! Came with coworkers including one person who was a "regular". Steve recognized him and was excited to host us, along with another person in our group he knew indirectly. He went out of his way to show us a good time and was incredibly attentive and helpful throughout our meal. We had the 9 course omakase and everything was great. Since some folks in our group were newer to eating sushi, Steve also let us try some other fish that was not part of our menu and explained the different cuts of fish, how they compare to similar options and what to look for in the texture and flavor. The portions of fish in each course were generous; they focused on the fish and how the flavors paired with the sauces. By the end I actually had trouble finishing everything! For dessert we had really good mochi in a variety of flavors (I loved the black sesame!). Steve also gave folks who didn't like something larger portions of subsequent dishes they did like to balance things out. When we asked about sake, he didn't simply upsell us based on price, but gave us an honest recommendation of a reasonably priced bottle that delivered good value based on what we were looking for. He also gave folks drinking beer great recommendations that everyone enjoyed with the food, and which were unique choices we had not seen before! I found Steve himself to be very engaged and hospitable. He clearly loves what he does and loves to host people who appreciate what he does. I could see how it might not be as enjoyable an experience if you didn't have rapport with him though, or caught him on a bad day. Overall I really enjoyed this experience - check it out if you're up for a unique omakase! read more

If you are looking for the freshest sashimi, then this is the place to go to. But if you are looking for customer services, then avoided this place! Reservation are required in advanced because Steve will not accept walk in unless he felt like it. Remember, it is the chef choices so there is no menu or price. He set the prices and the food. I had a reservation at 6PM for a six course meal which five of the course are salmon, yellowtail, toro, uni and scallops sashimi. The 6th One was a deep fried cube salmon which was ok. The fish was super fresh, it is high quality especially the toro sashimi and the scallops. Each sashimi is cut in big chunk about 3-4 pieces which is great. You can tell that his skills is not that great which the pieces of fishes uneven. But after the 4 courses, you really bored with sashimi and forward for something else. Steven offer if we are into beer or sake. He had great selection of sake which range from 100-2,000. But I just requested a beer with my sashimi since I am not into sake that much. There are couples of tables and chairs but I guess those are just display only and never uses, because he served all of his customer which there are only 8 party at the bar that night. After the 5th meal he asked if I still want to continued which I decline because I really don't want any more sashimi. A pieces of grill steak will be great at that moment! The bill total with 2 person plus tip total $400. Guess what? I am still hungry and not satisfied! Very high quality fish but I am not going to spend that amount of money and walking out hungry! If I want appetizer then I will revisited again but otherwise for dinner, I will skip it for now! The three stars is for the high quality fresh fish! read more

Sawa Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

See all