I've been here twice and I feel a lot depends on what you order. First time, I ordered grilled meat skewers and didn't like them that much. Second time around, I liked the food much better. What I ordered this second time: 1) Sumika Salad 4.5/5 - I really like this salad it's the right amount of crunchy and flavor 2) Vegetable Tempura 4.5/5 - I like the different types of vegetables here - eggplant, mushroom, rappini, sweet potato, lotus root etc 3) Salmon hand roll 3/5 - too small for the price and very average tasting 4) Tuna sushi 3/5 - very average tasting read more

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We came years ago for a yakitori family dinner. It was enjoyable, yet yakitori was not our idea of Japanese foods. Then, a friend brought us back for lunch. We were surprised at their lunch offerings of bento boxes and donburi. Of course, we also had several yakitori skewers too. Yaki Onigini was definitely the high-light. Toasty rice flavored lightly with pickles. The rests were delicious too. read more

Got a dinner reservation the night before and came on a Thursday night. We had a really great experience at Sumika. The overall vibe was welcoming and comfortable, and the service was attentive without being overbearing. Everything came out at a good pace, which made the meal feel relaxed and enjoyable. The food was the real highlight, every skewer was cooked perfectly and packed with flavor. We had been seriously craving Japanese yakitori, and this place absolutely hit the spot. The spicy powder seasoning was well balanced, the meat was juicy. We would definitely come back when the yakitori craving strikes again. Highly recommend for anyone looking for solid, delicious skewers and a satisfying Japanese comfort meal!! - Sumika Salad 5/5 - agedashi tofu 5/5 - mixed sashimi 5/5 - fried squid 5/5 - yakitori 5/5 read more

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This place is very good for its value and I love yakitori. You get to order skewers individually so they don't come by pair. They are also served at once and slightly cooled down so you don't get your tongue burned. Staff was decent and it had a nice izakaya environment. read more

Came by for lunch the other day and it was a decent experience. Parking is available in the parking lot or on nearby surface streets. There was a line of ~10 people upon opening during a weekday for lunch. Sumkia is a Japanese izakaya. Service throughout the lunch service was courteous. Started off with the chicken karaage and it was tasty. There were half a dozen super giant and tender pieces of fried chicken. The chicken was pretty fresh and juicy! Moved on to the chicken don and it was served over a bed of tasty japanese rice along with a runny egg and moist chicken over top. The bento came with a side salad and miso soup too. The skewers were decent, with my favorite being the beef tongue. Sumika is a decent place for izakaya in Los Altos. I've had better in Tokyo! read more

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We walked in on a Saturday evening at 5:30pm and managed to get a seat at the counter. Casual vibes with cute Japanese decor, nice that you can see the chef grilling from the counter. Skewers are all pretty good, texture of the meat is good, seasoning is mild, wish everything could be slightly saltier. Favorite would be the grilled rice ball, very crispy on the outside and goes so well with the pickles on the side. read more

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We decided on Sumika for lunch randomly. Never read a review, nor did we ever heard of this restaurant. We were just in the area looking for a random spot to eat. SO glad that we ended up here. We walked in a bit before 12 (they open at 11:30), and the place was FILLED! We waited about 15 mins before we got a table. Inside was cozy and gave a classic Izakaya vibe. We ended up ordering quite a few things to try. Skewers: Beef tongue Tsukune meatball Cartilage Mune ume (breast + ume sauce) Wagyu Pork belly Shrimp Other : Grilled rice ball Takowasa Chicken cutlet bento box Everything was DELICIOUS! Our favorites were the cartilage and beef tongue. We ended up having to order two more orders of each. Trust it was THAT good! My least favorite was the pork belly. It lacked a bit of flavor for me. The takowasa and chicken cutlet were yummy! One of the best takowasa I ever had. The chicken cutlet was so crispy and fresh. Overall, I'm so glad we ended up here for lunch. And we will be back for dinner one day to try the chicken heart skewer (only dinner). P.S. they do take reservations. read more

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Sumika and Sumiya are two of the best yakitori & izakaya restaurants in the South Bay. They are usually very crowded during peak hours so either come here early or late can reduce the wait time by a lot. Their yakitori skewers are amazing and the lunch set meals are also fantastic, whenever we are in the area we also try to pay them a visit. read more

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We came here on a Thursday about an hour prior to closing for a friend's graduation. Upon arrival, there weren't many tables eating inside and we thought it was because they were closing soon. But as soon as we placed our order, the whole restaurant started to fill up. We mainly ordered the skewers from here like the chicken skin, pork belly, knee cartilage, and the chicken and green onion. We also ordered some appetizers like the potato salad, tako wasa (I think it was the raw octopus). The tako wasa and potato salad were my favorite dishes from here. The potato salad reminded me of the potatoes you get when you order it country fried at breakfast spots. The tako wasa was delicious. It tasted fresh and the wasabi added was a nice touch. Some of the skewers we ate were too charred or hard for us. It would be like one in every 4 skewers of the same that we ordered. I'm not sure if it was because they were busy near closing or not. Service here is awesome though! Our server who brought out our alcohol bottle to us was so polite and friendly. They came around to check on us and refill our water as well. read more

Sumika - Take Wasa - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

Been coming here for years, and I think this spot holds up! FOOD: Quality of the food is decent, it's tasty, and there are some unique dishes. SERVICE: Alright, can't complain. The waits used to be long here, but it's died down! AMBIANCE: It's kind of dark in here, but it's nice! Will keep coming back :] read more

I've been here several times and every time is excellent, and this time was no different. I came with a friend right around opening time - which is honestly the best time, since it can fill up pretty fast after 630pm - especially on the weekends, since it's on the smaller side. I've gotten the chicken thighs (especially good with the sauce), wings, scallops, Kalbi, onigiri and ontama rice - all super tasty. The service is good - really good. The food comes out as it's cooked and they check on you quite a bit and you order with an app, so it's easy to go a little overboard. As for the restaurant itself, it's slightly on the smaller side and in a strip mall, so there's super easy parking and decent lighting. That said, it's an excellent place to eat with a fair amount of offerings besides yakitori, but their yakitori is REALLY good, so it's highly recommended. read more

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Came here specifically for their well-known skewers! And I honestly loved it! I ended up getting one of everything just to try them all. Each Cooler was cooked perfectly in season really well. My favorites were the knee cartilage, pork belly, asparagus roll, wrapped in black pork, and their veggie skewers. Honestly, I like them all! They were all packed with great flavors and texture. I also tried the Oyako-don tray that comes with chicken thigh and egg with their special sauce. I really like this dish and surprisingly was the stand out of the entire meal! The chicken was tender and not gave me at all, and the eggs were light, fluffy and cooked perfectly! It was definitely a comfort food. As an appetizer, we ordered the fried garlic, which was incredibly tasty and addicting! I could not stop eating it! But a fair warning, it definitely lingered well into the night. Was definitely gassy throughout the night. But it makes sense since garlic can lead to gas, especially if you eat a lot of it. The service was great ! The staff were friendly and always checked in to make sure we were doing okay. I like the location too. Very dim and cozy. It isn't too busy during the weekends either but I kind of like that because you don't have to wait to get seated. Even when they are busy, it's not long of a wait! I highly recommend this place! read more

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Overall: D // 2 stars Unfortunately, aside from the impressive sweet potato, I did not vibe with anything at this restaurant. I think it is overpriced given the portion size; there is nothing memorable about their primary skewer section except that they are small and take a concerningly long time from placing the order to the food arriving at the table. (Skewers: D) - We ordered an assortment, ranging from the beef tongue to classic cuts of chicken to quail eggs to cartilage. Unfortunately, I found the portion size to be exaggeratedly small, and none of them to be memorable in terms of flavor, texture, or temperature of cook, although I wouldn't say anything was cooked to the point of being dry. (Yaki Onigiri: F) - I like the concept of a crispy onigiri, but I found the price point of $14 to be way too high as the dish lacked substance, especially given that the pairing broth was unpalatably salty. (Sweet Potato Brulee: A+) - Beautifully tender baked sweet potato topped with miso and bruleed to get a delicate char. I love the contrast between sweet and salty here that fully works as a dessert. Food: E Presentation: E Price: -1 Atmosphere: E Service: E Menu: E Overall: 2 stars Insta/Beli/Yelp/TikTok: @amei_eats read more

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The skewers and side dishes were greatly seasoned and cooked. The portion are a bit small for the price you pay but other than that, the staff are welcoming and I enjoyed my experience here. Recommended dishes: beef tongue/ potato salad/ fried garlic/ wagu skewers read more

Sumika - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

Very solid spot for great yakitori! Everything was so delicious and there wasn't a single thing that we ordered where we thought it was just 'okay'. The quality of the meats and everything they grill is so fresh and you can definitely taste the real charcoal they use to grill. It can be a bit pricey depending on how much you order but overall a very delicious meal read more

Sumika - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

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Came here Tuesday for lunch and place wasn't really packed. Got served some warm tea. My wife got the oyakudon plate and I got the Sumika Udon Tray. Dishes were served promptly and the oyakudon was really good. I wasn't disappointed with my udon tray either, but I did have to ask to change my spoon cause I could smell the dish soap when I went to drink the broth. The chicken used in both dishes was super tasty and tasted fresh which makes me think the yakitori is worth giving a shot. Next time if I'm in town read more

Sumika - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

I was excited to come here to try yakitori for the first time! We came on a Saturday evening and were seated after five minutes. The place is relatively small and dimly lit, but it had a nice wooden homey feel. We placed our order and items started to come out one by one about fifteen minutes after. The Sumika Salad was decent, with lots of cabbage and chicken. The dressing was not too heavy, but also not light. The Se-nankotsu karaage was also good. I liked the crunch and the coating was not too oily either. However, it was a more heavy appetizer. The clam miso soup was super rich and flavorful, probably one of the better items we had. As for the skewers, they were alright. We liked the Momo with Spicy Sauce, American Wagyu Beef, and Hiza Nankotsu. Those were super flavorful and tender! But the rest we tried were not as great. All the Mune skewers were so dry. I was expecting a lot more, and we left still pretty hungry. For a pretty hefty bill, I do not think it was worth it. Although service was great, I did not enjoy the food as much. Regardless, I am glad I gave it a try! read more

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This small restaurant serves amazing food with a chill ambiance and friendly service. Ever since I've been introduced to Sumika, I can't go or recommend this restaurant enough. A few of our favorites: sumika salad, dashitamago with green onion, and the vegetable tempura None of their skewers have ever disappointed either - my personal favorites are the pork belly with garlic chips and the Momo (chicken thigh). They are smoky and flavorful, highly recommend trying a couple at least! If you come for lunch, try the salmon bento! Exclusive to lunch, I haven't had it as often but it was absolutely delicious when I had it. read more

Sumika - Skewers - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

I went here for lunch with a friend. Super cute place, easy to find. Parking was kind of limited on a weekday during lunch, but the space is intimate and cozy. It seemed like a great lunch option with various sets available. I got the udon tray and it was pretty good. It was cozy, not too overpowering with flavor and the sides were a nice compliment to the meal. Waiter was nice and everyone was accommodating. Overall, good place to go for a no fuss lunch with friends or family! read more

Sumika - Udon Tray - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

Came here for Valentines dinner! And it was a great experience! Pretty relaxed izakaya vibe, and the staff were so friendly. We got the Oyakodon, a variety of skewers (favorite being the momo with green onion), and the sesame panna cota dessert which was amazing! Looking forward to coming back. read more

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I have been to Sumika several times, for lunch and dinner. I love going for dinner because the vibe is just like an izakaya in Japan -- everyone minds their own business and enjoys drinks and good food. They were awarded a Michelin bib gourmand previously and it's one of my favorite places in the Bay Area. They have been around nearly 20 years and quite popular, so it's best to reserve. I have tried doing walk-ins on a Friday night, and it was quite packed. Recently, I celebrated my bday dinner at Sumika. Sumika is family owned and one of the first authentic yakitori places with a izakaya vibe to open in the Bay Area. They have a large menu that has so many of the classic, delicious flavors and well as inventive dishes. This is one of my favorite places I go to in the Bay Area, as it's perfect for celebrations and hanging out. They use charcoal grill for their skewers and the kitchen is open so you can watch everything being prepared. I recommend any of the skewers, especially the yakitori (chicken). The flavors are authentic and the charcoal grill flavors bring out the best flavors. The team is incredible here, from service to the chefs. I like seeing the grill smoke, which makes this a lively experience. read more

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Very inconsiderate for takeout orders. Put you in back of line even when you have a baby. Quoted me 15 minutes ended up taking more than 25 and I got a refund because one item was still being made. Ridiculous. read more

Cute corner restaurant in Los Gatos, it was super busy at lunch time. The food was good, but it missed something and I didn't get the umami. Definitely worth a visit, Will give another try! read more

Sumika - Karaage Vegetable Tempura Oyako Don Tray Mune Yuzu Teba - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

I used to like Sumika a bit more, but this recent visit felt underwhelming. We started with the Sumika salad, which unfortunately was soggy and bland. The chicken wing karaage with yuzu miso was actually drumsticks, not wings, and the sauce was overly sweet and overpowering. The highlight of the meal was the dashimaki tamago with mentaiko cheese -- fluffy, savory, and well-balanced. Definitely the best dish of the night. We also ordered some skewers, but the value felt off -- $4-$5 for just a few cherry tomatoes or a couple slices of zucchini seemed steep. Nothing was bad, but nothing really wowed me either. A decent meal, but not as satisfying as I remember from past visits. read more

Went here to try their skewers and it did not disappoint. The skewers have the charred taste but aren't burned. It tasted clean. Tried five of them and would recommend the Kobe beef and Momo (chicken). Bummer that they have more options during dinner menu. But those I tried for lunch menu is already satisfying. Also ordered the Sumika Salad and Agedashi Tofu and they were both appetizing indeed. The restaurant is located behind the main street of Downtown Los Altos. It felt a little cramped inside and a bit dark like most authentic small Japanese restaurants I've been to. Service was fast and the prices are decent. read more

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Wife found this place for one of our special occasions and I was surprised to see this placed is Michelin recommended, and was having very high expectation. We made a reservation earlier and it was pretty quiet when we arrived (around 8pm on a Friday night). The restaurant locates in a very beautiful neighborhood and parking wasn't difficult (really hard to find a spot but at least it is 3hrs free parking). We got a table immediately upon arrival. Service was pretty decent, our server came to check with us few times and food came pretty fast, it was a quiet hour so that might help. Food quality was a huge complain. The Yakitori BBQ came with pretty cold temperature considering it was a warm night, which was substantially different than a normal Japanese Yakitori restaurant. I was like do you guys ran out of coals or you don't want to light a new set of coals before your closure? We ordered multiple different Yakitori grill items and all of them came out tasted so plain. The only decent dish was the octopus'. I can do a simple home grill 100 times better than their quality. I guess we weren't in luck. We didn't bothered complaining and left to another restaurant afterwards for our 2nd meal. The rice wine (出羽樱) we had ordered was pretty decent. Price was okay considering the location and environment. Overall we were really dissatisfied with the food quality and definitely won't come back. read more

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Food is great. Lots people on a Thursday night. Service is fast once you sit down. I think yelp should update the pricing point. We ate half full and spent $100 for 2 people. No wine. read more

Best oyakodon that I've ever had! It's runny, rich, and chicken has a smokiness to it that's so good with the sauce they put on top. This place is so warm and inviting - it's my favorite spot for date night. The food always hits, you can tell they really care about quality here. The service is nice and are always down to give recommendations. read more

Sumika - scallops + salmon hand roll - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

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Love the beef tongue. IIRC It's not on the menu but you can order directly. Also the tofu soup dish is very delicious. And most skewers I tried. Super friendly staff. To save time, make sure you reserve a spot online (esp during the busy hours). read more

Awesome little place. Food was executed well and brought out quickly. Service was fast, and the dim lit room was cozy. Will absolutely be back, highly recommend. read more

Can't believe it's been almost 10 years since I last visited! Had a much better experience this time - perhaps because I had more muted expectations (and wasn't paying, so no sticker shot). It's not going to be the best Japanese restaurant you've been to (and imo not worth going out of your way for), but it's a good option for people in the area. And I love the vibe at dinner - it really feels like you're transported to an izakaya in Japan. Among the apps, the fried squid on the specials menu was probably my favorite. And if that's not available, the grilled squid was solid too. Others really liked the spicy karaage, but it was too spicy for me. The sumika salad was a refreshing vegetable dish, but I didn't love the wasabi flavored dressing. Agedashi tofu was very well done. Grilled eggplant with miso was popular with our group, but I found the miso paste a bit too sweet and overwhelming relative to the eggplant. Tamago with mentaiko and cheese was interesting, but I didn't love the flavor combo. For skewers, I only tried the scallop skewer (scallop was good, but didn't wow me as much as the version I had at Yakitori Edomasa) and the wagyu (this was really good, although tbh didn't have the full butteriness I've come to expect from wagyu). Dessert-wise, the frozen custard pudding was interesting but not really my cup of tea (it was too dense for me). The black sesame panna cotta was pretty standard, nothing to write home about. read more

Food: 4. It is little salty for me Service: 3 Ambiance: 3. The sofa where we sit is broken. Price: 3 Parking: A few spots on the back. Reservation: highly recommend on the weekend read more

This was our first time here and the food is magnificent. Talk about authentic Japanese cuisine with excellent service and ambiance. We all felt like we were in Japan. If you want really great Japanese cuisine, this is a must try. read more

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Strongly recommend making a reservation in advance, even for a weekday night, as it's a small space that fills up fast. - SUMIKA SALAD (chicken breast, cabbage, cherry tomato, fried wonton, original peanut oil dressing; $16): Really enjoyed the different flavors and textures in this - OYAKO-DON (chicken thigh cooked in egg sauce over rice; $18): This was tasty, with tender, charcoal-grilled chicken. They warn you about the raw egg yolk when ordering, which gives the dish a bit of a viscous texture, but the runny egg mixes well with the rice and makes for a simple but comforting dish . The bowl is fairly small, but with the rice still feels like one of the more filling and better value dishes - TSUKUNE (chicken meatball) SKEWER ($5): This was surprisingly flavorful and more seasoned than I was expecting - MOMO (thigh) WITH GREEN ONION SKEWER ($5): This one was a little less seasoned and not a particularly interesting flavor especially for the price, but still quite tender The yakitori offers fun variety, but isn't particularly filling and adds up fast. Next time I'd probably try out more of the appetizers or come back for a lunch set read more

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The breading of the agedashi tofu remained intact in the sauce which made me really respect this place. This is a big deal! Skewers were really okay and would not get again but the oyakadon.... read more

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One of the best Izakayas I have been to so far! Must make a reservation as they do not have many seats inside. It is quite small and intimate so if you are considering a walk in, best to go early! The menu is not too large but has a very good variety of things to choose from. You can't go wrong with any of their skewers as they are all pretty good. We ordered a couple of apps, grilled meat, one of the dons, and dessert. One notable thing is that all the items that we ordered came at the same time so that was nice to eat all at once. The dessert we asked for them to bring after we were done. Fried Garlic (5/5): given plenty, goes great with any of the skewers and perfectly fried to give the garlic a slight crunch Dashimaki Tamago with Mentaiko (5/5): must get if you like tamago and Mentaiko, a very unique but delicious way to make tamago Oyako Don (5/5): the sauce they smother the chicken with over rice while mixed with egg is worth all the hype they receive, another recommendation when coming here Black Sesame Panna Cotta (5/5): very rich but not too sweet, has perfect amount of red bean to pair with the Panna Cotta read more

Sumika - black sesame panna cotta - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

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I went to this restaurant at 5:30 and there were already 3 groups of line. Very authentic Japanese restaurant. I have had Oyako-don for lunch before and it was very good so I came back for dinner this time. We ordered some skewers and miso eggplant. Eggplant was so juicy and good flavor of miso on top. read more

Sumika - Japanese Near Me - Los Altos, California

was here for years, but this noon I have not been there for 1 year. Much less people here compare with before. The chick rice don usually coming in 10mins but today such less people and not coming in 20 mins. When asked the waiter, he said 'we are busy' well, people here not fill in half. I plan to wait 10 more mins if still not coming, I will leave. Not surprise why the business so less now read more

Sat and waited for a while (too long) before drinks showed up. I get it: sometimes you are understaffed so that's ok. (Restaurant was not packed) The chicken thigh skewers were good, the wings were burnt on the bottom though. Black burnt. The chicken karage was huge! I was pretty excited because it was six whole chicken thighs! But they were flavorless. Needed a marinade and frankly salt on the side. Steak was pretty good. So I I guess for me, this is it. The last time I come to Sumika. I liked the chicken hearts but I can make that myself. Also this place gets way too loud. The acoustics are such that a loud table can ruin your night. read more

Pretty authentic Japanese izakaya / yakitori restaurant tucked away in Los Altos. Opens for lunch with a good lunch menu (donburi and bento sets). We got a few skewers and snacks. The tsukune, pork belly, and mune ume are very good. Agedashi tofu is also delicious. Skip the yaki onigiri. read more

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