Kanpai has been around for many years and, honestly, I don't remember dining here much, or ever,…read morebefore Koma Sushi Menlo Park closed down. Nevertheless, I am glad that Kanpai still resides at their Lytton Avenue location in Menlo Park as they are now my #1 sushi spot in the area.
Their little spot (maximum occupancy can't be more than 75 persons) is conveniently situated one block away from the hustle and bustle of University Avenue in Downtown Palo Alto. This said, parking is easy to find along the street. Similar to Koma Sushi Menlo Park, the restaurant's entry serves as a tiny waiting area leading to the small dining room with a sushi bar as the focal point. Diners are seated in a simply decorated room with hardwood floors and wooden tables and chairs. Heads-up: I recently sat on a chair with sharp pieces sticking out of either one of the legs or the seat which stabbed the back of my calf and nearly made me bleed. For the most part, the venue has appeared to be fairly clean and tidy during each of our visits. Minimal outdoor seating is available here.
Service can range from ok to under par, an average of 2.5 to 3 stars out of 5. Not sure why they bother taking down reservations when they don't even have a book to refer to when you check in...nor do they ensure that your table will be ready at the time of your arrival. Additionally, waitresses can tend to be pretty checked out; I have had to wave a server down with my napkin in the air to catch her attention.
Evidently, we don't go to Kanpai for the venue nor their service. Their food is what reels us in. Below are some recent menu items that we have ordered:
Sake Tasting Sampler ($16.00) - The 3 premium sake from a daily selection of 2 Junmai-Shu and 1 Ginjo-Shu is fun and nice.
House salad ($5.50) - Good. You can tell that the small bowls of greens were prepared ahead of time, refrigerated, then dressed because they are served within a snap of a finger, noticeably cold in temperature.
Agedashi Tofu ($10.25) - Very generous serving, especially for a starter. Big enough to be a meal for some people like me. At our most recent visit on Saturday, September 27, 2025, the deep-fried tofu were excessively topped with bonito flakes which made the dish too fishy in taste for my liking. Mom and I had to scrape off quite a bit of the fermented, dry fish flakes to eat the tofu.
Horenso Ohitashi ($7.25) - Yum! If you like spinach and seaweed, this salad-like starter is for you!
Soft Shell Crab Roll HR ($11.25) - Kanpai offers the same sushi menu that Koma Sush Menlo Park did, so I am happy to be able to order my favourite soft shell crab/spider hand rolls from here. The hand roll order still comes in a lot of two; however, they definitely have significantly shrunken in size and crab amount, but I still love them.
Goma Wakame (Seaweed salad, $5.50) - When they say "small bowl," they are not exaggerating here. The serving size is just a tad bit bigger than a ramekin. The taste is simple and delightful, though.
Shrimp Tempura Roll w/ Avocado& Tobiko ($9.85) - Ok. I mean, the taste is good, but with only four pieces, that's about $2.46 a piece, a hefty price for something bite size.
Tempura B. Shrimp Tempura ($9.50) - The sizes of these shrimp, deep-fried to a golden crisp, is between small to average. The plate comes with four pieces, so at about $2.38 each, it's a better deal than the Shrimp Tempura Roll w/ Avocado& Tobiko.
Omakase is offered for $85, but I'm not adventurous enough to leave everything I eat up to the chef. Boo to me, yes, I know. Checking out some of the omakase courses have piqued my interest, though. One day, maybe...