1st time experiencing ukai japanese bistro! their portions here are very generous! loved the inside! it felt upscale but a hidden gem in the world of sushi the service was great and the ambiance was a casual sit down sushi place read more

Ukai Japanese Bistro - their special roll is 8 pcs - Japanese Near Me - San Ramon, California

First, the people that work here are lovely...however, that is not going to give me my $$$ and night back. SUSHI LOVERS BEWARE. Went here because our go-to place was closed that night. So incredibly overpriced and disappointing. Their "premium" nigiri (10 pc for $75) was not premium at all. In fact, it was worse than basic/cheap nigiri you get elsewhere. All the pieces were tiny, half of them were chewy, and not at all what the menu said they were supposed to be. For instance, the "king salmon" was "sad" salmon and garnished with some kind of orange marmalade-bizarre and gross. I had to choke down the "Wagyu" nigiri because it was so chewy. I couldn't believe how bad it all was. I should have known the dinner was doomed after I ordered their "Crab amuse," which was three pieces ($18!!) of shredded IMITATION crab wrapped in the thinnest piece of tuna you've ever seen, then placed in a weird, sweet cream sauce. Even the miso soup (which I've never received with nigiri omakase, but ok) was barely room temperature and totally watered down. Sorry, Ukai. I have no idea how your reviews are so high, but you have no business operating as a "sushi" bistro or whatever you want to call yourself. Sigh. read more

I'm surprised by the good reviews here.. They must have good relationship w Yelp. We ordered hamachi, udon and dragon roll. Hamachi does NOT taste like hamachi.. like rubber..? And the Udon came out too late and also didn't taste like japanese udon at all. The dragon roll is the only thing I could say it's usual dragon roll that you can expect from a Japanese restaurant. But the fried shrimp inside is too soggy. Mainly no shrimp but the batter.. I heard the owner has changed.. maybe that's the reason why..? Even the young lady server was not very pleasing either. Very rude and mean vibe from the attitude.. Overall, I don't wanna come back at all. read more

I love the food here, and it's always nice that they have live sports playing on the TVs. I recently stopped in for lunch after seeing a lunch special on their online menu listed at $17. When I received the bill, I noticed the price had increased to $22. I politely mentioned it to the server, who was very kind, but I would have appreciated if the restaurant had honored the advertised price since the difference was more than we expected. That said, this was a minor disappointment in an otherwise great experience. The food is consistently excellent, and you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. read more

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May 2026 - Dinner service Got seated promptly Waitress gave us a good sake recommendation Kids lived their Ramen and Edamame Sushi rolls were good portions A decent spot for a nice Japanese dinner ! read more

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This is my family's go to sushi joint. It's good food, service, and ambiance. The place can get very busy on weekends. We were there on Monday night and it's pretty busy but not crowded. The Lunch/Dinner special is my family's favorite. Usually they would get 3 items and have leftovers. It's a good portion and a good deal. This time I got their chirashi and my daughter got the ramen. Their chirashi looked different than before. My daughter's ramen was just OK. It's not like those ramen specialty stores. read more

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I can't believe it took me this long to try this place. We had the Chicken Katsu, the Mangoster roll with avocado, and the Hot King and Lion King rolls -- every single dish landed. The rolls especially were bold, balanced, and memorable enough to make us wish we'd ordered more. The garlic edamame was a minor miss -- a bit oily and forgettable -- but a small footnote in an otherwise excellent meal. Ambiance is polished and warm without being stuffy. Service was attentive and unpretentious. Overall, Ukai gives me the same satisfaction as Amakara in Dublin -- and that's high praise. If you're in the Tri-Valley and want a proper Japanese dinner, this is the place.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

Ukai Japanese Bistro - CHICKEN KATSU - Japanese Near Me - San Ramon, California

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my family has been coming for years (7 according to my last review), so it's time to update. since moving to SF, i don't come nearly as often, but this is still a once-a-week type spot for my family. fish is always fresh and staff is friendly. we were sad to see former management go, but glad that the quality remains the same under new management. and now they have happy hour! plenty of free parking in the plaza. don't sleep on this hidden gem!! read more

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Easy to find location with plenty of parking . This was my go to place a year ago but then there was a new owner . Glad I had a chance to revisit with friends . Nothing has changed with the price , quality, and service . The portions were more than enough for one person . We ordered the dinner special $21 for dinner $17 for lunch . Attentive service . I had the chicken katsu with tempura, rice, soup, and salad . My wife had the chicken katsu with spicy tuna roll , miso soup , and salad . I'm going back again next week ! Hope they maintain their quality and service . read more

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Local gem in San Ramon. It's tucked away so you can't even tell there's a Japanese restaurant from the street. Plenty of parking. Happy Hour M-Th 5:00-6:30pm Happy Hour pricing is the way to go in this economy. I was happy with my $4 draft beer. And the salmon Kama is so worth it for $10. It's cooked perfectly and tender. Regular priced items were good too. Overall, a great spot. read more

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A nice local family establishment in San Ramon. The venue had a good Japanese ambiance to it. I sat at the sushi bar and enjoyed watching the sushi chef work on his masterpiece. It was a Monday so he paused when I asked for the chef special specifically because it was a Monday and wanted to ensure he had the right types of fishes for me. I respect that honesty. All in all; the sushi was delicious (there was one piece that wasn't for me) but everyone is different. Menu has a bit of everything for everyone here. read more

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Ukai is our go-to spot for sushi in the area. The fish is always super fresh, the portions are generous, and the quality is excellent. I order the hwe dup bap to share every time I visit. The Madagascar Roll is another must-have and one of my absolute favorites. The service is always friendly, and the overall dining experience keeps us coming back. If you're looking for fresh, high-quality sushi, I highly recommend Ukai! read more

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We were in the area and our oldest requested to have sushi for dinner so a quick yelp search brought us here! We got there right before the dinner rush so that was a plus! Towards the end of our meal there was a good amount of people waiting to be seated. The food was really flavorful & delicious! My only complaint was that the "Jumbo sweet shrimp" was the size of a regular shrimp, without the jumbo! And unlike other sushi restaurants, they don't serve it with the deep fried shrimp heads. The workers are very friendly and if you like sports, they did have a tv that was showing the laker game at that time! We will most likely be returning if we're ever in the area! read more

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Quality/Quantity - Our guest's daughter's favorite restaurant! And I would agree that she has good taste. Today we got the following: Happy Hour: Of course, we got the HH oysters - $1.50 each - Good size, fresh plump oysters. I hope my picture does it justice. HH Dynamite - This was good, but I could NOT taste the spicy tuna...? Freshly deep fried for us. HH ​​Alaska Roll - Done well. Fresh. Rolled nice and tight. HH Lion King - Generous portions, my wife's order. She shared with the table. Well, we tried to share everything, hence the over ordering, but because everyone today was a light eater, my wife and I "had" to finish it all and ate more than we wanted to. HH Crazy Horse - This had shrimp?!?! Which is not in many of the Crazy Horses I order at your competitors. My favorite sushi of all the choices. But then again, all was good. Mango Paradise - Not on the HH menu but it was our guest's favorite roll. Well, at least her dad thought it was and ordered two, lol. We offered her to order more, but again, we are all light eaters. Chicken Teriyaki & California Roll - Dinner special $21. Generous portions. My guest was not able to finish. And this might last another two meals for her because she is trying to lose weight. If it was not for the goal of losing weight, she might have been able to eat half of it. Chicken Karaage & Mixed Tempura - Dinner special $21. Again, generous portions. Made to order, looked so fresh. This guest is also a light eater; well, I think this group are all light eaters. And of course, I washed it down with a few IPAs, $4 each. Were these draft beers 12oz or pints? Fairly extensive menu, see pictures. Atmosphere - Decent size location. Nice upscale decor. Tables and sushi bar seating. Semi private or private seating in the rear of the restaurant. Not busy at all on a Tuesday evening. Many promotions, see pictures and their website. Open 7 days a week, 11:30am to 9pm or 10pm; see their website or Yelp. Clean good size restrooms. Plenty of mall parking. Service - Friendly team. Was helped by a few waitresses. I got here half an hour before our reservations, before the rest of the party. So of course, I started my own happy hour early. Price - $150 + tip; very reasonably priced in my opinion. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2018. As this is our guest's daughter's favorite restaurant. I know we will be frequent customers also. read more

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We loved eating here! The food was yummy and came out nice and hot! The service was awesome! Great and cute place! It does get busy. read more

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Came here for lunch on a Saturday and didn't have a reservation. We don't have to wait ! There's plenty of seating here. The sushi was delish, and the service was great. It looked like a clean place - I would definitely return back here. read more

About a dozen of us decided to met here last June 6th, 2026. The food and service was perfect. I was impressed with the freshness and presentations of all of the dishes. All of the Staff were very professional. Four random unedited images attached read more

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I had high hopes for this spot. But unfortunately my experience was awful and the food was just as bad. Server seemed to be rushed and did not explain that our dinner selection came with miso so we double ordered. Then we never saw her again.. well she was there and walked by us multiple times but not once did she come back to check in or see how everything was. I ordered a sushi roll but she advised me not to because the wait was long? Okay fine so I went with chicken katsu dinner special. She charged me full price for the dinner special without ever asking me for my additional side. I didn't realize until after and would have asked but she never came back. Food was basic. There are a lot of better options in the area for fresh fish and good service. Chicken katsu was dry and the coating was sliding off the chicken. Chicken teriyaki was dry. Miso soup came piping hot but lacked flavor. When we asked another server for the bill nobody once asked if we were good why there were 2 bowls of miso left untouched and why we didn't want boxes. We felt unwanted. Will not be going back. read more

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Long overdue review. My husband and I decided to try this sushi spot Valentine's Day weekend and it did not disappoint. I'm surprised I didn't know about Ukai until recently. Parking: shared lot with other businesses. Plenty of spots on the weekend, even during peak dinner hours Ambiance: modern, spacious. There's a combination of table seating and counter seating. Great spot for family and friends gathering and to even bring a date. Service: attentive. We didn't have a reservation so we were seated at the counter but we were happy that they were able to accommodate us at least. Ordering to food arrival time was short and it didn't take long to get the bill when we were done Food: my husband ordered the sashimi combo and I ordered the mangoster roll plus the Madagascar roll. Everything tasted delicious. His sashimi combo came with nigiri, 8 pieces of california roll and sashimi plus miso soup. Even the california roll tasted good. We were both impressed with the food and understood why it's a popular sushi spot in the trivalley area Will we return? Definitely. They have a very extensive menu and next time, we will make a reservation beforehand read more

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I came for dinner on a Saturday at around 7pm. There was a short wait for a table. The sushi itself was probably a little above average. They have some unique rolls on their menu and I thought the presentation was nice. The restaurant has tables and a bar area for seating. The decor is nice. I took off some stars because the service wasn't very good. We did not get checked on by the server once we got our food. We had to flag down servers twice to get a to-go box and the bill. The bathrooms were also quite dirty. read more

Decent place if needing sushi. The fish is fresh- their fish bowls were presented where it looked like it was conservative for the rice. We both got a fish bowl- chirashi and I got the bluefin tuna bowl. The dynamic duo - Wagyu and shrimp tempura- was more showy than anything. Free Parking - looks like parking underneath the business and also around the center as well. read more

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Ukai Japanese Bistro best suchi restaurant in our area. Very friendly team and big menu. Near no problem with parking

Good food. Fast, great service. Spacious seating. Lots of parking. Solid. First time I tried Ukai, I was in my third trimester so ordered cooked rolls only, which I don't love in general but it got the job done with satiating the craving. Shrimp tempura roll was stacked and good. Did not like the Lion King roll--too sweet and way too saucy for me. Came back and got a few tekka and sake maki rolls and loved the freshness of the fish. Good ratio of fish to rice as well. Other sides that we really enjoyed were the chicken karaage, seaweed salad, and miso soup. We tried the spicy karaage and while it was tasty, we preferred the regular. They make the meat so juicy and flavorful! My husband likes their rainbow rolls, nigiri, and uni. I also really like the sweet dressing that's used on the side salad. Last but not least, they have onikoroshi sake! (Demon Slayer) So sweet and smooth. Love this sushi joint. Safe to say it's our go-to in SR. read more

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My bf and I met up for dinner after my exercising course so we could indulge in some yummy food! He found this place through yelp and one of my workout mates said this place is really good! The service was great, we were seated quickly on a Thursday night. For starters, we were served miso soup and a salad each. We decided not to get an appetizer and share an extra roll, the Ukai roll. It was very yummy, I was a huge fan of the masago on top. For the main courses, we both ordered sashimi, one combo and one choice. Though the menu says 9 pcs, we definitely got more and the pieces were THIICCCCCC!! Salmon was nice and fatty, paired well with the shiso leaves on the plate. The combo sashimi looked captivating and was even more delicious than it looked! We will definitely be returning to try the unagi don and jumbo sweet shrimp nigiri!! read more

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Great, fresh nigiri! We really enjoyed the garlic edemame and the rolls were great as well. I loved the ambiance and service was quick. Definitely my new go to spot for sushi! read more

Ukai Japanese Bistro - Chef's Nigiri Mix - Japanese Near Me - San Ramon, California

Great portions!! Amazing selection and good vibes. Plus great service Ordered mama Mia (5/5) Double shrimp (5/5) Dragon (4/5) unagi had very strong taste for me read more

Ukai Japanese Bistro - Mamma Mia Double Shrimp Dragon - Japanese Near Me - San Ramon, California

I had liked Ukai a lot at first. But in the last few months, they no longer offer value for the price tag - fish freshness and quality are not consistent and in general, average. The cut is frugal - 3 orders of special sashimi plus a very mid toro run almost $100 after tax. No rice, no miso soup. There was one time we also ordered cooked foods - the Takoyaki came out still cold/frozen in the middle and the katsu was dry/overcooked. There are definitely better options in the TriValley - sad because now I have to drive farther for sushi and that I normally don't like leaving bad reviews to small businesses. read more

Great place for sushi, I never really had a cucumber wrapped sushi so thought it was worth a try. I got the Lollipop and found it to be a good alternative to rice. It gave a crunchy exterior texture with a nice buttery mix of seafood. The fish they source are well prepared and will definitely be coming back. Service is good and no complaints here. My favorite part was dessert, tempura banana with mango ice cream always makes me happy. Can't go wrong with dessert after sushi! read more

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Spicy karage was absolutely incredible. The marinade was so good and had a nice kick to it. I do not remember all the names of the sushi rolls we got but they were very tasty. Always love coming here, the food never fails me :) read more

Ukai Japanese Bistro - Pink dragon roll and spicy tuna hand roll - Japanese Near Me - San Ramon, California

Went here on the recommendation of a family member. Heard it was busy so we went right at opening. Received a friendly greeting and our party of 4+ was seated right away. Everyone ordered the Dinner Special with an extra $6 protein (choice of a meat and choice of a side). I ordered the beef teriyaki entree. We also ordered a couple rolls and edamame and gyoza (all rolls and apps were very good). Our entrees came out and they looked great. My beef teriyaki plate had a huge serving of salad and shredded-style beef. The beef reminded me of bulgogi without the char. The beef was too soft for our taste. We like the typical grilled piece of steak or beef filet. The fried items (katsu) and grilled chicken teriyaki were much better. Sushi looked nice and was fresh. Service was efficient. The only miss was the shredded beef teriyaki. read more

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This was a friend's choice- If it was up to my choosing, I would have scanned this Yelp page, seen all the negative reviews mentioning getting sick, and said hey buddy let me take over the food search and would have found us a spot elsewhere. But, I trusted the process and off to Ukai we went. The water arrived, we ordered our tempura app, and never saw our waitress ever again (kiiiidding...)... but it did take over 45 minutes for us to wave her down and ask where our tempura was, and could we please order our dinner? "You didn't order tempura" she said as she looked at her pad where I suppose she had forgotten to write down our order. Ma'am, did you think we came to your fine Japanese restaurant to drink water? We reordered our tempura, and I decided to trust my deepening gut feeling to pass on my sushi craving and opt for something cooked- I chose the beef udon. My friend ordered the spicy "Korean" ramen. Mixed tempura (7/10): It was better than I had emotionally prepared myself for, and wasn't terribly oily with decent batter. Beef udon (3/10): This was... gross. Oily and bland, but with an odd after taste. I ate it because at this point I was starving, but I couldn't finish it. ???? Ramen (3/10): They brought a different ramen than what my friend had ordered. It appeared to be seafood ramen (?). There was spinach (??), an egg that appeared hard boiled and refrigerated, and the broth looked like water. The bill came to over $120 with a modest tip. No thank you. read more

Ukai Japanese Bistro - Beef udon and unknown ramen - Japanese Near Me - San Ramon, California

Located in an open mall with large parking lot. I enjoyed the chef's choice sashimi. I wouldn't order the beef teriyaki again as it's a thinly sliced beef and I prefer the thicker steak version. Glad I tried the place but wouldn't go out of my way to return. read more

Ukai Japanese Bistro - Japanese Near Me - San Ramon, California

The food is not good at all. Not sure how they get the good ratings. The food tasted bland, the rice was clumpy, the sushi fell apart and in general, everything was just...wrong, taste and texture-wise. read more

Delish! We live across the street from this little Hidden gem. Decided to venture out from our usual Friday night spots. We wanted sushi and this place didn't disappoint! We had the Mixed tempura and the red dress roll and spider roll. I wish I took pics but the food was fantastic! Service was excellent. The ambiance and music was great too. We I'll be coming back! read more

Nice cozy sushi joint. Inside feels very modern Japanese style. They have 2 TVs if you are trying to watch anything. Workers are attentive and friendly. We ordered the croquette, combo sashimi, Saba nigiri, tri fish, hurricane, and pink dragon roll. The server actually heard croquette wrong and brought us out crab cakes, so they let us have it on the house. The croquette was wonderful, came out piping hot with the nice crispy outer crust. The combo sashimi came with miso soup, white rice, and a salad. The sashimi itself was great and the way they cut it at Ukai is different from other sushi spots. More thick and square shaped. The crab cake was good a bit too much for me since we order so many other items. The rolls felt underwhelming, too much sauce that takes away from the quality of the fish itself. And for the tri fish I wish it had either cucumber or avocado instead of crab on the inside with the shrimp tempura. It made it feel overly seafood with the fish along with it. And I always love Saba nigiri and theirs did not disappoint. read more

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Tucked discreetly beside a billiards room, Ukai is a truly hidden gem that far exceeds its modest façade. In the East Bay where high-quality sushi is largely bereft, Ukai is the oasis especially after their somewhat recent change of ownership. Since changing hands a year ago, Ukai now ranks among the best sushi I've had in terms of quality, portion, and value. The price-to-quality ratio here just baffles me and one can easily imagine their food commanding significantly higher prices anywhere else. My family opted for the medium ukai special combo which featured a spread of poke, tempura, mussels, soup, salad, and sashimi all of which could easily serve four, despite being billed as a portion for two to three. The selection includes marbled toro, yellowtail, salmon skin, and other specialty cuts of exceptional quality. I don't know how this dish garners a profit at this price with these premium selections. We also shared the steak teriyaki which came with the unexpected ribeye cut, fatty and flavorful. My enthusiasm definitely outpaced my appetite and made me order strictly off their regular menu, but after the manager patiently explaining the specials to us after we placed our orders, I'd definitely would have picked some speciality dishes (I'm looking at you, uni pasta). TLDR, if Yelp allowed for it, this easily would be a six-star review but I'll settle for 5. Probably one of the best places I've had this past year. read more

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My family has been here for 3 different times since 2025 after we moved to San Ramon. We like to dine in for dinner occasionally ( especially on Valentine's Day & Mother's Day) . Last year, we dine in on Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. On 5/10/26, we had dinner at UKai J Bistro on Mother's Day. For me, I like their sushi nigiri mix combo $33, mix tempura ( appetizer) $15. My family members like sushi moriawase $29 , takoyaki (appetizer) $13, hwe sup bob (diced sashimi w/ mixed green) $27, beef teriyaki (entree) $22. I love their sushi , sashimi and mixed tempura. Yummy! I like the UKai restaurant atmosphere ( dime lights , seating (private booths , tables close to wall , tables at the middle area .... Overall we have great experiences at UKai J Bistro. read more

Late fathers day dinner, booked a 6pm reservation on a Sunday and surprisingly it was not busy. The inside was very modern and nice. They had the AC on blast so bring a jacket. We ordered a whole bunch of food without knowing what was included with the combo meals. I would say out of everything on the menu, that set meal was incredibly worth and had huge portions. However, some appetizers came out after the sushi rolls we ordered. The fish was okay, not the freshest for some of the items like the poke salad or the umi truffle pasta. Also walking by the sushi bar, the Sashimi was already precut which was alarming since they shouldn't be before someone orders it. The service was nice but I probably wouldn't come back if I was not in the area for fresh fish. read more

Excellent Sushi. Best I have had in the Danville/ San Ramon area. Definitely returning there.

I think 2(ish) rating would be too generous for this spot. My family and I just got back from the restaurant and I can still smell the old oil on me. We got four rolls, and few appetizers. The garlic edamame was smothered in old disgusting oil, I couldn't eat more than two pieces. The rolls were grocery store quality, nothing special. Service was good tho, the waitress was attentive and very nice. Would not recommend at all. read more