40 Best Japanese Restaurants near Portola Valley

“My new favorite sushi spot! I've come here about once a week for the past month and a half or so for lunch and it never disappoints. Food always comes out quickly, hot and tasty. I really enjoy their Deluxe Bento Box. Chicken teriyaki, rice, sashimi, salad, miso soup and tempura! And the price is great! Not to mention the service! They are always very polite, friendly and accommodating of me and my dog when we come. They have some outdoor seating for those nicer weather days. And if you sit inside it is cozy as well. Highly recommend this spot to anyone who's looking for a reasonably priced sushi spot that does not sacrifice quality.“

“Ideally I would have to say I would give Robin a 3.5 stars. Upon arriving to the restaurant, it was storming outside and there were no signs for us to find the place. When we entered, we got greeted by friendly staff members and got seated. I think what makes Robin a bit more unique compared to other omakase places is that you can choose your own price range and the chefs accommodate with what you had picked, but in my opinion I would have preferred them to give a set price to choose from. Inside of the restaurant was beautiful, I loved the interior design, but if you're looking for a quiet/intimate omakase experience this is not the place for that. Music is pretty loud and the parties around us were talking with their outside voice , which I didn't mind because like I mentioned the vibes at Robin is definitely more casual. In terms of the quality of food, I would have to say, while everything was super fresh and good, nothing stood out to me. On top of that, every omakase I've been to so far, I would have been full 80% in but we left Robin still hungry. Our total came out to be $470, and I would have expected to leave full. I wished they had taken out the potato chip nigiri and the noodle dish, because I would have preferred to receive more fish. The nigiri that was part of the courses was super small, and as I mentioned, while everything was good, I was not amazed. Still highly recommend if you've never experienced omakase before, only tip is to book at the bar seating bc you'll get the full experience that way.“

“Very good food. Pleasant and fast service. Very good value for money. The venue is quite ordinary and ok to sit there, but a little more stop in for an all-evening place.Parking: Even on a busy Saturday night it was easy to find street parkingKid-friendliness: Many dishes that were easy for children to like like edamame, nigri, sashimi.Also several highchairs.“

“Everything we tasted was delicious and very nicely prepared. Service is very attentive. Yes the price tag is on the higher side but for the quality you get, it is actually very reasonable. And I am speaking after having to try several omakase places in the area, including in San Francisco. Ambience is simple and understated. Highly recommend it.“

“Japanese Delights Sushi Roku is a welcome addition to Stanford Shopping Center and replaces long time, but ummemorable, Yucca de Lac Sushi Roku brings bona-fide street cred with their locations in SoCal (25 years), Las Vegas (23 years), and Austin The cuisine is very modern with a variety of hot and cold dishes as well as an extensive nigiri and sashimi selection (priced by the pair) Service is excellent with both our server and management staff, including general managers and the owner, overseeing their much awaited launch in the Northern California market There is a large bar area and ample indoor and outdoor seating that should be a hit with the Sand Hill crowd I've been to many Japanese-inspired restaurants so it was nice to see novelty takes and flavors on several dishes Hits for the night included fluke kumquat, Brussel sprouts and the yellowtail hanabi. Nigiri is solid though I'd opt for the a la carte selection Fluke Kumquat $25 / Yellowtail Hanabi $20 / Brussel Sprouts / Chef's Choice Roku Style Sushi $95 / Empress' Kiss $19 / Shoman Glory $19 Sushi Roku (Palo Alto, CA) Reservations are available on SevenRooms and seating is available both indoor and outdoor. Credit cards are accepted including AmEx.“

“This cafe is like going to your favorite aunt or grandmas house who is really good at cooking and baking. There is a menu but it seems more like they make what they want and sell what they have - feels very quaint and homemade Tonkatsu sandwich - big pork cutlet with a squishy bun and a generous portion of finely shredded cabbage. Yummy and crispy, pork was a touch dry. Matcha cornet was delicious, great flavor w the cream and nice soft cornet Melon pan - did not get much melon fragrance and felt a bit dry/stale, but great crisp sugar top. There's some chocolate inside the bread which I did not expect.“

“What should I do in Japanese restaurant while some americans are talking too loud?In a situation where fellow diners are being too loud in a restaurant, it's generally best to handle it with tact and politeness. Here are a few steps you could consider:1. **Self-assessment**: First, check if their volume is indeed excessively loud or if it's a normal conversation level for a public place.[I put the earplug on to protect my hearing.]2. **Move Away**: If possible, ask the restaurant staff if you can move to a quieter table.[This is a small place.]3. **Communicate with the Staff**: If moving isn't an option, you might consider speaking to the restaurant staff or management. They are usually trained to handle such situations diplomatically.[Staff is busy and understaffed even for bringing dishes to the side of our desk.]4. **Direct but Polite Approach**: If you feel comfortable, you could approach the individuals directly. Do so politely and calmly, expressing that their conversation volume is a bit high and is disturbing your dining experience.[Some of them speaks Chinese but they just pretend to ignore our complaints. ]Remember, every situation is different and requires a judgement call. It's important to stay respectful and considerate in your approach.[I am wondering what else I can do to deal with this situation?]“

“The food was excellent-deluxe Chirashi bowl was loaded with a variety of fish, a little uni and a sweet tender spotted shrimp. I really enjoyed the rice as well. My companions had the Kikoro roll and the tuna mango roll. Both were beautiful & delicious. Service was quick and professional. Love it. I will definitely come back again.“

“First of all the owners are absolutely delightful. We got take out and it blew our socks off! Hands down the best egg I have ever had in my life....Seriously, I had waited a long while to come here and when I got a reservation for my husband's birthday it was a magical, moment. We were delighted. We traveled through taste and it suspended time. Satiated and joyous. Wakuriya is the best Japanese I have had in my life. I cannot wait to dine inside, but until then I will treat myself to their fare every month. Truly, a delight of sight, smell, texture and taste. I feel lucky to live in the neighborhood, to be so close to this 魔法の場所. Much Love Everyone, may you eat well, be well and visit Wakyuriya.“

“Gotta love small places like this where the owner is on deck and takes pride in his restaurant. Value to price was awesome. Bunch of Stanford students drive out here probably for this reason. The lunch sashimi bento box was outstanding. Cheers and ty for having “

“Hard to find old school mom and pop Japanese food these days more so that serves proper katsu! Katsu curry brings me back growing up in Japan so nostalgic taste. I’m so glad I found this place.Parking: Small complex with limited parking spaces during normal business hours.“

“The namesake sushi, eighty-eight roll,was great and nicely presented with poke pieces on top. The regular rolls: spider, Philly, and Negihama had chewy seaweed (not a crispy bite) wrap and not as fun and tasty. The agedashi tofu was nice and the hot sake was generous. They were busy so they couldn't always check when we needed water or additional ginger to add flavor to sushi.“

“Not only one of the best sushi restaurants in San Fran, one of the best I've enjoyed anywhere. What makes them special is they have a nice variety of fish, some of which I've never tried before. If you go, I hope you'll experiment and try some things you've never eaten before. I only wished we lived closer.“

“THE SPOT for sushi in the peninsula. We walked in at 7pm on a Saturday, sat within 10 mins. Terrific goyza and the “mango secret” was the best veggie roll I’ve ever had.First drinks are free! Great service, incredible value. Sign me up! YUM.“

“Wonderful kaiseki meal incorporating sakuras in the cuisine. Traditional Japanese cuisine reminiscent of what you would get at an authentic place in Kyoto. Loved the flow of the meal and the different textures of the cuisines. A5 Hokkaido Wagyu was excellent! Definitely recommend and will come back!“

“The pumpkin cheesecake was unique and excellent! We also loved the strawberry shortcake we got.The menu is small but everything looks incredible. There was no line when we went after lunch on a Saturday. It's located inside state street market.“

“Superb dining experience! Wonderful presentation for all of the dishes, and all the sushi, beef, and sashimi was fresh and well prepared. Excellent selection of sake, along with a very attentive staff that took care of every little detail. Can’t wait to go back for another meal soon!“

“Excellent food and service! Variety of raw, steamed, grilled dishes and the waygu sukiyaki was excellent.The neighboring table was noisy. Foreigners who speak loudly in an otherwise quiet setting. Otherwise the atmosphere was great.Will come back again.“

“A bit heavy on sauce/ seasoning with A5 wayu dinner plate. The nigiri premium is pretty good. Good place for casual dining.The decor in house is absolutely charming. However, one thing I'd like to mention is that I love the artwork carving out "Kyosho" on the wall with the light shining through it. However, I would recommend considering laser cutting for a cleaner finish, it is hard to unsee those rough edges when paying close attention to decor details.“

“The Beef Rib Udon at Hanabi Sushi is a must-try! The broth is rich and flavorful, the noodles are perfectly cooked, and the beef ribs are incredibly tender. The portions are generous and the service is always friendly. This has become my go-to spot for a satisfying and delicious meal!“

“Expected dishes to be more expensive.Rice balls and fusion pizza were very crispy, rice balls had strong butter flavor, if you like that this is very good, 2 for $11.Cold udon was chewy, $20.Pizza was thin and crispy, strong ham taste with noticeable crab flavor. Not sure if that flavor combo works for me.Yellowtail carpaccio wasn't cold enough, fish was nice enough, but best part was the slightly sour sauce. Not worth its price imo.Daikin salad $11 refreshing, although a bit too salty.“

“During the pandemic ordered takeout from here many times as they offer dinner bento boxes for around $20 for 3 items. They have their own website to order online for pickup (they do not deliver). Their food is pretty good and consistent quality, usual choices I select are katsu, saba shioyaki, California roll, spicy tuna roll, mix tempura, or beef short ribs. Bento box also include rice, miso soup and salad. Wait staff are friendly when picking up order. Plenty of free parking is available in shared lot of business plaza.“

“The service here is unparalleled- the owner, who's also the one taking the orders most of the time, is so incredibly friendly and a real joy to talk to. I've been here so many times and talking with her is consistently a highlight of my day. The food here is also delicious - there are a lot of options, including the chicken teriyaki and various sushi selections. Nothing I've had so far has been a miss. The indoor seating is a bit smaller so I generally get food to go, but the option is certainly available for those who are interested“

“We recently wandered into this Japanese specialty treat store at the Palo Alto Shopping Center. I bought a small box of white peach mochi to try. At $19, it is pricey for the quantity. However, they are delicious, soft, sweet, delicate, and flavorful; easily the best mochi/manju type snack I have ever tasted! So, if you want a special treat, it is hard to best these!“

“Came here for my birthday dinner. Parking was easy since we had an early reservation. We were seated promptly. Service was a bit hard to flag down—the partitions that made each table feel like a private dining experience was a double edged sword. But once we did manage to flag someone down, they were very nice.They put all our sushi on a boat, balled up wasabi on either end, and stuck birthday candles into them. It was a nice touch.We ordered fried oysters, agedashi tofu, chicken karaage, and seaweed salad for appetizers. Our favorite item was the spicy citrus scallop roll, we would order that again.“

“This is our favorite sushi's restaurant, the service always Great! Even if we order to go they even offer tea, and y daughter's love it!! So yes do yourself a favor and try our local restaurant in san carlos great place for a great sushi!!“

“Been coming to Higuma since the original owner and the place has certainly gotten better with the new owner. Food and the decor are much better now, but as a result the place is even busier than before. Totally worth the visit, just once or many more times.“

“I have been wanting to try this place for years and keep forgetting about it as it is located in a small strip mall on the other side of the tracks (literally) so I tend not to think of that side of town for dining.I was greeted immediately and sat at the bar. I have favorites I like to order in order to gauge the quality of the place and chef.First, the disappointment: the futomaki was plain, uninspiring, and plain dull. Not worth the $14. And a futomaki is a traditional roll that allows for a lot of creativity. I have had some stellar futomakis. Not so here.I had a bottle of junmai ginjo at $24 dollars. It was smooth... almost too smooth. The rice polish is 55%, same as one of my favorites, Kikusui junmai ginjo that has more distinct characteristics. While I have no complaints per se, I would look for something else next time.The nigiri was very good. Good taste, generous cuts/portion size, and the uni was great. Very fresh. Thank you Santa Barbara!I'd give the place a 4.5 to be more fair. I'll be happy to go back, but with more realistic expectations.“

“My family loved Ozuma, too, but Owada consistently serves some of the most flavorful sushi anywhere on the SF Peninsula. A little pricy, but absolutely worth it!! Owada’s Chirashi Combo bowl is one of the better dishes I’ve had, with lots of variety in bite-sized pieces.“

“Really cool hideaway type location! I am vegetarian and I ordered the wrong type of veggie sushi. It was too seafood tasting to me but they noticed and helped me get a avocado and cucumber roll without seaweed which was delicious. They have soda, beer, tea, apple juice. Yummy! ?Vegetarian options: Just order without seaweed if you do not like a fish or seafood taste. Also no seaweed salad :)“

“Really a great and cozy place for delicious sushi and dinner. Very romantic and I would recommend it as a sensual dinner experience for that 3rd or 4th date! ?Food is priced around $10-20 a plate. I went with 3 others and we all got whatever we wanted and paid around $45-60 each with tip.Parking: Parking located behind the sushi restaurant! Area is blocked off and labeled "For customers only"“

“I placed an online order but needed to cancel it right away due to change in plans. The phone number is only a voicemail; there was no way to talk to a human. I left several voicemails; hopefully you got it in time!!Update: got a call from Alan, who canceled my order. Thanks!!“

“2/28/2024Sushiko4546 El Camino RealSte A4Los Altos, CA 94022We went there for lunch on a Wed around noon. It's in the Village Court plaza at the corner of ECR and San Antonio Rd. The store front faces San Antonio Rd. with parking around the periphery of the shops. Not too many people when we got there and it starting filling up while we dined. Probably no need for reservations. It's a booth and table layout with a smallish sushi bar.They didn't have calamari. Wifey had the stir fried seafood udon and I had the lunch special Bento Box with Saba Shioyaki and mixed Tempura. My Miso soup was thick, flavorful and had some Wakame but no diced tofu, just okay. The udon had a good selection of seafood, including mussels and shrimp. My Saba was juicy and tasty, with some edible pin bones. The mixed tempura was hot and included two sweet shrimp with assorted vegetables having a crunchy and slightly greasy breading. The salad had a mayo dressing and just okay, no sesame or soy flavors.The menu is extensive with sushi, bento and udon selections. The service was good, even with just a single server. The lunch special bento box is a good value. Similar to several other places in the area, it's repeatable.“

“We really enjoyed our dinner at Mikado. The dinner was very good, and the outdoor seating made us feel safe. The tempura was excellent - lightly fried and not greasy at all. There wasn't anything wrong at all. I gave it 4 stars because I didn't walk away with the urge of coming back again soon. But I do recommend Mikado.Parking: Lots of free street parking not far away. There is also a large free parking lot on the other side of the building. No problem at all.“

“Great sushi. Not enormous portions but the prices reflect smaller sushi rolls. Great sushi, it came out very quickly. Staff was incredible and very nice. Would recommend. They have seating inside and public seating outside the restaurant. You can tell many people do carry out here.“

“We went to Araki Sushi for lunch. This lunch spot is located in the heart of what we call college row in Palo Alto. We were greeted immediately when we walked in. Given waters until everyone decided what they desired to drink. The menu is full of foodie possibilities. Two Friends got the Chicken Teriyaki Bento's. It includes soup, salad, steamed rice & 4 pcs California Roll. She added deep fried gyoza. Nicole enjoyed Eel Eggs. I forgot what it was called.... Ivan and Steven ordered the lunch special Roll combo. Any 2 Rolls $18.95. Any 3 Rolls $22.95. They're served with soup and salad. I enjoyed 8 pc deep fried California Roll. The portions are huge. They create everything fresh in front of you. Happily to say, we were full and ready to nap but hi ho back to work we go. Well definitely come back soon.“

“Came for a sat lunch. A bit busy. Only one server but she was very nice and polite.Food is excellent. Great flavors. We got the pork katsu and beef tongue. Really good.Fish roe over rice and uni also very tasty. The uni flan is more a Japanese influence French cuisine. My wife liked it but it just ok for me. Chicken karake also very good, crispy and tender while not being hard with good flavors.Would visit again and maybe try dinner as they have an extended menu“

“The food was so good. In my long experience as a food critic, the service was amazing. I had a delicious ramen that tasted like pork ramen. I especially recommend their ice cream. Manager Paul T was very accommodating.Kid-friendliness: Loved kids“

“This great Japanese Sushi and Grill restaurant has apparently "Closed". So sad! Hikari was excellent in many ways. This review is a sincere "thank you" to the entire Hikari Team for excellent service and delicious food! Hoping you'll find another location . Best of luck to ALL!“

“This place is so good. We always get the spicy tuna hand rolls and spicy tuna nachos for a quick bite - very filling. I had the Geisha roll- so yummy, which was too big so saving the other half for the next day is always the plan. Also all the sauces are the best especially the kimchichurri - perfection!! Staff friendly and helpful with the menu. The restaurant ambience is clean and calm which is a nice background to the eclectic menu! We'll always be coming back!“