We had so much fun celebrating at Ichika Milpitas. We were very impressed with Chef’s 8-course selection. Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Deirdre Schmidt
Thank you Ichika for presenting us with a really special night!!The servers were friendly and perfectly escorted us between dishes. I really appreciated our server helping us choose a sake: letting us taste some and recommending a carafe of our favorite. Also, since we sat at the sushi bar, we got to know the chefs! They were delightful and watching them prepare the courses was a bonus.I was very happy with the meal! Each dish was delicious and featured interesting, varying ingredients. While my favorites are always sashimi and sushi, my date prefers warm, prepared dishes. This menu suited us well since we had some of both.The atmosphere was lovely and clearly well thought out. The lighting was just right to see our beautiful plated dishes!We’re looking forward to returning in a few months. The chef said the menu changes every 3-4 months.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Animesh Hajela
My wife and I love coming here for special dinners. The service is always friendly and for the omakase price, you can’t beat the preparations.Every single dish is beautifully presented and tastes absolutely phenomenal. You get a nice mix of sashimi, nigiri, hot dishes (grilled), soup, and dessert. You really can’t go wrong.If I just had one piece of feedback, it’d be to add some interesting non-alcoholic drinks to the menu for those of us who do not drink.
Celebrated my birthday at Ichika with four friends, and sadly, the experience fell short of expectations. On the positive side, the modern atmosphere aligns with the standard you'd anticipate from any omakase venue. Now, diving into the culinary aspect, the portions, regrettably, lean on the smaller side, prompting thoughts of better value at a conventional Japanese restaurant.To compound matters, a mosquito in the clam soup raised eyebrows. Although they offered a polite apology and a small bottle of sake, I couldn't help but feel that owning up to the oversight and a reduction in the meal would have been a more fitting resolution.While the nigiri rolls stole the show, the quantity left something to be desired with only three pieces. Adding to the considerations, the mandatory 20% tips requirement is worth noting. If you're seeking a satiating omakase experience, Ichika might not be the ideal choice. Unfortunately, I don't foresee a return visit in my near future.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Nigiri Omakase
James Lee
Love this omakase style Japanese restaurant, excellent service, beautiful presentation on every entree, great atmosphere, at last the taste is just scrumptious, especially the home made soy sauce, this restaurant is based on reservation only, so remember to make reservatiion ahead of time,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sergio Rocha
Incredible place and atmosphere! By far the best dining experience of my
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Nigiri Omakase
Annie T.
Food9 course prix fixe meal for $148 Sunomono SaladJapanese Vinegar SaladAppetizerChef's Choice StartersSeasonal SashimiChef's Choice Seasonal Seafood SashimiCHAWANMUSHIBeef Tongue Stew Steamed Egg CustardNIGIRI IChef's Choice Seasonal Nigiri Part ISawara Saikyo-YakiSpanish Mackerel, Mixed grains rice, Mountain with Yam sauceNIGIRI IIChef's Choice Premium Nigiri Part |1 (O-toro, A5 Wagyu, Hokkaido UniSoupSnow Crab Claw Umami SoupDessertSeasonal DessertAll of three dishes were exceptional and the price point was worth it. I would definitely come back again.Customer ServiceVery attentive customer service throughout the dining experience. This was a reservation placed in advance and the restaurant capacity wasn't fully booked. Ambiance Dim lighting and perfect setting for a nice dinner to celebrate any occasion. There were some seating areas that had zen-like decor with bamboo and rocks.
Cynthia L.
Everything about this place is amazing! I came here to celebrate a 5 year anniversary and felt so taken care of the entire time. Reservations were super easy to make. You make a reservation online and put down a deposit to secure your booking. I made our reservation the next night and didn't have to worry about it being fully booked. I liked this because we had to pay the deposit and we can be fickle so I wanted to be 100% committed. Once we arrived, there was plenty of parking. The outside just looked dark but once we walked in, we were in awe of how beautiful it was. Absolutely loved the decor. We were greeted and seated immediately. The hostess/waitress explained the menu and our experience started right away.It was a 8-course meal for $128 per person. The six piece appetizer was delicious, offered lots of variety, and was actually substantial. They make their own soy sauce which I thought was so cool. The Steamed Egg with Crab Meat was perfectly steamed, which I've seen other restaurants mess up. One of our favorites was the Grilled Sea Bass Marinated in Miso! I wanted seconds of the sea bass and desperately want this recipe. One of the seasonal nigiri, the fatty toro, was ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. I loved every bit of it. And to top everything off, the dessert that day was CHEF'S KISS!!! It was some sort of hojicha pudding with black honey on the side so we could adjust the sweetness to our liking. When they brought out the dessert, they played "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran and dedicated the song to us for our anniversary which we thought was so sweet and personal. I'm quite skeptical when it comes to going to expensive places like this, but it was well worth every dime. We had a great experience, the food was delicious and filling, and it was quite memorable.
Cynthia Y. L.
*LOCATION*We visited the restaurant on a Friday ~7:45pm for a friend's dinner. There was plenty of free parking in the plaza and we didn't have any trouble looking for spots. The outside did NOT look like a restaurant at all. The door was closed and windows were all blacked out. The only indicator that it was a restaurant was the stand with the menu on it LOL*WAIT TIME*My group of 3 had a reservation so there was no wait time. The sushi bar was full and there was a medium-sized group at one of the other tables. We got to choose between either the big table up front or one of the booths in the back. We chose the latter so that we could be closer to the sushi bar & chef.*FOOD*All 3 of us opted for the prix fixe at $128 per person. It came with multiple courses and there was the option to add on additional items separately if we wanted. I was excited when each course came out because the presentation of each dish was sooo beautiful. The appetizers were interesting (some I liked more than others hahaha) but the fish were all really fresh and tasty. My favorites were the steamed egg custard and uni nigiri. The warm clam soup at the end was also a nice way to tie everything together. I thought I was too full to eat the dessert until it came out! It was a unique take on panna cotta (texture is more firm) with matcha powder/mochi and honey(?) drizzle. I literally scraped the bowl clean LOL*SERVICE*Waiters were all friendly, attentive and nice. I didn't like the set-up of the booths because the inside seats are too far for the waiter to reach. It was an awkward transition between each course because I had to be the "middle person" to pass the plates back and forth. It would have been nice it they kept a copy of the prix fixe menu at the table so we could reference back to each course.*AMBIENCE*Although the outside looks sus, the interior is much *aesthetics*. There is nice mood lighting and definitely gives off classy modern Japanese vibes. This place would be a good choice for a nice (& expensive) date night or a birthday celebration!
Lucilene Alflen
Such a great place! Food was amazing! I recommend this place.
The best friend took me here for a belated birthday dinner. We're always on a hunt for some fine dining experiences and just so happen to land in Milpitas for this Kaiseki style dinner. She made a reservation online the day of and had no issues securing seating for the two of us. We arrived around 6pm and were the first ones to be greeted for the evening. The sous-chef and servers were all really kind, inviting, and elegant to interact with.For a Tuesday evening, this was on the Prix Fixe menu for $128 per person before drinks and gratuity --1) APPETIZER: Chef's Choice Starters2) SEASONAL SASHIMI: Chef's Choice Seasonal Seafood Sashimi3) KANI CHAWANMUSHI: Steamed Egg with Crab Meat4) NIGIRI: Chef's Choice Seasonal Nigiri 3 pc5) GRILLED: Grilled Sea Bass Marinated in Miso6) NIGIRI: Chef's Choice Seasonal Nigiri 2 pc7) SOUP: Japanese Clear Clam Soup8) DESSERT: Seasonal DessertSince we're on the topic of the menu, I want to share that the food was excellent. The cuts and quality of the sashimi were very thoughtful and owned it's distinct flavor with every bite. The presentation to each course were intentional with embraced the beautiful art and culture an authentic Japanese cuisine offers. I enjoyed how our server would explain what order to eat each serving in as it paved the way for our palate to prepare for each tasting. Compliments to the chef and sous-chefs for taking such pride in the selection and makeup of each course.The ambiance is on the romantic side -- calm, quiet, and intimate. This is good choice for dining if you're celebrating an anniversary, a birthday, or trying to impress on a first date (yes fellas - take notes!).All in all, it was another sophisticated experience in the world of fine dining. Would not mind returning again to try another prix fixe menu.
Kaiya Zhang
Absolutely love this restaurant! The food is delicious, the atmosphere is lovely, and the service is great! All the dishes are selected by the chef and are seasonal, so each time you go, the dish set can be different. Toward the end we got another menu for us to order extra besides the dish set. To my understanding, you don't always get a chance to order extra dishes; it's probably all based on how busy the restaurant is and how the chef feels (my assumption). Yes, it's expensive, but it's sooo worth it!!! Highly recommended, especially if you have a special occasion! You won't regret it!THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:- Because the dish set is selected by the chef, please remember to confirm with the restaurant before you go for those who may have a food allergy.- Maybe it's better to make a reservation because the restaurant space is quite limited.- The time limit is 2 hours.- For those fast eaters, you probably still need 2 hours to enjoy the food. It's not about how fast you eat; it's about how each course is brought to you one after another and how everything is at a relaxing pace.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Villa Bella
Milpitas is sooooo lucky to have these guys!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Nigiri Omakase
toshiro
The food was very fresh and flavorful, however they only served us 4 pieces of sushi which was rather
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Ray W.
Fun, friendly and overall a great experience. Of all the courses, only one didn't bode well with me but that was just personal preference. It is in a very unassuming strip center but when you walk through the door, you totally forget where you are and it feels like a small boutiquey spot in SF. Service was informative, friendly, and also funny at times. Definitely an experience to be had.
We had so much fun celebrating at Ichika Milpitas. We were very impressed with Chef’s 8-course selection. Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thank you Ichika for presenting us with a really special night!!The servers were friendly and perfectly escorted us between dishes. I really appreciated our server helping us choose a sake: letting us taste some and recommending a carafe of our favorite. Also, since we sat at the sushi bar, we got to know the chefs! They were delightful and watching them prepare the courses was a bonus.I was very happy with the meal! Each dish was delicious and featured interesting, varying ingredients. While my favorites are always sashimi and sushi, my date prefers warm, prepared dishes. This menu suited us well since we had some of both.The atmosphere was lovely and clearly well thought out. The lighting was just right to see our beautiful plated dishes!We’re looking forward to returning in a few months. The chef said the menu changes every 3-4 months.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My wife and I love coming here for special dinners. The service is always friendly and for the omakase price, you can’t beat the preparations.Every single dish is beautifully presented and tastes absolutely phenomenal. You get a nice mix of sashimi, nigiri, hot dishes (grilled), soup, and dessert. You really can’t go wrong.If I just had one piece of feedback, it’d be to add some interesting non-alcoholic drinks to the menu for those of us who do not drink.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi, Nigiri Omakase, Sashimi
Celebrated my birthday at Ichika with four friends, and sadly, the experience fell short of expectations. On the positive side, the modern atmosphere aligns with the standard you'd anticipate from any omakase venue. Now, diving into the culinary aspect, the portions, regrettably, lean on the smaller side, prompting thoughts of better value at a conventional Japanese restaurant.To compound matters, a mosquito in the clam soup raised eyebrows. Although they offered a polite apology and a small bottle of sake, I couldn't help but feel that owning up to the oversight and a reduction in the meal would have been a more fitting resolution.While the nigiri rolls stole the show, the quantity left something to be desired with only three pieces. Adding to the considerations, the mandatory 20% tips requirement is worth noting. If you're seeking a satiating omakase experience, Ichika might not be the ideal choice. Unfortunately, I don't foresee a return visit in my near future.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Nigiri Omakase
Love this omakase style Japanese restaurant, excellent service, beautiful presentation on every entree, great atmosphere, at last the taste is just scrumptious, especially the home made soy sauce, this restaurant is based on reservation only, so remember to make reservatiion ahead of time,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Incredible place and atmosphere! By far the best dining experience of my
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Nigiri Omakase
Food9 course prix fixe meal for $148 Sunomono SaladJapanese Vinegar SaladAppetizerChef's Choice StartersSeasonal SashimiChef's Choice Seasonal Seafood SashimiCHAWANMUSHIBeef Tongue Stew Steamed Egg CustardNIGIRI IChef's Choice Seasonal Nigiri Part ISawara Saikyo-YakiSpanish Mackerel, Mixed grains rice, Mountain with Yam sauceNIGIRI IIChef's Choice Premium Nigiri Part |1 (O-toro, A5 Wagyu, Hokkaido UniSoupSnow Crab Claw Umami SoupDessertSeasonal DessertAll of three dishes were exceptional and the price point was worth it. I would definitely come back again.Customer ServiceVery attentive customer service throughout the dining experience. This was a reservation placed in advance and the restaurant capacity wasn't fully booked. Ambiance Dim lighting and perfect setting for a nice dinner to celebrate any occasion. There were some seating areas that had zen-like decor with bamboo and rocks.
Everything about this place is amazing! I came here to celebrate a 5 year anniversary and felt so taken care of the entire time. Reservations were super easy to make. You make a reservation online and put down a deposit to secure your booking. I made our reservation the next night and didn't have to worry about it being fully booked. I liked this because we had to pay the deposit and we can be fickle so I wanted to be 100% committed. Once we arrived, there was plenty of parking. The outside just looked dark but once we walked in, we were in awe of how beautiful it was. Absolutely loved the decor. We were greeted and seated immediately. The hostess/waitress explained the menu and our experience started right away.It was a 8-course meal for $128 per person. The six piece appetizer was delicious, offered lots of variety, and was actually substantial. They make their own soy sauce which I thought was so cool. The Steamed Egg with Crab Meat was perfectly steamed, which I've seen other restaurants mess up. One of our favorites was the Grilled Sea Bass Marinated in Miso! I wanted seconds of the sea bass and desperately want this recipe. One of the seasonal nigiri, the fatty toro, was ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. I loved every bit of it. And to top everything off, the dessert that day was CHEF'S KISS!!! It was some sort of hojicha pudding with black honey on the side so we could adjust the sweetness to our liking. When they brought out the dessert, they played "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran and dedicated the song to us for our anniversary which we thought was so sweet and personal. I'm quite skeptical when it comes to going to expensive places like this, but it was well worth every dime. We had a great experience, the food was delicious and filling, and it was quite memorable.
*LOCATION*We visited the restaurant on a Friday ~7:45pm for a friend's dinner. There was plenty of free parking in the plaza and we didn't have any trouble looking for spots. The outside did NOT look like a restaurant at all. The door was closed and windows were all blacked out. The only indicator that it was a restaurant was the stand with the menu on it LOL*WAIT TIME*My group of 3 had a reservation so there was no wait time. The sushi bar was full and there was a medium-sized group at one of the other tables. We got to choose between either the big table up front or one of the booths in the back. We chose the latter so that we could be closer to the sushi bar & chef.*FOOD*All 3 of us opted for the prix fixe at $128 per person. It came with multiple courses and there was the option to add on additional items separately if we wanted. I was excited when each course came out because the presentation of each dish was sooo beautiful. The appetizers were interesting (some I liked more than others hahaha) but the fish were all really fresh and tasty. My favorites were the steamed egg custard and uni nigiri. The warm clam soup at the end was also a nice way to tie everything together. I thought I was too full to eat the dessert until it came out! It was a unique take on panna cotta (texture is more firm) with matcha powder/mochi and honey(?) drizzle. I literally scraped the bowl clean LOL*SERVICE*Waiters were all friendly, attentive and nice. I didn't like the set-up of the booths because the inside seats are too far for the waiter to reach. It was an awkward transition between each course because I had to be the "middle person" to pass the plates back and forth. It would have been nice it they kept a copy of the prix fixe menu at the table so we could reference back to each course.*AMBIENCE*Although the outside looks sus, the interior is much *aesthetics*. There is nice mood lighting and definitely gives off classy modern Japanese vibes. This place would be a good choice for a nice (& expensive) date night or a birthday celebration!
Such a great place! Food was amazing! I recommend this place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The best friend took me here for a belated birthday dinner. We're always on a hunt for some fine dining experiences and just so happen to land in Milpitas for this Kaiseki style dinner. She made a reservation online the day of and had no issues securing seating for the two of us. We arrived around 6pm and were the first ones to be greeted for the evening. The sous-chef and servers were all really kind, inviting, and elegant to interact with.For a Tuesday evening, this was on the Prix Fixe menu for $128 per person before drinks and gratuity --1) APPETIZER: Chef's Choice Starters2) SEASONAL SASHIMI: Chef's Choice Seasonal Seafood Sashimi3) KANI CHAWANMUSHI: Steamed Egg with Crab Meat4) NIGIRI: Chef's Choice Seasonal Nigiri 3 pc5) GRILLED: Grilled Sea Bass Marinated in Miso6) NIGIRI: Chef's Choice Seasonal Nigiri 2 pc7) SOUP: Japanese Clear Clam Soup8) DESSERT: Seasonal DessertSince we're on the topic of the menu, I want to share that the food was excellent. The cuts and quality of the sashimi were very thoughtful and owned it's distinct flavor with every bite. The presentation to each course were intentional with embraced the beautiful art and culture an authentic Japanese cuisine offers. I enjoyed how our server would explain what order to eat each serving in as it paved the way for our palate to prepare for each tasting. Compliments to the chef and sous-chefs for taking such pride in the selection and makeup of each course.The ambiance is on the romantic side -- calm, quiet, and intimate. This is good choice for dining if you're celebrating an anniversary, a birthday, or trying to impress on a first date (yes fellas - take notes!).All in all, it was another sophisticated experience in the world of fine dining. Would not mind returning again to try another prix fixe menu.
Absolutely love this restaurant! The food is delicious, the atmosphere is lovely, and the service is great! All the dishes are selected by the chef and are seasonal, so each time you go, the dish set can be different. Toward the end we got another menu for us to order extra besides the dish set. To my understanding, you don't always get a chance to order extra dishes; it's probably all based on how busy the restaurant is and how the chef feels (my assumption). Yes, it's expensive, but it's sooo worth it!!! Highly recommended, especially if you have a special occasion! You won't regret it!THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:- Because the dish set is selected by the chef, please remember to confirm with the restaurant before you go for those who may have a food allergy.- Maybe it's better to make a reservation because the restaurant space is quite limited.- The time limit is 2 hours.- For those fast eaters, you probably still need 2 hours to enjoy the food. It's not about how fast you eat; it's about how each course is brought to you one after another and how everything is at a relaxing pace.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Milpitas is sooooo lucky to have these guys!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Nigiri Omakase
The food was very fresh and flavorful, however they only served us 4 pieces of sushi which was rather
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Fun, friendly and overall a great experience. Of all the courses, only one didn't bode well with me but that was just personal preference. It is in a very unassuming strip center but when you walk through the door, you totally forget where you are and it feels like a small boutiquey spot in SF. Service was informative, friendly, and also funny at times. Definitely an experience to be had.