How can the course be so delicious while asking such a decent price?! LOVING IT!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chawanmushi with English Peas
Ben Falter
Came here with my husband on my birthday. Overall the food was excellent. Very good personalized service... At 7:30 p.m. we were the only people there and remained the only people there the entire time. I thought that a bit odd. The food was delicious. Carefully created. Great play presentation... Except for the worm ?/ or parasite that I found on top of the one dish. They promptly took it away and informed me they remade it. I think they just removed the flowers/leaves. Recommended sake was delicious. The menu is seasonal so things will probably adjust if others go there. I'm still thinking about that delicious chestnut inside of a fried fishball. The rice made tableside was underwhelming to be honest.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jeffrey
We had lunch for two at Ranzan and had a wonderful experience from the moment we stepped inside -- felt like we had been transported to a peaceful environment with no traces of downtown Redwood City. We had the Shokadou Bento Lunch Set, and it was well crafted with lots of tasty smaller portions. We really enjoyed the Wagyu beef among other things. Service was perfect and overall I would highly recommend for a special occasion, business meal or time out with a spouse or good friend.
Zain Jaffer
I had a business dinner here with someone coming from out of town. I appreciated that it was an intimate setting with not many other patrons around which felt like reserving a private dining room with your own personal chef.
The food was amazing and definitely some of the best Japanese food I’ve ever had including my experiences in Japan.
I’ve added all the photos I took of my meals. Every dish was unique and unforgettable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Muthu Raji Muruganantham
Food and service was amazing. Took a preset course of 10 items. Went in with small kids for lunch hence opted for a private room. Loved the experience and the food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Annie Law
I have been here 3 times. The food is consistently great. Simple ingredients made to perfection. We try the sushi for $268pp. I rather eat their seasonal menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Linh Nguyen
I’ve been here for both lunch and dinner services and I’m a huge fan of the dinner menu and the dishes. Always top quality, fancy ingredients. Delicate flavor and interesting texture. Welcoming, attentive service.
Albert Ha
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!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hao Cheng
Ranzan is a wonderful restaurant serving traditional Japanese Kaiseki courses. The food was amazing and the presentation was exceptional. Will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Breanna McAvoy
Food and presentation was good. All the rice from my clay pot bowl was stuck to the bowl at the bottom and barely any rice. I couldnt even use my chopsticks to eat it nor hold the hot bowl. The sticky rice just stuck to the bowl...More veggies on top and some pickled, not my preference. At all. Other people's dishes were yummy. Saki was from a bottle and really sugary. I think between 4 people we went through 10 bottles over two hours because it was like shooting sugar water. Not my preference on that either. Too much for not much, if that makes sense! My friend took her husband the next day and they loved it. I will not be returning or taking my husband, not because anything was bad, but not our preference. Atmosphere was quiet and fun. We sat in the corner by a window. Very small inside and could get cramped if really busy. Was not busy when we went at lunchtime midweek. Staff was super attentive when we needed it and not when we were chatting. Which was great! Don't take my preference as a decision maker here, you might love it like my friend!
Parking: We parallel parked right out front.
Wheelchair accessibility: Might be a tight squeeze inside. Can access front with a wheelchair though.
This was our second time at Ranzan. It was such an amazing experience, again, that I had to give it credit.We’ve been lucky enough to try many fine dining places in the Bay Area such as Benu, Saison, Gary Danko, French Laundry, Hiroshi, Yoshizumi sushi, Birdsong, Chez TJ, etc. I say that because this is easily in my top three! It is also far and away the best fine dining value in the Bay. They offer 4 set meal options. Each set is slightly larger than the last. Last time we tried the largest set menu and it was an amazing meal; each course was unique and different and made you go “wow.” The sets are built so that each course is prepared in a different way such as grilled, simmered, fried, raw, etc. I love a meal where I taste a variety of things. This was a very large quantity of food, be prepared by only eating a light lunch earlier in the day if you order set #4 out of 4!We came back this time and tried set menu #2 out of 4 (Kibune). I liked the portion size of this meal. Again, delicious variety of courses! Japanese Kaiseki is different than Japanese sushi omakase because the courses are a mix of preparations (cooked, soup, raw, etc.) and I like the variety. My wife commented that this place rivals the fine dining Kaiseki places we had in Japan. Anyways, if you’re looking to “get your feet wet” with a superbly valued fine dining experience or want to experience an amazing Japanese Kaiseki meal, Ranzan in Redwood City is difficult to beat!As a side note, I noticed they were full on the booking site Tock. I called and they gave me a reservation. They also mentioned that you can’t make same day reservations via Tock. I suggest you call if you can’t find a reservation online, especially same-day since they’ll do their best to get you a table!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
SuperMan
Service and Food are great, the only thing is the lighting is too bright for my eyes and the table was a little wobbling. Also, I don't like the layout of the tables, makes me feel like eating at the cafeteria. Some wall divider or some privacy between tables will be good...
Bennet Yee
The wagyu wrapped mushroom was heavenly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wayne Chen
Delicious food and thoughtful and friendly services. It was a very pleasant dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John Wie
An amazing introduction to Kaiseki dinners in the Bay Area. Couldn't have asked for a better birthday celebration. :)Ranzan is a Kaiseki style dinner with a few different options for the amount of food / premium options. We ended up opting for Kibune option which was their 2nd tier out of 4. It was super delicious although we did struggle to get to the finish line because our stomachs weren't ready for the amount of food we were getting. XDSome of our favorite dishes from our particular menu included:*Wagyu sirloin steak with Japanese sansho pepper: So good. Perfectly cooked. Melted in our mouths.*Corn tofu: Just a personal preference but I really, really dug this clever play on classic tofu. Loved the texture and thought it tasted amazing.*Squash soup: This was their play on the traditional miso - loved it (and love all things squash in general).*Unagi donburi: Perfect portion (this was one of the later dishes, so my +1 and I were struggling a bit at this point) and super delicious. The unagi was so flavorful with a lovely slightly sweet sauce and breadcrumb like balls.*Yes, there were a couple dishes we weren't as fond of, but still loved the way they were presented and the ideas behind them!*The pacing of the food does come out at a pretty even cadence with service being so on point.. My +1 and I got deep into our talks and sometimes fell a little behind with some of the dishes overlapping as we were still chatting but we were usually able to catch up!*The presentation was amazing and super deliberate. Loved the little touches and appreciated too the small birthday surprises at the end. Super cute.*As some other have noted, at least as of August 2023, the restaurant returns your deposit directly to you.*The ambiance of Ranzan is so soothing and relaxing. Easy to have conversations. Super minimalist.Also, I took a rideshare getting to the restaurant so didn't notice parking as much, but my +1 did park a couple blocks away.Cheers to the kind staff / servers! Super lovely and memorable.
How can the course be so delicious while asking such a decent price?! LOVING IT!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chawanmushi with English Peas
Came here with my husband on my birthday. Overall the food was excellent. Very good personalized service... At 7:30 p.m. we were the only people there and remained the only people there the entire time. I thought that a bit odd. The food was delicious. Carefully created. Great play presentation... Except for the worm ?/ or parasite that I found on top of the one dish. They promptly took it away and informed me they remade it. I think they just removed the flowers/leaves. Recommended sake was delicious. The menu is seasonal so things will probably adjust if others go there. I'm still thinking about that delicious chestnut inside of a fried fishball. The rice made tableside was underwhelming to be honest.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We had lunch for two at Ranzan and had a wonderful experience from the moment we stepped inside -- felt like we had been transported to a peaceful environment with no traces of downtown Redwood City. We had the Shokadou Bento Lunch Set, and it was well crafted with lots of tasty smaller portions. We really enjoyed the Wagyu beef among other things. Service was perfect and overall I would highly recommend for a special occasion, business meal or time out with a spouse or good friend.
I had a business dinner here with someone coming from out of town. I appreciated that it was an intimate setting with not many other patrons around which felt like reserving a private dining room with your own personal chef.
The food was amazing and definitely some of the best Japanese food I’ve ever had including my experiences in Japan.
I’ve added all the photos I took of my meals. Every dish was unique and unforgettable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food and service was amazing. Took a preset course of 10 items. Went in with small kids for lunch hence opted for a private room. Loved the experience and the food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I have been here 3 times. The food is consistently great. Simple ingredients made to perfection. We try the sushi for $268pp. I rather eat their seasonal menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve been here for both lunch and dinner services and I’m a huge fan of the dinner menu and the dishes. Always top quality, fancy ingredients. Delicate flavor and interesting texture. Welcoming, attentive service.
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!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ranzan is a wonderful restaurant serving traditional Japanese Kaiseki courses. The food was amazing and the presentation was exceptional. Will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food and presentation was good. All the rice from my clay pot bowl was stuck to the bowl at the bottom and barely any rice. I couldnt even use my chopsticks to eat it nor hold the hot bowl. The sticky rice just stuck to the bowl...More veggies on top and some pickled, not my preference. At all. Other people's dishes were yummy. Saki was from a bottle and really sugary. I think between 4 people we went through 10 bottles over two hours because it was like shooting sugar water. Not my preference on that either. Too much for not much, if that makes sense! My friend took her husband the next day and they loved it. I will not be returning or taking my husband, not because anything was bad, but not our preference. Atmosphere was quiet and fun. We sat in the corner by a window. Very small inside and could get cramped if really busy. Was not busy when we went at lunchtime midweek. Staff was super attentive when we needed it and not when we were chatting. Which was great! Don't take my preference as a decision maker here, you might love it like my friend!
Parking: We parallel parked right out front.
Wheelchair accessibility: Might be a tight squeeze inside. Can access front with a wheelchair though.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This was our second time at Ranzan. It was such an amazing experience, again, that I had to give it credit.We’ve been lucky enough to try many fine dining places in the Bay Area such as Benu, Saison, Gary Danko, French Laundry, Hiroshi, Yoshizumi sushi, Birdsong, Chez TJ, etc. I say that because this is easily in my top three! It is also far and away the best fine dining value in the Bay. They offer 4 set meal options. Each set is slightly larger than the last. Last time we tried the largest set menu and it was an amazing meal; each course was unique and different and made you go “wow.” The sets are built so that each course is prepared in a different way such as grilled, simmered, fried, raw, etc. I love a meal where I taste a variety of things. This was a very large quantity of food, be prepared by only eating a light lunch earlier in the day if you order set #4 out of 4!We came back this time and tried set menu #2 out of 4 (Kibune). I liked the portion size of this meal. Again, delicious variety of courses! Japanese Kaiseki is different than Japanese sushi omakase because the courses are a mix of preparations (cooked, soup, raw, etc.) and I like the variety. My wife commented that this place rivals the fine dining Kaiseki places we had in Japan. Anyways, if you’re looking to “get your feet wet” with a superbly valued fine dining experience or want to experience an amazing Japanese Kaiseki meal, Ranzan in Redwood City is difficult to beat!As a side note, I noticed they were full on the booking site Tock. I called and they gave me a reservation. They also mentioned that you can’t make same day reservations via Tock. I suggest you call if you can’t find a reservation online, especially same-day since they’ll do their best to get you a table!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Service and Food are great, the only thing is the lighting is too bright for my eyes and the table was a little wobbling. Also, I don't like the layout of the tables, makes me feel like eating at the cafeteria. Some wall divider or some privacy between tables will be good...
The wagyu wrapped mushroom was heavenly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious food and thoughtful and friendly services. It was a very pleasant dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
An amazing introduction to Kaiseki dinners in the Bay Area. Couldn't have asked for a better birthday celebration. :)Ranzan is a Kaiseki style dinner with a few different options for the amount of food / premium options. We ended up opting for Kibune option which was their 2nd tier out of 4. It was super delicious although we did struggle to get to the finish line because our stomachs weren't ready for the amount of food we were getting. XDSome of our favorite dishes from our particular menu included:*Wagyu sirloin steak with Japanese sansho pepper: So good. Perfectly cooked. Melted in our mouths.*Corn tofu: Just a personal preference but I really, really dug this clever play on classic tofu. Loved the texture and thought it tasted amazing.*Squash soup: This was their play on the traditional miso - loved it (and love all things squash in general).*Unagi donburi: Perfect portion (this was one of the later dishes, so my +1 and I were struggling a bit at this point) and super delicious. The unagi was so flavorful with a lovely slightly sweet sauce and breadcrumb like balls.*Yes, there were a couple dishes we weren't as fond of, but still loved the way they were presented and the ideas behind them!*The pacing of the food does come out at a pretty even cadence with service being so on point.. My +1 and I got deep into our talks and sometimes fell a little behind with some of the dishes overlapping as we were still chatting but we were usually able to catch up!*The presentation was amazing and super deliberate. Loved the little touches and appreciated too the small birthday surprises at the end. Super cute.*As some other have noted, at least as of August 2023, the restaurant returns your deposit directly to you.*The ambiance of Ranzan is so soothing and relaxing. Easy to have conversations. Super minimalist.Also, I took a rideshare getting to the restaurant so didn't notice parking as much, but my +1 did park a couple blocks away.Cheers to the kind staff / servers! Super lovely and memorable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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