Tapas and the nigiri combo are fantastic, great variety of unique and fun dishes beyond the normal. Huge fan of the concept. It's a little loud inside, but great that the restaurant is so busy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeremy Walker
Not a good lunch place, but I'm maybe it's good for dinner? It's practically deserted at lunch time.
For lunch you can either get 6 or 7 (I forget) pieces of nigiri for $25, or 15 pieces of sashimi for $35. That little nigiri won't fill most people up, even for lunch, and while the sashimi *might* ... who wants to pay $35 (plus tax and tip) for lunch?
I wish this place offered viable, affordable lunch options! There are all sorts of other great (and $20 or less) lunch options in downtown San Carlos, but no other Japanese places on this end.
If this place offered sashimi or nigiri, with other stuff to fill you up (soup, rice, salad and/or tempura) ... for $25 or less, I'd eat here all the time. But I'm not paying $35+, only to get so little food that I'm still hungry after lunch!
Owners, if you read this ... want lunch customers? Give people lunch options!
Thant Htoo Zaw
Initially came for the nigiri combo, but their side dishes are super solid.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Assorted Nigiri and Maki Sushi Platter, Beef Kushiyaki
Hanna X
Super good food. As always we had good time. Amazing service!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sean Heraty
Let me say that after living in Japan this was still some of the best sushi I've ever had! The food was made quickly and expertly. Service wen above and beyond. The atmosphere was great! 6 out 5 would recommend to anyone!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Willie Chea
Good food. Note: they have a nigiri platter that can be choice of 7 pcs or omakase along with a roll. The portions are half the size of typical nigiri. Chicken karage is very good, has good seasoning in the batter Seafood ceviche was mainly shrimp.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
ericedmonds
Amazing experience. Super knowledgeable and so much fun. Can’t recommend enough!! Try all the sake!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wook Chung
Hakkai is a weird place. The concept and the ideas are great, almost formed with a success equation for the Bay Area. Innovative Japanese tapas, sushi at a great price, a jolly bar-like dark atmosphere with cozy local vibes. I mean what could possible be wrong? And most of the reviews mention this but I want to be very specific here.
If it wasn't for the cheaper price (although not that cheap), I would've given Hakkai 2.5 stars at max. So what's wrong?
If you ever wondered how big sushis would be if it was made by hobbits, you have come to the right place. The sushis are like 60% size of regular sushis. It was almost comical to see this and I couldn't believe my eyes. I wasn't sure whether they were going for the cute look. But again, the portions were tiny. I guess it is their way of keeping the price a bit low?
Same goes for other dishes. The tapas were priced $15+ yet all the portions were ridiculously tiny. I really thought it was a playset for American Girl. Not sure what is going on here. The flavors were decent. But boy they are small. And the fried shrimp (that comes with the amaebi tapa) was cold. Clearly they pre-fried it in batch. Just not acceptable.
And we had this pan fried udon. Decent flavor but again, the udon was so dry. It was absolutely clear they had pre-cooked this and let it sit.
I'm all about value. But I feel Hakkai has cut too many corners to make the numbers work. I won't be returning. It's just not worth my time. For the budget conscious, you may want to give it a try. Not for me.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
QUYEN LUU
Great sushi & tapas spot with excellent value for money. The nigiri combo is absolutely unbeatable — 7 pieces of nigiri plus chef’s choice maki rolls for just $25. The fish is very fresh and well-seasoned, which really makes each bite shine.
Highly recommend the sake clams and scallop dishes — both were flavorful and well executed. The sizzling beef plate was tasty too, though slightly on the salty side for my personal preference.
Overall, a fantastic place for quality sushi at a competitive price. Definitely coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kimberly Do
Found Hakkai Sushi on TikTok and decided to try it because of their affordable omakase, and I am so glad we did. Loved this spot.
It is conveniently located right next to a 7-Eleven with plenty of parking, which is always a plus. The interior has a dark, warm, cozy ambiance that feels intimate but not stuffy. We made a reservation, and it is definitely recommended since they also had a waitlist when we arrived.
The omakase was solid from start to finish. Everything tasted fresh, well balanced, and thoughtfully prepared. Every piece of sushi was good with no filler courses, and the pacing was just right. The sake selection was also great and paired really nicely with the meal.
Overall, this is an excellent value for omakase, especially for the quality you are getting. A great spot for a low key date night or a casual splurge without breaking the bank. Would definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: O Toro Nigiri 2pcs, Nigiri Combo Chef's Choice, Hamachi Nigiri 2pcs, Tuna Lover Roll
We made reservations and our table was ready for us when we got there. It wasn’t too busy at 7PM on a Saturday night but it definitely got full around 8PM.
There were a lot of tapa options and we opted for scallops and shishito peppers. The shishito peppers had some heat and was perfectly seasoned. The scallops were also good. It was 2 scallops with a squash base and roasted beets on the side. They were both delicious.
The $25 nigiri and maki combo was a good value. We liked that you can choose your own or chefs choice. The rice was perfectly seasoned and the fish was very fresh. The options for rolls were more limited but the ones that we ordered were very flavorful and creative.
The service was very friendly but it felt like they were short staffed since there were 2 waiters for the whole restaurant. We had to flag and wait for a while for things, but they were very friendly.
The restaurant had a nice vibe with some TVs and it wasn’t too loud even when it was full.
Overall we had a delicious meal. Some of the menu items were a little pricey for what you get but I definitely recommend the nigiri combo.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
yen tan
Good rolls and sashimi, (almost) inedible chawanmushi, greasy brussel sprouts, bland mentaiko udon. Good service, decent casual bar-ish atmosphere. Good beer selection. Not great value overall though sadly.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Gretchen Vagharshakian
Hands down our favorite sushi spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniel Estrada
This place is great , highly suggest giving it a try.
We showed up on New Years day at 2:10 not realizing they closed at 2:30, we were going to leave but they encouraged us to come in and eat and they would stay open until 3 for us. We told them we would eat quickly .
The place is pretty unassuming being located next to a 7-11 but it is quite spacious inside and really clean! We had a hamachi carpaccio which was just delightful and super fresh. The Brussels sprouts were PERFECT, a quick fry and just a dash of salt and pepper , really amazing. We were going to order chicken karaage but the server suggested this sizzling ribeye dish that was out of this world, I could've had 3. Also had a toro roll which was really nice as well.
Looking forward to coming back to this place and enjoying some Sake and hanging out for a while, everyone was super hospitable and nice . Can't wait to try other dishes as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brendan Keating
What a little gem. The salad was best I’ve had in years and the chefs choice sushi was truly fantastic. Cost was super reasonable too.
Tapas and the nigiri combo are fantastic, great variety of unique and fun dishes beyond the normal. Huge fan of the concept. It's a little loud inside, but great that the restaurant is so busy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Not a good lunch place, but I'm maybe it's good for dinner? It's practically deserted at lunch time.
For lunch you can either get 6 or 7 (I forget) pieces of nigiri for $25, or 15 pieces of sashimi for $35. That little nigiri won't fill most people up, even for lunch, and while the sashimi *might* ... who wants to pay $35 (plus tax and tip) for lunch?
I wish this place offered viable, affordable lunch options! There are all sorts of other great (and $20 or less) lunch options in downtown San Carlos, but no other Japanese places on this end.
If this place offered sashimi or nigiri, with other stuff to fill you up (soup, rice, salad and/or tempura) ... for $25 or less, I'd eat here all the time. But I'm not paying $35+, only to get so little food that I'm still hungry after lunch!
Owners, if you read this ... want lunch customers? Give people lunch options!
Initially came for the nigiri combo, but their side dishes are super solid.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Assorted Nigiri and Maki Sushi Platter, Beef Kushiyaki
Super good food. As always we had good time. Amazing service!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Let me say that after living in Japan this was still some of the best sushi I've ever had! The food was made quickly and expertly. Service wen above and beyond. The atmosphere was great! 6 out 5 would recommend to anyone!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good food. Note: they have a nigiri platter that can be choice of 7 pcs or omakase along with a roll. The portions are half the size of typical nigiri.
Chicken karage is very good, has good seasoning in the batter
Seafood ceviche was mainly shrimp.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Amazing experience. Super knowledgeable and so much fun. Can’t recommend enough!! Try all the sake!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hakkai is a weird place. The concept and the ideas are great, almost formed with a success equation for the Bay Area. Innovative Japanese tapas, sushi at a great price, a jolly bar-like dark atmosphere with cozy local vibes. I mean what could possible be wrong? And most of the reviews mention this but I want to be very specific here.
If it wasn't for the cheaper price (although not that cheap), I would've given Hakkai 2.5 stars at max. So what's wrong?
If you ever wondered how big sushis would be if it was made by hobbits, you have come to the right place. The sushis are like 60% size of regular sushis. It was almost comical to see this and I couldn't believe my eyes. I wasn't sure whether they were going for the cute look. But again, the portions were tiny. I guess it is their way of keeping the price a bit low?
Same goes for other dishes. The tapas were priced $15+ yet all the portions were ridiculously tiny. I really thought it was a playset for American Girl. Not sure what is going on here. The flavors were decent. But boy they are small. And the fried shrimp (that comes with the amaebi tapa) was cold. Clearly they pre-fried it in batch. Just not acceptable.
And we had this pan fried udon. Decent flavor but again, the udon was so dry. It was absolutely clear they had pre-cooked this and let it sit.
I'm all about value. But I feel Hakkai has cut too many corners to make the numbers work. I won't be returning. It's just not worth my time. For the budget conscious, you may want to give it a try. Not for me.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Great sushi & tapas spot with excellent value for money. The nigiri combo is absolutely unbeatable — 7 pieces of nigiri plus chef’s choice maki rolls for just $25. The fish is very fresh and well-seasoned, which really makes each bite shine.
Highly recommend the sake clams and scallop dishes — both were flavorful and well executed. The sizzling beef plate was tasty too, though slightly on the salty side for my personal preference.
Overall, a fantastic place for quality sushi at a competitive price. Definitely coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Found Hakkai Sushi on TikTok and decided to try it because of their affordable omakase, and I am so glad we did. Loved this spot.
It is conveniently located right next to a 7-Eleven with plenty of parking, which is always a plus. The interior has a dark, warm, cozy ambiance that feels intimate but not stuffy. We made a reservation, and it is definitely recommended since they also had a waitlist when we arrived.
The omakase was solid from start to finish. Everything tasted fresh, well balanced, and thoughtfully prepared. Every piece of sushi was good with no filler courses, and the pacing was just right. The sake selection was also great and paired really nicely with the meal.
Overall, this is an excellent value for omakase, especially for the quality you are getting. A great spot for a low key date night or a casual splurge without breaking the bank. Would definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: O Toro Nigiri 2pcs, Nigiri Combo Chef's Choice, Hamachi Nigiri 2pcs, Tuna Lover Roll
Restaurantji Recommends
4.5 stars
We made reservations and our table was ready for us when we got there. It wasn’t too busy at 7PM on a Saturday night but it definitely got full around 8PM.
There were a lot of tapa options and we opted for scallops and shishito peppers. The shishito peppers had some heat and was perfectly seasoned. The scallops were also good. It was 2 scallops with a squash base and roasted beets on the side. They were both delicious.
The $25 nigiri and maki combo was a good value. We liked that you can choose your own or chefs choice. The rice was perfectly seasoned and the fish was very fresh. The options for rolls were more limited but the ones that we ordered were very flavorful and creative.
The service was very friendly but it felt like they were short staffed since there were 2 waiters for the whole restaurant. We had to flag and wait for a while for things, but they were very friendly.
The restaurant had a nice vibe with some TVs and it wasn’t too loud even when it was full.
Overall we had a delicious meal. Some of the menu items were a little pricey for what you get but I definitely recommend the nigiri combo.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Good rolls and sashimi, (almost) inedible chawanmushi, greasy brussel sprouts, bland mentaiko udon. Good service, decent casual bar-ish atmosphere. Good beer selection. Not great value overall though sadly.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Hands down our favorite sushi spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is great , highly suggest giving it a try.
We showed up on New Years day at 2:10 not realizing they closed at 2:30, we were going to leave but they encouraged us to come in and eat and they would stay open until 3 for us. We told them we would eat quickly .
The place is pretty unassuming being located next to a 7-11 but it is quite spacious inside and really clean! We had a hamachi carpaccio which was just delightful and super fresh. The Brussels sprouts were PERFECT, a quick fry and just a dash of salt and pepper , really amazing. We were going to order chicken karaage but the server suggested this sizzling ribeye dish that was out of this world, I could've had 3. Also had a toro roll which was really nice as well.
Looking forward to coming back to this place and enjoying some Sake and hanging out for a while, everyone was super hospitable and nice . Can't wait to try other dishes as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a little gem. The salad was best I’ve had in years and the chefs choice sushi was truly fantastic. Cost was super reasonable too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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