50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Saratoga

“This place is the real deal - they've got servers rocking kimonos that'll transport you straight to Edo-era Japan. Book on OpenTable to snag a spot.
?14417 Big Basin Way, Saratoga
This was actually my second time here - first time was back when they were in Burlingame. Gotta say, I preferred the OG spot. More food, longer experience, you know how it is.
?Every time I do omakase or kaiseki, I swear it's like a spa day for my taste buds. Perfect recharge after traveling!
Highlights:
Jw5 aperitif sake to kick things off
ODash appetizer soup served in a wine glass - looks like white wine but packs a punch with that 5-year aged broth
Sakizuke tofu with fish roe - silky smooth tofu + salty roe = happy mouth
Otsukuri sashimi - fresh but nothing mind-blowing
YakiMono grilled eel - salt-cured eel with morels was ?
SunoMono seafood jelly salad - my fave! Creamy yam, shrimp, uni, edible flowers. Texture for days.
Seasonal Gohan - Hokkaido A5 wagyu over rice. Tiny portion but that certificate-worthy beef tho!
Desserts were on point - loved the caramel mochi cake with soy milk powder
Overall, presentation was fire and the vibe was transporting. Wish there was a bit more food and some bolder flavors, but still a solid kaiseki experience. Who's ready for their omakase fix?“

“Enjoy the slow moments and dining experience with authentic Japanese flavors here. Chef Suzuki is a master chef. They have been around 10+ years and have loyal customers. Make reservations as it is a small setting, you are not likely able to just walk-in.

Here is what I tried and I recommend them as representative and rare dishes in the Bay Area:
mentaiko isobe maki
assorted tempura
karasumi zosui
amaebi, otoro, uni nigiri
tomoshichi nigori junmai
Saba no aka-miso ni
hirame sashimi
purin w/ a candle for a bday

On the menu, it says you have to be invited to try a omakase experience from the chef. Somehow, someday I will get there.“

“I have known the Korean waitress since the E 3rd Avenue, San Mateo location days. Extremely friendly waitress. Food portion is always generous and decent quality. I have been to both locations but sadly, the San Mateo location doesn't exist anymore.“

“I was here for a music event, and my group didn't know what to eat. We found this place online and went to get some food. Eric, our sever was AMAZING! Such a sweet guy, and was always coming back to our table to make sure we were having a good time refilling out waters and adding more broth when needed. Give that man a raise!!“

“This is the best chicken karage curry that I've every had. You get a ton of food for the money. Chicken is super crispy and served over sticky rice. Curry in a separate container and some pickled veg on the side. Really balanced curry flavor (not too sweet, not too spicy). This makes for a really nice take-out dinner!“

“I've been coming to this place since they first opened, and they've been amazing every time. My wife has a serious avocado allergy, and the staff here always handle it with care, which I really appreciate. The prices are great, and the food is even better, always fresh and made just right. It's my go-to spot for date nights because everything from the food to the service is top-notch. The manager is especially awesome, super friendly and always makes an effort to check in with customers. Hands down, my favorite sushi spot in San Jose!“

“Amazing food 🍱 Great Service“

“friendly staff, monstrous upon great broth“

“Good ambience, great food. Loved the family vibe. Feels like eating in a cozy eatery in Osaka.“

“love this cute place . tempura veggies crunchy.all fresh , great service.“

“Love this place, they have the best fried tofu and service is fast!“

“Try a great family owned Sushi Restaraunt in Campbell. Easy access from San Tomas Expressway“

“Food is always fresh and delicious. There’s always a variety of specials every week besides their main menu items. It’s easy to place an order and pickup. Try it; it will become your main takeout restaurant like it has become ours!“

“Our first time here and everything was delicious! We had the garlic edamame, salmon express and the spicy tails rolls and the salmon with lemon dill nigiri. So good!“

“The service is outstanding, the broth is.. understated (don't drown the meat in a separate flavor), and the sauces/accessory items are god-tier. I've never even had soft serve ice cream this good. Not a single ice crystal in the ice cream!

Get the Sukiyaki broth. Spicy miso would seem like the most flavorful, but our group agreed Sukiyaki is better. Want spicy? Grab the infinite Thai chilis at the bar and add to the soup.

Also ponzu-garlic-onion is the best sauce. Fight me! Raw egg (pasteurized) is crazy good too if the flavors get too overwhelming.

I didn't even talk about the meats! Yeah wagyu is great, oyster is great, crab is meh, shrimp (sashimi and platter) is whoah, abalone isn't my thing (it's just all natural fish cake?). Bone marrow was surprisingly not my favorite for a first time experience.

Membership pays for itself after two visits. Get it!“

“Great food and experience!“

“Fantastic atmosphere, I was so surprised as I did not expect such a cool experience just from looking at the place from the outside. Outside gives nice and elegant too, but the inside decor is stellar.

Great food, prices!

Salmon Sashimi was so fresh and nicely cut, very generous sushi special - eel was great -- , gyoza fried perfectly, niku udon delicious.

Fast service great atmosphere!“

“We dined at their SM North Edsa branch. Good food. 👌 Crews were accommodating. 💯“

“This place is great for those who want to transport to Japan and have some authentic yakitori. It closes a couple hours later than the other yakitori restaurant in Milpitas. We went on a Tuesday night and there was plenty of parking. We ordered the chicken heart, liver, and our favorite the gizzards. For drinks, we ordered Asahi draft and the sake carafe. Overall, it was a nice quiet atmosphere, privacy seating due to the walled booths, and the waitress was very friendly and helpful in case we had questions about certain menu items.“

“Great food, fast service!“

“Ended up going here by chance and very happy we did! All the ingredients were prepared to perfection, good quality and fresh. We ended up sharing one box between the two of us for lunch as it is a fairly sized portion for one box. The staff was patient, well spoken and helpful. Definitely going here again and I hope they open more branches in south bay!“

“Efficient service, delicious sushi and Saki.“

“Everything great except for the pork 😔“

“The biggest difference compared to izakayas in Japan? Last call is at 8:30 PM -- way too early! Most izakayas in Japan stay open until midnight or later, so this felt a bit rushed.

That said, overall it was a solid experience, and the bill was lower than I expected for the amount and quality of food. I'll definitely be back -- just a bit earlier next time!“

“Great menu and terrific service. You will not be disappointed!“

“Went to Udon Mugizo with my family tonight on New Year’s Eve. Our food arrived within 5-15 minutes, which was must faster than expected, especially on a holiday. The beef combo and Niku Udon didn’t have a lot of meat or vegetables. The service was incredibly good, and we even chatted with our server!“

“They are wonderful people with a genuine care for serving food lovingly, they have a good amount of vegetarian options. Loved the housemade udon noodles and the litchi beer they serve. Best best people ever we stayed over 45 mins past their closing time and they had zero complaints, I absolutely love this place“

“We went early as they opened and service was quick and straight to the point. The lady who helped was very helpful and efficient checking up on us.

The food was great and really enjoyed their sushi despite not liking seafood very much. My favorite entree from this is the Ton Katsu that includes Miso Soup, Salad and White Rice.

The atmosphere was great nothing too fancy but very authentic. The important part was it being clean and it very much was!

Highly recommend just make sure you arrive while they are open cause their hours are strict.“

“Tried this sushi place and really enjoyed it! Everything was fresh and full of flavor. The salmon nigiri was buttery and smooth, and the Sahara roll was packed with taste. We also had the tempura, and it was perfectly crispy — not greasy at all. You can tell they use quality ingredients. We’ll definitely be coming back!“

“Among the best Japanese food in Mountain View/Los Altos/Palo Alto area.“

“I never review restaurants but if you are reading this, I’m really hungry right now….and just wanted to share to my food people, that Kyoto Palace Japanese Steakhouse is the best Japanese restaurant I still have ever been to and my favorite restaurant growing up as a kid… #1 miso soup and salad are just never the same anywhere else..the same chef Jose that would make roosters with the scrambled eggs still works there over 20 years later..If I had yelp or seriously reviewed restaurants I would 10/10 them for never changing a single thing about this place. Just sharing for my food friends keep scrolling if you don’t care about this post 🙂“

“Quality, fresh variety of raw sashimi. The Omasake Sashimi, Kaisen Don, and Golden Hand Roll options are showstoppers!“

“Sashimi lunch was super fresh, properly cut into same-sized pieces not too small, only minus was it didn't come with shiso leaf/leaves. Service was good. Depicted is sashimi lunch special, which also had rice on the side, March 2025 price about $27.“

“YUM! We love Rokko! Lovely restaurant, great food and a wonderful staff. Happy we have this restaurant in DT Sunnyvale. 😀“

“Yoshi Sushi has several locations in the Bay Area which all of them are so consistent with quality and customer service! I have been to the San Jose one and now I have decided to try the one in Los Altos. Parking was very easy as they have a spacious parking lot in front of the restaurant!

Upon walking in, we were warmly greeted by the host and directed the QR code for ordering. I love the QR code ordering system because it includes all the pictures of the items! There was so many options on the menu and it was hard to choose since everything looked so good! We ended up ordering 3 rolls, 1 dream box, and a smoking salmon sashimi which was perfect for 3 friends to share! My favorite was the giants roll and dream box! The slices of fish in the dream box were huge and it also came with some uni too! After eating the huge buttery slices in the dream box, I will be surely having dreams about sushi in my sleep!

We Ordered:
1x Kamikaze Roll - so yummy, a little spicy
1x Smoking Salmon Sashimi- loved the smoke show, sashimi tasted smoky yummy
1x Giants Roll- as a salmon lover, i enjoyed this so much
1x Dinosaur Roll- reminds me of a dragon roll, but better
1x Dream Box- my most favorite, the slices of fish were huge and so buttery“

“I really liked this food. While it took a bit of time for it to come out, it came out hot and fresh. I got the curry hambak, which is more or less a hamburger patty with demiglace sauce along with the curry sauce and the rice and vegetables. The taste of it all was really good. And it was also really filling. Overall very satisfying. I also like Hmart so the atmosphere was good too.“

“This place is fantastic. Great food. Staff. It is located in boulder creek. I order the dragon roll. So yummm“

“Sushi O Sushi is amazing!! We usually drop in for lunch and a couple times for dinner. We get the bento boxes with teryaki chicken, California rolls, and sashimi (tuna or salmon) the miso soup is great and the salad with that delicious dressing is perfect. We always stop here and you shoukd definitely give it a try.“

“Best sushi we’ve had in years. Fresh, generous slices, delicious, beautiful presentation. And rolls made with real crab. (No overbearing sauces.) These lovely people deserve to feel proud of this quiet restaurant. Friendly comfortable casual outdoor seating. We were there on a weekday. The waiter brought a bowl of water for the nice dog sitting at the next table. Thank you!“

“Great food and very tasty!! Staff are very friendly!! Highly recommended!!!“

“Food is delicious. I recommend the garlic beef or the spicy garlic beef.

It can get a little smokey inside due to the sizzling plates, which I wish they invested a bit more in the ventilation.

It shares a lot with several other businesses, so at busy times, it can be hard to find parking“

“It was a delight and joy to have chef Steve to prepare our meal. My wife and I ate everything that was prepared for us and the food was absolutely amazing. Great flavors and fresh ingredients. The scallop was to die for. Uni was heavenly, that it melts in your mouth. Uni is not something my wife like or enjoy but she loved it the way chef Steve pair with other ingredients. Once again thanks chef Steve for the fabulous dining experiences.“

“We had a great lunch, so yummy and fresh foods. We love the taste so much especially their garlic rice very recommendable to all of you guys who wants to try a japanese food that’s really satisfied your cravings, so come and dine in.“

“I love ❤️ to meet my friends here for private gatherings to plot steps fit really big and bold new ideas. My preference is for the 7:17 (give or take) omakase at the bar followed by a night meeting around a square or round table. Each person has two people to talk to at the bar (Me - Jeff- Elon - Mark - Lauren - Priscilla - Sergey- - Larry - Larry - plus 4 additional guests if others can attend - Camelia Me 12 Camelia Typically my wife returns home early by Lyft or Uber but I stay out later and sometimes overnight in Woodside at a suitable location.“

“Got 3 types of okonomiyaki, yakisoba and curry katsu for a party of 5, more than enough food. Favorite okonomiyaki was the ebi (shrimp). Flavorful and not too heavy. The seafood one was a little too heavy with the amount of mayo added. The katsu and yakisoba we're alright. Service was good, friendly waiters! Wait on a Saturday night at 7 was around 15 min.“

“A sub brand inside Fugetsu. They make all the rice balls and some bento.

Rice balls are good.. but they're missing the seaweed wrapper for some reason (compared to every other place including Clover Bakery next door) and the price is higher in exchange for more/better fillings.

Just ate the tonkatsu roll. Amazing. $5 well spent lol.“

“I ordered the oyakudon. I liked. It's actually used chicken katsu and not grilled chicken. The katsu was moist which is good. The sauce however was too salty and not sweety enough. Probably not enough mirin which makes it sweeter or they put too much soy sauce in the sauce. Otherwise, perfect.“

“Very authentic flavors, reminded me of the times I ate at the ryoutei style restaurants in Japan! サーモンハラスの塩焼き - Grilled salmon belly 生うどん - Fresh udon noodle soup ユズ香る茶碗蒸し - Egg custard with yuzu with crab sauce on top イイダコの唐揚げ - Deep fried mini octopus“

“Ambiance ✅️ Food ✅️ Service ✅️“