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Almaden Sushi
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese
6477 Almaden ExpySan Jose, CA 95120
(408) 997-2024
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 2 pm
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
63 reviews for Almaden Sushi
Review Highlights
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"Also, the salmon nigiri was soooo delicious." In 3 reviews -
"The place had a sleek contemporary japanese vibe." In 8 reviews -
"My husband tried a Rainbow Roll, some mixed fish roll, etc..." In 2 reviews
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63 reviews in English
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Review from Jillina C.
San Jose, CA
5/6/2012
This place is very small, only about 10 tables. We had to wait for 10 minutes for a table on a weeknight, but hey, that's a good sign too, right?
I was happy with the overall service, and the food was great! Food took a little while to arrive, but maybe that's because they were busy? I will come back, it's hard to find a good sushi place in San Jose, especially in the south bay! -
Review from Kelly B.
San Jose, CA
5/14/2012 5 Check-ins Here
This place is just ok to me. I expected to be totally wowed, but I wasn't.
Let me preface by saying I am vegetarian. We usually head over to Santa Cruz for our Sushi fix - the rolls over there are not only freaking fantastic, they're very inexpensive as sushi goes. And they have many more vegetarian and vegan options.
I had a cold Udon salad and a veggie roll. The veggie roll was good, but basic. The Udon salad was ok - noodles were kinda on the chewy side and there was way more dressing than necessary which left me underwhelmed. Veggies were fresh and crunchy, though.
For those with ordinary or basic sushi tastes/needs, this place should be right up your alley. I think it is great to have in Almaden, but people here are easy to please because there isn't much down this way.
Prices are ok. Not expensive but not cheap.
Ambiance: Nice inside, but with very few customers it was not necessary to have the contemporary music turned up so loud. The acoustics in the dining area were such that amplified the music, and it was difficult to have a conversation without being loud.
Service: Good, prompt. Waitress spoke very softly and she was hard to hear over the music, and then she had a hard time hearing your order over the music.
Hubby discovered a hair in one of his rolls had ended up lodged in his gums (he has no hair, so it wasn't his own). That was pretty gross and that alone may deter us from returning, unless we are summoned to eat there by family (my parents love it here).
Overall, we will be heading over to Santa Cruz to get our sushi fix from now on. -
Review from Kathleen N.
San Jose, CA
4/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nice try, Almaden Sushi.
The place has an extensive menu, ranging from your standard udon soup to bentos to my favorite -- a selection of Americanized sushi rolls. My friend and I shared three rolls: Crazy, Giants, and Playboy. (Now take out the commas and conjunction for a chuckle.) The rolls were average with good raw fish, but slightly dry sushi rice. Wasn't a big fan of the "Playboy" roll, because the so-called seared albacore suffered from over-searing and became rubbery & dry. Yeck.
Not so memorable (or when it was, for the wrong reasons) nor was it mind-blowing...but I must give it to them for sticking out their neck in this part town given how deserted the area is. Within a 3 mile radius, this is the best place to satisfy your sushi craving. Unfortunately, it's not on the way or near anywhere I would frequent so I won't be coming back for this average joint.Listed in: Sushi!
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Review from Stella L.
San Jose, CA
3/26/2012
My absolute favorite sushi place closed about a year ago, so my hubby and I went searching for a new place in South San Jose with atmosphere and quality similar to our old place.
We tried Ariake Sushi - and were disgusted and disappointed.
We tried ChaCha, and while the quality was good, we just knew this wasn't going to be our place.
We thought we'd be set at the Fish Market, but it turns out the cooked fish is better than the sashimi there!
FINALLY, we found Almaden Sushi. It was here where we found the quality and the atmosphere we were looking for.
The servers are really nice, we love sitting at the bar, drinknig and chatting up the sushi chefs (when they aren't super busy!) and best of all, its less than 10 minutes from home!
Thank goodness for Almaden Sushi. If I'm craving some quality sahimi, I know I can always get it here. -
Review from Alecia R.
Campbell, CA
Updated - 3/4/2012 6 Check-ins Here
As much as i thought i liked this place i have repeatedly been let down by the service provided.
Last time I called in for a pick up order (two days ago) i ordered the dragon roll and house salad... i was told it would be ready in 20 min.. i gave them a bit of extra time (will explain why in my next paragraph) came by to pick up my food.. got home only to be majorly disappointing by what i saw.. instead of giving me the house salad with everything that it usually comes with including dressing all i got was a box full of LETTUCE!.. i was tempted to call and point it out to them .. but what good would it do unless they were willing to drive to my house with a brand new salad with dressing... MAJOR disappointment.. salad got tossed in the trash untouched... as for the roll ..it was good nothing special though
the time before last i also placed an order although it took me a good 20 minutes before someone answered the phone .. ordered 2 rolls and a salad.. i was told to come in about 25-30 minutes.. i arrived exactly 30 minutes later only to wait for another 40 MINUTES!!! .. at one point i was ready to ask for a refund and get food else where since the wait all together was over an hour and all for 2 rolls.. not worth it... in addition to the ridiculous wait the food was major disappointment.. the fish on my giant roll was super fishy .. i have never had it taste like that the fish must not have been in the freshest state that day or at least that cut.
In addition ive noticed that most of the staff seems pretty clueless as the first few weeks they were opened.. of course that was something i overlooked considering the pace was so new.. yet by now every single employee should know how to do their job .. with the exception of one guy with glasses he seems to know how to work all stations
Overall after being let down so many times i think its time for me to find a new place to get my sushi fix.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/28/2011
This place has it all..
Amazing FRESH sushi and sashimi... check
The best chicken teriyaki Ive… Read more »
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Review from Nina H.
Cypress, CA
3/28/2012
On my recent trip to San Jose, me and the gang were looking for a place to eat when we found this on yelp. We weren't really sure what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised by the overall experience! I can't really speak for the to-go since we ate in, but for the amount of people, service was quick. Our waiter, the dude with the glasses, made sure to check on us throughout the night. As for the rolls, I think I had the Super Crunch (crunch roll with spicy tuna) which was DELICIOUS--they are not at all stingy with their tempura, I'll tell you that. The names of the other rolls I tried escapes me, but everything tasted great.
Over all, it was about a four-star experience,but the fact that our waiter was willing to make me an iced-green tea (not on the menu) has me feeling generous-will definitely stop by again next time I'm in the area.
ps: If you're having trouble finding it, the name from outside just says "Sushi." I had a bit of a heehee at that. -
Review from Elyssa R.
San Jose, CA
5/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is my new favorite sushi place! I've tried several different sushi rolls and my favorites are the crunch california, super dynamite, and go-go. It's not too pricey with rolls ranging from 6.95 and up. You will not be disappointed!
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Review from Brian W.
San Jose, CA
4/29/2012
The portions are generous and tasty. The staff is friendly, and make guests feel at home, which is appropriate for the home style feeling of the food. Presentation is occasionally uneven, and the dishes sometimes vary from visit to visit, but it mainly adds to the charm. I enjoy their X-File Roll and Crunchy Red Dragon -- oddly showy California-influenced creations which I'd never encountered during my decade in Japan.
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Review from Jennifer K.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 3/18/2012
Went back again and it was a lot better this time around.
I had a few different types of nigiri. It was so-so. But I've decided I really like their miso soup!
Service was quick, but the fish was still average in terms of freshness, so I'll give out one more star.Listed in: Sushi for the Soul
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/11/2012
I don't think this place was particularly great or bad. It was just so-so.
Went for lunch with the… Read more »
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Review from Allen T.
San Jose, CA
2/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Almaden Sushi.....name seems a bit scary right...I mean this sushi has to be catered for non-asians, right? And on top of that it took away the spot Mountain Mikes use to occupy...the memories of pizza and street fighter for me in in high school. So I was skeptical at first.
I walk in and the restaurant is very nice. They have a couple of Sushi Chefs who look like they have sliced up some fish in their life time. I order the Sashimi dinner and my eating companions order tempura and teriyaki. Everything here tasted pretty awesome. The fish was very fresh and tasted great. The Tempura was battered perfectly. The Teriyaki was very good as well....well at the least the Salmon one was...my friend ordered her beef teriyaki well done...and well..it was well done...but that kind of meat doesn't taste well done....so I won't put that on them.
The prices here are reasonable to othe Japanese restaurants.....its around 13-17 dollars for a bento box...which isn't ridiculous cheap or expensive...
I Think this is a great addition to Almaden Valley and recommend it -
Review from Amanda N.
San Jose, CA
1/26/2012 8 Check-ins Here
This place is super duper tasty.
They do close early like 9:30 or 10:00pm or something crazy (bf and I like to eat on the later side), so make sure you are there with enough time to order and eat, otherwise you can feel the eyes on you hoping you're almost done near closing time.
Our first time here we shut the place down, but the quality of our meal was amazing. They have a great sake selection and their list of specialty rolls has many with REAL CRAB, not that fake crappy KRAB you'll find at any of the places that end in the word boat.
This place has amazing rolls, and their TORO is out of this world amazing.
This place is a great place for date night. The tables are cozy, and even the sushi bar is a fun place to sit.
Beware they are closed on sunday, so you'll have to find another place for your Sunday night sushi fix. -
Review from Nessa M.
San Jose, CA
4/11/2012
This was such a bad experience that I seriously don't understand why people bother. I called in an order and I SPECIFICALLY asked for Teriyaki chicken over a bed of white rice, nothing else. The lady kept telling me bento box options and I REPEATEDLY said no until finally I thought she understood that all I wanted was bed of rice with chicken. She even repeated my order and IT WAS STILL WRONG. I hardly eat out and when I do I want to make sure I get what I pay money for but instead they gave me whatever they wanted. To top it off when I went in to pick it up the lady that was ringing me up was rude and just was like hurrying me up. It sucks because this place is right next to where I live and it's a shame that it sucks monkey balls. So unpleased. I even called to just let them know what had happened because I was that annoyed.
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Review from Linh V.
San Jose, CA
2/29/2012
This place is okay. Reading all the yelp reviews I expected better.
The service was good. The restaurant was clean. The atmosphere was peaceful.
My boyfriend & I ordered the Orange Blossom, Giant and Chicken Udon. The rolls were good, but not the best thing ever. The udon was really salty. I like how on their menu, next to some rolls they put, "imitation" crab.
I'll probably be back to try new rolls & update my review. -
Review from Michelle P.
San Jose, CA
1/23/2012
Excellent restaurant!
I love their Almaden Expressway roll and Orange Blossom roll. The tempura udon, green team ice cream, and complementary edamame were all very yummy too. Good portions and quality. -
Review from Sharon I.
San Jose, CA
2/25/2012
This place is always crowded and busy, so I usually take it to-go. It's in a great location, as I can get some grocery shopping done while waiting for my order to be processed.
Their food is pretty good. I mean...it IS almaden. You can't expect the freshest sushi or authentic Japanese dishes as the place is Korean-owned. It has met my standards in regards to my expectations of cute little hole-in-the-wall sushi places sandwiched inbetween a dry cleaner and an oily fast food chinese restaurant.
They could use a little more variety in the sushi roll section (like rolls with soy paper) and I always have to specially order my hamachi (yellow tail) handroll ... yellowtail is one of the more popular fishes, I don't know why they don't have it in there. Also, the handroll comes drenched in sriracha sauce if I don't remember to tell them not to do that. Makes me feel like they're trying to hide the unfreshness of the sashimi.
All in all this place is adequate to satiate my ever-so-constant sushi cravings until I can get myself down to L.A. to REALLY curb my sushi hunger.
It would've been 3 stars for the food quality and selection, but I gave them one extra for being 5 minutes away. -
Review from Esther Y.
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place replaced Mountain Mike's in the Almaden Plaza and it's definitely a welcome addition! My high school friends and I were just complaining about how there were no cool places for people to hang out in Almaden, but this is 2011. Blossom Hill and Almaden Expwy have changed DRAMATICALLY and you kids these days need to appreciate what you and your upper middle class families got!
With that said, I'm at least grateful there are places for my high school friends and I to hang out and run into other old high school friends when we come back to the area for holidays and such.
This sushi restaurant opened in 2011 and seem to be Korean-owned (I'm only guessing because I went to the bathroom and heard Korean being spoken by everyone in the kitchen). They completely transformed Mountain Mike's pizza into this gorgeous modern little sushi bar.
The sashimi itself seemed quite fresh and the chicken teriyaki is one of the most popular items on the menu here. The lunch bento specials are a great deal and good, and their udons meet the mark as well. Portion sizes are not too bad for the average person.
Friendly staff and typical/reasonable prices here. Welcome, Almaden Sushi! -
Review from E. H.
Los Gatos, CA
4/27/2012
The Tiger Eye speacialty roll is one of the best rolls I have ever had. The service was excellent, the fish was super fresh, and the fried selections were not overly oily. I will definitely be a regular and highly recommend if you are in the area.
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Review from Sharon D.
San Jose, CA
1/28/2012 1 photo
Love their deluxe sushi platter. YUM. Very fresh, the decor of the place is unexpectedly nice, as it's in a Safeway shopping center.
Service was fast and courteous. -
Review from Joyce J.
3/8/2012
I believe this is a Korean owned sushi place so I tried their kalbi. The kalbi was decent but the portion is not great when you order it in the lunch box combo. The lunch combo is a fair deal. You get to pick two items and it came with salad and miso soup. There is also a three items lunch combo. I picked California roll as my second item because I was feel adventurous. Overall, I thought the food was decent but unremarkable. The environment is clean and comfortable. The service was amicable. So I would go again and see if I would be inclined to up my ratings then.
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Review from Jean B.
San Jose, CA
3/30/2012
Pleasant dining room, attentive yet not overbearing service, top-quality sushi. Try the X Roll -- delicate and delicious! A keeper.
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Review from Grace L.
Berkeley, CA
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Too bad this place is so far and kind of in the middle of nowhere. But its such a cute place, great ambience and the owners and chefs are really nice.
Rolls are a bit tiny, I can usually get full off one specialty roll at most places but I had to get another one tonight, haha. Fish was fresh and the rolls were tasty! And complimentary edamame beans!
Great place to go if you're in the area! -
Review from Dimi A.
San Jose, CA
11/29/2011
Wow. How did this place end up in Almaden?
Been twice now and have been completely suprised by this little place. The special rolls are delicious, even the cooked ones. Since I'm pregnant, I can't partake in raw fish :( but the selection here is good and still tastes good. I ordered a baked salmon over california roll, and a crunchy tempura with avocado type roll. I've had both these rolls at Cha-Cha and TGI Sushi and, incredibly, the cooked rolls were better here.
My husband tried a Rainbow Roll, some mixed fish roll, etc and all have been good. He did state that the fish pieces could be a bit thicker. Prices are in the norm $7-12 or so.
The mixed tempura was very good and fresh. The gyoza are good, but small. I remember thinking that the miso soup was way overpriced which is why I didn't order it - it was $2.50 I think.
Atmosphere is nice, wait staff is young but attentive and you can tell the people that work there (maybe the owners) really want people to come back. Give it a try!
A couple extra notes:
This place is way better than Umi Sushi, which in my opinion, was just not good at all.
To the reviewer that complained about the to-go service and gave the restaurant 1 star only on service alone ("So sad because I see all these glowing reviews but now I realize they are mostly talking about the food"). Reviews of restaurants should include a word or two about the food. It's a restaurant, not a take-out counter. Second, I seriously doubt that it took them over 40 minutes to get your order ready while you shopped at Safeway and Ace and then didn't apologize. -
Review from teena y.
San Carlos, CA
10/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Thanks Yelp for letting me find a good Japanese restaurant around the area.
I'm giving this place an extra star because of the service I received. I put in a phone order while driving and the guy was very patient with me (even when the phone would cut out which I know can be a bit annoying) I even changed my mind while making the order and he was really cool about it. When I got there, the food was ready (20 minutes) and he saw that my hands were full and offered to take the food out for me. Thanks John!! (I think that was his name - the person who works at the front)
I ordered the following: Chicken Katsu Lunch (comes w/miso soup and salad) - it was good and the portion was enough for me. Tempera Udon (there were about 4-5 pieces of tempura) Wish there were more, but it was good. Overall sushi was good: Negi Maki, Almaden Exp. (Shrimp tempura roll and cucumber topped with avocado, eel, and tobiko), negi hamachi maki, and the salmon skin hand roll.
To go orders are always hard to rate vs eating it fresh at the restaurant, but my friends loved it! -
Review from Nik G.
Morgan Hill, CA
4/26/2012
Not bad place for a sushi fix in the Almaden area. Average service... Good sushi. Prices average. Nothing super exciting, nothing terrible.
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Review from Sam S.
Irvine, CA
4/24/2012
Visited recently, awesome, fresh food! You want a quality sushi, this is the place in this area! Great job Almaden Sushi!
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Review from Elizabeth V.
San Jose, CA
9/11/2011
When this place finally opened I was very happy to have a sushi place close to home. I thought that it might be expensive like the other sushi place near by (Showgi Japanese Seafood Restaurant), but their prices are actually pretty decent. Their sushi here is pretty fresh. I have been here a handful of times and not once has it tasted fishy. If I was rating just the sushi I would give it 4 stars because it is really fresh. I take away 1 star on their sushi because they don't have any really really unique rolls that I would crave and last few times I went the pieces seem small.
I ended up giving them 3 stars because their service isn't all that great. It took a long time to get our rolls when we dined in. Also both times we ordered out it took a long time. They say your order will be ready in like 10-15 but really it is like 20-30.
I didn't take away a star for this but one of the sushi bar guys likes to talk a lot and was talking sh*t about the university I attend. Yeah....that wasn't that cool considering he didn't go to a super awesome school himself but whatever I guess. -
Review from Mike L.
San Jose, CA
28 years I have lived in the area and can finally say we have a pretty legit sushi restaurant in the neighborhood! For those of you that moved away, this restaurant has taken the spot of the old Mt. Mike's Pizzeria.
I may upgrade this to 5 stars but I didn't order enough to really see how great their menu is, but from what I can tell, this is a winner winner chicken dinner. Speaking of which, I ordered the chicken teriyaki dinner with tempura. Also a spicy tuna roll, sake maki, and california rolls. whose fat? this guy!
The chicken teriyaki was awesome. They didn't douse it in sauce and that makes sense with the way they cooked the chicken breast. The most tender I have ever found, better than my favorite Japanese restaurants in Campbell like Michi Sushi, and Sushi Zono. I know no one gets excited about chicken teriyaki, niether do i, so the fact that this dish stood out speaks volumes about the quality and prep of this common dish.
The california rolls were a good deal. 6 pieces for 4 bucks, they are 'two bites and they are gone' size. I prefer this to the Ariaki sushi restaurant where they pump the cali rolls with growth hormones and a single piece is the size of your fist. gross. The spicy tuna rolls was good, didn't need wasabi to chase it down like I do at other restaurants.
The fact is, I would usually make the 30 minute round trip drive to campbell when grabbing japanese take out, but this restaurant changes everything. This is like when facebook came out and the myspace executives pooped themselves because they were about to lose a big chunk of the market share. Its the same thing here. Almaden residents have a great local option now and we should rally behind it before it gets replaced by lets say a Mt. Mike's Pizzeria. -
Review from Mingming C.
Portland, OR
7/21/2011
Josh is the master sushi chef
get the Cucumber salad! -
Review from Kaitlyn B.
San Jose, CA
12/27/2011
Finally went here today and had a great experience. I don't like fish, or raw fish, so I didn't actually have any sushi, but what I did have was awesome - chicken teriyaki, gyoza, salad, miso soup. It was reasonably priced and great service! The staff was extremely kind and accommodating and the restaurant interior is really nice. Will definitely come back again!
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Review from Maggie P.
Santa Clara, CA
9/27/2011
After my old stand-by (Umi Sushi) closed, I have been without a sushi place. I finally found a replacement! The rolls were awesome, the prices were good, the atmosphere was acceptable.
Our group had a tuna and jalapeno fried roll, unagi, salmon and edamame - all of which were fantastic.
I will make this a regular for me and anyone else that wants good sushi should heed the suggestion!! -
Review from Catherine K.
San Jose, CA
7/14/2011
Dinner Tuesday night was awesome! We had the GoGo roll, Saki (salmon), Spicy Hamachi handroll and California Roll. All were fresh and delicious!!! Love that I can walk from home.
The only complaint is that the wait staff seemed a bit disorganized as three of them asked to seat us then two came to take our order. -
Review from Margaret C.
San Jose, CA
8/5/2011 5 photos
Almaden lacks yummy restaurants, but I'm glad to have this restaurant open up in my neighborhood! :)
Their menu is pretty extensive that I couldn't decide what to get. I wanted to get everything...
We ended up ordering the Giant, Caterpillar, and Lion King Roll.
They all tasted great - fresh and delicious.
Service was great. I thought it was nice how they asked us if we wanted to split the bill at the end of the meal without us even having to ask.
I will definitely be back to try out the other things on the menu! -
Review from Shehryar S.
San Jose, CA
7/22/2011
Leland High School boys must be thrilled that they finally have a respectable place to take a date in Almaden. This area desperately needed a nice place to eat and Almaden Sushi rose up to the challenge. The casual sushi eater will not be disappointed.
What I ordered:
Sushi Combo #1 - 5 pieces mixed nigiri (Chef's choice) + 6 california rolls. I'm not sure if it comes standard for everyone, but I also got a salad and bowl of miso soup while I waited for my order.
Quality:
I judge sushi bars based on the nigiri because its a great way to assess the freshness of the fish. While Almaden Sushi ranks higher than most, It was still far from the best nigiri I've had in the South Bay. That honor still goes to TGI Sushi. I found the salmon to be just OK, but not melt in your mouth eyes rolling in the back of my head good. For me, the nigiri gets a 3/5.
Admittedly, California Rolls are usually the last thing I would order at a sushi bar, but the sushi combo #1 made the most sense for what I was in the mood for. They were surprisingly good. The rice was firm, but not chewy. The crab meat filling was light, but flavorful. This roll gets 4/5
A suggestion to the owners, offer low sodium soy sauce as an option. I was really overwhelmed by the saltiness of the soy sauce.
Ambiance:
This really is going to be the new Friday night date spot for us Almadenions that hate having Ariake and Sushi Boat as our closest sushi options. I love the interior design. They even have little tea pots as the soy sauce container, which adds a bit of class and luxury to the place.
Service:
I was greeted by all the employees when I walked in, I believe I was the first customer of the day because their excitement startled me as I walked in. It's nice to see that enthusiasm in this type of cuisine. One thing that I didn't like was the type of conversation going on between one of the chef's and a waitress. He was talking about not dating "black girls" and outlining his life plan. While I wasn't personally offended by anything, I just felt that as a new restaurant, they need to be cognizant of the type of mood.
Price:
The sushi combo #1 was $14 before tip. I felt that was a little pricey, considering I can get better nigiri for the same $4/2pcs piece at TGI Sushi. But Sushi in general is grossly overpriced across the board. Damn us Americans and our willingness to pay to feel cultured.
Next Time:
Yes, I will be back. However, I'm going to give the speciality rolls a shot. They also had some interesting appetizers like ahi tuna crispy tacos and tuna jalapeño poppers. I'll write another review when that happens. -
Review from steve l.
San Jose, CA
3/19/2012
I love this place. The food is good and the service is nice. I love the roll with the real crab in it.. I will be back soon...
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Review from Martin F.
San Jose, CA
1/9/2012
Best sushi I have had in a long, long time!!
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Review from Helen L.
San Jose, CA
11/20/2011
I sadly have to give Almaden Sushi one star - even though I have gone two times. First - and it was the same thing the second time. THIS IS A REVIEW ABOUT THE SERVICE.
This is a nice looking restaurant inside and Almaden really needs places like this.
I don't eat in the restaurant. I always order "To-Go" and that is why I am giving it one star for both visits. The host - both times the same guy - he is the problem.
The first time I asked him for recommendations on an appetizer I could order to take home and try out the food. I wasn't that hungry but wanted to try something from them since they had just recently opened. He recommended one appetizer and said it came with rice. So I paid and waited and about 15 minutes later he had the appetizer and told me that I owed him an extra $2 for the rice. What? He said it came with rice. So I reminded him what he said to me and he just laughed at me. I gave him the $2 and left.
So I checked out YELP and saw the glowing reviews and decided to wait another two months to see if things improved in the to-go area.
I went again and they weren't that busy and asked how long it would be and he said about 10 minutes. So I went over to Ace and came back. I had to ask him about 20 minutes later about the food and I finally left 30 minutes later. No apology - nothing.
I went over to Safeway to pick up a few things and was telling my friend who works there while I was checking out about how long I waited for my to-go meal at Almaden Sushi. Another person in line said they had gone there and would never go back.
So sad because I see all these glowing reviews but now I realize they are mostly talking about the food.
I'll check back next year to see if the reviews improve on to-go ordering. -
Review from kevin K.
Santa Clara, CA
8/18/2011
Imitation Japanese sushi with attitude problem. My friend and I wanted to try out this sushi place after reading some positive comments here. For some reason, we weren't getting the tasty sushi that we crave for, instead we got some pretty bad experiences.
First off, my friend and I noticed that the restaurant was not run by Japanese. People there are Koreans. Hmm...... I guess it may not be so authentic as we originally thought. Anyway, it did not bother us that much. What bother us was the cold receptions and some of the sushi we had.
There was one server/waiter guy over there who gave us some nasty look all the time. What bothered us the most was that guy seems to have issue with us while he had no problem showing his friendlly courtesy toward Caucasian customers. We were wondering WTF. Honestly, my friend and I aren't that racially sensitive people, but we both sensed something was wrong with that guy.
There were a couple of waitresses there and we didn't have any issue with them. Just that guy, possibly the son of the owner, has some serious attitude problem.
Anyway, back to the reason why we were there, the food. We did not order a whole lot but the real crab meat California roll we ordered had problem. The crab meat had foul taste. We suspected they don't have enough customers base and some of their ingredients are not fresh at all. Well, foul tasting sushi and stinky services. This place should be a candidate for an episode for Kitchen Nightmare.
In conclusion, the prices aren't expensive, the ride for us isn't that far. But with the quality of food and the services we had, we will never go there anymore. If I really crave for suishi or Japanese cuisine, I rather drive a mile or two further north to the Showgi for some real fresh and authentic Japanese food. -
Review from Tim C.
San Jose, CA
I ordered a 2 item 1/2 Salmon and 1/2 Tuna Sashimi+Tempura Bento box for lunch...it was okay no complaints there. We also ordered the "Tiger Eyes" roll which was butterfish, cucumber, spicy tuna, and topped with roe. It was pretty good. Overall this is the closest sushi joint to where I reside so I'll be coming back if I feel the urge for some quick sushi.
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Review from Christine T.
Los Angeles, CA
8/11/2011
I love children. I worked at a kindergarten, draw excellent unicorns, and share their favorite television programs.
I also love sushi. I especially like any roll that includes fresh salmon, cucumber, avocado, or scallops.
However, as it turns out, children and sushi are mutually exclusive. Which is too bad really because Almaden Sushi has the Blossom Hill roll, which combines my love of salmon/avocado/scallops with tempura to make a holy matrimony of delicious flavors, as well as young energetic tykes in spades. I have never been so distraught by two things I love; therefore, I must implore that parents do all they can to preserve Almaden Sushi's stellar score on yelp and take their children to that place that used to be Bamboola or Sonoma Chicken coop, where they are free to run around screaming to their hearts content. I mean, I'm sorry that McDonald's is gone, but there are plenty of local neighborhood parks for your children to scamper about in. I'm all for outdoor activity. But please, you offend my ancestors' honor when you order rolls with cream cheese in them in the name of raising globally-minded children. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR OFFSPRING AT HOME UNLESS THEY MIND THE CUSTOM OF BEING SEEN AND NOT HEARD IN MY PEOPLE'S NATURAL HABITAT.
Now that I've gotten that out of the way...
I am very happy with this addition to Almaden's dazzling array of premiere nightlife destinations. Sandwiched between the cleaners and a Chase atm much like a hidden Diagon Alley, I felt as though I had departed from the Muggle life I knew as soon as I stepped inside, home at last in a world I never knew existed. Who knew there were other Japanese people in Almaden? Or at least, other Japanophiles. I was impressed with the sushi selection and reasonable prices. My dad's chicken teriyaki was so-so, but that's what you get for being a little b**** and ordering chicken at a sushi place. -
Review from Paige B.
San Jose, CA
8/14/2011 2 photos
I'm so glad to see a new and popular restaurant in Almaden. Service was warm, friendly and efficient, atmosphere is wonderful. Nice jazz music in the background and the decor was very zen and clean. Standard inclusions of salad and miso with a nice silky tofu were adequate. Deluxe sushi selection of fish was not of the highest quality, a little watery, not adhered well to the rice, but generous slices. Rice was well seasoned. In my opinion would benefit from a more consistent and increased swipe of wasabi paste. Gyoza were soggy, need more time in the oil for good crispness, the wrapper was too thin, and the dipping sauce is missing the zing of ponzu. Good quality soy sauce on the tables. Chicken teriyaki is well presented, but mealy white meat vs. my preference of a marinated and carmelized piece of thigh meat. I will go back again and try some more menu items for sure.
