Kaenyama Sushi and Teppanyaki Restaurant
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
141 reviews
Fremont, CA
"This place is awesome! Don't let the haters discourage you from coming here; this place is the real deal. The fish is undoubtedly fresh…" read more »
70 Reviews for Kaenyama Sushi and Teppanyaki Restaurant
Damn this place was pricey. My dad took me here last year I believe. The food was actually pretty damn good, as well as the presentation. The service was top notch as well. The decor made the place look really modern. One side was just regular tables, while the other side of the restaurant was for the teppanyaki. I have yet to try the teppanyaki, but I will vouch for the actual menu. I would go back, but the prices are just a tad ridiculous.
FOOD:
1.) Philedelphia Roll = smoked salmon mm, didn't have like avacado or cucumber inside, just cream cheese and salmon. Not too bad, but the whole roll was kind of chewy
2.) Tuna roll / sashimi = Not too bad, but not exactly good. Again everything was kind of chewy, and the sashimi didn't taste the freshest.
3.) Beef Teriyahi = Pretty good, not the tenderest haha but taste-wise it was good.
4.) Miso soup = it had real tofu and stuff, not just flavor powder
SERVICE:
For a seemingly Americanized place, they NEED to hire servers who are just as Americanized! I hate feeling like my order isn't communicating because the server is from another country. I'm sure the other servers do a better job, but the one we had seemed kind of new. And she kind of argued with my friend when the order came out wrong. That's a no-no, should never argue with a customer. tsk tsk*
ATMOSPHERE:
Had good decor, but didn't seem complete. I think because this place is turned into a club at night. So it has a cold feel to it because of the hard floors, lots of sheet metal in decor.... What's cool is that there are private Japanesey rooms for dinner parties.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
In order to appease the gf's insatiable hunger for raw fish, I conceded to come to Kaenyama. I was already curious about the place because we've been nearby on the weekend late at night, and the place is jumping with lights and "fabulous" people.
So we enter inside, and I have to admit that Kaenyama is tastefully decorated in a very upscale manner. It reminded me of the trendy restaurants one might find in the major metropolises around the globe, but in Fremont behind a Costco? It was a pleasant surprise. The dining room had both table seating and some booth-like seating. The bar was well-stocked and very modern age-looking. The teppanyaki grills in the back were large, and the private rooms were very nice.
The staff was very nice and accommodating. I did find it a bit disconcerting that the bartender was continuously bussing things back and forth across the dining area floor. She should have been using the staff pathway behind the bar and sushi bar area. It just makes for better professionalism.
The first thing I noticed about the menu was that there were very few cooked entrees on it. That meant that this place was banking on selling high-priced sushi or trying to draw more people towards the teppanyaki.
The presentation of all of the food was incredible. Lots of care was taken in presenting the food in the most appetizing and aesthetically pleasing manner. I thought the toro served in a banana leaf in a deep bowl filled with ice was a little excessive, but still very beautiful.
We started with a baked Philly roll, which had baked salmon and baked cream cheese on the outside. It was quite tasty, but I felt the sauce was a bit overpowering. I also ordered the tamago (egg omelet); one thing I learned when I lived in Japan is that sushi chefs are very particular about tamago because all sushi chefs make it, so it's kind of the pseudo-standard to which you judge their skill on. If they can't cook an egg, what makes you think they can serve you raw fish, right? The tamago was good, so we moved on to the entrees.
I ordered the chicken yaki udon. I thought it was flavorful; the chicken was prepared and seasoned in strips and was moist, the noodles were cooked just right.
My gf ordered the chirashi (assortment of sashimi) that included sake (salmon), uni (sea urchin), toro (fatty tuna), and other goodies.
Unfortunately, my gf got to her last bit of sashimi; the uni. She loves it, and was prepared to savor it. Needless to say, she was entirely disappointed when she tasted it. It was mushy, watery, and had a milky appearance to it. It was not appetizing at all, and when she tried a bit, she complained that it tasted really fishy (to the sashimi connoisseur, fishy taste = NOT FRESH). Even Anthony Bourdain says it in his book "Kitchen Confidential," not to order fish on Mondays in ANY restaurant.
Luckily, upon my suggestion, my gf called the waitress over and asked to have the piece replaced with something else. The waitress actually asked the sushi chef to come over, and after we explained what was wrong, though he insisted that the uni was fresh from that morning, that he would bring her out another piece of toro to compensate her. She was surprised to find that on the back of her toro there was a gold-like substance on it, which she ate and later commented saying that it was like Goldschlagger's in sashimi form.
For dessert, we ordered the mango panna cotta and the hazelnut mousse. I found the panna cotta to be a bit on the overly sweet side, but it was still good. The custard-like substance was firm, and the mango provided a nice compliment to it. The hazelnut mousse was awesome; it had a crunchy and spongy layer under it, which provided for great texture. The taste was mild and sweet, and I think anyone will enjoy it.
Kaenyama receives 3 stars from me. The interior is gorgeous, and the service we received was excellent. I feel the menu is a bit lacking, and of course the "uni" incident kind of ruined things for us. My main qualm with Kaenyama is PRICE. Overpriced food runs rampant on their menu ($16 for yaki udon with rib eye steak?), and I don't feel that the price represents the quality and taste of the food, but more of the cost of decoration.
Try it out and see for yourself.
Review for dinner only.
In continuing my quest for decent food on a recent visit to Fremont, I decided to try Kaenyama and was pleasantly surprised. First of all, the interior of the restaurant itself was gorgeous. At the entrance, there was an upscale bar / lounge area on the left and teppanyaki tables on the right. A row of well-lit booths dominated the center of the restaurant. An L-shaped sushi bar area occupied one of the back corners, aptly decorated with sake bottles and vases of white lilies.
Kaenyama's menu features plenty of traditional Japanese fare, including sashimi, teriyaki, udon, and tempura. Yet there's also a variety of creative sushi rolls and several interesting fusion attempts, such as foie gras miso, hamachi carpaccio, and grilled lamb chops with hon-shimeji mushrooms and a sweet nashi pear soy glaze.
Since I was with my mother, we stuck to the more "typical" items. The broth for the chicken udon was flavorful but not too salty (gaining points in my mother's book), and the noodles retained a nice texture and consistency. My chicken yakisoba was also quite good.
I was most impressed, however, with their version of the hamachi kama (yellowtail collar). This is one of my favorite Japanese appetizers of all time. The most common way to ruin this dish is to overcook, leaving the meat too dry. But Kaenyama's hamachi kama was flavorful and moist, and brushed with a slightly sweet teriyaki glaze. Good to the last bite, and wonderful presentation.
I will definitely be back to Kaenyama to try some of their rolls and sashimi (some of the fish looked fantastic), as well as that sauteed foie gras miso.
(See accompanying photos!)
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
I came here for a company dinner on a Friday night. The decor of this place is very nice, very modern, and very upscale. The food however was alright. We had a chef cook for us and he was very entertaining but the food he cooked was not that great. It didn't have any flavor to it. The sushi was a lot better.
This place turns into a lounge/club after 10 pm. We stayed and was impressed by the music. But as far as security they were very rude. He had asked my boyfriend to leave because he wasn't wearing the "appropriate attire." There was at least 5 other guys wearing the same thing but he didn't pick on them. Fortunately we had seen the owner and told him about the situation. He knew we just spent a whole lot for dinner so fortunately he had told the bouncer to let us stay. Anyhow drinks are kinda pricey... it was crackin a little bit but everyone just stands around. This place basically gets 3 stars for decor and sushi otherwise my experience was OK =/
So I went to have lunch w/ my friend Wanda today and we decided to come here for lunch. I was impressed with the decor of the place, but disappointed when the food had arrive.
It them a while for the food to arrive. The Udon had come first, and her two rolls came like 10 minutes later, with some lame excuse. I had the tempura udon which was only decent for its price. Tempura was only average. Wanda had a couple of rolls which I forgot. But this place is nothing to rave about.
This place is only getting two stars for its decor and presentation of food. This place will only be good if you want to impress a date or something, just as long as she doesn't know what good Japanese food is and you load up on the alcohol.
I will probably not be returning to this place by choice.
REVIEW BAR ONLY------*
$10 cover charge to go in
Dress code guys: have to have collar shirt, sneakers ok, no hats
Dress code girls: did not really enforce
A lot of big bouncers at the door and inside.
Place decor is really nice.
Scene: line on the outside, bouncers make you wait to make it seem like there is a lot of people inside, going in is like security to go on airplane, check purses, pat guys down, diversity of people, wannabe club
Bathroom for girls: gets nasty over time do not think they clean it. toilet paper all over the floor and they even run out of toilet paper
At the end of the night people usually just hang outside.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
The maki lunch was pretty bad:
$8.50 wasn't expensive for two sushi rolls of my picking:
-yellowtail & scallions, 6 pieces rolled tight and small, think tekka maki small, the seaweed was not fresh, I could barely chewy it down and the fish was not fresh. Must have been the crap left over from the weekend.
-salmon & avo, it was alright, WAY too much rice, I could barely fit my mouth around it.
FREE miso with the meal, not bad, lots of tiny square tofu pieces and wakame.
Service was pleasant and not pushy.
I'll revisit and do some HOT food for dinner. I'm weary about their sushi. Let's just say PREMADE, refrigerated rolls are better than these, but they COULD have dumbed down the quality for their lunch menu. That's still NOT ok.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
I've been here a few times for dinner and it's been okay. The food is decent and the price is expected for the ambience that they try to create. I can say that the service is a bit strange though - I'm assuming that the club promoter kids just pass the time as servers and actually really just want to get the party started because they're always really young and not that good as far as customer service. Almost like the serving dinner thing is a mandatory inconvenience that they have to do to work there but that weren't really trained for as far as people skills. It sounds superficial, but they truly act like club rats while they serve (a little snooty and selfish) and the customer is an afterthought/chore. Someone teach these kids to chat it up and smile more. So far I've had an asian guy who seemed scared of us, a young lady who never smiled and must have spent a long time on her hair, and a server I don't remember other than being a guy in black cuz we never saw him do anything but move furniture around to get ready for the club part of the evening.
Go to this place if you enjoy people watching. The food is okay but it's pretty interesting to just sit and see the dynamics of the place.
I would recommend they spend some time hiring some seasoned wait staff, the servers come across as immature and inexperienced. We've always struggled when it came to paying the tip at the end of the night between what one should pay and what they deserve. They're lucky we have a moral conscience.
Ok, so like, I KINDA have a weak spot for sushi. I could seriously eat the stuff 5 times a week and not get sick of it. That said, i am usually a fan of hole-in-the-wall type places that boast fresh sashimi and creative rolls. While Kaenyama is far from a hole-in-the-wall, it does have an impressive menu. Where else in the 'burbs can you get foie gras? that's right, no where.
that said, get the pink lady roll, it's really effing good and is substantial for the $12 it costs. Aside from that, the sashimi salad and spicy girl roll are good. couple that with a bit of sake (ok, a lot of sake) and you'll be sure to have a good time.
Since i am only really reviewing the food (and not the fact that it turns into a "nightclub" after hours on Friday and Saturday -- BARF), i give this place 4 stars. I don't give it 5 because the service can be slow. Just be sure to stay on top of your server (figuratively) and make sure they don't forget anything and charge you for it anyway.
This place gets two stars based on looks and the fact they have a full bar. Zero stars for the food, prices and chef's entertainment.
Having read the reviews, I was a bit hesitant to try this place. But I did recommend it to my fellow mom friends as a possible Moms' Night Out venue. So it was... MNO at Kaenyama last Friday night.
The restaurant has a sleek and clean-line design. Service (from the host/ess to our waitress) was friendly and efficient. Beautiful food presentation. Modern barware and servingware.
What I ordered:
* Absolute Erotica: vodka, peach schnapps and pineapple juice (I think). Delicious!
* Pink lady roll. OMG! It was huge! The salmon, tuna and avocado were fresh. Definitely worth the $11!
* Shared edamame and the Angel Roll (yummy!) with one of the moms.
Other notables:
* They have one of the best takeout bags ever. I saved a few pieces of my sushi roll for my husband, just so I can get one of the bags.
* A lot of Yelpers have complained about the "pricey"-ness of this place. Though it probably isn't the best place for folks on a budget, the prices and the quality are absolutely comparable to other sushi places around the area.
* Great for small groups.
Possible cons:
* It's not a place for kids, but one of the moms said that she's taken her year old son to Teppanyaki for lunch and that he loved seeing the teppan chef perform.
* My friend thought their tempura was a bit oily.
Do I recommend?
YES: date night, groups
NO: kids
My brothers and I decided to take the family out for Mother's Day to eat sushi. So we decided to go to this place, knowing it wasn't too far from where we live. First of, the decor is really nice. I was very impress of how nice and stylish it was here. The bar was even pretty nice, and i'm glad they had an LCD very close to the bar so I can watch Utah beat the Lakers. We sat in one of those nice booths in the middle of the restaurant. It was pretty roomy. We decided to order a few dishes of sushi and also individual meals. I wanted to get something really exotic so I opted out for the Chicken Teriyaki (lol I know not very exotic). We decided to go with the Bake Philly Roll, Spicy King Crab Roll, and Scarlet Roll (with the mangos). All of them were not bad at all, just wish they served more. I would have given this place 5 stars but the service took too long. We waited a very long time for our individual dishes and not all came at the same time. I'd probably go back to this place. I really enjoyed their sushi but I wish they weren't so pricey.
I think this place is great. Food is delicious, drinks are great (the cute female bartender is off the hook), and the decor makes you feel like you're in a swanky place in the City.
I'm surprised with some of the negative comments, but then I've only been twice and had a great experience both times. Food is fresh, plating looks good, sushi is good - not fishy. Attentive waitstaff. Pricing was a bit higher than average, but I wasn't surprised considering the ambiance.
I haven't been on a Friday or Saturday, but would like to check it out for dancing. I'm not trying to pay cover though.
"We're with the DJ!" LOL
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Cool (2)
I've only been here twice and both times there were fights! The food was good but overpriced; I'd rather go to benihana!
After reading the reviews I was a little hesitant to go to this joint, but my good friend swore the food here was great, and well she was right. (I used to work in the Japanese Rest. Biz, so I'd hope to think I know good sushi from bad)
The ambiance is very modern however there is a part of the place that feels like a dim sum restaurant...I think it was how the tables were set up.
The service lacked characteristics. Felt like robots were serving me. I'd give this 4 stars if the service was better.
Last but not least, the food is wayyyyy over priced for the amount you receive. The mark-up or margin of the place is really high or their overhead.
However, I'd give this place a peek. The food is quite delish.
I also I heard this place turns into a club Friday and Saturday nights. LOL.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Who would have thought of building a high class sushi joint in a strip mall next to a bunch of car dealerships?
I came here for lunch for the first time today. One of my business partners wanted to take me out for lunch so we decided on trying this place out. As I walked in, I was very surprised by the decor. Very modern designs inside. It seemed like the place belonged in San Francisco, not off Automall Parkway across from Costco.
Food was overpriced for what it was. We ordered the Toro, and they said that 1 order only consisted of 1 piece. Say what!?! 1 piece!!! Okay so we ordered 2. When it came out the piece was minuscule. It was dwarfed by the slice of radish used as decor next to it. Although it was topped with gold flakes (flakes of real gold)... Don't get me wrong, it was delicious. However, it was too much for what it was. I am not a Toro virgin so I've had my fair share and this was not a fair share. The rest of the sushi and food we had was "eh". Nothing too special. Very fancy plating but very lacking in substance...
Well the check came and it was $100 for the 2 of us. Whoa! Good thing this was on his expense account.
The food here didn't impress me at all. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't worth it. The only way I would come back is if someone else was gonna pay.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (5)
Cool (4)
WOW - can we all say pricey? all in together now: p-r-i-c-e-y. i was not impressed by this place at all. sure, the decor wasn't bad... but first off - couldn't even find the place. when we finally found it, we went in, got seated, and ordered a drink. secondly, we got the drinks and i think they forgot to put the alcohol in it? third - we ordered about $30ish worth of sushi, and split it between two. had half of my share, which was approximately 7-8 pieces of sushi? the sushi was good, but still. 3 strikes... you're out!
we were both still hungry afterwards, and went across the street and had appetizers at claim jumper. that filled me up!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
This review is based on take out only.
Food: Miso soup was good. Sashimi tasted a little dry, but still not bad.
Price: Way too expensive. Got the sashimi platter for $20 bucks, and that was just for me to eat. Not a lot of food for the price.
Location: It's in a weird shopping center.. a little tricky to find considering you wouldn't think there would be a restaurant there. I give it up to the City of Fremont for at least trying. A plus is that parking is in abundance.
Ambiance: It was well decorated, nice mood lighting. Not too shabby.
Overall, if you live around this area, Kaenyama is great because there aren't a lot of of other Japanese restaurants around, but if you're willing to drive a little, you could get a lot more bang for your buck.
Trendy, cute, modern, yes.
The mojito did not taste like a mojito however, not worth the $8. Food is mediocre.
I would only go there for some music or fun, not really expecting good food. This is one of those places that's just trendy and nice inside with a younger crowd, not really great food or drinks (Food prices are also not really worth the value, taking into account quality/portion/etc).
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Was there anything else but rum in their mojito? geeeeeeezus! Can I get a witness???!!!
Food was so-so, service was characterless, overall take: bleh.
I've been here a couple of times which means I'm really trying to give this place a chance, but there really isn't anything impressionable about it. Not even the decor or stylish serving platters.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
This place embarasses me. 5 dollar charge on Friday nights? No thanks.
Overpriced, low quality sushi. Awkward servers. I will not be coming back.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Its more of a 2.5 but not good enough for a 3. The food is alright. The sushi is decently priced but it definitely doesn't live up to the classy atmosphere it sets. The desserts are good but SO overpriced! It seems like they get some of their desserts from costco and triple up the prices! As for the drinks, the plum wine that i drank was pretty good. My friend ordered a martini that was drenched with vodka. But the bartender was so kind enough to give my friend a beer on the house! btw..shes cute!
As for our waiter. For a place they serves fillet mignon.. she was a total beezy. She couldnt even speak english. She first of all took like 15 minutes to finally great us. She totally rushed us in orders like it was busy.. but it wasnt busy. I dont know.. this place looks classy, prices like a classy restaurant, but its not that great. Ill go here for the drinks and music, but even the cover charge isnt really worth it.. sorry...
I am only reviewing the bar...FYI!
I had a great time here with some friends. It was just a Wednesday evening and we wanted to go somewhere for drinks. I had the BEST pear martini ever!! The bartender was very nice..cute too. Be back sometime soon!
I have check out the food next time...
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I went here for late night drinks on a Friday night. Never knew about this place until a friend mentioned it. Pretty strict on the dress code for guys. $10 cover charge. Lots of young college kids that I felt pretty old being here. Drinks are $6-8. Music is pretty good.
edit:
5/9/08 dinner
I came for a big birthday dinner for one of my friends. We were in a teppanyaki room.
The food basically taste the same but the portion seem to have shrunk. The meat, veggies and shrimp couldnt even fill half the plate :(
Also the service is pretty crappy. One of my friends got the wrong sushi roll and when she tried to explain it to the server, she just walked away!
3 stars down to 2 stars
************************************************** **************
If you are craving sushi, this is not the place to go to. Their rolls are pretty good (try the pink lady roll) and the nigiri looks fresh but it is a little pricey and you definitely will get more sushi for what you pay for somewhere else.
I went here on two different occasions, one for lunch and one for dinner.
They have pretty good salmon teriyaki. The fish was not over cooked and I like the char-grilled appearance of it. It was obvious that it is a fusion restaurant because they gave me rice and mashed potatoes with the teriyaki and mixed vegetables. I was planning on not even touching the mashed potatoes but I did and I was surprised--theyre wasabi flavored! Im not a wasabi person but I liked how it tasted with the teriyaki sauce--pretty good!
I also went here for dinner and this time we got teppanyaki. The flavors are not that distant from what you would get from benihana (same price also) the only comment I have about it is that they seem to have cooked the food pretty quickly--not a lot of fancy cooking utensil moves that benihana cooks do.
Overall though, this is a good place to try. The place is very nice and well decorated.
*Update 12/2*
-2 stars. My, what a difference one week makes! The cover charge has been DOUBLED, and drinks an additional two dollars from our last visit! Talk about getting bigheaded now. For five bucks, this is a four star club. At ten a pop, two stars max only because I'm in a generous mood for the holidays.
*Original 11/27*
When Kaenyama was first being constructed, I could immediately tell by the name and the over the top styling that we were in for another one of those "pseu-shi" joints. I initially guessed that since it was in a Chinese mall, Kaenyama was going to be yet another Chinese owned establishment, ala the wildly popular Tomodachi (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and Ray`s (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). However, as more and more of the finishing touches were put in - items such as bright as bright neon lights and a full sized bar - I then realized how wrong I was. Not only was it going to be fake Japanese, but the worst of its kind... a Blowfish clone!
So, it was a low key Saturday evening for us, as we had just finished strolling through Christmas in the Park (with shiny new balloon animals in tow!), and were looking for something else to keep us preoccupied. We didn`t really want to brave the insane crowds at the finer bars and lounges in downtown SJ, so we just headed towards home, with the option of perhaps stopping for a quick green tea at a tapioca shop along the way.
Unfortunately for us, the one place that I decided on, Cafe Zen (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), was closed early for the evening, so we were left with nothing to do. Or were we?
Out of the corner of our eyes, what did we see? Could it be a crowd of people, some bouncers, and a rope? Could it possibly be what we thought it was?! Skipping down the street in anticipation, we soon found out that our prayers to the nightlife Gods had indeed been answered. We found a CLUB! In Fremont!
Security was lax, and dress code minimal, so we were in through the door in no time. Once inside, the lavish decor and the bathroom corridor straight off the set of Kill Bill impressed the heck out of both of us. The aforementioned neon lights and shiny, glossy floors add a hint of class and style like no other I have seen in the area. We just couldn`t believe we were smack dab in the middle of a strip mall... in Fremont! (Nothing against Fremont.)
As usual, I will break it down in bullets:
Crowd - Everyone is very well behaved, with no roaming thugs on the prowl for breezies or to cause a riot. The mixed group, with no majority ethnicity, has much more of a local flavor than any of the clubs I`ve been to in SF, Oakland, or even SJ. I pretty much liken it to a microcosm of what the Bay Area has to offer. Furthermore, not only are there no punks and skank hoochie mamas, but no preppy frat boys and their accompanying airheaded bimbos. It`s basically nothing but REAL Bay Area peeps in the house.
Drinks - A Long Island goes for a relatively cheap rate of $6, while most others charge $8-9. It is a bit on the weak side (according to my favorite Yelper, since I don`t drink), but not bad for what you pay for.
DJ - A great mixture of current Top 40 "hit pop" and classic Bay slaps by a duo of down to earth DJ`s was more than enough to keep everyone leanin` and rockin` wit it. Plus, REAL turntables. None of that fake CD mixer BS.
Dance floor - There is plenty of room to roam without some clowns trying to rub up on your girl, or spilling drinks down your back. Above all, Kaenyama provides one of the best features not found in most clubs - SEATS!
Overall, Kaenyama is, to steal a line from the Golden State Warriors, a "great time out" if you don`t feel like paying bridge toll, and don't want to risk getting your vehicle Slim Jimmed or broken into. The only lowlight of the evening was the shady cashiers trying to charge us $10 apiece when the bouncers clearly told us five bucks. Sure, we actually did enter after the 11 pm deadline (for $5 admission), but had the guard not told us the lower price, we would not have gone in. I`m sure glad he did.
In the end, Kaenyama manages to outdo the very place it imitates, Blowfish. Perhaps I shall return one of these days to try the actual sushi. Hopefully, it will live up to the wonderful impression I got from the bar/club portion of the establishment.
Will the Bay Area's fourth largest city ever become a hotspot for nightlife? Heck, the "Big 3" already have their scenes in full swing, so it's only natural that Fremont is finally receiving its shine. With the A's stadium being built down the block, the management at Kaenyama certainly picked an ideal location to get the party started. Brace yourselves... this is merely a sign of much greater things to come.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (11)
Funny (5)
Cool (7)
*Review for teppanyaki*
Do not go here for teppanyaki. Portions are small and not worth the price. The restaurant does not offer anything better than what you can find at Benihana or Nijo Castle. My chef was pretty boring. Well, he was lively and made jokes until he realized that we are not Chinese. I guess he wasn't confident in his English. After that, he cooked, served, and pushed his cart away. *meh*. I'm also a bit disappointed because the onion volcano consisted of only two rings of onions.
Despite a bland and boring experience, I do want to return to try the regular dinner. I love the decor - very modern. The staff are very friendly and helpful, and the regular dinner items look/sound very tasty!
I tried this place when it was fairly new. The setup of this place is nice. Very modern looking and it's spacious. The sushi here was good but I forgot what I ordered but I'm pretty sure it's Dragon Roll. Anyway, all I remember was that it was really good but it's not worth the drive for me.
As for the bar, I ordered a drink from the menu but they didn't make it because they didn't have an ingredient or something.
I met some interesting people that night. Oh and what's random is that I saw a friend there and of all places in Fremont when we both live in San Jose.
Beautiful (but not well-run) place. Sent the waitress 3 times to get sake, each time the one we ordered from the menu she came back to say they did not have it! Finally had to go to the bar to talk to the bartender to find out what they DID have. And then he could only say "the bottles are there, have a look." No help at all. Pathetic.
Very pricey, not-memorable, food.
Very shiny floors, which, in the restaurant are attractive; but not sure why they chose the same for the bathrooms. They are VERY reflective, savvy? Not very discrete.
Sad to say this restaurant looked very promising, but our first visit 'crashed and burned'. Will NOT be returning.
-Fremont resident desperate for better places to eat!
UPDATE:
Sooooo.... as short lived as my original 4-star review was, I'll have to say that this was the fastest any place has been demoted by me....
You ever have that sinking feeling when your favorite restaurant gets sold to a secondary owner and they totally butcher EVERYTHING that you liked about the place in the first place? Well, this is kinda how I felt.
In a week's time, cover charge went from $5 to a whopping $10 ( I know this could be pretty standard, but I don't really think this place is a true club in the sense that you would compare to SF or SJ)...drinks... for the same watered down Long Island went from $6 to $8... a whole $2 difference, which is a lot, considering I was here just last week!
What's shady though, is one friend called ahead of time to make sure it was still $5, but we got charged when got to the door in the amount of $10 a pop. BOOOO!
The extreme price hikes in one weeks time just makes it a 2...i would return, but make sure you know how much the phantom cover charge is...
_________________________________________
Do you wanna feel like a HOT ass super awesome Kill Bill Ninja supermodel chick!?
Well....thats seriously what I felt like walking back to the main room from the bathrooom.....the corridor to the bathroom at this place freaking ROCKS.
I swear. It's like straight out a scene from Kill bill or something with a wall to your left and a row of sliding tatami doors to your right, and right down the granite (?) walkway theres a clear opening filled with what looks like stones with some cool ass green light emitting from it. DUDE.
Awesome. Now you can pretend and strut your stuff like you are hot....this is why I'm hot, I'm hot cuz you're not...
just kidding. we're all hot. just some of us are hotter than others. .... unfortunately, I am NOT one of those people so I have to pretend....
sadness.
Anyhoodles the club aspect is fine if you're looking for a nice looking, lowkey place with cheap drinks (watered down long islands for $6 woot!) and relatively good music to dance to, this is your place. doesn't really have the hype or hooha of a "real" club, but for what it is, its pretty good.
However, since my attention span is short, I got bored after about an hour, but plan on visiting here for FOOD!
"chomp chomp, nummmy nummy fhooooodddd"
. end .
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
Went there last night after going to Costco. I should have read the reviews here first.
My wife and I tried out their teppanyaki. I had the Chef's Special (fillet mignon/lobster/scallops) and she had the Deluxe (fillet mignon/scallops/fish). The meat was fine, but the seafood were salty. To make things worse, our chef over-cooked all the seafood, especially my lobster, and burned the scallops and shrimps! Furthermore, he likes to add SOYSAUCE to everything; on the meat, on the seafood, everything. @_@
Ok, maybe we just had a bad cook, but the seafood was definitely salty.
We also ordered some sushi, just to try them out. They're pricey but decent.
The service is so-so. They are trying, but seems to me they all lack experience. For the price, this place ought to have experienced staff and above average food!
For teppanyaki, I rather go to Benihana.
For sushi, there's no place like Sushi Maru.
Wow, we don't have to go to the City for fancy good eats!
It's rare to dine at nice places like this in the East Bay. Five stars for ambiance, service and food presentation.
You totally get what you pay for. So prepare to pay a lot! Hehe! But its good, seriously! Come here for a special occasion, not for... hmm I feel like sushi tonight.
But yes, the hostesses were fabulous and the fish fresh. Looks like they have a happy hour, that's next on the list.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I was super stoked to check this place out on my visit back to the 'mont for Thanksgiving. Didn't hurt that it was the unofficial location for Mission San Jose High's alumni reunion (hey...anything to stay away from Coach's and CityBeach). A non-dive bar in Fremont that doesn't involve line dancing or a 10pm closing time is always a welcome break from the norm.
Kaenyama (try saying that three times fast) meets the above expectations, but fails to exceed any. First off the fact that its a sushi spot, but doesn't serve sushi in to the wee hours is kinda a bummer. The lack of sake or asian inspired fusion drinks when the venue turns over to a nightclub is another downer. And finally, the service was so slow that trying to down a glenlevit 18 or a budlight in order to maintain the buzz was nearly impossible.
The crowd was the typical Fremont crowd: east bay club kids, Fremont alums, and a predominantly asian demographic. My friend was DJ-ing which was a plus since he's awesome, and there was dancing.
Overall I'm on the fence about returning- namely I don't like crowds, and they didn't carry sake or Glenlevit 12 (my two favorite drinks). But in retrospect it was a nice break from Fremont's lack of anything fun.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
love it! so far i'm topping it off from Ray's, Kai's, Sushi house, Koryo's in the east bay. Also the night life there is awesome! good music; none of that top 40 radio crap! i really recommend this place. bartenders still work on their skills.
Whoa - is this really in Fremont? Huge space with sophisticated decor and a mix of regular tables/booths and teppanyaki counters. Friendly service - altho' not prompt perhaps due to busy Sat night (saw other teppanyaki diners impatiently waiting for their show to begin). Extensive menu - you can choose from a sushi or teppanyaki dinner (even if you opt for teppanyaki, you can still order other items). Place has high entertainment value. Sushi bar is open till midnight and they have dancing (hey, before this we only had the Saddle Rack).
We came for a birthday dinner. Staff was super accommodating - storing our cake, letting us change the number in our party, explaining the setup, etc. We chose a private room for teppanyaki, which had two separate tables, each seating up to 8. Choose where you sit carefully or you might be in the middle of a wind tunnel. They also have private tatami rooms avail for rent (think $300).
Foodwise, we clapped like obedient children for our teppanyaki chef who tried to entertain us with the cheesy lines of someone who caters to tourists. We tried to ooh ahh his volcano made of onion slices and choo choo train made out of food. The salad and miso soup were completely uninteresting. The seafood- salmon (the best of the night), scallops, shrimp, and lobster tasted better than everything else. The chicken was downright tough. Portions small (esp. the lobster and filet mignon). Dragon roll was pretty good. Kiwi cooler and mango mania smoothies seemed to satisfy. My lychee mojito was a disappointment tho' - watery drink with lychee syrup floating with what seemed like a dismal piece of wilted lettuce. Eww!
Cost was somewhere around $40 bucks a person. We had 20% off coupon so that shaved some of it off.
Food is average but an extra star for the look of the restaurant. I'd take folks here in an effort to impress. Finally, something that trumps Elephant Bar in Fremont.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (9)
Funny (5)
Cool (9)