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Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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This is probably my favorite sushi place in the south bay. Every time I come here, the fiance and I sit at the sushi bar and just say omakase! The fish quality is super fresh and I love how they do duos - example: serving two types of uni (one from Santa Barbara and one from Japan) together - or serving Kampachi, Hamachi and baby Hamachi together...etc etc.
Omakase at the sushi bar basically means you sit down and eat whatever the chef feels like giving you, just let the chef know when you're ready for the next piece of fish.
If you're going to Kitsho - I really really want to emphasize that you should sit at the sushi bar and tell the chef "omakase!" The fiance and I have so many good memories of gorging ourselves on delicious, high quality fish and you should have those memories too! But seriously folks - sit at the sushi bar and trust the chefs, I don't think you'll leave disappointed (but your wallet might be mad at you =P)
People thought this was:
I must say, I am extremely surprised by this place. I came here on the recommendation of a good friend and fellow Yelp Eliter and was told that they had a similar idea to my ultimate Bay Area favorite Sushi Sawa whose menu is not your everyday run of the mill sushi (as the previous reviewer detailed) with a not so everyday price tag as well.
This place was described to me as an almost every day "affordable" version of Sushi Sawa with similar types of offerings and an Omakase style that parallels many high end authentic sushi places. Their special chirashi was highly recommended ... and I was told to get the "Special Sushi" menu.
Came on a Saturday night and surprisingly, despite it's location the parking lot was quite packed. It was not busy inside and there was no wait but it certainly was not empty. The regular menu is relatively small but comes with a good amount of combos such as sashimi combo with soup and salad as well as sushi combos (basic rolls) and some cooked entrees such as teriyaki chicken, salmon etc. They have a pretty healthy appetizer list that I have yet to try because I came in for the special menu.
However, the "Special Chirashi" was on their regular menu listed as $28.00 and up [this is also where the omakase is listed as $28.00 and up and the ultimate Chef's omakase is listed as $60.00 and up I believe]. I did order the chirashi and ended up with approximately 15 pieces of high quality fish (no filler items, I did not even find a standard piece of tuna or salmon although there was some high quality hamachi) including toro, extra fatty toro, abalone, amaebi, four different types of snapper etc. It also came with seasoned rice instead of plain rice with salty / pickled daikons and mushrooms. This ended up being $32.00 which I found to be quite reasonable for the types of fish in it. They also include their home-made daily tamago / egg which was one of the best I've had besides Urasawa!
One of the things that really drew the bf when we stepped in was that they had LIVE UNI plastered all over their walls. We had to venture on a try since Sushi Sawa's UNI was also live and tasted extremely good and my personal experience with fresh UNI at Urasawa was unparalleled.
I have to say .... I wasn't extremely impressed. Yes, it was live, in fact, it was served in the uni shell and the uni was still moving! (okay ... barely) ... but it didn't taste as fresh as I expected and it was a little on the juicy side (un-drained). However, for $15.00 it wasn't a bad deal for essentially uni sashimi, if you can even call it that. The moving part was a little creepy tho ...
Their special sushi menu contains nigiri and rolls that aren't on the normal menu (but also include some that are). A tip for this place is to really know the Japanese words for fish when you come here as the sashimi and the sushi special menu both generally name their fish by Japanese names and it would be difficult to order sashimi or nigiri if you were not familiar already.
The staff is friendly, waitresses are helpful and not overly intrusive (as they were quite so at Urasawa surprisingly) and were very attentive as well. For a $100 price tag for two, this is definitely a great everyday alternative to Sushi Sawa or even Sushi Sam's as Sushi Sam's does not have some of these rolls that Kitsho makes. I will definitely be back!
People thought this was:
In order to fully enjoy Kitsho, there are a few things you need to do:
- you need to forget about what you learn and accustomed to from eating in other sushi restaurants
- you especially need to forget about what prior experiences (and thus preferences) toward and against certain type of fish
- you need to trust that the sushi chef knows more about their fish (and especially what is good that particular day). in other words, you need to order the omakase menu, or just let the chef decide.
- you need to be adventurous and have a open mind toward seafood species that you have never seen, heard of, and eaten before.
if you can do that, then you will have a great culinary experience in Kitsho.
i went there for the first time and Kitsho complete blew away everything that i know about sushi. i never knew mackerel can be eaten raw, without any soy sauce, and yet still taste fresh and don't have a fishy taste. in regular sushi places, i wouldn't even touch them with a 10 feet pole.
in fact, Kitsho's chef Howard is so confident that his fish are so fresh and tasty, that out of 10 or so sushi dishes we had, most of them we were advised not to dip in soy sauce. and he was absolutely right, only then did the taste of the fish can be fully enjoyed and not drowned out by the soy sauce. it was a completely different experience.
People thought this was:
This place has the BEST fish!
You need to experience the Omikase (sp?) at the bar. Howard will take you on a sushi journey that will keep you coming back. And, don't forget to buy him a beer!
The fish is fresh, tasty and you can find fish here you don't see at the usual sushi joints. Things like barracuda, butterfish, penshell, several types of mackerel, live uni, etc... Simply amazing.
Well worth the price!
I'm going there on Saturday and cannot wait!
People thought this was:
There are places you go to where everything is good and consistent.
This is NOT one of those places.
At Kitsho, you need to know what's good before you go.
For those that have surfed through the mixed reviews, it becomes really apparent that anyone sitting in the dining area is possibly subject to waitresses constantly rushing everywhere, lack of attention, and ho-hum food. This experience is only heightened slightly by ordering omakase (chef's selection of nigiri/sashimi, one plate ~ $30-40).
However, that "omakase" is NOT the same as the "omakase" that is served at the SUSHI BAR.
This omakase only STARTS from $40, easily racking up to $140 depending on how many courses one manages to stuff into their mouths before the stomach clonks out. Delicious sashimi slices served alongside the fried, complete and delicate skeleton of the fish. Edible, ribs and all. Same fish but from different regions, served side by side as nigiri for contrast. His items run the gamut: minced, cured, wrapped, seared and rolled. Be extra sweet and you may even get to sample his homemade plum wine and see the fish book. Yes fellas, THIS is where the jackpot is.
Chef Howard may not be touting the knife skills of an Iron Chef, but his broad and prime selection of fish (including many I don't even know the name of), his expansive knowledge, and his kind demeanor are what make this place so special and so worth the splurge.
In my conversations with him, his love for what he does and his gentle humor shine through and really make the dining experience intimate and special. This is really a place to sit back, trust yourself to his care, relax, and just enjoy. I still remember my first time when he asked me if there was anything I could not eat. I readily replied no clam, no shrimp, no squid, no octopus, to which he finally teased, "Chicken teriyaki?" At that point I just let everything go and left it up to him, and it's been a very rewarding journey.
As for "chicken teriyaki", that's become my running nickname within this establishment ever since.
People thought this was:
By far, my favorite place to get fresh sushi. No mess, no "jazzing it up". Nope, sit at the BAR only, have the chef go "omakase" on you (meaning trust whatever he gives you), ask for specials, and prepare to be wow-ed by the freshness and unique pieces of fish he presents.
The tamago (egg) is way cool. They make it in-house. They have exotic things like butterfish as well if you're lucky. The unagi (eel) is delicious and the best you'll ever have. Last time I went I had bonito sashimi as well. That's right, bonito sashimi.
What else is amazing there... Oh yes. The toro and chu toro. MMMM. Scrumptious.
Just plain good. No fuss. Perfection. Delish. Oh, and their sake rocks.
People thought this was:
Do you want some great sushi? better make your way here for some. They have a wide variety of sushi. You should try the Spicy Tuna Temaki and Unagi Sushi. Their assortment of sashimi is fresh and prepared excellent! My favorites were the hamachi and the salmon. I haven't had good sashimi like that since my days in Japan! I advise you to sit at the sushi bar to get the best experience. Make sure to ask for the sushi menu.
Their Bento boxes are ok. The chicken teriyaki was good (chicken was tender and teriyaki glaze was not bad, but the taste of their tempura was not so good. Mizo soup was a little too salty for me and the salad didn't have enough dressing on it.
Customer service at this place is below average, but I still give it four stars because they make up for it with their great sushi!
People thought this was:
Very rarely do I dish out 5 star reviews... but tonight's experience calls for the heavy duty "review".. =)
Let me share what we had for Omakase, which is not for the faint of heart when the bill comes.. (very expensive!!!)
-- Uni -- when we asked for Uni, the chef served us American and Japanese uni nigiri... now having them side by side, initially tasting a little bit of each, that made me finally understand the difference, in fact, when we asked for a second serving of the creamier, richer, a bit less briny JP uni, they told us that they ran out already, apparently they only keep a small amount on hand for the "omakase" customers only.
-- another memorable dish we had today was the "squid cold noodles"... coming from someone who does not even like raw squid that much, this dish is so unique and awesome that I think I will ask for it again next time..
-- hamachi, baby hamachi, kompachi, all side-by-side so we can taste the differences... then single orders of slightly flavoured nigiri to satisfy out taste buds with someone other than soy sauce...
-- amebi, this is just average on its own, but the fried heads here are AMAZING, almost worth it to just order the pieces for that alone... the batter they use or the way they fried it just makes the whole thing so crunchy and tasty!!
-- what a meal at the end... so glad that we came here... not sure how much this set of Omakase came out to, definitely not cheap, but worth every penny!
=)
People thought this was:
This place serves the best sushi in the Cupertino area, which is saying something as there are a number of places of quality within 5 miles.
Unfortunately, Kitsho also has some of the worst service I've ever experienced. I've seen it all in my various visits here: being ignored, scrambled orders, rude service, incorrect bills, you name it. Each time, I say to myself "this is the last time we're going to that place" as I exit. But a few months later, their excellent Nigiri with generous cuts of fish lures me back.
Kitsho, please improve your service so you can get the 5 stars your food quality deserves!
Authentic, fresh and amazing. This is a restaurant for people who like traditional sushi. This place isn't cheap so I have no idea why it gets the $$ rating. However, it was worth every cent.
We asked the chef to take care of us and were presented with an incredible assortment of jewel bright sashimi including a fresh sea urchin served on it's shell, a variety of different tunas and some types of fish I've never had before--flavors ranging from the delicate and buttery to pungent/oily. This was served with freshly grated wasabi (not the green lump made from mustard and horseradish) as well as a subtle soy sauce specifically for sashimi.
Impressive sake selection.
A special place for people who are serious about sashimi. Not a party joint for sake bombs and idiotic mayo drenched rolls.
People thought this was:
My first visit and I gotta say the food here isn't too shabby and what's great is that they offer a lot of specialties you wouldn't find at many Japanese Restaurants, but they are a little over priced. Kinda what you would pay at Blow Fish but the quality is much superior.
(Oh, and before I go on they need to turn on the AC or something at this joint 'cause I felt like I just walked into a sauna.)
The problem is their service. Slow, unfriendly, and just plain rude. We had a party of about 12, so we were seated in a both in the corner where you have to take off your shoes before entering. Some of my friends didn't know this and one of the waitresses just yells, "SHOES! SHOES!" Wtf?! You don't have to yell asshole, just point it out politely! So, we just laugh it off and proceed to sit down.
We sat down and looked at our menu and noticed that there wasn't a sushi menu inside, so we politely asked, "Um is there a sushi menu?" And the waitress replied with a simple, "Yes." Then walks away...(So are we going to get a sushi menu??) And she's just basically standing around at the entrance of the kitchen, but we do get our sushi menu much later.
Alright, I think this is the first time I'm going to describe a waitress in detail because if the owner(s) just happens to be reading this review, this waitress in question needs to be FIRED. She's a Chinese lady,(I can tell by the accent) looks like she's in her 40's, pregnant, (I don't care if she's pregnant or not, if you're feet hurt from walking and standing all day you are in the wrong line of work and you shouldn't take it out on the customers) and I'm guessing she's a head waitress from the looks of it. Anyways, she was basically throwing the disposable hand towels in front of us, wow rude.
Also, when you have multiple orders of rolls and nigiris, the food should be organized, and plated according to who ordered what...Instead, they put everyones sushi order onto a couple of plates and pretty much had us figure out who's food was who's.
After a tastey meal, we got our bill for about $270ish, and it wasn't explained that the meal doesnt include tip, we just thought it was a given since we had such a large group, but anyways. We all put in about $280 (mind you we thought tip was included so thought this was adequate). We were waiting for some ice cream some of the girls had ordered and the waitress has the fucking nerve to come back to us and tell us we didn't put in enough tip. I mean, it was our mistake that we didn't know the tip wasn't included but who the fuck comes back and asks for more tip?!?! We were all all pretty fucking pissed. Kitsho, you will not be getting any of our business in the future.
And we never got our fucking ice cream!!!!! ARGH!
(I believe this is only the second review I've written that I was so dissatisfied with the service I was dropping F-bombs all over it)
People thought this was:
Howard, the head sushi chef, is amazing. His sushi is very fresh and authentic (a lot of it comes directly from Japan), and you'd be silly to skip out on the omakase. I love this place.
I can't decide if I like this place better or Sushi Sam's in San Mateo. I am extremely glad that they are both equidistant from where I live, so I won't ever have to pick one over the other. Their styles are a little bit different - Sam likes to dress his sushi up with delicate sauces, and Howard serves most of his sushi just as it is, but both chefs are extremely special and talented, not to mention nice and lovable.
i've been here many times before, and the sashimi is really fresh and yummy. the food is consistently good, although today's tempura was more heavily battered than normal. but more on that later. i agree with other yelpers that the service is not the greatest (my water cup was empty for awhile), but to their defense, there's only two waitresses (at least today at lunch) literally running from table to table. so i'll give them an A for effort. usually i'll get the sukiyaki which is chock full of goodies and hits the spot every time.
today i went with the kitsho lunch special combo, which changes on a daily basis. today's special was karaage (japanese fried chicken), tuna sashimi, tempura, and saba shioyaki (grilled mackerel). it was a good amount of food, but for $13.50? hrm.
karaage: best thing in the bento box. juicy, crispy, fried chicken goodness. i think they use thigh meat. no bones. all taste.
sashimi: i read somewhere that sometimes places use CO2 to preserve the color of the tuna. it ends up being this almost neon pinkish color. i'm sure you've seen it. anyway, whatever came in the box may or may not have been that kind of tuna. i wish i asked for hamachi instead.
tempura: as i said, it was heavy on the batter. still a good portion of tempura though. two shrimp, broccoli, carrot, yam, potato, and maybe something else.
saba shioyaki: i didn't get to eat this after eating all the other stuff..but pretty sure it would be like every other piece of saba shioyaki i've ever had. salty, oily, awesome fishiness.
Definitely deserves 5 stars. I took my parents out for dinner last night and they chose a japanese restaurant that was NOT kitsho and i've never appreciated great sushi until now. I'm a sushi snob!
People thought this was:
mmmm... i LOVE sushi, but i hadn't had real sushi until Kitsho. I drive by this place everyday on… Read more »
My mom is Japanese and very finicky and choosy about sushi restaurants, she has plenty of choices locally, it's got to be prepared and presented with heart and gusto by the chefs, and Kitsho delivers. Not nearly the best in town or anything like that, but certainly the best in our neighborhood. We try to visit every time I'm in town.
Went to lunch with the BF today, it was alright. The reviews about the Omasake Sushi had me really curious. I asked the waitresses about it too and of course they said it was a "chef's specialty". So the BF, insists that I try it. The pieces were already pre cut as far as I could see and most of it tasted fresh, but wasn't exactly my preference in sashimi. The price for lunch was not flattering either. For 10 pieces of sashimi = $34. My BF had a basic bento box which was your average meal, nothing spectacular.
People thought this was:
I found bones in salmon sashimi. My friend's pork katsu was too hard. Not going to come back.
This place still is king. Ichi bon. Took a few friends there and opened their eye to what Sushi really is.
Simply the best sushi and related foods you'll find in the South Bay. Mackerel is amazing! Get is… Read more »
I am a regular customer here to Kitsho. I used to love love love this place. Sashimi Omakase (around $35) is what I always order or I will sit at the sushi bar (ranging from $70-$100 per person). I only come here for sushi not their other items. Their tamago is awsome! I am not a huge tamago fan (not into sweet fluffy eggs usually), but I have to admit their tamago is very tasty!
Recently I've notice unstable qualitie of rice. I am extremly picky about my rice. Although the sashimi are still decent, but rice has to match up with the fish! So I took off one star for the lack of sushi rice quality at times.
If you decide to try this place, definitly try out different types of fish. Don't just go for your normal tuna, yellow tail, and saba. The sashimi can get pricey so just be prepared for that!
People thought this was:
*
**The following takes place**
**between 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm"
O ---- Kitsho's chef owner
/|\ Howard Arita
====================================
|--| ---- The doctor's cat in the hat
_|_|_
Dr O O ---- Jive Bauer
Seusshi ---/|\ /|\
| | | |
Jive Bauer spent the early part of the turn of the millenium investigating potential threats to national sushicurity, part of his gig at CPU (Counter Pseudo-sushi Unit). One fateful day years ago a tired and weary Dr Seusshi also sat at the bar, after his O-ring got blown out by extreme prejudice (aka Craptacular Seusshi restaurants), and Jive went undercover at Kitsho to get a little more information on how Kitsho may help the cause.
Chef owner Howard Arita and his wife used to work at Ikenohana in Cupertino (which eventually closed). They took over some old style coffee shop, partnered with some Chinese dude in ownership. Later the dude sold his share and Howard and his wife run the place. Or so says the newsgroups.
Bauer noticed that Kitsho is just like any other joint, a wide spectrum on the regular menu. For the most part, walk in and casual patrons sitting at the tables were waterboarded with bad service and abused like enemy combatants by the hired waitstaff (mostly expat Mandarin speakers), that is, unless they ponied up the $60 to $80++ to eat omakase exclusively at the bar (that took no reservations) and developed a regular relationship with the sexy grey haired spectacled man behind the counter. This is why other Yelpers in general give Kitsho low stars.
CPU strategy notes on Kitsho:
- Go with a friend, maybe 3 at most. Go early, sit in front of Howard
- request omakase only, or you can order nigiri or sashimi (be specific)
- omakase may include an appetizer dish or two. some examples include grilled shima aji collar, or iwashi (sardine) or ayu (river fish) shioyaki (grilled in its own innards and juices)
- Howard prides on home made soy bean dishes. Make sure you try them: 3 bean hiyakko tofu (tofu made with green beans, soy beans, black beans), homemade special miso soup (outperforms many miso ramen offerings elsewhere). Chawanmushi but tofu instead of egg. Maguro natto appetizer (the only way to enjoy his home made natto). Ask about the black bean soymilk if he has some to sample.
- also check the white board by the entrance that mentions the cooked fish specials
Dr Seusshi was very quiet yet giddy during the meal. Howard has this cool encylopedia Japanese fish book for fun reading and reference.
Jive's secret report details some of the highlights of the mission, compiled from multiple missions.
- On a good day, Howard would have upwards of 30 kinds of seafood (from common to the exotic import).
- Howard specializes in white fish (shiromi). But if you like shimaaji, kanpachi, buttery fat hamachi, Japanese and New Zealand snapper, kinmedai (golden eye snapper) and sometimes exotic stuff like turbot (France), grouper, filefish (kawahagi) with raw liver on top, come here.
- if you are lucky, Howard has a good marinated tuna (zuke) receipe. Ditto for soy sauce marinated wild salmon ikura. Not as supreme as Ino Sushi's versions of course.
- If you like clams, try the pen shell (tairagai).
- in the last 2 to 3 years Howard has been getting sea eel larvae (nore snore, very Seuss sounding...) that look like swimmies...no not ~o but you get the idea. Paired with a citrus sauce as gunkan sushi, it's quite good. Very short season, good luck trying one.
- do not miss his tamagoyaki, a wonderland of dashi broth, eggs. Get a fresh cut as gyoku (no rice) where it is still warm and juicy (although quite sweet). Probably best in the Bay Area (unless you want to get a$$ raped at $awa $u$hi), a good closer (or appetizer starter)
The meh part of the report
- when sardines or kibinago are available, Howard chooses vinegared miso (su-miso) as saucing instead of a light soy based sauce, masks and ruins the flavor. Save that for baby squid :-(
- maguro and toro usually start the omakase nigiri course instead of white fish, and his "otoro" never gets fatty (more like chu-toro).
- anago and ankimo can be skipped.
- sushi rice receipe is rather weak and at times inconsistent. If you go during opening, somtimes sushi rice is still hot from the cooker, so insufficient prep time and vinegar marination. Fish cuts are not as well textured. Alice Y is right, chef relies on high end fish to make the nigiri stand out instead of knifework, fish to rice balance, sushi rice receipe.
*12:59:57*
*12:59:58*
*12:59:59*
*1:00:00*
People thought this was:
It took some time for me to warm up to Kitsho. It's right across the street from where I work.
I must have ordered all of the wrong things the first couple of times I ate at the restaurant (the udon, the bento box, the spicy tuna roll), because I really didn't think the food was anything special or even good.
But one time, I ordered sashimi recommended by the sushi chef while sitting at the bar. And *that time*, I thought the food was worth some of the rave reviews here.
The tastiness of the other food on the menu is not consistent, though, and too pricey for me for lunch or a quick after-work dinner.
People thought this was:
Went there again over the weekend and I would recommend ordering the fish specials for the day. I tried almost everything on the special menu and boy the fishes were fresh. You can either do individual orders or get the Omakase.
Examples:
Inada: Hamachi
Takabe: butterfish
Kachedai (might spell incorrectly)
Aji: Spanish Mackerel
Shima Aji: Jack Mackerel
Nore Sore
Scallops
There are more, but I can't remember right now, but two words "simply exquisite". This time around it cost me $130 for two. :-)
Enjoy.
Went there because of yelp. I would say one of the best Sashimi places in San Jose area. If you are… Read more »
My long awaited visit to Kitsho arrived. Good fortune smiled on me this day and I found parking right away in their very small lot. It was also my good fortune to dine with the knowledgeable and great fun to be with Ruth C. who lists Kitsho as one of her faves.
When we entered, we were greeted and seated immediately and provided with our own pot of green tea. Refills whenever we wanted and usually deftly provided by the venerable Ruth. "Lots of training," she added. The restaurant has a calmness about it that evokes a serene, Japanese feeling even though it was quite noisy and busy at the time. Anticipation for my meal grew. Ruth spoke to the server and ordered a warm, fresh tofu for us as we placed our lunch orders. This "not on the menu item" arrived and it was a silken delight. Warm, creamy goodness exploded with flavor in the dipping sauce provided. I could fill up on this and tried to stop many times, but kept getting called back as I sipped my tea, chatted with Ruth and awaited my sushi.
The menu offered a lot of possibilities but for today I chose the sushi and sashimi bento. It was an excellent choice. First off, standard Miso soup was good; nothing remarkable here. Now for the bento. They wasted no space on filling this box with delight. The salad was overflowing it's square and had a more sweet than tart sesame dressing. Where wasabi normally sits was a crisp little shrimp and cucumber dish instead. Nice refreshments in between the other bites of fish.
And now for the fish. I need to preface this with the fact that I had been thinking about, hearing about, dreaming of nothing else but wanting to go to this place forever. I had prepared my myself for the possibility of finally finding my sushi dream and ultimate sushi orgasm. Or, at least somewhere that I knew would give me the possibility of one day having one in its' surroundings. And so, you needed know that first. The fish was divine. Here's what I ate:
Six tuna rolls; each morsel perfect in of itself. Bite-size with tuna so smooth, the right amount of rice, beautiful texture to the nori. Each bite was pure joy.
Five Nigiri - The maguro was decent, not a standout or anything, but certainly very good. Same with the ebi, although I will mention it was large and very sweet. The Ika had that perfect balance between just cooked enough and raw, making the texture melty but with just enough give all at the same time. Very nice. The sake was melt in your mouth goodness. Always my favorite when I order a meal like this. But today the saba impressed me the most. Alright saba lovers, I get it now. The slithery, sultry, saba is so sexy going down. I can see why people want to love this fish. Enticing!
Five Sashimi - While these pieces were on the small side, each one was the perfect bite; super fresh and delicious. Three pieces of tuna were temptingly smooth. The two other pieces of fish were completely unfamiliar to me, but great.
Throughout the meal I found myself drifting off a bit. I became thoroughly immersed in each fish, each flavor/texture combination as the consummate partner to my mouth. Yes, it could happen here. I must return and experience their sushi many more times. The fish is by far some of the freshest in the area. Their chefs; quite skilled. The ambiance in the small dining room is noisy and friendly. Even with that I was off by myself in a far land enjoying the communion with my ravishing meal.
Written in my travelogue: This is one to return to again and again and again.... Thanks Ruth!
People thought this was:
As my teacher vacation comes to a close what better way than with Carole G :-). I had not been here in years and since I am on my sushi binge (thank you tax return) I came here to my old hood (the 26 bus line I knew well back in the day). Ah the traditional server- hello, how are you.. here are two menusareyoureadytoorder? I went for my usual tempura and sashimi... good sashimi *drools.* The shrimp tempura was on point-- crispy but melts in your mouth.. some of the veggies were thickly cut hence al dente... but over all YUMMY! Miso was nice and salty with tons of seaweed... yep happy camper I am.. force strong with this one it is....
I usually avoid this area BUT will make an exception when coming here... the note in the window said not to keep valuables in plain sight... eep... this is Cupertino not East Side San Jose.. the irony...
People thought this was:
I have been going to Kitsho for four years now. I've only eaten at the sushi bar, never at a table, so can't comment about service quality at tables or non-sushi-bar food.
At the bar, however, things are good. Howard and the other itamae serve with good cheer, and we end up ordering omakase (chef's choice) most of the time.
Every time they have served us new things we haven't had before, interesting presentations on old favorites, and every time we have been very happy paying the check, sometimes not inexpensive but that's the price you pay for omakase.
This is the place I bring my out-of-town friends, everyone has had favorable reaction so far.
My five star rating is in context of being inSouth Bay. Do I think you can find better sushi in SF or Vancouver? Sure, go to Ino or Yoshi On Denman. However, for something this good just 1 mile from my house, I'm loving it.
People thought this was:
I've had this place bookmarked for awhile, and my husband and I finally tried it today for lunch.
After reading so many great reviews, and raves about their fish I was pretty excited to give it a try!
I had the sushi/sashimi bento. It came with a pretty impressive amount of fish. I also liked that they put the wasabi in the roll, and between the rice and fish (with the nigiri.) Even though this is how it's supposed to be, it's rarely done. I have to admit, it does make a difference when the the wasabi is already in there.
I'm not usually a huge fan of saba, or sake, but after this, I might be. Both were so incredibly good. It's clear they use a very high quality of fish, and it's seriously fresh.
I was slightly disappointed that there was no hamachi in the bento, since that's one of my favorites and I read such great things about it.
Hopefully next time I'll get to try it.
Service was friendly and very pleasant.
I could see how this could get expensive for dinner, and while $14.95 is a little more than I like to pay for lunch,considering the quality AND quantity, (it's rare to have both!) it was actually a pretty good deal.
The only reason I'm not giving this place 5 stars is because my hubby didn't like the chicken teriyaki. Although,he liked the rest, and has agreed to go back with me and try something else.
People thought this was:
If you're going to come here, come only for sushi and sit at the bar. Don't come and then complain about how the table service was slow and how your teriyaki was not 5 star quality. Seriously, sit at the bar, have omakase, and enjoy the freshest fish around.
Howard always has something unique to try. His omakase is amazing. Typical sets include: kampachi, hamachi, and baby hamachi (inada). He serves these side by side so that you can taste the unique characteristics of the fish. This is easily the best hamachi I've ever had. Another set he pairs: Bluefin tuna and chu toro. Always eat the bluefin first and leave the chu toro second. The chu toro literally melts in your mouth. Fresh scallop and penshell clam...when he serves these, you really taste the sweetness of the two. Other items: aji (horse mackerel) and shima aji (spanish mackerel, boston amaebi, kohada, sayori, shako, kinmedai, kibinago, kawahagi, live uni.
Again: sushi bar and omakase-period. Expect to spend a little more, about $60-80 per person without alcohol, but it's worth it.
People thought this was:
I grow up in Japan and went to various Japanese restaurants in the bay area. Unfortunately I cannot agree with yelpers saying this is a good sashimi place. Other food suck, too and the customer service has some problem as well. 2 stars instead of one simply because I have seen worse.
Food:
Very over priced low quality food. $20 combinaion is mostly lettuce salad. Fish is obviously not fresh and frozen for a long time. Should compare to sushitomi in mountainview.Teriyaki is not something Japanese eat all the time, but it sure can be made so much better. Gombei in San Jose Japan town is a good example. Deep fried karaage chicken was juicy but way too salty. It's like telling a Chinese person to pay $20 for the general tso's chicken at Panda Express
Service and others:
The naming and design are very Chinese style. I'm guessing it's under non-Japanese management. Menu says minimum order $8 per person. Our group arrived at different times. The server kindly suggested us we should wait for everyone to arrive and order. The 2nd from the last person had to wait for the last person to arrive. Sure they served soup and boiled veggie salad while waiting, but when did restaurants start to tell customers when to order??!! Real Japanese restaurant should understand customer = god.
My first time here. Haven't seen many places with Curry Udon, so that's what I tried. The udon was very nice; chewy without being too mushy. The curry + udon broth was good too, helped by a decent amount of chicken.
The place looks better on the inside than outside. Fills up pretty quickly during lunch hour.
After thoroughly stuff my stomach and arteries with all the slimming food at Great America, thank you churros and funnel cake, I met my friends at this fine establishment.
Dam I wish I wasn't stuff so I could enjoy this food.
Some how I manage to find some room to try the fresh uni and by fresh I mean they had the sea urchin's shell holding the uni. Delicious. Try some Toro and Aji and I am good.
I know I said I was good but you can't let good sushi go to waste and finish off my friends plate.
Stuffed.
Now time to get some dessert. Shaved ice anyone?
Sushi and special appetizers were wonderful. The special of fresh Uni was unbelievable. The uni was still moving when served. While firm to touch it was creamy and almost melted in your mouth. The mild flavor was not like the usual salty prepared/preserved uni at most places.
The sake cod was soft and tender, it had great sake flavor but not to the point where it overwhelmed the clean cod taste.
The salmon cheek had a great crust on it with caramelized meat.
The main dishes were standard and okay for a combination plate of tonkatsu and kara age.
Specials and sushi made this one of my favorite restaurants.
People thought this was:
This place sucks. SUCKS. Here's why:
The food is fine, though I thought my tuna roll was over-wasabied, and thus, eye-wateringly difficult to eat.
The real problem is the service, and the food just isn't good enough to overcome it. Four of us paid in two bills because one guy ordered from sushi bar and had his stuff on a different section of the bill. We ended up paying less tip on one part and more tip on the other, both totaling to just over 15% of our bill. Yes, fine? That would be a big fat NO.
The waitress, who was already hovering over us as we paid (we asked her to break a bill and she pointed out that it wasn't enough - yes, that's why we need to break it, thank you), looked at the bill, and tore into us. But, we paid more on the other-NO! Not good enough! Off with your head!
And at the end of her diatribe, she informed us that THEIR customers always tip 15-20% and that we shouldn't come back.
Well, THAT I can agree with.
(Oh yeah, and the waitress chastised my friend for not eating her cucumber, which, as she informed us, was $2/lb. What are you, our mother??)
People thought this was:
Kitsho is the setting for a piece of my family's collective memory that we have dubbed the Cupertino Mirugai Incident.
It was the day before my college graduation, and my parents and brothers drove up for the occasion. After much deliberation and obsessive yelping, I decided that they would treat me to a lavish sushi dinner at Kitsho. I had been once before, and despite a few warning signs of poor service, decided the food was good enough to warrant a second attempt.
Never again.
Being a brat, and this being a sort of day of glory for me, I ordered a generous selection of sushi for the table from the a la carte menu, penciling in check marks all the way down the sheet. Of all the check marks, I was most excited about the mirugai - my favorite nigiri, and one of the most expensive.
The sushi came on two wide wooden platters, rows and rows of beautiful delectable fish. I broke my chopsticks and dove into my meal face-first, happy as a clam. There were many items I didn't even know the names of, and I enjoyed them as I waited for the platter that must be coming with my mirugai, as my sushi grail was not served on the platters before me.
When we were about half way through the sushi on our table, I asked the waitress whether the mirugai was coming. She looked at me with confusion and informed me that it had already come and that we must have eaten it.
Suffer me as I emphasize my special passion for mirugai. My first encounter with mirugai was one of those freeze-frame moments - I remember my mom sitting next to me at Sushi Hirosuke (Encino), the spot we occupied at the sushi bar, our chef Masa on the other side. It is my favorite sushi, and anyone who's tried it knows that the tough chewy texture and clean flavor are unmistakeable.
Imagine my mounting indignation and anger as the waitress continued to insist that in my ignorance I or a member of my family had swallowed the mirugai without realizing what it was. This would have been impossible, as I had scanned the plates for the mirugai when they arrived at the table. Imagine how that anger escalated as the waitress, genuinely confused, brought over the manager, a stern bespectacled woman with a criminally disciplinarian air. The manager, far from being apologetic, insisted that we were mistaken, and oh there was a scene. My mother and I continued our insisting, voices were raised, and the manager remained insulting and stubborn.
The happy ending? We got our mirugai, and it looked and tasted like mirugai. (I have to wonder whether it was the only order that we never received. I might not have been so hawk-eyed had it been another fish missing.) The manager did not drop her nasty demeanor in conceding, and was sure to inform us that the no-doubt significant cost of our rightfully delivered nigiri would be deducted from our waitress's paycheck. This parting stab tainted the mirugai, delicious as it was, with the distinct flavor of injustice. While the waitress had been befuddled and annoying, she left most of the unbelievable rudeness to the management.
In retrospect, I should have known not to return to Kitsho after my first time there. They nickel-and-dime you, demanding that each guest order a minimum of $8, and charging for things like extra ginger. The service was curt, and I left feeling a little embarrassed for suggesting the place to my group of friends.
The food is, I would think, uncontroversially excellent. The fish is some of the best I've had in the Bay area. It is not, however, worth the horrid dining experience. For the love of mirugai and justice, spare yourself the anguish.
People thought this was:
The sushi here is delicious. The cut of the fish is actually a pretty large size compared to other sushi restaurants. Quality is great, and I was able to taste a lot of different types of fish that I don't normally see in sushi restaurants, and I'm a big sushi eater! I had the omakase there the other night and it was worthwhile. The only thing is that it is a bit expensive. Not a place I would go on a weekly basis, but a place i'd definitely come back to visit again.
At the end of my last review, I spoke about the Sashimi Omakase (chef's special) I was dying to try. Earlier this semester on a trip home for an interview, I finally had the chance to try it out (and expense it...do you think it helped the fish taste fresher?).
Yes, it's worth the $32 for the 12-13 pieces of the nights freshest, freshest fish. Yes, it's worth it to try fish on special that you've never had before (although I wish I could remember the names now). And it's definitely worth it to try it here.
I could be a bit of a Kitsho homer, since I grew up in the neighborhood. But despite the unpredictable service and the list of sushi filled with crossed-out, unavailable selections, I still maintain that this is one of the best places to go for pure fish.
People thought this was:
Kitsho is my family's go-to Japanese restaurant and we are lucky enough to live close by and be able… Read more »
Went here a while back. My girlfriend has some kind of salmon and tempura meal, which was meh... I had sushi and it was great! Very fresh and tasty. The service depends on who's your waitress.
3.5 stars
My second visit to Kitsho, was more disappointing than the first. Sure, the restaurant was packed, even on a random Tuesday night, but for the price and the food, service was definitely not up to par.
Dad and I ordered the sushi and sashimi omakase. The sashimi was definitely fresh, but the selection wasn't for the wild at heart. The quantity wasn't *quite* enough, so we wanted to order some more food from the sushi bar, and was declined a 2nd order!!! They said that it was because the restaurant was busy... but never, ever have I been turned down a 2nd order...
Kitsho's food, paired with their rushed, impatient, somewhat-rude and talking-as-they're-walking service, I can only give this establishment 2 stars.
People thought this was:
Definitely not what I expected coming here...the first thing I noticed was a sign saying that there were previous thefts and to make sure your car is locked...WTF? But anyways...the food here was alright. Not your usual sushi joint but it's good to try different things. The sashimi was fresh but if you're looking for crazy elaborate rolls, this is not the place to find it! The service was sooo slow here! Maybe it is because we were hungry but it just seemed forever to get water, tea, our food, for them to take our order, the check...EVERYTHING! =/ I'd rather not spend my dinner trying to get a server to help us, sorry!
Okay I get it...you know your sushi. You're a sushi expert. You're a sushi snob. Okay Okay. You even lived in Japan. You grew up on a boat. You bleed mercury.
Davids Bottom Line- The only review I would trust is one written by a Grizzly Bear. Those guys know what fresh is. Otters too they love the uni. So unless you're Ozzy Otter or Grizzly Greg shut up with the expert status.
P.S. Im hairy like a bear so you can trust my review. Grrr!
People thought this was:
Been there so many times. Sushi is always fresh. Nabe comes a big portion. Better than Yuki.
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Category: Japanese
Cupertino, CA
Category: Japanese
Cupertino, CA
Category: Japanese
Cupertino, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
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Category: Japanese
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