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Categories: Japanese, Caterers, Sushi Bars [Edit]
2220 S Winchester BlvdMon-Thu. 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
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Whenever I think of sushi in the South Bay, I think of Michi. Their food is amazing (try the steak too) and they have the friendliest service in the area -- especially when mister Shin is there.
The tatami room is a great intimate place for parties or large groups. I'll never forget when I threw a surprise birthday party for my friend Tracy there.
While our waiter was talking to us about the various sushi roles they have he caught a fly, that he saw out the corner of his eye, with a single quick motion of his hand. It was like something out of the Karate Kid! (he let the fly go outside and washed his hands before returning) Later they brought out enough ice cream for the entire table (with candles and song) and before we left they handed the birthday girl an unopened bottle of wine signed by all the staff. That's what I mean by great service!
As many people have pointed out, they're a bit pricey but worth every cent!
So Katie says she wants to go to Michi for her birthday. It's her FAVORITE place. I've never been, but I'm game. I love sushi.
We get there before everyone else (like 45 minutes before our reservation, we were our running errands and didn't realize we were so early). So while we're waiting I take advantage of the miracle of modern technology and read the Yelps on my iPhone.
Wow.
I read a bunch of 1 and 2 star reviews that said the place was ridiculously overpriced. $20 a roll? I hadn't seen the menu, but I couldn't believe it. They said if they are going to charge so much, they should do a little better decorating the place. I look around. The place looks like someone's living room. There are hand drawn doodles on the wall. Mismatched chairs at the bar. A random piano in the corner. The people are friendly enough, but the ambiance makes me think $7-$12 a roll.
Then I read a handful of 4's and 5's that said the sushi was SOOOOO good and the rolls were HUGE and yeah, it was pricy. But you get what you pay for; totally worth it. I watched the chef in front of me as I sipped my Sapporo. 20 minutes until our reservation. The rolls he was making were pretty huge. And he was putting a lot of stuff on them.
So basically some reviews were good some reviews were bad, but they ALL mentioned the sticker shock. I was a little worried. I mean what can I do? It's Katie's birthday and this is what she wants. So we'll have splurge. I've been eating turkey sandwiches for lunch all week at work to save money anyway.
Soon our party arrives and before long, we are seated and the beer sake and edamame starts flowing. We all order a roll and pass them around. Except for Amber of course, she doesn't eat fish so she gets chicken teriyaki.
Well the verdict is that it was good. I tried several different rolls. (We were sharing). I really liked the one I had. I'm not going to tell you what it was because there are like 100 rolls. So my favorite may not be yours, you'll find something you like. And Amber liked her $23 chicken teriyaki better than every other sushi joint chicken teriyaki she had.
My point is that is was BETTER than almost every other sushi place I've been to, but NOT $23 good. Honestly to for a $23 roll to be justified, the sushi chef would have to be at our table, lighting the roll on fire and slicing it in mid-air. For $23 a roll to be justified it would have to be full of Filet Mignon and Lobster. Actually Michi probably has that roll, and it's probably $75. And the place isn't even in Vegas or Beverly Hills or Santana Row. It's in a boring part of south Campbell next to a bunch of auto shops.
I'll go again someday, but it better be a damn special occasion.
Freshest sushi I've had in a long time. I think I've found my new sushi place but yes it is super expensive. The fish here is so fresh that it melts in your mouth. I've always heard about this place but never made the trek out to that side of Campbell before. Service was great. We came here without knowing what was good and basically asked what were their top 4 rolls. They delivered and it was fantastic! I think if they were to remodel the place it would make up for it's pricey sushi. It's a little odd knowing there's a mini desk in the corner but whatever, I come here for the sushi and it's pretty darn good.
ps new thing i discovered recently. gift cards for Michi at Costco are available!
I have been here many times and I keep coming back. It's one of the only sushi places I've been that is consistently good. Unlike other sushi restaurants - Michi will accommodate you as a customer in pretty much any way possible - their menu is HUGE and states that any roll can be made vegetarian or it can be cooked, but where's the fun in cooked sushi? heehee :) On a personal note - I have an issue with being able to eat nori - I know what kind of sushi lover hates nori? For me it's a texture thing and the flavor of nori tends to overpower the fish. I love the fact that here you can get any roll you want with soy paper instead which is tasteless and is super easy to bite through. People do get put off by the prices here but I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for - I like to think the high prices warrant the good quality of their seafood and I'll pay $$ for good quality fresh seafood. This is the only sushi place I've been to in the last several years where the maguro is actually ruby red and not bubblegum pink - here it's all about the quality of the food.
My most recent trip here was with co-workers for a birthday lunch. Everyone I was with was boring and ordered bento boxes for lunch but my co-worker and I were adventurous and decided to order rolls. She ordered the Big Ben roll which I couldn't eat because my gringo mouth can't handle jalapenos and I ordered the Ebi Fire Roll with soy paper. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. When our food came out I couldn't wait to get into that damn roll. It was only four pieces but those four pieces were huge! I was glad I only ordered that roll and nothing else because with the miso and the rice on the side it was plenty. The Ebi Fire roll is my favorite - it had two (most places use one) pieces of tempura shrimp in it, it had spicy tuna and daikon radish slices on the bottom. On the top was sprinkled with macadamia nuts, a couple different sauces drizzled across the top and one of which was HOT (spice not temperature) and some tobiko. The portions of tuna were not skimpy either for the size of the roll - it would take me three bites to be able to eat one piece of this roll.
All throughout our lunch visit here the owner kept coming by to check on us to make sure everything was going ok and we were happy with the food. The waiter we had was awesome and patient with our group, he was attentive without being annoying.
I love supporting locally owned and run businesses and Michi Sushi is definitely one of those local eateries I go to as often as my bank account lets me. One suggestion for the owner - they might want to change the name of Cheechoo's Power Play roll though because the Sharks no longer have Cheechoo. :)
I've been eating sushi since I was old enough to chew, and it's my all time favorite food. I drive past this place all the time and finally decided to give it a try, even though I heard rumors that it was expensive. HOLY SHIT, were the prices absurdly high!
My partner and I bought one roll, two hand rolls, and big bowls of rice just to use as a filler because we couldn't afford anything else. It was the first time we were really tempted to walk out of a restaurant because we didn't want to pay the high prices.
The sushi was unmemorable, and we walked out hungry and irritated. Then we went across the street and got burgers and ice cream from Dairy Queen because we were so hungry. I will never support this business again.
I still don't understand why people love this place so much.
The sushi here is good... BUT NOT WORTH THE PRICES!
The roll I had last night was $20 + and I could have had the same thing at any other sushi joint in the valley for $10-12.
The sushi, skill, ambiance and ammenities do not warrant the ROI.
Sorry Michi.... At these prices, you should have girls in kimonos serving hot towels before you eat at these prices.
Went here for a friend's birthday and it was awesome!
When we arrived the owner came out to greet us and sang happy birthday to the birthday girl.
I knocked off a star because of the cost, but other than that this place was great. The fish was fresh and everything was nicely presented.
The fat boy roll was amazing!
I'd love to go here again..I better start saving!
Unless you know what roll you're already looking for, it's very hard to find anything you want. The menu is long and extremely disorganized.
They had generous portions for their rolls, and their fish was decently fresh. HOWEVER, in every roll, the delicious fish flavors were completely overwhelmed by the ridiculous amount of sauces they put on.
The nigiri was not bad, but not great. We've had MUCH better.
All in all, I would not go back, and I would not recommend this place to anyone.
I'm not sure who is rating this under 5 stars, but they are crazy! This place makes gigantic rolls and while a bit pricey, are the highest quality fish and are prepared to perfection.
My favorite rolls are the Climax and The "O" Bomb, and if you like sashimi/nigiri it doesn't get much fresher.
I highly recommend taking people here who truly love originality with their sushi.
$8 for two average-sized pieces of farmed salmon nigiri? You've got to be kidding me.
If you go to Michi's, prepare yourself for menu sticker shock, the above-mentioned salmon was one of the less-expensive items. I'm not sure what all that money is buying as the ambiance of the place is decidedly on the worn-out side: uninspired decor, random mix of chairs at tables, empty and dusty shelving behind the sushi bar, crayoned paper placemats taped to the walls. It's like they were aiming for eclectic but instead hit "yard sale."
The miso soup and seaweed salad were bog standard, the service was nice enough but slow which was especially notable as the place was almost empty.
At least the fish was fresh but at those prices that's meeting my bare minimum expectation; we won't be returning.
Way too many roll options. It took a while just to read the menu. Very expensive. It appears they have doubled their prices recently. The rolls are on average $20 each. Crazy. The sushi does taste good here, but not worth it anymore. I will say that Shin can continue to drive the prices up since it still appears to be quite busy every time I have gone in.
EXPENSIVE!!!
If the price of the rolls were comparable to the quality, then I could understand why they charged so much. BUT I have had better tasting rolls at cheap sushi restaurants.
The only thing that sets them apart are the humorous sushi roll names. Believe me IT"S NOT WORTH IT. Save yourself $100 bucks (Literally...the tab came out to $150 and this is between two girls with a small appetite) and go to a mediocre sushi spot. You'll find it much more satisfying
Pricy? Yes. Delicious, absolutely yes. I don't think I've had sushi this fresh in a very long time. The freshness to me, was on another level. There's fresh, then there freeesh. The sushi at this place, was freeeesh! I got the sashimi lunch , which comes with 6 cuts of decent sized cuts. The service was ok - my tea cup didn't get filled and no one came back to check on us. Once again, if you can get over the price, which is in fact higher than most places, I highly recommend this place.
If you are expecting to spend less than $25/person for sushi, this is not the place. You been warned!
Ambience: 2 stars
Food: 2 stars
Portion size: 2 stars
Value: 1 star
Service: 2 stars
My friend and I went there with the intent of getting sushi. We have seen in the past a good deal of cars parked outside so we decided to give it a try. What a Nagasaki A-bomb mistake!
So we walk into this place and noticed it look like a dive. Nothing special at all. In fact, it looked out of place. There was a little sushi bar as you go in. What looked like eight seats at the sushi bar and two spots taken up by an employee who was doing the accounting books. I was like "WTF, do your books in the back room and leave the seats to your patrons!".
Because the two seats were taken, we had to go to the dining area. Its nothing special. Its like a big living room of a house that seats about 10 tables with two tatami arrangements.
The hostess takes us toward the tables and she asks where would you like to sit. We look at several open tables and one of them, the best one, was taken up yet again by accounting papers and a calculator. Embarrased, the waitress removes the items and then seats us.
We sit down and were handed the menus. We opened them up and our mouths flew open. We were totally shocked to see the OUTRAGEOUS prices for this place. Every page we turned was like "oh oh, what did we get ourselves into" kind of feeling. This was the first time I ever had this kind of feeling when sitting down at a any restaurant, be it expensive or not.
Now I've had some really great Japanese food and sushi in SF, Menlo Park, back East, Hawaii, etc. I can tell you this - This place has no business charging these prices. $25/roll for sushi? $23 for simple Japanese meals? You got to be kidding. It was if they were trying to sell the $100 burger to complete suckers!
This place is a little old white house in Campbell that was converted into a restaurant. Imagine walking into grandma's little white cottage that just so happened had the sideyard turned into a 8 space parking lot. It is in no friggin' way in the same league as a top notch Japanese restaurant experience. The classy Blowfish Sushi in Santana Row doesnt even charge that much!
We both were hungry. And whenever you go to a sushi place you dont just eat 6 pieces. You eat lots. Do the math, add in drinks, and tip and you'll find yourself walking out having paid $40 minimum per person - just to eat sushi! Ridiculous! No way were we stupid enough to do that.
Refusing to pay those prices (and nearly wanting to walk out), the least expensive thing on the dinner menu was the $12 udon noodles (of which I had). It was good but not great. The portion was totally small and I left very hungry. Consider the fine Kobe restaurant in Santa Clara charges $9.50 for udon noodles. Ringer Hut's Nagasaki Champon with Gyoza for less than that. I felt stupid paying for what little I was getting.
My friend had the chicken teriyaki. For $23 bucks it was diappointing. All she got was a slab of sliced chicken with teriyaki sauce poured over it and a bowl of rice! That's it! Incredibly, there was no salad, no miso soup, no green tea ice cream. Kobe charges $11 bucks for a chicken teriyaki meal. Sushi Zono $16. Kazoo $15 for a full bento box. Now you tell me if that is a fair price. Hell no!
Look, when you go to a really nice restaurant deserving of $25+/plate, you know exactly what you are getting and the expectations are there. The environment is nice, the building nice, the seating and inside nice. The food well inline with what you are paying. In this case, the expectations were so far away it was obscene.
There is nothing special about this hyped up place. We both left this place feeling totally stupid and hungry. So hungry we went to another place an hour later to eat.
NOT-WORTH-IT.
Only two stars from me because the prices have gone through the stars! Food is always good and fresh but we are not in Dubai..who can afford one plate of 6 rolls for $10 - 20 each. I don't know about you, but I can eat more than one plate of sushi for dinner.
This use to be one of my favorite places for dinner with the girls. Not any more.
Sorry Chin (the owner)
This place is WAY overpriced for the food. Expect to pay twice what you would pay at any other sushi restaurant. No exaggeration- our spicy tuna roll was $15!!! As others have said, the sushi was over-dressed, and the real flavors were covered by exotic sauces. They looked pretty but tasted too sweet. Our servers were nice and that's why I'll give it two stars instead of one.
Definitely will never go back. I don't know how they can stay in business with these absurd prices.
Not the nicest looking restaurant you'll find but it's clean. The staff is friendly and prompt. Their menu is HUGE! to many choices if you ask me. The Alex Smith or Rainbow roll is a good choice. If you want to experiment with other choices try the Oma Ebi (raw shrimp w/ the head fried on the side). Parking is hard to find, you'll probably have to find a spot on the street.
Agreeing with Jamie below. Michi Sushi is the best sushi restaurant this side of the Mississippi. i personally love the O-Dawg and KFC rolls......fan-freakin-tastic. it may be a little pricey, but the quality and hospitality definitely make up for it.
You can read the other reviews for pretty much what I'm about to say, so here's the condensed version:
1. Yes, there are a lot of rolls on the menu. Most of them are variations of each other though - same roll, but with maguro instead of sake.
2. Yes, the rolls are rather pricey.
3. Yes, some of the rolls come WAY too huge and I can't fit it in my mouth. This ruins the experience a bit since a roll is the mix of all the ingredients.
4. Yes, the nigri is pricier, but the cut is large.
The things you need to know though:
- The fish is fresh and delicious!
- The dining room is small, but spacious.
- I swear there was a hooker sitting right outside when I went in, but it ended up she was eating there. Weeeeird. Weirder than the bouncer looking parking guy.
- The staff is super nice. We didn't like one of the rolls we ordered, only ate one piece, so when they came to clear our table, they just took it off the bill.
I have my staple sushi restaurants and probably wouldn't come here again unless someone took me.. So *shrug*.
If I could, I'd probably give it 3.5 stars. But I'll round up because it was a good experience.
I went with my girlfriend, Kim, (the one in my profile pic). We were overwhelmed by how many rolls there were on the menu, but many of them had macadamia nuts! And surprisingly, there weren't that many rolls with salmon in it (and we're huge salmon lovers)..I'm trying to remember what rolls we had..I do remember giggling as we ordered them though.. definitely a roll with a sexual reference. Haha.
So I'm one of those people that don't like to mix sweet stuff with salty stuff. Like, I can't eat hawaiian pizza, cranberry&turkey sandwhich, etc. It's just weird for me. So macadamia nuts in my raw fish? That part, I didn't enjoy so much. But it was my fault for forgetting to ask for it without the nuts. So watch out for that..
The rolls are HUGE. My GF and I ordered 3 rolls. And we barely finished it. We were about to ROLL over from being so full. Haha. Yeah, and those 3 rolls, after gratuity and what nots, costed us $80. Tell me that doesn't sound ridiculous?
Now for $80, I gotta say the fish is REALLY worth it. It's the freshest fish I've ever tasted and the cut is relatively large. Because of its size, it really does fill you up too. So be careful when ordering and don't over order like we did. But back to the fish, it was so soft and buttery-like. So smooth and fresh. Yum...
OH! And they take your picture during your experience and you can find it on the web about two weeks later =) which is kinda cute esp. since we're in a camera whorring generation right now!
OMG, the best effin sushi EVER. It melts in your mouth like like like like butter, like cream cheese like OMG it's just soooo fresh!!
Freshness is key when having good sushi. And to serve the non sashimi eating clientele Mr. Shim added some cool culture to his menu. They have all kinds of funny names for their rolls and taste soooo good. I had a Sushidilla courtesy of Mr. Shim I was sooo bomb.
The prices a lil more than you would expect (which is prob why the owner drives a Maserati) for owning 2 sushi spots but g'damn its sooo GOOD so I come back time and time again.
Mr. Shim always wants to meet his customers and sit and drink with them etc etc excellent way to keep the customers coming back but I really think he's trying to entertain them to keep their mind off of the lagging servers.
His waiters and waitresses are professional but they sure do LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG.
Apparently the last time I went they had a 'breakdown' in the kitchen (the stove), ummmm I ordered sashimi ......and last time I checked "sashimi" doesn't need to be baked! As soon I said that after waiting 20 minutes my sashimi was out within 2 minutes. I wasn't too happy with their service, but as soon as I took the first bite I was in heaven, and all complaints went down the drain.
*don't come if you're broke
*don't come if you're in a hurry
*do come if you love great sashimi
*do come if you love new creations of California style sushi
*do come if you like to chit chat, have a shot and take pics with the owner
Going to Michi the other night was a huge disappointment. Not that I had too much hope for the place, but it came recommended and it wasn't in a stripmall.
Firstly, being seated for 15 minutes, I had to lurch around and try and make eye contact with someone working there to get a drink of water. Then somebody who wasn't our server came over with an attitude, saying: "You're glaring over here like you need something." I'm in a restaurant aren't I? Shouldn't someone bring me some water or a drink or let me know I exist at all?
Going over the menu, I was kind of perplexed. "Where are the regular rolls?" I say to myself. All I saw was things in the double-digit price-range up to 40 bucks. Confused, I realize that they are actually trying to charge $25 for 4-piece rolls. Even the veggie rolls were more expensive than fancy fish rolls at any other sushi place in the valley. I wanted to get up and leave right then, because I thought nothing could be worth that. I was right.
Let me vent on another problem with their menu, besides charging four times what a normal sushi place would charge: the ridiculous size of the menu. Yes, you pride yourself on you plethora of amazingly *creative* and expensive rolls. Let me pose a philosophical question to illustrate my point of view. If there are 200 rolls on a menu, but 75% of them have either avocado or cream cheese in addition to tobiko, unagi sauce, and macadamia nuts, do you really have 200 rolls? I say no.
When our actual waiter arrived, I would swear he was getting stoned in the back, because he was didn't see us for 20 minutes, and when he showed up late, he was slow, stoney-eyed, and smirking. I ordered a tempura veggie appetizer "to start with," and it never came.
Next the sushi came. Starting with a nigiri maguro and unagi, I was most pleased with this course. Rice. Fish. Dip. Yummy simplicity. The ratio of rice to protein was skewed in the protein's favor. Although you'll never hear me complain about extra protein, I do respect the one-bite rule and the all-important balance of ingredients. With that in mind, the protein should be smaller. But at $10 a pop, I was glad to have more fish to offset the expensive price.
Now the long-awaited infamous $20 rolls of Michi sushi. I ordered the Java roll and the Spider roll. A grand total of 8 pieces of sushi for $36...yes boys and girls that's $4.50 per piece. They came in a ridiculous large size that is, I admit about twice as much food as a normal roll. Some may be pleased at this, but I ask why? Yes you can cram every ingredient in the world in one roll, but why? I would rather taste simple expressions of a single fish taste enhanced by a few subtle ingredients. That's what the Japanese culinary aesthetic dictates.
Furthermore, the 3" diameter makes it impossible for normal humans to eat in one bite. I could, but it reminded of me when I tried to eat a pack of Big Leage Chew when I was in little league. Let's just say, it wasn't good manners. I prefer one-bite sushi much more because it isn't as sloppy and you get to taste everything at once. With such large sushi, you invariably will be eating bites that only contain one ingredient, then the rest will fall apart in a sloppy mess.
Speaking of sloppy, Michi's rolls are freakin' sloppy. I don't know where they got these people, but the rolls are loose and thrown-together-looking. Like some bored cook scraped off his board and haphazardly rolled it in some loose seaweed.
After we got our check, I tried to be nice and leave a normal tip, but our waiter disappeared again for 20 minutes when I needed change. Funnily enough, when I was waiting for the bathroom, I saw him at the server's station sitting down and joking around with the other servers in the back. Then I saw some guy with the hairiest neck I ever saw in my life eating out of the edame they serve customers with his bare hands. Yucky. I finally just left and he got a 10% deduction. Sorry bro.
I'm willing to spend money on good food and service, but this was expensive without either. Next time, I'm just going to deal with the stripmall and eat good normal sushi at a normal price. If I want to spend way too much money with crappy service, I'll try Blowfish.
Decent Decor
Ridiculously overpriced...
Bad service
I'll go back to the hole in the wall sushi places, this place feels like it's trying a bit hard and makes sloppy rolls that fall apart to boot.
Will anything match my Zushi Puzzle experience in SF? I'm starting to think nothing will :(
oh and P.S. Like others have mentioned, the website prices are super inaccurate. The prices are about 50% of what you would actually pay.
My hubby & I had a date night here....OMG is right, the sushi was the best in Santa Clara County! Our waitress helped us on the perfect saki to go with our food, a terrific experience!
Thanks!!
This place used to rock! Had the freshest fish, great folk behind the sushi bar, inventive original rolls, large portions, and reasonable prices (OK... expensive but reasonable for the quality and quantity). It used to be our favorite sushi restaurant when we wanted to eat good and feel good. Been going their at least 10 years?
Then the problem of success, a new floor manger, new staff, and attention to detail... ah well.... was going to give the place I loved a chance to "come back" and so I've been holding off writing this review.... till now.
Been 5 times in last year and ....how the mighty have fallen.
The rolls are not nearly as expertly made: They fall apart as you pick the slices up sometimes. The fish slices are thinner, and the man who seems to be the floor manager or something is just terrible. Do they have new owners or something?
* I was told it was "normal" to sometimes have a bone in your sushi (huh?)
* I noticed the size of the slices of fish was dramatically smaller
* I noticed the prices are MUCH higher than before (they now are doing "marketing" things and giving away free meals or special promotions .... a sure sign to me the prices are too high and they are depending on weird "marketing" strategies instead of good food.
* I noticed that many rolls are made very differently depending on who is making them. They have such a big menu of specialty roles now, and such poorly trained staff, that you can't count on getting the same thing for the same order: and the changes are not improvements.
Having said that: Try the "Tamara 2000" role. On a good day that roll still rocks as an all vegetarian role with Shiso leaves that just is yummy
Summary: This is the best place to go for sushi rolls in San Jose. But be ready to drop some serious $$$. If you want quality nigiri/Japanese food, go try Yuki Sushi.
When I first came here we were a bit overwhelmed by the variety of rolls. Seriously, there are so many they have a separate roll menu, it it has something like 5 pages. So when in doubt, just ask the server to pick for you. We had the Jeff Garcia roll and it is hands down till this day our favorite. We have come back here a few times to celebrate special occasions, because the prices make it a splurge.
Minor issues: Some of their rolls are too big for one bite. Also they seem to have the whole ambiance thing going, with the hip sushi bar and the tatami sitting area, yet they have these tacky amine/teddy bear chair cushions on all of the chairs in their dining room. Their Campbell location is great (by the sports bar) but the one in a shopping center on south Winchester is just average as far as ambiance and layout. Also, why the heck would they put 2 locations so close to each other? They are seriously 2 blocks away...
I love coming here. No matter what people may have to say about it. Yes it is a little bit pricey, but you're paying more for food. Every time I go here I always get a complimentary dish and sake. The service is always on par and really friendly. I think I liked their original location a lot more because it had a more authentic look to it and the private rooms were great for birthday dinners. The new one is definitely more spacious but just not the same. My favorite is the Dragon roll because it has slices of jalepenos on top. But honestly I love coming here for their sake. Hhaha
I'm very confused about why this restaurant has such a high rating. We went there on a Monday night because we were craving some sushi and I wanted to try a new place. We walked in and were promptly seated at the sushi bar. I opened the menu and was shocked by the crazy prices. I believe the cheapest thing was the avocado roll and that was like $9!! We asked the sushi chef if the rolls were seriously huge and he said that one could be enough for two people. Yeah right. We got two rolls just to try them and were still hungry after. I couldn't believe how ridiculous this place was. Two rolls, miso soup that tasted like dirty dish water, two small side salads, no booze and the total was around $50!! WTF! Plus we had to wait and wait and wait for the bill while the staff chatted with each other. The only good part of the night was going to Sushi E! after and getting all that and much more including alcohol for around the same price.
Also, fyi the next day we told my brother in law about this sushi place that was crazy expensive and he said, I bet you're talking about Michi, huh? So it wasn't just me.
Michi is totally one of my guilty pleasures. I know its not the most authentic hole-in-the wall sushi experience but I really don't think Michi aims to be so. Before all the sushi purests begin screaming at the heavens, we must consider that the fish at Michi is always fresh and the rolls they serve are HUGE, not to mention innovative and fun, so I believe that alone balances out the slightly higher prices and that's something I can appreciate--no rice balls with seaweed here.
One of the things I like about Michi is that they literally have tons of specialty rolls to choose from. Their extensive menu has something like 100 different items--from traditional style sushi to specialty and over-the-top sushi creations. It can be mind-boggling to decide what to order at times, but even then, I've never not liked anything I've eaten at Michi and its fun to pick and choose from their assorted menu.
However, what I love most about Michi is their sauces, OMG. They have a House Sauce, Special Sauce, Chef's Sauce and Unagi Sauce and various other combinations thereof that they generously drizzle over a lot their rolls and makes everything taste like absolute sushi heaven. In a weird way, I would say Michi is like the Mc Donald's of sushi---not in the fast-food sense, but more in the sense that considering the size of their sushi rolls and the amount of sauce (all of which are probably mayo-based) they use, it can't possibly be a healthy thing. Nonetheless, I keep going back.
One of the things I would criticize, however, is their delivery time. I understand that delivery might not be their focus, but if you're going to offer this service at least have it be more efficient. I've ordered several times and it's taken them upwards of an hour to deliver and they're only 15 minutes away and it's not like they actually cook the food. Other than that, I'm all for Michi!
This is my first choice for sushi in the South Bay Area. Excellent selection of unique rolls. Excellent traditional sushi too. Great service. Mr. Shin and son Michael understand service and how to make you feel like you are a special guest. Been here many a time with family and friends. Had a few Birthday parties here too. Excellent food and service.
It is pricey...bring the plastic! My wife and I are fanatics and usually get close to the $100.00 barier every visit. Must have Beer or Sake with your sushi! Try the Zipang or the Pineapple Sake. Too many sushi favs to list.
$25 for a roll of sushi?! really?!? The sushi was average, and definitely didn't justify the price. Their menu was overly extensive and they probably had a name for any concoction you could think of, but it's really just a bunch of ingredients thrown together and made to look pretty. There's no magic, no real artistry. If you like Applebees or TGIF, or Olive Garden, you'll really like the place. The rolls were pretty, but to me, they didn't taste as good as they looked. The slices were too big and because you can't fit the whole thing in your mouth, you're missing out on the whole experience the roll was designed to serve. I ordered a roll that was highly unproportionate in the flavors that were put together. Several ingredients overpowered the other players and you get that same feeling when you're watching that cacophonous, brandish demonstration of how not to sing when trying out for American Idol. *Flinch*
It was a little disappointing when I took that first bite and nothing happened. It was sad because the opposite of love is indifference. And I didn't hate it. It was just flat. I might as well have been on Zoloft in that moment.
I did give it 3 stars because until I find my regular spot (and ONLY if someone else was treating), I'd go back again.
This Michi's is reopen again as of Valentines day 2009.
Meh recooomend:
Second Climax
Alex Smith on Fire
RSM Unlimited
Pages and pages of sushi selection... unique and fantastic rolls. *sigh*
I have a lot of love for Michi's as it was the restaurant my boyfriend took me to on our first date. It looks like a lil ma and pop joint, complete with school kids drawings on the walls but, the sushi was absolutely awesome, service excellent and I was even hooked by their garlic edamame! It was delish!!
Only problem is it's quite pricey... but worth it for the occassional splurge.
See ya there!
Unbelievably overpriced, lack luster customer service
Our valet person cared more about our dinner then our server and the owner
-gaudy decor. first of all, just because they are a "white table cloth" restaurant (ahem, lets mention the paper placed OVER the white cloth to save on dry cleaning stains) doesn't mean a place should charge $20+ for 4-6 pieces of sushi.
-heavy handiness of additional sauces "artistically drizzled" over the sushi plate. I feel a sauce should be lightly drizzled only to enhance, not mask, flavors. And what's up with the lemon on the fish? Hiding something??
-offensive names for rolls; "Vanessa's bed wetter", "Randy's Miso Horney" etc etc. WOW Classy
-long list of rolls with the same ingredients, but different names.
-over-priced sushi
-Non-existent customer service
-clueless owner
When we were seated we sat around for minutes trying to flag someone down and make eye contact with a waiter to get WATER. Michi's wasn't fully busy and most people were engaged in their own conversations which should have meant additional service hands to be attentive. We only saw our waiter twice, once to take the order last for the check. I kept telling my BF that its OK if we left prior to receiving water. Since we were already in our seats we stayed.
We were almost finished with our rolls and wanted a beer. BF asks a waiter to come over when he's done. He didn't. But the owner came over, stood there staring at me, finally said "Hi, Im the owner" shakes my hand "Enjoy your food" I look at where he pointed. Um. My plate was empty, nothing to enjoy. Most owners would be see and empty plate and suggest for you to order more food, ask if you are enjoying yourself blah blah blah.
If you are impressed by this place, you don't know what real food tastes like and must enjoy getting ripped off. Michi's is a place where you bend over and grab your ankles because you will get screwed. This place is appalling on so many levels.
If you feel ripped off and like spending tons of money on food and love kiss ass service, go to Ozumo's in the city for a special date night.
if i had a choice to rate this crap-hole a ZERO star, i would. i have absolutely nothing good to say about this place. the food is NOT authentic, nor is it any good at all. service there sucks, big time bung hole. the employees there are treated like slaves (by the manager and owner). ZERO stars, Michis! Great Job!!!! keep up the great work!!!
This place is pricey. However, quality fits the bill.
I ordered the combination meal 2 choices for $25.
Saba Shioyaki- Hot damn! Really flavorful. Had the nice crispy texture of the skin and the meat was juicy and tender. I ate the leftover when I got home and it tasted even better than my first bites at the restaurant. That is a good sign. Good portion too! The portion is a bigger filet than Hoshi in Santa Clara but smaller than Tomokazu in Cupertino.
Sashimi- most places only give you tuna (the cheapest fish) But this place gives you large cuts of salmon, mackerel, and red tuna. I had to cut the fish with my chopsticks because they were generous cuts. I have never done that before.
The owner and chef definitely pay attention to detail. The second I stepped in to meet my party the gentleman pulled out my seat and helped me take of my trench coat.
This place is nice and intimate. This would be great for a date because it isn't loud like The Cheesecake Factory so you are able to have small conversation and the food is impressive.
I've heard many good things about this sushi joint through word of mouth and now I know why.
Like Krung Thai there are 2 locations on Winchester Avenue 2 blocks away from each other, same goes for Michi Sushi-- there are 2 locations on Winchester Avenue 2 blocks away from each other. I went to the location that is in the Safeway shopping complex. It is small but it is nice and cozy.
I am definitely coming back. They have a wide variety of dishes because they offer 3 different menus during dinner.
I"m not someone who usually eats japanese food, esp not raw sushi and such.
i bought a GC for half price from BAHO. even w/ such a discount their menu prices are OVERPRICED. the prices on their website is very outdated. actual prices can be as much as 50% higher.
The outside of the building looks crappy, the inside has an ok feeling. one of the items i had was some pork cutlet and i paid like 23 bucks for it!!! complete rip. their rolls also cost anywhere from 6 to almost 20 bucks. portions are tiny. i would not come back here for sushi!!
i ordered one of the fish sushis and they were out--they called me back.
they have 4 cordless phones by the register--they can't be that busy w/ they sell this overpriced food.
the azn girl was pretty nice so i'll give this place a star for her work
I really liked the fact that they had TONS for pages of specialty sushi rolls that all had variety (I really like the ones with salmon only and there arent too many if mainly just salmon).
I got the Mango and Salmon Salad (sweeter than I had anticipated), Tessa Roll (YUM!) and Orange Blossom Roll (delicious!)
The only things I didnt like:
- it's in Campbell (a little out of the way for me s0o I dont know how often I'd go there)
- pricing is like double the amount you'd normally pay for at typical sushi places.. expensive in my opinion.. I dont know what Im paying s0o much for
- the parking lot is small s0o beware
- we sat there for like 15+ mins waiting for our check.. the restaurant was not busy and our waitress seemed like she was a newbie. the manager had to get our check for us. sad.
FOOD = 4 stars
SERVICE = 3 stars
PRICING = 2 star
What happened to my favorite sushi joint? The new location is smaller and darker. The sushi has gotten smaller - waaay smaller and the prices!!! gooood lawrd! New location new prices? Can you say chh-chhaang! We came here last Friday hoping to get my grub on because I thought they were going under after having read the review below about them filing chapter 7, but only to be completely let down.
And what happened to all the friendly lady servers? They were replaced with unattentive and slooow male servers - one never cracked a smile and sounded robotic while another had to be told by his boss to calm down because he was throwing an attitude as he cleaned off the bar counter (how rude and unprofessional). I can't go on any longer, it just makes me too sad.
*** Oh Felix, I am now way toooo embarassed to bring you here ***
I love, love, LOVE this place!!! They have the BEST sushi I have ever had!!! Sure, they're… Read more »
OK, Im a huge sushi fan and no joke, if you come here, ask for randy. I didnt even look at the menu he just asked me what i liked. and he created masterpieces!!! SERIOUSLY!!! The best rolls i have ever eaten. I dont know if anything else on the menu was tasty but if you ever get the pleasure of ordering from sushi chef RANDY!! DOOO IT!!!!
Free appetizer with booked…
Los Gatos, CA
Saturday Sake Night!
Campbell, CA
Campbell, CA
Category: Japanese
Campbell, CA
Category: Japanese
Campbell, CA
Category: Japanese
Campbell, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
Campbell, CA
Category: Japanese
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