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Michi Japanese Restaurant
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
18 reviews for Michi Japanese Restaurant
Michi's is my favorite sushi restaurant in the bay. I've been going here for many years and it never disappoints. There are two locations within half a mile of each other. The new one is nicer. It's modern compared to the homey décor of the original one. Just inside the entrance, there's a large salt water aquarium with colorful coral and fish. The walls are a deep red, the chairs are black, and the table linen white. It's a nice contrast.
They have a very extensive menu of rolls, all with very interesting names, most of which are very sexual. The rolls are inventive and tasty. It's all about the sauce that's drizzled on top.
Here's what I always order: garlic edamame, assorted sashimi appetizer, the Jeff Garcia roll, and the everlasting goose bumps salad. The garlic edamame is served hot, which makes a big difference than your average cold, flavorless edamame. I'm not much of a rice person so I always order sashimi. The sashimi here is fresh and the pieces are fairly large. The Jeff Garcia roll contains hamachi and is sprinkled with macadamia nuts and jalapeno peppers. I like it hot so I always ask for more jalapeño. The rolls are also pretty big. The everlasting goose bumps is basically a sashimi salad. The dressing is great! It's like a light honey mustard dressing. If I still have room, I'll get the strawberry and banana tempura with green tea ice cream.
Many people complain of how expensive it is here. Yes, it is a bit pricey compared to neighboring sushi restaurants, but the taste far supersedes the others. I rather pay more for higher quality fish that's fresh and tastes good.
Fresh sushi and sake...YUM!
I don't know whether it was because many people don't know of this second location, but it wasn't too busy when I went on a Friday night. Thanks goodness since one of my friends was about to faint from hunger.
The menu is frighteningly overwhelming at first. There are pages of rolls falling out at you, but when is variety ever a bad thing? I suggest taking a look at their menu online first. This way, you can get an idea of their prices. I admit it is on the steep side, but the rolls are huge!
The sashimi is so fresh and so clean (shout out to OutKast)! I wanted to go into the kitchen and just take whole fish home with me. Nicely sliced and served on a plate? Please...that's just too civilized for me!
i'm not going to pay for sushi THIS expensive when it's not even made by a real japanese chef. this place is owned by koreans, and koreans are not... japanese.
better change the name of that cheechoo roll, too. why not setoguchi ?
We were trying to find a sushi restaurant that was open around 930-10pm and stumbled upon Michi.
As soon as we walked in, we were greeted with a warm welcome by staff. I guess it was the owner who came by to shake our hands and welcomed us. This is the first and only owner that I've ever seen do this.
Rest of staff was very nice. The food is pretty good and big. Price is a little expensive but the excellent service and bigger portions (for sushi) earned a 4 star for sure!
Why not 5? i wish my sashimi had a little more flavor to it. felt it was kind of plain. But our friend's udon was outstanding!
They have A LOT of different things to try, so i will definitely be back to try the other items. My new fav sushi restaurant in south bay =).
We decided to go try this place out right after Octoberfest in Downtown Campbell. Nice Japanese restaurant with a sushi bar. In the menu there are more than enough choices for sushi. The one I tried for no real reason other than the fact that his used to be a 49er was the "Jeff Garcia" roll. I had no expectations for it, but it definitely suprised me that it was really good. I even recommended it to the ladies dining next to us. Two thumbs up for this restaurant!
This is my favorite sushi place in San Jose. They have tons of rolls to choose from and the owner is always running around making sure everyone is having a good time. Seriously, I've never been anywhere else where the owner has taken such a personal interest in his customers.
Order some of the unfiltered sake and even ask the owner to sit and have a drink with you. His happy personality is bound to rub off on you and your party.
A Second location! Finally! Another place to compensate for the overflow and get me in for my sushi fix faster. My brother first introduced me to Michi back in '07 and it was love at first bite. I've been going to the original location and i could definitely say that this one holds a different vibe; a more contemporary decor and is an escape to a more tranquil environment.
If you've never been, Michi is sure to amaze and satisfy the most discerning of palates..once you decide on what to get ,that is. The variety of rolls do come off as overwhelming, but every time i visit the servers have been more than helpful in my choice of sustenance. Fortunately, last night, the weight was taken off and i was able to join a large party to sample a variety of food on a pre-set Menu. We started out with a delicious pork tortilla wrap, Kalbi, a pork and beef salad, and a quesadilla filled with unagi, cheese, and pork. EVERYTHING was so innovative and surprisingly delicious. I suppose this location is taking on a Mexican-Jap fusion which i found interesting.
Now to the main courses:THE SPECIAL ROLLS! I can't even begin to describe the amount of creativity and flavor they jammed into these rolls. Apparently, we had a menu that consisted of the crowd favorites: Mexican Roll, Jeff Garcia, Shinchester roll, RSM Unlimited, Alex Smith on Fire, Cheechoo's Power Play, Black Stallion Vernon Davis and Las Vegas Roll. Jealous?
The RSM unlimited is a must if you like sashimi! It was a deep fried California roll that is smothered in chunks of sashimi that just melted in between my teeth. The Las Vegas was another delicious deep fried roll with salmon and two tuna's. Each one was so lightly fried which made is so much easier to enjoy, meaning, i didn't feel like an artery was going to rupture after engorging it. My favorite had to be the Alex Smith on Fire. That was one fire you will not want to put out! Now, i can take spicy, but i could definitely feel the heat with this one; Spicy tuna and spicy salmon topped with jalapenos? Had me running for some agua, for sure.
I honestly don't understand why people keep complaining about the price. You don't go to Mortons or Alexanders and groan about a 8 ounce steak priced at 100 dollars; the same applies to sushi. Chef Shin gets a fresh order from San Francisco EVERY DAY. You really can't get much fresher than that. With a steeper price attached you must deliver quality - This is not just limited to great food, but great service and ambiance as well and for me, Michi proves worthy.
Oh! and if you're a first timer, try to go during lunch to get their special and a roll or two. It's only 9.50 for a entree, special roll , soup, salad and rice!
I had an AMAZING experience at Michi. I rounded up 10 of my friends to celebrate our friend's birthday and guess what! Mr. Shin sent a limo to pick us up to dine at Michi's! It was so fun and great because we didn't have to worry about who was goingto drive, and we were able to just have some sushi, drinks and FUN!
The ambiance is very nice and so are the servers. We were treated like royalty from the moment we set foot in the door. We decided to really let loose and order different sake's including pineapple sake! I didn't even know that existed...it was DELICIOUS! We had some amazing dishes. My favorites included the Gyoza and Garlic Edamame (appetizers). Now, here come the rolls! We ordered a wide variety of them and they were all SOO GOOD. They came out and they looked amazing and tasted even better. They were all so fresh and weren't super fishy. Man, the Shinchester and Alex Smith on Fire rolls are my new favorites.
You gotta go to Michi's. I haven't had such a pleasant experience in a restaurant in a long, long time AND we arrived in style, all thanks to Mr. Shin! Get a group of 10 or more people and get your limo to Michi's just like we did (and if you're going to drink, you don't have to waste time figuring out who's going to be DD)!
$25.50 for a dinner bento box of chicken teriyaki and beef teriyaki? I expected Kobe beef for that price!!!!
I will tell you what $25.50 buys! It buys a lesson in Gracie Jiujitsu, Taekwondo, and Wing Chun techniques the next time someone recommends a place like this to me!
Your Michi experience is all about expectations. Don't expect a cheap meal, don't expect completely authentic Japanese food, DO expect fresh, great fish, large portions, and amazing flavors. Hint- if you want the huge rolls, go for the Special Menu (not just the special rolls on the regular menu- it's a separate one page menu with their most Special rolls)- although beware it will cost you around $19-25/roll. But these super special rolls are gigantic. Really, if think about how spending $20-25 for say, rack of lamb or a chicken plate any other nice restaurant is normal, then Michi doesn't seem so unreasonable. Their rolls are better and more food than most 4 star restaurants I've been to.
I've taken friends there who complain about it not being "authentic" and order Bento boxes and teriyaki. If that's your thing, then maybe its not the place for you. I personally don't waste my time with that stuff and always go for the sushi. Also, the special rolls are drizzled with great sauces, which I love. But I've had friends who don't enjoy that as much. But you can also order notnsaucy rolls.
The service- again it's about expectations. It's not the speediest service, but it's friendly. Just go expecting a long, enjoyable dinner that isn't rushed or time constrained. I've been a regular since 2003. Normally I get seated right away, but a few times it's been so busy i've waited and they always give us free appetizers for waiting. Mr. Shin is really friendly. He's given my bf and I free t-shirts, picture frames, and we've had pictures taken with him. One time, we went for our anniversary and accumulated a $200 bill. Mr. Shin recognized us from many previous visits and comped our entire meal, plus kept sending us sake and desserts all night. It was amazing and incredibly generous. I just moved to the East Coast and am really lamenting the absence of Michi in my life.
I prefer the old location (it's more cozy and casual) but the new location has the same food, just slightly trendier interior. In response to the price complaints - I think many people want a "fine dining experience" i.e. trendy, sleek, city-like experience that you get at many local bay area sushi joints. I personally like the laid back, casual, homey atmosphere. I used to be a concierge at a 5 star hotel and have eaten/recommended some of the best/most expensive restaurants - which I've enjoyed, but still prefer Michi food over any of those.
Wow! This place was fantastic!
My husband and I were in Northern California visiting a friend who swore this was the best sushi restaurant ever! Ironically enough, we had met this particular friend at a sushi bar in Portland, OR., where we encounterd a very gruff sushi chef, and mediocre sushi at best. We now frequent Hiroshi, but that's another story... Anyway, our friend wasn't kidding about the sushi at Michi. This was, by far, some of the finest sushi we've ever had. Really, really fresh. Really creative. Really super yummy! Friendly, fun, engaging sushi chef's and environment, we stayed for hours at the bar and had a blast! And from what we've heard, they're going to be opening another Michi in Los Gato's soon. Lucky Los Gatoens!
I agree with Sisi - do NOT come here.
I was not happy with the other location, either, but was willing to give it another chance... Upon calling to make reservations, we were told they were 'closed for renovation.' Apparently they were actually saying 'closed for reservation' and referred to this location.
Big mistake.
Upon walking in, this white chick (not that I have anything wrong with white chicks, being one myself) greets us in a bad-attempt at Japanese... now clearly she has probably been instructed to do so and it's not her fault, but it was still annoying. Bad pop music blasting the whole time. The server did attempt to change it/turn it down but apparently it's permanent set on some play-list the owners devised. The server was a friendly young-dude, much akin to being in a touristy sports bar. Again, not his fault for being a nice guy, but this isn't usually what you seek out when going to sushi.
Bill = 100+ for just two of us. We did not get an excessive amount of food. I have been to high-end places costing this much but this location is not high-end.
I'm talking about Dollar-Store next door, 420 shop across the way, ghetto plaza, so-so fish that has been frozen all day/if not days.
In short, would not go back.
I heard a few things about this restaurant such as free delivery to Palo Alto and free limo ride, and I had wondered how they were able to afford to do such things. After I opened up the menu, I quickly realized the customers are subsidizing all the "free" services.
We waited over half an hour just to be seated when I can see quite a few empty tables and bar space, and I wondered if they had purposely make customers wait so it appears busy when one drives by. Anyhoo, the music was loud & I felt like I had to shout a bit just to have a conversation. I also was not impressed with the decor when they obviously were trying to appear high end. The overall feel to the decor and service was a total mismatch with the price in menu; it's as schizophrenic and bizarre as the owner. It's no wonder he's so happy & drunk; he's probably thinking what kind of fools would pay such outrageous amount for semi-ordinary/extraordinary sushi? Yet again, the customers are subsidizing his drinking habit. I had to ask for tea refill when he came around & poured tea for the lady sitting next to me yet didn't bother to check my cup. He also stood behind me & leaned over a divider while chatting with someone. I did not need to have a waiter's ASS right next to where I was sitting; not only is it unsanitizing, it's just plain rude.
The food was fairly decent but certainly did not deserve the price charged. I was blown away by the usage of imitation crab in California Roll with that kind of price. The amount of fish and clam in the rolls ordered was also just passable.
Overall, lots of gimmick & marketing go into this restaurant but it doesn't quite deliver the goods.
OK- Let's add it up:
1: New location in the crappy strip mall (because it's cheaper)
2: Jacked up prices (as compared to Sushi Kazoo, TGP Sushi, or Ariake Sushi)
3: Korean Sushi Joint (most of them are in the South Bay, and SF Japantown for that matter, but there are indeed Japanese-owned Sushi restaurants around)
4: Bankruptcy - wtf?
When I first saw that they moved, I thought "Health Dept.", now I'm just thinking "Tired Owner". Shin should pack it in and sell the business to someone younger with the energy to make this restaurant good again.
Seriously- I had better sushi in Portland at a new place on Powell than I did at Michi, and at 70% of the price.
Today was my first time eating at Michi Sushi. I was there with a large group for dinner. We had the Jeff Garcia roll, the Alex Smith on Fire roll, and Cheechoo's Power Play roll. We also had Tempura and a salad. The food was absolutely delicious, I would definitely recommend it! Also, the pineapple sake is yummy!
So I have been to the other location once and went back there, only to be directed to this location because they said there was no wait and I was starving. It is in a little plaza and I wasn't sure why the other location was packed while this one had only a few tables. The menu and the prices are the same so I expected the same quality of food. I ordered the "Alex Smith on Fire" roll which I know is supposed to be spicy but this time it was extremely, almost unbarably spicy. The fried tempura that they put on top of the roll was also very greasy so it was not crunchy within 5 minutes of me getting the roll.
Shin, who I think is the owner was just hanging out with this one table and only came to our table to show us something they had ordered, and told us to order it next time which was kind of wierd. Usually when the owner/manager visits your table, they ask you how your meal is etc...
On top of that, I got extremely sick from the food and I slowly recoupering after more than 24 hrs. I don't think it was just from the spiciness because I still feel pretty sick. Don't think I will come back here again for overpriced inconsistency.
I would not go back to this restaurant again.
It is located in the plaza together with some local stores (dollar store, laundry store). Location is not high end, decoration is not high end (I would say none decoration). But the price is high-end which is definitely unreasonable. Special house rolls in typical Japanese restaurants usually range between $10-15/roll. In this restaurant, most of the rolls are in $20s. The lunch specials are priced higher than other similar Japanese restaurants. I had the pork cutlet (Katsu Don) with rice which was $13 + tax + tip. Usually for lunch special, it is under $10 in similar Japanese restaurants.
I am not sure what kind of image this restaurant is trying to set up. It plays LOUD American pop music during lunch time and we were served by a very annoying server. The server was trying to engage a lot of conversation with us, which was very disturbing and unnecessary. I feel this place is cheap.
With the expensive price, you may expect the food is better. Unfortunately, it is not. The food is just normal. If the food is horrible, I would give 1-star.
My advice is, don't go.
Birthday, dinner, 4 of us. Original location was full and the wait was long, so they referred us to the new location. It had delightfully different decor with upbeat colors and fun table settings. We ordered a bottle of Gewurztraminer and placed our order with CJ. Love Japanese food but always need help. "What's this? What's that? I like it all cooked. I like it all raw" CJ was wonderful, took his time with us, answered all our ridiculous questions. Placed our orders and they delivered an explosion of flavors. Oh man! What a fabulous feast! Sushi is usually pricey and my husband is not a huge fan, so we seldom indulge. But their rolls were absolutely delicious and the Lettuce Pork You salad had to be from another world. I can't wait to go back. Mr. Shin was there and really 'made' my birthday dinner with a hand written birthday card and a gift from him, and a complimentary birthday dessert for 4. I never expected that! My son, a sushi aficionado, called it "some very serious sushi" and my husband is absolutely sold on sushi and Lettuce Pork You salad. What a delight!
5 star rating! Thank you, Michi Sushi!
