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Mikado Sushi
Category: Restaurants Sushi Bars Sushi Bars [Edit]
248 Northgate OneSan Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 446-5543
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
35 reviews for Mikado Sushi
Review Highlights
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35 reviews in English
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Review from Raider J.
San Francisco, CA
Great neighborhood sushi restaurant. We had the eel and bbq roll, soft crab shell roll, spicy tuna roll, salmon teriyaki, garlic fried chicken teriyaki and fried oyster teriyaki.
Entrees came with miso soup, salad and rice. Ambience was inviting
and comfortable. This place isn't as trendy as Sushi to Dai For in downtown San Rafael, but the prices are reasonable and the food is good!
I will definitley will be coming back as a regular! -
Review from Angie K.
Honestly, I've been to this place a couple times, but the only reason why I went back was because I didn't know what else to eat at the time and I forgot to pack a lunch for work.
The food is overpriced and definitely nothing that leaves a positive impression. It's either a negative or neutral impression, at best. Rolls are tiny and expensive! I wouldn't complain about expensive rolls if they were bigger and if they taste like quality, but they do not. One time, I opted for the udon with the hopes that it may be a better option than sushi, but it was in fact worse and all I got out of it was a bland taste and a burned tongue.
Service is also lacking, even when the restaurant is practically empty. It is also difficult to find in the plaza (I came across here because I had to go to FedEx). They randomly closed during construction with a simple sign saying that they are "temporarily closed" without any date. Not that I would really make much of an effort to go back (unless I run out of places to eat again), but that disregard for loyal customers (if they even have any?) is a major turnoff. -
Review from Umesh T.
El Sobrante, CA
Quick update: The Hamachi sushi was good. The soft-shell crab was crispy and had a nice crunchy texture but unfortunately I just couldn't taste the crab at all. The Oyako Don was a bitter disappointment and I couldn't go beyond the halfway point (I am someone who usually cleans up his dinner plate).
My $24 was $19 down the drain.
I would recommend the Sushi (but skip everything else).1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/16/2009
Been here for the first time today and decided on the Bento Box combo with Tuna Rolls and Spicy… Read more »
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5/16/2009
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Review from Mike B.
CA
i should start this review like I start most conversations with my wife - with a confession. In this case, my confession will be strictly culinary in nature. My name is Mike, and I'm a sushi addict. When it comes to sushi, I am powerless. I wasn't always this way...
...I used to live in Foster City and my wife worked at a private equity firm hell bent on burning out its best people and systematically undermining the self esteem of its secretarial staff. Good times. And by good times I mean the place may have actually been an outpost of Hell. I was never actually there long enough to catch a glimpse of Satan at the vending machine, but I'm pretty sure if I had visited my wife more often I would have been invited to join the man's fantasy football league.
Anyway. The one silver lining in two years of my wife's indentured servitude was that they would order in lunch every day for the partners. Lunch was always from the finest places in all the land, and it was always brought in in quantities that far exceeded the amount that could actually be eaten by those in the office. For me, this was a big win, especially on sushi days, when wife would bring home styrofoam containers full of the most expensive sushi around. It became routine for me to plow through up to 70 rolls in a sitting, and so began my spiral into addiction.
In Marin, there are some truly great sushi spots - Robata, Samurai, Sushi-ran, Taki, Sushi to Dai For and Sushi Ko are all on my list of spots that I'll never say no to. The problem is that none of these awesome destinations are within walking distance of my house in Terra Linda.
Enter Mikado Sushi.
Brought to you by the folks who opened the Mikado restaurants in San Francisco, this one is newer, cooler, and best of all I can stagger home after killing the sake bar. In a word, it's awesome.
The food itself is amazing. I saw some plates being prepared as I walked in, and immediately got really excited. Then when it was actually delivered, there were no disappointments. Mikado offers a mix of sushi and cooked foods, including a bunch of hot and cold apps and small plates. More importantly, there's a solid sake list, with at least 20 different sakes available in both a bottle and cup. I recommend the bottles.
I went with my wife, our 2 year old son, and another couple with their 2 year old daughter. The staff was amazingly nice, and super tolerant - they custom made some rolls for the kids, brought plenty of napkins, and pretended to be cool with it when my son dumped a miso on his chest. We ordered about 3 rolls per person, a couple large Asahis each, and 2 bottles of sake (one was on the house), and the bill came to around $170 before tip - totally reasonable for the amount of food and drink we ordered. We obviously tipped out strong because the kids were little animals, and we plan to make this a weekly stop at least, and most likely more than that for me. I have no qualms hitting this place up at 9 on a Wednesday and staggering home at 11:30 to bed.
A great place for family eats, or for a quick and delicious bite with a friend or two. -
Review from christine e.
Oceanside, CA
ok, so after not eating here for a year, I thought I would give it another chance. Hooray, they changed from that pink ginger to natural. I was told by the waitress that this is the third sushi chef they have "gone through".
I wanted sashimi, but all they had was a 12 piece for $18.95. Not wanting that much, or spending that much, I asked the waitress if I could have a half order. She first said no, then yes, what did I want. I ordered. The pieces of fish were one inch square! Tiny. Fresh, but small portions. Their Hotate (scallop) was off color. Best left for scallop salad, not nirgiri. It had an off ammonia taste.
When my bill came, they charged me $16.95!!! WTH for 6 dinky pieces? I asked why so expensive and she said since I told her what fish I wanted, (she asked me, duh) they charged me nirgiri prices! I mean, I did not order nigiri, and was not told it would be so much more for a half portion! She went in to the back and I could hear the sushi guy say, tell her 10 dollar 98, no less, no less. OMG. Needless to say, they won't get my business again.
The lady sitting at the table in front of me told them she was going to write a review on yelp since it is consistently good having eaten there a like 3 times in 2 years! They gave her a free sake. I wonder if I should have told them I'm an elite! Nah.... I like undercover! :)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/26/2008
Can someone tell me why oh why does this place use that commercial cheap pink colored ginger instead… Read more »
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3/26/2008
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Review from Dana S.
Novato, CA
I was craving some Sushi this Monday, so some buddies and I decided to try this place out for dinner. Although it wasn't the most amazing Sushi place I've ever been to, I would definitely grab a bite to eat here again.
13 bucks got me a two item combo plate, with rice, miso soup, and salad. For my combo items I got the spicy tuna rolls and some chicken Katsu, which were both pretty good. Not bad for the price.
The waitress was very attentive, and asked us how we were doing throughout the meal. The place was clean, and well kept .
Maybe I just haven't been spoiled by some of the nicer Sushi places in the bay area yet, but I wouldn't say this place is as horrible as some of the reviews make it out to be. Bottom like: If you're looking to impress a date with a swanky sushi place, try somewhere else. But, if you're looking to grab a cheap bite with some friends, Mikado is pretty darn good for strip mall sushi joint. -
Review from Mandy L.
I didn't find it to be 4+ stars worthy of awesome but it is a passable place to enjoy a meal.
My food was good, I didn't indulge in the sushi but had one of their meal dinners. The beef teriyaki was good, the meat was tender and easy to break apart with my fork. Tempura was delicious, all crispy where appropriate so that was good.
Only gripe was that they are quick to clear your plate while you could still be eating. Please keep your hands off my plate until I am done with my meal, thank you. -
Review from Nick R.
San Rafael, CA
Not too long ago I needed something new then my usual meal of trash and cat piss (obviously that's not what I usually eat and if you believed me you suck). I decided on this new sushi joint down the street from my house. Well, I picked the wrong place to partake in sport gluttony because it was a little pricey. But none the less I will give you a run down of my meal:
-Miso soup
-Deep fried california roll (I KNOW! And it's wonderful) 8 pieces
-Tuna, shrimp tempura, crab, and avocado roll 12 pieces
-Spicy tuna roll 8 pieces
-Ama ebi 4 pieces
Chicken Teriyaki platter which consists of a sizeable amount of chicken, white rice, 4 pieces of the cali roll, and a side salad
I then had some deep fried ice cream I think; I don't remember because I blacked out from way too much raw fish. I had a dream that my Reptoid Alien Overlords revealed themselves to me and I started crying because I wish I was robocop. Odd dream, but I often do cry from my lack of robotic body parts. I then woke up in my bed the next day out $50 bucks and colon filled with Japanese delights.
All in all, not bad look the menu up and down first before ordering. I will go again but I prefer a place where my life is in danger from poisonous fish; I'm a risk taker. -
Review from Gabrielle C.
San Rafael, CA
This rating is based on a takeout meal I ordered this week, which was Chicken Teriyaki Donburi, so I am definitely going to have to try it again, for dinner, with Sushi included. My take out was very very tasty, and for less than $9.00 I got a big bowl of chicken and rice, yummy mi so soup and a salad.
It's hard to find an entire meal for under $9.00 in these here parts....so I'm sold! The chicken was fresh, grilled to perfection and was garnished with those yummy yellow pickles, little bits of ginger, and something else, which not only gave the chicken bowl a more diverse flavor, but the presentation was lovely as well.
My only issue was that there wasn't enough teriyaki sauce and the meal got a little dry towards the end. No biggie, next time I just ask for extra sauce! This place is definitely worth trying, even if it is in the strip mall, the food is total quality. I can't wait to get back there! -
Review from Amanda M.
San Rafael, CA
Great sushi place.
Fresh fish, great prices and service is awesome.
Glad there is a great place like this close to home. Hate most if not all other sushi places in Marin. -
Review from bill s.
San Rafael, CA
Way above what I, for one, would expect from a strip-mall sushi joint.
I was initially sad to see the old Chinese restaurant that was here change over, but not after I sampled some of the fare at Mikado. Quite good, fresh, maybe not Taiko-poundingly awesome but solid and fresh.
Service is enthusiastic and attentive, prices are moderate and hey, look! Booths and an actual bar you can sit at and watch your sushi get made. Just don't judge this book by its cover, because it's not exactly auspicious from the outside, nestled back between a donut shop and ubiquitous Starbucks.
Mikado is a regular haunt of mine and I count myself lucky to have competent sushi within a couple of minutes of my home. -
Review from Gail H.
Greenbrae, CA
Do not go to Mikado Sushi if you want to eat anything edible. My husband and I were craving sushi for lunch and decided to give it a try. It was so horrible, my husband wanted to stop by the Taco Bell drive through on the way home to take away the nasty taste in his mouth.
I had been here once before and ordered the California rolls and they were fine. So this time we ordered a nigiri only lunch plate. Bad idea. Every fish we tasted was the worst tasting fish we have ever had. Like a previous reviewer stated, you looked at your plate and the fish did not look good. The yellow fin tuna, salmon and maguro tuna all tasted fishy and mushy. It was so bad we left most of the fish on our plate. The waitress did not look too surprised when she cleared plate and didn't even ask us if the fish was okay. I am sure she did not want to hear our answer.
To top it all off, we only went because we had a gift certificate from http://restaurants.com. By using the gift certificate, you automatically get charged an 18% gratuity. The waitress charged us the 18% gratuity based on the total cost of the bill. Who has ever heard of that? It should always be based on the pretax amount. Very unprofessional and the worst sushi we have ever had. -
Review from Kent L.
San Rafael, CA
This Place is CLOSED unfortunately.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/16/2007
My wife and I had a lovely dining experience at Mikado this week. I was really happy with the… Read more »
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11/16/2007
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Review from jon y.
Came for lunch one day and had the chirashi,
Let's just say that they took the fish out of the ocean, but they most DEFINITELY did not take the ocean out of the fish. I'm just thankful that they had plenty of wasabi, because when you're crying, you tend to notice the fishy taste less.
Two stars because I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that their cooked food is better. -
Review from Kalista B.
San Rafael, CA
Hungry on Easter and this was one of the only places open. Ordered a couple of the veggie sushi rolls and the fried tofu. About $25 for a to-go order. We get home and there's 6 little bits of sushi and 4 pieces of tofu. Are you kidding?! And none of it was very impressive either. I've had much better veggie sushi than this and I didn't have to sacrifice body parts for it.
Do not recommend at all - at least for the veggie stuff. -
Review from Elle M.
Marin County, CA
If you need your sushi fix and you're in the neighborhood, this will do the job, but it's not a destination restaurant. I've eaten here twice for dinner and both times it seemed just okay. The rolls are smaller and I don't think the fish is as fresh. The spicy tuna roll is very spicy, so watch out! I agree with Christine about the pink pinkled ginger, though I'm not downgrading it for that.
The service is good, and a nice touch the last time I ate there was complimentary mochi ice cream for dessert. Prices are pretty reasonable. -
Review from Michael K.
Davis, CA
You get a lot of food for the buck, and I'm a fan of that. Its not mind-blowingly good food, but it is good, and again, the price is right. Add to that a clean restaurant and friendly staff, and I think this place is a winner.
They should lose the aquarium though. Those fish don't look happy. And by the way, RIP arowana. -
Review from Kate P.
San Anselmo, CA
The first word that comes to mind is: ick. Perhaps it was because I broke the cardinal rule: don't order fish in a restaurant on a Monday, but methinks this should NOT apply to a SUSHI RESTAURANT...anywho, I digress.
Went with the hubby tonight, had heard rave reviews from friends and was very excited to finally give Mikado a try...waay disappointing.
Miso soup was basic...no complaints.
Maguro and hamachi nigiri came out next. I instantly knew the maguro was not fresh as it was not the beautiful bright red color I am accustomed to. The slice of fish had a silvery sheen to it (never a good sign) and was mottled in color. The dark purple "lesions" on the fish concerned me, and as soon as I reluctantly popped the nigiri in to my mouth, the fishiness was overwhelming. I would have had one of those gagging at the table moments had I not shoved four pieces of pickled ginger in my mouth to eliminate the unpalatable flavor. Hamachi was alright, texture was a bit rubbery, not the beautiful melt in your mouth sensation that you expect with yellow tail. Again, had a bit of a sketchy sheen...so far, not so good.
Crazy monkey roll was next...unagi, hamachi and avocado with a special spicy sauce. That special sauce: sirracha, big whoop, I have it stocked in my fridge at all times. I like sirracha, the whole roll tasted like sirracha...nothing wrong with that, but not impressed.
Pink lady roll was next...tempura shrimp, cucumber, and kani (fake crab and mayo). The fake crab was VERY pink, unnaturally so, which I found disturbing, but the tempura shrimp saved it from failure. I mean, fried shrimp...always a winner.
Then the dream roll, which was suggested by the waitress as the most popular roll on the menu. One problem...the spicy tuna inside and the maguro on top was that same purply funky maguro that I had nearly projectile vomited earlier in the meal. I went in with an open mind when I popped it in my mouth (as my husband said, "the other stuff will cover the taste"...wow, exactly what I want from my thirteen dollar roll). Whoa...fishiness central. I let the waitress know how unfresh the maguro tasted...was offered a replacement roll which I kindly declined...the compromise was 10 percent off the bill.
The waitresses were great, efficient, friendly. The restaurant is cute. The beer and sake...fine. The food....blech. Never again...sorry Mikado...I really hoped you would live up to expectation...you failed, miserably. -
Review from Andrey P.
San Rafael, CA
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Review from Rita C.
San Francisco, CA
My boss and I decided to get some Japanese food after working on an extremely arduous job (we usually always opt for Asian food after a hard day of work). First we immediately thought to go to King of the Roll #2... Now their sushi roll may fall apart on you, but they still have good, fresh fish that makes for perfect sashimi and/or nigiri. But anyway, we opted not to go to King of the Roll #2 due to the fact that they close around 2 P.M. on weekdays... Who does that in such a highly populated work area!?
So I then suggested Taki in Novato because it's pretty damn good sushi and that is that! But then again Taki is in Novato and we were bordering the Terra Linda-San Rafael border... Fuck no! We weren't about to deal with the 101 North-bound traffic on a Friday afternoon! So my boss then suggests this newer sushi place in Northgate... I enthusiastically said yes as I was about to die of starvation and dehydration.
And off we went to Mikado Sushi for a nice, relaxing, and not to mention delicious, meal! I opted for the bento box with the combo of vegetable tempura and teka maki roll. SUPERB! The tempura was nice and crispy (not soggy or nastay), and the sushi was rolled perfectly... I hate when sushi rolls fall apart! As for my boss, he had the tempura as well, along with the seared white fish, which was deliciously tender and juicy. We also decided to get a handroll that was presented beautifully, and tasted equally as great!
I was quite happy to enjoy a new (and good) food experience in Marin County!
P.S. They have ramen here... I was very close to trying it, but I was apprehensive due to my last experience with ramen (never get ramen from Sushi Delight... SO BAD!)... So next time I will try the ramen at Mikado and report back!
P.P.S. They have very interesting roll combinations... Next time I will for sure be trying to walnut prawns roll (supposedly a very popular roll at this joint).Listed in: Asian Foods..., Reviews of the Day, There once was a time...
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Review from Siamak S.
Santa Monica, CA
I went here with a friend for lunch and had a bento box. Everything in the box seemed good. Had the Chicken Katsu, Beef Teriyaki and a tuna role. I found the service to be good and the menu to be reasonable.
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Review from omar n.
Bay Area
so I come back to this place and once again, greeted promptly as well as remembered from my last visit. This time I asked them to just 'surprise' me. The cutie I mentioned before(I forgot her name) and the dude who made my 'Dream' roll last time had a lil conversation and agreed on a choice...'tadaa' TULIP roll. Looked beautiful and tasted just as delightful. IT'S A WRAP!!!!! this is my Sushi joint in the area.... I think i'm just gonna try all the different rolls every time I come through...
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/30/2009
I was craving for sushi and this is pretty much the closest sushi joint where I'm at so I said to… Read more »
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10/30/2009
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Review from Lauren T.
Mikado is hard to find, it's hiding in the corner of the strip mall next to a skeezy donut shop. You don't even see it until you're 20 feet away. I also had a hard time finding it because I was not aware that there was more then one Northgate shopping center...stupid San Rafael and not using different names to describe several different locations...
The food was good but not great, better then Kitaro, about the standard of Little Tokyo sushi in my neighborhood. I got the dinner special with the teriyaki salmon and california roll. Everything was good, but I could have appreciated some more fish for the $13 price tag, and this is coming from someone who usually can't finish restaurant servings. However, my friend who got the tempura and sesame chicken had big mountains of food so I guess it depends what you order.
The other thing that turned me off about this place was the temperature. Way too warm! I really wanted ramen but I decided against it because I didn't want to overheat. -
Review from Kai T.
Corte Madera, CA
Ok had to give this place an extra star since they had a really good roll that knocked my socks off and nothing has recently in the way of sushi. I recommend the crazy monkey roll. Its all my favs on one roll and was BOMB! Unagi, hamachi, avacado and a bit spicy. Dont be intimidated, not that spicy! But it was dang good and not very expensive.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/30/2009
Nothing crazy to write home about, food was decent and affordable.
We got a gift certificate from … Read more »
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3/30/2009
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Review from Sally Q.
Sebastopol, CA
i figured i should write at least one sushi review since i use a sushi icon for my profile.
so, one night i decide to stop by mikado on my way home. a friend of mine was coming to meet me so i text messaged him the name of the restaurant and order while i wait (no, i wasn't being rude, he wasn't hungry). after looking at the specials on the whiteboard, and my love of spicy tune, i ordered the "SFFD". my friend showed up and shortly after the SFFD arrived.
WOW!
not only did it look like a work of art, it had a variety of lovely, spicy flavours.
YUMMY!
next, we (yeah, he tried some, couldn't resist) ordered the SFPD. it was substantially more mellow. similar to a california roll.. satisfied and still talking about the SFFD, we mentioned to the host as we were on our way out the door, that we would be back for the paramedics.
:-) -
Review from MARC W.
San Rafael, CA
We've been here a few times and even though I'm not a sushi fan, I'll have the same thing every time: a two-entree dinner combo with sesame chicken and beef teriyaki. All their food is good eating.
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Review from Jennifer I.
Larkspur, CA
I am so shocked at the way the employees act. I don't care what the food taste like . When the one of the employees has an anger issue I would never tell anyone to come to this resturant. I have seen one employee throw a chair out side the resturant yelling at people infont. She was acting crazy and not one person working there came out to stop here. She almost had the police called one her by me and other patrons. You could not understand her and she was acting so scary. She got in this ladys face and looked like she was going to hit her. This is no wat to conduct a business. These people have the right to be outside and who knows they may have been on there way in to the resturant. She needs to be fired and is lucky she is not in jail for throwing tables from the starbucks next door. SHE IS A NUT CASE.........................
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Review from Sean P.
San Rafael, CA
Best sushi place in Marin i have been to. Big portions, good food. The miso soup is better than most, and the shrimp tempura is godly....
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Review from Samantha N.
San Rafael, CA
It's tough for a place like this to beat out other sushi places in Marin, but I have to say the service and food is pretty decent. I wasn't aware that this place underwent some changes, but whatever they did, it's working now!
My husband and I wandered in one day and the service was really fast and the people are nice. The food is pretty good (despite being specific about your fish, or whatever)! Don't expect a high-end atmosphere, it's simply a place to get some pretty good sushi and bounce! :) -
Review from Michael S.
Bothell, WA
No air conditioning (hotter than outside). Small, chintzy portions. Flavor unimpressive, like the didn't really know how to cook Japanese food. Poor value.
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Review from pauline a.
Novato, CA
had lunch at mikado today, food was very good, but marred by my totally unengaged server. As i sat down, he asked if i was ready , when i said no , he disappeared/ when he brought my bento box, he just put the dish down without saying a word and without picking up my dirty dishes. there was no wasaibi or ginger on plate; it took a while to get him back. amazing since there were only 3 occupied tables. I was never asked if i wanted a refill on my tea. and i had not realized the bill had been put on my table , because he did not , once again , say a word. while i was dining , he reached over my head and grabbed the soy sauce bottle to refill, not acknowledging what he was doing and startling me. i will return for the food , but not if i spot that particular server. there are other eating places in that mall!!!!!!
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Review from hungry h.
Novato, CA
Pretty good food, not as good and authentic as Taki though, but then you're not paying Taki prices either.
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Review from Delanie B.
Mill Valley, CA
A couple of people I know recommended Mikado to me with accolades. I was absolutely delighted to agree with them after my first visit. When I went to Yelp, I was shocked to see so many unfavorable reviews, including things that just weren't true.
First of all, the ginger doesn't get any whiter. Second, I have been there 3 times now, and each time, at the door, EVERY employee stops what they are doing to greet me.
The sushi tastes fresh, the presentation is gorgeous, the decor simple, the restaurant clean, the staff VERY friendly. The different people I have gone with totally agree with me.
Mikado has a great sake selection and they will answer all questions.
I especially give two thumbs up because the edamame is fresh and clean, not furry, old and dirty like alot of places. Best of all, they will make whatever you want. My choices vary from the menu a bit and they always comply and never have made an issue about it.
I find their prices reasonable and portions to be huge. I'm not quite sure what other Yelpers have ordered but I always look at other diners' food (to see what I'm missing) and their portions look large as well.
For the naysayers...give it a second chance. I will continue to go back and would go every day if I lived within walking distance. -
Review from Jessica S.
San Rafael, CA
i don't know what all the bad reviews are about. I live close to Mikado, so it is easy to walk over there for a good sushi dinner, or to get takeout. The servers are always very nice and recommend good rolls, drinks, etc. I have always had excellent food, and I LOVE their shrimp tempura (even though I am not normally a fan). The Titanic roll (not on the menu) is excellent and HUGE... 49er roll... YUM. The fish always seems fresh and overall it is a good restaurant.
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Review from Beverly S.
San Rafael, CA
Delicious sushi! They create very beautiful art forms with the sushi also. The Cherry Blossom and Walnut Roll are my favorites so far. The restaurant is clean and the help friendly. A little pricey for the portions served.
