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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
5026 Mowry AvenueMonday - Thursday 5-6:30pm. Drink and appetizer specials!
We're also now open on Sundays for dinner from 4:30-9!
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 4:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Wow, I love this place! I've been coming here since it's opened... and I've always loved it. Good sushi is hard to find, but every time I come here, I leave satisfied and happy (however it does put a dent in your wallet.) The staff is friendly and Sam has always been super nice and creates beautiful rolls. I love their Poki Roll which has spicy tuna roll topped with seaweed. Delish! I don't eat a whole lot of raw fish, but my mom and bro love the Sex and the City roll. However, once I did order this roll (I can't remember the name, boo me,) but it was a baked roll which had some weird cheese sauce on it. I don't think cheese and sushi go together. It was interesting but I wouldn't order it again.
Udon is delish (esp. when I'm sick or when it's a cold day,) their chicken terriyaki is pretty good and never comes out burnt or charred ( which I hate). Lion king roll, super ca roll, dragon roll... everything is good!
I am glad to see that they've expanded into a sake bar (go guys!) Their tempura green tea ice cream is delish! The outside is soft and slight sweet and the green tea ice cream is subtle. I can't say enough good things about this place. :-) Y'all should try it out!
Ok so to be honest .... i do like the food here.. the service is good too.. nothing exceptional... but my reason for 3 stars....
i went there one time and ordered lots of plates of sushi... well turns out that the runner ran our order to another table... which i had noticed.. since i ordered something a lil differnent from the rest of the menu and added my own touches to some rolls... well the table over knew it wasnt theirs but decided to have a bite of it... the runner than realized his mistake and grabbed it back.
to my surprise... the runner ran it back and said a few things to the cook which then decided that instead of making a new one.. he just re-plated the order and brought it over to us... i was very upset and bothered by this. i told them we did not want that any more and to please make a new one. well the lil older japanese lady (the owner, im sure you all know her as she stands at the front door like the sushi nazi) comes over and says it was not re-plated.. and i argued and said yes it was...
so instead of making us a new one and brining it over with excellent service and a smile, they made us wait another 30 mins.. yep folks thats right.. another 30 mins for another order.
they still charged us.. and as we left instead of saying thank you and have a nice evening... we got dirty looks from everyone including the sushi nazi herself...
overall its good food with nice choices of different types of sushi... however i am still bothered by the lack of service to their customers.
i have been back there only one time since this incident and i watch what table my food lands on like a hawk!
Overall a good choice for sushi rolls and sashimi in Fremont:
- Service was prompt and friendly
- Sashimi pieces were pretty large and fresh and nice presentation
- Sunshine Roll was yummy
We had other rolls of which I can't recall the names and they were ok.
The customer copy of the receipt actually included a itemized list of our food which I guess is a strange thing to care about....but I like places that do that.
We were there at 12:30pm on a Saturday and the place was empty when we arrived. However by the end of our meal 3-4 other groups had arrived. If I'm in the area, I would return here again for another meal.
My eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach and I ended up ordering 2 rolls, 2 orders of uni and 1 order of mirugai for lunch today. The uni was absolutely delicious on its own and the mirugai was so fresh when I dabbed a little wasabi on it, it actually cringed. After telling the chef that it moved, he said it was suppose to do....Really? Hmmm, regardless it had such a nice crunch to it.
I actually started off with 1 order of uni, ate a few pieces each from the 2 rolls as they were decent, shoved the mirugai into my face and decided to save room by not eating anymore of the rolls and instead ordered another 2 pieces of uni for dessert. I ate it plain and it was delish! Did I say how good it was already?
Overall the environment is nice, the service is good and though the rolls were just all right, I knew I was going to come here mainly to get my uni fix and the nail was hit right on the head. It's easier to downgrade than to upgrade a rating so I'll start them off by giving them 5 stars!!
The Verdict: "Good if you order the right things"
There are only a few things that I liked after visiting this place for the first time with my bf. The salmon skin hand rolls were yum-didly-licious. It was a perfect mix of crispy salmon skin, carrots, sprouts, cucumber, and rice wrapped in a yummy seaweed cone...which is why I ate three of them. We also ordered yellow tail nigiri, Snow Crab Roll, and the Sexy Sam roll (both rolls not so great since they use imitation crab meat).
However the best thing was the unfiltered sake! This place boasts its sake sports bar (equipped with flat screens) and I think it is well warranted. We got a bottle for about $8 and due to the value, we ordered two more bottles! Can't beat that.
Although the wait staff was friendly and fast, the ambiance was not so great. The lighting was too bright for a sports bar and could have faired better with dimmer lighting. Parking is ample since it's located in a shipping mall.
Would I Recommend it? Yes, for happy hour and salmon skin hand rolls only.
I am impressed. I've been going here often since moving to the 'burbs in Fremont. Their sake and beer selection is good, their rolls are diverse and decently priced. But give the sushi chef free reign to create what he desires for you and POW--you're surely taken care of. They were prompt, helpful and polite as always.
The ambiance is relaxed without being lazy-casual. Decor is inviting with amazing wedding kimonos meshed with Golden Gate pride. I won't be out seeking any other sushi joints in this area!
Today, i decided to head over to semo because i was craving for sushi. I have ordered the sushi deluxe and it was clearly the most beautiful and tasty sushi ever. The fish was very tasty, juicy and so fresh. There was two sushi chefs who served what i have needed. They both were very helpful, kind and very friendly. I also ordered "sex in the city" roll and it was delicious. Kind of embarassing to say this, but the finest looking chefs anywhere you can find. I will definately come again to eat fresh sushi. Perfect 5 stars on me!!!!!!!
I been a loyal semo customer for let say, 3 years now. I really enjoyed their wonderful service and… Read more »
We finally got around to dining at Semo once again, and oh my they have changed! The place is much larger now and has become somewhat of a sports bar. Of course, it seems the food is also pricier. But the portions are quite generous and everything tasted great! Among the various Japanese restaurants in the area, Semo seems to have the biggest menu selection.
While your bill is determined by what you order, the four of us ended up shelling out almost $200 including tip. We did order a lot of food though, so it was worth it: hamachi kama (big portion!); agedashi tofu (yummy, four big squares of tofu); poke (sweet/salty, served in a martini glass); 4 specialty rolls; 1 soba noodle dinner meal; 3 types of nigiri including good quality uni. Overall, we were pleased with everything we ordered.
VERY good sushi here, and lots to choose from. Occasionally the service can be slow, but that… Read more »
Since Semo opened, I've been a big fan. The sushi and sashimi are fresh and really yummy. Sam the sushi chef is awesome! They have a great variety of rolls! I usually order the "Cherry Blossom" roll, "Crazy Horse" roll and the "Sexy Sam" roll. The portions are decent for the price. They seem to have gotten smaller over time. The ambiance is great. Even nicer since they've remodeled and expanded! Everyone there is friendly. My kids and I love the complimentary Dum Dum lollipops too!
When I order take out, my order is always ready by the time they quote me. Recently, I ordered seven of their specialty rolls, and they told me they would be done in 15-20 minutes. I came back in less than 10 minutes to add another roll and they were finishing up the last roll already!
My only complaint is that the service can be slow, especially if it's a Friday or Saturday night.
Otherwise, one of my favorite sushi places!
We were in Fremont and was craving for sushi rolls, so I turned to yelp for help as usual. I read good reviews for both Semo and Satomi, and decided to try Satomi because of the overall higher rating. We stopped by to fill our gas when a good friend called and suggested Semo. In his words, "it's the best in the area" since Semo is only 5 minutes away we changed our plan and head there instead.
Boy were we dissapointed. We ordered 4 different rolls.. one of them was baked w/ scallops, and another that I liked best was Snowy crab something... and I'd say they're just ok.. not bad, but nothing special. We weren't wow-ed. The total for 4 rolls + tax + tips was $54.. a bit too much for a non-satisfying dinner for 2 (for us and our budget), But we probably ordered too much because we were so stuffed afterward. I think we'll need some convincing to come back.
My real review would rate this place as a 4.5 star. This one is a little different... we decided to go with Semo Sushi for a private event for 100 people. Result? A great time by all.
We coordinated with Sam on the food, a mix of cooked food and sushi. Everyone enjoyed the meal. Beautiful presentation. Lots of compliments. The service was great - always provided for what we needed. The facility was perfect for the 100 guests (including kids) that were there and parking was plentiful.
The half star off was due to the dessert - which we arranged for a cake but apparently not in time as it takes multiple days to make so we ended up with an alternative.
Overall, it was a great celebration and everyone left with lots of compliments on the restaraunt! Will definitely be a regular with our family and friends!
I've been coming here since they first opened. I don't come in that often but they all still remember me. The service has always been good for me. They do take some time to bring out the food but presentation counts for alot, and the food is very well presented.
First time I went to Semo Sushi was before it became a sports bar. It was my go-to sushi place in Fremont because of the amount of food you can get for a decent price.
My girlfriend and I decided to see this place again for dinner.But things change now that they added a sports bar feel. It doesn't have that low-key feel anymore. One of the nice things they did add was the 3 framed displays of the kimonos.
The service was great due to their taking our orders were prompt. However, we waited on our food a bit too long but since it was busy, I'm waiving that off my criteria.
Food:
Extremely disappointing. My girlfriend got the baked scallops and I got the spicy tuna rolls. I only had like 6 rolls and was haphazardly made as the rice were all falling to the sides. The taste was mediocre at best
The baked scallops were small in portions and the taste was average.
The price was certainly higher than the last time I remembered.
Overall:I'm certainly not going back here anymore.
Met a friend halfway from Berkeley and San Jose and ended up at Semo on a Friday night. It was a pretty crowded house, but we were seated right away with the last table available.
This is perhaps one of the more pricy Japanese restaurants I've been to. I don't mind paying for quality fish and ingredients, but Semo Sushi doesn't quite match up. The food arrives and seeing the portions, I'm left thinking of what else to order.
Dancing Prawn: Decent unagi and shrimp tempura roll
SSS Roll: Salmon, shrimp tempura, and scallops galore!
Rainbow Roll: Decent fish on top of a decent crab and avocado roll
Bay Scallop: Very saucy and tasted like a freakin Big Mac. You get scallops baked with crab, avocado, and a thousand island-like sauce.
None of the rolls are to die for. It's really just simple fish on top of simple rolls. Definitely not my first choice for sushi, but I wouldn't mind coming back.
This rates up there with ray's sushi. I liked the potato salad that came with the dinner sushi/sashimi plate....yummo. That was what my mom ordered, I on the other hand had something else. Can't remember the name, but when I see it, I'll let you know.
Ambience-5
Table Service (when packed)-2.5
Sushi/Sashimi Prices to portions-3
Sake Selection-4
This one of Fremont's gems for a sort of upscale sushi bars, too bad it's in a strip mall. It;s not a bad place for sushi and it's more on the pricey side, not expensive pricey - it's just that the portions are considerably smaller. But you're paying for the ambience. I would come back once every 1 or 2 months. Or when I have a hot date.
For good sushi with good portions I would rate Kioku and Nijo Castle higher the Semo. For good Izakaya/Sushi I would go to Sushi Yoshi in Newark.
Ambience? You keep it- Gimme what I want, a happy tummy!
Wife and I were in the mood of Sushi and decided to stop off at Semo Sushi and give it a try. Easy to find and with plenty of parking I've been passing by Semo Sushi for years.
We got in and have to say that I do like the decor of this place. It has a very nice modern feel to it and feels very clean yet comfortable. They had one of the largest sushi bars I've seen. You must be able to sit about 30 - 40 people on this bar. They also had what must have been a saki bar on the opposite side with a nice flat screen TV. We got here right before the dinner time rush and was able to sit down without any problems.
We got our menu and looked over it. They have a pretty good and wide variety of Japanese food and sushi to choose from. I'm guessing they had 60+ rolls to choose from so there is something for everyone. Prices for rolls are in the $8 - $12 range. They also had a good selection of Nagri, Sashimi, (about $12 - $20 for their Combo Plates), Udon and Teriyaki ($10 - $12), and even had a selection of raw oysters (about $6 range).
Looking over the menu, the wife and I decided to get the seaweed salad, a dish called Agedashi Tofu (a deep fried Tofu), I got one of their special rolls that had deep fried oysters on top of it and the wife got a veggie roll. Placed in our order and about 10 minutes later up came the seaweed salad. It was good portion and the seaweed tasted really fresh. They did a good job of seasoning and my wife and I really enjoyed it.
Next came the Agedashi Tofu and it was nothing like we expected from the description. We thought we were getting some deep fried tofu with some dipping sauce but instead we got what looked like a tofu stew. The portion was big and there were big chunks of tofu in it but it was in the middle of the "dipping sauce". I wouldn't call it dipping sauce as much as I would say a soy sauce broth. We had a couple of bites from it but didn't like it at all. It was way too salty and the tofu after time just became this soggy mess.
I can say we were relieved when we got our rolls. The presentation was nicely done and got a good size portions too as I would say they were both about a good 7 - 8 inches long and about as round as a 1/2 dollar. We started to eat and have to say the roll I got was very good. It had a real good taste combining fresh raw fish with the fried oyster gave it a good taste. The sauce here complimented the roll and the wasabi was fresh. My wife really liked her veggie roll and I believed it had some pickled veggies that she thought tied it in well. The rolls were so good that as we were saying just one more, we ended up finishing everything with nothing to take home.
Service here was friendly and prompt so no problems on that end. We ended up spending about $45 including tip. The only miss was of the meal was the Agedashi Tofu and that was a pretty big miss. But overall, I would put Semo Sushi at the top of my list of sushi places to go to. Definitely worth checking out and well earned 4 star rating for Semo Sushi.
Right when I walked in, I was greeted all around. That kind of scared me and I almost fell over.
I ordered 2 rolls and an chicken teriyaki entree, but I only received 1 roll. The roll was called, 'That's Bomb,' so maybe the waitress thought I was using that phrase in normal conversation.
Kind of embarrassing.
One star off because the service is just too slow, but I got some fresh pineapple on the house!
Once you leave your parents' nest, things will never be the same again. Living in Oakland and maintaining a busy life, it's hard to find time to revisit your old haunts. Dining out with parents, you hit fewer places than you used to, mainly because at the most I dine with my parents twice a week. Semo Sushi is one of those places my parents and I loved and is one of the things about Fremont I miss. I miss this place despite having two very good sushi places within very easy walking distance of my humble Rockridge abode.
Things have changed; the space is different, the people are different, the service is different and sadly, so is the food. Once the rolls were fresh and unique, now they're generic. Once the Chicken Teriyaki was head and shoulders above the rest, now it's dry, unappetizing and small-portioned. The sukiyaki broth is a good as always, but the other stuff in the sukiyaki pot isn't.
If the food was as good as always, I could forgive a lot things; things like losing the young, hip "cool Asian" waitstaff that provided awesome service, for losing the the vibe, the soul of the place.
What was once cool and unique seems like just another generic Japanese place in America.
I miss the old Semo Sushi. Can I ever go home again?
So they've finally reopened after what seemed like forever. They've expanded their location and… Read more »
This is my favorite sushi place, hands down. Very friendly service, and the sushi is great! Not terrible on price, but not that cheap either.
i noticed the sign "sake sports bar" and curiosity drew me in here. once inside, i saw the "sake bar" was basicaly a bar with many chairs and 2 flatscreens. no sport theme at all.
opposite walls have either 3 large kimonos or a replica sketch of the golden gate bridge.
the menu is mostly different combinations of sashimi and/ or rolls. the waiter/bartender was trying to interest me in some house sake or soju.(obviously a novice)
sampling:
-small bottle of junmai daiginjo sake(24): nice fragrant, smooth .
-wild salmon nigiri(5.25)not as tasty as other places.
-hirame nigiri(4.25) same as everywhere else, ok
-hamachi nigiri(4.50) ok
sashimi leftovers:
-menu at bar looked like a leafy noteboot with indidivdual pages added as needed.
-sashimi ok, semo's forte is rolls.
-not really a sport bar, large sushi bar here.
-bar is an afterthought here, no actual bartender
I've been to Semo Sushi several times, and I leave each time satisfied with my meal!
I just recently visited since they remodeled! If you haven't seen the new upgrade, you HAVE to check it out! They have expanded so much! The restaurant is now so much bigger, has a completely different layout, with a huge, long sushi bar, and even a small bar for drinks. The new interior design is modern and simple. I love the way Semo Sushi looks now.
This place is probably on my top 5 favorite sushi places.
Try them out!
its an ok & small sushi place. i dont remember what i ordered.
Yay! Another great place in Fremont!
Woo-hoo, and reasonable too:)
Sue Ann's lovely hubby chose this place for his b-day dinner with friends.They've eaten here often and love it.
We were excited to celebrate with them, and try a new sushi joint.
It took awhile for all of us to decide what we wanted, so we had to ask the server to come back.Unfortunately, she didn't, and we had to flag her down.
I asked if they served real crab, (some dishes were listed as having snow crab in them) it was very difficult to get an answer, but it was finally ascertained that there was only imitation crab in their rolls.
It bothered me that it was so hard to get an answer, and also that the menu basically lied.
Regardless of that, the food was really good. I had the hamachi sashimi, and a roll, (don't remember what it was called.) The fish seemed very fresh, and high quality as well.
I loved my food, and the company was great too. All in all, it was a fantastic evening. I can't wait to come back!
I really enjoyed the vegetable tempura here -- the batter was nice and light and it wasn't oily. But the highlight is the vegetarian sukiyaki -- the portion was VERY generous and it was served beautifully, with artistically cut vegetables impeccably arranged on the surface of the broth. They also have a good selection of sake and a few vegetable rolls that I have not tried yet.
They've recently remodeled as a sports bar/restaurant, and it's very nice inside. However, the last time I was there, the sports on the TVs were sort of silly -- a golf documentary? When there's both an A's and a Giants game on?
I love this place with all my heart. The sushi is excellent, the service is awesome, prompt, and attentive.
But they lose a star for being rather expensive. The price doesn't feel that bad when you order from the menu, but once you get your food, the portion just feels too small for what you paid.
The wait time here used to be a big downside, but they recently expanded into where a neighboring shop was, and not only the place much bigger, but it's also much more beautiful. And thankfully, the wait's been minimized for a reasonably sized party.
I'll come back here for some big occasion.
(Random fact: They were closed renovating during my birthday, the only time I can get my parents to take me out to Sushi. *sadface*)
We were thinking of what to have for a early light dinner/snack and could not decide what to get so we used the urban spoon application on the Itouch to choose for us. Semo came up and we figured why not give it a try.
We searched online for the menu and selected our ordered and called ahead for to go. 15 mins later, we arrived and our order was all ready and packed in the front. I like it when the order is actually ready by the wait time they give you.
I took a quick survey of the restaurant and saw a large sushi bar and lots of seating. They have a couple of flat screens seeing that Semo's full name is Semo sushi sake sports bar. There are 3 sushi chefs too.
We took our to go stuff from a sweet old lady who was really smiley and nice, then off we go to enjoy our food.
I got an order of the ahi poke and the ichiban roll, my boyfriend got the spider roll and spicy killer. My ahi poke taste pretty good and the fish and nice and fresh tasting. The ichiban roll is pretty good too. I like the seared fish on top. I also tried one of my boyfriend's rolls and it was also good.
The only thing is that the rolls are pretty pricey; most are over 10$. The rolls also appear to be kinda smaller than other rolls I've had and for the price, it would be nice to have a bigger portion. So for now this place is about a 3-3.5 but I will definitely come back to check more of their stuff out and update.
Their online menu shows a variety of rolls and entrees to check out for next time.
I got a ton of take out here recently and the rolls were fantastic! Everything, the Rainbows, the Philly's, the Spiders. Everything was solid. They even let me order before they opened and brought it out to me while I made phone calls in the car.
I liked the decor even though I didn't dine in; they have some fancy-pants-looking kimono's on the wall behind glass. Real museum type stuff.
Next time, I will sit down and let the chefs take the reins.
Auf.
Came here on a busy Friday night and they were understandably busy but still for a restaurant that does so much business they need to regulate their waitresses & waiters. The wait wasn't too long despite the crowd, a plus. Our waitress was friendly but SHE TOOK FOREVER! We didn't get our food all at once, there was probably about 15 minutes between each plate and we were pretty much done with our food before she even came by to ask us if we wanted refills on our drinks.
The atmosphere is pretty cool. Everything is clean and there's a good selection of rolls. There was so much that I wanted to try, I would have ordered more if the service was faster and the wait wasn't so long. My husband had the Spider Roll... it was better than most places he said. I had the Sake To Me roll... I was pretty happy with it. I've never had mustard on my sushi before so it was different!
The tempura green tea ice cream was yummy. They add whipped cream and pocky sticks. I LOVE POCKY STICKS! It was a good serving size.. points for a good dessert!
I'll be back to visit on a less busy night.
My little nephews (5 and 6 year olds) are very picky eaters. So when they're hanging out with me and I want to eat some sushi/sashimi, I have to make sure the place offers chicken karaage. We decided to go to Semo Sushi since it was close to my house.
I have to say that I was surprised! The fish is fresh, the rolls are creative and they're all plated quite artfully. I had the sashimi combo and it was amazing to see that two pieces of hamachi were rolled in a certain way that it looked like a rose. I've sometimes attributed fancy plating as a way to cover mediocre food but that is not the case here. The sushi chef is an artist. I asked for the tuna tataki and I've never before seen any sushi chef roll a small block of tuna in fresh ground mixed peppercorn, then sear the outside before slicing it and plating it with a dash of fresh made ponzu based sauce. Let me tell you, this brought out the tuna's natural flavors.
Back to the karaage, my nephews loved them. These kids usually don't even eat gyoza but they scarfed them down because they were that good. For the adults, there's also a good selection of sake and japanese beers. At the end of our meal, the chef sent us an ice cream/fresh fruit desert on the house. I wish I had a camera to take pictures of this marvelous artwork but my stupid blackberry world edition phone did not have any. As far as the serving sizes, I think its a decent size. Remember that sushi nigiri or a slice of a roll are meant to be a single bite. not two or three. just one.
Overall, this place gets a 5 out of 5. I've been back since then and they remember me like a regular. Try the fresh oysters when they are in season and you won't regret it.
Semo's is A-OK. It's not great, it's not bad, but I won't go out of my way to come here. The fish is fairly fresh and the rolls are good, but certain rolls are packed with so much sauce and flavor, I might as well drink a bottle of sauce. I like the variety of rolls here and the place itself is very laid back and chill. I'd rather hit up Satomi for dollar sakes. =)
The statue of the Japanese lady carrying the menu right out the door scares me. Please dispose of it, and maybe I'll come more often and try more dishes.
Extremely good food and very friendly atmosphere.
Im so sorry semo that i had to do this to you because i really really loved you before. SOrry to say, but since they have reopened, the service has definitely went DOWN! ohh sooo DOWN! The food portions have gotten smaller too!
i came in, and stood in th front for 15minutes while all the worker ignored that I was there. They even looked at us and kept doing rolling napkins and wiping down teacups. They place had about 4 other tables sitting down too, so not busy at all. When I finally sat down, we were sitting for 30 freaking minutes until someone came up to us. Someone finally brought a couple of waters and a bowl of edamame, and before i can put in the order, he walked away. I have came here before, so maybe this guy was a busboy (i think)who didnt really know how to serve.
Well in a woping 40minutes of waiting, he finally took out order. I was a scod away of just walking out. The food came, portions are smaller, i codl tell that the are really downsizing, but i understand because the economy is horrile right now. Oh yeah, i also ordered a sapporo and that didnt come until half way through eating lunch. The entrees didnt even come at the same time, so i sat and watch everyoen else eat and got my sushi when they were about done with their meal.
maybe ill give this place a couple of months to get used to the new environment. im so sorry that i had to bad mouth you semo, but somethign really needs to be done.
fabulous! i love this place. this is my favortie sushi place, hands down! they have a big… Read more »
I like the new remodeling of the place. so much bigger with a sushi bar and a sake bar!
Sake selection is very extensive so you'll always find a sake you want. SEX IN THE CITY roll is the best. Still haven't gotten to dessert but would love to try their green tea tempura ice cream.
the only thing i don't like is that it closes super early especially on weekends. aren't restaurants suppose to be opened later on weekends??
REALLLY GOOD AND FRESH!!!!!!!!!!!!
This waiter (forgot her name) was really really super nice!!!!!!!!
Except this one waiter always rushing us to pick the menu. -_-
but yeah, the food was perfect!
I recommend the lion king roll!
don't be scared =) it's good, better than california roll!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!
We were absolutely craving sushi last Saturday night but was really frustrated to find that most everything in Fremont closes at 9pm!! On a Saturday no less!! Having moved from Oakland, I am SO not used to Fremont's restaurant closing hours. Too early in my book!
In any case, we checked yelp and found out that Semo was the only option we had that was open "late" (ie. after 9pm) so we headed over not sure of what to expect because of yelp's mixed reviews.
Boy were we surprised! Not only was service so spot on, but the food was DELISH! The wait staff were super friendly and were so accomodating. We couldn't find a nigiri roll we liked but they let us custom make our own combination of roll. I can't remember all the rolls we ordered that night but let me tell you, I haven't had sushi this good in a long time!
A truly amazing thing my boyfriend noticed was that they don't overload their rolls with rice. We've gone to many a sushi restaurant where they barely fill rolls with fish and fill them up with so much rice, you might as well be eating only rice. Here they load each roll with an abundance of fresh fish and other ingredients. YUM.
Some people say the rolls were expensive, but that's because they're ordering the "special" huge rolls from the back of the menu. Stick to the nigiri and simple maki rolls :)
The tempura fried ice cream at the end was superb as well. I normally don't order desserts at sushi restaurants but it was a special occasion. I was expecting the friend ice cream to be a tiny sized ball on a small plate but what they brought out was nothing like it! Not only was the tempura ice cream as large as a giant softball but is was sitting on a bed of whipped cream and just looked too fabulous. You could split it among three people and you'd all be super stuffed.
"In conclusion", this place is not only my new favorite sushi place, but one of my top favorite restuarants for Fremont. I had dinner there Saturday night and by Monday (and even today) I'm dying to go back already :)
I've been to several Sushi joints around the country and this was a surprise in my own backyard! I live in Glenmoor and have passed by this place for years, but just recently noticed it after the remodel. I enjoyed the fresh rolls, spicey tuna was really tasty and fresh, spider roll and victoria secret rolls were amazing. We also had the chicken and beef, both were tasty with a great salad. I'd recommend this to all my friends.
I feel bad leaving a 2 Star review. 8 Months ago, I would've left 4 stars, but not anymore.
I discovered this place thanks to Yelpers back in March 08 and was very happy.
Back then I'd have said something to the effect of: Food is excellent, fish is top notch. They had OToro on my first visit - which I enjoyed much.
But now, I must say, quality has sunk, deeply and rapidly. I've been back about 4 times between now and March 08 - after their remodel.
I've talked with the family that owns the place, so this review hurts. :(
It just seems they changed the head chef, and now the food that comes out is subpar. The rolls aren't as nicely made or cut, the fish isn't cut as cleanly, it seems sometimes you get scraps in your roll or on your nigiri.
There are a couple new servers that aren't nearly as nice as the older crew. In general, quality seems to have gone down.
You could say they are busier and thus excuse them from some blame, but even then you expect a place to maintain quality regardless.
The rolls here aren't bad. I work in fremont and don't like the other sushi restaurants around my work. I was dissapointed that they don't make the "semo roll" anymore. Afterall, its supposed to be their signature roll.
But I will come back if I am at work and craving sushi.
This has been my Freakmont spot for many dates, chill dinners with girlfriends, and many intimate conversations over "Sexy Sam" and "Oh My God! So Good!" Rolls. (because...well really, where else is there to go in this so called city?)
Can't believe I've never written a review of Semo yet.
When I first discovered Semo, I've introduced this place to many, many friends. Some of whom have become regulars too.
Last night I brought one of my homies. We were in the mood for something sexy. And I HAD to have Sam. ...Sam is just too sexy ;)
--------------------------------------------
But I still don't see a roll named after me... =( minus one star ^o^
Fremont, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
Fremont, CA
Category: Japanese
Fremont, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
Fremont, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
Fremont, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
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