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Tue-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Tue-Fri. 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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one of THE best japanese places in the south bay.
you know its good when japanese people straight from japan are packed in this place. waitresses actually japanese.
authentic japanese, not crappy rolls
Decor = Very cute with Japaneses private rooms on one side. Regular seatings on the other side.
Service = We went for lunch and it was SUPER busy. Service was pretty ok for the busy time.
Food = Good stuff!!! We had the sashimi special, unagi lunch special and the white tuna special. They are all yummy.
Value = Lunch prices were $8-$15. Not bad for the food and portion.
Kid Friendly = If you have kids, try to go early to beat the crowd.
Recommendation = Sushi was definitely good!!! I had the Unagi special and I wish I can trade my sis for her sushi/sashimi lunch. :) She did give me some. :)
After trying several izakaya restaurants in the South Bay including Saizo and more recently, Tanto, I'm now convinced that Gochi reigns above them all.
I came here on a Saturday night after making last minute reservations. The lady on the phone told me the only available table was a tiny side-by-side booth. Upon our arrival, we were escorted past the main dining room and down a hallway to a prison cell-like eating hovel equipped with a counter and bench facing a blank white wall. The obscure location of our table resulted in us being ignored for a ricockulously long time. It wasn't until my lackey chased someone down that we were able to get water. The worst part was the open vent in the booth that perpetually blew cold air down on us. I was so cold that my nips were as hard as pebbles; I thought I was going to get sick! Thankfully, they were nice enough to allow us to switch to a much warmer table in a more central location. Much better!
The food was what I'd call "peen-deflating" or "vag-drying". I came here eager to try the food but left somewhat unsatisfied. I did enjoy the crab croquette (better tasting and less gooey than Gochi's version) and potato octopus balls, but everything else was unimpressive:
-The scallops with uni and roe over rice was nothing to write about.
-I was surprised and disappointed when our duck breast was served cold. The menu did not specify this. It would have been much tastier hot.
-The eel dish ended up being a soupy egg mixture. Once again, had this been specified on the menu, I probably would not have ordered it.
-At first, my Calpico with soju was served sans alcohol. I had to ask them to add more, although they tried to insist that the drink was already mostly soju. I'm not stupid!
Complete disappointment. I won't be back anytime soon.
Lunch was very busy, but the food is soo good!
Great Lunch menu selection :
- White Tuna lunch -- The Tuna melts in your mouth!!
- Sashimi and Salmon lunch combo -- It has good variety of food
Typical, They have 2 daily lunch special too! Go early to avoid a crowd. They don' t open on Monday, and cash only for lunch!
It would be a perfect 5 if the wait staff is a little nicer
good food, a little spendy...
rice ball, beef, duck, pancake, fish fried rice with soup are all…
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Even on a Weds night, you might need a reservation. A place crawling with Japanese businessmen is a good sign!
Fresh and generously portioned sashimi salad. I originally thought the 2-item bento box was a little pricey at $20.50, but you get soup, rice, green salad, potato salad, tempura, fresh silken tofu, and in our case, grilled beef and close to 9 thick slices of good-quality sashimi (salmon, tuna, and some other tasty fish I can't remember).
Give their specials a try. We also ordered the braised black cod in a light soy broth. It was delicious! Buttery, melt-in your mouth delicate fish. Just excellent.
I eat here at least once a month, I'm definitely a fan.
Pros:
-Sashimi Salad
-Seared Duck Salad
-Ika Meshi (Squid stuffed with rice with creamy sauce all over)
-Salmon Onigiri
-? : lol sorry I don't remember the name but it is on the Chef's special menu. It's like a lettuce wrap: you get salad, marinated pork, and 2 buns. You wrap the pork in the lettuce or the buns, yummy :) AND it's only $6 something
-Yummy tea...for free! If you want water, ask for water :P
Cons
-Cash only during lunch
-There's a minimum per person for dinner
-When they are busy, they forget to refill your tea and it's hard to get their attention
-You don't get seated until everyone in your party is there
This is the first time that I've eaten at this kind of Japanese restaurant. . We were seated in the small booth (where we faced the wall), but I can understand. The food is good here & I would like to come back again. We had the garlic steak, pork salad (very good), tempera, & sashimi.
I hope to come here with more people in the future, so we don't face the wall again.
THIS IS MY 100th REVIEW!!! I've been waiting to write about Tanto to mark this very special occasion. I went with my foodie friend, Stacy, who I think is a good judge of authentic Japanese food. We ordered:
*hamachi sashimi - extremely fresh, on a bed of cooked seaweed. honestly some of the best hamachi i've had in this area
*kara age (fried chicken) - my friend thought it was a bit dry; personally, i thought it was fried just-right. lots of meat and fried goodness
*yaki onigiri (rice ball) - the waitress called this the house special. much better than saizo's. nice and crispy
*duck tataki - also recommended by the waitress. wow, what a pleasant surprise! the duck wasn't too fatty, was tender, and well-seasoned. a must try
*deep-fried oysters (can't remember the proper Japanese name) - we ordered this after we'd eaten everything and then kind of regretted it. the oysters were HUGE, but it was just too much fried stuff. still tasty, with some lemon juice
A note on ambiance and service, which are both very important to me. The place is LOUD. Not an ideal date and/or serious conversation spot. We got seated in a small booth with a freaking beam basically protruding from the side of the table. Stacy thought it made the booth more "private". I found it more "annoying". Meh. The service was okay. Our waitress didn't really come to check up on us, and she was kinda impatient when taking our order, but I guess I can understand, given how busy there were tonight. I do give them props for fast service and really good tea.
just one more note: too many items on the menu! for the indecisive eater, the menu is just too complicated and anxiety-provoking. but thanks for the options...
tanto, you make me happy. and very full.
Came here on a Friday night and had no idea what to expect. We didnt' check out yelp reviews or anything - we just always drive by it and wanted to try a new Japanese place.
Walked in with jeans and a hoodie and saw it was a little fancy - oops! The hostess asked if we had reservations right up front, which we didn't of course. She said she had a spot open but we had to be done in an hour and a half, and it's a small booth. Kinda weird first impression, but glad she told us and still was able to seat us.
The restaurant itself is deceptively big inside. Nice ambiance, clean and a little fancy. We sat in the back by the private rooms and sat in a tiny hole about the size of a closet. A little clausterphobic, but very cute and cozy. It definitely gave us an opportunity to chat privately (about the noisy folks around us) and be cuddly.
Perusing the menu we were a little.... surprised. A tad expensive for a couple just looking for a sushi fix. Not to mention fairy small portions. We knew we were in the wrong place when we didn't see the funky sushi roll names we normally see at other sushi joints. Had to keep reminding ourselves - this is a "Japanese restaurant", not a sushi bar. Oops again.
We ordered:
- Beef with miso sauce, on some kind of leaf (forgot the name). Holy Yummo! Awesomely good.
- 5 piece sushi. Fish was fresh, decent sized cuts. Not bad.
- Tekka Maki. Not on the menu, but glad they were able to make it for us.
- Miso soup and house salad. Soup was surprisingly good. Salad dressing was great.
Overall - just ok. We didn't order enough (cause we're cheap!) to give a phenomenal review. Seems like a good date place, or semi-special occasion. Definitely not for a random sushi craving. At least now we know what to expect if we decide to come back.
Took my god brother here upon his request for his birthday dinner. I have heard about Tanto many times in comparison to Gochi and never had the chance to try it.
First off, we showed up right when they opened for dinner on a Sunday and since we didn't have a reservation they told us immediately that we needed to be done by 7:30 since there were other reservations coming in.....I guess it was a good heads up but gave me a weird feeling about the place from the start.
We ended up ordering a ridiculous amount of food:
potato salad - Delicious but a little too much mayo for my taste, and the cucumbers weren't as crunchy as I am used to for normal japanese potato salad. 4 stars
zaru tofu - The waitress warned us this would be soft since it was their homemade tofu, but I had no idea it was going to be so soft that it was like a weird ricotta/cottage cheese texture. It was bland even with the ponzu green onion sauce. 2 stars
hamachi sashimi - So good and fresh that I ate my whole half while my god brother was in the bathroom. Only downside was that the skin wasn't cut off all the way on some pieces and I had a bone in one =(
4 stars
Something Yuan Cod - The cod was so soft and flavorful I really didn't have any problems with it. It's amazing how a little bit of shredded daikon and lemon juice can make fish taste so good! 5 stars
Salmon Onigiri - No way you can mess this up anywhere =) 5 stars
Kushi Katsu - Here is where I was a little disappointed. I am used to the Kushi Katsu form Furaibo in LA being moist and juicy. I felt like the Kushi Katsu here was extremely dry although the seasoning was just right. I feel like if katsu is too dry it just loses its appeal for me. 3 stars
Garlic Beef Steak - I was also unimpressed with their garlic beef steak which was also unevenly cooked. Most of the meat was closer to well done then medium rare so the pieces weren't very tender or soft. This makes me sad - 3 stars
To top the night off I go to the register to pay and then go to the bathroom expecting my receipt and everything to be done. I come back she's still adding it up doesn't say anything to me or tell me she can bring it to the table. Then she starts doing some other stuff and it's obvious she isn't getting to my bill anytime soon. (same woman that told us we had to be out by 730)
So I tell her OKAY I guess I will just wait at the table for the bill, and again she doesn't look at me or say anything to me. Finally, I get the bill at the table and thank god that Gochi is around because their food is so much better AND their service is always polite and attentive.
Don't work in customer service if you can't be polite to your customers!
The waitress came with the check immediately after the food was kept on the table..WTF!!!....I know it is lunch time and people are in a hurry to have a quick lunch and get back to work, but......
My wife and me had to keep waving to get the attention of the waitress to bring a glass of water and they didn't even come back to refill water.
The only good thing was they let me pay with my credit card even though lunch was cash only. Cash only for a restaurant like this is pretty lame.
The food was interesting, I have not had anything like this before, maybe this is authentic. I was in love with the decor and the dim light. The booths are cozy and it can be a great place for a date.
They have a good selection of Sake, I will go back to try their dinner menu and get some sake. Sayanora.......................
I came on a friday night at around 10pm. I liked that this place was authentic. The servers were Japanese and I thought I heard the kitchen staff speaking Japanese.
What wowed me was the fact that the dishes that were presented were not what I expected. For example, I thought the lotus w/ shrimp would be more like a salad but it turned out to be a tempura dish. Or the pork pie would be an actual pie but ended up being a pastry shell that was wrapped around pork belly. Everything was a pleasant surprise. I gotta give them points for creativity. Btw, service was also speedy.
We ordered a bunch of items:
Sashimi, pork pie, scallops & uni, lotus w/ shrimp, 2 different cods (I'd get the more $$ cod), beef tongue, and the duck
I can honestly saw we liked everything so I think our server did a great job with her recommendations. Unlike a lot of the other reviewers, we had great service. Either we lucked out, service has since improved, the fact that it was past the dinner rush, or it could have just been a combination of the three variables.
The only con was when someone in our party commented on how smoky the restaurant was. If I didn't know better, I would imagine that I was eating at a Korean BBQ restaurant vs. Japanese tapas.
Overall, it was my first time but it'll definitely not be my last time here. I would definitely come again if I'm ever in the area.
The lunch specials are the best deal for authentic Japanese dishes.
Dinners are a different story. The tab can add up (last time was $90 for two people) but the food is authentic, satisfying and memorable. The help is attentive and really friendly so when I wasn't sure what something was, they clarified it for me before I ordered with no hesitation or attitude which is always really nice :).
I came here for lunch with some coworkers and ended up ordering the sashimi lunch special, which comes with halibut, salmon, white tuna, and yellowtail. The halibut and salmon were fine, but I was rather disappointed by the white tuna, which you could definitely tell had been frozen -- very mushy and bland. The yellowtail was better, but there was a very faint hint of fishiness.
I sampled a bit of my coworker's tonkatsu (pork cutlet) though, and it was glorious. Instead of using a dry, lean chop of pork, they choose one that's incredibly marbled, so the cutlet is ridiculously juicy. The only real fault here is that the breading ends up falling off the chop because of all the juices, but honestly, that's like criticizing Megan Fox for her toe thumb.
To round it off, the lunch specials come with salad, miso soup, and cold tofu. Very fulfilling!
So in short, Tanto has awesome lunch specials, but some are better than others. Their best special is probably the sashimi and tonkatsu combo. You get to eat the awesome tonkatsu, and you get just enough sashimi to satisfy any sashimi fix but not enough to get annoyed by the less-than-stellar quality of the sashimi.
The restaurant does tend to get rather crowded during lunch though, so don't be too surprised if you have to wait. We were lucky and arrived just when the first lunch crowd was finishing up (~12:30 PM), so we were seated within a few minutes.
Protip: The lunch combo special menu lists two chicken teriyaki items, but if you read the Hiragana, one of them is actually tonkatsu. In case you haven't gleaned from my review, the tonkatsu is absolutely worth getting. Are they hiding it from non-Japanese-reading customers? Hmm!
I had such a high expectation before I went to Tanto. (maybe that's why it just turned out ok) I liked Gochi a lot so a lot of my friends also recommended Tanto. But after trying both, I still think Gochi is better.
Also, the restaurant was very smoky that day. I'm not sure if it's normally the case, but by the time we finished our meals and got out of the restaurant, my clothes just smelled like smoke.
Went for lunch, super crowded, but we were early enough to be seated right away. There was a big CASH ONLY sign on the lunch menu. 2 men that sat next to us saw that and left.
Service was poor and rushed. Waitress kept asking us if we were ready to order every 2 minutes. We finally ordered our food, and one of my coworker who is allergic to fish wanted to know what's in the tempura order, waitress said only shrimp and vege.
The soups and salads came immediately as our waitress finished taking our orders. Then came our entree. No one came to refill our tea and we had to flag them down.
I ordered a combination bento box with sashimi and beef teriyaki. It was good, but the box also came with cold tofu (not so good), potato salad (not good & very gringo) & deep fried tempura (soggy). All these in addition to rice, soup and salad that came with my 1 order.
There were definately a lot of food here! Maybe they should cut down on the varieties and concentrate on some better tasting food instead.
My coworker freaked out as he bit into a piece of deep fried fish among the tempura. It was a whole baby pomfret fish. The only way we could identify it, was the tail that was lightly battered and it peeked out at me. Guess the waitress didn't know their menu so well.
We panicked a little, but thank goodness he had his EPI pen with him.
Overall, I think this is another one of those places where people go to because it's cheap and you get your belly full. We didn't get a Thank You when we paid and left.
I have to say, I am very curious about their dinner menu. The pictures posted looks good and very different from lunch. But service..??
I think they redesigned this place cause it used to be a place salary-men would come to eat and drink. Now it seems more like a regular restaurant which is ok, but the drinking was more fun before. Their sake bottles are pretty pimping regardless.
The food is pretty good but it gets pricey. It might be better to come here for appetizers and drinks and then fill up at In-n-out or something after.
Excellent place for Japanese food. We enjoyed all the stuff we ordered except the grilled chicken. Japanese Sapporo draft beer was fresh and smooth.
The service quality was excellent. This place gets pretty crowded get in early (around 6.00pm) or make a dinner reservation. The food is pricey but again it is worth paying more for high quality food.
Tanto pissed me off and is not AWESOME anymore. A $12.95 lunch combo should make you really satisfied but this time was a little different. Everything looked similar enough but seems like the chef is out of town.
The tonkatsu was super marbled and juicy the first time but was dry and tough this time. They skimped a little on the sashimi and everything generally looked like it was shrunk down in size. I'll be cautious the next time I come here.
Tanto is an AWESOME AWESOME place for lunch. It's a little pricey coming in at $12.95 for the lunch… Read more »
This is an isakaya style restaurant. They removed the tatami seating and replaced them with tables a while back. It did affect the atmosphere to some extend.
The most special item on their menu is the tai meshi. This is a kamameshi with a whole tai fish. It gets deboned at the table and served. Add some of their soup, or ocha if you like, and makes a great "main" dish, big enough for 3-4 people.
Felt it is only fair that Tanto gets a review since I have been here twice in one week.... when I couldn't get in to Gochi =P
Great selection of small dishes to share. The atmosphere here is better than the other Tanto location on Saratoga. All the dessert choices are huge and can easily be shared among 4 people, unless one of them is me. The ice cream with the soy bean powder is unique and worth trying.
Summary: Worth the visit, and worth a return visit!
We walked in on a Friday night without reservations around 9:30, were seated within 10 min, and didn't really have an issue with the service.
Our party of four ordered toro with ponzu sauce (this was my favorite), salmon onigiri (first time trying onigiri, and it was pretty darn tasty), raw sea urchin rice bowl (uh, I don't like sea urchin, but my friend LOVED this), seared duck (too dry, not enough flavor), and miso pork with lettuce (whatevs, I didn't really like the miso flavor).
Great place to try small plates of Japanese cuisine. Cuz they have a pretty extensive menu. It was pretty impressive. I'd go back just to try all the stuff on the menu!
Love this place...their awesome house hot sake...this sake is what made me enjoy sake in general. too bad i do not drink anymore. other than that...their garlic steak is delicious...their tofu dish is yummy. Also their potato dish is sooo finger-lickin delicious! sowee i cant remember what ive tried there since its been sooo long i havent been there. that means i should revisit soon ^__^
After being underwhelmed at Gochi a few months ago, this place was a welcome surprise. The hour-long wait wasn't fun, but the food was worth it. It's not only better priced than Gochi, I thought the food and presentation was much better as well. The highlights: potatoes croquettes with octopus, grilled mackerel, and stewed black cod. The only downer was the okonomiyaki. This was likely because I had a vision in my mind of what this dish should look/taste like. Tanto's rendition was very different. Can't wait to come back and explore the rest of the menu. Next time, we'll make reservations...
I got Yelp's Ramen-O-Rama email and had to go try Tanto's clam salt ramen. The clams were plentiful, the broth was flavorful and the noodles were good. I completely echo Jonathan C.'s comments: "They are famous for this dish. Shio/butter based broth, with a significant amount of clams and garlic, wakame, and ramen. A definite must get." Two thumbs up!
Let's get right down to business, there were 5 of us, it was a little after 8, and we were hungry. Here is the list of what we ordered:
3 orders of braised pork belly
1 sashimi salad
1 order of grilled rice balls
2 orders of tempura eel
1 order of raw uni
5 bowls of rice
1 order of kimchi
2 pitchers of sapporo
I think that was it. Just so we are clear at this point, these aren't entrees as much as they are appetizer/tapas size plates. Now lets review the food:
3 orders of braised pork belly - By far the best thing we ordered, each bite consisted of equal parts meat and fat which all melted and blended together like some sort of meat pudding. As gross as that description might sound, this is a must have.
1 sashimi salad - Probably my second favorite item ordered. A nice variety of raw fish tops a fresh green salad with a light ginger dressing. Significantly lighter than just about everything else we ordered, but equally satisfying.
1 order of grilled rice balls - These were good but a little overhyped. I mean, the sweetness of the rice really comes through when it is grilled, but it is still just a big cooked ball of rice. Good but not that special.
2 orders of tempura eel - Some of the freshest tasting tempura I have had in a while. Not greasy at all, the crispness of the tempura contrasted well with smooth rich taste of the pork we ordered.
1 order of raw uni - uni, enough said.
5 bowls of rice - the rice complements just about everything we ordered.
1 order of kimchi - Cold kimchi and warm rice is probably one of my favorite food combinations. Unfortunately, I found myself wishing the kimchi has more bite to it than the kimchi at Tanto's offered.
Overall, I would definitely come back here because by the end of the meal we were all quite full and the total bill was only $130. For five people eating to their heart's content and enjoying some beer at the same time, you can't beat that.
So far this is one of my favor Japanese Restaurant.
"Yaki Onigiri" is denfintely one of the best in Bay Area.
"Sashimi Salad" is in my must-order list.
steak over rice is good for lunch.
"Friend Octopus Legs" -- okay
Grilled Quail -- Pretty good
Ika Meshi -- I like it if you like Rice and Squid
Must try the dessert: Shingen ice-cream
Make sure you make reservation!!!
I try to stay away from Japanese places because I know I'll break my Paleo diet. However, the sashimi salad here is perfect for the Primal eater. It's got the right ratio of meat-salad, the fish is fresh, and the dressing is overbearing.
I also enjoyed the rice balls, unagi roll. The pepper steak was nice and tender, but I didn't want to eat the entire portion.
Lastly, dinner came with entertainment: the couple behind us was discussing whether to continue their affair. Lovely.
Yikes! What horrible service. This review it going to be focused on the service.
We went there yesterday for my birthday celebration. I have never been, but I heard the food was good. To start off the review, it began the day before we went to eat when we tried to make a reservation at 8 pm. My bf was told by the lady on the other line to call back after 9, because they were too busy to make a reservation call. Bad sign.
The evening of the dinner. We arrived on time for our 7:30 reservation. Our party was for 13 ppl, about 6 of us arrived first. Below is the events of what happened next...
- We waited for a few others to arrive... in meantime we were left with the menu
- 10 minutes or so later, still not waitress to ask if we want water or tea
- 15 mins. Everyone arrived. We were told there's a $1 service charge if we want to cut the birthday cake there. (Not common in Asian restaurants.) But, ok.
- 30 minutes later, an impatient waitress goes to the end of the table to take orders. her attitude made us feel like we were wasting her time. so, we placed our orders. we wanted to get shoju for the table, so we asked 2 ppl to come with her to the front to pick
- a few of my friends also wanted to take a look at the options, so they followed. when they went to the front, they were told that they were getting in the way and needed to get back to their seat
- shoju picked, she brought the bottle back with ice and average water cups. i don't drink much, but i think this is a first i've seen shoju served in those ugly water glass.
- waitress asks who is drinking. then asked if we would like her to pour it. and why not. so, we said yes.
- food arrived. Some dishes hit the spot.
- 9pm. Last orders
- As we were finishing the food, the bill arrived. With 18% gratitude included, oh and btw if you want to cut your cake now, you can't. It's too late for that. (Did they seriously think they deserved 18%?) We were baffled...but not at just the gratitude...but were shocked beyond words that they also charged for water (which we never got to mix with the shoju) and ice. We questioned their sanity.
- Our cake was dropped back off on our table. No word. Just a pissy waitress.
- We asked if we can speak to a manager. The pissy waitress said "we don't have managers." Then, walked away.
The food was ok, but it was not worth the service we had to deal with. For a party as big as ours, and not a demanding one, we should've deserved much better. I had a great time with my friend, but I would have had a better time if it was not tainted by the we-are-too-busy-for-you service.
As a Japanese restaraunt, I think it's a disgrace for the Japanese to have this represent them. Japanese are known for great services and this is not one you can count on.
If you are looking for a nice time, stay away.
If you are looking for good food, Gochi is better.
If you are looking to celebrate anywhere, stay CLEAR away from this place.
Really tiny place, and they only take cash. I've only been here for lunch. Not a huge selection, but their RAMEN is the best i've ever had! I think about it at least once a week, It's really that good.
Trust me. Order the ramen. (there's only 1 kind, so u can't go wrong)
On my quest for the comfiest booths (http://www.yelp.com/li...), we made a reservation for 2 people at 8pm.
While waiting for our table (no more booths) to be cleaned, another couple came in, same reservation and. Got. Sat. At. A. Booth.
Oh. Hell. No.
So pretty much we threw a huge fit and quickly regretted it. They were very apologetic about it and told us the people were regular and made the reservation a week earlier (we made it that day). Ashamed, we waited an extra 40 minutes for a booth to open up.
The booth we sat at was only meant for 2 people, one person on each side, but we managed to squeeze ourselves onto 1 side. Awesome! We ordered the following items:
+ Braised Rock Cod: I don't even eat cooked fish but this was pretty tasty! For $18, the portion was bigger than the others and came with turnips or something.
+ Fried Octopus Legs: Standard drinking food, crispy on the outside and super chewy on the inside.
+ Chicken Karaage: I loved it! Loved the mayo-like sauce too!
+ Monkfish Liver Wrapped In Halibut: Very very good, my favorite dish! Loved the sour, tangy sauce and the creamiest of the livers. Overall, very refreshing to all the hot food.
- Fried Rice Ball with Spicy Cod Roe (yaki onigiri): OVERRATED! What's the big fuss over grilled rice?
+ 1 large, very hot sake.
=$60.
I'm usually not a fan of izakaya since I have to eat so much to get full but this meal was surprisingly filling and the atmosphere was fun! I'd come back again:)
Cuddle Factor: Booths were comfortable if you manage to squeeze onto one side or get a bigger booth. Cozy atmosphere, dim, low lighting that my bf hit his head on, made for an awesome night.
...Minus smelling like I walked into a house on fire.
Yummay! Love Love Lovvvved the sashimi salad here. Fresh fish and salad, perfectly dressed.
The yaki onigiri definitely lived up to my expectations. Warm, crunchy outside, soft inside. The balls were definitely a little too large for bite size, but hey, who doesn't appreciate large...er, anyways.
I also tried the pepper steak and unagi sushi roll. Those were just A-Ok.
Dinner at Tanto was definitely enjoyable but I think I still like Gochi better. The decor in Gochi is much more traditional and I really liked to tatami matt rooms. Can't forget about the hamachi carpaccio...and unagi clay pot rice...drool.
I expected a long wait for a table at this place on Friday night, and my husband and I were so relieved that there just happened to be an open table for two when when we arrived.
The crab legs (one of the daily specials) were excellent. The meat was so tender and the flavor was nice and buttery.
I thought their steak salad was okay- I had to spit out several fatty pieces of meat. My husband didn't care so much for the steak at all--- he felt there was a sinewy texture in the meat, even when he wasn't biting down on the fatty parts.
The agedashi tofu was nice. Seasoned with some ginger, the tofu was gently crispy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside.
The plain rice balls we got weren't bad, but we like the ones at Gochi's better.
My husband felt that the grilled chicken was something you can get anywhere, nothing special. But I disagree. I liked the freshness of their meat, and the blend of seasonings they used was pleasing to the tongue.
This is a great restaurant, but for some reason, I kept finding myself quietly comparing it to Gochi's, and my husband and I both like Gochi's better. Still, I'd give this place three-and-a-half stars. I'd come back and try their other stuff.
I'm going to have to give this place 3 stars, even though the food and service was pretty good. So let me explain myself:
I've had Japanese tapas before in LA and at another place in the bay and they are hard to beat. Prices are pretty much the same across the board, but the flavors and dishes are all so different. I don't think I like the dishes here as much as the other places such as Gochi, but it's not bad either.
We came here for a friend's birthday just last week and we order a couple of things(I don't know the exact names of the dishes, sorry!):
1. Sashimi salad - I LOVED the dressing. For some reason, Japanese restaurants have THE BEST salad dressings. They're light, yet so flavorful and goes along so perfectly with everything in the salad. I think I could just have the lettuce and dressing and eat that for lunch :P The only thing I didn't like about this salad was the salmon roe: it's TOo fishy..yuck yuck. I'd rather have the small tobiko instead.
2. Kabocha dish - I love kabocha (pumpkin) and my mom uses it in her pumpkin jook...it's delicious! This dish was sliced kabocha with onions and mushrooms and I think there was some crab meat in it - all topped off with cheese. This was pretty good, but I think if you eat too much of it you'll get sick of it (because it's super cheesy).
3. Fish-rice clay pot - The dish wasn't too bad, but it wasn't that great either. The one BIG BIG no no about this dish was that the fish still had bones and so every time I had a bite I felt something prickly agains the sides of my mouth. I hate hving to chew and then stop and spit something out with EVERY bite I take. . .not cool at all. When I eat I like to enjoy and savor each bite but if I have to stop in the middle of my chewing, it annoys me. I wouldn't recommend this dish unless you like bones (yuck).
I may try this place again, but looking at the menu I don't see very many things I'd like to try really. And this place isn't very cheap either - I'd probably skip out on this place and try for Gochi; however, this place isn't as crowded as Gochi and it's easier to get a reservation.
I believe Tanto's offerings are somewhat similar to authentic Japanese small dishes (like small hot pots) to go with sake on a cold snowy night.
I went with my wife on a friday afternoon for lunch (Keep in mind that they would not let you sit until everyone in your party is present). We were led to a small (I seriously meant "small" just enough for two) phone booth size room without any windows, natural light or whatsoever. Then the waitress came and presented us a lunch menu where there were only a few items to choose from (but very reasonable prices). Due to the limited choices, we told the waitress to give us the dinner menu which she gave us the menu in Japanese. No biggie, my wife can read Japanese so we proceeded to order without any problem.
We ordered Uni in hot pot, fish cakes, assorted sashimi, and some other small dishes I could not even remember the names. However, I must say the monk fish liver wrapped by hamachi is a must try. For the price of less than $10, it was a dish full of surprises. I would never expect the combination of monk fish liver and hamachi would taste so great.
Pros: Great food. One of the best Japanese restaurants I have ever tried. Good service and reasonable prices for most of the items.
Cons: Restaurant is small and crowded. Be prepared to sit very close to someone. They only accept credit card for dinner, not lunch. So bring your cash for lunch.
Overall: If you are solely going for food quality and taste, this is the place. However, if you are looking for a slow dining, attention-to-detail service restaurant, then you will be disappointed.
This little place on el camino is truly a good place to get some food. This place isn't great for large amount of people in your party, i would say bring 4 max and you can have a good meal.
The Food: It is very tasty and flavorful, i went here to eat with my cousin's and we ordered about 7 dish's total. We had the red snapper with rice and make sure you get the broth and mix it in super good. we had fried lotus with shrimp also very good. beef in stone pot and we had the garlic steak both cooked very well and seasoned nicely. We had a liver dish which i didn't eat so can't say. we had pork with egg which was pretty good as well.
Food wise this place is 5 stars for their ingredients and tastefulness. I am only giving a 4 star because they dont have AC!!!! feels all stuffy in there and i didn't like that at all.
love this place! but try to avoid sitting in the two seaters caves on your way to the bathroom (it's very cramped and you sit side by side) - unless you are super hungry and can't wait.
i really should expand and try other things on the menu but the dishes i get are so yummy - the rice balls are soo good. they don't sound like much but you only have to try them once. i also get the sizzling beef on the stone pot thing, sometimes the agadeshi tofu, the special braised cod, and the sashimi salad - very well made and fresh and large!
Had a very nice dinner tonight. Arrived 15 minutes before closing and had to wait 10 minutes for a table. We were told (apologetically) that we were ordering at last call, so we made sure we ordered everything we wanted on the first shot.
Toro Tataki, which was excellent, served with a small salad of microgreens. Fish was drizzled lightly with ponzu. Very good.
Lamb Chops were very tasty, juicy and tender.
Gyoza were very flavorful and jicy.
Stir fried Udon noodles with bacon and cabbage was delicious!
Ground up chicken meatballs with egg was surprisingly tasty.
With regard to service, I can see why some folks think it is slow or lacking. However, the staff are clearly very busy and never stop moving. I can't say we felt under-served this evening, though it wasn't the most attentive service I've ever seen. Definitely didn't see waitstaff standing around ignoring customers, as I have in other establishments. We'll definitely be back.
i've been going to this place for a long time, and it is one of my all time favorite places. however, trying new things at this place is a 50/50 chance it'll be either really good, or really gross/bland. here is a list of my standard favorites:
- aigamo tataki (seared duck)
- kani koroke (crab croquette)
- kabocha cheese yaki (baked pumpkin & cheese)
- apple napoleon
i have to admit that since gochi's opened up i haven't been going here as often, but the one thing tanto has on gochi's is the apple napoleon. even if you don't really like sweets, i bet you'll fall in love with this wonderful concoction. slices of apples are scattered on a mountain of vanilla ice cream, bathed in a buttery, slightly salted burnt caramel sauce that is to die for!
Excellent food, good service, nice ambience. About $20-$25 per person for dinner, plus drinks.
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