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Tatami Sushi & Seafood Buffet
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Buffets Sushi Bars, Buffets
10123 N Wolfe RdSte 2001
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 996-3444
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
186 reviews for Tatami Sushi & Seafood Buffet
Review Highlights
"Chocolate/White chocolate fountain."
(in 20 reviews)
"...a place worth visiting for the sushi and hot food."
(in 25 reviews)
"...chocolate fountain annnnnnd the crepe station ooh oooh and..."
(in 8 reviews)
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186 reviews in English
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Review from Shirlee L.
Fremont, CA
1/14/2012 2 photos
Best. Sushi. Ever. What more can I say for a seafood/sushi buffet? The spicy tuna rolls are delicious! Not only do they have good sushi, but they have amazing gyoza, terriyaki chicken, and do-it-yourself udon! The food quality here is amazing!
Not only do they have amazing sushi and chicken--which are both on my list of what a buffet needs to be good, but they have a chocolate fountain. Chocolate. I mean, where else do you see those?! They also have the choice of crepes for dessert if you aren't satisfied with the chocolate! I wish, though, they had more choices on fruits and what to put in the crepes... But that was still enough for me to love it.
The service I was given by the waitresses was good; they were quick for mostly everything. And the price for lunch: only $15 (with tax!). It's worth it for an ALL you can eat sushi buffet! My only regret is eating before I went. So, note to self (and advice for everyone else)-- go with an empty stomach! -
Review from Cathy G.
Santa Clara, CA
2/6/2012
Came here with coworkers on a Friday for lunch. Every Asian person in a 10 mile radius was there. Lines were so long it took 15 minutes to get food, which is not good when you have a limited lunch hour and want to spend that time chatting with coworkers/friends rather then wait in line. On top of that, the restaurant wasn't fast enough on refilling food, so when you actually get to the buffet, the food is all gone or picked over, not cool. The food I was able to get was terrible. I don't expect Asian buffets to have high quality food, but this was bad even for Asian buffet standards. In the end I gave up on food and thought I'd get a vanilla ice cream to satisfy my hunger. The ice cream tasted like ice and sugar, zero cream. =(
Looking for a decent Asian buffet? Check out Kome Sushi Buffet in Daly City. -
Review from Matt V.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/31/2012
Honestly, this place is pretty terrible.
The place is enormous, and when you first walked in, you're almost overwhelmed by all the space available, not to mention the children running and screaming around as it seems to be a bit of a family spot. Aside from that, the ambiance is whatever. The floor is covered in a thin rug, and the chairs and tables are decent enough, though nothing to phone home about. Banners hang from the ceiling, and the walls are relatively empty.
There are TONS of options to choose from, and unfortunately, everything is really pretty bad, coated in MSG. It was difficult to find anything that was even somewhat tasty. And the flavors were a resounding BLECH!
I tried the sushi. Blech. I tried the non-Asian deli meats (carpaccio, prosciutto, etc.). Blech. I tried the Americanized-Asian food (orange chicken). Blech. I tried the other meats (crab, ribs, etc.). Blech.
The only thing that I didn't mind eating were the desserts; they have a nice chocolate fountain, that you can dip marshmallows or cakes in. Not bad.
I'm guessing a lot of people will point out that this place has a favorable price point, as far as all-you-can-eat buffets go; I couldn't disagree more. Unless they're paying me to eat here, the price is far too high. "Free" would not be cheap enough for me to want this food.
I hope I never get dragged here again. -
Review from Grant L.
Santa Clara, CA
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
What used to be Todai is now Tatami. Although the choices changed a bit the food quality is about the same. I mainly hit up the sashimi which kept running out and nigiri and rolls. The rolls were okay but had a few favs you'll see at a regular sushi joint.
Again I would actually pay extra for better quality over quantity for seafood, but sometimes I need to be cheap and pig out -
Review from Paul Y.
San Jose, CA
12/26/2011
* list format, in order of preference *
Food:
Salmon/tuna/mackerel sashimi -- 4.5 stars
beef sukiyaki -- 4.5 stars
King crab legs -- 4 stars
cocktail shrimp -- 4 stars
sushi rolls, various flavors -- 3.5 stars
prime rib -- 3.5 stars
cold tofu -- 3 stars
Quail -- 2.5 stars (dry)
lobster -- 2 stars (too small, not much meat, costs extra)
Desserts:
Crepes (combine with chocolate fountain) -- 5 stars
Cake squares (tiramisu, cheesecake, etc) -- 5 stars
Fruit (combine with chocolate fountain) -- 4.5 stars
Tapioca bowl -- 4 stars
Creme Brule -- 3 stars
Sponge cake -- 2.5 stars
Avoid:
Snails/seashell things -- tried out of curiosity but won't try again -
Review from Erica C.
Updated - 1/6/2012 2 Check-ins Here
After a few months of trying to lose the weight from the first round, I went again since it was my sister's bday.(bday people get free dinner with two paid adults!)
Again, I'm amazed at how good the food is. This time I went straight for the crab and fresh oysters.
The service was a little off. The waiter took a long time bringing out our drinks and we had to remind him. Other than that, they were quick on picking up our plates and getting us extra napkins.
I was so full from seafood I couldn't bear to eat any of the hot foods. They had prime rib instead of the whole pig this time.
The same lady was there making the crepes and just like before, still a grump. Doesn't really speak and gives off an unfriendly attitude.
Despite the grumpy crepe lady I will be back soon!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/15/2011
Best seafood buffet I've been to. I had low expectations since it's located at Valco, but… Read more »
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Review from Nathan P.
***for Lunch service**
I LOVE BUFFETS! I can't express enough how much I LOVE BUFFETS, especially SUSHI BUFFETS!
Got dragged along by a fellow Yelper who also loves buffets and I'm glad he found this hidden gem inside poor ol Valco mall. Tatami reminds me very much of Tomi Seafood Buffet at Eastridge Mall in east San Jose, both of which are good.
Of the sushi and sashimi selection, they didn't have as much as I had expected and wanted. But the sashimi was fresh and that's very important. They had rolls, but I didn't want to eat too many of those that would fill me up (I have major buffet and eating experience to know what foods to fill up on and what foods to avoid to prevent getting full).
Tatami has different sections for the varieties of food. They have a desert section with a crepe station, hot food section with noodle or udon station, sushi rolls, and sashimi.
Lunch was about $13, not bad for a buffet and for it being seafood and sushi! They close at around 130 or 2pm for lunch. -
Review from Anna K.
Milpitas, CA
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am not a buffet person and never have been because I can never eat enough but will still go with family since majority rules in my family :)
We celebrated my FIL's 60th birthday at Tatami's. We had a party of 12. We needed plenty of room for our nephew and FIL who's in a wheelchair. They accommodated our party and request for lots of space.
Tatami's had lots of different dishes... sushi rolls, seafood, salads, Korean BBQ, desert, soups etc.
The kids enjoyed the desert section. I filled up on the sushi rolls. The rest of the family had seafood which was totally worth the buffet price. The kids ate free as long as they were under 12 years old and accompanied by a paying adult per kid. It was a special they had going and it was worth that trip! -
Review from Sancho P.
San Jose, CA
Thanks to u yelpers, I knew exactly what I had to eat as soon as I stepped into this seafood palace- MARSHMALLOWS DROWNED IN CHOCOLATE!!!
Fresh from a morning workout with a depleted body, I had to carb up and there was no better choice than filling up at Tatami's dessert station- cakes, cream puffs, crepes, ice cream, and of course MARSHMALLOWS DROWNED IN CHOCOLATE from the chocolate fountain!!!!
...and that was only one small section of Tatami. The sashimi was fresh, rolls were beautifully-crafted, hot food was always hot/fresh (even near closing, the employees kept bringing out new batches of food), and service was always on time! These guys are professional sushi buffet bosses, no doubt.
At 13.99 for a weekday lunch, I felt like I was robbing the place. Can't wait to rob Tatami again, next time for dinner! -
Review from David L.
San Francisco, CA
12/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
All asian parents love going to Asian Buffet for special occasion; birthdays, xmas, thanksgiving and etc...
Everything is mass produced cooked with no love... You can taste the food with your eyes as the shine and beauty of food is gone...
The sushi don't look as fresh, and every piece of shrimp tempura has its batter coming off the shrimp already...
There is ordering system which you write down how much of Kalbi, and etc to order. I didn't expect me writing 1 consisted of the waitress bringing me a single piece of kalbi.. you kidding me? 1 piece?!
My favorite thing to get here is the made to order Udon and add the shrimp tempura into the udon itself. My own creation but its seriously the only thing i would go back for more.
The sushi is sub par, the vegetables are sub fresh, and basically it taste just like subway... The mall which it is located at is just as lifeless as the food they put out to eat...
I'm not ready for seconds, i still think i'm digesting my first place i ate 2 months ago... -
Review from Luco Z.
Campbell, CA
2/6/2012
Went there again on weekend, I have to say the price over quality is low, I will try not to go on weekend or night because of the price. The quality is similar to crazy buffet. Probably weekday lunch might be ok.
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Review from Sheena S.
Daly City, CA
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
MIL said she saw a commercial on TV late night regarding some buffet in Cupertino and she had to try it.
We came here for lunch on a Monday, and have to say it was pretty decent food.
They're sushi was quite fresh and delicious not like other Asian buffets that premake it waaaaaay too ahead of time. Also they're salmon actually has meat on it :D (compared to other asian buffets that leave you with the bones).
I like that they also give you a discount if you're in a bigger group.
I think I'll hold the fifth star until we have dinner here and give it a try. -
Review from Jean L.
San Jose, CA
1/29/2012
I went to Evergreen Tatami last week, it was so good. I went to Cupertino's Tatami today, it was horrible. Much less choice, even has no wonton soup. The Chocolate cake was left empty for long time.
I will never go back to the Cupertino Tatami again. -
Review from Jason L.
West Hills, CA
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
If you have been to a Todai before, this former Todai feels very familar, they even kept the "Todai" labeled tables. But they do seem to offer a little more, made-to-order udon, creme brulee (didn't try it), their roll selection expanded, they even offer uni (although barely recognizable by any fan of uni). They are running a promo if you are born on the year of the Dragon (although it technically extended into January on some years).
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Review from Natalia H.
San Jose, CA
1/4/2012
Standard sushi and seafood buffet. If you love sashimi, this is one of the better buffets to go to. Sashimi galore, even during lunch! Their sashimi poke salad was my faveeeeeee. Everything else was standard, comparable to Tomi's in Eastridge (cheaper too) but not as good as Tomi's.
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Review from Wendy P.
Berkeley, CA
1/17/2012
I have been to this place for at least 6 times. It was a long drive from where I live (~1hr). But it was worth it every time I went there. This place has varieties of sushi, which is why I went there for. They cannot be compared with those you can get from restaurants, but they are pretty good in terms of buffet. Plus, the varieties of sushi you can try out there cannot be competed. Also, the wudon and seaweed salad there are really good.
Location wise, this place is near a big shopping mall, which makes it very convenient to come here after a long day shopping.
Waiting: we were always immediately seated, never had to wait.
Definitely recommend this place. -
Review from Rebecca K.
San Jose, CA
10/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
DINNER REVIEW
ive been here.. since it was todai. and since their todai days they DID add more selection to what they offer and i kinda like it. alotta people say its gross because they leave their food out in the open, but its a buffet.. buffet food is ALWAYS left out in the open and unfortunately raw fish gets the same treatment.
anyways i feel like theres alotta korean influences in the food because they had a bulgogi roll (LOL) and they have galbi at the grill. OH BY THE WAY the galbi is GOOD! you put in your order and they BRING IT OUT TO YOU PREPARED ON THE PLATE! and i mean prepared! they pile it up and put green onion sheddings on top of it to make it look pretty. its cute and tastes good! just make sure the only eat the meat pieces.. they like the sneak in a few fatty pieces..
my sisters favorite part is the raw oysters. she waits like a hawk for people to bring it out and once they do she runs to it, grabs everything but one and comes back to her seat and slurps them all up. i am not an oyster fan, but my sister is and i can assure you, you will also like their oyster bar if you're as big of a fan as my sister is.
anyways its a big and spacious venue so you never have to wait. it kinda makes it seem like they dont get enough business because the venue is so big and there isnt much people.. and a part of me thinks they do... i understand its pricey and not the best quality but you know what, if you're a family of 5, come on somebody's birthday and have one person eat for free. the bill will be a little over a hundred, but everybody will be full and it'll be worth it.
i also REALLLLLLLLLLLLLY like their servers there. every single time, its been someone different but theyve ALL been extremely pleasant people. my parents actually handed them their tip and then left a separate tip for the people in the kitchen.
anyways some tips
- no salmon sashimi? (or anything?) just ask them to get it for you! salmon sashimi always goes out fast so just ask them to refill it and they will! i mean most of them just kinda stand around waiting for something to happen anyways..
- i like the udon without all of the shabu shabu ingredients. just the noodles and the soup and some green onions to top it off.
- yes to crepes. they might make it with too much filling, easy solution, JUST SCRAPE IT OUT YERSELF!
- get the galbi at the grill!
- get oysters and lobster (or was it crab..) legs! (and dip that meat into the melted butter)
- SALMON SASHIMI AND ALOTTA IT!
explore and have fun :) -
Review from Roy N.
9/22/2011
For what it is, Tatami wasn't bad at all. My dad had an overnight sleep lab test at Kaiser Santa Clara so we all drove down early and somehow ended up in Cupertino at the Vallco Mall. Had to kill a couple hours and looked into their food court only to discover that at 4:00PM on a Monday, this is one dying mall. Food Court consisted of just a Burger King, Gourmet 360 Burrito, and some kind of pseudo-Japanese Teriyaki joint. Everything else was either boarded up or closed. I had no idea that Tatami was a buffet, but saw it on the mall map and decided to go all the way to the other end of the mall in hopes of something more. When you consider how slow my dad walks with numerous rest stops along the way, this was no small feat.
I'm not even going to try to compare to my favorite buffets in Vegas, but as far as the typical local asian buffets go, this one worked out just fine. The place seemed very clean and the offerings nicely organized. Good selection of sushi and both cooked and uncooked offerings seemed fresh. As always, I longed for a higher grade of fish, especially salmon, but considering that this is an all-you-can-eat buffet, it wasn't bad at all.
Did not have a chance to try their crepes, but did order some items from the grill. You write your order on a little slip of paper and when it's done, they bring it to your table. Was not impressed with the yakitori as it was so bland, sauceless, and flavorless, but the kalbi beef was really good as was the teriyaki salmon. Portions were tiny so if you order at the grill, be sure to increase the number quantity on your order sheet. Quality was good though, probably the best cooked stuff at the buffet.
Tempura vegetables had a great crispy batter and were nicely cooked. Tonkatsu was thin and slightly over-cooked, but nicely crispy and good. The whole croaker and escolar selections weren't bad either and the one item I really didn't like was their chow mein. How asians can mess up chow mein is beyond me. Had a flashback of Gomer Pyle in that episode where he was explaining how to make chow mein to the owners in a Chinese restaurant. "Yes, yes, I know chow mein!" Anyway, my girlfriend liked the long legged crab (not sure what it's called as I'm not into crab), but did not like the garlic pepper crab.
Bathrooms were nice too. Not sure what it looks like at night during peak hours though. My dad noticed the dirty carpet (how does he always do it?) and commented on how bad it looked despite the dirt hiding pattern they used. I didn't think it was a big deal, but it turned him off.
Prices were about the norm, $22.95 each for dinner. Similar to Kome, although my dad likes Kome a lot better. Haven't tried Tomi in San Jose yet, but that's next on our list.
Perhaps it's because it was early and a Monday, but the service that we received here was way better than at other similar buffets we've been to. As such, I tipped way more than I normally do for service in a get-it-yourself establishment.
All in all, we were happy. Had we not found this place, my dad would have had to have mall fast food before going into Kaiser for the night. -
Review from Jay N.
Lombard, IL
10/26/2011
I gave it 4 star because of the value. The quality is closer to 3 star but it is $16. Its location in Vallco Mall is near the Sears garage so there's plenty of parking. The hot food contains standard chinese hot food buffet items and cooked seafood with an udon noodle soup bar. The salad area also has some cold cuts while the dessert area has custom made crepes and a chocolate fountain with light Japanese cakes as well.
The cold seafood and sushi area was decent. The maki were pretty small and had limited items. They had a Seoul roll with bulgogi and kimchi topped with spicy tuna (pretty disappointing), but the standard spicy tuna, salmon skin, futomaki, and caterpillar rolls weren't too tasty. The nigiri were quite large, especially the salmon. The sashimi was mostly tuna and tilapia with some Hawaiian poke salad so you could definitely get your fill from the seafood. Overall, a place that was reasonable and worth a return visit for lunch. -
Review from Elizabeth S.
Saratoga, CA
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came for dinner. What can I say but GROSS!
Anything raw- DON'T EAT IT! It's so gross! The fish sashimi (e.g. salmon) is aiite, but unagi, the sushi rolls, oysters: SO GROSS. Don't eat it.
I tried their grilled quail. It wasn't too bad, but it also wasn't bomb. I tried little bits of food here and there but I didn't like ANY of it except for desserts because of course, how could you go wrong with desserts? Especially creme brulee.
Regardless, its waaayy too expensive for below mediocre. I'll give props on the wide selection of food though... but still.
Legit after I came here my stomach started hurting. I wouldn't come here again. -
Review from Gina C.
Updated - 7/16/2011
Ok ok I had a change of heart. This is our regular spot that my BF's family goes to all the time. This place has really grown on me. And the food now compared to back then is so much better. I would probably say that this is the best Asian buffet in the bay area.
Have you tried the sea squirt? You must!Listed in: Seoul Food!, I like it RAW!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/1/2010
Just another Asian buffet...no surprise there. They do have a good variety and are cleaner than most… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer P.
South Pasadena, CA
8/21/2011
I have to say that this pan-Asian seafood (or see-food-and-lots-of-it) buffet isn't half bad. It was a Saturday evening, and of course, the buffet is overpriced, but aren't they all -- you couldn't possibly eat that much. I tasted two samples of many hot dishes and was satisfied, and the rainbow roll I had was just fine and tasty. I really don't get how reviewers think the food here is gross; it isn't. It's decent buffet food!
This place reminded me a lot of the Todai I used to go to off John Daly Blvd. But even at that Todai, I had never seen a whole roasted pig on the slab. -
Review from bobby w.
Fremont, CA
9/18/2011
I have to say this Tatami Sushi & Seafood Buffet is Best restaurant i have gone too. I LOVE SUSHI & Seafood more of shashi-me. Anyway. Tonight i ate & ate. The FOOD'S were excellence & very fresh taste. The place was very clean & the service where excellent. I have to say too you must try this place!
The price is well worth it, make sure to eat like pig. so you feel like you had your money's worth. This place is not for light eaters. Don't waste your money. Enjoy!!! -
Review from Samy L.
San Jose, CA
8/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Last night was the first time I went to Tatami! Went here as a last minute decision with my boyfriend- we were about to go to BJ's but he wanted something bigger to eat, haha.
We were only a party of 2 so we got seated right away but there were a lot of people there since it was Saturday night. It's probably one of the only reasons people go to Vallco Mall actually..
I like this place better than Tomi Buffet at Eastridge (closer to my house though)! I liked how they had different types of grilled meat like grilled chicken teriyaki and grilled short ribs. They also had this really good seafood bruschetta thing, like a ball of seafood on a piece of bread but it was super delicious! My favorite thing.
They also had a place where you can put ingredients into a bowl and they put udon noodles in it as well as soup so you have hot udon soup! They also have a place where you can ask for a crepe to be made with bananas, whipped cream, peaches, etc. It was pretty good and you could also put chocolate or caramel syrup on it too! They even had a chocolate fountain!! So cool. :) There wasn't that much that you could dip into the fountain but nevertheless, still good!!
The sushi wasn't that great, especially the sashimi, it was ehhh. Our waiter was really nice and others came by to ask if we were doing okay too.
It kind of sucked cus it was so expensive though :( We split the bill and it was $28 for each of us so $56! Womp, my wallet. I'm going to go here for my birthday though because it'll be free for me, yay! -
Review from Christopher C.
Palo Alto, CA
7/5/2011
Not a bad place for Japanese/Asian food, but a bit on the pricy side. Yes, you can get "All you can eat" Sushi and hot food, but it's not going to knock your socks off. That said, it's a decent "quantity over quality" kind of place - but that's true for most buffet restaurants.
Do be warned that for the "free meal" on birthdays, you have to have two adults that are paying full price to get the third meal free. As a single Dad, I found this to be a bit discriminatory. -
Review from Tina T.
San Jose, CA
8/13/2011
They're decent. Lunch is reasonably priced since I can get unlimited sashimi/poke salad! I've never seen so much sashimi available at a buffet before. That's probably the only highlight of this place, that and this seafood bruschetta thing - OMG, so good.
Their rolls look okayy, not too appealing, but they do have variety so points for that.
For an Asian buffet, the food itself is pretty limited, but they do have an udon station and my Boyfriend is all about that.
Spacious and usually pretty clean. They have coupons too that invites you back the following month. -
Review from Kevin L.
5/7/2011
It's a buffet - you can't expect much. The prices for lunch are reasonable, but dinner prices are ridiculous and make no sense. You would expect the food to taste pretty good if it's that expensive, but really, expect less when you walk in.
They have a variety of things - from sushi, to crab, to tempura. Sushi is decent - just average (even the ones from the Japanese market nearby, Marukai, taste better). They do have sashimi, but it's definitely not fresh. However, the dessert bar is quite nice and expansive.
Service is kind of slow. Probably never coming back again. I'd rather go elsewhere for AYCE sushi. -
Review from Eunice C.
San Jose, CA
6/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
there are a lot of variety but the food is ok. It's not great but it doesn't suck either. The quality is the same as Todai (the previous restaurant). Honestly, I liked the hot plate section better then the sushi. They had bbq chicken, noodles, fried shrimp, potstickers, pork cutlet, tempura, and more.
The price is too expensive for the quality. But its a good place to go in the south bay if you want some seafood buffet. -
Review from Kim P.
San Jose, CA
6/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
You can only expect so much from a buffet place and for someone like me who doesn't eat raw sushi, this probably isn't the greatest deal in the world.
Their hot foods left something to be desired and their rolls that weren't raw were okay. The highlight of the night was definitely the dessert. Mini creme brulees, cheesecake, and my favorite, crepes! They have this crepe making station where the guy will make the crepe for you and right next to it is the ice cream machine which you can add to your crepe. That being said, I don't think I would pay $25 for dessert when I could easily get it elsewhere for much cheaper.
Okay, but I don't think I'll be back anytime soon. -
Review from Euli O.
Santa Clara, CA
6/4/2011
I went for lunch on Friday and I was pleasantly surprised! Our drink refills were prompt. Sushi was fresh considering it was a buffet. The sushi rice was okay. My daughter loved the fresh udon and shrimp tempura. The chocolate fountain and soft serve ice cream machines were on.
I will be back! -
Review from Jane A.
Santa Clara, CA
6/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I know a lot of people that have come here that say it's just OK. So, it's taken me a long time to actually try this place. I first came here for my cousin's graduation and expected it to be like any other buffet. But Tatami is a pleasant surprise! I recommend going right when they open for dinner so the food is fresh. Their sukiyaki is addicting!!
I know a buffet is good when my daughter is happy! They have a fondue dessert fountain that she absolutely loves! And I never touch desserts at restaurant because I hate the taste of food when you know it's been frozen, but Tatami's desserts taste fresh, and so do their seafood.
Their prices are high so I can't come as often as I would like. But it's great for birthdays, graduations and other special occasions! -
Review from jennifer t.
San Jose, CA
4/19/2011
I am not a seafood eater and I still liked this place. Visited on a Friday for lunch. Enjoyed the salad bar, pork ribs, pot stickers and teriyaki chicken. The place was super packed so the buffet items were constantly being replenished.
The highlight of my visit was the dessert station! The chocolate fountain, mango mouse and crepe bar were awesome!
I know, it is a buffet but the commendable servers should be mentioned too. Our table stayed for about 3 hours and they kept all water and soft drinks filled for the entire duration ! Most places ignore you after about an hour. Thanks Tatami. -
Review from Patty O.
6/11/2011
Came here because they had a deal going on with kids that have recently graduated. Basically if you show them with an ID and some type of proof that you graduated like a program, or diploma, you get to eat for free, as long as you have 4 paying adults with you. Pretty good deal, I guess, but I wasn't really a big fan of the food.
They have a variety of sushi rolls here, but being a buffet, you can't really expect it to be outstanding. With that being said, they didn't even have some of the most common rolls like Lion King or Dragon Roll which left me a little disappointed. Their unagi roll had a teeny tiny piece of unagi, but most of the roll contained avocado. On to the other hot foods...they had Asian stuff like chow mein and fried rice, but it didn't look too appetizing to me. The baked mussels were good...until I found a hair in one of them. I left this buffet still feeling hungry (from not eating enough because it didn't look good). Never a good sign. -
Review from Steven L.
Baltimore, MD
5/18/2011
Besides the epic 1 hour wait for dinner on Mother's Day, this place was pretty great. Wasn't really sure what to expect since I've been here often when Todai was in its place but I guess they pretty much used their decor and went under a new label/management or whatever. They have a wide variety of sushi rolls and fresh fresh salmon and tuna sashimi that I must have gone back for at least a dozen times. Their hot entrees were decent, not too much variety and slow churning out fresh stock but I did go on a holiday weekend and the place was just packed so I'll cut them some slack. They have a fresh supply of king crab legs and other seafood too so that was great.
They get docked stars for not only for the long ass wait we had to endure (which is understandable) but for not bringing out any more fruits at the dessert bar just because they were within 30 minutes of closing time (which is not understandable). We still have 30 minutes to chow homes, the customer shouldn't be the ones being penalized just because you guys want to make sure there's no leftovers and/or wanna close up shop on time, esp since you guys made us wait an hour to get seated. Those are business decisions that should be factored into your cost of business and so if you want to be known as doing good business that is just plain unacceptable. -
Review from Tiffany N.
Santa Clara, CA
3/26/2011
Went here on Tuesday at 8pm. I didn't realize that they closed at 9pm. While walking to the entrance, there were only a few people inside. That should have been the first red flag. Nonetheless, the boyfriend and I still ventured in.
For $22.95 a person, I got:
-sushi with nasty stale rice.
-cold food at the tatami grill.
-sashimi that just wasn't that fresh
-flavorless fruit
-fondue fountain that was tried off
-soft serve ice cream that tasted somewhat fishy
I wasn't completely dissatisfied. Two things that I liked:
-Seafood soup. aka hot and sour soup. (MUCH better than Crazy Buffet's)
-Poki Salad, until i got nasty chunks of tuna in it =(
The boyfriend was extremely upset that the food was so bad. He's a person that eats ANY thing and he just couldn't bare to eat anything in the restaurant. Either it was an off day or we just went at a bad time. Regardless, quality should be consistent throughout the day.
Not only was the food bad but the waitress was rushing us to leave and all the food was being put away even when people were still trying to get food. There were a few people that came after us and the literally had to get everything the could because the chefs were putting things away right in front of them. How rude! One of my pet peeves is when servers circle you to get your check. I understand you need to close but when you're watching us like a hawk to see what tip we write, if any, that's totally uncool. I work in a restaurant and I know how annoying it is to have late customers come in, but come on now, don't let it show! -
Review from Sky Y.
San Jose, CA
7/23/2011 2 photos
This is a decent buffet. The sushi is average in my opinion, so I normally stick mostly to the hot food. The good thing about this place is that there isn't a lot of filler food like at a lot of other Asian buffets and the selection that they do have is more unique than what is offered at other similar buffets. I really like their shrimp and veggie tempura, teriyaki chicken, and grilled fish/meats. The udon soup station is quite good as well. The desserts are bite size and of pretty good quality.
I have dined here a few times and service has been prompt and friendly each of my visits. This is more of a special occasion place for me, so I probably would most likely not dine here on just any average night. -
Review from Bryan W.
San Francisco, CA
5/11/2011
I rarely post a fair-to-middlin review for the obvious reasons. But this place has quite the spread...with an ez accesible layout to the food selection. A real Salmon bonanza!
Thus, its an A Ok place...I think its fresh. But all is safe becoz I drinky lotsa Sake (just in case) I like to believe alcohol kills any bad stuff... -
Review from Jang David K.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 10/5/2011
what the heck?? it drastically got better!! did they change owners? Had such a great time eating at tatami today. Great all around for $13.95!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/13/2011
this cannot be. what is this. nothing tasted good. sushi wasn't fresh. service? what service.… Read more »
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Review from Charlie Z.
San Jose, CA
7/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
We consistently come here for birthdays since they have a special. We went this Saturday for lunch and the place was packed, there were at least 3 parties going on.
Not much to say about the food, the name pretty much covers what they serve. The rice used in the sushi was pretty dry, and the salmon was not very good, but the tuna was nice and fatty.
The cooked food was not that great. There did not seem to be much flavor in the food, and when there was it was too sweet or too salty. The desserts were really good, I especially like the tapioca pudding, but the serving sizes are very small. I do not know when they started serving crepes, but there was someone there making them, though there were a bunch of people waiting in line for it. -
Review from Poopski K.
San Jose, CA
7/26/2011
Lunch was $15.
Mediocre Japanese/Asian Food.
Pros:
1. Potstickers
2. Udon
3. Desserts
Cons
1. rolls were not fresh, and they tasted all the same
2. Orange chicken
