Super yummy, 8-9 courses, some with multiple individual small plates. My favorite was the A5 wagyu nigiri, which was my first time having A5 wagyu. I had heard about A5 before, but I wasn't expecting how it literally does melt in your mouth. The uni was also delicious, and the fish eggs they had with it were creamy and sweet, not salted, which was really surprising. Salmon nigiri was the most creamy soft salmon I've ever had. Also loved the mousse at the end, it was the perfect line between decadent and sweet. The sponge cake on the bottom was so airy I barely noticed it.Service was exceptional. Our waiter Christine (Christina?) seemed to know exactly what we wanted exactly when we did.
I was looking for omakase when I was visiting home for a week. I wasn’t able to snag a reservation for spots I wanted to go to and I didn’t want to drive up to SF. I noticed this new omakase experience and the website looked really elegant, so I booked seats for 2. You have to put down a $35/person deposit per person, which makes sense since there’s limited capacity and they lose out on a lot if people are no-shows. You’re paying a price for a personalized experience and quality food.Just a note: this is a bit of a less traditional experience since they plate multiple nigiri and some other courses come out bigger rather than as smaller bites you have at other omakase places. All of the fish we had was fresh. The night we went, they worked A5 wagyu into 2 courses. I really liked the A5 wagyu chawanmushi (wasn’t expecting it in chawanmushi…it’s usually a plain steamed egg). My partner liked the A5 wagyu nigiri too. The fun part was the edible spoon that came with our mango cake.The courses change, so don’t expect the same items. Overall, the $158 price is pretty standard for omakase in the Bay Area. The ambiance and service were great. We sat at the bar since I wanted to see the chef make the pieces, but we couldn’t see too much. Watching the chef make the nigiri is my favorite part, but oh well. They also have tables for families/groups.
I thoroughly enjoyed the dining experience at Ichika with a group of 8. The food was excellent and the presentation was thoughtful and beautiful..all within a space that’s also thoughtfully and beautifully designed.My favorite items:Spain otoro and Wagyu beef nigiriFatty tuna with uni (pictured)ChawanmushiDessert platter (pictured)Highly recommend and will be back!
We went there for my girlfriend birthday. The food looked beautiful and lovely. The staffs were nice and responsive. The ambient environment was great and sushi preparation in a visible area made a connection between the chef, customers, and food possibly. Overall we had a good experience and a wonderful night there and highly recommend this tiny and lovely restaurant.
A warm retreat with a delicious delivery.OverallI had a great experience, the staff was very inviting and communicative from even before the dinner. The meal was pleasant and service on-point. Ambience set the mood and the dishes were always anticipated.Take NoteThis place only takes reservations which, we had to pay $35 per person online, and this fee was not deducted from the total bill.ServiceThe staff here welcomed us and provided an attentive but not overly interruptive service. Hot teas were refilled often and our refreshments topped off whenever asked. The server was a little higher energy than expected in the environment, but had a very pleasant and charming attitude. We had emailed in advance to try to substitute beef where possible (and this was followed for the most part, minute one course) and that it was for a special occasion. It seemed the beef substitution made it through in communication but the special event did not as we were asked twice at the restaurant.VenueThe restaurant features very warm and dark walls with modern fixtures. Careful touch was out into the design and presentation of the restaurant. The booths in the back allowed for a little more intimate scene, but they also had a couple of tables toward the front and a couple of settings at the sushi bar that wasn't in use. They ensured not to overfil the restaurant with guests and we felt perfectly comfortable even during the pandemic to be sat and enjoy a meal. The outside is unassuming, we had to double-check we got the right location to find this hidden gem. There is one restroom for guests that contains self-cleaning bidet and facilities were clean.FoodThe overall presentation of each piece was Instagram-worthy, they came out on a semi-even cadence, and most guests were served their courses around the same time. Some of the items were very one note, but none of the pieces were anything less than delicious. The appetizer had an interesting choice of combination of textures with a raw fish and what tasted like rice balls, mangos, and avocado. They could've down without the rice balls as this added too much chewiness to the appetizer. The following courses featured other raw and cooked fish as well as American Wagyu Beef. As the menu changes, the experience will be differ, but this Prix fixe menu hosted 8 courses. One of the courses the Wagyu Beef couldn't be substituted and we were offered twice the ability to remove the item and recieve a discount off the final bill. However, we feel they could've just added a second otoro or uni, we still opted for keeping the item. The frothed soy sauce that they served for our raw fish enhanced the flavors but could be overbearing if you accidentally dipped too much, but I would say was a star of the meal as it was very tempting to just drink. I'm ok in admitting that! Final comments on the food was we felt that the amount of food was a little lacking for an experience such as this. Previous menus had offered 10 courses, and I feel they could've continued that or had at least one more course where an additional plate was offered before the soup and dessert. They did include a cake with a candle to celebrate the birthday at the end!Final NoteThis restaurant is one that you should experience if you're in East or South Bay. Get a reservation in advance to ensure you have a seat and, if you arrive a little early like we did, you'll get to choose where you'd like to sit. The final price was well over $135 per person and I would say it was worth it, though would've been nice if there was a 9th course, that would've given the experience a full 5 stars. I would still rate this as an experience you should have if you enjoy Japanese cuisine or sushi.
Came here a week ago for make-up Valentine's day dinner. I have been waiting for high-end omakase restaurant at the south bay for a long time. Finally, I don't have to drive out to SF for high-end omakase. Would most definitely come back for spring meal.EnvironmentModern and clean. Good classy setup for omakase style restaurant while approachable enough where I don't feel like I have to dress up for this place.FoodOverall happy with the food selection, styling and quality. For sub $200, I felt that I got my money worth of food. A few earlier dishes seems to be just average in terms of taste and execution, I'll give the chef bonus pts for trying to mix western style with traditional Japanese food. Wouldn't mind seeing more exploration type/mix style later in the menu. The rest of the sushi & set dishes are solid and good quality. While nothing scream at me as amazing, there were unique items and experience which I haven't seen before.ServiceAttentive and polite. Servers were knowledgeable about each dishes and pay close attention to our needs. Throughout the evening, they easily came around 20+ time to fill my cup without me saying a word. Dishes came out at a good pace even when there were only one sushi chef prepping for 20+ people. Great experience overall.
The value is not as expected.The display and environment are very nice.The tables towards the back is not so comfortable, the setting is awkward.Service is awesome by Kai. He constantly checked in with us, which we really appreciate.However given the price for the two sets, I don’t think is very valuable. Portion is definitely small…… The sushi rice supposedly should have more vinegar taste. But it does not, it taste like just simple boil rice with a piece of sashimi on top. The sashimi is not too fresh except the O toro. Which taste really good.We ordered the premium set, which we expected more…. However there wasn’t any dish that I think I can recall well or think were super attractive. Will not be back…
The food is both beautiful and delicious. Owner is friendly and accommodating. The experience well exceeded my expectation and definitely worth it
Such creative delicious food with a great ambiance. I let them know ahead of time and the chef was able to accommodate me as a vegan.
The food was decent and the service was great. I however didn't find it justified for the $180/person price.