Ranzan in Redwood City

Excellent services and food quality, authentic Japanese food and comfort Japanese atmosphere.We (3 persons: my friend, my wife and myself with a doll) had Katsura 桂 on Jan 2023 as fresh start of 2023. Evey disk though out the entire course just amazed us and tasted excellent.Ranzan become 1 of best restaurants in Bay Area that I will revisist again soon.

We came to Ranzan for my moms birthday dinner and it was an extraordinary experience. The ambiance was very nice and elegant. The table wares were very traditional, and the food was just phenomenal! We had the Takao Set and it was very satisfying. Each dish was extremely well flavored and simply delicious. The chef was very good at incorporating various ingredients and the plating was just super legit! Service was excellent as well our servers were so kind and attentive to details. If you are looking for traditional Japanese fine dining experience definitely come to Ranzan. Thank you Ranzan for this wonderful experience. We will be back next time!

Ranzan Sushi in Redwood City is a must-visit restaurant for anyone who loves Japanese cuisine. Tucked away in a strip plaza, this intimate kaiseki fine-dining experience showcases the best seasonal ingredients from Japan. If youre looking for a hidden gem in the peninsula and cannt get a reservation at Wakuriya in san mateo, Ranzan Sushi is it.The meal we had at Ranzan Sushi was an unforgettable culinary journey. We chose “ Kibune “, which offers 14 courses, every dish was expertly prepared and beautifully presented. The delicacy of simmered sea bream roe in gelatin was a standout, as was the lotus root dumpling in a clay pot. The sashimi dish was also exceptional, featuring the freshest fish and seafood.The grilled wayu sirloin steak was a highlight of the meal, perfectly cooked with tenderness and full of flavor. The yuba chawanmushi, a steamed dish of egg custard with tofu skin, was delicate and delicious. The deep-fried shrimp and uni wrapped with dried seaweed was another standout, and the squid and mozuku with sweet vinaigrette was a refreshing palate cleanser.To accompany our meal, we tried the sake flight and were impressed with the selection and quality. The miso soup with chrysanthemum was a lovely way to finish the savory part of the meal, and the anmitsu dessert was the perfect sweet ending.Overall, we highly recommend Ranzan Sushi for anyone looking for an exceptional dining experience in the Bay Area. The food is outstanding, the service is attentive, and the atmosphere is intimate and welcoming. Dont miss out on this hidden gem!

1/22/23: Updated review. Upscale yet cozy spot to try a Japanese kaiseki-style meal. We had ordered from them earlier on in the pandemic when they were not open for dining in and enjoyed their food, so we came back to try a meal two years later in the restaurant. It was a great experience! The service was impeccable, and the food was well-presented and tasty, with unique dishes such as black sesame tofu (note that their menu changes every month). One of my favorite courses: the wagyu. It was so tender that it felt like it melted in my mouth. We were super stuffed by the end of the meal, even though we picked the smallest course meal. If you like Japanese food or want to have a unique dining experience, Id highly recommend this restaurant!---1/2021: Amazing kaiseki-style Japanese food, with large portions and pretty presentation. A hidden gem that is definitely worth a try!

From the unassuming front to the subdued dining room, Ranzan hit all the marks of an outstanding kaiseki experience. You have four options to choose from and also different sake pairings to go with your meal. I particularly like that they printed the selection you chose when reserving so that I can follow along with what is being presented. The same went with each of the sake pairings. They had the name and description printed and served along with the drink. It made it so much easier for me to remember which of the dishes and drinks I preferred. I opted for the Takao tonight but asked if I could add on the Kobe a la carte. Im glad that they were able to accommodate my request even though it was last minute (Thanks, Aika). But IMO the wagyu sirloin steak was more flavorful (first-world problems I know). TLDR: my favorites tonight - turban shell with liver paste, simmered scallop with egg yolk, sakura sorbet, Wagyu sirloin, grilled yaki saba sushi, simmered abalone, deep-fried herring roe abs maitake mushroom, “hagama” rice, and, surprisingly, the shaved ice with strawberry (it was refreshing and had the right amount of sweetness). The sake pairings were good but nothing stood out to me, except the warm Tatsuriki and Shichida (Thanks, Miho). They have a limited selection of wines, so I would definitely recommend BYOB.Parking could be challenging in Redwood City and you most likely will have to drive around a bit but Ranzan is worth the two to three extra blocks of walking.

We came here to celebrate my husband’s birthday. The restaurant is not big but very well managed. The staff are super friendly and service is top notch. Food is amazing and artistically decorated. I’ve lived in JP before and this place def reminded me of old days there.Highly recommend!

Kaiseiki Dreams 💯I first made reservations at Ranzan in Redwood City over two years ago. Shortly before our dinner, the pandemic shut down indoor dining and our dinner was not meant to be.But because of that reservation, I was on Ranzan’s mailing list and among the first to know of their take-out offerings. Those take-out offerings, in particular their saba sushi, became my favorite pandemic takeout item and I was lucky to order many timesFlash forward to today with indoor dining at full capacity and strict takeout only a memory for many, I had an opportunity to return to RanzanRanzan specializes in Kaiseiki or a style of Japanese dining featuring numerous, small intricate dishes and popular in cities like KyotoHidden on an unassuming street in downtown, Ranzan features the full Kaiseiki experience in ways that made me reminisce about both ryokan and Kaiseiki dinners I had in JapanThe space is quiet and serene with high ceilings and the service is warm and friendly with the servers in full kimono both polite and happy to answer questions about every dishHaving tried all of Ranzan’s takeout offerings, I wasn’t sure what to expect but I can happily share that my meal exceeded my expectations and is one of my best meals this yearThe food is not only beautiful but a labor of love with numerous dishes featuring touches and additions that all amplify and enhance the excellent flavorsEveryone loves the A5 Miyazaki Wagyu and fresh sashimi but I found joy in even the simpler items like corn soup, potato dumpling and asparagus jellyFor those with a special occasion or who wish to be reminded of Japan, Ranzan is very special indeed. Wakuriya and the former Kaygetsu are the best known Kaiseiki restaurants in the Bay Area, but I’d now firmly put Ranzan on that list too📷 Takao May Menu $228/pp / Asparagus Jelly / Dry Aged Cucumber and Karasumi / Fried Baby Sweetfish, Green vegetables with tofu sauce, Nagaimo and okura / Corn soup / Sashimi ~ Kochi, Hamo, Shimaaji / Potato Dumpling / Ginger Sorbet / A5 Wagyu / Uni So-men / Chawanmushi English Peas / Abalone Soup / Anago tempura / Mozuku with agar jelly and scallops / Hagama rice with octopus / Miso soup with Eggplant and scallions / Minazuki📍Ranzan (Redwood City, CA)

Incredibly authentic Japanese kaiseki. The meal was delicious and memorable (we still talk about the shiso sorbet), the ambience was quiet and upscale, and the service was impeccable. Highly recommend!

An amazing introduction to Kaiseki dinners in the Bay Area. Couldnt have asked for a better birthday celebration. :)Ranzan is a Kaiseki style dinner with a few different options for the amount of food / premium options. We ended up opting for Kibune option which was their 2nd tier out of 4. It was super delicious although we did struggle to get to the finish line because our stomachs werent ready for the amount of food we were getting. XDSome of our favorite dishes from our particular menu included:*Wagyu sirloin steak with Japanese sansho pepper: So good. Perfectly cooked. Melted in our mouths.*Corn tofu: Just a personal preference but I really, really dug this clever play on classic tofu. Loved the texture and thought it tasted amazing.*Squash soup: This was their play on the traditional miso - loved it (and love all things squash in general).*Unagi donburi: Perfect portion (this was one of the later dishes, so my +1 and I were struggling a bit at this point) and super delicious. The unagi was so flavorful with a lovely slightly sweet sauce and breadcrumb like balls.*Yes, there were a couple dishes we werent as fond of, but still loved the way they were presented and the ideas behind them!*The pacing of the food does come out at a pretty even cadence with service being so on point.. My +1 and I got deep into our talks and sometimes fell a little behind with some of the dishes overlapping as we were still chatting but we were usually able to catch up!*The presentation was amazing and super deliberate. Loved the little touches and appreciated too the small birthday surprises at the end. Super cute.*As some other have noted, at least as of August 2023, the restaurant returns your deposit directly to you.*The ambiance of Ranzan is so soothing and relaxing. Easy to have conversations. Super minimalist.Also, I took a rideshare getting to the restaurant so didnt notice parking as much, but my +1 did park a couple blocks away.Cheers to the kind staff / servers! Super lovely and memorable.

What a treat! My dear friend and ultra foodie took me here for the 13(!!!) course Takao. Every course was absolutely stunning and a delight to the senses. Highly, highly recommend coming here for a special occasion or just because! The artistry is incredible and the entire experience is beautiful. Thank you so, so much Hitoshi-san Mihoko!!! We will be back.