Top Japanese Restaurant in Palo Alto
Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar
717 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
Walking by I found this cozy small Japanese restaurant in the Stanford shopping center. Just in time for happy hour, ordered spicy salmon roll and kaki udon, they were so affordable and tasty, decided to order one more item, California roll. The noodle was house made, it was perfectly cooked chewy and delicious, I was surprised to see that California roll was made with real crabmeat instead of imitation crabmeat. Very friendly staffs! Best of all dog friendly, they let me sit with my dog indoor while dining!
Kanpai
330 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States
I got the deluxe sushi (which is basically the omakase) and was thoroughly disappointed. Granted, I didnt have super high expectations given that it was only $34, but still, it couldve been better even at this price point.The texture of the fish were fairly decent, but they all lacked in freshness, and consequently flavor. Everything except for the unagi and the ikura gunkan was completely flavorless. The kani gunkan was dry and awful, tasting like it had been frozen for weeks. The amaebi had very little sweetness to it, and the sushi rice for everything was way too sticky and clung unpleasantly to the inside of my mouth. The unagi was the only piece that I actually liked.Judging from what everybody else was having, it became clear to me that this place mostly caters to people who get California rolls or chicken teriyaki and finish with a big bowl of green tea ice-cream. Maybe youd like it better if you order off of the American-Japanese menu. The authentic Japanese restaurant label on Google Maps is really misleading.I must say therere much better authentic sushi in the Bay Area at this price range.
Daigo
2363 Birch St #B, Palo Alto, CA 94306, United States
Daigo, nestled in the heart (an absolute hole in the wall in case you dont happen to have an intention of eating some amazing Sushi and are standing right outside to be seated) of Palo Alto is a culinary haven for lovers of authentic Japanese cuisine.Parking can definitely be challenging in Palo Alto in general and this wasnt an exception with Daigo, though you can park a couple blocks down in a public parking lot and its a few minutes walkThe restaurants ambiance exudes elegance and tranquility. With its minimalist decor, traditional Japanese aesthetics, and soft lighting, Daigo provides a serene and intimate dining atmosphere.The service at Daigo is impeccable. The staff is not only attentive but also incredibly knowledgeable about Japanese cuisine and the menu offerings. They patiently guided us through the menu, explaining the ingredients and preparation techniques every time they served the Omakase menu.Coming to our food for the night, we order an Omakase UNI and as well WAGYU, wrapping that up with the Cheesecake and ice-cream. The Omakase menu is definitely crafted with fresh sources of seafood and served in a pristine fashion. Each course was filled with flavors and textures that we definitely would crave and expect from authentic Japanese cuisine and as well the presentation was super artful. Every dish was a testament to the chefs dedication to excellence.Daigo falls on the higher end of the price spectrum, but its a place where youre paying for the quality and authenticity of the dining experience. Given the exceptional quality of the food and service, its well worth the occasional splurge for a special occasion.A definite hidden gem that deserves recognition among the finest Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area and an absolute candidate for a Michelin *. From the serene ambiance to the exquisite culinary offerings, its an establishment that caters to those seeking an authentic and memorable dining experience.We are definitely going to go back for more!!!
Ramen Nagi
541 Bryant St, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States
Dropped in for a quick dinner five minutes after they opened. Can see why they always have long lines.Looking fwd to going again soon, and trying more things. Service was great, very helpful. When finding it was our first time, a staff member did a run through of the menu and gave us some recs, including telling us about their chicken karaage which isnt listed on the menu.My husband had the original with normal thin noodles, and would try a softer texture next time. I like spicy, and gave their spicy one a try, with firm thin noodles. It delivered on spice and al dente.As a staff member promised, the smoothest pork broth, no unpleasant odors or aftertaste whatsoever.It is very customizable. As someone who usually fishes out all the meat and fishcakes in ramen, I loved that you can just get a plain bowl with green onion (next time will also ask for no mushrooms).We ordered the chicken karaage, which was fried crisp crunchy with lots of nooks and crannies. The toasted sesame oil drizzled on top was aromatic, one piece looked like it got dunked in it, but other pieces had a nice drizzle. The dipping sauce was mayo with chopped hard boiled egg, and some cherry tomatoes on the side were a nice touch.Water pitcher and box of tissues at every table ensures you will not run out of either one.If you need anything else though, rest assured service is attentive, and they check on you to make sure you are doing well. They come by with your check at some point during your meal, and you pay at the entrance on your way out.Update with good to know:as with anywhere, mistakes can be made with ramen order, so for example if you absolutely dont want salt or oil, make sure to double check. One time, despite checking boxes for none, my regular ramen had oil and salt added and I just ate it anyway, it was edible, but I was bloated and chugging water all night.Veggie ramen broth has dairy listed in details, something you might not expect.Also, veggie ramen comes with spinach and mushroom, and because of this, they charge you extra $1.50 for selecting green onion/cabbage as it counts as extra. This is not the case for other ramens so we greatly appreciate the server letting us know (with other non veggie ramens we ordered, unless you check extra, selecting the regular box of green onion/cabbage does not lead to an extra $1.50)We think fried foods could be better.Chicken karaage and gyoza both fill that need for something crispy but chicken can be overwhelmingly oily drenched in toasted sesame oil and mixing with pool of olive oil. We would try to remember to ask for zero added oils next time.Gyoza is super tiny (not the circumference as a whole, but the individual gyoza is tinier than a small Korean mulmandu), the tiniest we have ever seen in any Japanese ramen place, and always burnt black on one side of the circle and white underdone on the other. Wish they would master even golden browning. Also very very greasy, sitting in pools of oil from fryer.The two deep fried potato hash browns that came with veggie ramen tasted stale, like they had been fried much earlier and too long, and were sitting there for awhile. So plenty of greasy crunch, but no hash brown texture or potato flavor. If you like crunchy potato stick potato chips, this could be your jam.
Odori Japanese Cuisine
2111 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306, United States
My Dad loves this place. I can take it or leave it. I think I always get the miso cod(?). Sushi seems fine. Mochi dessert fine. Tea good. I dont dread having to go back and its probably my only Japanese restaurant destination. Im sure there are others that would skew my review down a notch or two, but Japanese food is no longer my thing, so I dont venture out for options. This place essentially has sentimental value and is conveniently located. Parking can get quite difficult in the immediate vicinity, though.
Sushirrito
448 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States
A good option if you’re craving Japanese food and want something that can deliver maximum flavor in the smallest package and easy to eat on the go. Prices are relatively reasonable compared with other sushi burrito restaurants in the area. Ordered to-go and the order was prepared really quickly and the fish was high quality and fresh. The signature burritos also had good flavor profiles.
Araki Sushi
201 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States
Not recommended for vegans and vegetarians or anyone with food sensitivities. I ordered a veggie sushi roll and they put tobiko (fish eggs) on it. I specifically had ordered this veggie roll because it did not have tobiko on it and I didnt want to have to deal with asking them to leave it off if another roll. I had to send it back due to the fish eggs and me being vegan. Why would they out fish eggs on the veggie sushi?They remade the roll and put tempura yam inside, this was also not mentioned on the menu. Tempura contains eggs (not vegan) and most likely gluten for those of you who are gluten free.Perhaps these issues were due to the fact that we were part of a large party or perhaps it was the language barrier. But I left hungry since I couldnt eat what I had ordered and they didnt understand enough of what I was trying to explain to them to remake the roll.2 out of 4 if us also had stomach aches after eating here and we didnt even eat the fish.
Onigilly Japanese Kitchen - Palo Alto
164 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States
In one word: terrible.I admire what Onigilly is trying to do but, at best, this is a gross misrepresentation of what onigiri should be.1. They use brown rice, which is distracting on the taste buds and all sorts of wrong for texture. For a dish that is primarily a celebration of rice, this is inappropriate. While Ive seen some brown rice used in onigiri in Japan, this is absolutely atypical, and only accounts for one or two items on an entire menu.2. Their onigiri is two triangles of rice around some filling. Its a triangle rice sandwich, really; not a filled rice ball. The employees dont even form the rices shape.3. The fillings are mediocre at best. Some were so sauce-heavy that they were overpowering / mask the main ingredient (e.g. protein).4. This was outlandishly expensive; it cost us $40 for two people. Even very nice onigiri shops in Japan come in at a quarter of that. Theres no reason for it to be this expensive in terms of ingredient cost - especially considering how little work goes into it.5. The pickled radish is sliced so thinly that customers are robbed of the crisp bite they should be getting.Ultimately, Onigilly comes off as a very expensive fast food chain with a mass-produced feel. Its clearly aimed at maximizing profit, which might be good for business, but I can make much better onigiri at home with $4 worth of ingredients.Theres nothing that would bring me back in when its so easy to DIY. If you love onigiri, youre better off sticking with mass-produced Japanese market onigiri and save yourself the disappointment here.
The Sea by Alexanders Steakhouse
4269 W El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306, United States
My friend and I went to the bar on a Saturday night around 9. We ordered a $74 bottle of Prosecco. The service was horrible. No water, never checked on us and then when I went to the restroom, the bartender took our bottle and threw it out. I asked my friend if she has poured the remaining Prosecco in our glasses and she said no. There was 1/3 of the bottle left. I asked our bartender and he lied and said the bottle was empty. This is so unacceptable.UPDATE: I called the manager, Tim, to let him know what happened and he immediately attacked me and said that his bartender didnt throw out the Prosecco and that my friend drank it all. He basically saiid she was a liar and the bartender was telling the truth. The bartender never asked my friend or me if we were done with the bottle. I went to the restroom and when I came back the bottle was gone. Prior to going to the bathroom, I poured my friend a glass and saw there was at least a third of the bottle left. When I asked the bartender about it he said it was empty. Before we left I asked for the managers card and the bartender threw me a card. I didnt realize until I got home that it was just a general Alexander Steakhouse card. Not the managers contact information. Again, I stand by my review. Never have I ever been treated so badly by staff at a restaurant let alone a manger. I didnt ask for a refund, didnt ask for anything to be done, I just called to let the manager know what happened and he came after me. In his reply below he mentions I spilled my water - I did and they never replaced it. You can also see from the managers response below that he is unprofessional and angry. To say my friend has a heavy hand is laughable. Prior to them removing the bottle without even asking if we were done, I was telling her she needed to drink more so we could leave. And Tim says his bartender isnt a liar but is more than happy to call his customers liars. His reaction on the phone and his response below are appalling and a poor representation of Alexanders.
Nobu Palo Alto
180 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States
Last night, our group of four ventured to Nobu Palo Alto, and it turned out to be an experience heavily reliant on branding to attract patrons. Did it live up to the renowned reputation of this chain in terms of customer experience? Unfortunately, it did not this evening. In fact, its one of my least favored Nobu locations. My friends and I have been regulars at Nobu across the US since the late 90s, and this particular visit disappointed us; it wasnt our first encounter with this location, but it was an off night for some reason. One of our dining companions, having managed a restaurant, had experience in the service industry, and she shared similar sentiments.When she and her partner arrived for our reservation thirty minutes ahead of time, they were directed by the young front desk host to wait either at the bar or upstairs. However, when they reached the bar, there was no available seating, and they were told they couldnt stand in the bar lounge area. Consequently, they headed to Tacolicious for a cocktail since there was still half an hour to spare. This marked the first problem and a somewhat discouraging first impression.Upon our arrival, we checked in ten minutes early, and they informed us that our friends had already arrived and were either at the bar or upstairs. Assuming, as our friends did, that upstairs meant a bar lounge, we spent some time searching for them, later discovering they were at a neighboring venue. This confusion constituted the second problem, causing an unnecessary waste of our time and energy.The third issue arose when the young host mentioned that our outside in the garden table was ready. I had specifically chosen the standard inside seating option, and she explained that it was considered partially inside. I am baffled how a patio table without a roof can be regarded as indoors. The entire point of selecting indoor seating is for climate control. Fortunately, our host arranged for us to be seated indoors, but we would have to be patient with the allotted turnover time.Upon realizing that our friends were at Tacolicious, we offered to meet them there, but they were close to finishing their drinks and opted to join us at Nobu. When we arrived at the bar again, there were four vacant seats. We informed the bartender that we were there for a quick drink while our table would be ready soon. The bartender insisted (probably due to policy) that we take a seat and save the remaining two open seats for our friends while waiting for them. However, we found it impractical since other patrons were waiting for dinner at the overflowing bar. We overheard the staff debating the situation, with one server favoring dining customers he could serve in those seats. We could not stand, although it would have made more sense from a business perspective. This marked the fourth problem and created quite a mess. None of us felt comfortable or valued throughout this ordeal, and we couldnt help but wonder where the management was all night. It felt as though a group of Gen Zs was running the restaurant.In terms of the food, some dishes were average, while others were exceptional, which is to be expected from Nobu. I had dined at Morimoto in Napa the previous week, and while their dishes werent as refined as Nobus, the service was on par with what one would anticipate. I should note that Noah, our young server, was courteous and attentive, as were some other staff members, such as Johnny and the bartender. They knew I would post this review the day after our dinner, and it wouldnt be glowing. If it werent for their efforts to make our dining experience pleasant once we were seated, I would rate last nights experience with just two stars. Unlike some harsh reviewers with nasty sentiments on Yelp and Google, I consider myself a generous and professional reviewer. This is a friendly note to management: please implement better policies and operational procedures.