Probably one of the best Omakase values in the Bay Area! Blue Pagoda is a very unassuming venue tucked away in the corner of a shopping plaza. While it's not the best I had, the entire experience was brilliant. I don't think there is a better value around. Parking was not an issue, with plenty of spaces in open lot, although it does tend to get crowded during peak hours. The interior decor is minimalist and elegant. I'd call this a medium size venue with a decent amount of seating inside. Personally I'd opt to sit at the bar...always For those seeking intimacy with a view of the chef's craft, the sushi bar offers an elevated experience. Each dish was prepared and presented one by one, allowing you to witness the artistry and precision of every slice, every flame, and every delicate garnish as it happened before our eyes. #Omakase: Appetizers: ~ Monkfish liver pate mousse with seaweed crisps - 5/5 sold buttery and melts in your mouth. ~ Chasu pork - mustard that clears your nose just like wasabi ~ Matsutake mushroom with shiso vinegar sauce - Matsutake mushroom matcha ~ Japanese Tai with Yuzu Salt - 5/5 (Sea bream snapper with Citrus Salt) Japanese Red Snapper ~ Shima Aji with Ume Sauce - 5/5 (Striped-jack with Plum paste) A very pleasant, sweet finish. ~ Hokkaido it's scallops arlet put fish eggs 5/5 Sweet succulent! ~ Smoked Kanpachi with Nam Jim Sauce - 5/5 (Smoked Amberjack with Thai Nam Jim sauce) Jalapeno Cilantro Yuzu Their specialty. ~ Hon Maguro Akami with Nori Sauce - 5/5 (Bluefin Tuna Lean cut with Simmered Kelp in Soy Sauce) Blue fan tuna with seaweed sauce 5/5 So good Fatty ~ Zuke Hon Maguro Chutoro with Kizami Wasabi - 5/5 (Marinated Bluefin Tuna Chutoro with Pickled wasabi) Medium Fatty Tuna w/ wasabi 5/5 ~ Hon Maguro Otoro with caviar - 5/5 (Bluefin tuna Fatty belly with caviar) Fatty Tuna with caviar - 5/5 and Gold Flakes ~ Fatty tuna roll with marinated salmon eggs - 5/5 ~ A5 Japanese Wagyu Beef with Yuzu Pepper A5 - 5/5 Peppery, melts in your mouth Undeniable value... Brilliant experience Cheers! read more

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Came here for a birthday and my party left feeling that it is too expensive. The interior is open and loud, but for a place with food so expensive we expected it to be more formal and quiet. Based on just the food, it is not worth it. Should be much cheaper for $70pp. The fish was fine, but the meal itself wasn't super well thought-out and I wasn't much impressed by most of it. Not for me, won't be returning. read more

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This is a more broadly accessible omakase experience, priced at $118/person at the sushi bar (maybe $10 less at a table) and consists of 4 appetizers, 9 nigiri sushi, a squid rice with soup, and a small dessert. Before getting into the food, let's talk about the location and inside decor. The location is not the greatest in terms of seeing it from the outside - it's in a rundown strip mall that looks like it's definitely seen better days. BUT, once you get inside, it has its own atmosphere and is well decorated and has none of the run down vibes of the exterior surroundings. So that's good - the presumably cheaper rent is probably one way to make this more affordable. We sat at the sushi bar, which I think is worth the premium. It's just more like a traditional omakase experience where the sushi chefs explain what they're serving and put the nigiri on your plate in front of you. The chefs seem to be having a good time and engage with you in a friendly way. Of the four appetizers, I liked the fried fish (crisp and tasty) and the first one (was it a crudo, I'm not positive). The snow crab chawanmushi (I labelled it soup in the picture, sorry) was good too. Only the mashed ahi mixture (not pictured) was only OK - vaguely fishy. The nigiri were all good, but more conservatively sized. Smaller rice balls and relatively thin pieces of fish - some places give you a big hunk/mouthful, but these were modestly sized. Again, probably a concession to the price point. But all tasted quite good and some had nice touches like caviar topping with gold leaf and the like. I didn't try to upload pictures for all 9 nigiri - it just seemed like a lot and I'm sure other people have uploaded pics of the ones I missed. The baby squid rice was a bit subpar - the rice just didn't have a lot of flavor, not the squid. The miso soup was standard/normal. The dessert was nice, light, and not too sweet. To be honest, I was a little hungry after the meal was over. It's hard for me to say whether it was that I had a light lunch and lots of wine throughout the afternoon before I had this dinner, or just that the courses while plentiful, were small. Among all the omakases I've had, this is probably in the middle to maybe slightly below the average. But I'm still rating it 5 star because it's also less expensive than the average omakase, and I think that counts for something in terms of making this more accessible to people as well as giving you the option of having a nice omakase meal without busting the bank even if you do like to occasionally really go all out and spend $250-300+ on something that's really exclusive and special. This has a bit more of a mass production vibe to it. For example, the chefs were making larger quantities of nigiri and storing it in metal containers as shown in one of my pics. Why? I'm not sure, because I don't think they pulled from those for anyone at the bar and I don't recall seeing them pull from there for the tables either. So that was a bit of a mystery to me since I don't think they have take out. But it didn't bother me - it was just something you wouldn't see normally. So I can recommend this as a relatively affordable omakase that's served in a pleasant environment with friendly service and chefs. read more

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Came here for the first time to celebrate my husband and my birthdays, together with our daughter. Blue Pagoda was recommended to me by Yelp's algorithm. After looking at the reviews online, I made a reservation for 6:30pm last Saturday, even though it was at the corner of a strip mall kind of out of the way for us. The restaurant was pretty full when we arrived and we're seated at the bar promptly. The place was decorated beautifully with large bonsai trees, hanging Japanese umbrellas, and bamboo lamp shades. The tables and bar seatings were kind of tightly packed, though. It's more of a busy and fun restaurant vibe vs the usual relaxing higher-end omakase vibe. Service was friendly and we're given a QR code to scan for the menu. Out of the 4 appetizers, I liked the snow crab chawanmushi the best. It was warm and mild with a nice consistency, and not fishy at all. The 9 nigiri selections were not bad. Fish was fresh and flavorful. Just nothing too fancy. I liked that they use brown rice, and each piece had a different sauce. Besides spraying edible gold dust on the wagyu nigiri, Chef also sprayed some gold dust at us and on the back of our hands. It seemed that he was having as much fun as we did. The only disappointing dish was the firefly squid rice in the warm course. The whole dish was pretty bland and the firefly squid internals bursting in your mouth was an acquired taste we didn't really care for. The complimentary soufflé cheesecake slices for our birthdays were a nice touch, and the cherry blossom mousse dessert with multiple layers inside was done really well, too. Overall, this was a very affordable omakase served in a fast pace. It's still very enjoyable if you set your expectations right. My daughter actually preferred this vs a more refined, slower pace omakase. I think it's worthwhile to pay a little extra for the chef-led experience at the bar vs getting the courses in waves at the table. Unfortunately, their bar seating was really uncomfortable for me with short legs. I never had that problem at other omakase restaurants nor bars, though. read more

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Omakase in the North San Jose! I couldn't believe the price point for the offerings and great service. I'm already planning a trip back soon! Long overdue review as I dined in during the soft opening. I was excited to find reservations on short notice during the dinner rush. Food / Drinks Dined in for dinner and as a part of the omakase meal, this is what was served: Snow Crab Chawannmushi Toro Tartare Topped with Caviar and Flaked Gold Soft Boiled Octopus Smoked Kanpanchi with Nam Jin Sauce Hokkaido Scallops with Karasumi Japan Tai with Yuzu Sauce Shima Aji with Ume Sauce Salmon with Mentaiko Mayonnaise Bluefin Otoro with Kimchi Radish Sauce Zuke Bluefin Chutoro with Kazami Wasabi Okinawa Mosukuzu Miso Soup Unagi Rice Bowl Yuzu Cheesecake (complimentary for special occasion) All of the omakase items were fresh, aesthetic with the plating, and a great deal for a 13-course meal around $100 per person in the bay area! Would highly recommend visiting! Drinks Lychee Noah-Rita Matcha Sake The drinks were light and refreshing. Both were garnished with drink toppers such as lychee, mint leaves, and strawberry slices. Location / Parking Formerly a dental office turned omakase fine dining for a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere! Same plaza as Dai Thanh Market and a couple of doors from Tram Coffee 4. Parking can be limited during the dinner rush if you're looking to park near the storefront. Customer Service Excellent customer service was provided throughout the dining experience as many of the staff were attentive. The owner, Noah, even stopped by to check in and was a small world that we have a shared network of people we know. Ambiance Dimly light ambiance with zen-like aesthetic and neutral decor. There's bonsai trees, a custom bamboo bar, and wine cellar. read more

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My partner and I came here for Valentine's Day and we left really disappointed. They've charged premium prices for an incredibly mediocre experience. There were a lot of little details that took the experience from "nice omakase restaurant" to "chaotic sushi roll factory". The restaurant has a bar for omakase and then a bunch of tables on the side, which is an interesting setup. They've packed the tables to seat maximum capacity and so the layout of the restaurant feels a little odd, like a large room with a sushi bar in the middle. No separation. Your eye is drawn to watching the people eat at the bar or at the very bright restaurant logo hanging on the oddly green leafy wall. The omakase courses were okay. I did like the fish quality and the treatment of each piece. But it was hard to focus on the meal because servers kept rushing around all the tables. Like I said, the restaurant is essentially an open layout so for Valentine's Day weekend, so you could see like 10 servers LITERALLY RUNNING around. There is absolutely no reason a server should be RUNNING in a restaurant, much less a restaurant at this price tag. The entire meal just felt super chaotic and there were so many small details that were completely overlooked for a "nice" restaurant. We purchased a $160 bottle of sake and it came lukewarm. The sake cups were not even chilled. The bottle was put into an ice container and we had to wait 15min before we could even drink it (it was still not very cold) Servers were sprinting yet hard to flag down. The soaps and candles in the bathroom all had very obvious price tag stickers still attached to it. Some of these details are very small but they come together to show how little care has been put into the ambiance of this place. I know it was Valentine's Day weekend but it does not excuse a subpar experience. If anything. The experience should've been enhanced. All the diners were kicked out of their spot 90min on the dot to make room for the next wave of diners. It was a chaotic sushi roll factory. read more

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This was my first omakase experience and I had a wonderful time! We had a party of 4 for a birthday. It was easy to make a reservation ahead of time. All of the food was DELICIOUS! I was very happy with the menu. Our server explained each dish perfectly. I added a bunch of photos, i would say my favorites were the nigiris! All of the nigiris were VERY fresh. I would definitely reccomend this spot if you are looking to splurge. From what i have heard, this was a good price for omakase... I am generally pretty frugal with my money - so thats why I gave them 4 stars instead of 5. Overall, a great spot if you have the funds! read more

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Had lunch here and agree with my fellow Yelpers that the price point for this Traditional Japanese omakase style restaurant is worth the vibe. Let's talk ambiance first. The restaurant from the outside is unassuming in that there are no flashy bells and whistles. In fact, the windows are blacked out from the outside so you can't even look inside if you're walking by. On that note, while it's a bit dark inside -- they did a good job with the decor. With touches of Japanese culture influence, it is certainly an inviting space to set the tone. Next, about the service. I think these guys prefer reservations (which we did not have one) as they were a bit ruffled to sit us down as a walk-in. We were told the kitchen needed to be informed that there were additional diners which makes sense but I just thought the awkwardness of the sushi chefs staring at us by the door shouldn't have been necessary. Finally, let's talk food. The artistry behind the premium and seasonal ingredients were impressive. Every small bite described on the preset menu translated well via the chef's vision and execution. Some flavors were bold and exciting while others were elegant and intentional. All fish were exceptionally fresh -- almost to par with my omakase dining experiences in Osaka and Kyoto. We were told the menu changes monthly so I look forward to a future visit. read more

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I'll start with, this is a great place with awesome food and service. The only odd thing is its location. You wouldn't be able to tell from the outside that it's an omakase restaurant. The interior is small but just right for this kind of dining experience. As for our meal the omakase had 16 courses and each were excellent. The fish and all the ingredients were fresh and unbelievably tasty. I thought about listing out all the things we ate but figured a picture of the menu would be better, so go look at the picture! :-) We had a nice conversation with the Chef at the end of our meal. We found out they change 40% of the menu on the 8th of each month. That should keep things interesting and new. We also had a few cocktails but we couldn't post pictures of them. Yelp stopped me at 20 pictures! :-) but if you like flavorful but not too strong drinks you will like the ones here. We had a lychee like margarita, blueberry tequila drink, and a yuzu lemon cocktail. All really good. We will definitely be coming back. We heard that they had a Cherry Blossom special recently where it was 26 courses! We definitely want to come back to try one of their specials. read more

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Food: good flavors. Fish quality just meets the bar , didn't wow us for omakase grade standards. Disappointed the Wagyu was only two pieces of hotpot style and not tender at all. The highlight was the cherry blossom dessert. Service: disappointing as the servers would only select who they tell the background stories of each dish to. Like they'd only be super friendly to specific people or tables... Ambiance: super loud when we were there, definitely not your typical Japanese calm tranquil peaceful vibe. Like full of loud laughter and chatter. More like an American pub style. For the price of $300 per person and then added tax of $50+ and then a tip on top of all that. Not worth it. Way too over priced, poor service, and noisy. No thanks. read more

Blue Pagoda - Menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

This restaurant had a full sushi bar and a bunch of cocktail tables to fill the restaurant. For some reason I expected it to be more traditional sushi bar style restaurant but it definitely had a more modern feel with tables coming in and out, not the traditional time seating with the entire guests eating the same course at the same time (ex: 5pm seating, 7pm seating, etc.) Right away we were greeted with so much love from the host, to our server, and the sushi chefs. Everyone was very friendly and made us feel welcomed. The host, maybe he was also the owner, gave us a little bit of history on the chefs which I felt like was a nice touch in making us understand the hard work and mastery from their experiences. Overall the entire omakase course was amazing and surprisingly cheaper compared to other omakase places I've been to! We had soooo much fun with our chef who sprayed us with a crazy amount of gold dust which I feel like draws a lot of attention to this restaurant. Every piece was very flavorful and the perfect amount of fish to rice ratio. My group and I ordered the strawberry matcha cocktail with no alcohol ;) and it was the BEST strawberry matcha I have ever had. I promised my friend I will come back with her when she's in town so I cannot wait to come back to this place. read more

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Parking: terrible. Honestly one of the most congested and poorly organized parking lots I've ever had the misfortune of having to park in. Tbh this alone doesn't make any of these places worth visiting.. Ambiance: I think the sushi bar is well designed but everywhere else gives a somewhat forced faux fancy vibe Service: my wife checked in for us ahead of time (bc of the terrible parking) and the management had the audacity to argue with her for the fact that she had a shellfish allergy...some solutions were to either have her box and take home the omakase (which she can't eat regardless of the setting) or to give those dishes to me... I made sure to note her allergies when booking the reservation and yet they tried to blame my wife for not giving them a notice ahead of time to make other arrangements. thankfully they adjusted and made substitutes and our waitress was nice and the management tried to be attentive afterwards Food: some of the high end tuna pieces were very delicious but some of the garnishments and the appetizers had a "fusion" style taste to it that made it feel inauthentic. Ultimately, if you're looking for a large course omakase within this price point and don't mind having inauthentic flavors and ambiance then this is a decent choice. However, if you want solid sushi and are willing to pay a little more for better quality, I would say go to a different spot. 2 stars because the chefs seem solid and the wait staff tried their best read more

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Love that there is an omakase place closer to home. For $108pp (if you sit at the bar), otherwise $98 at a table, it's a decent price for 5 appetizers, 9 nigiris, a warm dish, and a dessert to finish. I enjoyed each piece, but was not overly full. I even ordered an extra piece of chutoro. Each of the nigiris were good, but none of them really stood out to me. Of course, my favorite piece was the otoro, which literally melts in your mouth. I did enjoy the chashu ramen after the nigiris. This is different from other omakases and it was a nice way to end the course before the dessert. Cocktails were really good too. I got the Blackberry pineapple tequila sour, and it was nice and refreshing. My friends got the Aimee-Tini (which is like a martini and came with olives stuffed with truffle and caviar). It was interesting. The lychee Noah Rita and Ane-San, both were good too. Service was great. They were very attentive and took our dishes away quickly, refilled our waters, and our sake cups. We did the 5:30pm reservation, and it was pretty empty. We did hear it gets crowded later, so recommend coming early and making reservations. We do like the interior, very modern looking and simple. The wall of liquor is impressive. Definitely will come back in the future when they change their menu. Parking is easy, as there is a open lot. read more

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I just got home from Blue Pagoda 15 minutes ago and OH. MY. GOD. I've had omakase maybe 6 times now but this was absolutely the best experience I've ever had, and it's at such an affordable price. I've spent much more for far less or just ok omakase. But this place blew my socks off in just the first few dishes. I was wowed more than once and was texting all my friends by the 4th dish that "holy shit, Blue Pagoda is hella good". Not a single mediocre dish, every thing was delicious. My favorites of the night: --Ocean trout with Black truffle sauce - delicious cold piece of fish with a flavorful truffle sauce that had a nice thicker consistency to it and a kick of yuzu? Only the second dish of the night and at this point I was already like DAMN. I'm still full but if I was hungry and if they had it à la carte I would order it 15 times. --Japanese style fried oyster - came with tartar sauce and matcha salt --Aonori and Snow Crab Chawanmushi - delicious, warm, hearty, with real pieces of crab. --Smoked Amberjack with Thai Nam Jim sauce - I guess this is a Thai sauce but honestly when I ate it it reminded me of some mexican salsa. Still very good, unique, and tasty --Marinated Bluefin Tuna Chutoro with pickled wasabi - melted in my mouth --A5 Japanese Wagyu Beef with Yuzu Pepper - also melted in my mouth, citrusy and even a little spicy. I plan to come back for every special occasion! Anniversary, wife's bday, my bday! It looks like they constantly update the menu too so it's not just the same stuff every time. Service was stellar as well. Everyone was so kind and the interior was very clean. They have great decorations, almost feels like the inside of Maestros with the whole drink room, and a huge bonsai(?) tree inside. Even the bathrooms were very clean and well decorated. The price was just right but and there was a lot of food. I was so full I honestly almost yacked in the bathroom lol. Also drank too much. I like the preset menu because you know what youre getting or you can reference the menu when you get home and are looking at pictures. Because they were telling me what the dish was and half the time I could barely hear them since it was lively inside. I do tend to have that issue at other omakase places though. They'll tell me what the dish is but I can't hear or understand so I just eat. But then it makes it harder to remember for next time what I liked. read more

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I almost wanted to not share a review to gatekeep this restaurant, but I also found it on Yelp, so...I was not expecting a lot because the prices seemed too good for omakase in the Bay Area. In a very unassuming plaza, it's bright and warm and superb service from beginning to end. I made reservations for 4 on Yelp on a Saturday at 5 PM. I accidentally cancelled it and had to call to make sure my reservations were still valid. Thankfully it was as I saw their reservations were lined up all throughout the holiday weekend. Jason the server took great care of us and very knowledgeable of the dishes and drinks. I had the sake flight and they were all so crisp and paired with the omakase dinner perfectly. The 4 appetizers they start you with are okay, minimal, and I was really excited for the chawanmushi, but the yuzu flavor was way too prominent for me. If it didn't have the extra citrus, it would've been perfect. The nigiris were all very good. As a salmon lover I was bummed not to see it on the menu, but the ocean trout was very similar and a favorite of the night. All of the tuna nigiri was exceptional as well, and really loved the gold dust they played around with. The A5 waygu was pretty good as well. I was also impressed with the personal sized ramen they provided, the chashu was tender and flavorful and a perfect portion size at the end of the meal. Our sushi chef was also very courteous and explained each dish well. It was hard to hear him at times as it gets quite loud in this restaurant, which may be a drawback from the true omakase experience. The matcha ice cream was more icy than creamy but still a nice touch to the end of the meal. As they have been open since August, I imagine more and more people will be dining here and I for sure will definitely be back. For the current price point, I left happy and full! read more

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Second time being there and the experience was just as good as the first time, great service, delicious fish served Edomae style, equivalent to what I have had in Japan. This is the place to go if you looking for a truly great meal. Btw different that some places that I have eaten in Japan, the atmosphere here is warm and friendly. When you are done you will say 美味しい食事をありがとうございました (gochisõsama deshita, thank you for the delicious meal). Btw one commenter that they did not like the cancelation policy. From my point of view there is limited seating at the counter so this is fair. Make a reservation at the counter, not the table, the interaction with your chef and the presentation makes it worthwhile. read more

Good value omakase! For ~$118 at the bar, you get 4 apps, 9 nigiri, shokuji, and dessert. From the apps, the kisu tempura with matcha salt from the apps was my favorite. All the nigiri were delicious, though the fish selection were pretty common - 4 white fish, a tuna progression (akami, chutoro, toro), sea eel, and A5 wagyu to close. I did like that the flavors were on the more experimental side. The ume sauce on grunt and thai nam jim on amberjack were the most interesting ones. Although tbh i think some fish would've worked better with the classic soy sauce and wasabi. Also I personally would've liked uni, scallop, or sweet shrimp on the roster, but we added a Hokkaido uni and it was insanely sweet. what i didn't like: tea bags for the hojicha and genmaicha, lots of gold flakes were used which felt tacky, the squid rice/miso soup was underwhelming, and the dessert was just ok Ambiance is very casual for omakase. Parties are staggered so everyone eats at their own pace. Also the chefs were downing beers the entire time haha read more

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4 star for deco and service, 3.5 star for food. It's our friend's 4th time visiting, and this time is a girls night out. This place is getting popular very quickly as they started to run 3 dining sessions. Ours is 5 to 6:30, and the second one ends at 8 and the last one starts at 8. When we tried to make reservations online, only 8pm was available on Yelp. So we were lucky to get a 5pm seating. Since the place is inside a busy plaza with a supermarket and some local stores, I was pleasantly surprised at its decorations. It was zen, warm color tone and the Blue Pagoda sign was visible in a few places. Service was good as we were greeted right away, each guest was offered drinks immediately (hot tea is not free, $5 per person with unlimited refill), each dish was introduced and dirty dishes were collected right away. Since it's omakase, we were offered a bit of everything. Not every dish is good to my palette, hence the 3.5 star. Appetizers: - Matsutake mushroom with shiso vinegar sauce: not my favorite. The sauce didn't bring out the goodness of the mushroom. -Monkfish liver pate mousse with seaweed crisps: a better dish. Monkfish mousse was held inside the seaweed crisps. The crisps can be crispier and crunchier, but this is not bad and a good creative way to cook monkfish liver. -Soft shell crab tempura with citrus mustard: good. Fried soft shell can never displease. -Ikua and Snow crab chawanmushi: not a successful dish. The steam egg was too watery, and the orange peel inside was too strong that it did not let the seafood flavors come out. We were presented with a wet wipe to clean our hands before moving onto the next section. Nigiris: They are generally better than the appetizers. The ingredients are fresh and the sushi rice has this glutenous sticky but distinct texture that holds the sushi together. The sushi were all seasoned already, so I did not eat them with soy sauce. With the varieties of sauces, even though I did not prefer certain elements such as plum, the taste balances each other well enough that I have no complaints about any of them. First plate: -Sea bream snapper with citrus salt - Striped-jack with plum paste -Smoked Amberjack with Thai Nam Jim sauce Second plate: -Ocean Trout with Black turffle -Bluefin Tuna Lean cut with Simmered Kelp in soy sauce -Marinated Bluefin Tuna Chutoro with pickled wasabi -hon Maguro Otoro with caviar Third dish: Toro Futomaki Fourth dish: A5 Japanese Wagyu beef with yuzu pepper tamagoyaki Warm Course: -Chashu Ramen: The portion is small, not a big bowl. lol....but the 2 slices of chashu are good, soft and flavorful with a ring of fat. The noodle and broth is average, not much of a texture. Sweet Ending: -This is seasonal as my friend experienced different dishes each time she came. This time was some green tea sorbet with plum powder sprinkled on top and frozen blue berries in the middle. I think the dish lacks sweetness and maybe over frozen. Not a sweet ending for me. Overall, the meal of $99 + $5 tea is a good value proposition in the bay area with this kind of ambience and service. read more

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$99 for 14 courses in this economy? I was already halfway impressed before the first bite showed up. Then the food came...and okay, fine, they got me. First decision you'll make: bar vs. table. The bar is about $10 more and comes with the whole chef handoff, one piece at a time, a little gold dust here and there--very "treat yourself." Cute, but I'm a fast eater. I don't need a dramatic pause between bites like it's a Michelin tasting menu. Table seating = same food, faster pace, zero waiting. That's my lane. Now the important part: the food. Everything comes properly seasoned, so don't go reaching for soy sauce like it's sushi happy hour. Just eat it as-is. Trust them--they know what they're doing. Highlights: * Toro with caviar -- this one's dangerous. The caviar was creamy, not aggressively salty, and just melted into the toro like it belonged there all along. I would've taken three more of these without hesitation. * Snow crab chawanmushi -- soft, silky, and quietly one of the best things on the menu. * Nigiri across the board -- clean, balanced, no nonsense. Just good fish done right. One thing I could've lived without: firefly squid rice. If you know, you know. If you don't...imagine a surprise you didn't ask for. Hard pass next time. And then dessert shows up--a super smooth mousse that politely erases any questionable life choices from earlier and sends you out happy. End of the day: $99, 14 courses, solid execution. Whether you want the slow "chef experience" or to just get in there and enjoy your food without waiting around, Blue Pagoda delivers. I'd come back. And I'd still skip the squid. read more

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From start to finish- we had the most fun experience and didn't want to leave! Blue Pagoda is such a gem, a beautiful and cozy vibe that we felt like we were on a mini vacation as we were celebrating a special occasion. We reserved special seats at the chef's Counter for our omakase meal! Omakase is so organized and they really take their time to teach you what about what you're eating. Every single bite was AMAZINGGGG! So delicate yet complex, everything full of UMAMI! All of rhe Chefs were engaged with their guests and super friendly! They even dusted US with gold powder! The cocktails were dangerously delicious! Our host/server became our best friend lol They were so sweet and gifted us champagne for our special night! We felt so loved! read more

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I'm so happy I found this place, a true hidden gem with a beautiful ambiance. It genuinely felt like stepping into Japan from the moment we walked in. We made a reservation and there was a small seating mixup, but they reached out days in advance to resolve it. When we arrived, they were incredibly accommodating, provided excellent service, and seated us right in front of the head chef, which made the experience even more special. The sake flight was a fantastic selection, ranging from light to sweeter sakes, and each one paired beautifully with the meal. This was a 16-course experience, and I loved every single course. You can truly tell they take their time serving fresh food with thoughtfully curated flavors, from the silky steamed egg, to each piece of handcrafted nigiri, the mini ramen, and even the dessert. The hostesses, servers, and chefs elevated the experience even further. Everyone was warm, friendly, and made sure we felt well taken care of throughout the evening. I can't wait to come back and experience their new menus in the upcoming seasons! read more

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Recently landed in San Jose, we were looking for an experience not just dinner. We received word of a place that is low key but top notch. We were suggested to try "Blue Pagoda" a relatively new spot but feels like a traditional Japanese Omakase Restaurant. We sat down at the main sushi bar where the chef presented everything one by one as he made them for the entire restaurant. Flavors outstanding, service was great, "Rose" was helpful. Now we also found out that the restaurant has a few great drinks that you don't find everywhere. One the Amy Tini a take on a traditional Dirty Martini with caviar and gold flake. It's strong but ladies after a hard days work I am sure it's your drink. The other was something called "Ane-San" I am not normally into mixed drinks but it was excellent. Great atmosphere and service and decorated like a traditional Japanese restaurant. Check this place out right away, you will need to make reservations as they have two sittings a night. read more

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We made reservations for my birthday at the sushi bar and the sushi bar was fully booked. There were 2 sushi chefs and both were at one end of the bar while we sat at the very other end. We picked sushi bar for the full experience. The chefs should have been in the 2 middle stations or one on each end. It felt really unfair since we paid for that experience too and only that side of the bar got to see everything. We could not see what they were doing at all. I was even more upset because it was my husband's first omakase and we didn't get the same experience I've had at other amazing omakase spots. We won't be back or recommending this place for omakase. read more

Blue Pagoda - Fully booked sushi bar omakase with only 2 chefs to one side. Should have been in the middle or one on each side. - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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Highly recommend the omakase dinner experience here. The staff are so friendly and super accommodating. We were greeted with a warm welcome and it really sets the mood for the rest of the night. Can't talk enough about the food. It was curated perfectly and well balanced. All the flavors worked well with one another. It was very fresh and keeps you wondering what flavor bomb would come next. I definitely would recommend getting their drinks. Maybe two while you're at it. It's so refreshing! Noah you did a great job with the lychee margarita! I love the decor of this place. It's so unique and tranquil. I also appreciate the bathroom. They had lotion for you and a full length mirror. So well thought out! Will definitely be back here. read more

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AMAZING for a great price. Highly recommend and the setting is beautiful and a great date spot. I recommend sitting at the bar for sure to get the full experience. Sushi was great and I learned so much from the chef. DO THE OMAKASE!! read more

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Amazing service! Awesome, fun and entertaining staff and chefs! Love the rotating menu, though sometimes it could feel like a miss, just because the menus you've tried before were just sooo amazing. Which basically just means instead of a 120/100 u only got a 99/100 this time lol Btw it's a must to sit at the bar - do not let anyone tell you differently about omakase it's not the same sitting at a table! read more

What went well? Everything. The best food, service and atmosphere that I can remember. I'm getting older but don't think my memory is that bad. Seriously can't remember a better culinary experience. San Jose got a good one with Blue Pagoda! Just wow! read more

Blue Pagoda - Best sushi! - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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We had nothing but great memories about Blue Pagoda. We were greeted warmly open arrival. The ambience, the freshness and everything else was beautiful! Looking forward to our visit again soon. read more

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Booked a reservation for date night dinner. Definitely among the top tier of omakases I've been to. While by no means the best in terms of taste, what really sets this place apart is value. I remember when Wako in SF used to cost $100 and the buzz it created. Similar story here - $108 for 9 pieces of nigiri and multiple other dishes plus dessert is insane for San Jose/the Bay Area in general. Fish quality was very good and it tasted like a mid-tier omakase, and well above your run-of-the-mill neighborhood sushi joints. Hands down worth the price and visit. read more

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For the price and the quality of food, I thought this was a great experience! For the price they're charging, sitting at the sushi bar is the way to go. The interaction with the sushi chef makes it so much more fun and intimate Omakase experience. The seats for each night are limited so you should book in advance for the date that you want. This place is a really good beginner, friendly Omakase. They don't really go too crazy with the fish and dish choices. They all seem very safe for first timers. The quality and the food portions were really good as well! I'm giving this place a five stars because the sushi chef and the employees were really sweet and made everything really special, from the sparkling gold dust to the complementary champagne for my BF's birthday. The sake flight was really tasty as well and they all complimented the fish really well. It is definitely a special treat and I would love to come back one day! read more

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5/5- one of the best places ive had in the bay The best food and experience ever. Highly recommend for omakase. Suggest to sit at the chefs making area, better experience than the regular tables They gave such a fun teppanyaki interactive like playful experience rather than the typical serious omakase vibes which was more fun Everything was good. They have some good mix of stuff that has interesting change of flavors when u bite. The bluefin and wagyu ones were the best. Just melt in your mouth buttery. The rice has that nice warmth that contrasts the fish and the sauces or salts they put on is flavorful Service was also great and highly attentive and kept cleaning the dishes out of your way. It was great for birthdays too. They really make a whole thing out of it which was nice for people Would come back here again for omakase rather than try other places. This was so good!! read more

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My wife and I went booked lunch (via the Yelp app) at the sushi bar on a Friday. They just opened the 12 pm slot a couple of weeks before as dinner was always swamped. This new omakase place located inside a strip mall was raved to us by our daughter and son-in-law. The interior design with the bonsai shaped faux trees and bamboo ceilings we noticed while entering only heightened our anticipation of what was to come. Our chef, who was Japanese, crafted the fresh nigiri with authority and was impressive to watch from beginning to end. The dishes served from the kitchen were also very tasty. Every item tasted superb and balanced. The A5 topped with caviar & gold flakes and the Monk Fish Liver were indeed the notables among our 16-course meal. I had the premium sake pairing which was three 2 oz cups ranging from sweet & smooth to dry & full-bodied. Service was excellent and friendly. We didn't feel rushed and had time to savor the food. This crew genuinely cares about creating an experience at Blue Pagoda. We left with full bellies. Blue Pagoda is indeed one of the new restaurants in the South Bay to be at. read more

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This place came highly recommended by our daughter and son in law. Reservation is a must if planning to dine during weekend dinner. We made a reservation for Friday lunch time and I believe it's way better as you're not rushed or more time is spent by the chef's. Table service choices are either dining room and sushi bar. For the Omakase Dining room experience it is $99 per person while the sushi bar experience is $108 per person. We chose the sushi bar experience and hubby did the premium sake flights for $45. We were told as well that they change their menu every month. Our Omakase experience is a 16 course meal as follow: APPETIZERS (Seasonal, refreshing and crafted to awaken one's palate) Monkfish liver with shiso vinegar sauce Grilled Chasu with mustard sauce Matsutake mushroom tempura Black truffle chawanmushi NIGIRI SELECTION: (handcrafted with premium cuts and authentic technique) Japanese Tai with Yuzu salt - sea bream snapper with citrus salt Shima Aji with Ume Sauce - striped-jack with plum paste Hokkaido Hotate with Karasumi - hokkaido scallop with japanese bottarga Smoked Kanpachi with Nam Jim sauce - Smoked Amberjack with Thai Nam Jim sauce Hon Maguro Akami with Nori Sauce - bluefin tuna lean cut with simmered kelp in soy sauce Zuke Hon Maguro Chutoro with Kizami Wasabi - marinated bluefin tuna chutoro with pickled wasabi Hon Maguro Otoro with caviar - bluefin tuna fatty belly with caviar Negitoro maki A5 Japanese Wagyu Beef with Yuzu Pepper WARM COURSE (hearty and comforting with refined simplicity) Black Cod miso yaki Don Miso Soup SWEET ENDING (a delicate conclusion to your mindful culinary journey) Chef's Dessert Selection - deep friend fish shaped red beans pastry in lychee sorbet Parking is not a problem. I consider this as one amazing Omakase experience. They are still on their soft opening. They opened back in August and is now gaining popularity in the South Bay. read more

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I'm bumping my rating up to 5 stars bc my server was really sweet and made my experience special! I've been to many omakase's so this is just my knee jerk honest thoughts on my experience. This restaurant is located in East SJ so def has that vibe. Interior is newly renovated, japanese style with a large beautiful alcohol sake case. Looks nice but felt not as insulated as it was cold sitting next to window in dining area. Doesnt feel super upscale inside which is OK. Still esthetically pleasing. Clientele feels East SJ abg feels lolll and this is Chinese run so mostly chinese people. Our waitress was great, can tell she cares about making feel well served which i really appreciated. Got the hot hojicha tea, it is very strong and hot which i liked. U can keep the bag as they refill hot water. I liked how she brought me a fresh big cup of the tea when it got cold without me even asking! Appetizers i didnt care much for, the flavors taste for chinese/japanese fushion which makes sense. I dont like vinegar that much and they use it alot in their flavor sauce palette which was fine just noticed. My fav were the nigiri and the warm course after. The fish was fresh and on the soft and crunchy side and not so heavily sauced which i liked. Tasted light. All of them were good. I added hoikkado uni and it was very nice and a good price. The a5 waygu was wahh didnt taste the best quality but okay. Why did it look soggyv? The warm course miso soup is soo good and elevated miso used not ur regular, more fermented and fresh. The black cod was very yummy touch if lemon. The dessert was nice, mini takiyaki with matcha ice cream. Overall it was a nice experience and vibe, people celebrated birthdays, would recommend to check out but once was good for me :) read more

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I think Blue Pagoda is off to a strong start with explosive flavors at a pretty great price! The omakase is great, and I ordered the Hokkaido uni nigiri as well, which didn't disappoint. The logistics were great as food was coming in and out fast, and the service was impeccable. If I had to give some sort of criticism, it'd be the interior design choice. Everything felt man-made (the huge fake bonsais, the bamboo), and the tables were way too big for parties of 2. Hopefully they can make a bigger impact by making it more cozy/romantic. read more

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[Food] August Soft Opening Omakase; Table- $99pp Appetizers - Okinawa Mozukusu: Seaweed marinated in a sweet, vinegary dressing. Definitely up my alley in terms of taste so this was my favorite appetizer! If you aren't a fan of a slimy texture, you may not enjoy this. - Soft-boiled Octopus: Octopus was tender and juicy! - Toro Tartare topped w/ Caviar: Out of all the appetizers, this was unfortunately the surprising disappointment because the toast everything sat on was soggy and hard to chew through when we expected more of a fresh crunch. - Snow Crab Chawanmushi: Steamed egg was super soft and silky! The snow crab added a hint of seafoody sweetness to the overall dish. Super comforting! Nigiris - Everything tasted really fresh and delicious! My top favorites were Shima Aji w/ Ume Sauce, Smoked Kanpachi w/ Nam Jim Sauce, & Bluefin Otoro w/ Kimchi Radish Sauce. Warm Courses - Mini Unagi Don: Unagi was fresh and flavorful. I was so glad they didn't add too much rice to this because I was so stuffed by the time this came out - Miso Soup: Very comforting for the end of the meal. This doesn't taste like the typical miso soup you get at most restaurants but I'm not sure how they made it even better Dessert - Matcha Cheesecake: Honestly, I was hoping the dessert would be light, but this was incredibly heavy with the matcha flavor combined with the cream cheese for the cheesecake. The only thing that helped me finish this was the side of vanilla ice cream. Fortunately, this was the only flaw on this menu, so I hope they can change this dessert in the future. [Service] - Friendly, attentive, helpful - If you prefer you can reserve the bar for $108pp - We were given complimentary sake and was so grateful! Thank you, chefs & staff! - Easy to make reservations on Yelp [Ambiance] - Casual with cute, open interior design concept - Has a walk in wine cellar - Full house on a Friday night! [Overall] - I would come back again as this was great quality for the price! I just hope the price can stay moderately the same over time - Also great location for South Bay folks who don't want to drive super far for expensive omakase read more

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I'm definitely coming back! I brought my friend here to celebrate her birthday-the food and service were amazing. I absolutely loved the ambiance and aesthetic of this restaurant, especially the cherry blossoms! We had such a great time that we forgot to take pictures, that's how you know we were truly enjoying the moment. read more

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14 courses for less than $100 is something that totally grabbed my attention for sure. My husband and I decided to try randomly since it sounded like a good deal. We made reservations ahead of time, but I believe they do allow walk ins. We got there 10 mins earlier than our reservation, but our table wasn't ready until our reservation time. We got seated in a round table that could have sat 4 since I noticed they also had smaller tables for only 2 people. Pros: - food came out extremely fast - decor was really nice - flavors were amazing - quality was on par with the price - service was attentive Cons: - vibes were hectic and loud - empty plates were taken from you too quickly. We just put the food in our mouth and the waiter was taking away the plate - plaza is not very appealing, kinda run down With all that in mind, I really enjoyed the food and since it's soft opening, they are doing quite well. I would hope they can stagger the guests or just have less in one time slot as it got really noisy, which made the ambiance not match the decor vibes. read more

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Fairly new restaurant but doesn't mean anything when it comes to the food/service. Restaurant was very nicely decorated. Bathrooms were very well maintained and clean. Greeted as soon as we arrived for our 5pm reservation. We sat at the bar for the 15 course omakase experience. Our server, Sean, and our Chef were awesome. (Don't know how to spell his name so I'm not going to try and screw it up but I'll post his picture so you can see him) My favorite appetizer was the black truffle chawanmushi. The only thing I thought the mustard sauce on the grilled chashu was a little over powering, but overall, all the appetizers were good. All the fish was fresh and delicious. Melts in your mouth. They were all good, but my favorites were the smoked kanpachi with nam Jim sauce, hon maguro otoro (of course the otoro!) with caviar, and the negitoro maki. At the end, they give you the option to order more nigiri. We asked for more of the kanpachi, but they were out so the chef made us a smoked trout with the same sauce and it was even better than the original! To finish the omakase, they bring out a miso soup with black cod and rice and both were delicious. Black cod was cooked perfectly and had so much flavor. It was my friend's birthday, so with the matcha dessert they brought out, they brought her a special yuzu birthday cheesecake which was so good. 10/10 no notes! For our drinks, we ordered the blackberry pineapple tequila sour and then the lychee Noah-Rita. Both were good, but I liked the sour more! The menu changes monthly so I will be coming back. The owner was there to check how everything was going. Super sweet! read more

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My first omakase experience... i thought it was going to be a more intimite experience as I was celebrating a belated birthday dinner with one of my bestie girls. (I had made a comment on my reservation that we were celebrating a birthday, but they didn't acknowledge it.) The decor was nice and simple. We really like the cute fish shaped chop stick holder. We chose the bar experience so I could watch the action up close and personal. The staff was very attentive, but a little too soft spoke die my liking; it felt they were whispering. I liked they had a QR menu code at table so you could see what each course was as it was a little hard to hear/ understand the chef. The food was amazing. They accommodated our allergy restrictions, which was great! Each course offered a different taste and mouth feel, the fish tasted and smelled fresh. read more

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