As I approached Inkdica, I felt a wave of skepticism. I had never seen a tattoo shop located in a commercial area before. Yet the moment I ascended the stairs, my doubts began to fade. The walls were adorned with beautiful, ancient-inspired drawings and posters that immediately captured my attention. I was warmly greeted by two artists, one of whom was the owner, Thien. I shared my tattoo idea with him, but he gently explained that it wasn't quite aligned with his personal style. Disappointed, I turned to leave--until Thien introduced me to the other artist he had been speaking with. This artist sat down with me, listened intently to my vision, and began searching through images on his iPad that perfectly resonated with what I had in mind. (Unbeknownst to me at the time, he wasn't just assisting Thien--he was a highly skilled tattoo artist himself.) Having come to America from Vietnam as a young adult, he discovered his passion for tattooing and sought guidance from seasoned artists on how to begin. That journey led him to study academic drawing, where he immersed himself in the world of Greek mythology. When he showed me the artwork he created during that period, I was truly stunned--his technical skill and artistic vision were extraordinary. The artist Thien introduced me to is Tai, a true specialist in realism. In over 20 years of getting tattoos, I have never met an artist quite like Tai. Unlike my previous experiences, where I simply provided a reference photo, Tai took a deeply personal and professional approach. He conducted his own research, regularly texted me thoughtful image suggestions, and carefully curated concepts that captured the essence of my idea. This level of dedication and artistry is what I admire most about him. When he presented the final layout for my tattoo--"Hades, Ruler of the Underworld, with his three-headed guardian Cerberus"--positioned perfectly on my leg, I was speechless. The composition, detail, and elegance were beyond anything I had imagined. Tai, this is by far the most elegant, beautifully detailed, and breathtaking piece of art on my body. I am incredibly grateful to have met you and to have placed my trust in your hands. I look forward to our future collaborations and the remarkable creations you will undoubtedly bring to life. You are a true master of your craft--a tattoo genius mastermind. read more

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My tattoo artist, Tai, absolutely brought my vision to life. I came in wanting an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor that truly honored my Marine Corps service, and he delivered beyond anything I imagined. The detail in the eagle's wings, the shading on the globe, and the banner with Semper Fidelis look unreal. The placement is perfect and the artwork looks bold, clean, and meaningful. Not only is the tattoo beautiful, but the whole experience was solid. Professional, patient, and focused the entire time, especially on a spot that surprised me with how much it hurt. He made sure I was comfortable and checked in throughout the session. If you want someone who respects the meaning behind your tattoo and has the skill to elevate it, this is the artist you want. I'm proud of this piece every time I look at it. I will be coming back for another tattoo real soon. Semper Fi. read more

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If you're itching for some ink, definitely book with Thien who runs Inkdica! He's got amazing work, which consists of that blend of realism/neo-asian style. Glad I booked him for my lower arm sleeve and looking forward to my next session(s) with him in the near future! read more

This was my first tattoo. I worked on my design for months because this was a very personal tattoo for me. fI went in for a consultation with Tai because I was told he was good with fine-line tattoos. He really took the time to understand exactly what I wanted, and even explained how the design would best fit the area I had in mind. After 2 hours and a lot of patience on his part, he turned my design into a more detailed standout piece. Before we started, he showed me the stencil and sized it. He made sure it was what I wanted. He placed the stencil on my ankle and made me look at it one more time before starting. The tattoo took about 2 hours. He really took his time and made sure everything came out perfectly! I could not have been happier with the result! You can find his work on Instagram at @hytai_inkdica read more

Inkdica Tattoo - My sketch - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

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Location: in East Side San Jose, of Tully rd, across from Eastridge Mall. Ambiance and Decor: Super clean artist shop with grey walls, 3 private station with curtains if needed, tinted windows, and Asian art on the wall. Service: Family run shop, with great artist. I had a schedule appointment with Chuck, and he was great. Service was great quick and almost painless. I gave him the artist freedom to pick the color combination, and he did not disappoint. (Pointers: definitely schedule an appointment and drop a deposit ahead of time.) Overall: 5/5 totally worth the visit. One of the best Artist Shop in San Jose! read more

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This place super chill. Thien is the guy. Big thanks to him for my piece! Check him out on insta

Thank you, Tai, for bringing my dog's memory to life in such a beautiful way. You're an incredibly talented artist -- the detail in this piece is amazing! Highly recommend you get your next tattoo here. read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Realistic tattoo of my dog - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

I requested an appointment with them and I got my design it turned out great for 2 hours and 15 mine The vibe puts me at ease and the one that did my tattoo was great read more

Respond back quickly, gave me price of my desired tattoos. Set me up with a tattoo artist ( TRUC) and she did an awesome job, just how I wanted it. Sharp and thin lines. It turned out super cute and how I imagined it would be. All my friends think it's super cool. read more

I found @cats.inks on Instagram and she was very easy to work with! She specializes in floral pieces, anime, and fine linework! I dm'd her my ideal placement, size, and a reference photo. She got back to my Instagram dm in less than 24 hrs! I made a deposit over Venmo to confirm my appointment with her. For my tiger tattoo (less than 2 inches wide), the total came out to be $120. Reasonable price and the total appointment took less than an hour! Cat was friendly. It was like I was having a friend do a tattoo for me. She made me very comfortable and we had very casual conversations throughout the whole process. I really appreciate her advice on placement too! Based on her own experience, she advised that the back of my ankle would hurt less than the front! I'm glad I took her advice and the tattoo was practically painless. After the tattoo appointment, she was super responsive via Instagram. She gave me a Google Doc with tips for a proper healing process. I ended up having a slight allergic reaction to the ink due to seafood, which was my fault... She mentioned in the Google Doc that I shouldn't eat seafood while it's healing! I dm'd her on Instagram and she gave me advice to help treat the allergic reaction! She was super helpful and even offered to touch up my tattoo if the tattoo was affected by the reaction in any way. I highly recommend getting your next tattoo done by Cat! read more

Inkdica Tattoo - inside - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

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Cat gave me great advice and a clean tattoo. No problem at all with time, took everything seriously.

Very pleased with the result, came out even better then I expected! Great experience highly recommend!! read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

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This tattoo is specifically for Quan. You can find his work on Instagram at @quanvantattoo I was so excited to find him in our own backyard! I have had work done by Quan twice now, once a lower back tattoo of hummingbirds and another time he did two touch ups on older tattoos for me. Quan is truly a hidden gem! He was very easy to communicate. I sent him pictures of what I wanted done through text and he was able to accommodate other ideas and changes that I had before the date. One of the things I'm always wary of with a tattoo artist is their personality as I do have anxiety and tend to be a little unsure or indecisive about particular details of the tattoo. Quan was super friendly and personable. He spent a good amount of time making sure that the tattoo had both the placement and the size that I liked. He also worked very quickly and the process was smooth and fairly painless (for a tattoo of course). He has beautiful art work on his walls of past tattoos and I am in love with the one that I received from him---genuinely almost regretful that I decided to get it on my back because I wanted to admire it so much! His pricing was also extremely reasonable compared to other artists you might find especially for his level of skill and talent. I will definitely be hitting him up again both for touch ups and other pieces. If you are thinking about hiring him as your artists, definitely do not hesitate! read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Original piece done by Quan of a lower back tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

I booked with Quan, found him on IG @quanvantattoo. He was very kind and personable. I was mostly blown away by his patience, bc I'll be honest I'm not always the easiest to work with. He took his time and gave me his undivided attention during my consult and tattoo. Explained in detail anytime I had any question. He also has a background in art and design. I enjoyed my time with him, we talked and laughed the entire session. The shop is a small, family operated establishment, it was clean with up to date equipments. The location was not hard to find, right off of a busy main road. read more

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I got tattooed by Quan today, and I cannot be more happier with the result. Quan is such a nice, funny and personable guy and probably the best tattooer I have been to. This piece was 6 hours including break. The attention to detail that he took to do this piece was worth it for sure. I gave him some reference pictures with flowers and placement that I wanted, and he showed me designs he created himself with the inspirations. He made sure placement and size was right, and made sure I liked it as well. Highly recommend Quan, definitely will be going back again read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Knee/Thigh Peony/foliage tattoo surrounding surgical scars by Quan!! - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

I want to first off by saying Thuong (Thien's brother) is the Fing man I got this dragon sleeve done by him 3 days ago and I'm still totally enamored by how this came out. I spliced up a collage of the progress pics throughout the 14 hr day that I got this sleeve done, however it would've been 15.5 hrs if I stayed the extra an hour and half but was a long day for both of us and decided to call it a day at 3 in the morning. Thuong is the artist I went with and let me tell you this guy is the master when it comes to free handing tattoo which I won't lie I was a tad bit skeptical for him to free hand my tattoo but after going through the whole process I have to say I am fully convinced Thuong is the michangelo when it comes to tattoos. Staff was amazing another artist, Ty stayed the whole time to translate for me and Thuong and were very accommodating with my comfort and considerate for my wellbeing during that endurance of a session. In short 100% would recommend Thuong and Thien their work is def top notch that you could look for in San Jose. read more

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I honestly couldn't recommend him enough! Despite the short notice, he did an amazing job--so detail-oriented and professional. I absolutely love my tattoo! Tai Hi did an incredible job, and I'll definitely be coming back. I'll post a picture once it's fully healed. read more

Thien was super responsive and easy to work with! I gave him my design idea and he took it to the next level. Absolutely love how it turned out. Highly recommend!" read more

I came to Thien with an idea for a full sleeve and he used his skill and creativity to bring my vision to life. Thien is extremely talented and truly a master of his craft. Highly recommended! read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

I found Thien on instagram and I was kinda scared because a lot of his stuff is really heavily shaded but I wanted just linework. This was my first tattoo on my ribs and I was really scared of the pain but it wasn't as bad as I expected. His rates are really fair and he's super talented. He freehanded the scales on my dragon and it's really well done! Thanks again. read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Right after he finished by Thien - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

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Cindy is a very good tattoo artist. Very nice and I like my tattoo. Place is cool, and welcoming.

Getting a tattoo is a very personal decision. You have to really look over the artists portfolio to get a feel for their art and trust they're able to accomplish what you envision in collaboration with them. I had old ink from over 25 years ago that I wanted to renew. Thien took the time to go over what options I had and didn't back down to the task at hand. It takes time to book with him, so be patient and plan ahead. Researching what you want and then consulting is expected and you'd be surprised at how Thien can incorporate the tattoo with what you want. I have some upcoming projects with Thien and I am excited to finish them up. In the meantime take a look at the cover up pics he did for me. Glad I went with Thien. read more

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Came across @Kiddo_inkdica work from a coworker who got work done by him. Been wanting to get my hand done for awhile now and seeing his work I reached out and sent up an appointment super easy straight forward and good at communicating in a timely manner. I showed him a reference of what I wanted and he blew that out of the water. I am more than happy with what I got and is better then I imagined 10/10 experience and I'll for sure be back! read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

Billydakid is the man.He gets super down I definitely plan to be back soon to get some more top notch work read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Jesus cristo the messiah - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

Woke up one day and decided to finally get my hand blasted. I came into the shop and Billy helped me out, he's a chill artist and was really great at communicating with me throughout the whole process. Billy was able to get me in later in that week and even stayed late to finish up which K really appreciate ! He made sure that the hand piece flowed with the rest of my sleeve and I couldn't be happier with how it came out. His IG is @kiddo_arte if you want to chill out some of his work. Thanks again Billy ! read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

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Thien at Inkdica did a fantastic job on a dragon tattoo on my forearm. He was patient and detailed and never rushed the process. A lot of the work was freehand. Even though I had an image, he only enhanced it and made it much better. Super happy with the work I received. Thank you, Thien Check out his work below-you will not be disappointed https://www.instagram.com/thien_tattoo4o8/?hl=en read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Dragon tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

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I came in as a walk in and Dung was able to do my hand tattoo as soon as I arrived. He listened to everything I wanted for the tattoo and was patient with my requests. Will for sure be coming back to Inkdica! read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

I'm so in love with my tattoo and the experience I had coming here!! Me and my two friends really wanted a tattoo altogether and it was hard finding a place that will take all 3 of us but Inkdica Tattoo took us in with no problem! The best part was our amazing artist Quan (@quanvantattoo on instagram) was so kind and helpful and listened to everything we wanted! I'm so grateful to be tattooed by him that I'll always come back to him for my next ones! Thank you Quan!! read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

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I came to get a cover-up done by Cat recently and it was such a nice experience. First of all, I'm sorry for being the dumb asshole who came and changed up the design last minute--not intentionally I swear. I made the appointment 2-3 months in advance, shot a few vague ideas over, and then didn't really think about it again until the week before. A huge thank you to Cat for being so nice and still accommodating. Cat is really good at small talking and conversation. Unfortunately, I didn't talk much during the session because I couldn't help but feel that I had thrown off her day (guilt). Love the detail, and she works FAST. I think I was there less than an hour. Would love to keep adding onto the tattoo I got, or just get other tattoos with her again at some point as long as she'll still have me. She's very talented! read more

I had the pleasure of working with Cat, who is so sweet and patient. I booked my appointment with her on Instagram since I'm a huge fan of her fineline work. She got back to me pretty quickly after I gave her a description of what I'm looking for, since she prefers to design the tattoo with the client unless it's free handed. I asked for a fineline black and white tattoo on my inner bicep of ba trieu, a Vietnamese warrior princess. During my appointment she was very attentive to what I wanted and was very patient and skilled. It was really cool to see her process! I'm in love with the finished product, and her pricing is very fair. I definitely will be seeing her again for my next tattoo! read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Inner bicep fineline by Cat - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

artist was friendly but vaped in the shop while we were there and had me pay $250 dollars for a small tattoo that was not worth $250. Maybe $120 but that's pushing it. He started tattooing my BF and ink never came out of the machine, after the third try it started to work and this is what he got. For $250?????? Everyone I showed said I got screwed over with pricing. Really wanted to say something about the price at the time but I thought it was normal. (Definitely know now it's not normal to get charged that amount for this small of a tattoo) I even gave him a tip for the friendly service but I will never be going back. Zoom in the see the unfinished line at the bottom. read more

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My friend and i were really excited to get our first tattoo. we went to inkdica tattoo as a walk in, customer service was okay. our tattoo artist was a female so we were expecting her to eat down.. that was clearly not the case. both of our tattoos came out fucked up as you can see in the pictures. the hearts on both tattoos are horrible you can't even tell what the tattoo supposed be it just looks like random dots. we went w high expectations since it had good stars & reviews. don't recommend, unless you want a fucked up tattoo. read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

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Healed. Thinking of another tattoo to get from Cat! 10/10 artist I'd recommend to get ur first or next tat read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Lil smiley monkey. Photo taken 2 weeks after appointment - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

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Best tattoo shop in sanjose! The man the myth the legend Thien and his crew are the most talented artist out there. My artist was billy he specializes in realism. Was planning on getting a sleeve done but end up getting sleeve and half torso . Thien and his crew really make you feel like family when you're in there, good vibes and very hospitality. They really make sure when you walk out of each session there's a biggest smile on your face. Solid dudes . Talented . Tattoos don't lie read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

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I loved coming here :) very friendly staff and gentle with line work and making sure you're feeling okay. The tattoo was super painless and quick; reasonable pricing and very informative :) read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

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Coming from Las Vegas to San Jose to get some work done by billy at inkdica but first off hands down to this guy who makes traditional work comes out better than I expected. He's passionate about his work so I'll definitely be back soon to finish some more. Come on in to the shop or give him a follow on instagram instagram @kiddo_arte read more

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Best tattoo shop!!! Billy is such an amazing artist, not only is his work amazing but he makes you feel comfortable and answers any and all your questions. The shop is super clean and has a very chill vibe. I got my first piece done by Billy and was back in a couple weeks for my second piece. He is now currently working on a full sleeve for me. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to get some work done he is a true professional! Thanks again Billy I look forward to many more session! - Kyle read more

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Got my first back piece from Thien and he absolutely killed it! He is definitely one of best up and coming artists in SJ who specializes in asian tattoos. The way he is able to make the piece you envision come to life is dope to experience first hand and the crazy thing is that he is only getting better and better. Definitely going back for future pieces. -Sick style & great with shading/line work. -Professional/sanitary work space -Fast response & booking appointments read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

Went here to get tatted about 2 years ago. Thien is the person who I went to. We were just artist and client at first, but later became really good friends. Love his work, he was already really good before, and now even better. This place has great chill vibes and environment. Everyone is very approachable and easy going, highly recommend. Some of you current and new clients might see me around LOL, this place is almost like my second home . read more

Inkdica Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Jose, California

Wow, can you say best tattoo artist ever? I was able to get an appointment with Thien and from then on everything went smoothly. I told him about what I envisioned and everything came out better than expected. The line work is A1, after everything healed you can see & feel everything is smooth. I'm so in love, thank you!! read more