Made a reservations for dinner for two on at Saturday at 4pm for their Happy hour menu. Didn't have any issues finding street parking. Mini unagi donburi was one of my favorite things we ordered. It wasn't that tiny, and it packed a flavor punch from the unagi sauce as well as the dried up seaweed. Must try for any unagi fan. The black cod was delectable. I didn't know cooked fish can taste like that. Buttery and easy to eat, and the acidity from the lemon helps cut down from the overwhelming richness of the cod. Careful of the two or three pieces of bone though. I found the 4 pc nigiri and the 4 pc sashimi happy hour a solid option as a sampler. The fish tasted great. I found the service to be friendly and fast. We were literally seated and out in like 30 minutes. read more

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Seattle has loads of fancy sushi spots, where you can end up shelling out $150 or more per person, not to mention the initial hurdle of trying to book a table a month or two in advance. But then there's SanKai Sushi, a sushi restaurant nestled in the hustle and bustle of downtown Edmonds. It's not massive, but if you book a week ahead, you can snag a spot easily. There's seating outside too, but in the colder months, you probably want to sit in indoors. I made a reservation for a Friday night and the ambiance was lively. On that particular night, walk-ins had to wait about an hour, but that's not the norm. My friend and I decided to skip the rolls and go for small plates and nigiri. For small plates, we got: -Braised daikon -Hotate gyoza -Saba nanban For nigiri we got: -Nodoguro (special) -Freshwater eel -Scallop -Aji -Chutoro -Otoro -Uni And ended with a yuzu mousse cake. Everything was really delicious - and considering what you'd pay in other Seattle spots, it's a steal. I'd say it's worth going a little out of your way to check it out. The service was on point, too, giving me those warm vibes I used to get at sushi places in Southern California when I was growing up. So do yourself a favor and visit SanKai :) read more

In short: Small but mighty. A tidy and visually clean space with incredible fish, an interesting menu, warm service, and good value. In long: We came in on a Saturday night when they were booked heavily but there were occasional open seats. We finished quickly but had a wonderful time. It's in a row of kinda vintage-y older business buildings down in the Edmonds Bowl. Big decorative sash on the door. You walk in to a small host station (I seriously felt like I should stoop over to talk to the hostess so I wouldn't speak too loudly). There are bar seats, a couple window seats, and a dozen or so table seats against a banquette along the wall. The decor is muted and unobtrusive. You get a welcoming feeling even if it takes you several minutes to notice details. We sat at the bar, expecting even before we got a reservation that we would have omakase--which we did. The online menu explains everything in the same detail you get with the printed menu in house. I have to say as a great big dude that the chairs don't work at all, I either had sharp pains from the knobs digging into my legs or I had to squeeze my thighs so tightly that things got uncomfortable in other ways. For 90+% of the population, though, this won't be an issue at all, so don't hesitate to book. We had the omakase and a bottle of sauvignon blanc. The wine didn't really work; much too tart with the fish. We each ate 14 pieces of sashimi, all nice and buttery and flavorful. Some were unfamiliar, and when it's busy, you might not get the chance to ask about each piece, but that's fine. I kinda hurried through dinner, thanks to the fit of the chair, but it was delicious. We were out the door in under 30 minutes. We'll be back soon and book a table next time so we can stretch out the meal and get more of a sense of the rest of the menu. Awesome spot. read more

SanKai continues to be my favorite north-of-Seattle sushi restaurant, and I'd argue it's on-par with some of the top-tier sushi restaurants in Seattle too. At this point, we almost always order the Omakase with some sides. We always try to sit at the sushi bar, if possible, however the last two times we sat outside and had a normal table seat, and still enjoy ourselves. I think it goes without saying that sitting at the sushi bar, anywhere, is always a more enjoyable experience because you get to know the chef(s) which create a more unique experience. But when the quality (especially for the price) is as good as SanKai, then sitting at a table isn't too bad. read more

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Great little spot in Edmonds for some very tasty sushi! I don't typically get to go to Edmonds that often, but I wanted to try this spot out after my cousin mentioned how much he liked it. We ordered a few items, including omakase sushi (14 pieces for $58), omakase sashimi (14 pieces for $56), and a few rolls to share plus desserts. The fish was very fresh and a great price! The rolls were pretty good, too, with my favorite being the Great Pacific Northwest one. I'm also a big fan of their yuzu mousse cake! The place is on the smaller side so definitely make rsvp if you can! read more

SanKai Sushi - Omakase sashimi on top, Great Pacific Northwest roll in the middle, and omakase sushi on the bottom - Sushi Bars Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

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Consistently wonderful service, delicious food. We go there regularly and are thrilled to have such excellent sushi close to home.

Had to come back for their Omakase, which is super affordable compared to most places in Seattle. Nonetheless, everything was super fresh and delicious. We asked for the 11 piece nigiri omakase ($47) and our chef asked us if we were wanting more, after our 11 pieces but we were pretty full since we had also gotten a few appetizers and rolls as well. Our chef was fairly quick to present our pieces of nigiri to us and maybe it's because we were having a conversation of our own but our chef didn't talk much besides quietly announcing the sushi we were eating next, so expect a more intimate experience. I've recommended this place to countless friends and have visited quite a few times, always satisfied, so I highly recommend checking this place out! Though it is cheaper than most sushi places in Seattle, it isn't a cheap meal for sure. Remember to make reservations before you go (even on weekdays) because this little restaurant fills up quickly. read more

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I love love San Kai. I almost don't want to leave this 5 star review because I want to say this is Seattle's best kept secret for sushi. People are going to start flocking here!! Eek. If you're into edomae nigiri at places like of Shiro's, Kashiba, Taneda, Wataru, Kappo Tamura, you're going to love San Kai. It is worth the trek all the way to Edmonds. I've been 3 times and Chef Nakano tells me he gets his fish fresh from Japan on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I'm just so impressed by the exotic selection on the fresh fish list, things you would have to pay a premium for at fancier places like Kashiba. Some examples include Sakura trout, firefly squid, copper river king salmon, black snapper, buri, green eyes, belt fish, giant pacific octopus, etc. all kinds of things you would not normally see elsewhere or probably never tried! You can try the same fish caught in different regions in Alaska and Washington. Ever try the difference between mackerel, herring, sardine? Difference between king salmon, sockeye, and trout? Well you can try it all here. I've tried enough omakase to know exactly what pieces of fish I like to eat and I just order a la cart. The prices are extremely good, too, 20% less than Seattle proper. If you're just going to get regular sushi rolls go anywhere else but if nigiri and sashimi is your thing, definitely come here! I like San Kai more than Sushi Kappo Tamura. I would say only Taneda and Sushi Kashiba would top San Kai in quality/presentation and sushi bar experience but only 20-40% more and you're going to pay 2x. One last thing, the dessert isn't anything to write home about. They don't make it in house and I remember they had a weird jello consistency even for things that was supposed to be a creamy mousse. I would skip. read more

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It can be pretty tough to find a decent sushi place that offers edomae style sushi north of Seattle. Fortunately, San Kai in downtown Edmonds offers the the experience and quality sushi that I'm looking for. Although my recent visit wasn't the edomae sushi bar experience that I all so enjoy greatly, I still had an enjoyable meal sitting by the window. After a long day of work, I decided to go all out for the start of my weekend and got myself a nice draft of Sapporo beer and sake to go along with an order of gyoza. The combination of these compliments each other very well. I feel like I have an old soul eating and drinking like this. Haha! We ordered almost all the seasonal nigiri sushi and then some for our main meal. Very satisfying, but it's unfortunate that I need to ask them to brush the sweet soy sauce (nikiri) on them every single time I order nigiri. I feel like this should be an expected treatment for a more high end sushi restaurant, but that's just my personal preference. The service has been very good every time I come here. Just make sure to reserve a table online since the place fills up easily since it's a pretty small restaurant. There's also outdoor seating available if anyone prefers that. I will always go for the bar seat so I can converse with the chef when possible. Be a bit worrisome though. Nigiri sushi tends to slip off of the dish with the slanted table at the bar. I've seen it slide into someone's water once which was funny, but still sad to see it happen. It's fair to say I'll return here again because I have already came back more than once already. Sushi here is for sure worth your time and money. read more

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This is probably the best sushi around. The sushi almost melts in your mouth. It's so soft and fresh. It can, however, get busy. A reservation might be a good idea if you want a good table or a seat in front of the sushi chef. The restaurant has a homey charm to it. It's a little small, but it's cozy. read more

Great bang for the buck. The 14 piece omakase with 2 more pieces of otoro sashimi, a nodaguro piece, an octopus piece and a green eyed mackerel piece only cost $120 after tax and tip. I even got tempura brussel sprouts on the happy hour menu. Service was quick and friendly. There's only 12 bar seats but they're totally worth it. There's also lots of seating and the ambiance is cozy. Would return read more

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We always enjoy our dinners at SanKai, and will be returning for our 39th anniversary celebration in August 2024. Food is perfect, service is on point, and the space is lovely. read more

Food was amazing. Some of the best sushi I have had. The service was amazing as well. Not too far of a drive from Seattle either. read more

SanKai Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

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Ordered the omakase from San Kai. Definitely some fresh fish from this place, however I still wouldn't compare this place to the likes of Sushi Kashiba and other popular places in downtown. The pricing and freshness of the fish is good deal. Sushi comes out a bit slow but they do have heated outdoor covered seating. Would I come back? Probably when I'm thinking of having some higher end decent sushi and too lazy to make a trip down south haha read more

SanKai Sushi - Rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

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I LOVE Sankai. I have been here multiple times and there is always something new to try as well as a good variety of fish. I literally will eat until my stomach hurts from being full, it's that good. I think out of most places, sankai has the best rotating menu with seasonal fish and lots of options for sushi lovers. The cuts are really good and it's not overwhelming with rice. They didn't put wasabi on all of the nigiri so it was nice to adjust the wasabi amount by adding on top. We got a variety of things: two hot sakes, assortment of nigiri (at least 16 pieces total), two rolls (negitori and spider), sea cucumber, braised/pork dish + rice, and salad with onion/carrot dressing. The total came out to about 180 after the tips/tax which really wasn't bad considering everything that we ordered. DO make a reservation, it's been pretty busy every time I come here, even on the random weekdays. Food Info: The pork/daikon is a dish that isn't found too often at restaurants but was so nostalgic since this is a dish my family makes in the winter time, it truly did not disappoint. Paired with rice makes for a filling but very balanced appetizer. Some of the seasonal fish that we enjoyed was hotaru ika and ebodai (butter fish). In addition enjoyed red snapper, snapper, flounder, the toro was so good-- we kept ordering more every round. The service was exceptional, we had questions about the sea cucumber and the server took time to explain how the dish was prepared (boiled briefly in hojicha which I didn't realize). When the chef heard us asking questions, he offered a small sample before committing to the entire appetizer which was very nice. read more

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Note: I dropped a lot of culinary green solo or with others over the years when Chef/Owner Ryuichi Nakano was at the helm at Kisaku in Seattle's Tangletown neighborhood. Often it was so restorative especially after a long day at work and stuck in traffic. Easily a consistent five stars for the service and amazing cuisine back in the day. It's very difficult to write this long overdue review for San Kai in Edmonds. I'm a northender and have tried many Japanese restaurants in the greater Seattle area over the decades. I thought San Kai could be my go to with my two memorable preCovid experiences, but my two other unlucky experiences I view as anomalies, I had to remove two stars. Having high quality sushi, especially omakase, is a hit or miss situation during the pandemic. I will just await the day of 100% safe onsite dining, because the having nigiri, other featured menu items, and/or splurging on omakase has other components that go beyond the chef and quality of the crafted menu items...service, presentation, freshness, temperature, interaction, ambiance, environment, ad naseum. Two separate solo visits I was seated at the window counter facing the street/sidewalk on 10/29/19 (soft opening) and 3/1/20 (called and arrived straight off the Kingston/Edmonds ferry). Both visits were simply amazing, easily *5 star plus* experiences. Delicious, delightful cuisine. Gracious, welcoming host and wait staff. Lovely interior. Two other attempts were epic fails. One attempt was NYE 12/31/19, just wanted to check on availability for party of one early in the evening. Nope, I remembered being coldly denied. No opportunity to inquire about potential availability with a later time slot or takeout. Granted I don't know if they were in the weeds that evening and simply could not accomodate a solo diner, wasn't given that chance. Just showed the door. Wow. The second attempt was 3/6/21 following the directions on their website. However, online orders were not permitted. So I called to see if I could place a takeout order. Again, told curtly no orders were being taken. Two hours before closing? I was going to order $70 pretax/pretip of menu items. Denied again. No explanation or apology given. Double wow. These anomalies came to mind as I was going to try for third time's the charm mindset, but decided not to. I'd rather remember positive culinary experiences from dining at Kisaku and those two exemplary visits mentioned above at San Kai. Unfortunate, but that's my personal experiences dining onsite and takeout attempts via online or phone. read more

We made reservations for a table in one of the igloos. It was cool! Atmosphere awesome and food OH SO GOOD! Ordered many rolls, appetizers, and plenty of sake for our party. Prices were fair too! The service was top notch. Highly recommend this place read more

SanKai Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

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5 of us went here to celebrate my birthday. It was our first time going to SanKai and we are talking about our next rip across the water to enjoy it again. Really good sushi. Great service. Make sure to get the sparkling saki! read more

SanKai Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

So glad I finally found a good sushi place near me! We picked up the Otoro Tartare, it has a nice spicy kick to it. I had to pick up more Otoro, cause tuna belly is the absolute best, and this one didn't disappoint. The 11 piece Omakase Set was also delicious. They have a nice variety and the fish is high quality. They have outdoor seating which is nice and really great service too! read more

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If you like sushi it's a must try, Food is so fresh and customer service is always amazing. read more

Fresh sushi at decent prices. All 3 visits have met expectations. Easy parking. Recommend reservations.

This is the best sushi I've ever had! Every roll is fantastic. Favorites include the spider roll, lobster roll, and Edmonds roll! Must try for dessert the Japanese cheesecake! So light and fluffy The service is always great! Our server was so kind. I love that they still have the outdoor igloos, heated for the winter! So cute for date night. read more

Almost don't want to review this place so it's more of a secret but SanKai is easily one of the best sushi places in the Seattle region and definitely the best north of Seattle. The chef and staff greet your warmly when you enter the small and intimate restaurant. Make reservations bc it gets busy. If you want a unique experience you can reserve outdoor seating in the heated plastic bubbles! Sushi and all the food we ate are exemplar. It's our go-to sushi place. Ambiance is modern with warm wood decor and nice sushi bar seats; service is excellent--wait staff very attentive and the head sushi chef so welcoming and attentive. We didn't make reservations and tried our luck for two at the sushi bar. Wait staff ending up moving some seating around so we had 2 hours to enjoy our meal! Highly recommend! And try to make reservations! What we ate: miso soup, fried oysters, miso cod, brackett's landing roll, caterpillar roll, seattle roll, eel nigiri, yellowtail nigiri, chutoro (fatty tuna) nigiri, dairy-free mochi strawberry & chocolate read more

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All I can say is wow. This may be my favorite sushi restaurant in the northern greater Seattle area (Edmonds). We ordered the sankai roll along with a sashimi platter with different kinds of nigiri. The fish tasted so fresh and flavorful in its unique way. On top of the amazing food, the service was amazing as well. Our server always came consistently, even when it got busier. This place is very popular and higher end than most sushi places locally so I recommend booking ahead/making a reservation. read more

SanKai Sushi - Sankai roll with toro and uni on the side. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

Great sushi and really good dessert. I recommend the cheesecake especially. It can get loud inside but the light-up bubbles outside are great. Overall worth it! read more

Fresh and delicious! This was our first time here and the perfect spot for a romantic night out. Amazing service and the atmosphere was on point. We couldn't choose what we wanted so shared and a few different dishes. All of the items were amazing, the Nigiri was my absolute favorite. read more

Came here on a Tuesday night and was able to get seated for 2 after a quick 10 minutes. They do take reservations so we'll do that next time. Everything was really good, we tried the potato salad with a soft boiled egg, tempura green beans and 2 rolls. The SanKai roll was especially good! Service was excellent, definitely recommend and will be coming back. read more

SanKai Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

In downtown Edmonds om middle.of.no where a true gem for.Japanese.cuisine Happy hour and.more -try Unagi Donburi @$13 Tempura Brussels Sprouts @$7 Green Bean Tempura @$8 Panko Osyters @$14.50 And if you like Foie Gras try.the amazing Ankimo (Monkfish Liver) Heaven @$12 oh by.the.way sushi is great.too--cozy and.comfortable with.great service with a smile read more

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The food was bland and the service was poor. Super disappointed in my choice for a birthday bite.

I suppose omakase means poor quality here! I have never had such a bad experience in a sushi restaurant. The fish was old and smelly, obvious from the appearance without even tasting it. It was so disgusting I could only eat a few pieces. Service wasn't bad but I would NEVER return. read more

Lovely spot--amaebi w quail egg 4 best bite, like a delightful shrimp custard in your mouth read more

SanKai Sushi - Omakase and sockeye chu otoro amaebi w quail egg nigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

Better fish quality than other sushi places which are double the price. Best value I have ever had. And I hate using the word value because it makes it sound mediocre...it was incredible. Mouth gasms every bite. This is my new place. read more

SanKai Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

My wife is Japanese and quite picky about where to eat Nigiri in Seattle. She knows the "Itamae" from his prior business that was in the Green Lake area years ago. Enough said to consider going to San Kai. read more

First of two reviews - "obaasan's birthday" - grandma wanted sushi (maguro, hamachi, tako), tsukemono, sunomono, panko oysters, and a raw egg over hot rice. The last one I had to make myself (old school, haha). Sankai supplied the rest. Omago (grandchildren) and my otouto (younger brother) wanted sushi and tempura. As with the previous visits, the food was excellent...beautiful in appearance (even in a "to-go" box)," aroma, and flavor. Stimulating our senses' perceptions, Sankai's attention to detail is exquisite: tenderizing the tako (touch/texture), wakame in the crab sunomono (color/contrast), and of course, the balanced flavors (umami, salt, sweet, sour) of the all the dishes. Obaason reminisced about the kaiseki dinner, served at her otousan's (father's) Beiju (88th birthday) at Togetsu in the old Frye hotel lobby. Otouto (younger brother), from Danville, said the food was as good as the top Japanese restaurants in the bay area. Second review - date-night - my wife and I finally visited, fulfilling my wish to experience the ambiance of my new favorite Japanese restaurant. Friday night, the restaurant is quite busy, we were invited to a two-top facing the street...best seats in the house...watching Edmonds-ites walk up and down Fourth, and the frequent "u-turn" of a Tesla. Most of our dinner was selected from the night's special's menu. As expected, and not to be disappointed, the food was excellent in flavor profile, aroma and appearance. Tempura green beans - tempura served hot is the best! There are few people who work as hard as a dishwasher in a Japanese restaurant. Every menu item is served on a separate plate, with condiments often on another plate or bowl. The benefit (for the customer) is the beauty of each menu item is framed by the dish. For example, my order of five nigiri came on a "right-sized" plate, perfect for the presentation of my food as art. We matched a French "Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis 1st Dru" with our meal, and like the "Drops of God," it was an excellent paring. In a time, when "indifferent" service is accepted as a baseline, Sankai's service was excellent, top-notch. This high praise is based not only on the waitstaff's attentiveness and teamwork, but also their expediency, politeness and mannerisms...a prefect reflection of the Japanese service and hospitality. This dining experience as a whole reminded me of the old school Seattle Japanese restaurants. Tsukushinbo - the street front view. Nikko - the sound of the dining room. Kayo and Bush Garden - the crafting of the sushi. Oishii deshita! read more

My number 1 sushi place in Seattle now. Easily the largest assortment of fish. Next time gotta sit at the bar. read more

SanKai Sushi - Hotaru ika, kinmedai, medai, nodoguro, kohada, hotate, ichigai - Sushi Bars Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

This is nice place that very close to the Edmonds beach. The services were pretty nice but not the foods. I ordered sashimi chef choice, the fish were not that fresh and the way they decorated the foods look not attractive, as for eels roll it was okay. Expectation does not meet. read more

SanKai Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

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We are fortunate in this area to have Japanese restaurants for every taste and budget. There are creative places that construct novel and visually appealing rolls and places that cover the spectrum from sushi to ramen to teriyaki. SanKai is my favorite type: Simple sushi that is so fresh and delicious it requires no window-dressing whatsoever. We ordered the Omakase sashimi among other things, and we were very happy with the chef's choices. The variety was excellent and included some sort of very lightly cold-smoked tuna in the mix, something I've never tasted before but would absolutely revisit. the portions were generous both in the Omakase plate and the appetizer sashimi plate (yeah, we *really* love sashimi!) and also in the nigiri we ordered. It's important to say it because bad rice can kill good sushi... The rice here is perfect. Fresh, the right flavor, just sticky enough to hold together, and the right quantity to underpin that fabulous slab of fresh fish. I'm usually a sake drinker though I stuck with Sapporo on this visit. Their sake menu is solid, and they also offer a variety of Japanese whiskies to complement your dining experience. SanKai's prices are reasonable, the food quality is excellent, and the dining experience is pleasant making this restaurant a value winner in my book. read more

I made reservations for one the day before. I got there early and got seated right away. Reservations fill up fast if you want a good time spot. Sushi chef was attentive I ordered: Ankimo (monkfish liver) *kind of like eating foie gras but cold and less buttery *First time trying monkfish liver. Not my thing but preparation and sauce were good Shrimp and vegetable tempura *it was prepared well *i liked having the shiitake mushroom Salmon sashimi *fresh and buttery Ama Ebi with fried shrimp head *fresh and not slimy like in some restaurants *fried shrimp head was crispy and light Toro sushi *so fatty it fell apart on the rice Mochi ice cream *pistachio and vanilla *not too sweet, perfect for end of meal read more

Great sushi at a reasonable price with a wide selection and some unique fish. Best part was our omakasi chef who explained everything he made and walked us through every bite suggesting what he would put on each one. Would highly recommend if you don't want to travel into downtown Seattle and looking for something easy to get to and friendly staff. read more

Food was great. Ambiance was good. Chef Nakano was great! The wasabi was a little strong for our liking, but the fish quality was really good for the price. Surprisingly our least favorite was the otoro. But the Sea Perch was very good! I would definitely recommend as it's one of the better if not the best spot for sushi up north of Seattle. read more

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