Cancel

Open app

Search

Sawa Sushi

3.8 (289 reviews)
Ultra High-EndSushi Bars, Japanese, Seafood
Closed 6:00 pm - 10:00 PM

Sawa Sushi Photos

Business Info

SAWA SUSHI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Sawa Sushi

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Phillip S.

Sawa is always a joy to enjoy and his 30+ years of being open shines through. This is the best sashimi you will have in the south bay. Highest quality of fish (flown in from Japan), and his home made (from scratch) are a perfect complement to his fish. Sake lovers will find sake you can only get in Japan.

A better cut of hamachi which I don't remember the name of, with a huge dollop of ikura, flavoured to perfection.
Sue J.

What you read on the reviews are all true- it's what you like I guess. I did not do my research, walked in, and was totally caught off guard. I was stiff and closed off and reading reviews frantically at the bar and was questioning my friend's choice of restaurant. After a bit of time, I put the phone away and let myself experience. I had a good time. The chef is super funny. He liked that I spoke Japanese a bit I think, and we had a lot of fun. It definitely was a different experience. A 4 star because it was so fun, but I need a bit more in my meal. I'm glad everything is super fresh and excellent- and these days, sourcing is so important. I will never forget my meal at Sawa.

Uni
Daniella X.

If you are a lover of sashimi, this Sashimi Omakase restaurant is highly recommended! The owner is a knowledgeable and interesting guy who mentioned that his restaurant is invested by NVIDIA's CEO Jenson Huang. Later, it was discovered that NVIDIA's videos can also be found on the restaurant's website. Thanks to the recommendations from some tech celebrities, various well-known figures in the industry often visit the restaurant, even including the CEO of my company. So, there is a chance that you might meet some big names while dining there! The vibe is very chill The cuisine is mainly centered around sashimi and sauce, without any main courses, making it a paradise for carb-free enthusiasts! The sashimi is incredibly fresh, using high-quality ingredients. The chef will serve you what he thinks is best, with a total of 6 courses, each with its own unique characteristics and generous portion size. The sauces are also specially made, including Hokkaido scallops, salmon, salmon roe, tuna, sea bream, clam, sweet shrimp, and mochi ice cream for dessert. You will definitely feel full but not heavy, as there are no carbs in the dishes.

Shao-Lon Y.

This is one of the best restaurants I've eaten at in my life! Steve is extremely fun and social and makes great food. As long as you come in with an open mind, you'll love whatever he makes you. It's a little pricey, but you're not only paying for food, you're paying for the entire experience. Talking with Steve and him changing the menu to suit your tastes is part of the amazing experience. He literally gave our party an entire tray of uni, a tin of beluga caviar, and the biggest Wagyu steak I've ever seen. Everything made the meal completely worth the price!

Flory A.

My husband brought me here for my birthday, we had the whole place to ourselves . It was one of the best, if not the best sushi I have had. If you're trying to get rolls and California rolls , this is not your place. Go to Safeway and get sushi there. This is the place to come when you want to experience REAL Japanese food. Come with an open mind - it is a restaurant for foodies only . Ps. I have never liked uni , however, after trying the uni here I have to say I have changed my mind. Amazing experience , amazing chef.

Sawa Sushi is serious, no-compromises omakase sashimi. The owner knows his craft and knows the fish. My wife and I have been to Sawa a few times now - Valentine's day plus a few more weekends. Each time, we've been surprised with the exquisite quality of the sashimi and skill of the chef. Come here if you want: 1. Serious sashimi - reservations are needed because the chef will literally fly in fish from Japan the day of your meal to serve it to you that evening 2. An extensive sake selection 3. A skillful, highly knowledgeable chef who will spoil you all evening with excellent food and commentary

Tasha S.

While we have only just discovered the beauty of Sawa, the quality of sashimi is simply unparalleled to anything we've had in Silicon Valley. Delectable, melt in your mouth, incredible. Steve is wonderful - a character worthy of an entire story for himself. He's been so gracious, welcoming and friendly each time. Cannot wait to be back.

Gigi K.

Came here on a Friday night and we were so lucky. The other group canceled last minute so we had the whole restaurant to ourselves! Sawa (owner and chef) was so friendly and engaging from the moment we walked in. We were able to have a natural conversation with him as he served us our meal. Dinner was served classic omakase style and the chef decided what we ate. All the courses were DELICIOUS! We had fresh fish shipped in from Japan paired with Sawa's personal sauce creations. Everything was so well balanced and the cuts of fish were so meaty, sweet, and decadent! The sauces that were paired were unique but not overpowering. My favorite had to be the Hokkaido uni! I was hesitant at first as I'm normally a sushi fanatic and this place only serves it sashimi style but I have no regrets. I got to taste huge chunks of fresh fish uniquely prepared. It really didn't need the rice. We'll definitely be back as having a local omakase place in South Bay at this quality is AMAZING!

Scallop
Ying X.

Legitimately some of the best sushi I've had, on par with the best in Japan. My husband and I made a booking for 6pm to celebrate our anniversary. The shop is located in a strip mall-type plaza, and is VERY unassuming (on the plus side, easy parking!). Once you go inside, the layout is very similar to your standard Japanese restaurant, sushi bar on one side and a few tables surrounding it. We sat at the sushi bar a few seats away from another couple (the restaurant was otherwise empty and our chef was very good about following covid precautions). The omakase here is served as sashimi instead of nigiri (so no rice), but you get VERY generous slices. The fish is SO fresh (our uni was packaged and flown from Japan literally yesterday) and flavorful, my taste buds experienced more flavors than I thought existed. Our chef also makes his own sauces and you can truly taste that there's something special about the sauces. Never had anything like them before. And I truly do mean generous portions, the fatty tuna and uni course was bigger than my fist (see pictures). Our other favorite courses were the scallop and sakura-masu (similar to salmon but much fattier and more flavorful). The meal is very pricy ($500 for the standard course and we also got an extra one that was added on), but you definitely get your money's worth. I haven't been so happy and satisfied with my sushi in years (prob since my last visit to Japan). I really want to come back next time I'm in town, but the owner says he might be retiring soon. Regardless, I'm so glad I had the chance for this experience! Anyone looking for legit omakase NEEDS to come check out Sawa.

Tako!
A C.

It's been over 20 years and I love Sawa Sushi still! Mr Sawa squeezed me in last minute as a solo diner since I was shopping in the area. So kind of him. Also I was one of his frequent customers in year 1 when he opened and I was living in the area. Everything was oiishi! He asked me if I had any dietary restrictions. I said no and then continued with examples of things I did like... he heard heard Uni and then went off and opened up his "treasure box" from Japan. It was amazing!!!! Think of ahhhhhwwww sound in movies when they open a box and then it glows... I swear I heard the sound of angles and boy did it glow... He set me up with 3-4 courses before the uni course w/ otoro-chu toro! I was getting so full! I literally ate up every little thing on each plate before the uni course. The first course was the cold scallops with chilled Japanese cucumber + radish... the next course: Salad with Sakura fish. Delicious and the dressing was amazing with a dusting of power made from 72 different dried beans (imparts a slight roasted nutty flavor). His flavors all his own custom concoctions or Japanese imported (the wasabi was from Niigata) . And the cuts were more than generous! In the end I had to take 3 pieces home because I just could not eat another bite. But that means yummy midnight snack! While I was there, a Sake specialist entered and I learned a little more about all the super premium sake that Sawa carried at the restaurant. I was driving back up to SF after dinner, so I did not drink anything but water. I'm sure I would have enjoyed the dinner a lot more if paired with some smooth clean cold sake! Next time!

See all

11 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

20 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 13
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 1

11 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Chris Y.
47
110
2

17 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of krissy S.
19
91
118

13 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Jack C.
264
33
38

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Jeff L.
201
116
45

11 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of J. B.
3
301
2

15 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Kate S.
89
18
0

8 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Jo L.
250
69
50

10 years ago

Helpful 12
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 1
Photo of Arman B.
233
197
4

10 years ago

Helpful 40
Thanks 0
Love this 18
Oh no 1

12 years ago

Helpful 28
Thanks 0
Love this 20
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Absolutely horrible experience!!! Guy was so rude and verbally insuting!!! I never experienced such rudeness in my life!!!

Helpful 9
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 1

13 years ago

Helpful 20
Thanks 0
Love this 5
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of David N.
22
477
633

13 years ago

Helpful 11
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 9
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Rob L.
143
79
33

12 years ago

Helpful 8
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 8
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0
Photo of Alex N.
221
19
7

8 years ago

Food is over priced, quality is extremely poor/not fresh, the chef is also rude. Don't waste your money and time here.

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

13 years ago

Helpful 8
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Bill M.
28
191
53

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

Page 5 of 8

Sawa Sushi Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Sawa Sushi

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Sushi Bars 93,536 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Cap't Loui

Cap't Loui

4.6(1.3k reviews)
1.9 mi
$$
Free parking
Large group friendly

Quick and great service! Everything we ordered was really good. A lot of flavor, but wish there was…read morea bit more sauce. We came on a Wednesday evening and there was a lot of people, but we got seated quickly.

Came here with my coworker last night after work. She was craving cajun seafood. It was about 7pm,…read morehalf empty. About 7:30pm, the whole place became packed. The staff brought the menu, we said it was our first time here, how do you order. I think he was either new or just shy but he didn't explain much how to order, other than I asking questions. My coworker and I ordered their 2 lbs; 1lb shrimp, half clams, half calamari with a free side of Corn. In a bag/plate, it already includes corn and potatoes. We asked how many corn there was, he said there was ONE. When the plate came, there was 4. We could of ordered something else for the side if it was clearer. I wish there was more clearer instructions on ingredients when we already said it was our first time dining in. Also there was only ONE single potato. My coworker also ordered a side of Garlic noodles. Everything was super delicious. It was the amount of spicy mild that we like. The environment was busy, but clean. Parking was easy to find. Just more explaining about what you offer, where the gloves are to eat, rather than you just pass us this tray of stuff. A need of more customer service would had been nicer.

Photos
Cap't Loui
Cap't Loui
Cap't Loui

See all

The City Fish - Combo platter

The City Fish

4.4(1.3k reviews)
3.3 mi
$$

We dropped by during happy hour and tried their oysters, fish taco, chicken wings and fries, and…read morefried fish. The oysters were 10/10, juicy, fresh, and plump meat. They were 1.75$ each. The fish taco was ginormous with grilled fish and two tortillas. The fried fish was nicely battered and tender. The chicken wings were solid -- nothing to write home about, just basic but a solid option if you're not into fish (or want fries, which is why we got them). The service is great, friendly staff!

The fish pieces are huge and a single person would be totally full from a 2 piece fish and chips…read more The fish and chips were well fried and were still crispy even though I ordered my food to-go. They were generous with the tarter sauce and vinegar, which I appreciated, but I personally didn't love the taste of the tarter sauce. It had maybe carrots or something in it and I wish it were more tangy. It gets the job done but I might make my own next time. I also got a cup of clam chowder. It was tasty but being from SF I've had much better chowder elsewhere. I would skip this next time. The stand out here was the service I got from Javi. He took my phone order and was polite and courteous without "doing too much." He was the one to also ring me up and hand me my order and he was, again, chill but also super nice. He did a great job. It would be unfair to not share the low point of my experience, even though I hate putting people on blast. While I was picking up my order, there were two female employees standing behind Javi behind the register. One of the ladies was braiding the other ones hair. In food service it's really important not to touch your hair - you should be ready to work before you arrive, or head to the bathroom to take care of any grooming. In the moment I just tried to shrug it off but then the lady braiding the hair sprayed some kind of hair product to finish things off, and I later realized my food was sitting on the counter right next to them. It really disturbed me how they didn't see their behavior as inappropriate and it didn't bother them at all that I was being rung up while they were doing this. I'm a little torn about whether or not I would return. Again, the service from Javi was great and the fish and chips were definitely good - no complaints there. However I didn't love everything I got with my meal and I'm not sure how seriously they take cleanliness given the employees doing their hair in the front.

Photos
The City Fish
The City Fish - Chilean Sea Bass Special

Chilean Sea Bass Special

The City Fish - Michelada

See all

Michelada

Bag O Crab - Seafood bag special

Bag O Crab

3.8(73 reviews)
1.8 mi
12 years in business
Kid friendly

1/5/2026 Bag O Crab…read more108 E El Camino Real Sunnyvale, CA 94087 Having had a good experience with the fried oysters, I returned to try the seafood boil. I ordered the head on shrimp and clams bag which also came with a small corn on the cob and potato with spicy Cajun sauce. After ordering at the counter my bag was brought to me shortly. All the eating gear is at a station where I got gloves and a bib. Everything was really tasty and quantity was perfect. A good value and I'll repeat.

I heard a bit of buzz on Bag O Crab when it opened a few months ago and decided to try it out…read moreduring lunch time on a Saturday. They have really good lunch special prices for their combos and plates, but the special pricing is only on weekdays. Service was friendly and prompt. It's quite spacious inside. I will be honest and say the food is quite lackluster. The seasoning wasn't really flavorful and it tasted more oily/buttery. I understand there is a lot of butter in seafood boil sauce mixtures, but that was all I tasted here. Food: - Combo 1: Mussels and head-on shrimp with atomic bomb sauce. Combo includes sausages, corn, and potatoes. The mussels had no flavor to them even if they were swimming in all that sauce. - Louisiana Seafood Pasta: It didn't taste that seafood-y. The pasta noodles were cooked al-dente. The sauce tasted like Nissin Cup Noodles Chicken flavor ramen seasoning, not really Louisiana style. Very disappointing, but it had the most flavor compared to combo 1. Unfortunately, I do not see myself revisiting as there are a variety of other seafood boil places in the Bay Area (especially east side SJ).

Photos
Bag O Crab - Seating inside

Seating inside

Bag O Crab - Seafood bag special

Seafood bag special

Bag O Crab - Potato

See all

Potato

Sawa Sushi - sushi - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...