SAKAE Sushi & Grill
| Address: | 243 California Dr, Burlingame, CA 94010, USA |
| Phone: | +1 650-348-4064 |
| Site: | sakaesushi.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 5:30–9:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 12
A
A Private User
I learned they moved a few blocks to a better location, so I decided to try it out. I tried a very basic lunch menu with sushi and udon, so my review may not be the most accurate. But as far as what I ate is concerned, I could tell they do get good fresh high quality fish. Rice was in a decent quality too. Their market position is about more Japanese Sushi bar and Sake, not American rolls. Having said that, somehow fish is not as good as what I get in Umi (San Francisco) or Tomi Sushi (Mountain View). The broth for Udon was not sure if it is Kansai style or Kanto style, it did not feel they used real grated Bonito flake. (Probably they were aiming Kansai style, but the soup was a bit too flavored in one dimension). I do not drink alcohol, so I could not tell, but on that one, they seem to have a great list of assortment of Sake. I see some good names listed there. On that front, this place may be better than the other places. Other than Sake, they may not be unique enough to stick out out of so many Sushi places in the Bay Area. Although they got a great infrastructure already to source good quality ingredients, they can potentially serve finicky Sushi lovers.
SH
Sherry Li
Sakae must be the only sushi restaurant in Burlingame, because it serves up over-priced and gimmicky sushi touting as the real thing. Well, its not. Its not so much that the quality of fish was just that poor. But for the prices they are charging, its really not mind-blowing at all. I got the omakase which includes two appetizers and 10 pieces of sushi chosen by the chef - for a price of $75. For a $75 omakase, the fish should be top notch. I got ordinary pieces like a not-so-impressive salmon that didnt taste like anything and a marinated bonito that... well, also didnt taste like much. The chawanmush was disappointing. The flavors and preparation are not authentic at all. Its a poor imitation of the real thing. Everything I tasted was mediocre. Also, the chef station was not very clean or well-kept. Thats a peeve of mine. Usually the really good sushi restaurants have pristine chef stations. I just cant respect sushi that is so expensive yet so low in quality. Its sad that so many people come here and pay way too much money.
TA
Tamara Farhat
R & me came here for a few pieces of sushi before heading out for drinks and a very late dinner. The place is obviously on the higher end scale. The decor is nice and classy and about everyone that was there was well dressed. (men in suits and women in high heels). We had one salmon skin roll, one scallop roll and 4 nigiris, salmon, sea eel, tuna and sea bass. The rolls were delicious, the salmon skin was one of the best I had. Not only skin but a little salmon meat on it which made very tasty. The scallop roll was really good too. As for the nigiris, the tuna felt a little old but the others were great. The sea eel just melts in your mouth like butter. And the sea bass was extraordinary. Overall a great experience, the staff was very attentive and the place is very clean. Its on the expensive side so its definitely a more of a treat place than my regular go to sushi. But I would definitely love to come back here again.
ER
Erick Tseng
We saw that this restaurant had 4 stars on Yelp, so we thought wed give it a shot. Unfortunately, I found the food to be really average, the service to be a bit distracted, and, as a result, the prices to be much too high for what you get. My wife ordered the $120 omakase. Half the fish were tasty and fresh. But the other half were really meh. I tried the fatty Toro and it was fibrous, a bit mushy, and had a subtle fishy taste that you dont get with super fresh fish. I went a la carte. The hotate yaki was okay. A bit oversauced. The shrimp tempura was a bit too doughy and could have been much crisper. The hot tuna roll was good, but not worth the $14 price tag. Overall, decent sushi, but you can find much better sushi for the same price elsewhere.
SE
Sean Blumberg
I have had countless great experiences here over the past several years. Definitely the best sushi that I have had in San Mateo County and a real contender for the best in the Bay. They only serve the highest quality fish, have beautiful presentation (especially the omakase sashimi for two!), and good service. Ill admit that it can be a bit pricey, but I truly believe that it is worth every penny. To get the full experience, sit at the bar and try one of the omakase combos, the chirashi, or order a la cart from the daily specials. I usually visit for the sushi, but the cooked dishes that I have had were equally excellent.
KR
krobie53
Service was very prompt, food came out fast and was very well made, restaurant was clean and nicely furnished, and prices werent outrageous. The staff has a bit of a language barrier, so make sure someone good with accents goes with you, but having bilingual staff is certainly impressive. The menu was a tad confusing and required that you know a little bit about sushi and Japanese to understand it. But I would go again.
A
A Private User
Ive eaten at this restaurant several times now, and Ive had mixed results. From decent, to really bad. The last two times, it was in the really bad category, so Ill average to a 2*. Its really pricey too, with a deceptively confusing menu. There are a lot of restaurants in the Bay Area, so if a restaurant doesnt even try to strive to be the best, or pretty close to it, why bother staying open?
JE
Jennifer Hopkins
This restaurant is a staple in my families favorite E restaurants. The fish is excellent, so fresh! The primary sushi chef is really creative a year owners really provide a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere. We have been eating at this location and the former location for about 10 years. The quality has stayed high for so long. It has never wavered. I really love this place!
TO
Tom Pistor
Update 2017 : upped rating to 5 because of excellent consistency. Yes it is still expensive, but worth it. ----- Way the beep overpriced. Way. Way. $6 cucumber roll? Really? ! Are the cucumbers imported from Japan? It is excellent sushi. Chefs are Japanese. Consistently the highest quality sushi Ive found in bay area.
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peter k
One of the better sushi places. I mean focus on the sushi. The other food is good. But the sushi here is the main thing. It will be pricey. Service here is hit or miss. But the sushi is worth it. And I dont mean the stuff covered in sauces that mask bad quality. I mean get raw fish where the fish the star.
DA
David Adams
If this restaurant has a theme, its fish and mayonnaise. Its not bad, but most of their sushi has mayonnaise in it. Their seared scallops come topped with about a half a cup of mayo. If you dont love mayo, there are other options. For example, the salmon belly is amazing and I highly recommend it.
TR
Troy Wilkes
Excellent food with very personable service sitting at the Sushi Bar. I frequent them weekly for my sushi/sashimi fix. They are over shadowed by construction next door and not being able to see them with trucks in front. Dont fret they take care of their customers with Great quality food.
