Ichika Izakaya

Had the $168 omakase option for my friend's birthday dinner and they were so nice and accommodating!! She absolutely loved it!Ambiance: The restaurant itself is such a cute little space! We sat at the bar for the omakase, which I highly recommend you do. Service: Excellent! Our plates were always cleared so quickly and my water was refilled constantly.Food: Super fresh and yummy! They have kizami wasabi, which I love, and the uni was my fave. My friend doesn't eat meat (she's a pescatarian) and they were able to accommodate for her, which I really appreciated. They even put a candle in her dessert!Overall, you should check this place out if you're in the area! I'll definitely be back!

It was a very disappointing meal for us. First off, this place is NOT an izakaya. It's maybe a sushi joint, or a jack of all trades Japanese restaurant (I do see ramen on the menu for $20). Secondly, the price point is very high for the location on the peninsula (as evidenced by how much they charge for ramen), compared to restaurants in Burlingame and San Mateo. And lastly, food and service were both subpar.We ordered the following dishes:1. Kimchee bacon: The best dish of the night, but it was mostly kimchee with very few slices of pork belly at the bottom, very salty towards the end but at least the portion and taste were satisfactory2. Grilled Beef Tongue: This dish made me think they have NO idea what Japanese grilling is. We were served a plate of onion salad topped with an equal amount of bonito, and tiny pieces of beef tongue tossed in. What the hell was that? Who serves beef tongue julienned? Is it the trimmings of the actual beef tongue you sold out earlier? Also I'm not even sure it was grilled - more like sautéed. It was a joke for $163. Hamachi Kama: you gotta be kidding me for serving a collar that small. It was overcooked as well. Meat was dry af.4. The rice: yes the rice. Because they serve you rice not in a rice bowl, but in a saucer (the kind that cucumber salad comes in). For $3.50 (which is fine, if you would give your customers an honest serving), do you not think people can tell what you're doing? Service was also lacking. When asking about the beef tongues dish, the waitress was quite dismissive and visibly annoyed, and practically gave us no information. We also did not get our edamame (though it was removed from the check).Maybe this is an izakaya you only come in for sushi, I don't know. Although we won't for anything.

One of my favorite places to get sushi and geso karaage. I was totally ready to come and snap some pictures and give them a five star review but quality was off for some reason. The geso karaage is normally very notably fresh despite it being deep fried. But this time, it came out burnt and the quality of the squid was not as fresh. The squid was quite tough. The fish for the nigiri was a little slimy and moderately slimy for the sweet shrimp. Servers are always attentive and friendly. Decent amount of seating with tables, a high table, and a sushi bar. You can get away with no reservation for the most part but may be optimal for busier nights and if you have a preference for table seating.

Ordered the only ramen choice on their menu "Chashu Ramen". They didnt have spice level options, immediate flag to expect a basic ramen dish. The broth was a bit too salty and the chashu was not that great. 3/5I also ordered nigiri O-Toro. That was delicious! 5/5Overall, I wouldnt recommend this place for Ramen cravings. But, if youre looking for some good sushi, this is a good place to try out.

This time we were sitting on the bar, and the service was more than five star! My favorite sushi place

Amazing. And they have a Milpitas location too, and maybe another, I forgot. Great service and ambiance. Ordered the Giants roll, toro roll with mango, oyster specials (don't squeeze too much lemon juice onto it, it overpowers a little!), 4 skewers (which were good but not amazing, but solid), geso fry, and creamy udon. Creamy udon is big btw! Plan your stomach accordingly if you get the creamy udon.Absolutely will be back, prob to try their Milpitas location as it's closer to me.

Our first time in. Brought a friend and it did not disappoint. Food is really good. Ambiance is great.

This place is a gem in San Bruno! My cousins and I try to do a monthly cousin dinner to catch up, and we had an out of state cousin in the area who wanted sushi and skewers so a quick search on Yelp led us to Ichika Izakaya. One thing I appreciated was that you can make reservations online and I would suggest reservations because they were pretty packed the Saturday night we arrived especially with us having a party of 10. We ordered an assortment of appetizers and rolls to do it "family style" and everything was good. I could nitpick and say the grilled beef tongue could've been cut a little bigger instead of thin strips to be easier to pick up, but the flavors were on point and we finished everything on the table. The food came out in a timely manner and both servers were friendly and attentive to our table despite the busy restaurant. Overall, Ichika Izakaya is a must go if you're in the area. They're also located in a plaza so parking is abundant and free.

The food was delicious! The presentation of the food is great and aesthetic. We were originally enticed to this place because of their treasure box. The restaurant is a little hidden in this small plaza in the corner. Parking was fairly easy! The service was comforting and always checking up on us.

We had Saturday dinner reservations at Ichika for a group of nine to celebrate a friend's birthday, and the experience did not disappoint. We were seated promptly upon checking in, and the feast began almost immediately.We ordered so much food that it felt like the dishes would never stop coming. My personal favorites from the appetizers were the Yakimono (skewers) and Geso Karaage. The skewers were packed with flavor, and the karaage was impressively light, not too greasy at all. When it comes to mains, I always gravitate towards sushi, and this time was no different--the rolls and chirashi bowl were fantastic. The fish tasted incredibly fresh and clean. As for the creamy udon, it had a unique, carbonara-like flavor. While it wasn't quite for me, it's worth trying if that style appeals to you.The staff was friendly and attentive throughout the evening, and they surprised us with a complimentary birthday matcha ice cream scoop, complete with a lit candle. Parking is hassle-free, with plenty of spaces in the lot. All in all, it was a great experience, and I'll definitely be back!