Sushi Ai

It's nice that we have so many more omakase options on the peninsula now. Sushi Ai just joined Shin and Nagai in Redwood City, and we had a rare opportunity to get out for a weekday date night. The chef had previously been at Kusakabe, Ju-Ni, and Friends Only, and we were seated with him and one other couple at the counter (there was a larger party of 6 at a separate table in an adjacent space). The current menu is $175 + 20% service, which is a reasonable price for omakase these days. They have beer, wine, and sake, and corkage is $50 for bottles not on their current list.1. Hokkaido horsehair crab with ponzu gelee and golden osetra caviar: a great start, perfectly matched with the champagne we brought.2. Braised ankimo with squash kanpyo and ikura in a nori chip: their signature dish. I'm not usually one for ankimo in terms of flavor and texture, but this one was done really well, served warm and mixed with squash with the contrast of the chip and ikura for texture3. Slow-cooked tako slow cooked in tea herbs and topped with fresh wasabi - great umami flavor4. Deep fried tachiuo (belt fish) seasoned with curry powder: this had a notable aroma when it's set in front of you5. Chawanmushi: with Hokkaido scallop 6. Mozuku: seaweed cleanser with watershield and mountain yam 7. Mikandai: farmed snapper - aged 1 week and cured in kelp and shiso, with a nice citrus kick 8. Kasugodai: wild young snapper9. Shima-Aji: wild stripe jack 10. Akami: aged 1.5 weeks 11: Buri (winter yellowtail): wild, aged 1 week, probably my favorite of the night 12. Sawara (king mackerel): aged 1.5 weeks and marinated 13. Zuke Chu-toro: soy cured medium fatty tuna. This was half torched, which led to an interesting contrast of flavors. It was inspired by kusakabe, where the chef had previously trained14. Kamasu: Japanese barracuda, aged, torched, topped with citrus pepper paste15. Otoro: fatty tuna , aged 1.5 weeks - a bit too fatty for me 16. Bafun uni: from Hokkaido 17. Add on: unagi - the chef's favorite. It was grilled and steamed, then toasted so that it's crisp on top but still very tender undernreath - worth a try!18. Lotus root manju: deep fried and in a nice broth, with leeks, gobo, carrots, young ginger, wasabi - a nice savory way to round out the meal19: Dessert: house made hojicha ice cream with chocolate crumble It was only their 12th night open, but things were operating smoothly. I like fish that's aged and cured, and I know it's not traditional, but I do like the torch sometimes. The chef was very personable, and it was interesting to hear his story of how he went from an engineer to a young sushi chef opening his first place in Redwood City. The fish quality was great, and I appreciate the attention to detail in preparation. Especially at this price point, I'll be back!

What a delightful new spot this is! Husband somehow stumbled upon it on Resy last week and booked it, not realizing that we booked for their grand opening weekend. In spite of their newness, there were no hiccups in the experience; it was run like a well-oiled machine. It's a cozy (6 seats at the bar) omakase that's more focused on sushi - all 18 bites were magical. Of note were the barracuda, sardine, and triggerfish - that was the best sardine I'd ever had, and I had never tried or seen triggerfish on a menu before. "Ai" is "love" in Japanese, and I definitely felt the love.

One of the best new omakase opening in Bay Area. Really special dry age technique that they are using, soften the texture of the fish while brings out the umami. The service is really good and chef Nick is quite friendly as well.

Went for a friends birthday on their second day open and it was incredible. The menu for that day included things I've never tried before. Which was very exciting! The chef was knowledgeable, quirky and passionate about what he was doing. He told us a bit about his backstory and how he got to where he is today. I hope he is quite proud of himself, because it knocked our socks off & was worth every penny. Ambiance is serene and you're given a seat at the chefs table if you do the Omakase menu. I would go again for a date night. Well done Chef and staff!

All the cuisine looks pretty and tastes great. Definitely love it! The restaurant is neat and tidy, the chef is full of experience and friendly. Will come back again.

Good omakase is something I will drive really far for and this was no exception. Really enjoyed seeing the creativity of the sushi chef throughout the courses. It was nice that the space was ultra small because it was super intimate and we could talk to the chef throughout the meal. The atmosphere was nice without being stifling and pretentious.

Sushi AI (love) 愛 , A brilliant star is born at peninsula , Sushi Ai offers great experience kaiseki Omakaze experience by sushi master chef Brandon and chef Nik , with a menu comprising mixed of nigiri sushi and fried, steam , grilled bit ., a great combination!We had an unforgettable taste for every bite. Full of aged fish umami. Chef Brandon has its unique technique by aging the fish to bring out its best umami flavor!Chef Brandon guided us through every unique dishes. He carefully picks the best fish and ingredients from current season, like kegani (hairy crab),Kan buri , fatty iwashi.. to Kagoshima A5 Wagyu beef ,Being an experienced sushi chef, Brandon knows how to exactly bring out each fish its best flavor , best texture and combine with freshest ingredients. Present us each sushi dish as work of art!We can see how much he loves his work as a sushi chef also how much he loves his customers through his passion , devotion. We are particularly impressed by the aged Kan buri as well as kawahagi fish topping with its fish liver .We were absolutely in food heaven said one of us . We are so happy to be here . Besides the restaurant is very beautiful, and the experience wait persons are super nice and thoughtful !I strongly recommend you to visit Sushi Ai , It is going be a hot spot for redwood city. I believe Sushi Ai brings the Omakaze experience to a new highs!Again this is my another unforgettable perfect dinning experience. Surprising we found out, sushi Ai carries a great variety of really good sake that goes very well with our Omakaze course .Great dining experience, delicious food and good service! 2 thumbs up

Excellent experience mainly made up of aged fish but plenty of others as well. Loved the progression and minimalistic presentation so you can really taste the true flavor of the fish. Calm, beautiful environment and a great selection of sake by the glass and bottle. Hard to complain about any of the offerings. The starters were light and not super intense which is different from some other places but it really highlights the progression leading to more intense flavors over time. You will not be disappointed and we should all be super happy with the Peninsula sushi scene.