SanKai Sushi

Highly recommend making reservations on Open Table, they are usually pretty busy. They offer table, bar, and outdoor heated seated. Parking is parallel parking. We came here to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary. We were seated at the bar & served by the head chef which is always more fun since the chef paces the food & only serves about 2 pieces at a time.SanKai is our top 3 omakase in all of Seattle area. The quality is always amazing & it's not overpriced like other Omakase servings in Seattle which can go for $150 or higher per person. Everything was delicious - starting with Toro Tartare, the Omakase, and ending it with Japanese Cheesecake. I always recommend this place to friends!

It took me awhile to figure out there was sushi in Edmonds. So we scheduled a HH run after work. We kept it simple and kept to the basics. I thought everything was fine and the staff checked in regularly. Nothing memorable but it was a solid outing.

I love this place and will take the ferry to have a meal there. Ambiance-wise, it's a small, modest-looking but cosy restaurant that offers an intimate atmosphere. For small parties or individual diners, it offers a sushi bar. When the weather isn't too cold, they put up three geodesic domes made of clear plastic, if you don't mind eating outside. Each has enough room for a table. It's a curious and unique way to dine. It's rather nice at dusk and at night, or on a cloudy day that's not too hot.Food-wise, this restaurant offers very nice, very fresh sushi - definitely one of the better places. It's got such a wide variety of fish and shellfish, including some that are rather hard to find (imports, and locally-sourced products that are usually geared for export to Asia). I don't eat sea urchin and geoduck anywhere, because it's not available most places, but also because when it is, it can have an unpleasant very easily if the chef doesn't take the most care with it. But I have them at SanKai! Drinks-wise, you've got some nice sakes and imported beers available.

We were craving good sushi so came here for restaurant week. There was street parking available if you got lucky. We made reservation but were late 10 minutes. Staff notified us that they will need our table in one hour 45 mins. Fair enough. Ambiance was minimalist yet elegant. When we got sat, we started to order 2 sets of meals from restaurant week menu, hot tea and draft beef and a couple of items on Happy hour menu. In the beginning, some staff dropped off dishes without saying the names so we were not sure what we got. Later, another server seemed to be more experience and approached to us. Overall, it's great. Seafood was fresh and well prepared. It's worth stopping by if you are craving sushi.

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.

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.

Sankai is located in downtown Edmonds. During the busy weekends, a reservation is highly recommended. We stepped in and was seated immediately at the sushi counter per my reservation request. Our place setting is ready, and we had menus available. Service was swift. Our water glasses were refilled in a timely manner. The restaurant has simple deco, which is just fine with me. They have outside heated dome seatings; they look pretty neat. I feel bad for the servers coming in and out of the rain, though. Overall, I think Sankai is a great neighborhood gem. The Food:Cured Bristol Bay sockeye salmon, $17 - 5 Stars Marinated with sake, mirin, and soy sauce, served with pickled onion and shiso oil, each bite of this salmon is divine. Highly recommend ordering this. Shichimi crusted maguro tataki, $18 - 3 Stars Menu: Shichimi crusted and flash seared bluefin tuna, served on radish salad with hibiscus ponzu. I am a big tuna fan, but this maguro is too "meaty" with not enough fat. The hibiscus ponzu didn't penetrate the meat, so that each bite of the fish didn't stand out. Negitoro Roll, $11 - 4.5 StarsSeattle Roll, $9 - 4.5 StarsBoth rolls are reliable and very fresh and appropriately priced for the moderate 6-pc set. Sometimes, I have a disdain for the $20+ rolls that are over-exaggerated, and the only seafood is the fake krab. These are not it. Omakase - 4.5 StarsL: Koshinaga maguro (longtail tuna), $5.00, R: Ishigakidai (spotted knifejaw), $4.50L: Sockeye salmon, $3.50, R: Buri (large wild yellowtail), $5.50L: Medai (barrel fish), $4.50, R: Iwashi (sardine), $4.50L: Aji (horse mackerel), $4.50, R: Katsuo (bonito), $5.00L: Kawahagi (black scraper), $5.00, R: Nodoguro (black throat perch), $6.50L: Mongo ika (baby cuttlefish), $4.50, Mid: Tairagai (fanshell clam), $5.00, R: Aka uni (Hokkaido sea urchin), $8.00.I requested an open ended omakase, and I appreciate SanKai has all their fish varieties listed on their fresh sheet. With every bite, I am not surprised by the end total cost. The fishes tasted fresh. Though I did up the dressing a bit (both soy sauce and wasabi), each bite was a delight. The quality is excellent. Their overall rating is closer to 4.5 Stars. I decided to up them to 5 Stars, because the greater Seattle area doesn't have high quality sushi restaurants that don't also cost $150 per person easily. This place is unique in delivering quality without excessive cost.

What we ordered:- Shiso calamari- Lobster roll- Nigri omakase ($47 for 11 pieces)Tucked away in a little corner, SanKai offers fresh sushi and a stunning view of the water in Edmonds. Omakase is a steal given the amount of pieces you get and the quality that comes with it.Shiso calamari was soft, not rubbery in texture. Pesto had quite a strong basil taste.Lobster roll was generously portioned. Consisted of great quality lobster as well!Nigiri omakase consisted of 11 pieces. Highlights of the night were the snapper, sea bass (suzuki), scallop, and bonito (katsuo). Snapper and sea bass were quite similar, buttery soft. Scallop was up there with the best we have had, dissolved in the mouth with a nice citrus element. Bonito had the smokiness of mackerel and meatiness of tuna, our first time having it and really enjoyed it!

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!

SanKai Sushi - Oishii deshita! (It was delicious!)To me, exceptional restaurant value is achieved when a meal is memorable, the details of the food, service, and ambiance created a dining experience so pleasant, you felt compelled to share with others. When I ( 1/2 sansei / 1/2 yonsei) was growing up, and the family went out to a Japanese restaurant, each of my elder family members would remind me of what makes a Japanese restaurant great.Obaasan (grandma) Kumasaka - nori (seaweed) - balanced flavor, colorful appearance/presentation - green with white (shredded daikon).Otosan (dad) the rice must be firm, sticky, and rice grains must be whole.Okaasan (mom) Hamachi must be fresh (no fishy smell/flavor), and each bite must be like a knife through butter.Obaasan (grandma) Matsuoka - the tempura prawn must not be overcooked, tempura batter must not be soggy and taste like oil.Auntie Mabel - the presentation of each dish must be thoughtful and balanced. "Learn to appreciate the details of the plate."Ojiisan (grandpa) Matsuoka - "you can't speed up quality; quality and value make the meal memorable." SanKai Sushi Japanese food hit high marks across all their criteria. My elders would have raved about the food. "Oishii deshita!" (It was delicious!) "Gochisou sama deshita" (rough English translation - "Thank you for the meal" or "That was a feast.")The food and service were exceptional. (We ordered takeout, so I cannot speak to the ambiance.)SanKai Sushi Restaurant has my highest recommendation...and as you can read from my review, the meal brought back my childhood memories. "Domo arigato gozaimasu" (thank you very much).