4. Restaurants

Ariake Sushi

1008 Blossom Hill Rd,Ste D, San Jose, CA, 95123
  • (408) 628-1810
  • Store is closed

Ariake Sushi Menu

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  • Duet B.

    3 stars -- Lunch bento box is pretty good & descent for the price + food, dinner is a bit higher ( still serving the same) so take advantage of lunch hour meal deal. 1 star---The sushi boats floating around pretty stale dried out every time we dine here. They take forever to prep the food always & we usually ended up with grabbing few of those sushi floating around as appetizer despite knowing we will regret later on. -- could this be the restaurant scheme to make you hungry to wait out for your food & grab those stale premade sushi during the wait time?? Idk They need to improve on their sushi freshness & speedy food service. And provide free soup & salad while waiting for the food. Many sushi places in on Castro St in mt. View provide hot tea, soup & salad at no charge with any order.

    (3)

  • Jay O.

    Had a craving for late evening sushi and this place was the only one open. On the plus side it's close to home and we love sushi so it was worth a try. The guy at the front was very welcoming and my first impression of the restaurant was 90's retro chic. The atmosphere is kind of an episode of Restaurant: Impossible because it looks like it needs much needed cleaning. Carpets are a little dingy. Table tops a little sticky. But the wait staff were all very friendly and I'll yelp about food. The prices were all reasonable and the sushi was satisfactory. We orders the 007 which had a great blend of sweetness and spicy with the mango and fresh jalapeño. We also ordered the Oh Ariake which was yummy but was a little heavy on the spicy raw onions...unless you're into that stuff. Overall we would venture to come back and try other rolls.

    (4)

  • Reema K.

    With a family of a 4 month old, 5 year old, 7 year old, and 9 year old this place has shown hospitality on new levels. Our little walking tornadoes make it difficult to dine in anywhere, but Ariake Sushi is family friendly. Their service is always kind, welcoming, and sometimes even entertaining depending on who you get. The food is also delicious, their rolls are freshly made to order. Definitely a go-to place with the fam!

    (5)

  • Douglas D.

    Disappointing to say the least. Stood at the entrance waiting to be seated for too long. Then sat down at the bar. Took a California roll, which was horrible. It had way too much crab/mayo. While trying to force the fist dish down, I was eager to see what else was available on the boats floating buy. Turns out it was two more of the same, one egg maki and one avocado maki....that was it for the 20 boats slowly going by. The rest were empty. I waited another 10 minutes with no results. I got out with a $4.50 bill and a bad experience. Avoid this place!!!!

    (1)

  • Lisa K.

    I have been coming here for years! Everyone here is super friendly! If you tell them it's your birthday, you are in for a surprise! They turn on the disco lights, play a birthday song, and beat their drums while cheering and pouring you sake shots! Fun! I really like their green hot tea and the Shanghai rolls are the best! It's a baked roll with salmon on top but you can also have it with scallops. My fave!

    (5)

  • Jason D.

    Wow. Where to begin. Unsure if we seat ourself or not, we stood there for quite a while before the young man finally noticed us. After being seated at the bar, our server took about five minutes before even asking what we wanted for drinks. No straws for an additional five minutes. After what seemed an interminable amount of time expecting to order, we started asking the folks next to us as to how they actually acquired the food in front of them. Our waiter finally got to us. He asked me first for my order (I was with my wife and ladies order first. This is a thing.). I ordered anyway, my son ordered, then he walked off and ignored my wife. Fortunately she was getting full off of the boats anyway and wasn't that terribly inconvenienced. I had a nice eel roll off a boat, but it ended right there really. A long time later the sushi chefs in the center gave me the spicy roll (can't remember its name) I had ordered, then the "sashimi dinner" that I had ordered. It was a place of four pieces of salmon. Like a plate the size that comes off the boats. Whatever. I love salmon and I can make the best of this. The salmon was disgusting. It was chewy, stringy, off color and fishy. My wife's crab roll had a weird texture inside - mealy and crumbly. It's weird, but even the miso soup was off and the tofu inside was chewy. I didn't know this was possible. After 20 solid minutes of trying to eat this, we asked for the bill hoping that they had forgotten about the bento box my son had ordered. I mean, they messed up my dinner, maybe they forgot his and we can leave in peace and go eat something at Oakridge in a minute. Our bill and his bento box arrived simultaneously after dinner was pretty much over. Great. Serve the seven year old last. Thanks. At least his bento box was somewhat tasty. Paid the bill (fortunately, it was $37), went over to Oakridge and salvaged our evening, despite my stomach feeling gross after the terrible salmon sashimi. Usually good service can salvage a star from mediocre food, or good food can salvage a star from bad service. Tonight it was terrible service and terrible food. Not going to come back.

    (1)

  • Jessica T.

    Oh man, I don't know what happened to the service. But today's service was incredibly slow, bad enough to take away one whole star from my last review. The food is still good. But the time I had to wait for my food today was ridiculous. I came here for an early dinner with my parents. It was really empty since it was early so I expected service to be pretty quick with only two other occupied tables. Well we ordered our food and 15 min later my parents received their food (bento box and katsu don); however, my two rolls of sushi didn't come out for another good 10-15 minutes after theirs. By this time we were all really hungry and my mom and dad's food were cold. Sushi tasted good so I let the long wait kind of slip by. However, at the end we asked for a box. It took about 20 minutes for a box as well as two reminders to our server who kept forgetting about the boxes. Overall, the food was alright but the amount of time we had to wait was a little too long for me.

    (3)

  • James L.

    This is a solid "go to" place. They have a sushi boat, lunch specials and all you can eat. I had a deluxe bento box with chicken teriyaki, California rolls, tempura, salad, rice, miso, edamame and a 9 Piece sashimi for $21. I was pleasantly surprised that the sashimi portions were good and looked fresh. Will return. The sashimi wasn't the best I've ever had but works.

    (4)

  • Denise L.

    This place is like a tumultuous relationship gone wrong. From the get go, it seems excitingly average. But beneath the surface lies chaos. With plenty of seating and a very casual environment, it is very unimposing. The **Gyoza** (potstickers), which we ordered deep-fried rather than steamed, were lightly battered and crispy. The **Tempura Udon** arrived with only 2 pieces of shrimp tempura, but the soup itself came with 2 pieces of fish cake, veggies, and an even an egg. So although I expected some vegetable tempura, it wasn't too disappointing since the udon was well-dressed. Service was decent, although here's where it starts to get chaotic. A different person kept checking on us. It felt like the relationship could never be stable, it was disconcerting to always talk to a different person and ask 5 times for a fork, or tell them 5 times we're fine and don't need anything else. Not to mention the crazy birthday band. I get it, birthdays are important. Birthdays are special. Birthdays should even be celebrated. But there is such a thing as too emphatic of a celebration. I never thought I could say such a thing until the drums came out. It was the loudest unmelodious banging in a suddenly-darkened room I've ever heard. Then the yelling of the most emphatic and simultaneously unenthusiastic birthday song ever. I would come here out of convenience, but wouldn't seek it out. And I certainly wouldn't celebrate a birthday here! TIP: "My birthday? Oh, it's next year. You missed it!"

    (3)

  • Lauren A.

    I love this place! Jedi always remembers my name along with my dads name and all my friends names and he makes you feel at home! I have not once had a bad experience her nor have I ever had bad food! The birthday celebration they do it so fun, and to those who don't like it, LIVE A LITTLE! They play music and have the disco lights come on, they have the birthday person stand on a chair and take shots! My favorite and go to sushi place !

    (5)

  • Claudeen D.

    So I've been to this restaurant a few times but today I went and I guess they've changed up a few things. Now they have an "all you can eat" option, but their service remains on the slow side. I came with a party of 9, and since it was busy we decided to just sit on the sushi bar. It took about 30-35 mins for them to bring out my sushi rolls and they took over an hour to bring out my friends sushi rolls. She was so upset she told them to pack it up and she just left. Aside from that they got all our checks messed up. When they knew from the start that we were all on separate checks. And I had to ask 2 different servers for my check because obviously they weren't paying attention to us. Their food was ok, it wasn't terrible but it wasn't special either. I was much more concerned about their services. They're friendly yes, but not very efficient. They're turn over rate was insanely slow. I remember the guest that were sitting to my left side left and it took them over an hour to get rid of dirty plates and wipe down the area. No wonder why it took them forever to find us a table when we got there and why we just decided to opt for the sushi bar instead. *sigh*

    (2)

  • Drew H.

    Walked in, waited to be acknowledged. No one came, dirt dish tubs sitting on chairs. Carpet was GROSS! And their "all you can eat" IS NOT all you can eat. They have rules: 2 rolls per round and only 5 rounds a person!!! That, by definition, is NOT all you can eat! This place is dirty and deceptive. My friends and I left without even being acknowledged. I guess they don't want our money.

    (1)

  • Tiffany L.

    This sushi place is average. I been here since high school and I usually come back because my friends like eating here. The staff is nice and service is good, but the sushi is not the best. I find the sushi here made with too much rice. The rice just makes the sushi rolls fatter and gets you full faster. The more bigger it is doesn't make it better, I think less rice would make me come here more often. About a few years ago I took my brother here for his birthday and he wanted to do the sushi boat. It was quite dead because it was a Sunday Night. I was very selective at the time with my sushi and only chose the things I knew was cooked while my bro just picks out anything. At the end of the night, we went home and were deciding to blow out his cake. Before he step foot into the door, he throws up everywhere! DISGUSTING ! Ended up he got food poisoning from bad sushi. Spent the whole rest of the night and morning throwing up. O_O Felt pretty bad because I suggested that place. Lesson learned was always order sushi, so it could be made fresh instead of getting it off the sushi boat. One your birthday, they take a Polaroid picture and post it up on the wall. Its quite lovely because these photos up there were kept there for years and overlap each other.

    (3)

  • Jme M.

    I haven't been in this place for about a year... but and this place haven't change still have the great customer service I remember the first time I came about 2 years ago. my 2 years old son enjoyed his misplaced soup the server made it special for him by putting more tofu. They took a picture of my family and they put it in a frame so we can take it home for souvener. I will deffenately be coming back to this place and I recommend this place to anybody!

    (5)

  • Nina A.

    Food is great, and the staff is amazing, prizing isnt SOO bad. and if its your birthday, they treat you like a rock star!

    (5)

  • Dominic A.

    I've been coming here for years now, and have yet to be let down. I know there are better sushi places around, but the atmosphere and the service are great. I was having some sushi cravings lately, so my fiancé and I decided to stop in for lunch. Very satisfied with little waiting for our food, and very friendly staff.

    (4)

  • Shirley H.

    This is by no means a super authentic sushi place. However, they're located in a convenient plaza and are reasonably priced. I ordered a beef terikyaki deluxe bento box with 3 pieces of california roll & tempura. The deluxe bento box also came with a bowl of miso soup and a generously sized salad. The beef terikyaki wasn't super salty and had a nice flavor, however, the beef was very dry and chewy/overcooked. The california rolls were huge and had a lot of filling. Overall, decent service & food!

    (4)

  • Arno G.

    I would give this place zero stars (if I could) but looks like that is not an option on Yelp (Sadly). I do not understand how this place get 4 or 5 stars ratings unless they are from friends of the owners. I have been to Ariake Sushi in Sunnyvale and their service is great. Its a day and night from these two locations. My friend chose this place for my birthday dinner since they do the whole birthday song with sake (unbeknown to me since was supposed to be a surprise). Once we got situated and noticed that they have an All You Can Eat option we all decided to opt in for it since we all can eat lots and lots of sushi :) After our initial sushi order it took them an HOUR to get delivered to our table and we had to go get our own utensils, napkins and remind them to give us waters. We asked several times how long it will be and they just kept saying "Just 10 more minutes" multiple times. My friend asked for birthday song and it took another hour for them to be able to delivery. Now I know sometimes places get busy and can be short staffed, I have worked as server before. Sadly, they were neither under staffed nor busy. It took another hour for them to deliver the second round of sushi to us and even mistakenly delivered sushi from the table next to us of the lady that was there with her husband for his birthday....guess what....they were waiting for that sushi for AN HOUR as well before we realized we had and it was given to us. Sushi is sub-par and I guess not bad for all you can eat if you're really hungry. Miso soup was way too salty. I will definitely never go back there again. The ONLY thing that made the night was the company of my friends, the group picture we took to remember the night (which at this point we will never forget) and our mutual disdain for the service that night. I will NEVER go back to that place even if was given free sushi there. I have been there once before (years ago) for regular lunch and even then they dropped the ball on service and took forever to deliver the food on time. I had to take mine to go since had to go back to work.

    (1)

  • Adina G.

    The food here is good, not great. Reasonable pricing, especially for bento boxes. Good atmosphere but the service is very slow and not attentive.

    (3)

  • Sally D.

    This place is OK. It didn't really stand out to me as other sushi restaurants like Cha-Cha or Sen Dai Sushi. Half of the table had the "All-You-Can-Eat" menu, while the other half ordered individual rolls. I actually liked how they allowed this, as some places are more strict where the entire table had to pick one or the other. The All-You-Can-Eat selection was pretty good; there were various special rolls, hand rolls, appetizers, etc. that you could pick from. They also let you order HALF roll (for selective rolls) which was great because you'll get to try a variety of rolls. None of the rolls stood out to me, but I love their Fried Oysters and Spicy Mussels! Our waiter was pretty attentive. He didn't really bother us much or asked how our food were, but when we looked in need of assistance, he was right there to help. Overall, the All-You-Can-Eat Lunch price was about $21/person and we got charged $28/person. When asked if gratuity and tax were included to the price, they said they only added tax on top of the $21, which came out to be $28. Not sure about that, but we tipped them anyways. I probably wouldn't come back here, but if I somehow do, I'd order their Fried Oysters again and call it a day.

    (3)

  • Bassy D.

    Went in just before 4:00pm, which I guess is the cutover from their lunch to dinner menu. My kids love these "Boat Sushi" places. Problem was - aside from a few California Roll plates there was nothing on the boats. We had to order everything direct. Not a problem, but it defeats the whole "boat" thing. I thought the place could have been cleaner. The area of the sushi bar where we sat around the boats needed wiping up. The chair next to me was covered in soy sauce. It wasn't busy, so that's not the reason. The floor servers seemed disinterested in providing a good dining experience. On the plus side it was open on a weekend afternoon when others were closed, and the bill wasn't huge.

    (2)

  • Rain J.

    世界上最美好的体验就是未知的味道，创新的味道就是Steve Jobs 的作品！ "Stay Hungry, Stay Fresh!" -Steve Jobs 2005 (iPhone CEO) "Steve Jobs once said, to create something better in value, you can't continue copy the previous." -Steve Jobs 2011 1. Hamachi Kama was 5 stars AA+++ (Juicy, fresh, tender) 2. Rolls; You can have 1000 rolls all you want, but if each roll taste similar & typical nothing Amazing it's the same as you only have 3 rolls on the menu. 3. Service was weird(很不好)! I was eating at your restaurant means I'm a Customer! I PAY! I heard Jay was a great chef with great service, however, 他没给enough ponzu sauce for salmon & Hamachi Kama. He didn't say hi,no smile, no bye? No service at the Sushi Bar! Hopefully, next time I return, He will be Professional （专业者）

    (4)

  • Vivian T.

    I came here as a last resort because most sushi places were closed at a certain time or really busy. I had some rolls off the sushi boat and I don't know why. It was pretty obvious that the sushi had been laying out there for quite a while. The sushi just had an abnormal amount of rice and the fish definitely tasted like it was previously frozen. I ordered some of the rolls off the menu and all of them were whatever except for a baked roll. That roll was just decent. The service was pretty friendly, but they are a little slow. I'd definitely the skip AYCE sushi. It's the same price as Kenzo's AYCE sushi, but with the quality is far below Kenzo's. I'd rather wait 45 minutes at Kenzo for at least decent sushi.

    (2)

  • Marilyn L.

    We used to go here often, long ago, but I think last night will be our last visit. Many items on the boats were all dried out. On one roll we ordered fresh ("Yes") the kani salad tasted like sour milk. The wakame salad had an off taste. Service was very slow. Was not in the mood for loud music when it came on. 2 stars because nobody got sick, so the food was not actually poisonous it just tasted bad to me.

    (2)

  • Jason B.

    Very good for what you pay for. You could go to other places and pay more for not as good. Maybe even better than places on winchester or maybe that level of quality. The staff were very good to not bad at all. The first guy did not know English, but it was fine and we did not have any needs unmet. Not a perfect 10, but pretty darn good. The price was the best part, but at the end we saw they were spraying some type of pesticides or chemicals. Maybe don't eat here for a few weeks. Had to take a star away for spraying while customers are in the restaurant.

    (3)

  • Mary T.

    The sushi is nothing spectacular. The rolls don't taste fresh and the crab, well, it's definitely packaged.. the price?!eh.. It's not really fitting for the quality. Why do I keep coming back is something you may be asking yourself.. THE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS! Coming here for a birthday is one of the most hip things you can do.. At the end of your meal, they dim the lights and bump the , " go shawty, it's your birthday" song as they are walking towards your table.. I don't want to spoil what else they might do because I'm planning to trick my mom to come here for her 60th birthday. ( ha, jk ma......) ;,) I've never had a bad experience with the waiters. Everyone was always very attentive and Nice! It's too bad I don't enjoy their sushi because the service and birthday fun is easily a 4 star rating.

    (3)

  • Claire T.

    I came here with an hour to kill before work and a craving for sushi. After reading the reviews, I figured it was worth it to risk bad service for good sushi. Unfortunately, my sushi was bad as well. I got #27 and #28 rolls. You can tell they pride themselves on their rolls with the menu plastered everywhere. Most of them are CA rolls or shrimp tempura rolls with various raw/cooked toppings. #28 was the best one I ordered, but not by much. The shrimp tempura felt like it was made hours previously and the rice was hard. #27 was better after I scraped off the sriracha mayo. Normally I don't mind sriracha mayo but Ariake's...idk what they do to it but it was abnormally salty. #27 also had WAY too much crab mixture for a CA roll. It doesn't help that the mixture they use is bland and overly mayonnaised. The reviews said that they use a lot of rice in their rolls but I thought mine were fine. Not to mention the atmosphere is bland. Dark carpet, sad sushi boats, not filled with people at lunch time, and it smelled like feet. Service was average, I was in and out of the restaurant in about 35 minutes. There's better sushi in the area so I will probably not be back.

    (2)

  • Beatriz S.

    Quickly fell in love with this place! You really cannot find any other place that serves excellent sushi rolls for the price! I'll admit that Ariake is not fancy (and neither am I), but it is inexpensive, clean, the food is delish, and the staff are very welcoming. Keep in mind that sushi takes time, so try not to skip a meal during the day before you come here for dinner :)

    (5)

  • M P.

    I've ordered sushi to go from here before.. Never disappointed, very yummy and fresh. Had my first dine-in experience yesterday with my wife,we both had bento boxes, includes fresh side salad,miso soup,bento box with teriyaki chicken, California rolls,white rice,tempura vegetables with a half cut fresh cut orange slices. Very delicious, will definitely come back,great customer service,very polite.

    (4)

  • Miguel R.

    Fiancé and I recently visited Sushi Boat at Oakridge Mall in San Jose for the first time. It was a bit of a compulsive decision since we usually do not eat Japanese food. Upon arrival, the restaurant was empty. It was about 7pm. I ordered the caterpillar and my fiancé the rice bowl with chicken. The food arrived promptly and both were well presented and looked fresh. My food was delicious, as was hers. The place was a bit dirty for being so empty but overall not bad.

    (3)

  • Derrick M.

    My Dad lives in the area so this is a place I've visited on several occasions throughout the years. In more recently experience my views have changed. I think the restaurant has had a change in management as I noticed a different "tone" or atmosphere, if you must, since my last visit. I feel as if I've had a downhill experience in the last several years and our last visit prompted my to write this review. After a long night of packing and loading a truck for a move, my family and I decided to eat here. We've had good, quick service before so it was a fairly easy decision. We walked in; the place wasn't that busy. We sat down at the bar. On this night, we waited almost 20 minutes before someone took our order. What's more, I had to call someone over to tell them no one had seen us yet. Luckily, I had grabbed some starters off the boat to curb my hunger. Some of the roles were fresh, but many looked to have been out a while. It was another 10 - 15 minutes before our appetizers came out. We ordered the Yakitori. The chicken was a bit on the dry side and didn't have much flavor. The salad it came with was not super fresh and a few of the leaves were soggy. My poor family had waited so long on their food. I ordered one of the special rolls from the bar and received my dish before anyone had a chance to dig into their meal. By the time my family got their plates, I was already full off the rolls and items I had taken off the boats. I had a chance to try some of the Teriyaki and Salmon from my family's Bento boxes which were thankfully better than our appetizers. In all, it was a long night, but when you're tired... having a dinning experience like we had only added salt to the wound.

    (2)

  • Jay S.

    I moved to the area just a year ago and I've been to this place twice since then and the overall the experience is somewhat underwhelming. My kids ordered the pork katsu and I order a sashimi dish. In regards to my sashimi dish, the fish was slightly frozen in the middle. In reality, almost all sushi restaurants get their sashimi grade fish frozen and pre-sectioned (as oppose to the whole fish) in vacuum sealed bags from their food vendors. For the price I'm paying, I'm ok with that. All restaurants do is to properly thaw and slice to order. Serving sashimi that's still slightly frozen in the middle makes the texture not pleasant. My kids katsu also seemed to be a frozen/prepared katsu that was deep fried as opposed to fresh/made to order. I've made fresh pork katsu at home for my kids as well as freezing them. You can tell if it's frozen or not. Then again, for a large volume restaurant that's more focused on getting food out quickly and not quality, maybe I'm too picky. Really sad that I can't find a decent sushi place near Almaden.

    (2)

  • Donovan T.

    So this is funny..but I don't come here for the sushi, I may buy a roll or two to snack on if I have a craving, but that's it. Sushi has NEVER been good here. Rolls are cheap, but they are for good reason! Not the highest quality, freshest, or best tasting. However, I love coming in here for lunch for a quick, sitdown meal. The bento boxes are priced between $7-$9 and the portion size is perfect for a postworkout meal. Just double up on the protein (I usually do the teriyaki chicken and salmon combo with the sauce on the side). It comes with soup, salad, and white rice. Service is good when it's slow, but if it's busy. It takes time for them to come around. And to be honest, don't get too fancy with custom orders...they usually mess them up! It's been on the southside forever, don't compare it other sushi places such as Cha Cha. If you do, you will definitely be let down. Stick with a bento box or katsu plate and you'll be good!

    (4)

  • Claire N.

    I've been coming here since I was younger for their bento boxes and I can't complain, those were pretty good. Affordable too! But just recently, I tried the All You Can Eat option and I personally don't think it was worth it. You could definitely get better quality sushi at Kenzo's -another local sushi restaurant- for the same price.

    (2)

  • Mike D.

    Absolutely the worst dining experience ever!!! I won't even go into detail and waste my time with how many ways this place sucks. Horrid service...check! Cold tempura and teriyaki beef...check! Food coming out at random intervals...check! You would have better luck finding a glass of water in Death Valley. Only the second time I have ever sent food back to the kitchen. It was so bad I told them not to bother replacing it. Overall crappy dining experience and had to pay for the privilege. If I wanted to eat bad food and have lousy service, I would have just stayed home. AVOID ARIAKE AT ALL COSTS. There are good reasons for so many bad reviews

    (1)

  • Adrienne L.

    I ordered #29, and it did not look like the picture whatsoever. So misleading. When I got my sushi, it looked borderline plain... Also there was some gross ass white debris floating in my cup of water. When I asked for new water... It tasted as if it had bleach in it. Customer service was meh. Food was meh. Not coming back. They also charge 6 bucks for a small portion of salmon sashimi. The bento box is probably the best thing there. I really hate writing bad reviews but seriously I was so disappointed.

    (2)

  • Ronni H.

    Horrible service. Food was cold and it took forever to get to the table. The waiter was rude and inconsiderate

    (2)

  • Ignatius M.

    The sushi was average, it was not bad but nothing stood out. I ordered the Helen and Dynamite rolls. The dynamite roll is a fried tempura fried roll which had way too much tempura batter. The service was horrible. It took about 7 minutes to get a menu after we sat down, and we didn't get enough menus for everyone at our table. We waited for our food for too long as well. I am not sure if they were short staffed or what but the service was extremely slow By the time we we're finished our food it took the waiter a while to come back and check to see if we needed anything further or if we wanted our check. I asked for the check and received it and had to waive the waiter down to have him run my card. At that point the waiter ignored us and did not come back with the check. We had to wait for another 15 minutes for another person to bring our check. To top it all off once we received the check he let me know hat he had run the wrong amount through on my card and had voided that transaction. He then ran it again for the correct amount. In total I know have 2 separate transaction on my card for over $100. I know the other transaction will likely be returned but it may take a few days. There is nothing worse then someone mismanaging their customers money, and that is also the best way to ensure someone never comes back to their restaurant.

    (1)

  • Darrin S.

    Been coming here for over 15 years, and always recommend it to friends. My favorite food in the world is teriyaki chicken, and this is the best place I've ever had it. I really don't order anything else, but my wife loves their salmon, and my son loves their gyoza. I always try to find better teriyaki, but always come back here.

    (5)

  • Nick B.

    Sat at the Sushi bar and got ill mannered kids on both sides. One kept sneezing on the food in the boats passing by and on me, the little monsters screamed and played on the chairs and kept running into my chair, one was practicing for her drum career with chopsticks on the plastic screen. The mother was too busy talking on her phone to do anything. On the other side they were playing with the boats that were passing by and touching every one of them. If someone didn't get sick from the touching and the sneezing I would be amazed. They got the order wrong, the service was the slowest I have had anywhere, they brought the wrong food, my wife was served 30 minutes before me, and the check was wrong. I WILL NOT GO BACK.

    (1)

  • Maya D.

    The service here is hands down the worst.. After watching each member of our party be served (individually, with at least 5 minutes in between) I got my salad. There was a weird smell in the air, Christian music was playing, and we waited way too long for mediocre sushi. I guess you should not expect much when the sign is painted upside down. But seriously, all of that is still not as bad as the service. As we were trying to leave we were told to hold on while the guy who took our cards left?!?! 5 minutes later another person noticed us and helped out. I used to wait tables and I always tip 20 percent- I didn't tip at all.

    (1)

  • Kayla C.

    The sushi here is not the BEST in the world, but it's the best that I've been able to find in San Jose. The service is always amazing. Super quick and nice/friendly staff.

    (5)

  • Ken H.

    WTF happened? ? Called on a Saturday night to place a to go order. Been doing so (literally for YEARS ). They didn't answer the phone. Tried 5 more times, then decided to drive over in case it was a phone problem. When I arrived, the place was a madhouse. Packed inside, and people grouped by the host station. I waited a LONG time (10 minutes ) just to get acknowledged. Finally realized they had started some sort of all-you-can-eat bullshit, and had NO idea how popular it would be. You could tell that Jedi, who always recognizes me and calls me by name was completely and utterly overwhelmed. Poor guy. People were getting pissed. So here I sit at Tomo Sushi. Haven't been here in YEARS, but I will NOT be subjecting myself to an experience like Ariaki again for a LONG time. What dope thought of that idea??

    (1)

  • Linda Y.

    I was there for lunch yesterday with my daughter and grandson and the service was very spotty. After my food was brought to me, my grandson found a small insect in his cup of rice and we had to tell the waiter. I was almost done with my lunch and my daughter still had not received her meal. Again we had to talk to the waiter who blamed it on the cook who blamed it on the waiter. We were there around 130 so it was much after the lunch rush and there should be no excuse for what happened. Also I have been there several times before and my chicken teriyaki was not cooked very well and was rubbery. It goes without saying that this was definitely my last time eating at this restaurant.

    (1)

  • Abby O.

    Have you ever eaten cat food? No? Well step in and you'll get served a big load of what taste like cat food. I don't understand how this place is still in business. Bad customer service and horrible food. The hand rolls had to be the most disgusting, tasteless thing I ever ate. I had the cooked salmon hand roll and combinations salmon, avocado and sauce hand roll. I wasn't able to finish either. I mean seriously, Costco has better Sushi! My niece order a bento box, you know the simplest thing on the menu. The basics. I figure this could be better than my disgusting hand rolls, I was wrong. I can bet all the pennies in my bank account that the meat was rotten! They tried to mask the smell/flavor by pouring a huge amount of teriyaki sauce but as soon as I took a bite, the overwhelming taste of bitter/smelly/rotten meat was undeniable. The tempura was bad, bad, bad.... the batter look and tasted like cardboard. Now how old does a batter have to be to look and taste like that. They also manage to screw the California rolls - You can tell they prepared them days in advance and sat on the fridge. The imitation crab disgusting. Service? What service? There was 3 tables in our side and nothing on the other side, the place wasn't overwhelmed. But I only saw my waiter twice. To get my order and give me the check. I think the owners and manager need to take a look at other restaurant places like places like "The Table," "Bills Cafe" or 'Mizu Sushi" for their great food but most importantly customer service. 1) Spend your time and money somewhere else 2)Or eat some canned cat food. I'm never ever ever coming back. Oh and the waiter and manager should know that just because they speak spanish doesn't mean everyone else doens't understand what they are saying.. I mean we live in California..

    (1)

  • Ben B.

    Stopped here during my wife's bday week and we had a blast. They have a good selection and affordable prices, the service was attentive and quick, the place is big so you have room to stretch and I've never had to wait for a table, and they play 80's jams - what's not to love? The reason we stopped by was I remembered they do a great bday celebration... Wife didn't catch on when they turned the lights down, turned on the strobes, and played 50 Cent's It's Your Birthday LOL. Then the loud drums started and 5 of them burst out the back, made it to our table, and had her take 4 shots of sake.

    (5)

  • Brian N.

    I've been here almost every week or two since I was in the sixth grade. I am now a sophomore in college and every time I come I feel more welcome than the last. This is my favorite spot out of the rest in Sj! Jedi is MVP

    (5)

  • Kat D.

    1 word best used to describe this place is: GROSS. My sisters and I decided to dine here after shopping next door @ the Crossroads clothing store, and ended up regretting wasting our money here. The sashimi was not fresh. The rolls had a funky taste to it. The miso soup was cold. And their water tasted funky. *gags* We left without finishing our food.

    (1)

  • Vicki L.

    What happen to this place?!!! The food are good but service are so bad!!! I came in before dinner rush hour with my sister . It was pretty empty . We order a few roll. Which took them 20min to come out. We were still waiting for one more of the fried roll. Told the waiter. He said ok let me check. 10 min past by we just cancelled our order. Seems like they don't care. So I gave them a benefit of doubt . Came back again now with my family. Same time, before dinner rush hour. OMG... The worst service ever!!!! And our food took 45min this time. They do not care to attended our concern of why the food didn't come out yet.They just says.. Still working on it. And plus when it's done..food is left on top of the sushi boat glass for 10 min before they will service you!!! Because the waiter are to busy fooling around and standing there trying to look cute. Gosh...never again we will return to this place!

    (1)

  • Alyssa F.

    Ariake is okay. I normally wouldn't go here, but if i'm really craving for sushi and kenzo is closed, this place would be my last resort. They finally have AYCE though. I just don't like what they use for the crab. The service is good though.

    (3)

  • Hidden C.

    OK this is not your typical Sushi Bar, but a sushi moat with seating which is always packed most evenings. I have been coming here for 5 years and am delighted in the new menu choices especially the combination dinners.With such a turnover you can expect the fish to be excellent and it is especially the salmon. Jedi and the owner are always especially cordial when we arrive They have also incorporated low sodium option for soy sauce and only wish they had Daikon grated as an option. They have recently toned down the birthday celebrations and reduced the length of the chanting. I must admit my wife loves going there on her birthday. If you are looking for a very reasonable sushi dinner and do not mind the distractions or want to watch a sports game while dining this would be a good place to go.

    (4)

  • Jessica B.

    Its alright. Some of the sushi is good, some not so much. The service is a hit or miss.

    (3)

  • J. G.

    OMG the fish just tasted so odd. The salmon had almost a metallic flavor to it. My stomach is turning now and I hope I don't end up updating this later to a food poisoning incident. When looking for sushi just please say no to this joint.

    (1)

  • Angela R.

    It's ok. The rolls are ginormous....too big...too much rice. As much as my son loves his California Rolls, he didn't quite enjoy these. He struggled with each roll. I used to go here years ago because it was all I knew back then. It's still the same. Just as disappointing as it was back then. Even after the 5+ year break I took from this place. It's nice that they are trying to advertise the AYCE but you have order two special rolls (covered in a fistful of rice) each round..I like the older menu too....it wasn't a copy cat of other sushi places. Their wakame was not fresh either... I probably wouldn't be coming back anymore...

    (1)

  • Esther A.

    If you are looking for cheap sushi, this is the place to go. I would give it 3 stars for decently-okay cheap sushi. But the reason for the 1 star is the bad service. They need to invest money into pens and paper for the servers there. I told them my order of 11 items (I wrote my order down on my iPhone) and they decided to not write anything down. Out comes only 7 items. I proceed to ask if there were any other items coming out and they told me "no." And when my friend said, "I think that there should be 4 more items." The server responded with "what are they? That's all you ordered!" Then I asked for the check. A good server with customer service will realize that they missed some of their orders and try to fix it by apologizing and re-taking the missing order instead of saying "what are they? That's all you ordered." Okay. Disappointed. Thanks, Ariake. Good bye.

    (1)

  • Nikolina K.

    Pros: Bento boxes came out fast and were mostly tasty. The steak was good especially dipped in the sesame salad dressing. Spicy muscles are yummy here. After the kitchen forgot to put dressing on my salad, they brought out more dressing without us even asking. Cons: Waiter kept leaving before taking the last persons order every time he came back to the table. He made many mistakes like forgetting to give us utensils for the salads and soup. He also took ages to bring over more sake cups, so it wasn't hot anymore. The rolls are not really fresh. Especially the California rolls. They were dry and sort of fishy tasting. Not worth the money for all you can eat. Yes they bring the food out fast, but you don't even want to eat it because it's not fresh. The carpet was dirty. There was food on the floor where we were seated. Like others said, they take a long time to come do the birthday thing. We were there for more than two hours and they finally came out when we were fed up and getting up to leave.

    (2)

  • Yvonne C.

    SMH... all I have to say is if your a sushi place, there's NO reason why you should be using imitation crab meat. I mean c'mon. NONETHELESS calling it "crab" on the menu. Waste of money/waste of time. SAFEWAY down the street has better sushi...

    (1)

  • Bernel H.

    Jedi and the crew keeps me happy. Actually, the lunch menu specials/pricing keeps me coming back. My son can get a full meal after school for $7 before we move on to the time consuming after school activities. Service has always been good for us!

    (4)

  • Lauren A.

    Horrible service. Server couldn't even make it over to check on us once. So rude and obviously didn't care at all. Rolls were eatable but not good. We will not be coming here again. Don't recommend to anyone. Very disappointing experience

    (1)

  • Tara B.

    The food is amazing and we love Jedi! I get the veggie sushi combo and leave stuffed.

    (5)

  • Sovenne O.

    They never have hirame here and the sushi on the boats look/taste a day or two old. The albacore and sake sashimi I ordered didn't taste fresh and flavor wasn't unique in any way. This place lies between average and below average. The service is always caring and professional which is why I'm giving 3stars not 1 or 2 and I would give a 1 the fish quality is low and they run out of menu options/ingredients often.

    (3)

  • Frances N.

    It was my first time here and it was OK. Definitely a place to try, but not a place I would come back to anytime soon. The sushi roll I tried was not good at all and based on all the other reviews I've read about their sushi, it seems that the other rolls aren't good as well. I ordered the Mango Crunch and one piece was so big, and I felt like I was eating mushed crab and avocado with rice. Their bento boxes are pretty good though. I love their teriyaki chicken! The servers are really nice and funny, so thats an A+ :) my only complaint about them is our waiter forgot about us for a good 20-30 minutes, but i'll let it slide because he was very nice and it was busy that night anyways.

    (3)

  • Yesenia V.

    I dont know why all the negative reviews. The service for the most part is good, a tad bit slow yes but me and my bf usually go during the week around 5 so its not too busy. The sushi itself in my opinion is great we get the inhouse and green dragon. We have algo ordered to go and it takes about 20 min which in my opinion is good !

    (4)

  • Megan C.

    This review is long overdue. I had a birthday there, and birthdays at this place are great! Instead of singing, they play drums and give you sake! So I had a large group and made a reservation, but I underestimated the number of people that would be there. Even though it was my fault, the host graciously rearranged the tables and accommodated us, even though it was a packed Friday night and we were not the only big group. Prices are reasonable for sushi and the waiters are always friendly.

    (5)

  • Kahveh K.

    It was my first time here! The staff was very kind and polite. The waiters were really attentive and recommended great selections. They're really friendly and inviting. I met the owner, Bruce, and he's very funny and kind. They all like to joke around and make people laugh. The food I got was tasty. The Ahi Poke special roll had pieces of onion that were just too big and it was hard to eat, but everything else was fantastic. I'd recommend trying it out! The All You Can Eat also includes the little boat plates!

    (5)

  • Kevin C.

    Got the sake bomb roll, 1+1, and some salmon, uni, ama ebi, and ikura. The rolls didn't really have much variety in my opinion. Most of them seemed quite similar. The rolls were okay. The salmon and ikura tasted normal. The uni, though, had a texture and taste like it wasn't fresh. Decent, but not great.

    (3)

  • Domingo W.

    Their ambiance is definitely more of a LOUDER nature, and its not always easy to hear the person next to you... however, wear some ear plugs and jump on in to Ariake, for the price : the rolls are LOADED and the food is definitely good and more abundant than your average petite little sushi shop. Just bring your ear plugs lol ;)

    (4)

  • Steve W.

    This place is actually usually pretty decent, but sadly I can't review the food tonight. It was pretty busy but not so much when we first walked in. They don't run a list so the pushy or friends of the staff get the tables while others continue to wait. They need to take some restaurant management training to avoid people walking out before eating. We did, and a few other parties did as well.

    (1)

  • Sparky Jr. D.

    Great bento box. Super value on All-You-Can-Eat dinner sushi ($24.95). Fresh and yummy! After reading previous reviews, I'd definitely disagree with the service comments. It was super fast and all our orders came out correctly. Bruce in particular was a great employee! Super friendly! Food was DELICIOUS and I can't wait to come back!

    (5)

  • Loreal M.

    The only good thing about this place is that we were seated right away. ....there is a reason it was empty on a Friday night. Sloppy Sloppy rolls. The lion king roll was completely burnt at the bottom, the roll fell apart instantly. The flavor had too many spices. The Golden tri....what was the meat inside? I DONT KNOW!!!!it was overcooked and rubbery. The "golden" tasted old as if they have been using month old oil. I am 8 months pregnant and did not want to deal with the drive across town to kenji so I ended up here. I feel like crying and I feel bad for making my husband pay for this meal. Maybe the place should hire a sushi chef? Never again. The water was good though.

    (1)

  • Dennis S.

    Like others, if I could post with no stars... I would. I use to eat at this place but the quality of their food and service has turned for the worse. If you call a spicy california roll loading a clump of seracha on the plate and putting a plain california roll on it, you are a joke. I ordered ama ebi which includes tempura style shrimp heads. When I received it, my heads was fried in a thick flour batter and served. If you call great service coming by at the end of my meal and asking me if I want more when I have already asked for my check and not refilling my water. Then this place is for you. I think you need to visit Japan or other Sushi Bar/Restaurants with high ratings and see why yours are low. Oh and another thing that I observed, use a wet towel to wipe your tables and not a dry napkin. You say me at a surface the was not cleaned and sticky. I took a napkin that was next tome and water from my glass to clean my area. You don't want to know what my napkin looked like.

    (1)

  • Briana H.

    If anyone were to ask me what my go to sushi restaurant would be in sj, I would say ariake! I say this for the portion and price. On top of that, location and hours. It couldn't get any better! My fave roll: Hawaiian roll Tip: add cream cheese to any roll for $1

    (5)

  • Mai K.

    They have sushi on these really cute small boats that are placed on something like a conveyor belt. Instead of a conveyor belt, there was water that moved the boats around and customers can pick up what they want. Each plate is a different color distinguishing the prices, which I think is kind of deceiving. If you don't keep track, you could rack up a bill. I ordered the Chirashi bowl. It was pretty yummy. The only downside was that they didn't give me much sashimi. I've gotten more elsewhere, but it could be that the bowl was about 10 dollars. You get what you pay for. My bf got a bento box with teriyaki beef or bbq beef, but it was not that great. I could make better and that's saying quite a bit. :) It was a nice experience and for the price, I'd come back for a quick sushi fix. Service was fine. No red flags.

    (3)

  • Cynthia W.

    Never again. I was looking for restaurants that do birthday celebrations and came across this one. It seemed cool because they do a big restaurant-wide bash and give you a cute framed photo as a keepsake. I can confirm that they do a big celebration - they turned off all the lights in the restaurant, and it became a temporary rave with flashing disco lights and 50 Cent's "In Da Club" blasting in the background. Then all the workers marched out while drumming on drums and shouting and made the birthday girl stand on her chair and take a shot out of a teacup... which turned out to be Sprite and not alcohol, even though she was 21. Hmm. The picture frame was pink, cute, and glass - actually a lot cuter than expected. The sushi was normally priced but really bad. The service was also pretty bad. One of our rolls even had a piece of saran wrap still stuck around it, so we told the waiter and he didn't seem to care very much. Maybe this happens a lot who knows. But now we all know the rolls are not fresh and kept in saran wrap. We asked for a discount, which he agreed to. But we waited for the bill (which took almost an hour in and of itself), and when it finally came there was no discount. So we had to take it back to the front and waste another big chunk of our birthday night, and they didn't seem to feel very bad about that either.

    (1)

  • Yazmin H.

    I've been coming here for years, and although it's not top quality, it's my go-to sushi place. It's inexpensive and some of the rolls are really tasty. I have to admit, I've had a couple experiences where the service was subpar, but the rest of the times the staff is kind and not super attentive but they're there when you need them! The paradise roll is really tasty, as is any of the baked rolls. I definitely recommend the sushi jalapeños! They're unique and I definitely pick some up whenever I go. Like I said it's not top quality, but it's a great option to order to go, since their bento boxes are great for lunch!

    (5)

  • Angelica G.

    I recently went to Ariake Sushi with my aunt, who is not a fan of raw fish so she ordered a bento box. I ordered the Salmon Special - 4 pieces of salmon sashimi, 4 salmon nigiri, a salmon roll, and miso soup - for about $15, a decent price for the amount of fish given, and the sushi tasted fresh. However, the bento box was less than stellar. Every piece of chicken katsu was either burnt or very tough. No amount of dipping sauce could salvage it. The salad and edamame were just OK. Overall, the sushi was good, but the bento box was sub-par. Still, it has an easy-going atmosphere inside, and there were a lot of families eating around lunch time. Ariake Sushi is not greatest sushi restaurant, but it's definitely not the worst either.

    (3)

  • Jane T.

    Had lunch here today... Pros: Cheap sushi Cons: Sushi not up to par and service was beyond bad I ordered two items: Salmon sashimi and Spicy Tuna roll. The Salmon Sashimi was decent quality. The Spicy Tuna roll was beyond subpar -- in that there was almost no tuna in it at all. I pulled the roll open to even see if there was tuna inside, but I could literally barely find any...it was just cucumber and rice with spicy sauce on it. The waiter was horrible. He never checked in with me. He certainly doesn't smile or even say "hello". He purposely avoided eye contact to not have to service me; this included when I was done and sitting there waiting for the check. The wasabi and ginger is in jars on every table, not served with the food, so I'm not sure how sanitary that is considering it's sitting there for days while multiple people spoon it out. When my waiter didn't service me, another sympathetic waiter came over and brought me my bill. I'd never go there again. The two stars is only because the sashimi was half way decent.

    (2)

  • Sandy N.

    Not very tentative staff, they were too busy watching the TV. We ordered the Crazy Salmon roll with a request of no crab (bc my friend is allergic) and they still added crab...the waiter didn't even write down our orders... And when we addressed the problem they were taking forever to decide what to do so we said nvm and I just ate a few pieces bc we knew they were gunna charge us anyways. As we paid at the register, the cashier guy was like "are you gunna want another one?" And I was like "no" and he was like "you promise?" ...wth dude. Other than crappy service, the food was alright. Sorry no tip

    (1)

  • Clemens D.

    South Bay Sushi seems to be more miss than hit. This place is no exception to that rule. First warning sign: "All you can eat Sushi" - I should have bolted right there. I opted for the Ariake Sushi combination. It was a combination of - old chewy cucumber roll, probably prepared hours earlier - tuna roll that tasted 'funky' - assorted nigiri that made you go 'meh' - california roll that was too big to even think of putting in your mouth -- despite the fact that someone already cut the roll in the middle - Miso soup that OK Another sushi place I don't have to visit more than once.

    (2)

  • Amanda V.

    I been waiting on my food for 45 minutes. 2 birthday celebrations, they screwed us over.

    (1)

  • Diego R.

    The in house roll and mango crunch are the best ive ever had. cheap sushi and great service. I eat here at least 2 times a month. Jedi is the coolest guy. and a major thumbs up if you go on birthdays.

    (5)

  • Anthony G.

    Very satisfied with the new look as i have been here since i was 7 if not younger. Their prices are very competitive with other "All you can eat sushi places" Nice variety of sushi as well as bento boxes,udon, and appetizers as well as the ambiance of a party look. Also a wonderful place to go have a birthday at and you'll see why. The only thing i do not like is the servers unless it was my luck to get one who was very mad for no reason.

    (4)

  • Ashley B.

    Mediocre quality but poor service and terrible presentation. While many customers were eating, the waiter started vacuuming around people which was terribly rude. Sashimi was served on ice and still somewhat frozen. Not a terrible place but very unlikely to return.

    (2)

  • Joshua R.

    Good good good food. But the service was lack luster. We were helped more by another server than our own.

    (3)

  • David G.

    Did it make us sick? No. Are they trying their best? Yes. If you like American sushi rolls, will you enjoy it? Yes. Is it close to having any resemblance to Japanese cuisine? No chance. Sub standard fish, sliced incorrectly? Yes. Cheap tasteless unseasoned rice? Yes. Am I a food snob? Probably.

    (2)

  • Kalani M.

    My dad took me here one day while I was staying home sick from school and that's when I got hooked. I always order the vegetable tempura. The assortment has a good variety and amount that is served. I go here so much with my friend, they already know our order. I've only tried the vegetable tempura and avocado rolls so I can't saw much about everything on the menu but from what I get, it tastes really good. Within the past few months, they've updated the menus, the menu on the wall, and have added some new lighting and decoration. I really like the new vibe. The waiters are very attentive and nice. Jedi, always talks to my friend and me, asking how our day was.

    (4)

  • Benny N.

    Pretty average sushi. Nothing AMAZING, and it wasn't horrible. Came here with 2 friends before seeing a movie across the street. It was a little after 9:00. We sat at the counter w/ the boats. The unagi was fine, but can you really screw that up? The salmon was fresh-ish. It wasn't OLD, but it wasn't STUPID fresh either. I ordered something that they had to make and that was better. One guy had tempura and that looked pretty good. My meal w/ soft drink was about $25 after tax and tip. NOTE: Just pay attention to the bill if you sit at the counter. I had an extra dish on my bill. (I think it was TOTALLY an honest mistake) They promptly took car of it, and comped my soda.

    (3)

  • Amanda E.

    I came here with a couple guys during the week for the first time. My first impression was that the restaurant wasn't anything to sneeze at. The decor could definitely use a little bit of updating, especially when they have the sushi boat island as a focal point. There are about 3-4 flat screens that were all playing sports channels, and large menus posted on a wall that include pictures of rolls that you can order. Helpful if you, like me, want to see what you're ordering. I ordered the Giants Roll and Rainbow Roll. Both were alright, aside from the crab in the Rainbow Roll being too sweet for my taste. The Rainbow Roll wasn't really a roll either, because there was not enough rice to wrap around the large amount of crab they put in it. The flavor balance between the crab and the rice could be a little more pronounced, but hey, that's just my personal preference. I like the taste of rice wine vinegar from my rice when I eat sushi. The best take away from my first time there was the service. Jedi (awesome name) was super personable and pleasant, always making conversation with a great attitude. The guys I went with have been going here for some time, and Jedi knew them by name. That's always a thumbs up in my book.

    (2)

  • Leslye S.

    Definitely not the best sushi but the customer service is excellent and they make sure their customers are having a good time.

    (3)

  • christina M.

    Usually good food and service but tonight it was horrible we walked out because we didn't get our food after an hour. We were regulars here but not anymore

    (2)

  • Anthony J.

    We went at 5:00 the only table in the place ordered all you can eat. We have been before on busy nights and chalked off the poor service due to it being busy. We finally ordered after waiting for 15 min to order. 45 minutes later the food came out, warm sushi, forgot our soup, salad, and appetizers, took 15 minutes to get a refill on an Ice Tea. There were more employees working than people eating. Had to ask for our check. An hour later still no appetizers, soup or salad. Wanted to leave but felt like we were being held hostage as we still did not have our check. We would have walked out without paying put we are good people! Not going back. Sushi Boat Town in Santa Teresa will forever be our main spot!

    (1)

  • Chrissy N.

    Wow! What happened to this place? When it first opened many years ago, it was my go-to place for affordable sushi and bentos. Now...sadly, it is only a shadow of it's former glory. The service is still fast and friendly, however, the food leaves something to be desired. The rolls are cut WAY too big and are awkward to eat. The sushi boat selection is sad, meager, and they all look like they've been sitting around for a while. The bento boxes now all feature dry, flavorless options. *Sigh* I will unfortunately, never come back here again.

    (1)

  • Tina N.

    I've been to this place a couple times. It's alright. The sushi is mediocre and service isn't all that great. They are welcoming but after that its a rush to take orders and then never checking on you while you're eating. I would only eat here for convenience, but only about 3-4 times. Eh, I've had better and my picture or it doesn't help. Hahaha.

    (1)

  • Janet N.

    This location used to be A LOT better. My mother, brother and I came here hoping to eat off the boats ... yeah. The bars were closed so we just opted to order from the menu instead of waiting for an hour for them to set up. My mom got the Chicken Teriyaki & Salmon Bento Box, my brother the Sake Bomb Roll and I got the Salmon Skin Hand Roll as well as the 911 Roll. We were served our Hot Tea, water, my mom's miso soup and side salad. My Hand Roll and roll came out first which was odd. Then my mom's bento box then my brother's roll. The Salmon Skin Hand Roll tasted like burnt salmon skin, it had bits of salmon mashed on the rice along with spring onions. I'm used to having the Salmon Skin being crisp and not mushy like theirs. This was underwhelming. I got the 911 roll because I love spicy tuna, you can tell the fish here is not fresh. The tuna seemed tough and it was pretty spicy. I didn't even taste the flavor of rice wine vinegar in their sushi rice. I tried my moms bento which was okay, tasted similarly to Sarku Japan's food and my brothers roll was really dry and super spicy (not in a good way). I feel like the pricing here was pretty expensive for the quality of food they provide. My mom's bento was $14, I don't think it was worth it. Weird ambience eating in a completely empty restaurant, we sat at our table eating in silence for a good 15 minutes after the music shut off and resumed and didn't have any of our waters or tea refilled. "Meh. I've experienced better."

    (2)

  • An N.

    So, I've been to many sushi places and left amazingly full but here it's not like that. You leave feeling like, what was in that or what was it. We don't eat raw food so we get the basics like California roll, however many ways it comes. From being fried to baked to original way, but it came out very disappointing. Don't get me wrong it looks so good but taste not right, the crab tasted very mushy, it wouldn't stick together, it literally fell apart before I could even get it to my soy sauce dish. The place looked good and it was cool that they had the sushi boats going around.

    (2)

  • Elyssa E.

    One star only because I can't put 0. We ordered and they completely lost our order. Took 40 minutes still no service and it was not busy AT ALL. We left after they where confused about the order.

    (1)

  • Norbert Z.

    If you are looking for bad quality sushi for good quality sushi prices, you've come to the right place. The only positive thing that I can say about this place is that the bento boxes look decent. The fish all looked pale and just not appetizing. Plenty of places that are wayyy better than here in the same price range. The place has the vibe of a low end pho place. I'll just be happy as long as I'm not sick tomorrow.

    (2)

  • Janice K.

    Pros- -Sushi boats -Great place for birthdays. -great salad -friendly staff Cons- -sushi has been very dry the last 2 times I've been there. -service is kind of slow

    (3)

  • NJ R.

    Not the greatest sushi place I've been to. Had 4 different ones and was quite disappointed. One tasted like the tuna was straight frm a can. Others were really dry. Will not be back and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

    (1)

  • S J.

    I was disappointed on my last visit. Sushi was breaking apart everywhere, service was slow. The only thing I liked was the Seaweed salad. Not going back :/

    (2)

  • Katie L.

    Never coming here again. First time here, AND I didn't get my food until everyone finished theirs. What kind of service is that? We asked three times, too. I also asked for miso soup, never got it! Sorry, one star because I can't leave no stars lollll.

    (1)

  • Diba M.

    2 stars for the very friendly and attentive staff. However the food was not so good. The house salad did not taste fresh at all; almost as though it was made in the morning and left out for the rest of the day. And the tomato tasted "dirty," or unwashed. The wasabi, which is self-serve at each table, seemed old and crusty. The ebi nigiri was good, but it's hard to mess that up. I appreciated the fact that they were able to make me a customized salmon hand roll, but it didn't seem as fresh as I would've liked. Overall, good service, but not the best food. Such a shame as this place used to be very good several years ago.

    (2)

  • Tiffie P.

    This place is big, decent, cheap, pretty fresh, & attentive staff. It's not the best place for sushi but I think I don't need expensive & eye-catching food to satisfy myself. My date & I had the "mega sashimi mix" and it was delihhhh! I knew it would be enough for the two of us. It also comes with 2 miso soup bowls & seaweed salad for $39.99! What a deal! Whenever you order sake bombs, they get hella crazy! lol

    (4)

  • Michelle M.

    This place is awesome!! Every time I walk in I get greeted by Jedi with such enthusiasm!! And the owner, Bruce, is amazing!! I always either order a bento box(great portion) or I get the Dragon Rolls...delish!!

    (5)

  • Glenn L.

    I used to come here for sushi all the time! key word: USED TO! Before sushi factory, Blow Fish, and Kenzo, Ariake was my favorite sushi spot because it's close to home and they had a good selection of rolls for a decent price! Service here is pretty bad, I just remembered all their servers and chefs were guys and most of the time they were slow to bring out your food! I stopped coming here because the service just got worse overtime, and my sister got really bad food poisoning from their tuna rolls!!! Skip this one, and try other sushi places around! AYCE sushi like Kenzo will satisfy you more than this place!

    (2)

  • Michelle R.

    AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE and terrible dining experience!! My boyfriend used to come here years ago in high school and talked highly of it so we decided to try it Saturday night since we were craving sushi. First off, we walked in and the atmosphere was loud and lots of families there and very open space. Not intimate at all and very dirty. The walls and ceilings were stained and the decor was awful, they haven't remodeled or decorated since 2006 that's for sure. We sit down and didn't get any water or service for ten minutes. I even made eye contact with one server and he looked away and kept walking. I finally had to wave our server down. Our server finally came over, who by the way was really rude and short with us, he seemed to try to rush our order. We ordered 3 rolls...when they came out, they were all on the same plate!!! And we had to ask for extra plates...! The table was sticky. They never refilled our water. They didn't speak English well at all. And the sushi in General was OKAY but I will never EVER go back. DO NOT GO HERE. They need to be on restaurant impossible or be condemned for their disgusting restaurant and horrible customer service.

    (1)

  • B P.

    went here with a friend because it's his favorite place and we sat at the bar. I normally don't ever sit at the bar because in my opinion I feel like the food has been just sitting there for days lol but yeah so we sat at the bar. The rolls are pretty big but it comes on a small plate and you only get like three pieces. Given that I can't complain about the price because I didn't have to pay but the rice was dry and kind of hard, wasn't fresh at all. Now I'm not sure if it's cause it's been sitting there or if that's how the rice is. Overall it was okay, I probably wouldn't go back unless my friend takes me and pay Lol

    (2)

  • Curtis G.

    Saw the new all you can eat sign and thought we would give it a try. The service is extremely slow and the fish is anything but fresh. Don't eat off the boats, it is sitting forever. At least the special rolls are made real time, it just takes 20 to 30 minutes for a roll. Message to the owner, invest in better fish and chefs. That is the only way to compete with the kenzo and yati chains in the area.

    (1)

  • John J.

    We have eaten at Akiake resturants over the years but last Saturday was the worst. We were seated quickly and had our order taken in a timely fashion. Our wine and my wife's salad were also timely. From there it went downhill. I didn't get the soup I expected at the time the salad was delivered in spite of asking our waiter three times. 40 minutes later with none of my ordered delivered we asked for our wine bill and left. There appeared to be no one in charge and our waiter just didn't give a d*m*. That's the last time we will visit an Akiake resturant.

    (1)

  • Lissa G.

    What happened to this place?!! The sushi and service used to be great but I'm not so sure anymore. Ate here during lunch time but at the tail end so place was practically empty. We got greeted and seated right away which basically stops the good service at this point. On to the food. Miso soup was delicious. Nice and hot with the perfect amount of tofu and seaweed. I ordered the chicken teriyaki bento box with tempura and California rolls. Luckily the chicken was good but the rice, not so much. In addition, the salad tasted like cardboard!! First bite I thought my taste buds were messing around with me, but I took another bite and this time I knew it just wasn't right. Skipped over to the vegetable tempura and luckily that was good. Next was my California rolls that I love to save for last. Looking at it they looked very yummy but with the first bite it did not taste good at all!! Though the avocado was fresh, the crab tasted sour. Presentation looked good but even smelling it for freshness smelled sour! Now as I'm trying to wash away this nasty crab roll taste out of my mouth I've run out of water! Waiting patiently for the waiter to refill my cup I don't know how many times they walked by our table ignoring us. It was about the 5 longest minutes of my life till we finally got water. I think only once we were checked on but that was at the very beginning when we got our food. Unless I read a recent review raving how wonderful the food is, I don't think I'll be coming back.

    (1)

  • Dean K.

    The food here was a good value and it used to be one of my favorite casual places for 20 years. However, I just had the worst meal in my entire life there tonight thanks to our server Pablo. It's amazing how one bad server can ruin a meal so thoroughly. His "I don't give a shit" attitude was so amazingly bad. We ordered our favorite $16 sushi roll and 3 bento meals. He put in our order as 2 bentos so I had to wait for mine. Then when we were halfway done eating the bentos, he brought out a sushi roll that wasn't what we ordered. He took it away with his same crappy attitude and never brought us the roll we ordered. He did put the correct roll on the bill though. And he never apologized even once. I had to complain to the manager to get it taken off the bill who was nice enough to apologize and removed it from the bill. Every other server I have had here has been great, but this one ruined a birthday meal so badly that I won't go back here for a very long time.

    (2)

  • Bay M.

    This place used to be great 10 years ago but has it changed owners? I had one bad experience about 5 years ago. We were not greeted, sat down and got our own menus, and the waite brought out the food in various stages and was super inattentive. He also could not speak very well. My friend and I left without giving a tip. So while we were walking out, the front desk guy had nerve to chase after us outside and say we didn't leave a tip. I confronted him and said the service is terrible and why. His reply was "Have you been here before??" I said yes I have many times. I turned around and walked away. I did give them another chance a few years ago. The staff was friendlier. Food was okay but not too great. They did have a few bday and they play that song "go shawty, its yo birthday" really obnoxiously loud and give you a sake bom while banging on some cymbals. I just was not too impressed. It used to be better back in the day. You might need a makeover Ariake. I used to love this place.

    (3)

  • Henry D.

    Benito box #3 - Its a bit on the expensive side but good food and great service.

    (4)

  • Francis N.

    I feel so angry with yelp for forcing me to even give this place one star, this is the worst sushi experience I've ever had. The sushi we received were cold, hard, and simply just fowl. I really felt this place robbed me of my money. Even paying for the meal was difficult, we had to had our check readjusted three time because our server, mike, was just incompetent. Our food was gross, it took even longer for us to pay since our bill kept having errors. They were unapologetic, basically doesn't even care that they were at fault, do not go here. You will definitely waste your time and money.

    (1)

  • Vicky V.

    I used to enjoy eating here but after the last visit here I will not the back. The prices are pretty cheap so you really do get what you pay for. I usually leave here feeling content but after my last visit I was unsatisfied. Ordered the Silicon Valley roll which was okay and also ordered the jellyfish hand roll. I did not like it at all, it had a really strong fishy taste to it which I wasn't expecting. I've had jellyfish before and it never tasted like that. I ended up just eating the rice and seaweed. I love ca rolls but I will not order it from this place because they put way too much of the crab filling that its overwhelming. They do a birthday celebration which is pretty cool but can get very loud. The service is average wish I could say more about the food though.

    (2)

  • L M.

    My family and I have been dining at Ariake's for years. I don't know what's happened recently but it's definitely not what it used to be. On the upside they have an all-you-can-eat deal we might try (but there's a lot of rules for it), they have a new assortment of tasty rolls, and you almost never have to wait more than 5 minutes for a table (even with groups of 6). On the downside the service is really terrible and the prices all went up. **Exception: Jedi is fantastic. Attentive, thorough, accurate. He's been there for years and I wish they were all like him. At this point we just order to-go. It's a funny thing though. I will order before I leave work and pick up (usually 20 min or so) - generally I had no problems. We order a bento, tempura, and a small selection of sushi rolls. Time before last, I ordered when I arrived, same selection and they had the tempura done in what felt like 5 minutes and the bento another 10 minutes after that. Now it's waiting on the counter getting soggy. There were two tables seated and 1 person at the bar, and 3 sushi chefs. I waited 30 minutes for the sushi. As I watched I realized they were focused on starting up and filling the boats. WTH? One person at the bar. Finish my order please. When I asked about 25 minutes in and complained that the tempura was mushy the server (not Jedi) started squirming as said just 1 more minute. The tempura was awful that night by the time got it home but the new sushi selections are tastier. Lesson learned. Last time I ordered the sushi from work and added the tempura and bento when I arrived. No problem. Then again, maybe it was because Jedi was there this time....

    (3)

  • Rod N.

    The service is slow even though there is no one here. The people in front of sat down 5 min after us. They waited 10 min without no service so they left. Pretty funny.

    (3)

  • Dave J.

    What happened to this place? Went in here recently for lunch and was greeted right away. Sat down ordered some drinks and some salmon sashimi. The salmon was great and the Sapporo was....well the Sapporo wasn't made by them so it was fine, haha. Aside from that I ordered an "I love you roll" and a "Sake bomb roll" and both of them took about fifteen minutes (ordered separately) to come out when there were two other guests besides myself and my lady being waited on. The roll quality on both was bad and the slices were uneven and some pieces were even sliced at an angle making picking them up without them falling apart a nightmare. Beyond how bad the roll quality was, our server stopped coming to our table and we waited over twenty minutes till I had to go find a manager to grab us the bill. I won't be coming back here anytime soon and I hope this place improves.

    (1)

  • Vast C.

    Where are the "real" sushi chefs!?! This is not a place for people who know what real sushi is. I don't even think they know how to properly cut a piece of fish. The pieces of fish on my sushi looked slaughtered and half chewed. I swear the unqualified so-called cooks used some 'as advertised on TV' contraption to roll their sushi. The service was as bad as the food that I left uneaten before I headed out to go to another restaurant.

    (1)

  • Irvin C.

    This place is horribad. Went with my sister cause we were craving some sushi and we were in the area, did not the expect to be such a disappointment. Lets just say I came here ordered a few things that I was "craving" and decided that I wanted to put a finger down my throat to avoid what I ate here. Prices are super cheap(if something is to good to be true it probably is) Ordered: their equivalent to lion king (california roll w/baked salmon) Too much sauce barely any fish on this roll Gyoza: Lings Lings frozen from costco taste better, their sauce was horrid. Unagi hand roll+avacado: This was the best thing I mean you cant really mess it up. They charged me $1.00 for a spoon slice. Deep fried oysters: what did I even put this in my mouth. HELLA BREADING, poor quality of canned oysters. I usually get chicken teriyaki bento box and salmon, REGRET. Pros: Cheap Cons: Its cheap for a reason.

    (1)

  • Marcus M.

    It has been a while since I've been to this restaurant. I like the atmosphere and it is a fun place to go. My favorites is the sky that is painted on the ceiling I want my kitchen to look like that. They've had the same menu for a long time nothing special sushi but it is okay. It seems to cost a little more now that's okay it's Japanese food. My other favorites are the boats as they slowed by you just grab sushi from that's so fun. It has been some of the same guys working there. They are good guys. The newer guys are a little bit slow but they work hard. They just need to update their sushi and I would go there a lot more. It is just a good place for a quick sushi and some good food and just to hang out with some people. Birthday is fun they all sing to you under 50 cents in da club. They will then put your picture on the wall.

    (3)

  • Karin H.

    Been awhile since the last visited. Still LOVE the place!! The sushi chef always make my special orders on the roll with a smile on their faces! Genorous and delicious portion of sushi! The best part is they never overcharge for my special requests on the rolls! For sure I will be back!!

    (5)

  • Peter G.

    Extremely good. Improved menu, great portions, and still friendly service. Coming back again soon!

    (5)

  • Alexis G.

    Update.. I'm happy to say that Ariake is delicious and even on a busy night the servers are nice and attentive.

    (4)

  • Zenida J.

    Food is inexpensive but the service was poor. Waiter forgot my son's bowl of rice and never came back once he brought my order. Questionable on whether I'll be back.

    (2)

  • Martha C.

    If I could give it zero stars I would. One word disgusting! Bento box is a joke, chicken does not taste like chicken and the sushi is the worst I have ever had. Place is dirty.

    (1)

  • Michele C.

    Was at home listening to Chiemi Eri's Japanese-language rendition of "Bye Bye Love" by the Everly Brothers .http://youtu.be/LqWVCUL_xYg She re-arranged the lyrics a bit,but you can tell she really paid attention to how Don sang the solo part.I'm really going to miss the Everly Brothers.No one like them is ever going to occur again.This record got me in the mood for Japanese food,so I went to Ariake. Ariake is a bit noisy,and has 4 large T.V. sets so you won't miss your sports.There is a clock with sushi for numbers,and some Japanese prints.A great thing about the menus is there is a picture of everything,so you don't have to ask what something is.I had the bento box with the teriyaki chicken strips,tuna sushi and California roll.Miso soup was first,and in my opinion could have had some stronger flavor;it was a bit weak.The salad had a nice nutty dressing,and the chicken was good but seemed slightly overcooked.The lunch special is similar but comes with endamame and is slightly cheaper.Both are a pretty good value--in the non-sushi ones you get lots of food.The mood here is pretty relaxed.

    (4)

  • tyler t.

    This place recently started the all you can eat sushi. I did their all you can eat sushi. It's not bad considering you don't have to wait very long compared to other AYCE sushi places. The reason why I give this place a 3 star is because they sometimes use too much rice in their sushi. I also ordered the teriyaki chicken roll and the chicken was very dry. Lastly, I didn't like how I was not able to see the all you can eat menu after I ordered. I like to keep track on what I ordered.

    (3)

  • Ella U.

    Absolutely LOVE it Yummy sushi, freshly made in your face at the boat bar. They have a variety and huge california rolls. They are very patient when you order and they explain what it is that is in the roll. GREAT for groups, music, DJ lights and when its a birthday (i had mine here) Its ALL EYES ON YOU! they dim the lights play a club birthday song and get drums and things to make lots of noise with and they come with sake, have you stand on the chair and do shots (21+ sake, 21 & under get sprite) its so fun because everyone claps for you and congratulates you. then lights on and everything goes back to normal haha. then they come with a camera and take a picture of you and your party, and they put it in a glass frame and give you a birthday coupon for your next visit. The pricing is great and you can pick and choose from the boat bar or order from the menu. They have 2 menus a sushi one and a chicken, beef,shrimp and tempura one. So you dont HAVE to eat sushi if you go there and you dont HAVE to eat raw there are lots of options. I will continue to come here and bring others to this place it is amazing lunch time and dinner time. Lunh time is a lot calmer compared to night time it is busier and louder

    (5)

  • k y.

    The food has gotten so gross! One star becuz i had to in order to post. We had deluxe bento boxes today, immediately knew the food was not good at all, came home, and threw it all up... what more is there to add? GROSS.

    (1)

  • Crystal V.

    I have been a few times before and I have noticed the lights and stereos, but never had the chance to experience it. It was so random, loud, silly, and exciting! I mean, what sushi place does that?! I do recommend coming here with a group of friends around dinner time, and getting drunk off of sake with the music and strobe lights lol. Why this place does not get four stars is because it took a while for our waiter to come and greet us, we were in the corner, right when you walk in, the the left by the wall in the corner, and he was not friendly at all! I mean come on you work in a cool and fun environment! The other guy that I have seen, he went to go retrieve my fried sushi for me, my boyfriends meal came out before mine, so I did appreciate him, because I was starving. Perhaps I will try them again and sit at the bar, faster service I would hope! Definitely come check them out!

    (3)

  • Ralphy J.

    Honestly I had a mediocre experience, service wise the place was good...but the food was so-so. I had the bento teriyaki chicken which is pretty hard to mess up. It was OK, not particularly memorable and I didn't even finish it. My wife ordered several sushi rolls and she didn't like them very much. I feel like the meal wasn't very fresh. I wouldn't go back, we were in the area because my wife was shopping at Crossroads. I am going to stick with my old faithful sushi spot on Monterey Road near Blossom Hill.

    (2)

  • Charlie C.

    Went on MLK 2014, for lunch and was very disappointed. The service was slow and a lot of people were waiting for their foods and to be seated. Granted its not the waiters fault since there was only 2 of them serving 40 people. Management could have done a better job preparing for the day since its a holiday. Food was mediocre and our rolls were falling apart on the plate. I have had better experiences with Ariake but this was an all time low.

    (3)

  • Alex K.

    This is our go-to sushi place. The prices are fair, and they have inventive roll creations. This is not a fancy place, and there is better sushi elsewhere, but it's also more expensive. I like Ariaki's rolls, but sashimi is not so great.

    (4)

  • Alex R.

    Took 30 min for my order to be taken with only 2 other guests there. Longest lunch of my life.

    (2)

  • Shawn O.

    I hadn't eaten here in probably 10+ years (before kids). I needed something fast and, I thought, value-priced for family meal so we stopped in. Being a child of the 80s, have to admit I enjoyed the old school music playing. Had the 007 roll which was actually pretty good (I would order it again if I went back). That being said, kids bento dinners arrived 15 minute after our sushi. The restaurant was only 1/3 full on Monday night. I had to ask several times for the kids food. Overall food was ok, but $50+ later for 2 kids meals and 3 sushi rolls wasn't as value-oriented as I remember. The biggest reason I probably won't go back was the extremely LOUD celebration of patrons birthdays by the wait staff: drums, loud yelling and simulated shots (assumed simulated given it was for a 10 year old boy). Guess I am getting old. If you are looking for the party atmosphere, then this is probably the place for you.

    (2)

  • Ron L.

    What happened? Last Thursday was a disaster, today I walked out. The place was about 90 degrees and all the sushi looked like jerky. Looks like when Jedi is gone the place goes to shit! Bummer.

    (1)

  • Danreb V.

    This place is the most fun sushi place I've ever been to. Upon entry, patrons will find that it isn't your average sushi place. The decor is very modern, and the lighting suggests that it's some nightclub bar without being too unclassy. The food itself is actually pretty good for the cheap prices they charge. Rolls are served the way they should be. I got myself a Lion, Dragon, and Rock N' Rolls and they filled me up rather good. The size of the Sapporo beers is pretty good too. Basically, the place is great if you're a college student, but the fun comes if it's somebody's birthday. The place just goes completely dark, and a bunch of people just come out in Taiko drums and beat the living crap out of them. And then the highest ranking employee comes out with a sake bomb. It's just crazy fun. I'd definitely recommend this place for someone's birthday.

    (3)

  • Heather A.

    Nothing special, its a busy place with inattentive wait staff.

    (3)

  • Becky U.

    Came here on a Sunday right when they opened (11:30AM - brunch). I love me some sushi!! I was impressed that they were serving lunch specials on a weekend. I got the fried oysters bento box lunch special and my gf got the spicy chicken bento box lunch special. The serving of both boxes were generous, when I mean generious.. $5.95 for this!!? REALLY!? SCORE! The fried oysters is a must try basis!! The spicy chicken wasn't so bad itself. The sushi and hand roll portions are pretty huge. The selections are way more than you would expect.. too many to chose from. Miso soup was definitely "miso soup". Like YUM! I am definitely going back.. tonight! LOL. Definitely a FAN!

    (4)

  • Harry T.

    Sushi is OK here, nothing to rave about. The guy that's in the front is REALLY friendly, I like him :) Lunch bentos are pretty cheap, worth checking out if your around the area. If its your birthday then they dim the lights and play "in da club" by 50cent. Siiiiiiiiiick

    (3)

  • Tom T.

    Quantity trumps quality. This is my family's default sushi place since it's close and they like the plentiful portions of the bento and sushi. It's easy to fill up on a few sushi rolls since they slice them so wide. The sushi is passable but there are better places. But if you want to entertain a lot of people for sushi at a low price, this place works well. They also do some interesting birthday celebrations table side. You have to see to believe.

    (3)

  • Cyndi N.

    I don't know why I haven't yelped this earlier. I think I've been coming here for so long it almost feels like visiting a relative's home...who wudda thunk to review such a familiar place? Anyhoo, my family has been coming to Ariaki for YEARS. In addition to the usual yummy and inexpensive sushi, we always have a great time w/ great service. My yougest son has celebrated his birthday here about 4 times, my oldest son 3 times, and I've celebrated 1 bday w/ work peeps. (I'm starting to think their wall has more pics of my kids than I do!!) Not only have we done birthdays, we've done graduations, celebrations, and maybe all the fridays during lent! (come to think of it, i think they taught my youngest how to use chopsticks too...) Last weekend we celebrated my son's 16th birthday. We haven't been there for a while now, but nice to know Jedi and Bruce still call me by my first name! They did their usual happy bday song, had my kid on a chair (downing soda, not sake--I hope!), and--instead of a family polaroid pic on their wall, we got a bedanzled picture framed picture to take home! Not the paper, disposible frame, but a nice frame disaplayable on your mantle! Fun times!

    (5)

  • Monica F.

    aaaaaah... one of them those sushi chains..... I'd say it's okay for a quick, cheap sushi fix... however.... this can't really be a good spot for a date if you want a sushiriffic good meal to fill your sushi thirst. I always feel iffy about the sushi boats...as i wouldn't know how long these little plates had been circling the sushi bar for.... But...at Ariake, you can actually get some decently prepared rolls. and if they don't have anything you want at the sushi bar, they have an extensive selection off the menu too.... At Ariake,....you can never go wrong with the Hamachi Hand Rolls. It's Cheap and stuffed with Hamachi. Totally worth it....

    (3)

  • Mike S.

    Last Friday I had dinner with Mandy at Ariake Sushi in South San Jose. The fond memories I have of Ariake's. The magic started at the Stevens Creek location, where I was first introduced to the wonderful world of sushi. Instead of going to class, I would somehow find out way at Ariake with my buddies! Sushi over School, ftw! ^_^ Every visit I would always order a Kani Hand Roll or two & the Lewinsky Roll. So last Friday I of course ordered my old trusties! :) The Lewinsky Roll ( media2.ct.yelpcdn.com/bp… ) consists of cream cheese, cooked salmon, and avocado. While this used to be one of my favorites back in the days, the magic wasn't quite there anymore. I'm not sure what it was, but just didn't enjoy it like how I remembered. The Kani Hand Roll ( media2.px.yelpcdn.com/bp… ) is a large cone-shaped roll filled with crab! Ah yes, I still love this roll. As simple as this roll is, that sweet tasting imitation crab just does the trick every time! Mmmm, in fact I had to order a second Kani Hand Roll that night! P.S. The birthday celebrations are extremely ANNOYING! Summary (2.75 Stars): Sushi that is quick, fast, and cheap! While this place isn't a classy super fresh sushi joint, consider it an upgrade over the stuff found at Safeway!

    (3)

  • Fifi C.

    They have lots of choices for different sushi. It is not a high-end sushi but it fills your tummy without breaking your bank. It's a good place to go when I am hungry for sushi and don't want to go too far and spend too much money. My favorite is the salmon skin hand roll.

    (3)

  • Joshua R.

    I can't leave my rating at the two stars for one simple reason. This is the best place to go for sushi in the area. I went again recently and I had to change my rating based on that. The people are just to nice and the food is too good. I don't think they played that music that time either, and I don't know if they just don't anymore, but the fact that they didn't play it helped to make my time at Ariake enjoyable.

    (4)

  • Camille C.

    The crazy roll is absolutely yummy, especially because I love a bit of acid with my fish. At times, the heaping amounts of cream cheese can be a bit much when added to a roll, but they are still delicious. The sushi here is quite affordable as well. I went with my girlfriends, everyone ordered two specialty rolls, and the total averaged out to be around $10 per person.

    (4)

  • Alisha S.

    Yuck, yuck, yuck! Sushi on the boat was left out waaay to long and was very unappealing. Even when I ordered a fresh roll, the wait time was ridiculous, flavoring was off and rolls fell apart. If I have HAD to go back here I'd only eat the salad.

    (1)

  • Macie S.

    Ariake is a family favorite. I have been going to this sushi spot for years because the quality of the sushi and bento boxes, as well as the friendly staff who welcome you as you walk in. The best spot is along the sushi boat circle around 6:30 or 7:00 because they serve freshly made sushi. Birthday celebrations at Ariake is always a hoot. Prepare yourself for some 50 cent "it's your birthday", an ensemble of drums and some sake. Enjoy! :]

    (4)

  • Ede S.

    They give generous portions, but if the generous portions taste like garbage, then your garbage ends up being fed to your garbage can. I ordered over the phone and I knew I was in for a surprise when I picked up my order since there seemed to be a language barrier between us (the person on the line had an extremely thick accent). I asked if they had a sashimi combo in their bento box (I thought he said yes) and when I came home, there was no sashimi. I ordered two bento boxes and they basically gave me two teriyaki salmons, one teriyaki chicken, one teriyaki beef with two tempuras. Teriyaki overload? Yup. All three of the meats were bland and rough. I regretted not cooking that night since a simple Yoshida marinade would've been much more tasty. One star for the nice server who helped me get the food into my car. But anyway, will never come here every again!

    (2)

  • Noelle J.

    The World According to Noelle Allergic Girl's Guide to Life I come here often with my grandmother after her hair appointments. I'd rather eat the Japanese food at Gombei in Japantown but short of hopping onto 87 to J-Town this is South San Jose's answer to Japanese food. They are almost always packed at lunch. Ariake has large lunch specials at are only $5.95, I always get the tonkatsu (not a lunch portion) and its decent. Service is sketch during the busy lunch hour but friendly nonetheless. Noelle's Notes Not bad for Japanese food in SSJ.

    (3)

  • Jeremy C.

    I came here for my 22nd birthday tonight and I've been coming here all the time since high school. The service is usually pretty good and I like what they do for customers when they're dining for their birthday. Tonight was a big disappointment. We were not greeted as we came in, despite the restaurant not being terribly busy. Our waiter didn't seem at all friendly when he took our orders. After our food got there, we had to wave someone down to get a spoon for my friend's soup. We never saw our waiter again and had to actually go up to the counter to get the check. When I told the manager that I was very dissatisfied with the service, he just shrugged it off. Normally I wouldn't go out of my way to leave someone a bad review, but I chose THIS restaurant to have a good time at on my birthday. And I could have gone to restaurants witha bit higher of a rating. We were so upset that we didn't even bother asking them for the saki bombs the birthday boy/girl gets.

    (1)

  • Cindy K.

    Yes I still come to this place every so often. If I'm in SJ and I want Japanese food I will come here because the bento boxes are the best deal I've found. I think it's $9.95 for a lunch bento and $11.95 for dinner bento. I always get the #1 with beef teriyaki. So much food in one box. I can never finish. My rating decreases because the quality of the food has decreased. My salmon is always overcooked and dry. Sometimes my beef is dry and hard and other times it's soft and amazing. Since my last review I think they're rolls have improved. They no longer fall apart when I pick them up. Yay!

    (3)

  • Joseph N.

    Like other people have stated before me, this place use to be a good place to eat. The staff is very rude and unwelcoming. The last time I went there was with my cousin and his girlfriend. All three of us ordered and long story short they got their food about 15 mins apart and I never got mine. The waiter leaves and than Jedi (I think he's the manager) comes up to the table and days did you order anything sir? I almost lost it at that point, no apology, not even a confession that they screwed up, on top of that as I was talking to him he just walks away in the middle of the conversation. What a loser!! I will never go back there again....the food prices are cheap and the food quality is horrible. I really use to like this place, now it's being managed by a bunch of apes.

    (1)

  • Michelle A.

    This is one of my go-to places for cheap and fresh sushi. I was a little disappointed in my visit this time around, they seated us in the corner and we seemed to have been forgotten. I'm hoping my experience is not something of the norm.

    (3)

  • Ryan S.

    DO NOT EAT HERE!!! You'll never get served! Had to walk out!

    (1)

  • Anna B.

    My most sincere apologies to my stomach, taste buds, and digestive system. This was a waste of stomach space. And I rarely EVERR regret food. The boyfriend and I were looking for a place to grab a late lunch, since Gombei and other restaurants close in the afternoon. Our friends picked this place, and right before we left, another friend warned us, "They don't have very good reviews on Yelp!" GULP. Oh boyy.. I should have given this more thought. I reaaallly should have! But with that thought in the back of my mind, I ordered the 911 roll and the poki handroll. Cheapo, and what's the worst that can happen with spicy tuna? My tastebuds were shot to hell. I would have done better eating my words. The 911 roll plate was composed of three sushi pieces with avocado, tobiko, annnnddd an oddly colored concoction, supposedly the spicy tuna. The roll was also half formed. Although I appreciated the creativity -- the triangular shape with two sides with rice, and one with exposed insides -- I would have preferred something more ...normal. The appearance presented some difficulties in the eating process. As for the poki handroll, there was a slab of the oddly colored spicy tuna with lettuce and rice. Note: the spicy tuna was BROWN! And bits of it got stuck in my teeth. It hurt to eat, but oh hell, I paid for it!!! This food fanatic will not be returning to Ariake. Be cautious. The prices are fabulous and cheap, but the food is not the best.

    (1)

  • Vicky H.

    lights off, drums beating, men holding up a shrine of sake...you know its someones birthday. So...we celebrated a friend's birthday here and it was pretty descent. the food wasn't bad. i recommending getting their bentos, especially the beef terryaki! their sauce is pretty tasty! i highly recommend staying away from the mussels they have there. it was soo sour! service is descent food was descent the group that was with me was uh-mazingg! go here with a bunch of friends :) its worth it!

    (3)

  • Nhi D.

    Super cheap for sushi! The price of two rolls here is equivalent to two rolls elsewhere. However, the rolls can sometimes only be 3 pieces. The taste matches up with the price, and does temporarily satisfy sushi cravings. Extra star for the price, though!

    (3)

  • Jen T.

    Pretty good options and prices. They have a big selection of sushi and sushi boat options, but I don't think their forte is necessarily the freshest fish. However, most of the rolls are very reasonably priced. The bento box was also more than enough food for the price (plus you can pick 2 entrees). I got the chirashi, which had a really good amount of sashimi. (: The night we came there was a family at a table next to ours celebrating the dad's birthday so I got to see how they celebrate here, which was very entertaining, mostly due to the lively staff here. I do have to mention that the food is only okay, but I'm mostly a fan for the awesome service! and fun birthday celebrations.

    (4)

  • Leroy L.

    Way too long to receive food... rolls are ok...

    (2)

  • Joseph C.

    Wow, they asked me if I wanted boat or table, I said boat. All the sushi is ready to go but they won't serve it until 5:30, it is now 5:10. I'm outta here. as waiting to pay for salad, I heard the host ask another couple if they wanted boat or table, she said boat. I mentioned that the boat wont opne till 5:30 they pondered to stay or go.

    (1)

  • Osho J.

    This sushi boat type restaurant is slightly cheaper than the other places in San Jose. I'd say of $100 bill at another restaurant you would pay about $77 dollars here for the same food. The quality of the sushi is not very good, it is about average. I go here for budgetary reasons. Service is good and prompt. Been here four times and if you just want a quick tuna, octopus, and salmon sushi then go for it! They have a lot of rolls to choose from but I wont comment on them because I never ordered one. It I funny when they have a birthday celebration they come out with this Taiko drum and turn the lights down and turn on strobe light and stuff, its kinda funny and a twist compared to traditional Japanese dining, have fun if your on a budget!

    (3)

  • Jenn C.

    Came in today with my husband. We've been here a few times before with no issues. But today, we were so underwhelmed by the experience, this will probably be our last visit. Please bear in mind that we came in at 3:00, and normally sushi restaurants aren't open at 3. However, we ordered our sushi instead of pulling off the sushi boats to ensure fresh fish. Although the fish was fresh, the overall taste of the rolls was mediocre at best. We ordered a variety of sushi from nigiri to hand rolls, baked sushi to deep fried, all of it was just "okay". Even the tea my husband ordered was lukewarm upon arrival! The services was decent- no rude or lazy servers. Just a personal pet peeve happened, but it's not worth repeating. Like I said we've been here before, and normally it's pretty good. Today, unfortunately was not the case.

    (2)

  • Lissa o.

    I like the Stevens Creek location but this one.... OMG, we went on a Tuesday night and for some reason they were beating a super loud drum and yelling. My friend and I waited outside for a few minutes thinking it might just be a birthday song but it just went on and on. I DO NOT have a noise issue and can tolerate loud places but this was too loud for me! After waiting for awhile I told my friend "let's go, you will go insane" and we left...still hearing the drum beats. At that point, never mind, there are other sushi places.

    (2)

  • Sean M.

    Bento's - 4 Stars A little loud, but great place for a party or group of friends. Plenty of parking always, but there may be a wait depending on when you go.

    (4)

  • Mo R.

    Their crab mix isn't all that great - too mooshy

    (3)

  • Peggy H.

    We love going to Ariake and enjoy seeing the people that work there! Jedi and Pedro are like family! This is usually the place where the children want to go for their birthday dinner too! Great sushi and it is affordable.

    (5)

  • Lisa N.

    The food here is just OKAY. Nothing great. Bento boxes: chicken teriyaki (not my taste, I've had way better chicken at every other Japanese joint), tempura (the vegetables are always soggy inside), california roll (way too big and it was a weird taste: mayonaisse?) I don't know whats in it, but I don't like it. I've had the dragon roll and spider here and they are good.

    (3)

  • Ken R.

    wow, I am really surprised that this Ariake only is pulling a 3 star rating. I love this place. I have only come at night, so I can't comment on the lunch experience. At night the 80's music is jamming, the lights are low, and invariably their will be a massively caciphonious birthday ditty jamming once every 20-30 minutes. THE BIRTHDAY JAM: The owner and all the staff turn down the lights, crank on the disco lights and ball and then come out banging Japanese drums, cymbals and basically making hell a lot of noise. They bring the birthday girl or boy a sake or sake bomb, and bang away while the victim downs the drink. Sometimes it is a little much, but in general the vibe is very positive, and the people seem to know this is part of the deal. Back to the food. The portions are really large here. I have found the sushi, the udon, and the teriyaki to be very tasty and fresh. Maybe not crazy fancy or delicious, but really good. The prices are better than almost any Japanese around. You are probably going go have something to take home. We had lunch at the Ariake's in Sunnyvale, and the experience was not very good, but I have yet to have a bad experience at this location. The staff seems happy and upbeat, and in general the service is good, though can sometimes be a little slow. If you go, order some sake or beer, and be prepared for some noise and crazy lights. If you are looking for an intimate and quiet dining experience, this is not the place.

    (5)

  • Anthony C.

    Sushi is ehh. Price is decent. The service is soso. Atmosphere is pretty lively. Pretty funny place to celebrate your birthday because they have a 50 cent its your birthday intro while the stuff comes to you and makes you drink the 3 tower of sake shots. Other than that, theres plenty of other better sushi places around.

    (2)

  • Steven L.

    Sushi quality was a F and the chirashi bowl had 3 pieces of sashimi, the empty space was filled with seaweed salad. 15 minutes into eating the food I had an upset stomach and the food went right through me. Service was junk and every one seamed to just want your money, I'll never come here again. Oh and my girlfriend got sick and threw up half way through her meal.

    (1)

  • emily n.

    Worse sushi in the world.... This place is cheap for a reason..

    (1)

  • Ark Aimee S.

    I've been passing this place for forever and just recently tried it out. I ordered their Dragon Roll, equivalent to Sato's Hawaiian roll and BOY was it GOOD!!! it's the best tempura roll I've ever tasted! I used to always go to Sato, but I think I'll be going here for the dragon roll in particular. I also ordered calamari, but wasn't too impressed with that dish, it was too salty...and seemed like it was those ready to cook ones., and im a huge calamari fan, so boo on the calamari, but big YAY for their dragon roll! Service was good, everyone was very accommodating. =)

    (4)

  • George L.

    Bento boxes are good but teriyaki beef and chicken were cold when served. They should be hot off the grill.

    (4)

  • J R.

    This place changed my opinion on sushi...well bento boxes. Cuz I don't mess with sushi.I always thought of bento boxes as a sorry alternative to real sushi but I was wrong. This place has some pretty good boxes! I got the one with chicken teriyaki, potstickers, ca rolls(only sushi i'll eat) salad, and a soup. Everything came out fresh and the waiters were really attentive! For people like me who don't do sushi too often besides when a nagging gf bugs for it, this is the spot to go! Convenient parking, right next to a bank, and great service!

    (4)

  • Liz M.

    I am a regular here and they have the best dragon rolls!!! I always order that and try other types of rolls. We always sit at the bar so we could snatch some moving sushi boats..hehe..I just love eating here its like my comfort food after a long stressful day at work.. IRASHAI MASE!!!!=)) yummmmm!!

    (5)

  • James N.

    I think its cool that a Japanese restaurant is ran and the food is cooked by non-Asians. It shows that other cultures accepted another culture and wanted to share their take on it. Unfortunately, that doesn't always end with a good result. I never left a California roll alone before. It had such a bad taste in my mouth and an after taste that stayed. The lunch dishes are pretty darn cheap but theres a reason why. Not only does the food match the price but the food is also a repellent. I don't think I'm going to come back here any time soon.

    (2)

  • Joan A.

    I had a to-go order for 2 rolls and 2 hand rolls. I waited for about 30 mins for it when they said that it would take 15 minutes. It did not look too busy at a before-dinner time frame around 5PM. But my order was forgotten even though it was already sitting at the sushi bar counter for awhile. Maybe the indoor dining experience would be better.

    (2)

  • Beatriz P.

    A regular here. Sushi is affordable and decent size. The atmosphere is almost always exciting especially on your birthday. Out of all the sushi places I've gone, they make the best spicy mayo everrrrrr. It's a nice combination of sweet and spice.

    (4)

  • Lydia H.

    We went here on Tuesday night, hoping to satisfy a sushi craving. I would NOT come here again. We had to send back two rolls because they were rubbery and dry. Gross. Also, service was lacking... Majorly lacking. Definitely not worth the time or money. I'm still searching for a good sushi restaurant with decent prices in sj!

    (1)

  • Sheena T.

    I went here for lunch .. at around 2:30 with a friend. We REALLY love places with revolving belts, but sadly, the revolving belt was not open at the time. The waiter told us it was open from 11-2 and after 6. We were half an hour late! But since we were already there, we decided to give it a try anyways. We should have backed out! But eh, whatevs. Anyways, about the sushi .. the good rolls start at $5.55 for 3-5 rolls. I guess it's okay .. I mean sushi is never cheap, right? Thinking that we'd be smart and money savy, we ordered the ariake combination for us to share. BIG MISTAKE. The menu said 21 rolls, but I think they should have included the word "puny" or "dinky" somewhere in the description. Oh, and they took FOREVER to get our rolls. So be prepared to wait if you order a combination. The only thing that was good in that combo was probably the California roll. The other rolls were a little below mediocre. I believe there was one salmon, one yellowtail, one squid, one scallop, and one tuna. There were 6 small tuna rolls, and 6 small cucumber rolls along with 3 California rolls.We paid $14.95 for that. Needless to say, it wasn't worth the price. I guess we should have taken a better look at the picture of the rolls on the board. Of course my friend and I scarfed down the rolls like nothing, and we ended up having to order a deluxe bento to share. The Bento box was alright. It was definitely more worth the money than the Ariake combination. It was $7.99 I believe, and that's pretty much half the price of the combo we ordered. If you want to get full, order the deluxe Bento box/lunch special and some rolls on the side. By the way, they have a board full of the pictures of the rolls. The names of the rolls are very cute, though, hence the additional star. Some names included: blossom hill roll, I love you roll, I miss you roll, 911 roll, shark roll, etc. Oh yeah, they gave us water to drink (obviously), and my cup was DIRTY. It didn't even looked washed. I had to use another napkin to swipe the rim of my cup. Can you say NASTY FAT NASTY? I'm not sure if I would come here again or not. Probably not.

    (2)

  • Leanna B.

    This place is TERRIBLE. Just really awful quality sushi. The rice hardly sticks together, the fish is not fresh, the rolls are huge and VERY sloppy, the flavors all taste the same. I was very disappointed. If you have ever had decent sushi before and know a thing or two, you would NOT like this place. Not trying to come off like a snob... But I just can't express how poorly made their sushi is! I tried about four or five different rolls. They all tasted exactly the same despite having different ingredients. Bad sign!!!! When I got home I felt like throwing up the food in my stomach. It sat there like a rock and I couldn't get over what crappy food I had just eaten. Please save yourself the frustration that I had, and find somewhere else to eat.

    (1)

  • Tiffany L.

    I've been growing up with Ariake since their first location in Cupertino. This was the highlight of my Saturdays before my dreaded piano lessons. Many years later as an "adult" I had to give this childhood wonder another go. The magic has unfortunately fizzled. Ariake has done a great job maintaining their lunch prices...but not without setbacks. The portions are significantly smaller and less tasty. The teriyaki beef was cooked dry. Not enough sauce could cover it up. The rolls were unremarkable. The rice was not sticky enough. Overall meh experience that would has been bumped up to 2 stars because of the friendly guy at the register. Classic case of you get what you pay for.

    (2)

  • Tee S.

    This place... you have to take the very good and fun over the indifferent. Was not impressed with the maguro or even basic cali'roll. Unagi offerings they do well. Also like the fact that on their menu they have a separate listing for vegetarian offerings which some sound like I have to come back and be vegan for a day:). If you come with that person who thinks sushi is something they put on the end of their fishing pole, the bento boxes are overkill huge. The other half loved the beef and the chicken was.. eh.. it is what it is. If the lights go down, and disco lights start to turn... be prepared for a blast of drums as they march up to the table of a bday recipient to do some sake shots. hmmm You cannot beat the pricing so with that in mind at times you get what you pay for and others they excel greatly. Great strong point is their hospitality. Owner/manager comes to your table frequently to check on you, banter or joke. And in these trying days, if only all restaurant managers/owners had this trait amongst them as we fork over our hard earned cash. Its not the five star sushi place but everything suffices, some aspects of this place exceed, it's inexpensive, fun, the staff is great... eh whats more important for just an eve out!!!

    (4)

  • Oanh T.

    Zero stars if I could. This is the worst sushi place ever. I went here for the first and last time with my two sisters two weeks ago. They knew the place and used to go here. We came in and there were about 4 other people there, pretty empty. Sat at the sushi bar/boat table. No one came to get our order or offer water for 10 minutes. The sushi that was floating on the boats looked old and crusted from being out for too long. A man who could not speak any English took our order and it took 20 minutes to get our food! Once we got our food, the order was wrong. There were only about 4 other people in the restaurant. When we were able to flag down another waiter, I ordered an udon since the sushi was not appetizing. 15 minutes later, I was still without udon. I flagged down another server and told him to cancel it if it hadn't been made yet because we were running out of time. Miraculously, it came out. It was good udon, but at this time, we spent over an hour and a half at this place. I took the rest of the udon to go. My sisters were disappointed because they used to go here and remembered it being better. They decided to tell the manager how bad the service and the food had become so he could tell the owner to fix it. He ended up telling them that he is "only the manager" and could not help the fact that the servers get the orders wrong (the last two times my sisters went, the server got their orders wrong as well). My sisters were really nice, but this manager basically said he couldn't do anything and that the owner is not concerned with service. I interrupted and told my sisters to leave because it's obvious the manager doesn't care about the company and we were wasting more time at this dump. I told him I would write a Yelp review and he encouraged me to do so because he said the owner won't listen to him. So now, I'm doing it. If you're the owner, this place is a joke of a sushi restaurant. One of the best things about being the Bay Area is that there are hundreds of sushi restaurants. Don't waste your time here. The sushi was sketchy at best. I can tell the fish was not fresh. On the sushi boats, you can see the fish is not fresh. The service is beyond bad, it's counter productive because the server gets your order wrong. You wait all day for food that is not what you ordered. Never coming back. Try other sushi places. I guarantee you'll have a better experience than here.

    (1)

  • Rav V.

    It'd been some time since we'd gone out for Sushi and we wanted to try a new place. We found this place thanks to my Yelp BB App. I scanned the reviews and trusted that seasoned Yelpers and Elites knew what they were talking about. Boy, was I wrong. - S - L - O - W - - S - E - R - V - I - C - E - This was unlike any Japanese restaurant I've ever been to and that wasn't a good thing. Everything from the decor to the service to the food was disappointing. We came in well after the lunch rush and it appeared they were understaffed as the guy at the register was also taking orders at the tables and bringing out the food. Nice guy but overwhelmed. People were just standing around not knowing what was going on. 911 Roll - $3.95 Lewinsky Roll - $4.95 Clinton Roll - $4.95 Jordan Roll - $4.95 Sake Bomb Roll -$4.95 Shrimp Tempura - $5.95 I forget which one but one of our rolls was supposed to be fried but it was more like charred. The entire bottom of it was black like burnt toast. Gross. Then to top it off, the wasabi that accompanied our rolls was like Play-Dho that had been left out in the sun. Also, isn't Shrimp tempura supposed to be hot and crunchy? I know this is a big deal for some but none of the employees at this establishment were Asian. We were disappointed that we picked this place and we will never return again. No Thanks Ariaki *1.5 Stars

    (2)

  • Jescelane V.

    I always saw this restaurant whenever I would go to the bank, and two days ago (03/26) my bf was in the mood for sushi and I was down for a chicken teriyaki bento box (I'm allergic to seafood lol). It was our first time and it was a cute place with cheesy and dorky decor of an under the ocean theme. In the middle was the sushi bar that had food served on little boats that would rotate around the table and through the kitchen on water. It was awesome, creative and entertaining in its own way. Also another thing I noticed was the random disco lights and strobe lights on the corner of the rooms with two big flat screens on opposing walls which offered a very comfortable and fun feeling. From the beginning to the end, the people that worked there treated every customer with genuine care and friendliness which I always looked for in a restaurant. The food tasted amazing, the portions were great and the prices were overall cheap. The thing that made this experience very memorable was how they sing and surprise birthday celebrants. It was very funny and interesting because while we were eating, out of nowhere the lights turned off and as the colorful disco lights were dancing in the room, 50 Cent's "In the Club" song randomly started to play then BOOM! There was a loud performance of drum playing and the waiters and hosts came out singing happy birthday towards a little girl and instead of serving cake or ice cream they were pouring of what looked like a cup of tea. I enjoyed watching it and so did everyone else that was in the restaurant. All in all, it's a cool restaurant to try. The only downfall that I must acknowledge is the long wait to be served. Since it was our first time, we didn't know that you can pick food from the sushi bar as soon as you seated so we simply sat there and waited until someone noticed us. Also at the time of leaving, we also had to wait to receive the check. Other than that, don't miss out on their lunch specials. It's a decent deal that I'm looking forward to try in the future.

    (4)

  • Tiffany P.

    I am a huge sushi fan-my father is Japanese-and I grew up eating it. The staff in Ariake Sushi was very nice, and the place was clean, and quite busy. SO I was surprised when I tasted my sushi-definitely had much much better, in fact I can make much better :) AND my husband's California rolls were just fake crab and what tasted like a TON of mayo-really really gross. We both had tummy aches after. They may have much better things on the menu, I'm not sure-but what we had was definitely not something we'd ever want to eat again.

    (2)

  • P H.

    Coming here for dinner after eating at Cha Cha Sushi for lunch is a bad idea ... I could definitely taste the difference in freshness for the fish. Ariake not being so much on the fresh side .. Prices are also a bit pricey and their variety at the boat/bar is not so great .. They do put out more overtime (I went at the beginning of dinner), but still .. it doesnt provide me with a happy dinner .. Bento boxes are probably a good deal though. I enjoyed the salmon terriyaki with tempura!

    (2)

  • Rita V.

    I came for dinner with my sister on a Wednesday night. We got there around 6pm, and it wasn't too busy. We had to wait a few minutes at the door, before we got seated. There were plenty of empty tables, but I guess all the waiters were in the kitchen..lol. I ordered a bento box that came with 3 California Rolls, 5 gyoza, chicken teriyaki, rice, miso soup, and salad ($11.50). We also ordered a Dragon Roll. Our soup and salad came out first. The soup was hot and not lukewarm, and it was good. The salad reminded me of coleslaw, since they used cabbage in the salad. I didn't really like it. The dragon roll came out really fast. We only had to wait 5 min, and it was in front of us! There were 8 pieces in the roll. The shrimp tempura in the middle was crunchy. I loved the avocado and eel on the top. The Dragon Roll is one of my favorite sushi rolls from Ariake! Our bento boxes came out immediately right after. The CA roll pieces were huge! I had to take 3-4 bites for each piece..lol. The gyoza and chicken teriyaki was good, too. The chicken had the right amount of teriyaki sauce, so it wasn't drenched in it..lol. After we finished eating, the place got pretty packed. It was hard for us to flag down the waiter to get the bill. After waiting 10 minutes, I decided to go to the cash register near the front..lol. I had to wait there a while before a waiter noticed, too. Overall, the food is great here. The service is awesome until you get the food. Don't expect any service after your food comes out..lol. (minus one star for that)

    (4)

  • Gloria L.

    Food is cheap and pretty good.. I only order the bento boxes, and they're good for the price. The waiters are also very nice!

    (4)

  • Heather H.

    Whenever I want sushi I go here. It always taste good. Its affordable, and they have the best CRAZY roll around. I've gone here for several years and I'm always greeted by my first name. Not all of the servers are the best about refills etc. But overall, I love this place and I drive pretty far to eat there. I also love the spicy mussels and maguro sashimi. I have yet to go on my birthday though...I've seen many people celebrate their birthdays there by standing on chairs, smoke machines and the traditional 50 cent song "its your birthday". Seems like a good time. And its always crowded on the weekends!

    (5)

  • Danielle N.

    We just moved into the area and was hoping to find a convenient sushi spot. Unfortunately, Ariake will not become our choice place. The service was almost non-existent; there was a real serve-and-move on attitude among the whole staff. The restaurant wasn't even half full and we had to remind the servers for everything from drink refills to special sauce requests. Our sushi roll order took longer than other sushi restaurants, which was surprising, because when the order arrived, the rolls were incredibly inconsistent in size, fillings, and poorly rolled (about half fell apart between plate and mouth). The fish quality was also very average, we were underwhelmed, to say the least. We cannot speak to the bento boxes or cooked Japanese fare. This is a great sushi place for you if you have never had great tasting sushi- the only way to come to this place is with no expectations and no other sushi experiences to compare. Quite unfortunate actually, because the owner is the hardest worker in the restaurant and you can tell he wants the best for his customers.

    (1)

  • Andrew L.

    Perfect place for an informal and cheap sushi restaurant. I love their atmosphere and their staff is always friendly. I usually get the Lunch BentoBox Special (roughly 6 dollars)- Chicken or Beef teriyaki, miso soup, salad, rice, tempura, and 3 Huge California Rolls. Food quality usually varies.. Miso soup can be perfect and other times it can be too salty. Sometimes the beef is really chewy, but you get what you pay for.

    (3)

  • David C.

    Overall, my experience here was positive. For a sushi boat, this place is a wee bit pricy, but I can't complain. The waiters were friendly Japanese men and were really kind in spite of being so busy. The sushi was fresh, tasty, and I'll definitely come here again. Also, to the people who complain that a certain percentage of the chefs are mexican - get over your racist self. They make good food, so get over it.

    (4)

  • Kathy T.

    AVOID. Order couple of fried sushi and it was over cooked!!! The spicy tuna was cooked, the rice had no texture, it was simply crunch crunch type of feel. Could not finish it at all so gave it to my friend. Food does not look that fresh and the table gave off a interesting order. Save your sushi craving else where.

    (2)

  • Janessa C.

    Ok, first I have to start out this review by saying Jedi is the most awesome guy that works here! Me and my friend usually come here because it's really close to where I live, but I've never left there completely happy with what I just ate... usually afterward, I'm kind of like, why do I keep coming back here? I'll tell you why, because Jedi is awesome! Anyway, the food... ugh. I've sent back numerous rolls because they were fishy, their crab salad is awful and even the other non-sushi dishes are nothing to write home about. It's really cheap, and frankly, you are getting what you pay for. I wish this place was better because everyone in here is so nice, but it's not.. and for that, I have to give it 2 stars. :/ P.S. I used to love their fried scallops! It used to have this awesome crunchy panko breading, but they changed the recipe or something.. because now it tastes like it comes right out of the freezer. The scallops are watery and the batter they use now is so generic and it tastes awful. Ew.

    (2)

  • Noel G.

    Pretty good deals for lunch and dinner is not bad in pricing. I went today with a couple of friends and ordered the California Deluxe and the Caterpillar rolls. Both were very fillings, but I must say that CA rolls wouldve been a lot better. They were huge, but the fake crab filling did not taste fresh and it look cheap. The caterpillar roll, on the other hand, was a bit better; still had the crab mush so Didnt wow me. Service is ok, but not great. The bento boxes for lunch are worth the price if youre looking for a some decent Japanese meal. I would come back, but I wouldnt mind paying a little more for more fresh, authentic cuisine.

    (3)

  • Jackie W.

    this place is pretty decent, the food is good, and I like the atmosphere, like in a disco club.

    (4)

  • Stine H.

    2 stars for food, 3 stars for service. Ariake isn't as good as I remember it to be. Maybe because back then I wasn't into sushi and the taste didn't matter much to me. The only reason I would come here is for their birthday polaroid and singing fiasco dancing on tables deal. I'm not fond of their sushi because their crab filling has this taste that reminds me of lucky's/costco sushi. Which I highly detest. Their special house sauce isn't too great either. Meh. At least it's fairly cheap.

    (2)

  • Jay B.

    Went here on a wednesday for dinner. With a huge craving for sushi, we were happy that this place was not busy. We were able to order fried oysters, jelly fish salad, and grabbed a couple of dishes from the boats. We were lucky to watch the GIANTS GAME on their flat screens so we ended up ordering a large beer and large sake to kill time. During the commercials we noticed that the same sushi from when we walked in were still on the boats, YUCK!! OLD!! SPOILED?!?!? This was totally disgusting. We stayed here for a good 2 1/2 hours and still the same sushi were on the boats. Choose at your own risk or ask for a fresh one... Service here is eh. Not to be biased, there is mostly Mexicans working here. I literally had to walk up to the server to ask him to fill my cup with water, BOO!! Instead of congregating together and talking amongst yourselves, please tend to your customers.. geesh.. I might as well have walked behind the counter and made my own sushi roll and get my own drink.... Ariake, I will probably see you just DURING LUNCH TIME :( boo...

    (2)

  • Grace Y.

    I don't know why this place is rated so high. I came here for lunch with a co-worker (Ironically we were both working at a sushi restaurant and on break) and he suggested that we try a local joint that was very popular. So I order all of my favorites and was happy that the prices seemed cheap...but I guess this is an instance of you get what you pay for. The restaurant was dirty and the tables were greasy. The food came out rather promptly and I had to ask for water refills but they were given to me rather fast as well, though the glass was greasy. mMmMm this is why I like straws. The sushi rice is horrendous. A lot of the fish didn't taste fresh at all. The salmon I thought I was eating from safeway, it didn't seem like sashimi quality at all. Some of the rolls had raw fish on it that was lukewarm. All in all, I was very disappointed in this place, nothing was good, and only one or two of the rolls I had were "acceptable". I wanted to spit out most of the bites I had in my mouth, but figured since I ordered all of that food and I wasn't going to get to eat for a while and be surrounded by food, that I might as well finish and pray that I don't get sick. I don't think the people who eat the sushi here and think it's great have ever been exposed to "real" sushi. So if you're happy with crappy sushi with low quality fish, this is your place to go cheapskates. 0 stars.

    (1)

  • Leanne P.

    Ehh I kind of sort of hate this place. So why do I keep going? Damnit, my bf's family loves this place. Sighhhhhhs.... I'm trying to help them see that there is more to sushi than California Roll.... but damnit, its SO HARD! Okay so why don't I like this place.... first of all what's up with the decorations? And then they have the disco ball and play 94.9 or whatever... AND WHAT'S UP WITH CREAM CHEESE IN LIKE EVERY SINGLE ROLL?!? I hate cream cheese in sushi but I can't run away from it! Like EVERY roll at Ariake has some cream cheese. ARGH. So I'm forced to eat CA roll which tastes like paper... or at least, what I assume paper would taste like. This is one place where I would actually prefer to sit in a table [as opposed to the sushi bar] because if you sit at the bar then you realize HOW MANY TIMES that same piece of fish has circled... *blehhhh* Let's see what else sucks.... they don't give refills on soda, and if you've ever gone out to eat with 3 big guys, you know that having to pay for each glass of soda is NO BUENO. OH and you have to double check your receipt when they total up your sushi bill... cuz they try to gyp you. So sadly, I probably will be back because this is my bf's family's fave place.... but I'll probably stick to the bento boxes. C'mon, who can screw up chicken terryaki right?

    (2)

  • Manuel C.

    This is a great place to go for a birthday. I went here for my 20th, and this place is one of the most visited go-to spots for either a birthday, or just even a let's go out kinda place. For birthdays the celebration is extravagant, embarrassing, and fun. Everything you look for in a birthday including sake(if you're 21+) as well as a framed photo and coupon good until your next birthday! I recommend the Michael Jordan roll, which is a deep fried, spicy, mixed fish roll. It's great and you won't regret giving it a taste.

    (5)

  • Anya R.

    So the first time my boyfriend and I came here it was totally fine. We got stuff from the rotating boat, there was 50 cent playing in the background, we're able to use our credit card. All good. Then we went on a Thursday night super last - they close at 10pm everyday. Got there a little past 9pm and sat at the bar by the sushi boats. Every plate looked rank and just not fresh. We were like okay its probably been rotating since dinner time.. why don't we order from the menu. This place is dirt cheap and we don't expect it to be amazing we do expect it to be edible. What we ended up getting - Rainbow roll- fresh fish but WAY too much imitation crab and rice - oysters- decent - shrimp- pretty good - spicy tempura shrimp roll- this one was the best and it was good - Silicon valley roll with spicy tuna- jesus this was disgusting and I had to pick it up and smell it a few times t double check and see if it went bad.. the meat was ultra dark.. maybe from the soy sauce. I had two rolls and the guy asked.. if everything okay? and I was like honestly.. its really salty. They took it off the bill. Thanks that's cool. They have crazy loud birthday celebrations in there with disco lights. All in all never coming back unless I come during rush hour where I knew things will be more fresh. By the way how come they hate on salmon? Prob more expensive huh. Everything on the menu and on the boats was tuna.

    (2)

  • Lorrie M.

    I think as far as a typical sushi experience goes, this is decent. Hence the three stars, although if I could have given it 2.5 I would have loved to. This place isn't bad at all, but then again it's not very stellar. None of the sushi has a particular taste that is authentic to the restaurant nor authentic to sushi. It tastes more or less like it should and that's that. Their miso soups aren't as hot as I'd like when they come out ... I think luke warm miso tends to take away the point of a good bowl of hot miso on a cold day. They are pretty cheap for their bentos and they give you a whole lot of food while at it. They're definitely worth it if you go there for lunch but I'd spend a little more to get better quality sushi elsewhere.

    (3)

  • Tanya T.

    This place grew on me. I stopped going for a while after the food made me feel a bit sick. But I gave Ariake another chance, and I'm glad I did. The prices are pretty good (especially for lunch - $5.95/$7.95) and the portions are large. I like to get the fried scallops plate; I've tried the seafood plate (fried oysters, scallops, and calamari) before, but I didn't really like the calamari -- the oysters were pretty good though. But I definitely liked the scallops. As far as rolls go, I usually get the philly roll and the poki deluxe roll (spicy tuna, green leaf, and shrimp) mmm! I had the salmon teriyaki today and it tasted a little bland, but everything else is good =)

    (4)

  • Rachel I.

    Been here twice: once to celebrate my birthday and dinner with friends. Sushi was alright. I've definitely had way better sushi at other places. I HATE that their california rolls are huge. Their bento boxes have fairly large servings BUT it wasn't that great. They do sake bombs if it's your birthday where they start the disco lights and loud music and you stand on a chair and chug down a cup of sake (each cup gets bigger) as everyone cheers you on. It's all in good fun, but their sake tastes HORRIBLE. Their staff is actually very friendly but I did not care for the food AT ALL.

    (2)

  • Roger L.

    Background: I've known Bruce, the owner, since I was a kid. He used to be a server at Miyake - Cupertino (which is now gone). He started Ariake maybe ten or so years ago (one in Cupertino, then Sunnyvale and this one). Modeled directly after Miyake. Food: Definitely better than the Sunnyvale location (which Bruce sold to his brother) and not as good as the Cupertino location. This is all relative to the cheap price. Quality has gone down over the years - by and large because I think it is trying to keep prices lower than market but has done so by cutting quality. No longer are the days when Ariake is overstaffed by servers and busboys. Portions have shrunk, by my estimate, about 20% from what they used to be 3-4 years ago.

    (3)

  • Michelle H.

    Came in on a Friday at around 9 PM and I wasn't too impressed so this review will be short. What did struck a cord with me is the service we did receive. Our server, Lupe, seemed to have been in a rush. He was rushing us from the moment we sat down. Pardon me but I like to take time to look over the menu and choose what it is that I want to order. Thanks! Pros: Cheap sushi Free saki bomb on your birthday (from observation) Cheap sushi Cons: With cheap sushi comes cheap quality sushi Since I was so rushed to order, I couldn't even remember what I ordered when my sushi arrived. Crappy service Would only return if I was in the area and was on a budget.

    (3)

  • Viet T.

    I've been here a few times now with a couple of friends who are regulars and was really torn about whether to give it 3 or 4 stars. This is not the place to go if you consider yourself a sushi aficionado - but the rolls are decent, cheap, and the environment is rowdy and full of energy. Several times every evening, Ariake shuts off their lights, turns on their strobe lights, and jams the rap music - really loud. Yes, they have strobe lights. This usually indicates that it is someone's birthday, so this is a pretty popular spot to celebrate birthdays if you are into that sort of thing and don't mind all eyes on you. The kids in the room really seemed to enjoy this. Lasts about a minute. The rolls were not bad and the hamachi I had was very fresh. I wasn't a huge fan of their spicy tuna handroll and much preferred their hamachi hand roll.

    (4)

  • Stephanie T.

    The sushi here tastes fresh and the rice is made right. This place has a bar behind a circling boats with sushi on them. The restaurant is an average size restaurant, not too small or too big, but this place does get very busy at times. The waiters are all very friendly and they do special birthday celebrations. I happened to witness a celebration and let me tell you, it's funny but embarrassing. They have a nice big selection of sushi that floats around, but you can tell what's been sitting for a long time and what's new. Great place for sushi, good amount of parking space. The only bad thing is that its a bit hidden in a plaza and that plaza can be difficult to get into if you're driving during a busy time. Minus one star because of the difficulty getting into this plaza.

    (4)

  • Tes B.

    The service was OK. Fresh sushi. OK prices. Decent overall. Expect loud noises, drums, disco lights, and cheers from the kitchen staff on your birthday.

    (3)

  • Tammy D.

    This place has never failed to disappoint me!! (actually, maybe once) Boyfriend and I come here most of the time when we're craving for some sushi. I was introduced to the place maybe a year or two ago, and have been hooked on it ever since. The prices are attractive, dishes are affordable and reasonable. The rolls are delicious, but if you demand more exotic ones, this might not be the place for you. Customer service has always been wonderful. They recognize our faces. We usually order the Philadelphia, Crazy, Ebi Salad, Salmon, Shanghai rolls. Our faves! However, there was one time, when it was crowded and we were forced to at a crammed place at the bar. We asked if we could be seated at the other end, where it wasn't crammed, and the waiter gave us a "look" and some attitude when taking our order. We felt so unwelcomed that day! I hate being put in crammed seats when there are more open ones (I'm sure we all hate that...) But other than that, the dishes are fab, the rest of the waiters are fab, the prices are fab. On the weekends (especially) there are occasional birthday celebrations in the restaurant. The lights are turned off, loud drums are heard, fog smoke dominates the room, singing, then the birthday person standing on a chair and drinking tea or sake. It's always fun to see!

    (5)

  • Bridget F.

    I have been coming to Ariake Sushi for years and I love it here! The parking is great and the shopping center has Crossroads thrift store to browse though if there is a wait. The service is great here, the staff is super friendly and helpful if you don't know what to get. The food here is also affordable. Lunch bento box is about $10 or less! And the sushi is also at a reasonable price. They have a lot of yummy eel rolls at the boat, the california rolls are big, and the mussels in the house sauce are delicious! Every time I come here with friends or newbies, I always order the Crazy Roll! It is the best roll on the menu! I recently tried the Hawaii Roll and it is definitely a good one.

    (5)

  • Alena B.

    I've been looking for a new sushi place since Yumi Sushi closed in Almaden Plaza. The service was super friendly. The food was a-ok. Nothing great but not at all bad. They made my meal quickly and the order was right and the price was pretty reasonable. It's not something that I'm jumping for joy about but it's close, quick and pretty good. It's hard to go wrong.

    (4)

  • Jaime O.

    as far as quanity goes, its pretty good. You won't leave hungry. I got the chirashi $8.95 (great price and quanity). It was a bit odd for chirashi though. there was a cuttle fish salad on it & a tako salad mix and a few peices of sliced fish. Extra points for having veggies on it. Its not traditioanl, but I feel a good deal. My sis had a bento box. She seemed satisfied.

    (3)

  • Scott B.

    I really like Ariake's Sushi. The service is prompt and the food is good and reasonably priced. My wife usually orders the California and Avacado Rolls. The kids eat the Bento Boxes and I like the Dragon Roll. The place is lively and they are appreciative of our business. A good time out!

    (4)

  • Lorrie N.

    Gyoza -- 6 pieces. I love gyoza, but wow, were these small! They were good, but not filling at all. Also, their sauce was a little weird, sour, not sweet like I'm used to. Unagi Bowl -- 2 big pieces of eel (lots of bones). Yummy sweet sauce and great Japanese style rice. Tamago Nigiri -- 2 big pieces of egg omelette on top of a TEENY TINY plop of rice. What is up with the lack of rice? I like the rice part of Nigiri. My Mom says they always skimp you on the rice here when you order Sushi. That's a definitely negative for me. Check out the pictures of the Tamago and the tiny plop of rice they put on it. This place is very loud and very busy, especially if you go anywhere near a meal time. I prefer take out because they are quick and the orders come out right. I'm not a big fan of so little rice though, so I don't frequent this place.

    (3)

  • Alex M.

    Typical sushi. Not great, but typical. I could say they could use less rice on the rolls.

    (3)

  • Brittany D.

    WOW. I probably dont know what real sushi tastes like cause i thought this place was good! i mean it definitely hit the sushi craving spot. had your typical california roll, tempura, deep friend california roll, and other things i can not remember and trust me the love and I put down A LOT of sushi! I believe the bill came to be like $34 somewhere around there, but we ordered so much food! the little plates were practically towering over us! ( haha yess..we mean business when we eat) But i mean it wasnt the worst sushi i ever had. it is small inside, they have pictures of their rolls on the wall, waiters are ok, all in all nothing special. but i did like there sushi and would go back. not the worst, not the best. but i think that people that are used to A+ quality sushi would not like this place.

    (3)

  • Herrick H.

    This place's price is not that cheap, however the food taste worse than McDonald. They give you plenty of food, however the quality is sub par. I almost thew up after eating. The salad was sitting around for too long, and is becoming watery. Their udon tasted like cup noodle. Their tempera taste like hard greasy batter. only thing that tasted okay is the oranges.

    (2)

  • Joe C.

    I came here after hearing from some of our friends that it was worth checking out. They were right! Although walking in I didnt see a single asian worker (a big worry sign for a sushi place), I was surprised by the quality and portion size of the food. I got the eel bento box which had a generous amount of tempura, salad, eel, and the largest Cali rolls I've ever seen! I was definitely stuffed by the time I took my last bite. Not only that the price was definitely reasonable. Service was just ok, I had to flag down a couple people before I could get my check. Next time, I will try more specialty rolls and if that meets standards I may have to bounce the 4 stars up to a 5!

    (4)

  • Eugene N.

    I've eaten here several times and have always enjoyed myself. I always get the usual though, which is the bento box, with either beef or chicken teriyaki, tempura, and california roll. The food has always been to my liking, the soup is well, soup, and I like the salad that is included, purely because of the tasty dressing it has. It's sweet and refreshing. I've ordered the same thing for lunch, you get the same thing, and portions are the same, except price is cheaper. My only complaint is how huge the california rolls are. I believe its the way they make it, so they just cut it in 3s. I like my rolls in the standard size cut that you expect anywhere else. I don't care if this place isn't authentic, hell any of us who aren't Japanese or never experienced living there shouldn't criticize what is authentic or not. What I do know is food that taste good. In addition to being affordable to the average consumer. Authentic or not. The atmsophere is definitely different, they have a sushi boat, but if you are looking for traditional japanese restaurant and atmosphere, this is NOT the place. If you don't mind noise, and like people watching, dinner time is humorous. When you hear "Fiddy" thats when you stop and watch the next victim the staff is going to embarass. 50 cent's In Da Club, starts playing, the fog machine starts up, and you hear the tambourines and the staff come out. It will definitely keep you awake. It's noisy and far from what you would expect from a Japanese restaurant, but in Ariake's case its not a bad thing.

    (4)

  • nikki p.

    Finally got there, whoo hoo. Overall pretty good and prices are reasonable along with portions. They have boat service if that's what you are looking for.. Service is a tad slow and they didn't bowl me over with hospitality, but they make a good roll with fresh fish so I won't complain. Some rolls were a tad too rice-y but I suppose that's better than being skimpy all around. 3 for lunch, $32. Would go back for more. Enjoyed poke roll tremendously, spicy! ;)

    (4)

  • Brittany R.

    I love this place for a couple of reasons. 1. the sushi is great. 2. the owner, Jedi, is just awesome and takes the time to get to know his customers. And 3. they are so accommodating for small children. You couldn't ask for more.

    (5)

  • Shel N.

    Bad customer service and the sushi is EHH 1. Black stuff floating in my drink so i asked for another one, he said "it only been there for less then a minute." WTF is that 2. Black hair tucked tightly between the rice and the seaweed wrap and looks at me as if I did it. 3. Charged me automatically gratuity when its a total of two people. Enough said

    (1)

  • Crystal D.

    Their quality has gone down a bit, but I go here mostly since it's cheap. They play cool music and you get to drink sake standing on a chair when it's your birthday, while the fog machine fills the room and lights are flashing. I like gettin the Clinton and Lewinsky Rolls. All about the cream cheese, baby! This place is good for parties. The cashier makes me feel uncomfortable though when I'm getting food to go cause it's like he's flirting with me, ehh. Well as long as he gives me extra food, I ain't complaining LOL! :P Maybe I should show more cleavage!

    (3)

  • Erin K.

    The service is great due to the friendly waiters! The sushi and bento boxes are yummy. The only thing I disliked was the size of the sushi rolls which are too big!

    (4)

  • Ruby Angela B.

    Price-wise: Probably the least expensive sushi place for the amount they give you and the quality. Food: Decent. It doesn't taste as fresh than other places I go. Plus, they don't saran wrap the sushi at the bar. Oh, and NO refills on drinks, but yes water you get refills of course. Menu: No pictures. My theory is that if the sushi restaurant doesn't provide some pictures to some of their rolls (like the non-traditional rolls i.e. dragon roll, caterpillar, etc.) the rolls aren't the best quality type of sushi rolls. But, their rolls are cheaper than most places. Service: The workers mean good, but slow as hell. One time, i went there and there was probably like 3 parties their (lunch time) and it took 10-15 mins for my order to come out and i'm just talking about 1 roll order of 4 rolls. The best part, is your birthday. It's really cute what they do for your birthday and you get your picture and name on the wall and everything by the end of it. OVERALL--- decent sushi price and well priced.

    (3)

  • Nicole R.

    My favorite sushi restaraunt! The California rolls are delicious!! All the employees are super friendly and cheerful. I love it!

    (5)

  • Sabrina A.

    This place is tucked in the back of a shopping center, not a sign to really grab you or anything - you kind of have to know where it is. But it has plenty of parking and is easily found if you know where to look. Walking in it's plain looking, a large sushi boat in the middle and rows of tables on either side. It's a fairly large restaurant with plenty of tables and seats at the sushi bar. We were quickly greeted with a smile, seated and immediately there was someone to get our drink order. Some hot sake. Typical sake set, typical tasting - I liked it! I ordered an eel roll and some sake nigiri. The sushi was tightly wrapped, well presented, fresh and not too much rice. The sake nigiri was very fresh, tasty and yummy! Definately worth ordering. I did find the wall of pictures of patrons with their name on it was a little tacky but it isn't an upscale restaurant. It's a great casual spot with good food and good service.

    (4)

  • Faye F.

    2.5 stars for a pretty decent tasting sushi rolls 0.5 star for service on a Friday night My parents wanted a different restaurant to go to because Boiling Crab was way too packed. There was such a long line to get seated and within the line were people paying on their way out. In otherwords: WAY TOO CROWDED in the front. You can definitely see the waiters scrambling to every table, sweat dripping down their faces, and even make time to do THREE bday music-banging-drink-drinking-singing! The service was pretty terrible but I guess that's was expected since it WAS a Friday night. I was surprised at the rolls, though. I was afraid they would have weak, lame-tasting rolls but some were pretty memorable. The I Love You roll is great, especially if you love eel. The Shanghai roll was remarkable, though not as spicy as what the menu stated with their "spicy sauce." I had this one roll off the boat which had a great spice kick but I don't know the name. The fried calamari was NOT worth the $5.55 at all! Too gummy and hard, as though it was frozen and then just fried and served! MAYBE, MAYBE one day I'll return and try their other entrees such as ribs and whatnot. We'll see... I'd much rather spend my money on a place with much better service AND food.

    (3)

  • Danny S.

    Sushi at its most average. Atmosphere is better than the food. Maybe just serve more Sapporo's and skip the food all together.

    (3)

  • Tara M.

    This place is absolutely terrible. The service isn't helpful whatsoever, and the food is definitely inedible. My boyfriend and I ordered the three item bento box, with tempura, chicken, and beef and couldn't even finish it. The chicken was cold and had so much fat around it. The beef smelled and tasted funny as well. Also, the miso soup and salad that came with the bento box were far from fresh. The temperature of the salad was very warm, and the tomatoes were shriveled, which proved to me that the salad had been left out for hours to be served to customers. Definitely a case of food poisoning if you ask me. The sushi is VERY average and tastes almost bland. Honestly if you want my opinion, save your time, money, and appetite and don't come here for sushi.

    (1)

  • Tori R.

    If there was an option for -2 stars I would choose it. Went yesterday with my sister & her family and it was horrible. Rice wasn't sticky at all, sushi was terrible. My brother in law ordered teriyaki chicken that was almost all fat. The best part was the orange that came on the side of his plate. Service was horrendous we couldn't even get a drink refill. I will never go again.

    (1)

  • Mimi T.

    You cant really complain here, their crazy roll is probably the best roll, but everything else is ehhh...but you cant really complain about the price, its cheap and its sushi. Oh and something different about their place is your birthday! i would say come here for your birthdays..just because they get you in the mood for it. their plum wine is super sweet and very syrupy.. i've had better plum wine but they fill the glass up..and gets the job done.

    (3)

  • Dave M.

    Mediocre at best. The sushi boat cargo was not fresh, and was not refreshed while I searched vainly for something good. The sushi chef looked at me repeatedly, but never asked what I wanted. Dirty plates from previous customers sat next to me for more than 20 minutes. The wasabi and ginger are served from dirty communal jars. That's enough. Raw fish demands a higher standard of cleanliness, freshness, and quality. Folks, if it's dirty up front, imagine what it looks like in the back. I'm not returning.

    (1)

  • Alecia R.

    Lets just say the best part of my meal was the diet coke.. The restaurant is located in a run down plaza across from Oakridge mall. The staff is very friendly however the food is terrible. I ordered the chicken bento box with tempura and California rolls... The only thing that was eaten was the one tempura shrimp. The chicken had skin and white bits of fat on it not only that but it was extremely chewy. The California rolls were HUGE.. the imitation crab was so dry .. its like they had it in the freezer past its due date.. a better way to describe it would be like sweet sawdust.. never had a i tasted a sweet California roll. The salad was not fresh and the dressing seemed like it was out for a bit too long. The rice was a bit over cooked and had a funny after taste almost like it was cooked in unfiltered water. The inside of the place is very outdated .. at one point during my meal i t felt as if i was in some rundown sushi place somewhere in down town under a bridge or next to a subway station... On the positive note the bathrooms were in pretty good condition.

    (1)

  • Michael H.

    Ariake has a party like atmosphere and a big menu that will satisfy most. You really aren't going here for the quality of the food. It's cheap for a reason. I just had take away sushi from Berkeley Bowl West and it blew Ariake's made to order sushi out of the water. All of the sushi chefs are Mexican. Get my drift? But if you want to stuff your face for a decent price it's not a bad option. Getting a table is completely nuts. I tried talking to the guy at the cash register but I couldn't understand any of his soft mumbling. Finally after waiting for half an hour the enthusiastic waiter/host took us to our seats. The service is always bustling but they seem to get the job done. If someone is doing sake bombs or celebrating their birthday all of the staff comes out banging drums and percussion instruments. If you're buzzed it's fun, if you're not it's annoying especially after the third time. The secret to getting your money's worth is eating from the sushi boat slowly. If you eat slowly you'll feel a lot fuller for less. Plus write down the prices for the plates before the "price boat" passes. Weekends can be hectic so get here early, however if there's a wait go elsewhere because it's not worth waiting.

    (3)

  • Jozelle D.

    Is this place a club or a restaurant? Either way, this place is so much FUN! Cost: Not bad...not bad at all. No really though, the food here is pretty cheapo. You can probably get a good amount of sushi for 6 bucks and a bento box for 10 or so. Great for college students! lol. Food: I must admit, the food here is pretty good. Usually when something is priced so low, you start to wonder why and should I still order? You'll get to thinking here, but once the food is set down on your table...oh hell yeah you'll dig in! We ordered the tempura, which was hot, crispy and tasty. We also got a few rolls of sushi and they all turned out very delicious and filled our stomachs to the max. Drinks: I'm a noob when it comes to sake but I don't remember it tasting that nasty! Ugh...not so good. Place: There are disco lights flashing around everywhere like a Kanye music video or something. Its cool though. Lots of room for seating but the place has been at least half way full every time I came here. Its very much a fun atmosphere to just casually kick it with some friends and family. **Go here on your birthday and you'll be in for a lil treat*** ;)

    (3)

  • Randy P.

    Meeh, Not to be a Debbie downer but it's annoying having to wait to be seated because other patrons have to pay. Should definitely have a different system. I was pretty surprised by how inexpensive their rolls were... And then I tasted their rainbow roll and understood why. Talk about room temperature nasty room temperature raw fish!! And the food takes forever just to be served.. Maybe it was the one other patrons that came AFTER us.

    (1)

  • Krissy S.

    This is my sushi joint of choice! I've been coming here for some time now and I like this location much better than the one on stevens creek and lawrence, it much bigger and the employees are so much more friendly... The guys here know us when they see us coming and are sooo nice, they always have a seat for us at the bar... I like their shark rolls and the lewinsky roll is yummy. If I'm really hungry I get the deluxe bento number five with beef... it comes with teriyaki beef, salad, miso, tempura, california rolls (3 pieces), white rice, and an orange. They have good sake and stand you up on a chair to drink for your birthday and turn on the fog machine and disco light accompanied by music by 50 cent hehehe The portions are large for the price and very yummy! I love these guys... and they have interesting names like Jedi hehehe

    (5)

  • Em S.

    I came here on a whim with my bf and friend and let me tell you, always best to yelp where you plan on eating first! What would I do without yelp nowadays? Sushi quality is below average, we ordered 6 different rolls and 4 out of 6 looked exactly the same! And it tasted the same too, not tasty. The prices were really low compared to other sushi joints and now I know why. The best part of the meal was the house salad. I guess I shouldn't complain about Sushi house anymore. O yea, there's no refills on soda. =(

    (2)

  • Kelly T.

    4.5 stars all the way! Now... to note... J didn't quite enjoy his food but my food was amazing so that's all that matters! I was craving sushi since it had been MIA from my tummy for a few weeks and needed to find some place close to my house and the theater (went to go see 2012). Ariake showed up on "Nearby" places so I thought, why not? We walked and were seated right away. I looked over the menu and was surprised to see how inexpensive the food was. I ordered the Rainbow roll, Blossom Hill roll and the I Miss You roll - J ordered the Pork Cutlet and the Calamari appetizer to start. The calamari was eh... I only had 2 pieces... Really it wasn't even worth eating but we got to try something new so that's all that matters. When my rolls came out, I knew my belly was going to hurt - I thought they would be smaller pieces (since the rolls consist mainly of 3/4 pieces) but they were huge! My Rainbow roll was great - very fresh fish, HUGE slices on top - the Blossom Hill roll was good as well but my favorite was the I Miss You roll - oh I can still tasted it - sooooo good! J's pork cutlet was a bit dry but he was given huge portions - I ate most of his salad they gave him (I asked for extra dressing - their dressing was creamy and rich and I loved it!). Our server was great as well - he was always checking up on us on the right time and refilling my tea whenever it went down. Also, it was someone's Bday and the servers turned off the lights and put on club music and a disco ball and came out banging drums and having the Bday girl stand on her chair and take 3 Sake shots - Awesome - I'm making a pit stop here on my Bday for sure!

    (4)

  • Daniel M.

    I've been coming to this place for a while now. The $7.95 lunch special bentos are a deal and they have a good variety of combinations to choose from. The chicken teriyaki and tempura are pretty good but the salad was watery and didn't have enough dressing. The sashimi part of the bento box was three tiny pieces of tuna that didn't have much flavor. Its like they were filled with water. Their rolls run about $5 each, but are about half as big as a portion you'll find elsewhere for $10. This is good because you can try 2 rolls for the price of 1! Rolls are pretty decent, nothing spectacular. The I Love You roll (Shrimp tempura, avocado, and unagi) is good. Summary: 3/5 stars +Good deal +Good service -Average sushi -There might be 1 Japanese worker here, if any

    (3)

  • Donald G.

    When we travel, our first thought is to find a great sushi restaurant. After our take-out lunch order from Ariake Sushi, I am sad to say that we are still looking for one. Actually, Ariake Sushi was one of the worst sushi dining experiences that I have personally ever had. I made the mistake of ordering two Nigiri combination platters that included Maguro, Salmon, Shrimp, Albacore Tuna, and two 'chef surprises.' The surprise was that the sushi was so terrible. The Maguro was mediocre, the salmon was stringing, and salmon is by far usually my favorite sushi, the shrimp was on par with that which one finds in those awful super market sushi samplers, and the chef surprises were tasteless. The only posibive comment that I have is that the sushi boats traveling around the sushi bar carousel were fun to observe. If you have a taste for sush, I would heartily recommend satisfying that taste anywhere else than Ariake Sushi in San Jose.

    (1)

  • Bobby l.

    1 sake, 1 tall beer, too many plates of sushi and food = $50ish a time well spent with someone = priceless The rolls are cheap and there are plenty of options to choose from the menu and from the sushi boat going around. Friendly service from everyone and a great friendly atmosphere. Gotta keep this in the back pocket for "I'm sorry" dates, happy bdays, getting smashed and super full nights.

    (4)

  • Abby L.

    I have been going to Ariake for a few years after moving to San Jose. I don't order the sushi but their bento boxes are very generous and they offer a good selection of combos. Their portions are generous and they are cheap compared to other Japanese restaurants I've been to. Parking is easy and the service is very good. Friendly, happy, upbeat and fun atmosphere and it is also good for group dining. Will go back again.

    (4)

  • Yezel R.

    i love this place! the price is right! the food is delicious! the ambience is perfect! the staff is awesome! & it's clean.

    (5)

  • CDizzy W.

    This is my favorite Sushi restaurant in San Jose! For four reasons, 1) Price 2) Quality 3) Service 4) Birthday celebration. Price- One of the cheapest sushi places in San Jose! Their most expensive roll is $12! Quality- Because of how affordable the sushi is here, I expected a very lower quality of food. The sushi here is delicious! I am a big Unagi fan and they make the Unagi great! I recommend any sushi! Their mackerel is fantastic as well. Although, everyone has different levels of sushi expectations, keep in mind price with quality. With such a cheap price the sushi here is more than what you pay for. Service- The restaurant is primary made up of kind and friendly Hispanic chefs and waiters. They are constantly making sure you are satisfied. They are funny as well and will crack jokes at times. Very casual positive atmosphere. Birthday Celebration- My favorite part of this restaurant is their birthday celebrations. On your birthday, the lights go off, a disco ball comes down, a fog machine fills the room and they begin to play the song "Hey Shorty, it's you're birthday". Then all the chefs and waiters come out banging on small drums and pots and pans. They then ask the birthday boy/girl to stand on a chair and take Sake shots (or 7UP shots for under age) all for free! They then take a Polaroid of your table and post it on their birthday wall with thousands of others over the years. If you want to surprise a friend for their birthday, I highly recommend this place. But if you just want good sushi on a budget this is the spot!

    (5)

  • Jenn N.

    PROS: They have the little sushi boats that go around for those who don't know what to order, you get to see it before you eat it. The staff is always nice and greets you with a smile. When it's your birthday, you get a special sake bomb where you stand up on your chair and they play music and you take a couple shots. You then get a picture on the wall because yoou're special and its your birthday! CONS: The sushi is ok. The fish is not the freshest but bearable. I would probably recommend not to eat the sashimi here and instead, order a spider roll or Tabiko. FINAL ANSWER: Go! just don't go for the fish!

    (3)

  • Joanna S.

    five stars for such friendly service!! the sushi was so-so but the prices are like $6 a roll! so cheap! I like the ami ebi and we got a bunch of the specialty rolls. the I miss you roll is yummy! we also witnessed a little boy's birthday there. it was so cute! 5 waiters brought out drums and turned off the lights, had the strobe light going on, the fog on, and 50 cent GO SHAWTY ITS UR BIRTHDAY playing in the background. what a fun place! its just super cold there, so wear a jacket!

    (5)

  • Lauren L.

    I have been coming to Ariake for a few years now, and not once have I been disappointed. The sushi is not the best sushi I've ever had in my life, but the atmosphere, price, and selection are what makes this restaurant a family favorite. It is a great place to come on your birthday. (I wont spoil the surprise if you've never had the birthday experience :).) The service is always very friendly and quick. Overall, Ariake is great restaurant and myself and my family will continue to come here.

    (4)

  • Stanley C.

    I consider myself pretty easy to please when it comes to food. I don't really have taste buds because I'm more about survival and staying well fed. So it's a little disappointing to me when I simply refuse to go to a certain restaurant. Ariake Sushi is one of those restaurants on my list. The overall environment is pretty cool. I mean their birthday cheers, though a little annoying if repeated multiple times during one sitting, are in good spirit and fun to watch. The lack of quality in the food however really ruins my appetite. Paying for food there is usually accompanied by a feeling of self-loathing because it just feels wrong to pay for food that doesn't leave me satisfied. I could be wrong, because it seems to be a popular place, but maybe, just maybe, there are those who share the same sense of disappointment I get when I have friends who want me to eat there with them.

    (1)

  • Monica L.

    Decent sushi but I wouldn't say it's my favorite and probably not a place I would make an effort to go back to right away. Very friendly service and their rolls are a decent size. My husband ordered a bento which came with soup, rice, salad, chicken terriyaki and California Rolls. I did not like the chicken terriyaki. It was super fatty and slimy. Ewww! I ordered a couple of rolls like the Spicy Tuna Roll and the Silicon Valley roll and both were very good. It's obvious that their rolls here are better then their Bentos so I will stick with the rolls. The rolls were both of perfect spiciness for me and made fresh. The decor isn't much to look at but they have tons of seating and this place would work perfectly for families or large groups. They also have a large sushi bar that can accomodate large parties. All in all, an A-Ok place!

    (3)

  • Jan P.

    Okay food. Okay sushi. Okay everything. But the prices are cheap.

    (3)

  • Christian P.

    Wonderful, rolls and friendly casual atmosphere. I recently visited Ariake on the advice of a friend. "I'm looking for a mid-priced sushi restaurant that's close to home and convenient / friendly to take the whole family" I told him. Boy, did this place hit the mark! ....and it's based on those requirements that I'm giving Ariake 4 stars. By the way, this is one of those sushi boat places, but we keep the the tables where you're guaranteed fresh sushi. Food: We had a bento box with chicken teriyaki, a few different rolls, some hamachi nigiri, and edamame. The nigiri was just what I hoped it would be - good quality and very tasty, but not as good as I've had at higher end places. The teriyaki was fantastic - tender, charred perfectly and not fatty. The rolls - Wow! I can't remember the name, but there was one roll in particular (should just call it the kitchen sink roll given the number of items packed into it) that was so good I woke up the next morning wanting to get another for breakfast. It was fresh, spicy, sweet, crunchy and packed with fish. When combining a lot of items into a roll, it's easy to go overboard and ruin the final product. But this was so well balanced that it simply rocked. As some reviewers have mentioned, the rolls are very large. Ambiance: Very casual place, sort of fun decorations, great for families, and easy to feel comfortable. If you're looking for cool decor, or date-night ambiance, this is probably not the place. But it's not chincy, with wobbly tables and stained chairs either. Service: Service was adequate. Everyone was friendly, but they're pretty slow. That said, our boys (3 and 7), are a handful in restaurants and the staff was accommodating. Also, if you really need something fast, you can easily wave franticly and get assistance. Ariake is now my go-to neighborhood sushi restaurant.

    (4)

  • Joel B.

    HASHI MASHE! or whatever, be ready to hear that once you step into this place. If you want OK japanese food for your buck, come here. The portions are large. The amount of sushi you receive is about 6-10 for every order. The only fallback... DRY SUSHI, that is, for some dishes. Shanghai Roll, and the Dragon Roll top 2.

    (3)

  • Jefferson M.

    Pre-cut sushi! I took my truck to get a smog check around the corner and found this place in a mini-strip mall to pass the time. Sat at the sushi boat/bar and grabbed a few of the rolls. They were all just 'ok'. As I was eating, I noticed the sushi "chef" cutting open a shrink-wrapped package that looked like maguro (tuna). Then separating the pre-cut pieces! Seriously? I didn't know sushi places could buy pre-cut sushi! I then noticed another sushi "chef" placing different types of pre-cut sushi on top of and next to each other in a container. Doesn't this transfer flavors of each of the fish to each other? Jeez! Oh, and not a single Asian worker there. Well, at least the plates are cheap! lol My 4 plates cost a whole $11.14 with tax. Still, I won't be going back there.

    (2)

  • Anna A.

    Great Sushi. The staff is always very friendly. The sushi is the BEST tasting sushi in this area. The MISO soup is a must whenever I am starting to come down with a cold. Fair pricing for the food and GREAT selection of sushi.

    (5)

  • Kezia M.

    I really like this place because it's fairly cheap with ok sushi. I always order the salmon nigiri or the sashimi... and sometimes, they cut it the wrong way. When you bite into it, you hit a bunch of super tough string like textures running through the fish and it's quite embarrassing to eat because my teeth just can't cut through the fibers so I have half of a slice of fish hanging out my mouth (haha). Other than than, I have no real complaints. I come here pretty often, and Jedi gives fantastic service! Recommendations: Spicy Chicken meal and the I miss you roll.

    (3)

  • Robert B.

    What a nasty place! Too loud, all unconcerned staff, tables too small, slow service, music way too loud, brought wrong order to wrong table, expensive for the strip mall food. AVOID these clowns. Baja fresh is right nearby- wish we had gone there.

    (2)

  • diane d.

    Eh. low quality sushi... small portions (not expecting the usually "american" supersized portion, but its just stingy-portioned) and the rice is not good. The ONLY reason why I have entered this place is because of birthday dinners. You can request them to sing happy birthday, they have the classic "go shorty its your birthday" 50 cent song as the workers come out and make loud noises. They make you drink a shot of sake or soda depending on your age.... recommended for the birthday experience only. food, is OKAY. +low quality sushi +affordable +bathrooms are okay

    (2)

  • Jean K.

    So this isn't exactly your classy fresh sushi place, but hey, if you're really hungry, broke, and craving sushi that isn't from safeway, this is the place to go. Although they have a sushi boat thing going on in the evenings, I would order off the menu. They rarely update the sushi boat menu; it's always the same things going around and round. Also, I noticed that some items are there for an hour or two, and I know it's not spoiled, but it just doesn't seem appetizing anymore. Yeah, my friend and I were bored, kinda buzzed, and we were keeping track. The waiters there are so friendly and funny, and it's open late!

    (3)

  • Nha D.

    Their portions are huge for the price. But the thing is good price but you just can't finish the food that you paid for. I mean sure you can eat it later but it's better there and now not later. They have funky rolls, my friends favorite is the playboy roll. Not just or the roll but just for the name. I don't know if they like it or not but they seem to finish it. If I remember correctly they even have a ninja roll? I know if it's your 21st birthday they turn off the lights and bring a disco ball down and have a drum banging for you to take your first sip of hot sake on the house. It's a flashy place but it's still good. I think the reason why I don't like it is because I can never finish the food and it's flashy. Their rolls are worth giving a try. I'm not knocking it down, everything is worth a try =D -SN PS The first glass of water is free, the refill's after that cost you =(

    (3)

  • Katherine C.

    Good food, fresh sashimi, and great service. My boyfriend & I usually go to this sushi bar since it's close to home and it doesn't break the bank. It's usually crowded on weekends, so I would suggest to make reservations. FYI: You can't eat @ the sushi bar around 9:30, which is 30 minutes before closing :( you would have to order your food to-go. Kind of an inconvenience

    (4)

  • Chris H.

    this used to be my favorite sushi place. But that's because I didn't know any better. It's close to my house, it's affordable, it'll do in a pinch. But last night I was there and after having recently been to a few other sushi places, it just didn't taste as good as I remembered. And no free refills on iced tea? that's -1 star right there!

    (2)

  • Yen T.

    Price says it all. For a decent place, its just decent. It's pretty cheap here + it's somewhat good if you get the right one. There's a sushi boat style bar that you and your friends can hang out at. Sake is the usual sake.

    (3)

  • James D.

    Seriously, the food here is terrible! I never knew sushi could be so bad. I came here last night for my friend's birthday dinner and was enticed at how the prices were somewhat low. However you do not get anything worth it. I ordered the Hamachi Sashimi and the I Love You Roll. Hamachi came out with 6 pieces of BROWN! really cold but seemed like it was frozen and they were trying to thaw it before serving me sliced fish. For $8 I was pretty pissed off, I'd rather pay $8 for 3 really fresh pieces versus what Ariake served me. Secondly, I was not impressed with their I Love You Roll. It's shrimp and avocado wrapped in sushi rice and seaweed and topped with unagi. Let me tell you the tempura from the shrimp was chewy and not crunchy. The avocado was turning brown. The unagi was COLD and really really chewy so you know it wasn't fresh. They probably prepped everything earlier in the day, sealed it and refrigerated it. To top off this abysmal roll, it was 4 lousy pieces for $6. One thing that's kind of up in the air is the service here. At first our group was pissed that it took 45 minutes after we placed our order to receive our food. Considering it was sushi it shouldn't take longer than 5-10 minutes?! We were rarely checked up on until the end when we were done, but we never really needed anything anyways. The part though that had me thinking they gave us great service was when my friend's brother told one of the workers it was his birthday. So the whole staff turned off the lights for 5 minutes, came out drumming while 50 Cent's In Da Club was playing and made him stand on the chair and drink 3 shots of warm sake. After that they took a photo and spent the remainder of our dinner digitally printing it and giving it as a gift with a complimentary frame and 10% off next visit. Still overall my experience was just average at most and the main point to eat out is to... eat food. The food was horrible and the ambiance was very awkward with the disco lighting and mainstream music. They should really changed the name to something not Japanese.

    (1)

  • Paige B.

    Eck! Avoid at all costs. Pretty much everything you put in your mouth from the sushi boats is awful. There are no sushi artisans behind the counter at this sushi restaurant. The rice is small, underflavored, gooey, pasty, bad. The fish is large, previously frozen and horribly cut by someone who clearly has not studied how to cut fish properly for nigiri. The wasabi paste was even dry and old, I couldn't even slurry it into my soy sauce! Horrible Chicken Teriyaki, full of too large to eat, thick greasy skin, no flavor, rubbery. Chicken Kakage was rubbery and cold as well. Miso cold, steamed rice undercooked. There is no care or time taken for the food here. Service barely okay if you can find someone. Over priced.

    (1)

  • Diana T.

    If i could afford all the sushi i want, I would be in sushi heaven. Ariake came pretty close to that heaven. Ordered 4 different rolls and the 6-piece sashimi. It was all so tasty xD Price? Barely $30!! Ohhh lordy, if only all sushi were cheap AND good at the same time! It makes a great combination. PS. I love it when there are birthdays. For the 21+, they get to take sake bombs while the staff set off smoke bombs and play 50 Cent. :P

    (4)

  • Michelle N.

    Ariake is a great place to come with friends! I believe its before 3? but the lunch specials are SUPER cheap and they are generous with servings(: I've never had bad service here and its usually a great time, sometimes its over crowded but its worth the wait! I come for the Teriaki because its delicious!:D

    (5)

  • Roberta P.

    Showed up at Ariake's in early afternoon with my 2 grandsons. It was the 4 year olds first time eating sushi. Just a few late lunch patrons...too early for dinner. We were greated by host and seated. There was a funky smell in the dining room; not just your usual soy sauce smell. We rec'd our drinks orders promptly. The sushi boat options looked old and sparse; but we were hungry after swimming. Not good. Warm, old sushi. The sushi chef had his back to us and the server out of sight doing prep work. We waited and waited and I had to stand up to get his attention. He said "you want something"? DUH!! We came here to eat, I thought. We love sushi, but we will never eat at Ariake's again. Horrible service and GROSS sushi.

    (1)

  • Kelly D.

    I love the sushi at this place. My favorites are the Philadelphia roll and the shrimp roll. The only thing I have a problem with is the choice of music they play. You're eating Chinese food yet they play rap music or rock. It seriously takes away the ambiance of it all. My mouth and stomach get confused.

    (3)

  • justin b.

    Good Price, but the sushi is not fresh like before. Used to be really good back 2 years ago. try betno box. cheeeep

    (3)

  • Reine K.

    If I get a hankering for some cheap maguro and hamachi sashimi this is my go to spot. The rolls are pretty darn tasty and huge for the price! I personally enjoy the I Love You and Monica Lewinsky rolls because I love you, Monica Lewinsky! *har har*. I committed the sinful act of ordering a fried roll once and was not impressed, stick with the fresh stuff here people. As said by many a yelper, come here for a throwback to 2003 when "go shawty its ya birfday" plays, disco balls flash, and huge drums go off for birthday celebrations. -Edit Love the staff, hence 5 stars. They know my name!

    (5)

  • Celza O.

    I'm sitting on the toilet writing this review ... That's what happens after eating here. My husband and I stopped here attempting to avoid long wait times at surrounding restaurants and we were hoping it would be good since we only live around the corner, bad idea. The sushi we ate off the boats were funny tasting and looked shriveled up and old, I still can't believe I ate it. Then we decided to just order the teriyaki chicken and an order of tempura shrimp we figured cooked food at this place seems safer. The chicken was ok kinda too fatty for me, and the tempura was ok although the shrimp was a little chewy. In regards to the service it sucked due to being so slow, and the ambiance is so weird. They have club music playing, flashing multi colored lights on the ceiling, a weird goose mural and very strange track lighting with figurines hanging from above. Ugly place. Hate to be so harsh but given the fact I'm still sitting on the toilet with a spoiled stomach, lets just say I'm not a fan!

    (2)

  • Tony H.

    Normally sushi places are just a-ok and this place is no exception. It's definitely a chill place to relax, have a couple shots of saki, and grub on a couple of rolls. Its pretty cool to come at night cuz they'll play music and if its your birthday they make you stand up on the chair and take shots while playing "in da club". Other than that this place isnt too special. The food is ok and the wait for it is long. I would only come here since its close and just to relax and kick it with some friends. I havent been here in a while but I heard its gone downhill =/ Hope this helps! (or yelps?!)

    (3)

  • Jenny B.

    This is one of my favorite sushi places to go to, first of all because my best friend lives 2 minutes away, but also because they have good sushi at cheap prices!! Yes!! I love the bento boxes; I usually order one with teriyaki, tempura, and pot stickers, which also comes with rice, salad and soup. I often make the mistake of ordering sushi on the side, which is not a good idea because these bento boxes are huge and fill you up!! When I do order sushi, I get the I Love You Roll and the Blossom Hill Roll, which are both delicious and huge. The tempura is delicious, I always order it in some way or another (either in the bento box or as an appetizer/side) and they have a good green salad dressing as well- yes, I order salad at sushi restaurants! The dressing is a kind of miso/mustard/sesame kind of dressing. Try it! The only downside about Ariake, for me, is their California Rolls. They aren't the kind I am used to--there is too much crab in the rolls, and not in a good way. If i order them, I usually take out about half of the crab then add a couple drops of Sriracha sauce. Sounds weird but it is delicious! In my opinion, the best way to enjoy Ariake is to go with a couple other people, order sake bombs (sake + beer), get a little drunk, then pig out!

    (4)

  • Jan P.

    The sushi here is merely so-so, yet people keep coming back...even me! That's because the stuff is fairly cheap and the pieces are rather large. This particular Ariake attempts an atmosphere of fun with a cheap disco ball on weekend nights; this has wooed plenty of people who often take smoking breaks in the middle of their dinners. This does not work for me, so I just do takeout. It gets packed during peak times, especially weekend dinners, so make sure you come early or not too hungry. I think they need to hire more people though, since the place can get slammed. We one time ordered takeout from walk-in, and it took forever to finish. Also, we saw our food on the counter but the guy didn't even get the chance to bag it until fifteen minutes later. Ugh. In short, it's Americanized, cheap, quick "sushi"...if you are looking for quality, look elsewhere.

    (2)

  • Ziru C.

    My friend and I came here for a quick bite to eat before going to watch a movie. He recommended this place because his friends love it and come here often. This is the second sushi joint he's ever ate at in his life. This place was nice enough to take us as we came close to closing. We sat at a table because they were closing down the sushi boats. The place is huge, which kind of gave the atmosphere a strange feel, especially with the lights and the club music playing loud. Seemed pretty fun though. Everyone who was working there was Latino, they all spoke Spanish to each other, joking around and what not while they were cleaning. Our rolls came quickly, Las Vegas (AKA Golden California in other restaurants), Sake Bomb roll, San Jose... I honestly can't remember if we ordered anything else. We were in such a rush, I ate so fast. Also my friend's ear was dripping blood everywhere. The service was really nice and attentive. They even gave us a pack of ice for his ear. Really nice people. While the food is not top quality, it is generous in size, cheap and affordable. I have the feeling I'll be back here until I can ween him off this place.

    (3)

  • Billy L.

    This place was meh at best. The quality and variety of sushi was lacking. Im not coming back

    (2)

  • Liz L.

    Everytime I review this place I talk about how much I don't really like their food.. well this time really did it for me... We came here around 2ish.. and the service was extremely slow... there was only 1 sushi chef.. and maybe 2 waiters serving the place.. the food took extremely long to come out.. and we had to ask our server to bring us plates and to refill our water because obviously it doesn't fill itself.. Another thing.. why hire workers if they can't even understand English? I mean not to be rude.. but come on .. we sat next to this table and the lady was asking the server for a pair of chopsticks because her son had dropped hers.. and the server looked at her puzzled and confused thinking.."what the hell is she asking me??".. so we just handed her some from our table... I think that pretty much speaks for itself.. You definitely get what you pay for here.. cheap, poor service.. and not to mention the food gave me a stomachache.. even when I was eating a few pieces of sushi I had a feeling I was going to feel crappy later... The fish is NOT fresh here...

    (2)

  • Tom T.

    Boy, this place has really fallen off. I mean, I have been going here on and off for a few years now, less and less lately. Initially a great local, jazzy place to go for decent rolls, but the last 2 visits were puzzling. Last night 'sealed the deal' as another reviewer put it. I will not be returning here, as the service, prices, and food are just not worth it. I was actually nautious last night after eating a deep-fried mystery meat with the Seafood sampler, perhaps a muscle, oyster, or clam. Whatever it was, tasted horrible and completely disagreed with my digestive system. I have to add, they really need to either find a new song (50-cent is so 5 years ago) and hire a new party planner for their brithday things. Its cool the first 3 times, but a change is sorely needed.

    (2)

  • Ricky E.

    I haven't been here in more than five years and the quality I believe has gone down from what I remember it being before. Their rolls menu is printed sloppily, and no pictures. The wasabi and pickled ginger were sitting out at room temperature, lord knows how long that's been sitting there. Our server, although a nice and knowledgeable employee, needs to trim his nose hairs. He never asked if we needed refills--we had to ask for them. Overall, my meal was less than average, and I wasn't too satisfied. I think I might stay away for a while and get my sushi elsewhere.

    (2)

  • Huy N.

    Just came back from Ariake Sushi. I have to agree with most of the people on here about Ariake Sushi. The sushi was "eh" and the service was less than satisfactory. There's no sushi that stands out here. The raw fish looked fresh. Our waiter wasn't very attentive at all. He was confused because I wanted to substitute an ingredient with another ingredient. He had a puzzled look on his face. When it came out, the sushi was what I ordered but then another dish came out. It was the same sushi in it's orignal format. Thanks for the second dish so I can compare the orignal and modified sushi. Signs of economic hardship seemed to have hit Ariake Sushi. I ordered a glass of coke. I finished it and waited for the waiter to come and ask if I wanted a refill. So, I waited and waited... and waited. See how unattentive the waiter sounds right about now? The waiter would ask the other customers how they're doing but skipped us while walking back to the kitchen. Finally, I had to stop the waiter and asked for a refill. His reponse was "No refill. Do you want to buy another one?" What? No refill for soda that you get from the fountain? I can understand if the soda came from the can but come on! It cost 5 cents to fill a glass of soda with syrup and carbonated water. I was thirsty so I ordered another glass. The restaurant, is asthetically appealing with it's lights and sushi boats but it's going to take more than that to get a higher rating. Show me what makes Ariake Sushi stand out from the rest. Give me better sushi. Give me better service. Give me a better experience!

    (2)

  • Charissa I.

    This place still does have redeeming qualities, please check out my original review. I just have to put this out there while it's fresh in my mind. My older brother who knows nothing about the difference between good quality and bad quality ate here last night and picked me up a roll to go. There were only 3 pieces of sushi I spit out 2/3rds of it and just threw away the last one because I couldn't go through the torture of eating more bone than eel! Chewing bones is equivalent to eating and pulling a hair out of your mouth in my opinion.

    (2)

  • Lillian T.

    The sushi wasn't as good as I thought. I ordered a 911 roll and it tasted so cold like it came out from a fridge and just placed on a plate. I also ordered a sake bomb omg that was the worst!!! It was way too fried. The service was a bit slow but I can understand because there was only one server My boyfriend had ordered a bento box his beef and potsticker were cold!! Such a disappointment never coming back here again I would rather recommend sen dai it's more worth the money

    (1)

  • Christina A.

    I ate here about two weeks ago, my cousin and I had a big sushi craving and didn't feel like dealing with the crowds at oakridge, so we decided to try this place. I love sushi and have yet to have had a bad experience, until this place. First of all, you walk in and the place just looks cheap, no ambiance whatsoever. The restaurant smelled like something had rotted and died inside, literally I almost threw up as I sat down, I'm not even sure why we stayed, probably because we were really hungry. Anyways, to be on the safe side, i ordered an ebi tempura roll and a California roll,I didn't want to risk it with the raw fish. They brought out our rolls and they looked ok, but the minute I tried them I wanted to throw up. The imitation crab tasted rotten, like bad tuna, it was absolutley disgusting.The tempura in the ebi roll was cold and tasted old, not fresh at all. We ended walking out of there in about 5 min and eating basically none of the food we ordered. Needless to say, I will not be coming back here again, waste of money for sure.

    (1)

  • Al R.

    Pretty good American style Japanese food. I've had almost everything on their menu and it's all been good or better. The waiters pretend to speak Japanese but can only say "thanks". The tables are all American-style. The chicken is from the thigh and too fatty. The sushi/sashimi is pretty good though not 5 stars (I'm not a fan of California rolls - I don't consider that sushi). The soy sauce should be Japanese and it's not. That in itself knocks it down by a star. It's a cheap Kikkoman brand. If you've put these side-by-side and tasted them you would never go back to a non-Japanese soy sauce for sushi. It's that different. Overall the experience is decent and worth a try if you're in the Santa Teresa area of South San Jose. And the price is right too.

    (4)

  • Andrew N.

    The Sushi is definitely acceptable. Nothing too incredible, though. I go here for the cheap prices and alright sushi... and the memories. hahaha I used to think this place was INCREDIBLE, since it was my first sushi experience. My friends all thought this place was great a few years back too. I had a good experience, but I won't go out of my way to eat there again... Maybe if I'm craving sushi and in the area.

    (3)

  • Sarah Z.

    I am amazed and disappointed by the good ratings Yelpers have given this place! Out of all the good sushi and Japanese food to be enjoyed in the south bay, WHY would anyone recommend this place? Reasons why I will never return: - the setting is so loud that you can hardly hold a conversation over dinner - the tea comes out so effing hot that by the time you can drink it, they're handing you your check - tacky lights stream different colors that i can only compare to a cheap club - the sushi is TERRIBLE. i purposely don't sit at sushi bars to avoid sushi that has been airing all day long...but the sushi i received at my table taste like something that had been fresh 8 hours before i ate it - what the EFF is up with the trumpet that plays before a band of servers obnoxiously march out to celebrate a birthday. that trumpet sounds like a dying animal - the birthday parade is pathetic. enjoy your sake shots elsewhere. - my credit card was denied and deactivated by ariake. as my bank confirmed, bad credit was NOT the problem. sushi lovers beware!!

    (1)

  • Cerina C.

    What's best about this place is that it open everyday. I visited San Jose to hang out with my friend from high school. Her older brother took us to this place because we were craving sushi at 9pm on Labor Day. I ordered a tempura meal with spare ribs. The vegetable tempura was cold when I received it in take-out. For food on Labor Day, it satisfied my hunger. Good prices though.

    (3)

  • Chloe P.

    I like this place because they give a lot of good food for the money. OK, it's really Americanized and the food is regular tasting, but two people can easily share a bento box, because they are very generous with their portions. Not a fan of their sushi and had to return some ikura rolls, because they smelled old, but bento box items are good, acceptable and fills up a tummy fast. They get pretty busy some nights, so the wait can be long, but on most nights, one can expect to be served relatively quickly. Like I said, you get your money's worth on the bento items, but if you really love good quality sushi, go somewhere else.

    (3)

  • Tammy B.

    One of my favorite sushi restaurants. I usually get a bento box with teriyaki chicken and two sides of California Rolls. The California Rolls are big and delicious. Teriyaki chicken is okay. The service is usually quick and satisfactory.

    (5)

  • Autumn P.

    Ive been here quiet a few times and have been pleased and plan to return many more times. i know alot of ppl dont like the boat bars but i do. I like to know what my food is going to look like before i eat it and see what my options are. i also find it amusing while i eat my meal. I have found all the food very fresh and the sushi is good! As well as super friendly staff. but of course they have the funky music and decor but as long as the food is good then that just gives me a good laugh. Unless your one of those snooty sushi picker aparters then i would give it a try!

    (4)

  • Albert C.

    Honestly, not all that impressed. The girlfriend was feeling like Japanese, so we stopped by Ariake, which is close to her house. She herself warned me away from their sushi/sashimi, saying it wasn't very good. Not a good sign for a place that advertises sushi in their name. The CA roll was quite large, but since I don't like CA rolls, that didn't mean much to me. My katsu-don was ok, though the pork seemed a little soggy. Her tempura udon tasted ok to me, but she proclaimed that it tasted like dishwater. Of course, she does have a more sensitive tongue than myself. Probably wouldn't stop by again, at least not by choice. I'd rather drive up to Gombei.

    (2)

  • Nancy K.

    The sushi was ok. I liked how it was really cheap, though. The dragon roll had a strange almost tea-like taste. The nigiri was good, but how could you go wrong with nigiri? The waiter kind of seemed like he was trying to rush us to get our order which I didn't appreciate, but whatever. He was ok. I thought it was super cool when the waiters would come out and bang drums for people's birthdays. They dim the lights and have a disco ball and a smoke machine come on and the birthday girl or boy would down what looked like sake, but I don't think it was cuz i saw a little girl do it too so maybe it was water... I'm not sure, but it was pretty exciting to see that. Overall, I'll probably come again unless I'm craving a dragon roll.

    (3)

  • Sole M.

    Ariake Sushi was one of the first places I went to try Sushi. I really liked it at first until I started experimenting with other sushi restraunts and realized it was not so good. The Sushi has wayy too much rice and they fry the fried california rolls wayy too much with too much batter. The service is really good and the waiters are so friendly but the food is not good quality :(

    (2)

  • Diana M.

    Very good sushi, great service from the guys rolling the sushi- Can't really say the same for the servers at times, but overall it's my favorite sushi spot - sushi is always fresh and not too expensive! Their all you can eat is very good!

    (4)

  • Barry S.

    Good food. Very good prices. Can be noisy at times.

    (3)

  • Sandra S.

    I hate wasting money on bad food. I wanted sushi at 2:15pm on a Friday and this was the only place open. The sushi was awful and there isn't free refills on soda. This place blows!!! Next time I'll wait til showgi is open or get a burrito.

    (1)

  • Megan M.

    So this is place is good in my book because sushi, even cheap sushi, will make me smile. The service may be slow at times, but the waiters are very friendly. If you really need a sushi fix then this is the place to go to. Most of the rolls range around 5.50-8.00. I always get the "Crazy Roll" which consists of tempura shrimp, avocado, and cream cheese on the inside and salmon, unagi, and lemon slices on the outside. It's a piece of heaven for 5.50. Go ahead and see for yourself.

    (3)

  • Mookie K.

    This place has really gone downhill. During the last two visits (in a span of maybe two months), this place has been horrible. I have come during peek lunch time (around 12:30 to 1pm) and 99% of the boats floating have nothing on them! Come on! You might as well rip out the sushi bar and put in tables if you're not going to put sushi on the boats during peek lunch hour! **If you want to eat sushi don't come here.** On top of that the speed of hot meals is glacially slow. My wife ordered fried tofu and it took them almost 20 minutes to get it out to us. The restaurant was not even that busy. We both ordered Cokes. They were fountain drinks, not canned. When I finished mine, I asked for a refill. The waiter told me that I'd have to pay for the refill. I know economic times are hard, but if you're going to charge for refills, then give me a canned drink. Fountain drinks are cheap. Sitting at the sushi bar, I kept getting the smell of not-so-fresh fish that really killed my appetite. I will not be coming here for a sushi fix anymore. Their service is bad, their food is mediocre, their sushi is horrible, and their food takes too long to get to the table. Avoid!

    (1)

  • Mike B.

    I eat here twice a week. I work nearby so their sushi boat is very fast. Custom order at lunch only take a few minutes at most. Food is average, service is better than average. But prices are great. The best value I have found in San Jose. It would have only gotton 3 stars except price is so good. I can feed my family well at dinner for only $10 per person!

    (4)

  • JJ M.

    This restaurant is a hidden gem when it comes to south bay sushi. The portions are huge and my personal favorite the California roll is stuffed with so much mouth watering crab that you might think for a moment just how they get all that crab meat packed in such a small cube! Totally awesome food I highly recommend! 2 J's Up

    (5)

  • Izzy T.

    Not a fan of this place. Came in hoping to get decent sushi...boy was I wrong. Nothing I or my bf ordered was fresh. I don't expect an authentic Japanese sushi, far from, but if you're looking for a place to enjoy a good meal, this is not the direction you'd wanna be heading.

    (1)

  • Nicohle B.

    Didnt like the sushi. the boats went around with the same sushi over and over again. it was not appetizing. my sashimi was warm. and no real variety in the rolls. the service was great though... even brought 2 glasses of water that didnt go empty, even though there was a party going on... the birthday celebrations were nice to watch...

    (1)

  • Anne D.

    There are a ton of special rolls here, and it's all pretty decent. Unfortunately, I've had better.. much better.

    (3)

  • Suzy L.

    This is my first review on Yelp, I've been reading reviews for months and decided to finally start an account, it's just like Facebook - too addicting, I guess. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Ariake (on Blossom Hill, in San Jose) - not a big fan of the one in Santa Clara - it's small and staff is rude! This place is fantastic, fast, and staff is wonderful! I don't eat much raw fish, so this is great for 'beginners/non-raw eaters.' The agedashi tofu is always the first order for me (next to the beer order, of course), then I always order the Shanghi Roll - it has a sweet/spicy orange sauce (similar to La Vic) that's sooo good! Also, on your birthday, they take a picture of your group and post it on the wall!!

    (4)

  • Bombtwinz B.

    It's a great environment with a moving center piece full of fresh sushi, however, you do not get what you pay for--the sushi is OK. The service was a bit slow when we visited but if could have been due to the special celebrations from a couple parties there.

    (3)

  • Victoria D.

    Pshk. I dont know why this place is getting low reviews ive never had a bad experience at Ariakes. The servers are nice..not always on top of their game but have never caused a bad experience. Food is yumm here. Their salads are sooooo good. From their CA rolls to their fresh tuna everything is yumm. Sometime at the bar fresh fish items do kinda look like theyve had a few turns around the boat bar but theyre gladly make you a fresh roll if wanted. Their CA rolls are huge, teryaki rolls are yumm, fried scallops are yumm, and a bento box of any combo has never dissappointed. May not be fancy sushi but i love this place to pieces.

    (5)

  • Nancy C.

    I never cared much for this place... but I also don't eat sushi and never thought that the entrees were that great. I still don't mind coming here because the location is so convenient and its cheap eating for those of us on a tight budget! I was here Friday with some friends... and in the time we were there there were 3 birthdays. Three! That's 3 times we heard 50 Cent and noisy plate banging. It's fun... but after the 2nd time you just stop turning around to watch the birthday celebrant taking sake shots on his/her chair. Babies were crying... while concerned parents were trying to shield their ears from the noise.

    (3)

  • Monique P.

    Reasonable price... pretty good japanese. The pictures speak for themselves.

    (4)

  • Victoria Y.

    I love this place-good, cheap, and fast. The sushi is by no means authentic but it does justice. Everything is dirt cheap, $2 for nigiri? $4 for rolls? $6 bento boxes? Love it!

    (4)

  • Lily L.

    No No No! The sushi had so much rice that by the time i removed some off each piece, I ended up with a whole bowl of rice! Off of only 2 specialty rolls too! 2 stars mostly for the service and the ice cold beer. The staff puts their beer in the ice cooler and everyone knows that ice cold beer is the best...even for the occasional beer drinking like yours truly. If I were to come back, it'll be for the bento box. They have the sake bombs and disco light tho. So maybe for drinks too. :)

    (2)

  • Lydia T.

    I love sushi, just not so much Ariakes. My friend and I were starving and decided on sushi. The service was not bad and I actually really like the owner. HOWEVER from the moment we walked in, 'til the moment we walked out there was a faux rave birthday parade, equipped with flashing multi color lights and drums. Don't get me wrong, I love to party and love sushi but apparently not at the same time. Ohh but the kicker was how my sushi did not hold together well it was more or at all for that fact. At the end of my meal i had more rice on my plate and in my soy sauce dish then in my belly.

    (2)

  • Stephen P.

    ehh. it was alright.

    (2)

  • A O.

    So many things are wrong with this place. The food sucks and the interior of the restaurant is just unpleasant. The service was not great or anything, and the food took FOREVER to come..even though there were barely any people inside the place. They never refilled our waters either. The sashimi here sucks. The rolls I ordered were only OK because of the sauces they were drenched in.. I have had much better sushi for the same price (like Cha Cha). The worst thing about this place: BIRTHDAYS. The day I went, there were three birthdays. The restaurant was pretty empty so I'm pretty sure people only come here for birthdays.. For each person, a group of people (the chefs that should be making our food instead of wasting time) turned off the lights, banged on loud drums for about 3 minutes, then blasted bad music for another 3 minutes. I would've given the food itself 2 stars, but the deafening noise that continued for ages and bad service lowered it to 1 star. If I could, I would've given 0 stars.

    (1)

  • Sheryl L.

    If your a regular at Ariakes you should know 1. The waiters are super friendly and will treat you like you've been there before so make sure you if you need service you give them a holler 2. The sushi rolls are pretty hefty so if you're going to order a bento be prepared to have some left overs. 3. Friday and Saturday nights are birthday nights so be prepared to have your dinner with the occassional flashing lights, banging of pots, fog, and saki bomb. 4. For those kids who are not big on sushi they have chicken karahi which is basically actual chicken nuggets, pieces of cut up chicken stir fried. Yum! 5. Birthdays are fun and very regular here as one may notice the wall of pictures in the back. 6. The number 5 Bento Box special is an excellent first timer order. It has nothing raw, just teriaki, rice, salad, miso soup, tempura and California Rolls. 7. They make more than what's on their menu. If you request...it may come... 8. Service is fast and if you just don't just care to wait, sit in the self serve area. 9.Ordering to go by phone is an excellent option especially on those crazy weekend evenings. 10. If your in a hurry don't wait for your check simply walk up to the counter to pay. Ariake is a wonderful family friendly restaurant with so much on their menu to try out each time you go.

    (5)

  • Ro C.

    This is the place I'll go to for cheap sushi. Yes I know this place only gets a-ok reviews but I actually enjoy it here. I'm a creature of habit here so I'll come here for the spicy tuna and sashimi. Nomura-san makes good sushi. He's the only guy I'll go. The size of the sashimi is generous with none of those fatty lines. I've had their agedashi tofu, croquettes and chicken teriyaki. All are good. Yes this place does get loud and does get crowded on some weeknights (surprisingly). And yes they will play 50 cent "It's your Birthday" and make you stand on a chair while taking sake shots as the lights dim and strobe lights go off. Next thing you know there's fog appearing out of nowhere and they'll even take your picture too and post it on the wall of birthdays. No matter how cheesy they celebrate birthdays, I'll still come back.

    (4)

  • Neon D.

    I've been to Ariake probably 10 times in the past year and I have never had a bad experience.. either with service or the food. If you are a spoiled little rich kid, then yeah, you don't belong here.. go stick to your fancy pants $15 dollar California rolls downtown. If you are like me, who loves a bargain and loves basic sushi, then this place is for you. My favorite rolls are the San Jose roll and of course the Monica Lewinsky roll (with cream cheese in the middle!!) You gotta love Ariake's sense of humor! The food will fill you up and you will still have a full wallet of money. It's a pretty casual place and there's no need to put on your platform heels. Wal-mart sweats and wife beater tanks are welcome. I love this place, my friends love this place, I will keep going for sure.

    (5)

  • Jose M.

    Decent sushi for a good price. Other than rolls, they dont have much of a selection. The place is small but cozy. Not too much going on, probably due to its location. Sort of hidden. But good nonetheless.

    (3)

  • Mylan N.

    We used to go here at least once a week when we lived nearby. Really nothing to write home about, but we still come here because of the prices and the service. Don't come here expecting out of this world sushi if you are a sushi snob. This really is a just a little neighborhood joint with decent prices and portions and great service. I come here because they always make the bento boxes and california rolls exactly the way I want it.

    (3)

  • Lexie L.

    used to love this place. last few times I went, the sushi wasn't as fresh as it used to be. Still great service, great atmosphere... but its all about the food. and they fail here.

    (1)

  • Richard L.

    Alot of people dislike this place, but I don't mind it so much. Its definitely a great place to stop by for lunch and I always leave full. The sushi bar is really expensive! The best thing to order is the Teriyaki Chicken. Great value on what you pay for. You are started out with Miso Soup and it is delicious!!! Then you are served with so much Teriyaki Chicken, Rice and vegetables that I guarantee you will not be able to finish it. The waiters provide some excellent customer service also. I wouldn't call it authentic Japanese food but it is definitely worth trying out.

    (4)

  • Shelley A.

    The weirdest thing happened when I went here on a Tuesday night. My brother and I just came out from our work at 9pm and were trying to decide what to eat. We wanted sushi, and we wanted it fresh, quick, and cheap, so we decided on Ariake's. We entered the restaurant probably at about 9:30 and placed our order and took a seat while we waited. All of the sudden the staff turned off the lights, turned on the disco and strobe lights, busted out hip hop music and turned it on max, and turned on their smoke-maker (which btw is cleverly hidden in a hole at the bottom of the cashier table). For about 5 minutes, it was pretty much a sushi restaurant turned into a night club. Then, some of the waiters and chefs came out from the kitchen with a big taiko drum and banged on it very loudly while giving sake shots to someone who had a birthday that night. After that, they took pictures, and the lights turned on, and the restaurant went back to being a restaurant. Seriously, they get 3 stars just for the way they celebrate birthdays. The 4th star is for doing just what I came there for, getting fresh, quick, cheap, and yummy sushi. The cali rolls are excellent, as are their specialty rolls on the giant menu they have on the wall. They would have gotten 5 stars, but I took off a star because no one said "IRA-SHAI!" when we came in, which I personally think all japanese/sushi restaurants should do, so if you want a 5 in my book, start by greeting me properly :)

    (4)

  • Jellie A.

    Food was delicious but service sucked. The place was not even busy. I also had to ask for my roll I ordered and got it when I was almost done with my chicken. But like I said food was delicious and AWESOME :-)

    (3)

  • Emily L.

    My friend and I went here at the end of October (or something like that). Cute little decorations and a wall full of pictures for those who celebrated their birthday here. Anyway, I got three different orders. One being Vegetable Tempura; it tasted like any other kind of vegetable tempura that you would get at other sushi places. Another was the Las Vegas Roll (California Rolls fried); I highly DO NOT recommend this. It was probably the worst kind of California Roll I ever had. Aside from that, I got the Zebra Roll (I forgot what was in it. Sorry. It's vegetarian though!); this was delicious. I'd go back just for that. The total cost was not so bad. Less than $15 for me, that's for sure.(:

    (3)

  • Jackie D.

    Ariake's has some pretty good sushi rolls. I've come here a number of times with my friends and haven't never been disappointed. It's very affordable and if you're hungry for some decent rolls, this is a good place to come. Friday/Saturdays are busy, but fun nights. All of a sudden while you're enjoying your sake and sushi rolls, you hear a roar of drumming coming in from the kitchen area. THEN, the speakers start blasting 50 Cent's In Da Club...like hey shorty, its your birfday, we going to party like its your birfday. The entire restaurant staff will parade out, get the birthday person to stand up on a chair while they chant and have the birthday person chug Sake. Good times! Best part: your group will get your picture on the wall :) Rolls to try: Sake Bomb, Dragon Roll Sashami: salmon So, try Ariake's... you're most likely going to be entertained by the happenings :)

    (4)

  • Mark W.

    Fast, cheap okay sushi boat place, I looove sushi boat!

    (4)

  • Maritel C.

    4 Stars for their massive portions! Quality does not compare to Kaita, but when we are too lazy to drive to Japantown SJ, this is the spot for us. Me & the fiance can literally go here order 1 meal and 1 appetizer and we are stuffed to the max! And all for under $20!! That is insane! First thing to notice, is that the staff is ALL male. Why? I don't know, that is something I need to ask next time. Second thing to notice, is that all the sushi chefs are NOT japanese. Wow, that is a rarity! Third thing to notice, is this place turns into a quasi- sushi club, with a disco ball, 80's punk music, techno, and top 40's. What a treat! Order a beer and you might as well get on top of the sushi bar and start dancing!! Their saba is great, you get two hunking portions with your meal, and I love me some saba and for $7.95, it is a slammin deal!

    (4)

  • Jim D.

    If nothing else a must visit for your birthday. Be prepared for the Sake Tower. The manager Jedi and the entire staff really know what service is all about. We go there almost weekly. Great place to sit at a sushi bar and watch a sporting event

    (4)

  • Kitty M.

    Ok, I will admit it, I was wierded out the first time my husband wanted to take me here.....sushi, in a strip mall.....next to Golfland...surely you jest. That was three years ago and we have been back several times since. We always sit at the counter for the boat action. We have had quick fast service with a smile whenever we are there. I am a fan of the little rice pouch filled with spicy goodness, and those are always a plenty. I have not had anything here to make me run for the hills and have not had any sushi nightmares like other people have mentioned. I dig the specialty rolls but usually stick with sashimi, nigiri and anything involving shrimp....oh i had oysters on the half shell here - awesome. My husband loves this place, he always likes to remind me that it was his first sushi place he found when he moved to the south bay.... I also dig the hip tunes and family atmosphere...sometimes I look at those happy families and think, boy I cant wait to have one of those little people...fleeting thought.

    (4)

  • Leilani N.

    Although I do enjoy watching people drinking while standing on chairs (and sometimes they fall, then it gets really enjoyable), I hate hate hate Ariake's sushi. I don't ever recall their fish being fresh, and I've gotten sick from their sushi. I tried ordering a spider roll once and the guy looked at me all weird as if to say "wtf is that?" I actually don't know if they make spider rolls or if that guy is just crazy. I can't comment on non-sushi items, never ate them, but they look fine. You get a lot of bang for your buck bc the entrees are cheap and the portions are big. Just don't eat any fish here. You may vomit.

    (1)

  • Janet T.

    Ok, so I've been back here a couple of times after my review. I really cannot stomach the food anymore. The Bentos are at a REALLY good price for their lunch hour, but I cannot eat half the stuff that is served in them. The California rolls has a funny taste to them. Also, bigger is NOT always better. They have SO much rice and SO much crab meat that it throws off the balance of the item. I can't eat the salad. The dressing has a weird taste to it. It might be because they have too much vinegar in it. I can only eat the BBQ eel that comes with it when I order the Bento. The price is good if you can tolerate the food.

    (1)

  • Susan V.

    Yummy!!! The rolls are really big and really good.. The staff rocks!!! Especially Piero and Rio Whenever I call in an order togo or dine there, they always remember my name , which is a nice touch. I never leave there hungry (unlike other sushi joints) The 50 cent Birthday music is a little wierd and gets old after the first time hearing it. Overall the place is great. Miami Roll; Shark Roll and Classic California Rolls are what we always get.

    (4)

  • Michelle Denise P.

    Sushi was good and cheap. They have sushi boats at the bar area, which is nice and big. Servers are really nice, funny, and helpful. And they celebrate your birthday all fancy! They'll dim the lights, turn on a fogger, and bring out a drum and sing happy birthday to you. They'll even give you a shot of sake if you're over 21 ;D I would definitely come back here for cheap and yummy sushi!

    (4)

  • Michelle N.

    This has got to be one of the worst sushi places I've ever tried. I went here because I heard about their huge california rolls, but when I went I was disappointed to no end. The rolls are indeed huge, and cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for... which unfortunately is bad sushi made with lots of mushy rice and not so fresh ingredients. Their ikura was HORRIBLE. It definitely WAS NOT fresh. I immediately spit it out. I told the waitress that it tasted "fishy" and too salty and just plain wrong and she told me "it's supposed to taste like that". I've been to dozens of sushi restaurants and I try ikura at every single one of them. I know what ikura is supposed to taste like... and it's NOT supposed to taste like feet! The rest of the food was just as disappointing. I think the only good thing about this place is probably their bento boxes, which looked pretty decent and priced fairly well during lunch hour.

    (1)

  • Jackie V.

    Returned here with the family for a Sunday lunch & the service was no better than on previous visits; our drinks were never refilled despite our glasses having been empty for half of the mealtime, and once our food was served, we saw neither hide nor hair of our server ever again. We even had to tell the cashier our table number in order to pay the bill; if we'd waited for our server to bring it to us, we might still be there waiting (and dying of thirst). Such a shame that the service is so poor, because the food really is good & reasonably priced..but shoddy service ruins the whole thing for me.

    (2)

  • Wayne P.

    Okay, Ariake totally redeemed themselves tonight. The service was good, a lot better than usual. A older japanese guy was really humping making sure that everyone was taken care of. I stuck to raw fish, my wife ordered teriyaki and tempura, the portions were big and the quality was good. These guys are off my Sh*t list now!

    (4)

  • Leticia G.

    Maybe I'm spoiled with Japan Town quality Japanese food, but I will NEVER eat here again. Food: stale, old, flavorless. Service: bad. hardly any customers but the wait was still long. they also brought our appetizer with our food- doesn't quite work when you have a very very small table!!! Ambience: the music, lighting and smoke machine efforts to be like Miyakes was pathetic. Not yummy at all. Japan Town, I am sorry that I cheated on you with this cheap wanna be Japanese restaurant.

    (1)

  • Nathan J.

    Note to manager: the BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS ARE VERY ANNOYING! They are so loud and long and happen so frequently that you have to cover your ear drums, stop talking and stop eating until its over and it is not over for quite a while. Until you tone it down, I will never come back and tell all who I see to stay away as well.Too bad too because the sushi is pretty good and its at a nice price.

    (1)

  • Nikki C.

    My family loves this place, but they also love sushi.. I don't really like sushi. I've tried to like it, and Ariake makes it very tempting... But I stick to the cooked dishes. The ambiance of this place is so funny and contradictory that it kind of makes you fond of the place... If I liked sushi, I'd want to celebrate my birthday here, as they make a huge deal with the music and the sounds and the shots of sake and all that jazz. I think it's hilarious. Miso soup is good, teriyaki chicken is good. From the bar, I LOVE the spicy shrimp. The people who work here are very friendly. I come here if I have to (meaning, if my family wants this for dinner, I make do), but I probably wouldn't come out of choice..

    (3)

  • Ggg M.

    We come here often and the food is always good! They greet Us by our names-how often do you get that? It's a good local place to hang out.

    (5)

  • Kei ..

    the last 2x's we came for dinner have been an EPIC FAILURE! we placed our orders (bento boxes & sushi orders) it took forever for the food to come. bento boxes took 20-30 minutes to hit the table. sushi orders took 35-45 minutes to hit the table. i do understand that in january that it was a busy night. tonight it was not busy. a bunch of birthday's being celebrated. empty tables & spots @ the sushi bar. we had the same waiter (fernando) & i expressed our concerns. he even remembered us from our last visit. he apologized; however, it doesn't cut it for us. if take out orders are more important than serving your eating in customers...... this is not the restaurant you want to go to. we will go to a restaurant that will give our food within a certain time frame. @ least tell us it's coming. i don't want to flag down a waiter to find out where our food is. food rating: 2 service (waiter): 4 (thanks fernando) wait time for the food: 0 kitchen & sushi staff: 1 (what are they doing back there??) we have been patrons for many years. we won't be back & probably won't miss coming. my recommendation is to stay away & find somewhere else to eat that has their act together in the kitchen & behind the sushi bar. definitely won't miss the drum banging for the birthday's next stop....... CHA CHA SUSHI!! SAYOUNARA ARIAKE!!!!!!

    (1)

  • Veronica N.

    The worst sushi place I have ever been to. I went there once and the rolls didn't taste that great. I thought maybe it was just an off day so I didn't say much. I went a second time and it was worse. I bought a bento this time and 50% of the chicken was basically burnt. I lost my appetite, paid, and just left. I'd suggest you go elsewhere.

    (1)

  • Shirene E.

    OK, I LOVE this place! I thought that this place was so good. They have great sushi and their bento box is really good too. They have great Shark Rolls, packed with Avocado!!! I took my 20 month old daughter there and she loved the bento box. I thought the food was very fresh and tasty...yummy!!!!

    (5)

  • Cathy N.

    the sushi here is average, they didnt have anything super special where i wouldnt be able to find somewhere else. lunch specials are pretty cheap here though. for 5.95 you can get a bento box that comes with miso soup, salad, your choice of beef, chicken, or salmon teriyaki, and some cucumber rolls. Pretty full-filling too. their spicy mussels here are bomb though. i love their spicy mussel sauce! so darn tasty! their salmon and hamachi sashimi is okay too...but i get mixed feelings for them because some days they'd come out super fresh and other days, the color seems really off making me believe they must be either old or bad. i tried a few of their specialty rolls but nothing really stood out either. prices aren't too bad and the service is friendly. all the workers greet you with a japanese hello everytime you enter so that's always nice.

    (3)

  • Chris H.

    Decent but like other say it's not the best. I guess it's a hit or miss day. But today is not all great. My bento box was not great because it seems as if they just microwave my meat and potstickers and hand them to me. Basically still cold!

    (2)

  • Kevin H.

    This place gave me a cup of water with flies in it....... then they tried to tell me the fly came in from outside and landed in my cup... *sigh* Check your cups people...

    (1)

  • Chris G.

    The first time we tried to go here it was packed. So I thought wow it must be pretty good. Well when we finally got to go I was not impressed. If you get sushi that is not friend it is ok, but the portions are pretty small. The night we went there was maybe 12-16 people and 4 waiters and the service was super slow. We got two sushi that were fried and they had no taste. The only thing you really tasted was the fried part. At first we thought it was just one fried roll, then we ordered a totally different roll and it was just as bad. The two sushi we did have that was not fried was pretty good and I'd go back for that, but the service just killed it.

    (2)

  • Kandi W.

    My Dad and I go here sometimes. I love the guys that work here, they are so cute, especially Jedi he is the man. Anywho Ariake is a fun little place to go for a casual dinner, but to take advantage of the full effect you must sit at the bar (which opens at 6:30) I must say the quality is not spectacular but hey it is what you get for the price, this place is pretty cheap for sushi. You must try the 911 roll and all the hand rolls are pretty good too. I am not a big fan of the California rolls, they are like a big glob of mayo and imitation crab meet, ick., but the bento boxes are good and they have lots of special rolls. Ariake plays lots of fun 80's music complete with a fog machine and disco lights. It's a treat when you catch someone there on their birthday, the blast Fitty's "In the Club" while making the birthday boy or girl take sake shots. A fun place to try out!

    (4)

  • Rickey S.

    I've been going to Ariake's for a couple of years now and it keeps me content. The service is great. The crew really does a good job making sure you've got everything you want and need. Portion size is generous for the price. I've dined at some sushi bars that charge 30% more and give you 30% less than Ariake does. The quality of the sushi is not A+, maybe a B to B+. I doubt you'll leave disappointed. Just don't go in thinking it's Nobu or other upscale sushi restaurants.

    (4)

  • Lien T.

    My gosh. the worst experience i've ever had at a restaurant! I came here with my cousin on a weekday. we sat at the sushi boat / bar. The food was not authentic tasting at all, and the workers and chef are mexican. im not hating on mexicans but its a japanese restaurant. there was not a single japanese worker there. i think the owner is even mexican. anyways, the service was horrible from beginning to end. Our food took forever. i saw the chef making our order and sat the plate on the window. i saw our server walking passed it over 5 times. i just thought, maybe its not our order. it took so long, and i didn't have all the time in the world, i had to go to work. so i asked him if our food was almost ready and what was taking so long. he didn't say a word, he just walked over to the window and that plate was ours the whole time! our food has been sitting out for quite a long time! i was so annoyed about that, i lost my appetite to eat. I had to ask for water re-fills 3 times...when someone finally came to re-fill my drink the waiter huffed as if i was a bother to him. are you kidding me?! So when we asked for our bill, they came around and started to search around our legs under our purses, behind the specials menu, to see if we were hiding the sushi bar plates...are you Freakn kidding me? wow, i dont know if i was more embarrassed or offended. Worst customer service ever, and the food isn't even all that great. Just take my word for it, and don't come here.

    (1)

  • Ocee D.

    3 Stars If you're looking for a good "bang for your buck", come here. We came by the other night because my gf was craving sushi and we were right down the street. Started off w/ my usual - spicy tuna, cucumber, cream cheese with a large side order of sriracha. I was surprise they didn't skimp on any of the ingredients.....probably the only sushi place I've been to that put enough of all three. One thing though, when it came out, it had avocado instead of cucumber (our server caught it and took it back before I could say something). Miso soup was ok. Tekka Maki and Salmon Maki were both good. Nigri (w/ tuna, yellowtail, salmon, shrimp, squid, red snapper) was good too from what my gf said. I just ate the squid because she doesn't like that......tasted ok to me, but most raw fish taste the same to me anyway. (yea i know a squid isn't really a fish....) I finished things up w/ a Shanghai Roll, and I gotta say it was disappointing. The menu says Eel, Kappa (cucumber), Salmon, w/ spicy sauce but doesn't mention the sweet sauce on top. spicy sauce is in the roll. This came out cooked and sitting on a piece of foil. you can't eat it w/ chopsticks because it'll fall apart, and cant pick it up w/ your hand, so I had to strategize. first bite....I bit into something...probably some scales. The fish and eel tasted cooked, but it had a good taste to it. the rest of them were scale free and the sriracha i drenched it in hid the sweet taste. It was actually a good tasting roll......oh, and the rice on the bottom of the roll all stuch to the foil. Service was good (they rush you a little bit to order, but good attitudes), and the bathroom was ok....seemed clean, but I was just in there to wash my hands...not to do any damage.

    (3)

  • Jerry G G.

    Good place to go considering were near Oakridge Mall. Not much prime selection in regards to Japanese food on this side of San Jose. Close, $$ and not bad.

    (4)

  • Jorge Y.

    I have been going here for perhaps 8 years since I was maybe 12. My parents are cheap and this place is close to their house. I used to think the bento meals were delicious but they have depreciated in quality incredibly throughout the years. I just ordered a beef bento lunch today to-go that had almost no rice (wtf?). Also they forgot to provide salad dressing and the meat was cold. Unforgivable, I'm not coming back. If you want to eat at an inexpensive Sushi place, go to Shin Sushi nearby.

    (2)

  • M C.

    Neon light show and fog for your birthday? Cool! Too bad the sushi here tastes like a California burrito. It should be called Alejandro Sushi. I give it credit for being a pretty happening place to go to in the neighborhood. Feels like the fast food of sushi. Good for an affordable quick fix -- not if I want something authentic and the whole Japanese experience -- whatever that means.

    (3)

  • kristina j.

    My fiance and i are been going here for years!!! This is our favorite sushi place ever! the I love you and the miss you are my two most favorite here! I can't wait to go here again!

    (5)

  • Lizzie B.

    -Adventures of an Unknown Picture Girl- #3 Well, what can I say about this place? I usually have it once a week or so. The food isn't bad. I love the Salmon teriyaki dinner, mm mmh. Yumm. Sometimes the fish is dry, but still yummy. I like the spider roll

    (3)

  • Matt M.

    A friend of mine heard from a friend that this place was the best sushi in town. I disagree. In fact, it was quite bad. I've had worse sushi, but I'm not a fan of this place after trying it. Some of the sushi that was on the boats looked like it had been sitting there all-day and that was pretty disgusting. We ordered this tonkatsu dish, but it came on a bed of rice and an onion omelette on top; it was soggy and pretty icky. The pieces of sushi were large, which is nice, but they were hard to eat. I like to stuff the whole piece in my mouth. The sushi was pretty cheap since my friend and I spent under $30 and we were full. That would be the only pro, yet you get what you pay for. Sushi is one of those foods where you can't accept the low-end cheap option, it has to be the best quality. The staff was really nice and was very informative, but sadly the food was less than mediocre.

    (2)

  • Bear S.

    I really enjoyed this place. The only critique is that their service was exceptionally slow, especially for a Japanese restaurant. The food was fantastic including the sushi. They had the best Miso soup. It was pretty quiet and not that many people there but it was earlier on in the evening. I will definitely be coming back.

    (4)

  • Love N.

    I love this place esp the I miss you roll!!!

    (5)

  • David K.

    NOTE: I haven't tried any of the sushi here so this is strictly for the lunch and dinner entrees here. The Spicy Chicken Lunch and Dinner Combo here is very satisfying. As simple as this dish is, a lot of places F it up. HUGE portions of freshly grilled chicken, HUGE salad, miso soup and rice. I love how they don't pour store bought teriyaki sauce all over the chicken to mask the flavor and freshness of the chicken. Instead, it's freshly made everyday and given on the side to compliment the chicken. If you find yourself around Almaden Valley, definitely stop by and try their Spicy Chicken.

    (3)

  • Ruben H.

    This place is great. The chefs know their stuff. The sushi is some of the best I've had at a sushi bar this size. Don't forget to check out the night life here, this place rocks.

    (4)

  • Kayla P.

    I can't really complain about this place. Pretty solid, but nothing too special about it. Sushi was great and the service was good too. One great thing was how inexpensive the meal was, this place is great when you want good sushi on a tight budget. The birthday sake bombs are hilarious, but get a little annoying after the 5th time!

    (3)

  • Susie O.

    Really wanted some sushi on Saturday night so ordered some take out. I ordered 4 rolls, not sure how the proportions were, but 3 definitely would have been ok bc they were pretty healthy sizes. When I went in to pick it up,it was ready and waiting, and after i weaved through the line of people to get in, was waited on quickly and the guy was super friendly. Would definitely hit it up again!

    (4)

  • Sofi P.

    .5 stars. It's sad that this Americanized sushi joint popped my cherry. Its the first one I've been to, my mom decided to take me here one day. And although I didn't get any of the sushi.....[can't remember too far back] I had a bento box instead. I think I had some cali rolls. Oh, how long it has been and now my sushi tongue has developed greatly. I think I went here back in freshmen year of highshcool. This is a great place for sushi newbs. It has cheap sushi and bentos. You know a person is a sushi newb when a conversation goes like this..... Me: So whats your favorite sashimi? Friend: Whats that? Me: Its the pieces of raw fish meat. Friend: Ewww, I don't eat that, I only eat sushi. Me: What DO YOU eat then? Friend: California rolls. Me: You're joking! sushi is only referring to the rice. So after hearing this I knew I was going to NOT take her to any authentic sushi joints and thus decided to stick to Ariake. I mean c'mon her favorite "sushi restaurant" is a food court in the mall or Miyake. Plus I wanted for her to try something new. So we arrive at Ariake for her Bday. Prepare yourself if you are a sushi lover. I order the lunch bento for her and some sashimi -sake, hamachi, shrimp tempura, fried cali roll, cali roll and 1 cali hand roll. Me: Why aren't you drinking the miso soup? Friend: Oh I never touch this usually I just leave it alone. Me: Try it. Friend: It tastes warm. [I look at her in silence O_o] Friend: Whats this green slimy stuff? Me: That's nori! or seaweed. Friend: EWww seaweed. That's nasty. Me; WTH!!!! [name of person] that's what you've been eating w/ your cali rolls. What do you think the green stuff is around the the cali rolls. Friend: Oh I just thought it was green paper the whole time. Me: HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHHHAH You're such a dork. And if you have already predicted I ended up eating all the sashimi while she just ate the fake stuff and her bento box minus the salad. The sashimi is the TINIEST pieces of cuts ever. Stick out your pinky and that is hot wide and small the cut of the sashimi will be. It was OK tasting, not spectacularly fresh but you could tell it has been chilled in the fridge for awhile. The rolls taste odd like it has too much artificial flavoring. Man this is definitely the place to take an inexperienced sushi eater. Oh and the .5 star is for popping my sushi Cherry even though I didn't really eat any real/authentic sushi there. Even I will NOT go here for my quick fix cheap sushi. I would rather go to Kazoo in japan town of SJ

    (1)

  • Tom V.

    This place freakin rules!! My wife and I have been eating here for years and have always had a great experience. I food is really good, the people that work there are awesome and the ambiance is fun. We have 2 little kids and it's one of the few places we can go to and not hvae to worry about noise levels. What's amazing is that the 4 of us can get away with eating for about $20.

    (5)

  • Nazanine M.

    The pot stickers were frozen when I ordered them and the waiter was rude when we asked them for hot ones. The udon soup was awful! I feel sick now from it. You have to pay for re-fills on sodas. The chicken had too much fat on it. The waiters are slow and rude. We got lunch specials and ended up paying so much more because we wanted re-fills. The food is awful and the service even worse! I just paid to puke. Why would anyone go here???

    (1)

  • James P.

    Solid three stars. Foods alright, but I love Jedi.

    (3)

  • Joy S.

    bleh, got togo bento box from here. This is probably the most... dirty looking sushi place i had ever been to. the carpets are distinctively blackish at high traffic area and a different color from the carpets under seats. the food isnt great either - rice had a weird after taste the tempuras are not crunchy at all and batter seems to be made improperly california roll is huge but taste... weird. it seems like they blended the crab meat up together with something random. very different texture than normal meh, not coming back only plus is the waiters are nice.

    (2)

  • Tom L.

    This place is more fun with more friends. The food is pretty average, but the portions are pretty good. The Bento Boxes are good, but it would be a stretch for me to say they are serving authentic top notch sushi. The sushi is average at best. The atmosphere tends to be upbeat, just try not to sit in the back of the restaurant its not too pleasant/clean. This place really isn't a 4star its a 3.5star

    (4)

  • Karey H.

    The atmosphere is pretty cool but the food tastes horrible and old. The beef is chewy like gum and the sushi tastes worse. I really cannot stand this restaurant. The only cool thing about it is birthdays.

    (2)

  • Kristin B.

    I love Ariake. The staff is so friendly. The price is definitely right. It may not be the best sushi in the world, but it's good. I love the Spider Roll (i like to add avocado), the poki deluxe roll is good, and the Kamakazi roll. They also have great edamame. I get take out from them usually once a week.

    (4)

  • Jen C.

    We have been eating at this place for years now and we love the personal attention that we get with or without our daughter in tow. The food is always good and the place is always exciting! I recommend it to all my friends.

    (4)

  • Sara G.

    GREAT atmosphere for kids. VERY kid friendly. My daughter loved watching the lights and hearing all the great pop music. Ariake is a great place to bring the family. The sushi is just okay. It's not the freshest that I have had but it's really cheap. We had sushi, saki and rolls ... $50!! Anywhere else would have been closer to $100. I'll come again and again for the friendly and inviting atmosphere.

    (3)

  • Raina C.

    I wish I had something positive to say about Ariake. I came here a few years ago and it was bad and came again a month ago to try it again and once again bad bad bad. The place is actually really big and the disco lights and club music didn't really bother me... but clue #1 that this was not the Sushi place for me was that the place smelled fishy the 2nd clue .. was the entire non English speaking Latino staff and there was not an Asian person in the place. When you are looking for a good sushi place look for Asian people!! We were seated and after 20 min had to get up and ask someone to come take our order. Everything on the boat looked like it had been there for days so we decided to be safe we would get bento boxes. We had to repeat the order a few times because the waiter was having a hard time understanding. I had a bug floating in my water.... after asking multiple times for a new one I finally gave up and went thirsty. It is pretty hard to mess up teriyaki chicken... but when the fatty boiled chicken skin is thicker then the piece of chicken I am suddenly not hungry any more. I could really go on and on about why I will not be going here again!

    (1)

  • Wayland Q.

    Are you still eating at Miyake's? OMG Why don't you grow up! There are better places for fresh sushi, Japanese Food, and lively atmosphere. Ariake on Blossom Hill is the place. Whether you like to sit at the sushi bar or at a table. Tama, Rio, Jedi, or Piero will help you get seated and enjoy some fresh, affordable sushi. I know them all by name and I feel very comfortable here as I like going regularly. The place is lively. It has a nice sushi bar with floating boats. Cool decorations. Disco lights and a fog machine. You have to go there for someone's birthday. Like Eileen B. says in her review, there are a lot of us going there. My birthday picture is up on the wall twice. My dad's is there too. So is my niece's. I have been going there for years and I hope you try it so you can love it too. if you like eel aka unagi, try the Unagi/BBQ Eel Bento box. The eel portion is HUGE.

    (4)

  • Emily C.

    The staff is super friendly and nice, the prices are very reasonable, and the food is good. If you see something on the boats that you want to eat but there maybe something on it that doesn't appeal to you, its super easy to get it ordered just the way you want it. We eat here once a week and the cashier knows us by name. We will keep coming here for a long time to come. :)

    (5)

  • Jeremy R.

    Have you eaten here before? Did a happy group of people with a spare table full of empty beer and sake bottles annoy you? If so, then my apologies because that was probably us. And though we don't want to make it the crappy and obnoxious experience for sushi-goers that Miyakes now is, this is how we've come to know and love our dear Ariake. If you go by our 13+ pictures (as Eileen B mentioned), you'll pretty much see how we've aged. Though it may not be the absolute best sushi, it'll always be my first choice. One of my favorite memories of this place is when I came back from Europe after a two-month backpacking trip and Tama and Rio asked how my trip was and even asked about some stuff that got stolen. With staff/friends like that, how can you not go back?

    (5)

  • Jack K.

    I would give 0 stars if it were an option. I have been coming here for almost 7 years now and my last visit sealed the deal. The food and the service has drastically worsened. Tobiko smells like old fish and tastes like salted sand. Glasses are all dirty. Appetizers come after entrees. Outdated cheezy menu items. Charge for soda refills. It just sucks, period. Terrible lunch waiter with glasses grunts at you instead of speaking. (would you please trim your angry beaver chest hair that pokes out of your dirty hawaiin shirt?) Overcharges on credit cards. Absolutely the WORST service. I will never return. This place shouldn't last much longer at the rate they're going. And what's with the Spanish language barrier at a Japanese restaurant??? I think the owner of these places took his money and ran. Pedro and Paco are running the show now and soon they'll be serving sushi burritos. Do not waste your time or money. You're better off buying a tray of Costco Sushi or even going to Gaaaaaaaaaaasssp "Sushi Factory!"

    (1)

  • Eli T.

    Everything was HOT and the sashimi had no smell and tasted really good. The tempura was hot and fresh. the tea was hot and the water ice cold. I'm never really disappointed the lunch prices for bento boxes. One thing though the chicken could have used a bit more teriyaki sauce as that one was one thing lacking. YUM YUM

    (4)

  • eileen b.

    When the staff knows you by name, takes sake bombs with you, and feeds you Mochi ice cream in the parking lot while you sober up, you know you've found a great spot. Ariake is near and dear to me. Tama, Jedi, Rio, Piero, and the rest of the staff always embrace us with open arms. And we're not the only ones... There is a whole wall of Polaroid pictures at the back of the restaurant that feature photos of their beloved customers. (Last I counted, I think I found 13+ pictures of me and my friends.) They do more than just take pictures, they really take care of you. If you don't know what sushi to order, they'll ask what you like and create a special roll just for you. And their rolls are delish, especially when paired with a sake bomb... or three. Overall, this place is one of my favorites. It is THE spot to celebrate birthdays and other major events. No other restaurant can beat its combination of good food, great value, and most importantly, awesome company.

    (4)

  • Rufino O.

    Good Japanese Food Sushi the way Mayaki used to make it There are three Ariake restuarants in San Jose and in a span of 1 week I tried all three of which the Blossom Hill restaurant is hands down the best of the three (I won't go back to the other two...) My favorite is the fried oysters. The prices are not that bad and the Rolls are nicely sized. I noticed that many of the servers from Miyaki (DeAnza Blvd) are now working at Ariake.

    (4)

  • Rogerio F.

    Food is A-Okay, with a big hooking arm motion and a smile on your face like you're Popeye the sailor man. I've had decidely better sushi that I would rate a true 4 stars, but it's a fun low key environment, and I've been here multiple times for celebrations and just to simply dine.

    (4)

  • J T.

    Not good. If you are craving sushi and this is all you can find, then go for it, but I won't try Ariake again. Imitation crab meat. Imitation other things that I couldn't even identify. The waiter had to be asked 2 times to do everything. Only 3 pieces per roll!? Come on...

    (2)

  • NurseD R.

    I have been going here for 6 years and they never fail to satisfy my craving for california rolls. It's cheap and comes in large rolls. I can eat 2 plates and I'm done. Good for my wallet and to my tummy!

    (5)

  • Will C.

    Came here on a weekday and the sushi here sucks!!!!!! Sushi was not very fresh, and the food didn't seem like much care was put into making it. Rolls had lots of rice, skimp on the fish, and overall pretty messy. Had a spider roll that was fishy smelling which was pretty disgusting and wait staff was not very attentive. I guess seeing Mexican sushi chefs should have been a huge flag.... To the owners... spend the extra money and hire qualified sushi chefs.... I would never come here again!

    (1)

  • Eric H.

    This place was horrible. Service was absolutely all bad, I asked for a cup of water and it came out when my food came out. I mean seriously, c'mon. Out of complete honesty, the only thing appealing about this place is the unagi and rice, but then again you can get that anywhere. I change my bad this place is just nasty.

    (1)

  • Brett H.

    Some of the sushi here is OK. Some not so good. But this place has a saving grace, the prices can't be beat. So if you're not looking for anything fancy and you want some sushi on the cheap, this is your place. The California rolls are very iffy so stay away from them, but the fresh fish rolls with Salmon, Ahi and Hamachi are very tasty. The Phili Roll is very good. The Bento Boxes are good too. The service isn't so great though, they have never refilled my soda there, ever. But what the heck, with many of the their nice size rolls coming in at under 6 bucks what can you ask for...

    (2)

  • Gladys H.

    I came here yesterday for a quick lunch. Awful sushi. I don't think they should call this fresh. I will absolutely avoid this place at all cost.

    (1)

  • Becca C.

    This place is one of my favorite sushi places to go to for lunch. U sit at the boat. A lot of food for the price! Everyones been nice there. I love their rolls, their not the primo of sushi but very good to me especially for the price.

    (5)

  • Charlie K.

    Cheap sushi, mediocre quality fish. Its not a bad place to go if you're out with a large group of people who want to do a lot of sake bombs. If you're looking for top quality sushi, keep looking. I'll give it three stars because the prices are so reasonable. Don't ask for anything not on the menu (Aji, Toro, Bonito, Shiro-maguro, etc) you won't get it. Or in my case you'll ask for Bonito and get lukewarm maguro and then spend the next three minutes having the waiter try to convince you its Bonito!

    (3)

  • Chris T.

    I remember their food here to be a little above par. They serve cheap pellet sized mochi ice cream here too. But I always thought it was funny how whenever it's someone's birthday, they turn off the lights and roll down the disco ball and play 50 Cent's In Da Club before they have the birthday person stand on top of a chair and down the pyramid of sake shots. If I ever have my birthday here, chances are I'd be forced to take down at least 5 of those pyramids of shots.

    (4)

  • Joe N.

    When I got my job in San Jose, I couldn't find any place to eat, so I did a quick search on Yahoo yellow pages and found a familiar restaturant that I liked to go to every once and a while, but this one was horrible. The first and only time I went there I got food poisoning. Not the prettiest site and horrible when you're trying to make a good first impression on your new boss. Sad because the Ariakes in Sunnyvale and Stevens Creek are two of my favoritre sushi places, because of price, convenience and service.

    (1)

  • Key C.

    Its quick, fast and cheap. The rolls on the boat aren't always fresh so keep an eye out for rice that turns clear cause it's dried out. LOVE the spicy mussels. I have at least 2 orders of that. The Ika Sansei (octopus salad) isn't sold at many Japanese spots so I always like to get it where I can. If you go on your birthday, they turn it into a club with lights, fog machine, and play 50 cent "it's your birthday" while the staff surrounds you, makes you get up on your chair and drink sake, or sprite for the non-alcoholics. A fun, young, non-threatening environment to have some japanese food.

    (3)

  • Chan-Hua L.

    The sushi here are OK with very reasonable price, but don't expect too much.

    (3)

  • Christina R.

    This place was ok, but I was hyped up for something good, according to my friend Melanie. Who doesn't love a sushi boat place . .except when there isnt really a variety. I didnt really like the dishes so much, but it's fun when there's a disco ball spinning and cool music. Pretty much, good atmosphere, ok food.

    (2)

  • Abby Q.

    i have yet to be dissapointed by this place. the first time i came here, i was a bit skeptical, since all of the sushi places seem to offer the same things, with the same tastes. however, this place stands out when being compared to the ones i've tried around san jose....so far. my bf took me here about a month ago since i've never heard of this place. we left completely satisfied. we ordered the dragon roll, las vegas roll, i miss you roll, postickers and fried oysters. it was DELICIOUS ! the second experience was actually yesterday. we were both craving sushi, and this was the first place that popped up in both of our heads. when we got there, the lights were off and disco lights were on.. what do you know? it's a birthday! for those who do not know, every birthday celebration there gets greeted with booming music while the lights are turned off and the disco lights are turned on. the staff then comes to your table with a traditional birthday style celebration, making you drink from three different cups all the while having you stand up on one of the chairs. while youre doing this, the entire staff would sing along to the background music, root you on, and play a bunch of musical instruments. LOL... my boyfriend set me up and told them it was my bday yesterday, (although it was really the day before), and so they came to my table and made me do it! HAHAHA !!! it was funny yet a bit embaressing.. yet fun while it lasted. they also take a picture of you and whomever you to post up onto their birthday wall, print out a big copy of that picture and give it to you with a frame and a 10% off coupon as a birthday gift. very sweet and unique tradition, i must say. in short, this place is not only good to dine at, but a great place to come for a little birthday fun!

    (5)

  • Blair N.

    I love their california rolls because they're so nice and creamy. I have yet been to another restaurant that has their california rolls just as perfect. Their sushi menu might be a bit bland and it's not as colorful and creative as other sushi restaurants are but it's pretty good for me if I want my sushi fix around this area.

    (3)

  • Kimberly S.

    Dang it! i should have come here first and check the ratings, before going here to eat. So a friend told me to come here, because it was cheap and the sushi was okay. So i did because i was craving sushi real bad. I ordered...umm the one with fish, nigiri?? and some cream cheese, oh yeah and there was some lemon on it. i totally forgot the name of the roll. okay so i don't know that much about sushi, but i know when i taste a bad sushi or not! it came out quickly which was good because i was super hungry. i bite into my good-looking sushi and something is poking my throat! i know sometimes there are bones, but they should be small right? like so small that you can hardly notice them. but then why was i able to pick the large bones out of my sushi?? i couldn't eat my sushi without being afraid of swallowing a bone. and i am terrified of swallowing bones, because i can never get them out and they hurt! so i ate my sushi with fear. i thought i was being a baby, so i didn't complain or anything. but after going home i wish i did, because i hungry still.

    (2)

  • T R.

    Ok, this is my quick fix stop for Japanese or sushi. A great place to take someone who has never eaten sushi since it is super casual and relatively cheap... depending on how much you eat. If any of you have been to the infamous Miyake in Cupertino or Palo Alto, you will have the same food and experience here at Ariake. Why? The owner of Ariake used to work at Miyake! Apparently he got smart and decided to open his own place. So you are going to have the same salad dressing, same crazy American-style sushi and same crazy birthday celebrations. Lunch bentos here are super cheap! It's a great place for 1 person to 10 people and never really gets too crowded since this is the largest Ariake in the area. The others are on Stevens Creek (the original and super tiny) and El Camino in Sunnyvale. My only complaint for this place is the service. I guess you get what you pay for. It takes forever to order or get the bill, so be prepared! Regardless, I am a sucker for this place and keep going back for more.

    (4)

  • Jenny L.

    This place gets packed during dinner time. I think the rolls are okay. Their California Rolls are pretty big. I usually order the Crazy Roll. The rolls are so big. I have to eat it in several bites. I wished it was smaller. They have various selection. Their udon is pretty good. If you have your birthday here, they will play the 50 cent song and bang on loud drums. They bring you drinks and you have to drink it on the spot. One time I came here with my friend and I swear is was a day when everyone was born. They did the birthday chant 7 times in one night! The waiters here are funny. I rather sit at the bar because I like some of their rolls that aren't on the menu but it's on the boats. They had a really roll w/ spicy tuna. If only I remembered the name. I love spicy tuna and I'll look for any roll with spicy tuna in it. There's nothing to really rave about the place. There's no specific roll that I really love and that I need to come back to get it.

    (2)

  • Immie P.

    Love this place! It has great food and a great atmosphere. I could eat here twice a week! The waiters are friendly the music is ..er.. pumping! I love sushi and I love Ariake!

    (4)

  • J R.

    I love Ariake! One of my fav. places for Sushi. Sushi is fresh and good. Great prices. Service is great! I eat there at least 4 times a month =)

    (4)

  • Ashley B.

    Really fresh and tasty for such a low price. The staff is very nice but then again, I'm a repeat customer so I'm sure that helps. Whenever I go to a new sushi place, I always compare it to Ariake.

    (4)

  • Lina L.

    This place had great california rolls. I know california rolls arent exactly venturing too far out into the sushi world but hey why change what already tasts yum. They have great lunch specials too, which are usually too big to finsih by yourself and i think compared to other sushi places there service is really good. Go here i recommend, i dont think you'll regret it.

    (4)

  • ngo h.

    I use to come here with my gf and her parents and its not a bad place for a family. The sushi portion are pretty large but i rather have quality over quantity so its 3 star. Oh yeah bring your friends here if you want a birthday bonanza! haha they do some crazy tradition with smoke lights and etcc.. have your picture taken on the wall also!

    (3)

  • Caroline B.

    Very stylish and fun atmosphere and unusual items on the sushi boats. Honestly, I thought the sushi was pretty decent but the service was sometimes lacking. This is a place I would take a child or a sushi beginner - some of the rolls just are really cool-looking. And, considering the fact that the place is more fun than the food is good, things can only get better from here. I have never gotten sick from here and *hives* are not a normal sign of food poisoning in any case. Sounds more like an allergy to me...

    (2)

  • Maxx L.

    Been going here for years, and while the quality of the sushi isn't perfect - sushi snobs everywhere will probably turn their noses up at it - they do make up in atmosephere and instantaneous service what they lack in high quality. Think of it like this - if you're looking for a sushi joint to go with a date or someone who has been to Japan, then you should check out Blowfish or head up to Zushi Puzzle in SF. They're both more expensive and parking is crazy, but you'll be happier with the results. On the other hand if you're craving sushi during the middle of a work week and you're lounging around with friends in sweatshirts and jeans and looking for a quick sushi fix - then this is your best bet. The boats are cool for out-of-town visitors and kids, the music (a selection of pop and disco from the 80's and 90's) are amusing for anyone who grew up in that era, and the quick seating and friendly staff make it worth the visit. Also, they take Mastercard/Visa and the food is fairly inexpensive. I've never racked up anything greater than a $40 bill for a couple people - and I was stuffed having snarfed down 12-14 plates. So yeah, I'd recommend this place. Easy to find, easy to park. Just watch out for that ^&*($^% VTA Light Rail that cuts across Blossom Hill when you're headed back.

    (3)

  • Rob C.

    Sushi boat with lively atmosphere and decent prices. The sushi boat selection is merely OK. However, If the place is packed, then you better order your sushi direct from the chefs rather than pull off the boats. You can bet that the particular california roll you've been eye'n has been sailing round and round for the last 2 hours and caught a case of sun and wind burn. Sometimes the chefs will pull that nasty crusty roll off the boat, re-squash it, and serve it to you along with the rest of your order. Better start doing sakebombs to make the experience go smoother! Edit (9/21/07): Ugh, me and the wife visited here the other day, and the sushi was all wrong. Rice was hard and undercooked, and had no flavoring what-so-ever. Her deep-fried california rolls looked like it spent a little too much time in some tired grease, it tasted just the same. Bleh!

    (1)

  • Loren H.

    I LOVE this place! Jed, I think he's the manager, is so nice he remembers me when I come in and never fails to make small talk with me. Plus their spider rolls are DELICIOUS!!! They're never super busy so I'm able to get in and out when I'm in a time crunch and are willing to accommodate me when I'm in a rush. I love coming here it's great sushi for a budget (at least I like it)

    (5)

  • Scot B.

    My family, with young children, has been going here for about 5 years now. They love it...and we always feel welcome. Definitely family-friendly! Imagine us walking in with "6 for the boats..." and never feeling like we're an imposition. Friday nights are a kick with the disco lighting, raucous music, smoke bursts and all the birthday parties. I get the opportunity to visit lots of sushi places with my work, and while the food at Ariake isn't world-class, it's consistently very good and well-priced. I occasionally bring people there who don't like sushi and opt for the bento boxes. If you order off the menu, the order is quick and fresh. If you vary it at all, or order any of the appetizers, prepare to wait. I've never figured out why this is, but it's consistent. I have learned a few key things about this place; 1-Don't go there until at least 30 minutes after they open in order to have the best experience, 2-Be clear about what you want, and 3-Have fun! We eat there at least 3 times a month...look for us...we're the large group with kids sitting at the boats. :-)

    (4)

  • Anosha S.

    Cool atmosphere. They turn down the lights and blast hip/hop music before they sing happy birthday to someone. haha The sushi was pretty good, but I've had better.

    (3)

  • Anna C.

    This place is ok if you are too tired to cook and are craving Japanese food. The chicken teriyaki is good since it does not taste like frozen chicken reheated, and the chicken cutlet is always a winner since it's fried and you can dip in the katsu sauce. More importantly, the sushi is fresh if you order it made as you are ready to eat it, and the spicy tuna roll could use less green (not sure what they put in there) and more spice. Service is lacking as the staff seem to only pay attention to their chatty regulars or friends, and you're better off getting extra napkins, chopsticks, water, to-go boxes from the person who sits up front waiting by the register. Music is sometimes too loud and something smells funny if you sit at the "peak" of the bar closest to the door.

    (2)

  • Sasha M.

    Love this place!!!! My friends and I probably go there at least once every two weeks. No matter how busy it is, the staff always takes care of us. Sometimes the food is not the best on the boat but all you have to do is ask and they will make it fresh for you. LOVE THE WHOLE STAFF, especially Jedi.

    (5)

  • Patrick D.

    Cheap lunch specials, awesome music, and Jedi is faaabulous.

    (4)

  • claire s.

    i'm was craving sushi after shopping. since we were across the street, we decided to check out the place. there was no crowd and the sushi boats weren't moving. it's stopped for preparations for dinner. we where there about 430ish. we ordered calamari-it might be immitation, Jordan-never again, deep fried California roll-no taste, Spider roll-where's the spider, i don't remember the rest because i didn't bother with it. as i try to pick up the sushi with my chopsticks, it starts to fall apart. it's not even in my mouth yet. there must have been a good couple of pieces that stayed together. then i had to wave down the waiter for water who was just chatting with another co worker at the register. two, not going back there, falling apart sushi stars except the place was clean.

    (2)

  • Julia R.

    One of my go-to sushi spots. The staff is super friendly and the food is consistent. Great for take-out. I think it is fairly reasonable for sushi as well. Also, this is a fun place for birthdays.

    (5)

  • Stephen I.

    Two bad experiences in a row have sworn me off this place! 1st time 7/06 - service was so bad that I had to go in back behind the curtain to get napkins and water. Wrote it off as a bad staffing day for them. 2nd Time 10/20/06 at 11:50 am- The small handful of customers and the filthy carpets as we walked in should have been the warning that service/cleanliness is really off at Ariakes, a place we used to love coming to. We walked in and the guy behind the front counter was on the phone with a personal call. After waiting 5 minutes we decided to go sit down at the sushi boat table. At that point he got off the phone long enough to yell that the sushi boat table wouldn't be opening for another 10 minutes and to sit at a table. We explained that we would be happy to sit at the sushi boat seats and order off the menu until all the boats had been loaded with food, but he kept saying no, that we had to sit at the regular tables. I have no idea why they have this policy, but figured it wasn't worth disappointing the kids who wanted to see the boats float by. The solution was to just drive across the street to Westfield Oakridge Mall's Sushi Boat and get better service in much cleaner surroundings.

    (1)

  • Chrese D.

    WOW how slow can you make sushi? This place takes the prize. Every time I came here it was pretty empty, yet they take forever to make one sushi roll. However, the sushi is yummy and the service is okay. The chicken terriyaki is also very good. I like how the wall is decorated with pictures of people when they came on their birthday.

    (3)

  • Keith R.

    Ariakes was the spot to go while I was in college and on a budget! Went there a couple months ago with my gf and it was pretty cool. Affordable sushi & bento boxes. The staff is the same from 3 years ago.

    (4)

  • Zito R.

    i wouldn't suggest eating at the bar. i was a bit disgusted how the water was a little dirty and seeing that didn't help my appetite. opt for a table and order for freshly made rolls they will taste better. service was good, no complaints. music was a bit weird for a place like that. if there's a birthday celebrant they bust out cymbals and create ruckus as they make the celebrant down 3 sake shots bumping 50 cent's 'In da club" lmao

    (4)

  • Alan M.

    Have been here quite a few times over the years. Prices are good but the service is TERRIBLE! If you get 1 refill on their tiny waters you're doing well. Food is usually ok, not the best. Ironically, on a night where we had our best service and best-tasting food, I got horrific food poisoning. Still sick after 1.5 days. Thanks, Ariake!

    (1)

  • Taryn L.

    I felt dirty after I ate at this place. Maybee it was becuase my boyfriend and I were the only ones sitting at the sushi bar and all of the waters kept standing behind me and reaching over my head to grap their orders. Maybee it was also becuase what was actuall considered their sushi bar: one out of every five boats had either a potsticker, california roll or dried out tuna. Service wasn't very good either. That is the one and only time we will go there. We walked out so confused...

    (1)

  • Katie C.

    omg i love ariake ! jedi the manager is the best he knows who i am and everything! the waiters are friendly and just the best i have never had a problem there before ive been coming here for about 5 years now! at least 2x a week. the food is amazing the price is amazing i love it. i love the music they play for the bdays its not annoying its nothing bad just perfect!

    (5)

  • Rose Ly T.

    I've been going to ariakes for years. They always get me happily full and that's all I can really ask for. I don't usually sit at the bar so I can't speak too much on that however now and then I do run by to grab california rolls and think they're pretty good. The main focus is their specialty rolls. They have alot interesting creations so you're bound to find something you like. The menu is also blown up on the wall so even after you order you're reminded of what else they make and will hopefully order more. Very cleaver guys. I usually get the teriyaki chicken bento and my favorite roll - the ninja roll. Yes it's as fierce as the name. Salmon, asparagus, deep fried and delicious. Keep in mind the portions are huge so if you get a bento to not overorder after that. 3.5, not really into the whole party atmosphere.

    (3)

  • Naj J.

    Wow, this place got 3 1/2 stars! Whyy?????????????? This was my second time eating here. I ordered a Las Vegas roll that was supposed to be a fried California Roll. It tasted more like fish n' chips! The imitation crab meat tasted like flour. Our waiter seemed unhappy and barely checked on us and he walked away while I was still asking for additional plates. The first time I came here I thought the server was having a bad day, but twice No. The manager was really nice and upbeat . . . too bad he didn't serve us. The sushi here is below average. I would rather have Japanese sushi than this imitation, knock off stuff. Not that it's required, but I didn't see one Japanese person making the food or taking orders. Maybe this explains why everything I ate was below average. I tried five different sushi rolls and the best thing I age was the agedashi, not the sushi!

    (1)

  • Angie L.

    this place is fast, cheap, the servers are nice and beyond friendly and most of the time the sushi is pretty decent. my only problem is, i came here for sushi, if i wanted to go to the club, i would've (this is why i usually try to eat here before the sun goes down. haha, but sometimes you just can't help it! lol). between the disco ball and loud dance music they play, i'm surprised i never choked on my california roll while having a strobe light induced seizure.

    (3)

  • Sarah B.

    The service and food is great :) It's definitely not *the* top notch place, but for moderately priced sushi for during the week casual dinners, this place fits the bill.

    (4)

  • Sonny S.

    Please, refrain yourself from eating here. There are so many sushi places in san jose within every neighborhood that an instance with this place is unnecessary. Today was the last of few times i have been here, and let me tell you, it was horrific. First of all we sat at the bar, and the people making the sushi at the bar were incredible slow. The main reason why i think this place is disgusting was watching the guys make the sushi. They were pouring toxic cleaning material on the cutting board, wiped it with the a cloth, and began making our sushi. I immediately lost my appetite. Then i started to watch another "sushi maker" at the bar, and what he did was worse. He started taking a dirty cloth barehand and wiped down the sink and his cooking area, and then started touching other non-cooking related items (if you know what i mean), and then he started to make my sushi. Once i got my food, i basically swallowed it whole like sanjaya swallowed down whole cow's tongue down without chewing in "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!." Enough said right? enjoy.

    (2)

  • Anna T.

    You have got to try this place! The price is reasonable and the foods are delicious. Their sushi are always fresh and with so many variety of rolls. The servers are nice and helpful everytime I come there. It's also good to have group birthday celebration there (you can get roudy ;0) and all.. fun atmosphere) Just let them know it's your bd and they will do something special for you (loud beating drums, music on, light shut off and bring you the sake! etc.) I went there for a friend birthday and got so hook to the place. I went there like 5, 6 times already just last month after I know about the place. ;0) Extremely recommended~~

    (5)

  • T Is For Tom N.

    One of the best places around San Jose for sushi and they always have really great service. I come here for their bento box and their sushi. For $13 dollars (bento box) you get your money worth with a lot of terriyaki meat, California rolls, salad, tempura and my all time favor miso soup . The service is always great and they seemed to really care about the customer service here , meaning they really want you to have a pleasant experience while you're there. Their udon are pretty good too, just in case if you want to stay away from the normal sushis next time you're there. All around with great food, great service and that's the reason why the place is always crowded.

    (4)

  • Kri B.

    Great food at a great price! If you go in the evening, you'll find this place is jumping with birthday parties! I'd strongly recommend this to anyone who wants healthy food at a great price and with a unique, lively atmosphere! Update- I haven't eaten here lately, but the Fella reports that he hasn't been so enthused with the food and service lately. Do Rio and Jedi still work here?

    (4)

  • Dabay V.

    ariake should be called sushi hell; it's where sushi goes to die. there was a fat bone in my sushi roll and its just plain nasty there! the fish is watery, the rice is all over the place and people just like it because they think they know sushi but they don't. it's like saying taco bell is where someone should go for authentic mexican food. ariake is abominable!

    (1)

  • Helen N.

    This place may not offer the top quality sushi but their price is great! I love their sushi boat bar.

    (4)

  • jess w.

    1Star because you can't give 0. Totally disgusting. First time having sushi sat down at the boat and got the wonderful surprised of looking into the face of a roach. We watched it ride around on a boat for at least 2 loops just to see if anyone else saw it. We finally reported it and they refused to comp our food. Nastiest dirtiest place ever. I understand everyplace has roaches but damn at least keep them off the boats!

    (1)

  • Lulu W.

    I came here because my friend's recommendation. It was about 9pm and I was starving. There were a few customer seated in the restaurant. I really wasn't paying much attention to the music or the décor, my mind was just set on dinner. We were seated at the sushi bar. The sushi that was on the sushi boat definitely did not look fresh at all. I decided to order from the menu. I got the spicy tuna hand roll and it was okay, nothing spectacular, it was edible. I also ordered the rainbow roll. Definitely a bad choice, I didn't think anyone could make a rainbow roll that bad. First off, the fish on the roll smelled really bad. I think it was white tuna??? I don't know, but it looked grayish white. It definitely did not look fresh, so I had put that one aside. The next one was the squid; it looked okay, so I decided to at least give it a shot. BAD MOVE!! The squid was gooey and slimy in my mouth and it had a disturbing taste to it. I had to spit it out right away!! My friend and I think that they just took whatever sashimi was sitting on the Sushi boat and placed it on our roll. I think I was in the restaurant for a total of 15 minutes. I am certain I won't be back.

    (1)

  • Polina S.

    When my sushi obsessed friend called me up to get some food this is where we headed. I was kind of excited not to be going to Sushi Boat and finally actually getting some decent sushi. Well I was pleasantly surprised. We ordered miso soup, sea weed salad, tempura, and a whole assortment of all kinds of sushi. Everything was delicious. We did not sit at the table with the boats so all our food was fresh. Another time I came here we sat the boat table and that was a big mistake. All the sushi on the boat is cold and stale, I did not see them put anything fresh on the hour and half I was there. So if you want some quality food go for the regular tables. Also be prepared for the birthday celebrations. When its someones birthday they turn off the lights and turn on some 50 cent music and come out banging drums and making all sorts of noise. Then they force the birthday girl/guy to down some saki. Gets kind of annoying if that happens more than 2 times during the span of your meal.

    (3)

  • princess l.

    all my friends know im a sushi hater, but this restaurant turned out to be a good experience for dinner. i shared and picked off food from my hunny & friends. i tried their "i love you" roll.. it had about 5 huges pieces for $5.50, not too bad. my hunny tried the box item & that was average as well. i like how they have weird/crazy/cute names for their rolls (ex: i miss you rolls, blossom hill rolls, sake rolls, etc).. i like how when they respond to a 'thank you' , 'welcome' , 'have a good day' ...they speak in japanese back to you so you could gain knowledge in their language, cuuuute!

    (4)

  • Karen F.

    The guys here are really nice! =) They feel like their my uncles or something..haha.. For their prices, i like their food.. salmon teriyaki, good, i love you roll, good, california roll..big and good!

    (4)

  • Lauren G.

    wow. i cannot express how underwhelmed i was by this place. plus i felt sick to my stomach afterwards, but that was due to the fishy smell/poor quality of fish my friend and i were served. i ordered a hand roll and 2 regular rolls. the hand roll made it very easy to see that the state of the fish was, um, not good! the hamachi was grey and dull looking, not glistening and plump like fresh fish should. there is eel in most rolls, therefore there were eel bones all over the place! the tuna was fishy once i got it near my mouth/nose....not appetizing! i didn't assume anything about the mexican chefs... but the fact that anyone would serve this sad looking fish is beyond me. it was cheap though, i just thought it was because the rolls were small! my friend and i both eat a good amount of sushi, and have frequently for years. she didn't even finish hers, which is a pretty telling sign. i am sticking to tried and true places (TGI's, Komatsu, Michi's-when i can afford it) : /

    (1)

  • Carina V.

    I love this place! It's cheap, the food is good, and the waiters are friendly. I don't know about the sushi because me and my boyfriend always order bento boxes. The teriyaki is awesome - I refuse to have teriyaki any other place. I also love the new wave they play - I even asked Tama to burn me a copy.

    (5)

  • Mikko A.

    you guys are wack! bunch of old ass filipinos think they're cool and try to mingle with their guest. Sushi chefs suck and the way they cut is horrible They used to have one good sushi chef and he up and went to do better things at better places. I suggest you follow in his footsteps and find a different Japanese place to eat. The only thing that this place is good for a restroom or a hand roll cause you really can't mess either of those up

    (1)

  • Hannah T.

    Two words: NINJA ROLL.

    (3)

  • Catherine S.

    decent food fresh fish :) didn't get sick after eating :) must go on a friday night because of all of the reviews :)

    (3)

  • Ly N.

    A little hesitant about going here for a birthday until my friend informed me of the 50 cent birthday shout out with a smoking machine and strobe lights. Who could resist that? They even gave the birthday girl 3 sake shots. We were pretty rowdy and stayed for a long time but the staff was pretty friendly about it. Overall the food was good and the price was decent.

    (5)

  • Cindy K.

    this place was pretty fun and lively. i went here for the first time for a friends bday. it was packed for a monday night. the sushi bar is huge and seats a lot. we grabbed a table and were served with beer promptly, but it kinda took a while for the waiter to take our food order. they were busy, and it didn't bother me because i can see them running around like crazy. the sushi and sashimi looked good and tasted good. i didn't order any japanese dinner/bento boxes. got some special rolls, and a lot of nigiri. all were good. prices here are very reasonable. service was good. atmosphere was fun and lively. might be a little too loud for kids, but overall it we had a good time.

    (4)

  • Joanne E.

    I love this sushi place...it's really good sushi for a great price. They are amazingly accomodating as well as fast when you want something to go!

    (4)

  • Jonathan M.

    Not good. Last time I was here, my sushi was dehydrated (how does that happen?). Try TGI's Sushi over in Campbell for way better eats.

    (2)

  • SugarSHER B.

    Their deluxe bento boxes give very generous portions. I came here for my friend's 21st birthday. There were about 25 of us and I can definitely say that the wait staff did a pretty good job of our orders and also paying the bill at the end. Their sushi wasn't the freshest I've had but it is pretty decent. One thing that I loved about the place though is for your birthday they lower the lights and turn on the strobe lights and bump the 'It's your birthday' rap song I think by 50 cent. The wait staff bang pots and pans and you have to stand up on your chair and down a sake bomb.....that was good entertainment!

    (4)

  • Gina A.

    For some reason every time we come here...several hours later my bf will get sick, have stomach issues and start breaking out in hives - weird - I know. Anyone have this reaction? (We're not coming here anymore.)

    (3)

  • Neal H.

    wish I could lower. Me and My girlfriend decided to try it cause it look packed and I know the one in Sunnyvale was pretty good. I was extremely disappointed at the quality of the sushi on the boat. You can usually tell that the sushi is pretty bad when they try and cover it up with the spicy orange sauce. The Gyoza was actually passable..but how hard is it to cook gyoza? We had the Chicken karage. I guess we could have used the chicken rocks to hit the waiter who seem to be to busy to give us a refill. Speaking of refills he gave me a refill on my tea and girlfriend's lemonade as we were about to pay...and charged us. I informed that I no longer wanted the ice yea as we were leaving, and he told us it was to late. I told him that I have never been to a restaurant where they charge refill for ice tea. He told me to name where I have been and that point I just told him that we would just leave. I have never been to a restaurant where didn't leave a tip, but I just Left him the 60 that was change from my meal. Never again. Bad service, bad food..bad review

    (1)

  • Sara S.

    I've never had a bad experience here. It's fun when they go disco crazy, and the food is pretty good value for money. Not deluxe, but tasty. Their combination/bento-like meals are good too.

    (3)

  • Tran H.

    The waiters are always welcoming because I usually eat there with a some friends or with a big group of friends. Been there so many times with a big group of friends. Their food is great, pricing is pretty good too and its one of the biggest Ariake Sushi in Santa Clara. It's always a party there because whenever im there its always someone birthday. I like it there very much.

    (4)

  • Jennifer B.

    This is one of the first sushi places my husband and I went to, and we keep going back because the food is great. It's hard to choose between sitting at the sushi bar or ordering a bento box; the teriyaki dishes are good, especially the teriyaki beef, which is very tender. But the sushi at the bar is always fresh-tasting and I don't think we've been disappointed even when we don't know what we're eating. The miso soup here is good, too. Our son loves to eat the edamame appetizer and the tofu from our soup. The waiters are really friendly and enthusiastic, and also helpful with kids. When they first noticed how much our son liked tofu, they brought a whole dish of tofu for him to eat. Adding to the quality of the food is the fun atmosphere...there is just nothing like eating sushi with disco lights and music! We have ordered the bento boxes to go on occasion and they are still good, but eating the food at home is just not the same...

    (4)

  • lamster l.

    Oh boy! This place used to be my sushi joint until I discovered the real stuff. Since the food is decent most of the time, the hosts are nice, and service is pretty efficient, I still eat here occasionally. However, I got a peek of their kitchen last weekend while we were here for dinner and it completely change my perspective of the place. My boyfriend and I were seated at a table where I had a view inside the kitchen. The kitchen floor was NASTY! The floor was wet and soapy and scrap of junk were all over the place. Then, someone in the back turned on the hose and started spraying the kitchen floor, cleaning it while people are still eating in the place. I don't know if they brought out more food to serve or not (maybe, if someone wanted an extra order of something?) because we quickly went up to the register, paid, and left. That's just gross. I don't know what's getting splattered into my food. Bleach? Pieces of old rice from the floor? Some soap mixed into the salad dressing? No, thank you! I won't be coming back! I was just looking for their business hours, but came across this instead sanjose.everyblock.com/r… date/2008/11/21/238804/ Looks like they still need some sanitary improvements. Btw, does anyone else notice why there aren't any women working in the place? I've seen maybe 1 female worker but that was about a year ago...

    (1)

  • Julius C.

    I like this spot very mucho. They tend to be always full, so prepare accordingly. I always ask for fresh items and don't grab anything off the assembly line. But, I've liked everything I've had there.

    (4)

  • Sharon H.

    Love their sushi rolls! Their "I miss you" and "911" rolls are my all time favorites! Great service and very affordable!

    (4)

  • Susan L.

    typical sushi boat type place... not good but not horrible ... pretty cheap

    (3)

  • Benjamin L.

    I suppose my main reason for frequenting this place is its vicinity to my home, but the food isn't bad. Everything I order always seems fresh, though I must admit I'm not a sushi expert. Two unique things make this place stand out to me: first, their magnified sushi menu, plastered on the wall, allowing to you order without an actual menu, if you're in the mood for sushi. Secondly, and not necessarily a plus, is their custom of bumpin' 50 Cent's In Da Club each time there's a birthday celebration. They turn off the lights and spin a disco ball with a strobe-like light, as well as using a smoke machine. Quite an odd scene from a sushi spot, but after a few visits, you'll get used to it. Other than that, the servers are fairly friendly, though on occasion, I have sat and waited for 10-15 minutes for water or the check, though that usually only happens when I'm seated at the sushi bar.

    (3)

  • Will G.

    Good price, somewhat similar to Miyake style. The sushi is ok, not to die for but ok. Lively atmosphere. Go here if you have large group and just want to have warm atmosphere.

    (2)

  • Darren W.

    a friend took me to this sushi restaurant for my birthday. it's a fun & great atmosphere that includes strobe lights. the sushi here is good. you can't go wrong w/ their unagi! along w/ the sashimi. the only sushi roll i would not recommend is the fried california rolls. but if it's your bday or a friend's, and you can't figure out where to eat, go here. as i was eating my sushi, all of a sudden i here "go shorty, it's yo birthday' bumpin. next thing i know, i'm standing on a chair taking shot after shot of sake out of numerous bowls that enlarge each time you down one. after the night is over, they take a polaroid of you. so if you ever decide to eat at ariake's, be on the lookout for the poloroid of us in the back! after at least 10 (lost count) shots of sake, i'll give it 5 stars for the entertainment, and 3.5 for the sushi...

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 10

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch, Dinner
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Ariake Sushi

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