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Ozuma Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
138 reviews for Ozuma Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"I always leave with "happy sushi belly." In 77 reviews -
"BEST miso soup I can find in 10 miles." In 11 reviews -
"Their spicy tuna is to die for." In 13 reviews
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138 reviews in English
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Review from Roger A.
Burlingame, CA
We stopped by here for lunch and got the teriyaki chicken.
While it took a few extra minutes to get our food, it was hot and delicious!
The lady was super friendly and welcoming.
the menu had an okay selection.
Seating wasnt bad and the place was medium sized.
i didnt think it was such a bad place, and the food was good, I shall be back soon enough. -
Review from Brandon L.
San Carlos, CA
Wife never cared for their ramen but recommended I take the kids there to try out the sushi. Regretted it. Not impressed at all. Another one of those restaurants where you leave with an aftertaste in your mouth due to the heavy doses of MSG used. Prices were high and not worth the premium. Service was so-so. This joint can use some remodeling and newer furniture. Just look at their front door - hmmmm. Another big turn off is when I hear the staff speaking Chinese in the middle of a Japanese restaurant. What gives?!?
Conclusion: tons of better Japanese restaurants to visit than this one. -
Review from Laura J.
San Carlos, CA
This place is yummy! The food is fresh, the prices aren't steep and the portions are very generous! This is definitely a place my friends and I go to when we are hungry and craving sushi (not the best place for sake drinking (I would save that for a place with an edgier atmosphere). The place is never overly crowded and the service is tentative!
A must try. -
Review from Bristol C.
San Carlos, CA
This place is hit or miss for me. I use to frequent here often, however not so much anymore. I enjoy the sushi they put out but it's the service that is so inconsistent. One woman in particular is so incredibly sweet. She always recognizes my son and I and talks to us while we are there. If I go in without him and she is working, she always asks where he is. Some of the other women however, are cold and not very friendly. It's not a very big restaurant, however the last time I went to eat there, after I was seated at my table it took me 15 minutes to be acknowledge to place my order! Frustrating!
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Review from Vikram P.
Chicago, IL
I am not sure why, but my experience was not so great. After reading reviews, I expected much more. Food was average. Sushi was disppointing. Management could do much better!! couldn't feel the warmth! Maybe the host was tired; I am being optimistic!
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Review from olivia a.
Redwood City, CA
Not my first time here but yesterdays experience was just a disappointment.
I brought an out of town friend here for lunch and we were shocked at how steadily the service went downhill.
The waitress came back to our table to ask if we were ready to order three times, all within 30 seconds each time. After the orders were in, her smile faded, and she walked away. My friends order came out and i was stuck with my miso soup until ten minutes later my entree came out. Once again, she plopped the plate down in front of me and walked away. We didnt hear another word come out of her mouth when she dropped the check and even when she came back to pick it up.
She really couldnt even wait unitl we had left to come and get her money? We would have appreciated at least one Thank You or Have a Good Afternoon.
I regret leaving more than a dollar tip.
As far as the food goes- not a huge fan. The Chicken Teriyake was good, the salad and rice were just okay.
The hot tea was the absolute worst I have EVER had. No flavor at all, and not a very pleasant suprise on a cold day when you have a sore throat.
Ive definitely experienced better at Japanese restaurants that arent as cute. Needless to say I wont be bringing anyone here again. -
Review from Sel R.
Palo Alto, CA
Ozuma= HAPPy TUMMy!! you get what you pay for and more, the service is great the food is delicious!! its deff on my top list of Bay Area restaurants! Trust me- u wont b disappointed*
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Review from Fred H.
San Carlos, CA
We have tried many Japanese restaurants, and we keep coming back to Ozuma's. The freshness of the food can't be beat, which translates into really tasty selections. Reasonable prices. They make us feel at home.
Go try other Japanese places in the area, cause it will make you come back to Ozuma's. -
Review from Glen G.
Foster City, CA
Fresh and good sushi here. We came for a group lunch and we ordered a ton of food: edamame, agedashi tofu, fried golden prawns, miso soup, rainbow roll, cherry blossom roll, spicy tuna roll, aloha roll, saba, uni, toro, etc.
It was all tasty and well made. I did like the miso and spicy tuna rolls. I though the toro wasn't the softest most melt-in-your-mouth I've ever had, but it wasn't the prime toro, and they said that up front.
The interior is kind of dated, but nice enough for a standard Japanese restaurant. Nothing overly fancy.
Cool that they have the tatame rooms (with the recessed area for your legs) complete with sliding shoji screen doors. (though to me, they are not the most comfortable way to sit and eat)
Service was fast and friendly. This is a good choice for Japanese in San Carlos. -
Review from Trisha T.
The food was good, but MAN! Service was pretty terrible. We arrived at about 5:00pm on a Friday and there were 2 tables seated in their relatively large restaurant. We were thrown some water and then ignored. The family sitting near us hadn't even gotten their water yet and were already in the restaurant when we arrived. Weird! Then when the waitress came back to take our orders, she got her notepad out, my boyfriend's mom started to say her order, and the waitress FULL ON walked away to answer the phone. Uh..weird again because there were like 5 other waitresses just standing around who could have done that.
If I was in the area I'd probably go back again because I love Japanese food and it was decently priced/tasting, but the service needs to improve. They had a lot of to-go orders which may have whipped them into a frenzy, but that's no excuse. -
Review from Jennifer B.
San Carlos, CA
After discovering that the shrimp tempura was not deveined, we haven't been back.
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Review from Lisa L.
San Jose, CA
I came here yesterday for the second time and was not disappointed. The staff is friendly, it's a cute little spot and the location is pretty convenient. I ordered the Gyoza as well as the Bento box with chicken teriyaki and veggie tempura. The teriyaki chicken is delicious and tasted like it had been grilled before the sauce went on. It had a nice flavor and the teriyaki sauce is delicious. You get a really good amount of chicken (enough that I have leftovers for lunch today) so I saw it as a great value.
The veggie tempura was also delicious and they provide a nice variety of vegetables- broccoli, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, green beans and sweet potato. The Gyoza are also d-e-l-i-cious! They're so light and crispy with a yummy filling- I could eat 1,000 of them, though I'm pretty sure my table was happy I didn't.
All in all, this is a great little spot with fast and friendly service. I'll definitely be back....especially since I'm already craving more Gyoza!! -
Review from Racquel R.
San Carlos, CA
This review is based on their ramen. With the recent spell of cold rainy weather, I was craving the warm comfort of a good ramen soup. I thought I would give Ozuma Restaurant a try since I've been there before for their sushi and it was so-so.
I am sorry to say that their ramen was quite possibly the worst ramen I've ever tasted. I would even go so far as to say that the $1 ramen noodle packs you can make yourself - had more flavor, albeit from the sodium, no doubt. The broth lacked depth and was sadly, quite bland. It had 3 slices of pork in it, which did nothing to add to the flavor. This was a huge disappointment - and I'm certain to not go there again - since I know you can great ramen and sushi elsewhere - that's close by. -
Review from Selina M.
San Leandro, CA
I am no food critic, nor do I know a ton about Japanese food.. But Ozuma's is great to me! I don't need anyone to kiss my feet when I walk in.. so taking my order, bringing my food & refilling my drink is enough for me.
The rolls are so good! I love the variety & I've never had a bad dining experience. This has to be my main sushi spot. Love it! -
Review from Andy H.
San Francisco, CA
i came back here again and i decided to give this place an extra star because of my new found discovery: their salmon skin hand roll.
at first when i saw it, i thought to myself, wow, it looks like cat food wrapped in seaweed. but seriously, once i bit into it i couldn't stop!! if cat food tasted this good, i'd eat it everyday! just kidding. but it was really that good! i even helped myself to another one and i usually don't eat that much! i ate it so fast i forgot to take a photo of it....
if it's your first time here, get the salmon skin hand roll, delish!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/7/2011
I would never come to san carlos just to eat sushi, especially when i have an abundance of options… Read more »
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9/7/2011
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Review from stella b.
San Carlos, CA
I have been here three times in the last week and they have been less than friendly each time. Poor customer service, which is why they get 2 stars. I really like their tempura roll but after my experience today with trying to get a fork and a bill, i probabaly wont go back.
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Review from Roxy G.
SOMA, San Francisco, CA
Sea Monster is delicious, avoid fried California roll.
It was sushi, and it was not horrendous. To be honest it wasn't really memorable either, but I think that makes it "A-ok" and I'd go back again. -
Review from kevo m.
East Bay, CA
The sushi chef and waitress were speaking in Chinese. There was a serious lack of respect for the fish. What I saw prepared as I sat at the bar was sloppy and thrown together.
I call Shenanigans! CCS Shenanigans!Listed in: Weaksauce!, Pseudo Sushi Nazi
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Review from Gill C.
3.5 Stars. A favorite Japanese joint in San Carlos that I've been going to for years (since high school, and remember when the now sushi chef was just a little boy).
My last dinner dining experience felt a bit like I was at Chuck E. Cheese's because of the number of kids there. Thankfully, they weren't crying or running around, which would've disrupted my dinner. I actually felt like I needed to bring my godkids so I'd fit in. *Most nights are not usually like that.
Service is friendly and efficient when not super crowded. 5 minutes after we sat down, we had 2 servers ask us if we were ready to order. Fast forward 40 minutes later when we were ready for our bill, they nearly ignored us as most tables were occupied.
Ok, so the food. They have great agedashi tofu (app), miso soup and green salad. I totally dig the salad dressing and don't mind having it all over the salad (as I'm usually a salad dressing on the side gal). Spider rolls and the dragon rolls are my favs, and my fav nigri are the unagi, ebi, and sake. They make a pretty tasty and crunchy tempura, and the salmon teriyaki is cooked to perfection and a generous portion.
It's a bit on the pricy side, but worth it (if willing to fork over the $) for the food. It's one of the few restaurants that I've been to that is totally in the Holiday spirit, and decked out in Christmas decor. The tree, by the front door, even has presents underneath it. Speaking of the front door, try and avoid sitting at the tables close to it, as it's super drafty, especially if windy and cold outside. Plus, they don't have a waiting area, so it's possible to have people hovering over your table, as you try to enjoy your meal. So, dine on the early or late side to snag the prime seating. -
Review from M P.
Redwood City, CA
Best sushi restaurant I've ever been to. The location is a little out of my way but it's so worth it! You can trust that there sushi will always be fresh and tasty.
I take one star away for their service. They're friendly, but I always have to wait and/or wave my hand for a refill of water or the check. I don't mind it so much when it's my husband and I, but when I come here with my girlfriends, it's so annoying, especially after praising this place so much to them. -
Review from Jetta R.
Burlingame, CA
Seriously, what's with all the ass-hattery with the sushi around here?
I expect overpriced rolls and stingy service in a land-locked state, but the ocean is like within driving distance? What's with all the tomfoolery?
And don't play the "atmosphere" card on me, Ozuma. Being able to see the chefs cutting up the sushi does not constitute "atmosphere". The only places that don't cut their sushi in plain view are shady faux-posh kitchens that premake their rolls and leave them in the fridge all day.
Don't you fucking make that face at me, Yard House. You know what I'm talking about.
The rolls are good. Yes. Very. The Philadelphia and the 49er Roll especially. And your sashimi and nigiri are reasonably fresh. But when I looked at the bill I thought I was in some sushi dive in the middle of the desert. You're not even the only sushi restaurant in San Carlos. Not that Kaigan is any better.
I guess I expected more from a sushi place in a coastal state. But no matter where you are, people act like there's a sushi drought or something.
Minus a star for not having complimentary refills. For what you're charging me for your rolls so artfully presented that I'm almost tempted to take it home and hang it up on my wall as art you can spare some extra sugar water.Listed in: Kung Chow: Enter My Stomach
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Review from nicole c.
San Carlos, CA
Tonight had to be some of the worst service I've had in a long time. For starters, we had to ask 2 or 3 times for everything. Beer, water, dipping bowls for the soy sauce, plates.... like I said, everything. But then, the "icing on the cake" was when the waitress brought me the wrong dish and then argued with me that that was what I ordered. The funny thing is that I never even look at a sushi menu. I always know exactly what I'm getting since I get the same thing every time. I really wouldn't have "accidentally" ordered something else. I'm a creature of habit. But whatever, so there was some sort of miscommunication. Just take the dish back and bring me what I want. Don't stand there defiantly arguing with me about it.
The food itself was okay. My sushi was fine, nothing special.
The rainbow roll was fine. The spicy tuna roll was nasty.
Bad service and just "okay" food means I won't be back. -
Review from michelle r.
Redwood City, CA
I would give the food 4 stars, but have to give this place one because of the rude employees. After 5 times of getting food to go I still cannot believe how rude the hostesses are. Short in their attitudes, and never smile. Just rude.
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Review from Betty S.
San Francisco, CA
This is one of my favorite Sushi Places ever!
The fish here is always fresh. Sometimes I purposely sit by the sushi bar so I can see what I want, and if I cant decide I'll ask the Sushi Chef for suggestions! My favorites here are the rainbow roll, spicy tuna, ikura nigiri, the sushi boat combo, the NY steak dinner, the deep fried roll, and the sashimi. This place is great if you have a party of 10 or more too, because they have a little room with japanese silk screens to shut yourself away from the rest of the room.
I've come here for many years now, and it has never disappointed me at all. Try to come later or earlier to beat the dinner crowd otherwise be prepared to wait a little bit. Everyonethat works here is great, always friendly and willing to make suggestions. Anytime I'm in San Carlos, this is my resturant of choice. -
Review from Jim G.
Sunnyvale, CA
You had better be hungry!
Went to Ozuma a few years ago and it was at the low end of the Japanese restaurant spectrum. That was when they had a blue color outside. I am not sure if that closed or not. Now with a black color outside and black highlights inside, Ozuma is totally different and improved.
Just finished dinner at Ozuma and was very pleased. Fair warning, when you first look at the menu, you will be shocked at the prices, BUT, and it is a BIG BUT, the quantity of food delivered is reasonable for the price. For example, at most places a 9 piece Nigiri sushi combination is around $11 to 13. Here it is $16, ah BUT, you get the 9 pieces PLUS 8 pieces of CA roll. OK, that is a fair deal. Another example is their "Specialty Boat #1" for $17, BUT, you get more food than you can eat in one sitting in that boat.
All of the food was great! Certainly at the same level as other Japanese restaurants that I've been too. The prices are a bit high, BUT, you get alot more food than typical for those prices. The service was prompt and friendly. A good experience and I will certainly return in the future. -
Review from Susan L.
The sushi is not good here. I was dumb and ordered the sashimi plate. Most of the fish had no flavor ... except one that tasted wayyy too fishy.
The Agedashi Tofu was also subpar.
I would not eat here again. -
Review from Dan K.
San Carlos, CA
Food = 4 Stars
Service = 1 Star
I've been going to Ozuma for years based on the food. Servers are marginal in attitude if you eat there but they are RUDE when you are doing a pick-up.
Last time 1 table of customers and 3 servers at register...NO acknowledment and then after taking my money she put the change on the counter and points over to 2 bags. There's your order...NO thank you or any gesture.
We're looking for alternatives, any suggestions? -
Review from Andrea R.
our go to place when in the area. always yummy! i like their udon vege soup especially when im sick. chicken broth with veges and lots of udon hits the spot. one of the best in the area as far as i am concerned!
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Review from Victor C.
Lunch Review.
Eh...
That's basically my take on the place.
Ordered the Chicken Teri Don(buri)... basically -- a terriyaki bowl.
It did what it was suppose to do, nothing more, nothing less.
The End.
Just kidding. $15 min for Credit Cards.
The End. -
Review from Ailene E.
San Carlos, CA
We ate at the Ozuma in San Carlos for an early mother's day dinner. My spicy tuna roll was mushy and my spider hand roll seemed stuffed and not rolled. I like pretty presentation of my sushi and thats not what i got here . My husband got some kind of specialty boat - tempura and teriyaki chicken were okay, the skewers seemed doused with msg and the zucchini was bitter. The sake tasted like rubbing alcohol. yuk. (no i've never tasted rubbing alcohol but i assume it would taste that nasty). I love alcohol and I forced myself to drink at least one tiny sake cup so as not to waste it. expensive for the quality of food you get. their service doesn't make up for it either. i would've given 2 stars but i had a tummy ache after dinner.
i noticed a huge spider and lots of webs in their windows .If they can't clean their windows, makes you wonder how clean their kitchen is. we won't be coming back. -
Review from Stacey C.
I had a plan. Eat a light meal before going on a fro-yo tour. That's what I did. I ordered a chicken ramen from a waitress who didn't look too happy to be there and my hubby ate a Hawaiian ramen. I know, maybe it sounds gross, but we were really hoping for some spam in Hawaiian ramen. There isn't any spam in there at all. So what makes it Hawaiian if no spam?? Anyway, my chicken ramen came in a soy broth and was too salty for my husband, but good enough for me. I have a higher tolerance for salt, which isn't exactly a good thing. There must've been oyster sauce and soy sauce in my baby bottles when I was a kid.
Service wasn't pleasant but it seems like a popular restaurant for people who work nearby. The place was packed by noon full of people and flies above. -
Review from E G.
San Francisco, CA
I'm not sure why this place is so underrated..especially for the area, where sushi restaurants that actually serve fresh fish are so far and few between??? Well, I think this place is great!!!
I will admit that they don't have the most spectacular menu in terms of variety or number of rolls. But what they do have, which I find most important, is FRESH FISH; and not just once or twice or even three times, they have not failed me once (knock on wood) and i have eaten here many, many times.
It is simple, fresh, sushi. I usually order a green salad, edamame, sake nigiri, maguro nigiri, cherry blossom roll, phili roll, kappa maki, and maybe one other roll. They are all simple and delicious and I can't say it enough, FRESH.
What other "competitors" may do better, hence the current yelp rating: creative rolls, lots of fried rolls, creative prepared food, etc...oh and maybe on service a little as well..service is not as consistent as the fish. However, I will take a little decrease in service for fresh fish any day of the week.
I would love to find more places around the area that have just as consistenly fresh fish so that I can change up my routine once in a while, but so far I haven't found anything! -
Review from Heather L.
San Francisco, CA
I can only comment on the bar and drinks as they stopped serving food right before we came in at 8:30pm or so on a Sunday. I've heard great things about the food so maybe one day someone will take me for a working meal but I won't be venturing back into this place any time soon.
Great look and feel to the restaurant. Designed well and not too loud. Although it wasn't very crowded so that might have had something to do with it as well. The bartender was very pretty and super sweet. We all loved her and she humored us by taking pics of us for the time that we were there. The cost, well that was my main problem. I don't have a problem with spending a bunch of money. Lord knows I spent copious amounts on designer jeans. However, I love wine and I know how much it costs. There is no need to charge $14-20 a glass for wine that I know I can get for a fraction of the cost. A nice example would be a glass of Chandon for $12. You can get that at Bev Mo for $13.99. You understand my irritation? Ugh. Come on people. Way too expensive. -
Review from B R.
San Carlos, CA
4 stars for the food, 0 star for the service.
We used to be regulars, and Ozuma used to be our weekly sushi and tempura treat. The food is great, the chefs are good and pretty consistent.
About a year ago, they remodeled the place, for the better since the decor was pretty old and uninviting before. What they lost in the remodeling is the charm of the place, but more importantly the quality of service. The last 3 times we've been there (over a 6 months period, and just because the lack of japanese restaurants on the mid-peninsula), we left twice before they even took our order or brought us water (which we believe should happen within the st 20 minutes), and the last time the waitress was so rude that we didn't feel like a 5% tip was too much.
Definitely not recommended for a relaxing/romantic/date night. If you just want to eat good Japanese and don't care about having a good experience, you might be fine. -
Review from jen d.
San Francisco, CA
We went here for lunch not too long ago - a spontaneous visit, we felt like a bit of sushi, and it was right there.
I just got a bento box becuase they were reasonable and I didn't feel like spending too much. The sashimi in the bento was fairly generous, the chicken teriyaki wasn't bad. The salad wasn't great, the miso soup was miso soup. My husband had some rolls (spicy tuna, avocado, something with spicy tuna and crab, and a vegetarian one with yam). I tested a piece of each, and the one with yam was excellent, the others weren't bad.
So we were doing pretty good for food, but the service was terrible. We walked in and someone half way across the restaurant looked at us, pointed at a table, and threw some menus onto it. Then the service was very spotty - they took our order, and that was it. Threw food onto the table without any care as to who ordered what -- they put my bento box across the table from me, threw rolls whereever (even though my husband ordered them), and never checked on us. Tea never refilled, that kinda thing. Grunts when we wanted the bill. That said, our food came within a reasonable amt of time (not fast, but didn't wait forever).
So at that point, possibly a 3 star visit. Thing is, 20 minutes later both of us weren't feeling well and had to stop by a coffee shop down the street because of it :( Don't know if it was the sushi, but completely suspect based on other food reactions so I'm dropping it to a 2. -
Review from Lisa C.
Moss Beach, CA
Hmmm, I guess I should have had sushi judging by the reviews. Not my favorite at all. The combination tempura was horrible. No taste, and greasy.
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Review from Kelly M.
Mountain View, CA
Popped in here one early evening to have just a little snack. Took a seat at the bar and I ordered the Miso soup and Tekka. They brought out the Tekka before the Miso Soup which I thought was strange. After I finished the Tekka I asked the sushi chef "what about my soup" with a sad face. He apologized and barked something to the waitress in Japanese which from his tone did not sound too friendly. hmmm, oh well. The sushi was meh - Tekka is Tekka.
When I went to pay with my CC, they told me there's a $15 min. SAY WHAT? I didn't have any cash so I was in a bit of a pickle. I was forced to order more food. I wouldn't usually complain about that but in this scenario all I wanted was a little snack. I went with the Shrimp Tempura Appetizer to go. The Tempura was very crunchy, I enjoyed it very much. I'll have to remember to bring the green next time around.
I do have to say that Kaigon on Laurel out shines this place.
Sorry Ozuma! :(Listed in: Sushi Time
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Review from Mi M.
San Francisco, CA
1st time: Birthday Lunch for GF. Table service. Good but expeeeeensive.
2nd time: Lunch with boss. Sushi bar. Yummy. Didn't pay (hic).
3rd time: Lunch with boss. Bar bar. Bento box. Yummy. Didn't pay (hic).
4th time: Lunch with BFAW (Best Friend At Work). Bar bar. Bento box. Yummy but waited a LOOOOOOONG time and I got mine wayyyy before BFAW got his. Paid. Not too bad but I didn't really live that big a tip.
So...Yeah. It's good, but for what you get, it's expensive. Go to Delica instead if you want better, and more authentic, Japanese food. -
Review from Evan B.
San Carlos, CA
I live very close to Ozuma and it is my goto for medium priced Sushi spot. Not as cheap as Miyaki in Palo Alto, and the quality is definitely a notch up from them. This is no Seto or Hama either (if you know Bay Area Sushi, go seek those places in sunnyvale)...Or the bountiful offerings in SF (sushi groove, ace wasabi, godzilla, Osamu)...or Tachibana in Oakland Rockridge, or Kirala or Isobune in Berkeley.
Though the cuts are sometimes sloppy the fish is always pretty darn fresh.
Very standard sushi menu, priced right. Ambience is not amazing, I usually eat take out from here.
The staff smiles, though are all business. -
Review from Megan J.
Redwood City, CA
I've been eating here for years - every other sushi place I've been to has been nowhere near as good. I always leave with "happy sushi belly."
That said, the service is less than stellar. Some of the waitresses are often surly, but have never gotten my order wrong.
Pros: super fresh sushi, everything is delicious and well-priced.
Cons: wait staff needs customer service training, tea is usually not very hot, parking in downtown San Carlos sucks.
