Momoya Sushi — Restaurant in Mountain View

I have mentioned in another sushi restaurant review that I don’t give higher than 4 stars for places outside of Japan and maybe Korea, but Momoya deserves higher than 4.5, so I am giving it a 5 to help get its average rating to where it deserves to be (I would say it’s closer to a 4.8).

I can’t wait to go back and try everything else. It’s really hard to find decent sushi in the west, but the fish here is so fresh and delicious (esp for this area) and the pieces are huge (v hard to fit into one bite). The rice isn’t bad and the perfect amount for the amount of fish. The wasabi is mid. The mackerel nigiri is a taste that I have been searching for for years and years and missed the taste of. That subtle pickled tang is to die for. The salmon was very rich and fatty beyond belief. For chef’s choice, the pieces were pretty vanilla, but it was still great value. It’s single-handedly put me off Kura Sushi (tysm) which honestly is pretty bad but I eat a lot of sushi and that’s the closest one to me. Now I know where to go instead. The agedashi though not perfect, was pretty decent and I will have it again.

The staff were all very kind (talked to our server, kitchen staff passing by, sushi chef).

Crazy but awesome thing is I didn’t have to tip. I was actually getting ready to tip a lot because of how much I appreciated the great food, quiet vibe and professionalism of everyone. The fact that they don’t take tips the way some of the East Asian restaurants do too made me very appreciative of them. Will be back with more family and try...

Made me miss Japan. I don’t know why, it’s not as if I was that much of a sushi guy while I was living there, but it reminded me of home. I haven’t been back to Tokyo in 8 years. I haven’t had any food in California that made me miss it until now, but the sushi was just that good.

~$30 for 9 pieces of good sushi. Thick cuts of good/excellent fish. Decent/good rice. Salmon was thick and fatty. Tuna was real Akami. Bintoro was the first bintoro that I’ve actually enjoyed in this country. Unagi was crunchy at the edges, plump and juicy without being drippy. I didn’t get to the Mackarel and scallop. I was full after 6. The combo came with salad, had a nice spicy sesame sauce. The miso soup had a gentle flavor.

Server was nice and gentle too. He emphasized to take care of all the plates that arrived hot. The ambiance was nice and quiet with an interior design from a bygone era of Japanese (owned?) restaurants. The radio was turned down and set to Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the booth seats had tatami mats…. I felt comfortable here. While we were eating a couple regulars came and went, and it’s nice to see that the staff have rapport with the local community.

Best sushi I’ve had in the United States. I hope this place stays for a long while. I will certainly be...

So the food at this Japanese restaurant was really quite good. I had a dinner combo with Chicken Katsu and a Rock & Roll (unagi, cucumber, avocado). The Chicken Katsu was huge, consisting of two gigantic pieces of chicken covering a large dinner plate. The chicken was crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Very nicely done. I was not wild about the sauce, but all other aspects of the Chicken Katsu were great. The Rock & Roll was tasty and fresh. I liked the waiter, who was friendly and helpful. My main beef with this restaurant was the atmosphere, which was rather dark, dingy, and depressing. Also, the...