Sushi Roku Palo Alto — Restaurant in Palo Alto

First time dining at this new location. Reservation was made about a week in advance. Saw a line of people waiting at 430ishPM already. A Manager came out around 440pm telling the crowd that they r fully booked and could only take the first 8-people 'walk-ins'. So the rest were disappointed w/ a few expressed that they tried multiple times over the last few days but no luck. If u take reservations, and u r fully booked, why not put a sign up in the front to let your 'walk-ins' know ahead of time? many were elderly people too! Mgr's expression was they are short staffed and cannot take any more walk-ins. Anyways we checked in, requested outdoor seating, confirmed that won't be an issue. While we were waiting to be seated, we noticed another customer approached the mgr and asked if he recognized them, mgr said he did not as there's been alot of customers. (Great unprofessional response...for not remembering your customers). The customers told him they have been there a few times over the past week already! Anyhow back to our seating...we were directed to an indoor table. Had to rephrase our request and confirmed 'Oh yes these customers need outdoor seating'.So we got seated outdoor. Got our menus and our waiter asked if we like to start w/ anything to drink. We told him we just want some water. A bottle of Evian was provided, OK we didn't ask for a bottle of Evian (tables next to us had 'tap' water) but that's ok as we didn't mention what kind of water we wanted (he didn't ask us if we want tap water or Evian neither!). Then came time when we place our order. We ordered a few items and there were 2 items that were listed as M.P (Market Price). So I asked what is the price for the Toro (sushi - menu listed as 2 pieces), the server told us it'll ve about $14-15. I asked if that's per piece or per order (2 pieces), he confirmed that's for 2 pieces. Ok Toro was ordered. I also wanted Uni (Sushi) and asked the same, he confirmed it's also $14-15 per order (2 pieces), so that's ordered too. I also asked if the Shrimp (sushi) is cooked or raw, he said it's raw, so that's ordered too. When the order arrived, the shrimp sushi was 'cooked'. We asked the server that we thought he confirmed the EBI / shrimp were supposed to be raw but he apologized for making a mistake and offered to take it back. we told him we didn't want to waste food and so we kept that. We later asked for another BOTTLE of EVIAN...The sushi rice were about 1/2 the size of what you would find from most other sushi restaurants but that's ok. Sushi and other food were good (not excellent by the way). Manager (Terrence) broke a plate / dish from another table during the time (kinna unprofessional but it happens). We finished our food and asked for the check. Server gave us the check and we noticed we were charged 3 bottles of Evian (we only had 2), and the Toro sushi was priced at over $24 and the Uni ~$35! We pointed that to the server and he took the check and talked to the mgr. Server came back, told the Evian had been adjusted to 2 bottles, but the Toro and Uni were not adjusted, he said he made a mistake for telling us a wrong price! Well we asked and confirmed the price and pieces before placing the order! We did not want to make a scene and let go. The mgr should absorb the costs for the mistake the server caused and NOT insist on the 'price'. It's not that 'customers are always right' but the menu said 'M.P' and we confirmed the price w/ the server before agreeing to order those dishes. Yet we were FORCED TO CHARGE a HIGHER, MUCH HIGHER PRICE than we were quoted, that's ILLEGAL IMO but I guess the mgr is still unprofessional and inexperienced too, and the server could be afraid of the mgr also... For the price (w/out the 50% off promotion) of the food, our cheque came to almost $400 (that's without ordering alcohol) for 3 people, with the quality of the food, and most importantly the disastrous managerial style, we will NEVER go back unless the...

Sushi Roku offers a chic and sophisticated dining atmosphere that blends modern elegance with traditional Japanese aesthetics. Located in the Stanford Shopping Center, the restaurant features stylish decor with sleek wooden accents, contemporary furnishings, and soft lighting that creates an upscale yet inviting environment. The outdoor seating area is especially charming, providing a serene setting for an enjoyable dining experience. The ambiance is perfect for both intimate dinners and larger gatherings.

Food: The food at Sushi Roku is exceptional, showcasing a blend of traditional Japanese flavors with innovative twists. The menu offers a wide variety of sushi, sashimi, and creative rolls, all made with the freshest ingredients. The yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño is a standout, offering a perfect balance of flavors and textures. The signature rolls, such as the Katana and the Baked Crab Hand Roll, are beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. The robata grill items are cooked to perfection and add a delightful dimension to the menu. Additionally, the omakase experience is highly recommended for those looking to indulge in a curated selection of the chef's best offerings.

We ordered the Gensai Roll, Tuna Japaeno Roll (Can't go wrong at all with this) , Tokubetsu Roll, Full Hanabi (Tuna), Fluke Kumquat (FTW), Hamachi Serrano (can't get over that) and Yellowtail Diced Chillies. There was a bit of a delay in the first round getting to our table though after that the subsequent orders were stacked right one after the other. Loved every bit of all of these and Fluke Kumquat somehow turned out to be my favorite.

Service: The service at Sushi Roku is generally excellent, with attentive and knowledgeable staff who are dedicated to providing a memorable dining experience. The servers are well-versed in the menu and are happy to offer recommendations and accommodate special requests. While the service is usually prompt and efficient, there can be occasional delays during peak times. Nonetheless, the professionalism and friendliness of the staff make up for any minor inconveniences. Josh gave us a phenomenal welcome while taking us to our seat. Emily started with taking our orders and helped us with the options and our never ending questions around the menu. Finally, Terrence was kind enough (he stopped on his way out , and it got late) and helped us with a picture at the end and all this while he was a fantastic manager running the show to near perfection. Thank you folks!!!

Value: While Sushi Roku is on the pricier side, the quality of the food, the elegant ambiance, and the level of service make it worth the expense. The portions are generous, and the attention to detail in each dish justifies the higher price point. It's an ideal spot for special occasions, date nights, or when you're in the mood to splurge on an exceptional dining experience.

Sushi Roku in Palo Alto's Stanford Mall is a premier destination for sushi lovers and anyone seeking a refined dining experience. The combination of innovative cuisine, stylish ambiance, and attentive service makes it a standout choice in the area. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply indulging in a night out, Sushi Roku delivers a memorable, delightful, top-tier dining experience that merges traditional Japanese flavors with modern culinary innovation. With its outstanding food, elegant setting, and high-quality service, it's a must-visit for anyone in Palo Alto looking to enjoy a...

The food and service were beyond exceptional here! My other half reserved the sushi bar for our anniversary dinner and the entire experience from start to finish was extremely memorable and special. The restaurant had printed out a really cute "happy anniversary" card for us, they surprised us with glasses of champagne, and a super fun and delicious dessert at the end. The entire staff was amazing and so attentive, but the two people who stood out the most and made this experience particularly memorable were David (our server) and Delene (the manager). David was the absolute sweetest, he provided excellent recommendations, and went above and beyond for us. Delene also went above and beyond for us, personally brought us extra treats, and just overall brought a positive and uplifting vibe.

Now onto to the food - it was definitely top notch and super delicious. We ordered the following:

-Brussel sprouts chips: which were perfectly seasoned and delicious Vegetable tempura: lightly breaded and very delicious with a great variety of veggies Hamachi diced chile: very good thin slices of yellowtail sashimi The deluxe sushi box: super fresh fish and perfectly seasoned rice with a really good variety of sashimi. The chef is Japanese and was extremely nice and personable. We really enjoyed sitting at the sushi bar and having the opportunity to chat with him -2 miso soups: perfect amount of miso and the dashi almost tasted smoked which was very unique and delicious -Hanabi: special treat from the manager that was really outstanding. The rice was crispy and flavored really well, and the fish was very good. molten lava chocolate cake dessert with ice cream and cotton candy: this was crazy delicious and so filling! They brought out a sparkling candle and really made the experience so special.

The entire staff put so much effort into each and every detail and you could tell they really cared. We had such an amazing experience and will remember this for years to come. We will absolutely be back and are already planning to have our next special event there. I highly recommend this place and having David as your server (although it seems the entire waitstaff is...