SUSHI KOYA — Restaurant in San Jose

First let me start by saying I finally found a new favorite restaurant! Not just my favorite Japanese restaurant, but my favorite restaurant period! My friend and I arrived on a Wednesday evening for dinner and found only one couple in the restaurant. When we first pulled into the parking lot I wasn't sure what we were walking into. The reviews give this place a 4.5 stars, but from the outside it's a little deceiving. Very simple and sort of old looking building, parking is a little limited but sufficient. Boy am I glad we didn't judge a book by its cover! I love when I'm greeted at the door by the all too familiar "Irasshaimase!" Something most places aren't doing anymore, but Sushi Koya did not let me down! That was the first sign I was in a proper sushi restaurant. I found the place to be cozy and quiet, would be absolutely perfect for a date or a small get together all the same. The bathrooms are outside in the back and were kept clean and well stocked. They were well staffed for being a Wednesday and they were very friendly, clean, and courteous. We wanted for nothing, quick service and very attentive! Now on to the food, what everyone really wants to know about in a review! The miso soup was nice and warm and was gratis like it was back in the day before you had to order it with your food. Again traditional and authentic to me. Good selection of beer and definitely a variety of saki, which we most certainly partook in! Started with two traditional rolls Alaska and Philadelphia, the salmon was super fresh and made for a perfect starter. Moved onto a larger roll, we ordered the Mr. Unagi, a California roll with unagi loin on top. Let me tell you, this is now my all time favorite roll! The blend of the warm unagi and the cold California roll makes for the perfect blend of temperatures and mouthfeel. I couldn't stop eating it, get to it fast because once it cools down the mouthfeel changes. It's still excellent once cooled but it is absolutely next level when it's hot and fresh. The Mr. Unagi was so good we had to order another one, two of the same roll is something I've never done before but it was that good. The second time around was just a good as the first, loved every bite! To round out the meal my friend ordered the Hamachi Kama, Grilled yellow tail collarbone served with ponzu sauce. It was cooked to perfection and the cut was the perfect amount of fatty that makes for a moist fish. A few bones is normal, and this only had a couple and that's it. The dipping sause was amazing, not sure but it looked and tasted like house made and was the perfect accompaniment to the hamachi kama. This is listed on the menu as an appetizer but made for an excellent last dish as well. To finish the meal they brought out a delicious little half orange cut into little pieces, placed into an orange peel hand made bowl, and topped with cream. It was light, tasted like a creamsicle or orange julius, and was an ideal way to end the meal. A little "thank you" from the restaurant. They show attention to detail in everything they bring to the table it seams, from beginning to end. All this amounts to one of my favorite experiences in a restaurant in quite some time. This is way I rated them 5 stars, I truly would have given them 10 stars if I could! I'll be back time and again, please don't ever change Sushi Koya you're perfect the...

I don’t usually leave a review or at all, even if it is really bad. Well, my favorite place here that I’ve visited for years, has extremely disappointed me so much that I just can’t justify a next visit ever again. Ordered at 4:50pm(opens at 5pm) for pickup at 5:30pm

I’ve ordered: Garlic Roll Nigiri Seared Salmon x 2 Nigiri Yellow Tail x 2 Nigiri SkipBack x 2

First off, the rice was taken out too early. If you have a rice cooker, you’ll know how it tastes and feel when the moment you take it out after it finishes. It felt soggy with a bit of crunch. That goes for both the roll and nigiri I’ve ordered. I think rice is just as important if not more than the fish itself..

Secondly, the nigiri I’ve ordered did not taste fresh. There is no savory-ness and is really bland. If I were to close my eyes, I couldn’t tell you which is what... Rice was bland and did not taste sweet like sushi rice should. I’m sure the roll and nigiri are from the same rice, undercooked.

Thirdly, how old are leftover sushi from earlier the day??? Why is the tuna so dark?? Shouldn’t this “skipjack” tuna be a bit red-brown???

Sad to say but for $80, the rice could have at-least been better. I just can’t see myself visiting a place I’ve liked for years that did extremely poor on this delivery of sushi. Just don’t order or be here right when they open, you’ll most likely get their scrap and rushing. No matter what price range you pay($5 a piece per nigiri), quality won’t be checked and you’ll just have to be lucky to get fresh quality ones. I’ve had bad nigiri but not this rice-bad.

Not sure what happened in today’s order or if it is just bad timing, but I’ve had better in previous visits(10+) and enjoyed every visits...

My experience didn't match all the great reviews on here. The mixed tempura I got was fine when it came to the vegetables, but the shrimp still had raw batter in the center. The tempura dipping sauce was also kind of... more watery... and less flavorful than what I would expect.

I also got two pieces of saba nigiri, and it was not as fresh as I am used to. A little bit softer texturally than usual, likely an indication that it was still fine but not as fresh.

Finally their signature roll tasted pretty good, but the spicy tuna in it had a bit of the cooked tuna flavor profile. Possibly a sign it also wasn't as freshly made. The overall flavor of the roll was satisfying however, and I think I would stick to trying their rolls in any possible future visits.

Finally the service was really friendly and considerate so good on them for that.

Overall I think this place is budget sushi. Probably not the freshest stuff but if all you care about is big fat tasty rolls covered in sauce and tempura fried flakes then the...