Amami Sushi Bistro

This places hits the spot every time. My usual order is the Omakase and the Melt in the Mouth roll.

I wish there was some kind of card or note saying what each item in the omakase was. Other than that, there wasn't a single piece that I didn't like.

I also worry about what my daughter can eat because she has allergies to gluten, soy, and shellfish. And in sushi restaurants that's almost unavoidable. However they have options for her with the grilled salmon and plain white rice. Not much but it's something.

If needed you can also call ahead to reserve a table which has been really clutch. Definitely a local gem.

So this has been my go to spot for some time but the last couple of times I e come here I felt like the portion sizes on the nigiri have shrunk. I guess we are all feeling the effects of inflation and it is apparent here.

Ordered the Omakase and although the quality was there the fish was just small slivers over tiny balls of rice. Mind you the first time I came here I loved this dish, now it seems it was on a diet.

Service and ambiance remain the same. I'll continue to eat here as they do have the best sushi around. Sometimes it's more about quality over quantity.

The parking lot is small and crammed, but there is plenty of street parking.

It's a fairly small building but decent amount of seats.

I've gotten the omakase and the hamachi kama here.

1. Service was attentive but it wasn't crazy busy (weekend late lunch).
2. The Omakase is totally worth it, comes with a great assortment as well as fresh/REAL wasabi.
3. The hamachi kama was TERRIBLE. It was completely over cooked and dry.

Come for the fresh sushi, maybe a beer and sake, but I wouldn't venture beyond that.

Been here a couple of times, but on my last trip the customer service was something to be had. My date and I ordered and his food came out very quickly, while I waited 30+ minutes for my Amami roll. As I looked around at the other patrons, it became very clear to me that they had forgotten my order as customers who ordered after me were receiving their sushi.

When my date inquired about my roll, the wait staff acted surprised and the excuse they gave us was omakase (orders) take awhile to prepare. When he mentioned that customers who came in after us had received their sushi, my Amami roll suddenly came out within 5 minutes.

There was no apology nor did they comp or discount my meal, but instead offered a free dessert. We were both disappointed in experience, paid the bill, and left. From a customer service point of view, the situation wasn't handled very well.

This place is a must every time I'm in the city. You just can't beat the price of the omakase here !! We got here on a Sunday around 6pm and luckily we beat the rush and were able to seat a party or 8 without waiting. The staff were super friendly and helpful in accommodating our party. The restaurant was filled with light conversations from all the tables so it was lively.

Majority of us opted for the omakase special which is currently $42 for 10 pieces. Each piece was sooo delicious and it also comes with the special wasabi. It never sounds like enough food but I was definitely stuffed by the last piece !! So worth it every single time. The quality and variety of the fish is just unbeatable. I recommend this to everyone !! Just go !!

They also take reservations so if you have a large party it'll be useful to plan ahead

I come here with my mom! They're known for omakase, but we go for the reasonably-priced sushi and sashimi and chirashi bowls. We tend to go before they close for the afternoon and they're always full--sometimes they turn people away!

It seems family-friendly. It's fun to sit at the bar and watch the sushi chefs work their magic.

Came here for dinner for the first time, and I was happy with everything. From the outside, the restaurant looks a lot smaller, but it's actually a descent size. The location is right on El Camino, and the turn to get in is quick so make sure to drive a little slower if you choose to drive there. There are limited spots when turning into the restaurant, but there is also street parking all along El Camino. I went on a Tuesday night around 7:45ish and the wait was about 20 minutes which wasn't bad at all.

We had really good service, and the food actually came out pretty fast after we ordered. Everything tasted super fresh. My only feedback, I thought the Yaki Udon would be a tad crispier after reading the description that they're pan fried. I was expecting that "pan fried" crispy texture, but to be honest, the flavors were there for everything. Also, ask for their spicy mayo, it's made with perfection and delicious with anything! Excited to come back for more!

And this is why sometimes I have to go to a place multiple times before writing a review because the first time coming to this Amami location was honestly pretty good. The quality of the food is what stands out the most, but when it comes to the customer service it went way downhill from there. The attitude from the waiter working there was pretty bad and was rude to my table the moment we sat down. From dropping plates onto our table or giving frustrated hand gestures. Just an uncomfortable experience overall.

I had the beef teriyaki too which usually is good, but it was burnt and overcooked today while having a tough texture. The California Roll was still good and really you can't go wrong with any of the sushi here. The sushi chefs are not bad at all. On multiple occassions it's just the customer service that is the biggest turn off from coming here again. My previous experience the waitress wasn't attentive and you had to flag her down constantly to get any service and it was a really slow day at that time.

It doesn't help that the parking situation is gradually getting worse with San Bruno being absurd by adding more parking meters throughout this town and some parts of El Camino by this restaurant for example where you have to start paying $1.50 an hour for the street parking in a high traffic area. When it comes to Amami, all these factors and the really bad service is what makes me no longer a returning customer unfortunately and will just go to the other Amami's nearby instead.

TBH, I'd actually heard about Amami a few years ago when we first moved to the area, and we'd gotten takeout from here because, COVID. We got the omakase and a few rolls and hadn't thought it was anything special, so I kind of wrote it off and forgot about it.

The only reason we tried it again was because someone else chose it for a family dinner, but I'm glad we did. We ordered omakases for the table, both the Hokkaido and Santa Barbara uni nigiris, scallop nigiri, the salmon lover roll, and a selection of appetizers.

The appetizers (chicken karaage, assorted tempura, and edamame) were pretty standard except the tempura was pretty greasy. The roll was good, but you know, just a roll. But the sushi was great--you could really taste how fresh the scallops were, and the uni was creamy and rich without a strong ocean flavor. The omakase fish was also good quality with a good fish:rice ratio. A great deal for $42! Now I finally understand the hype and would definitely go back when I'm craving good sushi without bougie pricing.

It does seem to get pretty busy for dinner and parking also isn't the best (tiny lot, busy street) so plan accordingly.

Parking at this location can be a bit tricky. I suggest parking on the street near the cluster of other small businesses and then walking to Anami. We arrived right when they opened at 5 pm and were surprised to find that other parties arrived at the same time. Fortunately, we were able to be seated right away and our server was very attentive.

To start off, we ordered the Tai Carpaccio, which consisted of very thinly sliced red snapper placed on the rim of a martini glass. In the glass was a truffle oil and ponzu dipping sauce. Although this dish was fun and interactive, I found some of the red snapper pieces to be hard while others were soft.

For our main dishes, we ordered 2 Omakases and the Romeo & Juliet roll. The selection of fish in our Omakases was absolutely perfect! The portions were generous and the quality was fresh. The fish was so smooth and we enjoyed trying some new types of fish. I have to say that my new favorite roll has to be the Romeo & Juliet roll. It contains salmon and avocado on the inside topped with scallop, spicy mayo, and tabiko. Every bite was perfect, and I appreciated how they used soy paper instead of seaweed in this roll. The scallops didn't have a fishy aftertaste, and the overall taste was delicious.

Towards the end of our meal, we were offered ice cream. Though I'm not sure if it was complimentary, they even stopped by a second time to ask if we were sure we didn't want any ice cream.

Overall, we absolutely loved this place and would highly recommend it!