Ichika Izakaya

Came here many already and I can say this place is the best Izakaya in the neighborhood! Great food, friendly staff and vibe is very good! Parking is super easy to find as well.

Too many good food such as corn tempura, ankimo, beef steak, hand roll, chicken heart...

Definitely recommend everyone to try!

It is situated right in Bayhill shopping plaza. Came here for lunch on a weekday.

We each ordered their sashimi lunch combo and a shared crispy tofu appetizer.

Sashimi lunch combo comes with a standard salad and miso soup. They were okay. Crispy tofu was nice and hot. Sauce was nice. Sashimi was really the highlight. Good flavored and fresh.

I felt full after.

Service was nice. Friendly and fast. The interior was okay. A good solid place to meet up and catch up with friends.

Came here on a Friday night around 6:15pm. Was asked if we had a reservation- which we did not. They did not seat us right away even though there were at least four tables they could have seated us at. There were two reservations for 6:30 and one for 7:15. They asked if it was okay if we could wait for the table that was basically in the corner behind a wall since they were eating their dessert and would soon leave. Hmmm, four available tables but they wanted us to wait for the cubby table. We were about to leave because that made no sense.

They eventually gave us one of the open tables not the cubby. Food was decent, served at the right temperature, nothing extremely memorable. Other than not being seated right at an open table, service was decent, no mishaps. Compared to the previous business (Sunny Sushi) I thought they were a bit lacking. They remodeled so the place looked quite nice and clean, definitely and upgrade. But, again food was just okay and quite pricey. I personally don't think the food was worth the price.

I will say we enjoyed the Chicken karaage. It was fried to perfection and quite tasty. The dipping sauce that accompanied it was also quite tasty and made a good pairing for a nice variety in taste.

Would return but would not be top choice to come back. If nearby and didn't want to drive elsewhere. Definitely, would not wait if there was a waitlist ahead of me. Sorry. I'm not into pricey just okay food. And the yummy chicken karaage is not enough to get me to make a special trip.

My husband and I chose this place for my birthday strictly based on their reviews. I was skeptical at first because it looks like very hole-in-the-wall type of place. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how nice the interior was and I especially loved their plating choices.

We ordered:
-Kanpachi carpaccio: 9/10 so good and worth the price.
-Chawanmushi: 10/10 YUMMY! Super comforting dish and just delicious.
-Amaebi: 8/10 fried head is always the way to go
-Omakase sushi: 9/10 fish tasted very fresh and the perfect bite

Service is top notch! They are always making sure we have whatever we need. We will definitely be coming back to try their other items!

Came here on a late Saturday evening and it was packed. There were 3 sushi chefs working tirelessly.

Their sushi size was on a smaller scale and this should be the standards, similar to the sushi served in Japan. Their sashimi was fresh and hence came with a higher price tag. :) I wished they would offer more menu selections.

**3.5 Stars**

Conveniently located Japanese izakaya establishment in San Bruno strip mall.

Ample parking and nice sushi bar and table seating without too long a wait.

The menu is extensive with both specials, nigiri, rolls, appetizers, and Yakitori.

Prices are a bit high end for the quality and the execution especially for the premium options such as Omakase, deluxe Chirashi or individually priced nigiri.

Ankimo was served warm rather than chilled and the Chawanmushi was noticeably watery on top although ingredients were solid.

Nigiri and Chirashi are most hampered by the rice which is a step below top options in San Mateo and Burlingame.

Ichika Izakaya accepts all credit cards including Amex.

Swung in for date night with yours truly picking up the tab this time. With that in mind, I ordered everything I wanted to try.

We sat at the bar and ordered:
1. Kampachi carpaccio. Delicious. A must get.
2. Black cod miso yaki. Again, delicious.
3. Beef tongue dish
4. Pork belly skewers and wagyu skewer
5. Unagi tempura
6. Yuba uni. Saved the best til last. Also it comes with 3 so since I picked up the tab, I claimed the extra spoon.

Overall, the place is small and gets busy. It was fun watching the sushi chefs make the dishes. Even better when we were eating everything. Will come back.

I've been here twice, both times I got the double toro roll. One of my favorite rolls ever combining my two fav fish: salmon and tuna! Not a fan of the kizami wasabi but that's prob a personal preference. The fish could be a tad bit fresher, but still good. I got the edamame once and it was OK, wish they were a bit crunchier and salted.

Service is always quick and easy--we've only ever done take out so not sure what ambiance is like when dining in, but it's a quaint little place with a dimmed light vibe. A few tables, high tops, and a sushi bar.

Came here to eat near the airport during friend's layover.

It was amazzinggg. The interior is nice and feels elevated compared to normal japanese places. I got the uni and hamachi collar. Others ordered the skewers, unagi bowl, and ramen. All were very good. Wasabi octopus and karage and monk fish liver were for appetizers. The karage was so fresh and juicy. I really enjoyed the unagi bowl and hamachi collar. The unagi was soft and tasty served with alot of rice. The hamachi was tender and crispy at the edges. Delicious. The uni was fresh but it was unexpectedly served with a soy sauce which i didnt prefer. I like my uni naked.

Everyone seemed to like their ramen and skewers as well. Very interested in omakasi and other offerings!!

Why we haven't come sooner... I don't know!
Truly an amazing restaurant, nestled in a little shopping strip. Super inconspicuous, but the menu and food really show up!

We came in without reservations on a Tuesday around 6:45pm. There were several empty tables open and the sushi chefs were so sweet! We ordered the Giants roll, the Geso karaage, and the Beef steak. Let me just say... the Beef steak blew my fiance away... and he never, EVER reacts like that when eating steak from restaurants. Whatever it was marinated in was heavenly. Perhaps it was a ponzu sauce? I couldn't place my finger on it exactly but it was TRULY one of the juiciest, perfectly seasoned/marinated we have had in our lives.

Will definitely be back. Worth every penny.