Website: www.michisushi.com
Cuisine type: Japanese sushi
Atmosphere: authentic decor, simple chic
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.75
Nina
It’s not a secret that sushi is my favorite food, so I never pass on an opportunity to try something new. Michi Sushi is a popular place in Campbell, and their claim to glory was that their sushi was made only with seafood imported fresh overnight directly from Japan. Since the tsunami wreaked havoc in Japan, however, and since the fishing industry has been hard hit from multiple angles, over the past year they started finding alternative sources, but they stand by their promise of providing fresh and authentic seafood on their menu.
There is not much parking at this small place, but they do set up a double parking situation where you leave your key with a valet to sort out the cars when you leave. Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted heartily by the sushi chefs behind the bar, and we had a 20 minute wait before we could get a table. Especially since it was a Friday evening, it would have been a good idea to make a reservation ahead of time, which we’ll be sure to keep in mind.
The menu is extensive to say the least, it could easily take an hour to decide what to get among the dozens of different sushi rolls, entree combinations and appetizers etc. I made my task easier by picking options that were either very unique or just classics that I enjoy every time. For an appetizers, we ordered Hamachi Kama, which is broiled yellowtail collar - I’ve heard cooking shows sing the praises of this part of the fish saying how it’s loaded with flavor and is highly appreciated in Japan, so I had to try it. Even though it was a bit difficult to pick out the meat from among the collar bones, the effort was well worth it, the meat was moist and flaky and the flavor was balanced by the charred grill marks on the outside.
The appetizer came out at the same time as a bowl of edamame and some seaweed salad, which were nice touches of bright green in both color and flavor. The nigiri sushi came very soon afterwards, so the table got a bit crowded, but I couldn’t really complain when we were presented with this thick, very fresh and very tender strips of fish (salmon, yellowtail, tuna, shrimp, eel, the usual suspects for a chef’s combination of nigiri).
Next, was the part that I was perhaps anticipating most yet fearing a little bit - the roll we ordered. It is called “SJ Road Dogg” (not really sure what the reference is here, but they had something for everybody in term of theme), and aside from the not so unusual filling of hamachi, tuna, kani (crab) and yamagobo (the pink marinated ginger root), the roll was topped with sake, seaweed salad, macadamia nuts and … wait for it... jellyfish! That’s something I had never eaten before, and I was curious to the extreme, yet dreading the texture just a little bit just from what I was picturing in my mind. Unfortunately, when the roll came we were informed that they were in fact out of jellyfish, so our roll was made without it. When I expressed my disappointment, the server apologized profusely and offered to put in an order for our second preference of roll.
Our makeup roll was the FJ40, a roll filled mainly with hamachi and seasoning, but topped with scallops, fish roe and lemon slices. I was glad we did take her up on her offer, because this roll was delicious. The first one we got lost some of its sheen since we knew it was incomplete (though to be sure it was still fresh and creamy and delicious), but the second roll we got was really satisfying, with the tender scallops coming through in flavor and balanced out by the acidity and creaminess of the other toppings.
This restaurant is definitely worth the hype - the atmosphere is authentic, service is exemplary and the food is outstanding. Even though it’s on the pricey side among sushi restaurants in the South Bay, it’s definitely a clear favorite.
There is not much parking at this small place, but they do set up a double parking situation where you leave your key with a valet to sort out the cars when you leave. Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted heartily by the sushi chefs behind the bar, and we had a 20 minute wait before we could get a table. Especially since it was a Friday evening, it would have been a good idea to make a reservation ahead of time, which we’ll be sure to keep in mind.
The menu is extensive to say the least, it could easily take an hour to decide what to get among the dozens of different sushi rolls, entree combinations and appetizers etc. I made my task easier by picking options that were either very unique or just classics that I enjoy every time. For an appetizers, we ordered Hamachi Kama, which is broiled yellowtail collar - I’ve heard cooking shows sing the praises of this part of the fish saying how it’s loaded with flavor and is highly appreciated in Japan, so I had to try it. Even though it was a bit difficult to pick out the meat from among the collar bones, the effort was well worth it, the meat was moist and flaky and the flavor was balanced by the charred grill marks on the outside.
Next, was the part that I was perhaps anticipating most yet fearing a little bit - the roll we ordered. It is called “SJ Road Dogg” (not really sure what the reference is here, but they had something for everybody in term of theme), and aside from the not so unusual filling of hamachi, tuna, kani (crab) and yamagobo (the pink marinated ginger root), the roll was topped with sake, seaweed salad, macadamia nuts and … wait for it... jellyfish! That’s something I had never eaten before, and I was curious to the extreme, yet dreading the texture just a little bit just from what I was picturing in my mind. Unfortunately, when the roll came we were informed that they were in fact out of jellyfish, so our roll was made without it. When I expressed my disappointment, the server apologized profusely and offered to put in an order for our second preference of roll.
This restaurant is definitely worth the hype - the atmosphere is authentic, service is exemplary and the food is outstanding. Even though it’s on the pricey side among sushi restaurants in the South Bay, it’s definitely a clear favorite.
Food 10
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 9
Service 9
Value 7
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 9
Service 9
Value 7
Ben
We eat a lot of sushi. So much so that I have been quite bored of it lately. Despite this, I don’t remember ever having a better purely-food experience eating sushi than Michi sushi. We went with a 10 nigiri combination of 6 types of fish and two large rolls: FJ40 (hamachi, sake, wasabi sauce and scallions; outside: sake and scallops, topped w tobiko, lemon slices, scallions & wasabi sauce) and SJ Road dogg (amachi, tuna, yamagobo and kani; on top: sake, seaweed salad, jellyfish (out, thus free roll), macadamia nuts, Korean spicy sauce and michi special sauces). The nigiri was simply incredible, a truly melt-in-your mouth experience. The taste was so fresh, the portions generous. The rolls were incredible too, in a much more overt way (I am glad we ate nigiri first, rolls second). I can see how this little gem has won so many awards and is so popular locally, and I now realize how much of sushi I have been missing by eating the rubbery sashimi served at 99% of japanese look-alike restaurants. The atmosphere is really active and fun, with a large crowd (prepare to wait if you don’t have a reservation). The owner seems to make his way around the restaurant quite well and know a lot of his clientele. The sushi takes center stage here, but the drink menu and rest of the menu are respectable as well. The prices do reflect the rarity of this standard, but are not outrageous. The service was very busy but polite (even granted us a free roll when they made a mistake). I would say it’s definitely a place worth checking out, if you go simply for a few sashimi slices.
Food 10
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 8
Service 9
Value 6
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 8
Service 9
Value 6
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