Blowfish Sushi - Santana Row

My friend and I had to try Blowfish Sushi as we had been told it was the best. We just ate lunch there (6/11/2004) and we both thought it was delicious. The service was knowledgeable and very efficient. We tried 2 types of sushi, tempura, and the box lunch. Everything was special. Had 2 non-alcoholic drinks which were refreshing. Price was good at lunch and the music was fine. At night, the music is much louder which might drive the older set away.

Pros: service, ambiance at lunch, variety/creativity

Posted 06/10/04

The sushi here was fabulous, but the main entree was less than appetizing, ESPECIALLY for the price. The review I read about them stated that they were a dim lighted family atmosphere restaurant, but the latter could not be farther from the truth. The music was blaring, we felt as if we were in a club ON the dance floor. I do recommend that you at least TRY it once though to see if it is your thing!

Pros: Great Sushi, Anime playing on wall

Cons: , Fairly OK Entrees

Posted 03/25/04

Blowfish Sushi has elevated sushi to a new high, the great chefs do a great job of exciting your palette with some great tastes. My wife and I have had several great meals at Blowfish and the sushi is just part of it... You will find some of the best bartenders in town, Jimmy, keep up the great work and thanks for always making our visits to the bar beyond great. John Russo keeps the staff on top of it's game always, and what's great about John is he even gets his hands dirty and stays involved when things get overwhelmed. Great job John, and thanks to all at Blowfish for your great service!

Pros: Great Sushi, Great Bartenders, Great Staff

Cons: , n/a, n/a

Posted 02/11/04

Great place to hangout. A bit pricey but the foods great. Nice atmosphere to hang out, meet people and have a couple of drinks. The only thing is the lounge area is rather small and is usually crowded.

Pros: Food, Drinks, Atmosphere

Cons: No place to sit

Posted 01/15/04

Never been to the Blowfish in San Francisco but I thought this one was fantastic! We went on a crowded Friday night so we had to sit at the bar for a while waiting for a table (the bartender made strong drinks for us - nice!). The beautiful hostesses and waitresses were on top of their game making sure we weren't forgotten amongst all the people piling in there. When we were properly seated our waitress was SO helpful and attentive I thought the service was among the best I've ever experienced. It's a touch expensive but that's what you get for dining at Santana Row!

Posted 10/11/03

Blowfish in San Jose was a memorable experience, beginning with the atmosphere-great music and overall ambience, and a diverse crowd. But most importantly, the sushi is divine, the best sushi I've had in years, including some very novel rolls and some interesting and creative takes on old standbys. Other non-sushi dishes were excellent also, and the green-tea ice-cream was to-die-for. I was pleasantly surprised that the overall experience was better than Blowfish SF and would return to the San Jose branch in a heartbeat.

Posted 08/10/03

Blowfish is a fabulous and much needed addition to the commercialized glamour of Santana Row. It brings a funky LA/Miami/Tokyo vibe to sleepy Silicon Valley. The environment is fun and loud with a very attractive crowd and waitstaff, and sometimes graphic anime playing on screens throughout the restaurant. The food is exotic with a beautiful presentation- the entrees are mediocre, but the appetizers, sushi rolls and sashimi are fantastic! My personal favs are the Pyramid, Ritsu Roll and the Sashimi Combo. The bar serves a variety of hot and cold sake and specialty sake-based cocktails like the Mango Mojito and Peach Nympho and stays upon until 2am for the night crawlers! There are locally-renowned DJs spinning house and electronic music Thurs-Sat, and on Mondays. The food is a little overpriced, but what on Santana Row isn't? You pay typical San Francisco prices, but for top-quality food and a unimitable ambience.

Posted 08/04/03

I've been a patron of Blowfish Sushi up in San Francsico for years, so when I heard that they were opening one much closer to home I was thrilled. This one is everything the SF one is and more. In addition to the excellent food, slick decor, and great service, they've added a new touch - DJs. Seems like 3 or 4 nights a week they have local DJS in spinning house music, and its just great! The place is open until 2am, and on by about 11pm its jumping. My new favorite spot in San Jose.

Posted 08/04/03

We thought the food was fabulous - tasty and artistic from the appetizers through the desserts. We also enjoyed our drinks. However, everything is very, very expensive. There are also few vegetarian selections. Our server was great at first but lapsed toward the end of our visit. The ambience is a lot of fun - anime, art, lighting, and music - but don't go if you want to have a conversation; it's really loud and dark. All in all, a great restaurant if you don't mind paying through the nose and yelling at your dinner companions. Don't go if you prefer simple dining at easy prices.

Pros: great food, good service, fun atmosphere

Cons: expensive, loud, a bit overdone

Posted 08/02/03

The south bay sure needed a restaurant like this. Finally a sushi atmosphere that isn't just sake bombs! The staff was great and always smiling. I have taken my friends and we all love the music and upbeat atmosphere. I would highly recommend Blowfish to all the twenty-somethings in San Jose.

Posted 07/31/03

After months of waiting for Blowfish in Santana Row to open, I finally went there yesterday for dinner. Service was great and that's all that's great about Blowfish. The sushi was incredibly small and are double in price. Drinks were tastless and also overprice. The restaurant look awesome, love the decor. I would probably go there only for a quick drink but never to eat.

Pros: great music, great bar

Cons: expensive, small sushi

Posted 07/22/03