Ozumo Santana Row, San Jose CA

Went there this past Friday night ago for dinner. We were started off as we would expect, but the service kept getting bad. At first, we got our 2 Miso soups as we had ordered, followed by the fried chicken. Had to wait until someone actually brought us plates to eat in afterwards. Then explicitly had to ask for eating utensils as they were still not provided.
Entrees were served then. You would expect a sushi restaurant to provide you with soy sauce with sushi, but nope! Had to wait 10ish min before we were able to ask someone.
After everything was done, bill arrives with Mandatory health surcharge of 5%, which is not mandatory at all. No one in Samara Row charges that. I didn’t look at the bill until after I had paid and tipped to realize the health surcharge, along with the fact that they charged me for 3 miso soups instead of 2.

Brought it to the notice of waitress, and she said “I am sorry. I will revert the extra miso soup charges back to your card”. It never happened. Scamming me out of this little extra money implies that this is a general practice that is usually gets ignored because of it being an upscale restaurant and people not actually looking at their bills because they simply trust them.

The sushi taste fantastic, service is mediocre, waiters don't really care about customers, ambiance and location are great AND very pricey!

Great ambiance, especially near the bar. The staff was so nice and the dishes tasted as good as they looked.

The sushi chefs at Ozumo are the backbone of this establishment, and their expertise shines through in every dish they create. Their mastery, precision, and attention to detail are evident in the beautifully presented and meticulously crafted sushi pieces. It's a sheer delight to watch these skilled artisans in action as they effortlessly handle knives, expertly craft sushi rolls, and artistically arrange the fish on plates. Dining at Ozumo is not only a treat for the taste buds but also a feast for the eyes.
Ozumo adds to the overall enchantment of the dining experience. The soothing decor, elegant and cozy seating, and friendly staff make you feel instantly welcomed and relaxed. The sushi bar seating one of my personal favorites offers an opportunity to interact with the sushi chefs, enhancing the experience by providing a glimpse into their creative process.
Thank you, David and Pedro, you made my experience unforgettable.

Super overpriced for the food they offer. Definitely not the best sushi we ate, not even close, paid $100, remained hungry after the dinner.

The food is always amazing. This time me and my girlfriend sat at the bar where Andres provided us the best service ever. Next time you go ask for Andres or sit on the right side of the bar.

I don't know why this place isn't more popular! The food was fantastic. Most of the menu is Japanese small plates. Each dish was unique and had well balanced, subtle flavor profile. Even the rolls were delicious. I usually find the ones in most other Japanese restaurants in US to be too sweet or overloaded. Here, they were perfect! I'll be back to try the other dishes.

The music could be better.

I really wanted to like this place due to its location. However, the service was terrible. The hostess didn’t seem to be interested in the concept of service at all. No emotions. I expected more from Ozumo since it appears to be a fancier sushi restaurant than other sushi places. Though the restaurant was 80% empty, it was so hard to ask for anything. Our waiter was the only bartender at Ozumo and I almost felt bad for him. He wasn’t a waiter. I asked him for recommendations and the response was something I would receive from a fast food chain. Futomaki was great! The scallop appetizer was a bit fishy but wasn’t too bad. The deep fried roll wasn’t good (almost like cheap grocery store sushi) terrible presentation and taste. The Grilled salmon jar was great too. But the tempura udon was too salty and the tempura wasn’t impressive.

Also, they are cutting corners with Tamago nigiri. I ordered two pieces and it seems like they cut one tamago piece into two very thin pieces. I’ve never seen Tamago nigiri this thin even from a cheap sushi restaurant… please don’t do this. Customers know.

Ozumo really needs new hostess and more experienced wait staff (because a bartender shouldn’t be a waiter…) I almost think it’s possible to turn this place around but again it was disappointing to be back here after 2 years. I was hoping that it has changed.

Tried the umeshiro sushi, the Japanese seaweed salad, grilled eggplant dish and the chocolate and matcha cake.
Best dishes were the Japanese seaweed salad, grilled eggplant and the chocolate cake. Highly recommend.

They put 5% 'SJ health mandate' on our check. When we asked about it they said it's their added tax to not have to rise prices.
When I mentioned this would be fraud, the amount 'vanished' from the check and the manager was very apologetic.
Food was mediocre and overpriced for the quality.

Very good japanese restaurant in the middle of Santana Row. Staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. Fish is of great quality and the presentation is good. Good alcohol selection.

Great sushi. Service could be better. The host is pretty responsive and quick. But the waitstaff takes their time to approach. It’s a little pricey, but I like sushi here.

Santana Row prices. Fish items are just ok, but the steak tartare appetizer is amazing! Ps you get better service at the bar ;)

If you can avoid it, just avoid it. There are tons of better Japanese restaurants than it.

Grilled Salmon delicious. Ozumo roll savory. Great ambiance. Definite do again. My family loved it.

Great chicken karaage, gyozas, tuna tartar. The black cod is simply amazing. The sashimi platters were very fresh and we had good sushi rolls. There were 10 of us and everyone loved it. Definitely on the pricey side though.

This was our first time to dine at Ozumo Santana Row, and our overall experience was just OKAY. Allow me to break it down for you.

The food was spectacular. Amazing food. Kudos to the chef and the kitchen crew.

However, after our server took our order (in a clockwise fashion around our rectangular table for 7), there was some confusion when the food arrived. The waitstaff delivering the food DID NOT know where each dish was going and for whom.

The food arrived in spurts, in the wrong way. There was a wild delivery mix of soup, appetizers, and mains. Not necessarily in that order. Some appetizers even arrived AFTER we got our mains.

Lastly, both my wife and I ordered the miso soup. I ordered mine from the start, and since my wife liked it when mine was delivered, she ordered one for herself. When her soup arrived, there was no soup spoon. So I gave my wife my spoon to use while I called the attention of one of the waitstaff to ask for one. I was shocked (more like shooked) to see that he was holding the spoon with his thumb nestled nicely in the INSIDE of the mouth of the spoon. Needless to say, I did not use the spoon and called a different waitstaff to retrieve a new one for me.

It is still a wonderful restaurant to go to, simply because it is blessed with an obviously talented chef and a kitchen crew who deliver amazing food. Even if it is downright pricey.

The ambiance is slightly above average. I requested a nice, quiet spot to celebrate my daughter's birthday and that they accommodated accordingly.

The service, no matter how jaw-dropping the food is, leaves much to be desired and basically just obliterates all that good food from your palate.

I am revising my review. After returning again and getting another disappointing experience, the manager came by noticed both my expression and the poor craftsmanship of the sushi chef. He took it back to the kitchen and came back with food that is definitely worth the price. I am very hopeful that Mark will be able to turn the restaurant around.

Old Review from 2022:

Ozumo is ok. Their atmosphere is decent and their service is fine. However, both the quality of their cuts of fish and the skill that it is prepared is sub par. Almost any mid-tier serious Japanese restaurant would do better.

Rolls are unevenly cut, not bound properly, and falling apart. When they do, you can tell that they used cheap ends instead of solid cuts. Rice doesn't bind the rolls well properly and when it comes to Japanese restaurants, if you can't do rice properly it can't be successful.

I went on a Tuesday, so they might not have good chefs on staff that day, but even if the apprentices were preparing this they definitely need more training. I have been there about 5-6 times over the past few years, but am pretty much disappointed each time.