Big I Sushi

My husband and I love this place. The older waitress is always so nice and attending the table when you need her. They do not rush you and food is fresh. We like all the sushi rolls and the price is decent.

Ok… So for the last 2 years this has been the best sushi place in the bay area. to the point that the wife and i come here weekly.
HOWEVER as of this post they NO LONGER serve SUSHI!!! Honestly i feel like my wife just left me.
Sadly i don’t think we will return, they are going for a new Korean theme — cool and all but no sushi … so please be prepared.
BIG I if you read this — PLEASE BRING BACK YOUR SUSHI!!!
3 STARS BECAUSE I AM STILL IN MORNING :(

Did I go to the wrong place? They’re a Korean restaurant. It’s not really a Japanese restaurant. Sure they have some rolls but most of the food is Korean and I was just there last Friday. I don’t know and their rolls didn’t impress me. Their Korean didn’t impress me either. And I saw a picture of their Oyster Shooter, which I did not find on the menu. Did they have a special menu?
Service is good, pretty darned good. But it’s a KOREAN restaurant? Even the waitress told us that this is a Korean restaurant with a page of sushi rolls… was I THAT drunk to notice otherwise?!
So confused…

This place has now been renamed Big I Café — Korean Food! I’m not so sure if they serve sushi anymore… according to their frontage sign, they serve Korean food for sure!

For sushi in the Newark/​Fremont area I have to say Big I Sushi, uhmm takes the cake. no wait takes the fish? Either way they are fantastic.
Their service is fantastic, so on top of everything. Need water? *BAM* you got water. Need tea? *Super Bam* some tea is there.
I like the hawaiian roll myself, not traditional in any way, but I love me some macadamia nuts.

$ 0.79 Small Hot Sake!
This is a divey type restaurant, so you won’t find upscale décor in here, but if you’re looking for fresh fish, you’re at the right place!
Sashimi is sooo good here and decently priced. They give you HUGE cuts of fish. my two faves were the white tuna and hamachi. I tried the Uni here, but since I’m used to fresh Uni, the frozen kind didn’t taste good to me (not their fault, they didn’t advertise it as fresh uni) I also tried Suzuki for the first time, which I found out was Japanese sea bass. and NOT just a car company! I’m not surprised that I’ve never heard of it, it didn’t taste good and was pretty fishy, so I’ll probably never order that again.
Service was good, so overall, great place to have a casual Friday date night!

This joint is a perfect example of don’t judge a hole-​in-​the-​wall by it’s cover. The first time I came here to eat, my parents literally refused to go in because it was too hole-​in-​the-​wall for them. They were offput by the fact that there was no one entering the front door. Little did they know the parking lot and entrance was at the back.
2^nd time was the charm! I went with my boyfriend for an early dinner and had a great time. Parking lot is a little hard to see because it is a small opening, but there is a lot at the back. The inside of this restaurant really surprised me! It was bigger than it looked on the outside. There was even an area for big groups and setup for some good ol’ fashion karaōke.
We were seated immediately. Free salad and miso soup to tide over the hunger.
Service was fast and friendly. The waitress carded me for sake and was very surprised that I was of age, claiming, «You look like you are in High School!» No ma’am, I graduated college…
We ordered:
Golden Bridge & Cherry Blossom: $ 9
King Kong: $ 12
Large Sake: $ 1.75
Happy hour, especially the 20% off rolls helped a lot. King Kong was MASSIVE in size and filling inside the roll. All the rolls were yummy and they did not skimp out on the fish. Some rolls were a little bigger than the other, but I’m not much of a sushi snob! Sushi all taste the same when it’s in your mouth whatever the aesthetic. Will definitely be back!

My hubby and I were impressed when they came out with free salad and soup after we ordered our food… I mean who can hate on free stuff, but the soup had no miso flavor and the salad was so lightly dressed that after a few bites you start eating plain lettuce. Plus the hot tea was cold (big womp)
We enjoyed our golden gate and lion king rolls, but the oyako donburi lacked flavor
Finally big thumbs up to beer and sake deals and having the games on 2 tvs at the bar!

On a search for Happy Hour on a Tuesday because my friends and I went to Satomi Sushi not knowing that they had changed their Happy Hour days from Tuesdays and Thursdays to Wednesdays and Thursdays. I had Google searched the phrase «Fremont, CA Happy Hour Tuesday» and this place was only a phone call away and not too far from where we already were. Although their website shows that happy hour is only Wednesdays and Thursdays for beer as well as hot and premium sake (also Fridays and Saturdays with %20 off rolls and oyster steamboats available), all of this was honored on a Tuesday and we figured that «Hey, we have a good hour left to check this place out and see what it’s all about since it’s in the area.» Boy was I glad I called this place to see what specials they had on the fly.
The Breakdown:
Service: 5
When I called this place to see what kind of specials they had for Happy Hour, the last thing they did was disappoint on pricing. How can you turn down $ 0.79 small sake and $ 1.59 for a large sake with $ 2.00 beers AND 20% off all rolls? Surreal, these prices were, and I thought to myself «We must go here now.» ;D
We were seated accordingly and understandably with 4 people total at the time with a 5^th person arriving later on and they honored allowing us to be seated regardless that we weren’t all there, but also probably because it looked really slow inside. The waitress was super friendly and she was a woman seemingly of her 40’s or 50’s that I thought maybe she’s been working there for a while or possibly had a relation to one of the sushi chefs noticing that she was always close to him when it wasn’t busy and it was a really nice and homey environment that made you feel welcome.
Food: 5
I’m not sure if it was because we ordered rolls or not, but all of us received a complimentary Miso soup and a salad to go along with our meal that we had no idea we’d be getting which made us really ecstatic about this place early on. The rolls came our pretty quickly and were delectable! I got the Monster roll (soft shell crab, cucumber /​top: eel, avocado, tobiko) and it was amazing. Everyone I was with got one roll, one beer, 2 large sake bottles and it all averaged out to be $ 20 per person.
Ambiance: 4.5
Even though this place is pretty small and on the outside looks like a small shack, the inside is really nice with a bar that seats about 8, from what I remember, around 10 – 12 tables that seat 4, and even a small area for karaōke for patrons that want to check that out. There was one flat screen TV that you can see from anywhere in the restaurant since it is a little small of a venue but they definitely make up for it in quality service and food. The only reason I didn’t give ambiance a 5 is because it’s a shame that this place isn’t a little bigger. It’s definitely a small gem hidden well.
Conclusion:
Call the place ahead of time to make sure exactly what specials are going on that day because I looked at the website first to see when Happy Hour is and it wasn’t on a Tuesday (the day I went), but when I called they honored all of the Happy Hour menu selections even though it was a day that their Happy Hour doesn’t fall on. Maybe they just need to update their website, but I would most definitely go back because of the great food, great service, and a nice ‘feel at home’ environment that always accommodates your needs.
As with most sushi places, in my opinion, I believe you always receive the best service when you meet halfway with the employees by taking your time to look at the menu before you go there so that when you get seated, you help them out by quickly giving them your order since you planned ahead, and it makes their day a lot easier just in case it is busy and they need to keep things rolling. It reminds me of one of those game applications on the iPhone called «Diner Dash» where you have to utilize your time and make sure everyone gets seated, gets their food, and their check in a timely manner so that the people waiting can get the same great service whether it’s busy or not.
Do yourself a favor and know what you want before you get there, and they will recognize your before hand planning to easily and quickly give them your order, and they will reward you with great service and enjoy doing so.
I hope by reading this, you give this place a chance and see what kind of potential they have!
With that, enjoy your sushi, or whatever you may be ordering and don’t drink too fast! Make sure you have a designated driver as well! Friends, please go here and you won’t be disappointed!

Seriously i’d give this place half a star if i could
I got terrible food poisoning for a few days. Tthe manager is EXTREMELY rude and doesnt handle criticism well. I thought i’d try it out with my bro since Unilocal gave it such good reviews… apparently not…
we got:
–sake don — the rice was luke warm bordering on cold. according to the chef/manager…rice is supposed to be like that.
–philly roll– fish so thin you can’t really taste it
–lion king– falls apart easily
–dragon– ehhh…
the rice is supposed to be at least warm but when i told the chef/​manager that the rice was kinda… leaning towards cold; he said i didn’t know what sushi was and apparently since he’s been working in the food industry for 20 yrs.- i’m wrong? he was really unprofessional about it and i def. would not come back. i dont think im new to sushi since i’ve been to QUITE a few places, so im sure i can at least tell what is good and bad.
the price is def not worth the food. they’re really stingy on ingredients. i’m not asking them to fill it with junk, but at least make it. enough so that you can see the ingredients clearly. they’re stingy on the fish. for the rolls, i would say it was almost as bad as little mad fish in fremont [pacific commons]. the fish at little mad fish was so thin– i kid you not — you can see the rice through the fish. o-​o i never knew you could be so stingy. and the price was really expensive too. so yeah… big i’s fish is really thin– not AS thin as little mad fish but. getting there.
their rolls also falls apart easily. I know presentation isn’t important to everyone but who wants to see a dish in front of you that looks really bland and unattractive. presentation makes a meal a lot more appetizing and appealing, even though it might taste the same. i’m sure many people think this too.
Anyways, in the end, my bro and i ate it all since. if it’s that expensive– i’m not wasting. lesson learned though– never coming back

We have always passed by this place and always told ourselves that we would one day try it. Finally, it came true. Small parking lot at the back, cute inside setting with big TVs. Servers were very attentive and helpful with the menu. I ordered their Bulgogi Bento Box while my heart-​hubby tried a couple of different rolls which were on sale for 20% during Friday and Saturday. We both tried their Hot Sake. I liked it for it was not too strong. Maybe that was why it was cheap. It tasted a bit watered down. I was totally disappointed with the Bulgogi meat. It was not seasoned correctly. I had to drown it with soy sauce just to get the right amount of flavor from it. Totally Chopped! (food network reference). How can one be a chef without knowing how to season meats? Seriously? I would settle for three stars since they do have some original sushi roll recipes that are unique. Overall, it was okay. I’m just not a fan of places that don’t know how to season their food correctly.

Decent sushi at decent prices that is open late. Don’t expect to be blown away by the freshness of the fish, but it does do well in terms of filling a craving for sushi. The portions are not too shabby, and the do have drink specials as well, but overall the fish quality was mediocre. I would be back here again because it is open a bit later than most other joints in the area.

They are cheap with the 20% discount and huge portions. However, the sushi are drenched in sauces — Korean-​style sushi I guess. Me no like.

Love this little house-​turned-​sushi restaurant. It has a warm, cozy feel to it. They recently added little partitions too for extra privacy. The parking lot in back is easy to miss but there’s lots of space and it’s brightly lit.
Service is fast and friendly. Love their 20% off deal too! Our food was delicious. Our cherry blossom roll had a nice bright red color in the tuna and it would melt in your mouth! They’re pretty creative with their rolls like adding asparagus inside a roll or having a mushroom roll as their special of the day. The Husband and I left so full! They have two big screen TV’s as well so you won’t miss the game.

Korean-​owned Japanese style restaurant in what seemed like someone’s house next to a gas station. The back parking lot is kinda creepy. Entering from the back door doesn’t help out either…
…the interior of the restaurant is quite nice w/​a small karaōke section.
Complimentary miso soup and salad were definitely a plus.
The King Kong roll was huge and pretty tasty. Although slightly expensive at $ 15.99, the 20% off definitely was appreciated. …oh…the tuna wasn’t too fresh.
…overall a nice place for Americanized Japanese-​Korean cuisine in the Fremont area.

Think «Americanized sushi rolls» and perhaps you won’t be so disappointed. It’s not the best of Fremont, but it’s decent and affordable. Living in this area for so long, I’ve learned to never expect any ethnic food around here to be truly authentic. However, if you want a quick sushi fix for a good price, this place will satisfy your cravings.
Favorite rolls: crabby patty, giants’ roll, & the lion king. I’m glad they don’t drench the lion king roll in mayo. They also serve you a complimentary bowl of miso soup and salad for starters. They advertise 20% off all rolls everyday, but I don’t understand why they don’t just permanently lower the prices on the menu to reflect this deal. I suppose from a marketing standpoint, it sounds more intriguing to think you’re getting some sort of discount on your meal. In the end, it’s maybe a 50 cent-​1 dollar difference with it’s local competitors.
Service is quick and friendly. I’ve never had to deal with a long wait or obnoxious drunk woo girls during karaōke nights (thank goodness!). The parking lot in the back is a bit sketchy, but I usually make it a point to come here when there’s still daylight out. If this place were located in a more easily accessible and family-​friendly area, it would probably be a packed house.

Sorry Big I, but ever since I took refuge in Mioki’s across the street, I can’t find any place that lives up to her standards. I have to agree that most of the rolls here are pretty Americanized with sauces and such, even the 20% off doesn’t make it any better.
That being said.
Too many woo girls. Props to anyone who get the reference.
This is a terrible place for a quiet dinner. It seems that Big I was doing poorly so they lowered their prices on alcohol, hence, more drunk people doing karaōke. The poor girl with her mom was eating in silence, and the couple at the other table looked like they had the biggest migraine, ever. Nothing was open at 9:30pm, now I know Chipotle IS the better option.
That’s all I have to say.

I wanted to try this place for a while now since it’s right in my neighborhood. My last visit to Satomi left me disappointed & looking for a new sushi, so I decided to see other places.
The dining experience was just average for me. While our waitress was very nice, she was also inattentive, especially so given the place was empty on this Tuesday evening.
The fish did not seem particularly fresh. My rainbow roll only had one piece of salmon and tuna but plenty of yellow/​white fish, so I felt like they skimped out on me.
My friend’s spicy scallop roll was also low on scallops and the consistency was not right.
The atmosphere is cute and the staff is very sweet, but I won’t be coming
back.
Also, there was no free edamame or desserts as mentioned by prior reviews. That must’ve been a special promotion while the place was brand new.

First off, 20% off rolls on Friday and Saturday is all kinds of win!
With that out of the way, here we go with the review. First off, the parking lot is hidden in the back of the restaurant but surprisingly has a good amount of parking. There are entrances to the restaurant in the front and back, and has cool old movie posters throughout the restaurant. Another thing that I like about the décor is that there is a karaōke area which I assume they have on certain nights.
As for the rolls, it doesn’t have the biggest selection but most rolls are around $ 11.99-$ 12.99, which isn’t bad at all. We ordered three different rolls (crabby patty, king kong, and crazy tofu) with our soft shell crab appetizer.
Soft shell crab– hard to go wrong with this appetizer. Perfectly cooked with the right amount of crunch.
Crabby Patty roll — loved the combination of the crab and salmon, though there was a lot of sauce on the roll.
King Kong roll — seems like it’s the current special and the roll is freakin huge! The biggest roll I usually see are spider rolls, and this exceeds the size of those easily. It’s similar to a crabby patty roll, but also has tempura shrimp, and spicy tuna on the inside along with the crab meat and avocado. However, just like the crabby patty, there was a bit too much of the spicy mayo; though delicious!
Crazy tofu roll — I don’t know what it was about this roll but the sushi rice was off on this one. The rice seemed a little old, but I did like the cooked tofu with the nice glaze on top.
I forgot to mention that miso soup and salad are included for the meal. Service was excellent here, constant checking up on us to see how we were doing and the food came out quickly after our order.

Went here on a Friday night since I wanted to try somewhere new and who can pass on a 20% off on *all* rolls?
Cute Décor. Clean.
Sushi I would say it is slightly above average, but not enough for me to rate it above average. The reason why is that the quality of the fish is fresh-​ish, but I can taste like the little icicle in between (not if its an issue with the way they keep their fish fresh?). You can taste the little bits of ice especially in the sashimi.
The service was just definitely average, they kind of take forever to refill our teas.
The neighborhood is pretty um scary at night time, I suggest parking out in the front of the street than park in the black hole in the back unless you have a party of 5.