Bay Area restaurant opening: Sushi Roku arrives in Palo Alto

Caviar-topped toro carpaccio, octopus crudo and Chilean seabass with truffle miso are just a few of the attractions at Palo Alto’s new Sushi Roku, which has opened at the Stanford Shopping Center.

This is the first Northern California location for Sushi Roku. The restaurant, which is known for its sushi, sashimi and izakaya menu offerings, started in Los Angeles in 1997 and now has outposts in Newport Beach and Manhattan Beach, Las Vegas and Austin, Texas. Head sushi chef Jason Shimizu, who previously led kitchens at The Shota, Ozumo and Sasa, leads the Palo Alto location.

“Our focus on exceptional food and an energetic atmosphere aligns perfectly with our future guests who live and work on the Peninsula, and we’re excited to become a part of it,” says Lee Maen, cofounder of the restaurant’s parent company, Innovative Dining Group. TAG Front Architects designed the restaurant’s interior, which includes walnut bar tops and natural wood and glass components, as well as landscaping.

The Palo Alto menu offers cold and hot appetizers, skewers, sushi rolls, sashimi pieces and entrees, which include plant-based and other non-seafood items. Look for dishes like Wagyu gyoza ($22); the White Lotus sushi roll ($26), made with popcorn shrimp tempura, avocado, asparagus, tuna and wasabi truffle soy; cauliflower ($15) with red dates and pine nuts; and Chilean seabass with truffle miso ($47).

Not sure what to try? The Roku Izakaya Feast offers staff favorites from across the menu at $78 per person.