Kobe Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Boat, Santa Clara

With a huge sushi boat and Asian decor everywhere, this Japanese place has been a local favorite for almost a decade. The sushi is excellent and very fresh. If you desire, the sushi chefs will engage you in hilarious banter while you eat. Dinners are very affordable, the teriyakis and tempuras all not at all heavy on pockets. The San Jose Mercury News gave this place three-and-a-half stars. And the great thing is that you can order every single item on the menu through the restaurant's web site, even down to each individual piece of sushi.