Bay Area/ San Jose

Ren Omakase: Menlo Park Welcomes a New Sushi Destination from Acclaimed Culinary Team

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Published on June 13, 2025
Ren Omakase: Menlo Park Welcomes a New Sushi Destination from Acclaimed Culinary TeamSource: Google Street View

The Bay Area's culinary landscape has just gained a new and promising destination for sushi aficionados with the opening of Ren Omakase in Menlo Park. This sushi spot, located at 403 El Camino Real, is the brainchild of a team led by Sunny Noah, a name synonymous with high-quality sushi ventures across the Peninsula. Wen Zhao, a chef with an impressive ten-year stint at San Francisco's once Michelin-starred Omakase, alongside Jiabo Li of Iki Omakase in Palo Alto and Sunny Noah's extensive experience at prestigious establishments such as Sushi Yoshizumi, are the forces behind this new venture, as reported by the SF Chronicle.

Ren Omakase's $198 premium menu features a meticulously constructed 18 to 20-course lineup of edomae-style dishes, showcasing seafood directly sourced from Tokyo's revered Toyosu Market. The chef's passion for shellfish is prominent, with an expected half of the courses likely to contain some form of shellfish, including a distinctive four-hour sake-steamed abalone with accompanying abalone liver sauce. According to The Almanac News, Zhao also distinguished himself in preparing rich, oily silver-skinned fishes such as mackerel and gizzard shad in a traditional edomae style.

The restaurant's design, transformed from a former neighborhood ice cream shop, now boasts a minimalist aesthetic with its interior clad in warm hinoki wood. True to the omakase dining style, where the chef presents their selected menu, Ren Omakase offers a food-forward audience two intimate seatings per night. Sunny Noah, who sees this opening as potentially his last omakase endeavor, has expressed his excitement about the new energy within Menlo Park and its surrounding areas, recognizing the influx of restaurateurs and patrons eager to explore innovative dining concepts.

Despite Ren Omakase's steep price point, which is a bit more expensive than some of its local competitors but less than others like Sushi Yoshizumi, the culinary experience is forecasted to justify the investment. Ren Omakase prides itself on an exclusive and well-curated sake selection, available by the bottle or glass. However, patrons willing to indulge in their alcohol selection should be prepared for the corkage fee, which ranges from $65-$95 according to the bottle's size as detailed by The Almanac News.