I have been coming to Yao Kiku since I moved to the Santa Rosa area in 1998 (I used to live down the street). Since then, I have tried every Japanese restaurant this county has thrown at me, and I still find Yao Kiku to be the best. Don't be fooled - Yao Kiku is located in a shopping center tucked away next to a Long's Drug Store. You might even miss it on the first pass. Even on the inside it's tiny. For that reason, for a Friday or Saturday dinner, you might want to make reservations. Even the menu isn't as huge as some others I've seen. But you don't go to Yao Kiku to load up on mediocre food. It's enough to order one item, one sushi roll, and one desert... and you'll be in heaven. When I'm in the mood for a traditional Japanese dinner, I order the hamachi ginger miso. It is delicious (oishii, as they say in Japanese), down to the garnish of cold noodles and perfectly steamed broccoli. There is nowhere else I would rather go to savor a spicy tuna roll - it is hands-down the best I've tasted, and I have tasted many. Prices are fair, service is consistent, and all aspects of the food, from the presentation to the platters they serve it on, make for one incredible dining experience.
Yao Kiku's Website