Ludlow

Don’t get a groupon from here unless you can use it right away. We were not so lucky and tried to make a reservation just a couple of days before the groupon expired. They had no tables available. My husband stopped by the restaurant at around 5:30 to check it out, and the place was empty. Completely empty. But the phone was ringing off the hook with people trying to reserve a table. The manager said they only have 2 tables per day for groupons. And they book over 10 days out for groupons.
Rip off!
After reading reviews about a rude staff and bad food I wasn’t too excited to try it. After this ridiculous Groupon experience… Ugh.
Buyer beware I guess.

I ate here three times in the past, most recently just last week with my mom who was visiting me from Japan. We chatted with the owner, Mr. Yamada, who is originally from Okinawa. Mr. Yamada, who worked for the Sheraton International in Tokyo as executive chef, recruited by the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago, and then moved to California to manage Tomi Sushi in San Jose, opened up this restaurant of his own in February 2012, on his mother’s birthday.
The food here represents his experience and training in first-​class hotel restaurants in Tokyo and Chicago, with a touch of flavors from his native Okinawan cuisine. Mr. Yamada appears very sincere and enthusiastic. At Ludlow, he is trying to offer international hotel restaurant-​qualify food for an affordable price.
Although his waiting staff lacks experience and needs a bit more professional training, Ludlow does have its own charm — very friendly, family-​style atmosphere, coming from Chef Yamada’s Okinawan heritage and hospitality, simplistic décor, health-​conscious menu selections, and very clean kitchen and restrooms.
During our visit here, both my mom and I felt like as if we were sitting and dining in a fancy Japanese hotel restaurant or lounge. I am looking forward to trying more of Mr. Yamada’s creative dishes in the coming months.

I was here for lunch once and I had to say I was surprised by the food. I didn’t have a high expectation due to the three star review on Unilocal.But the three course lunch special I had was very delicately prepared. The food has high quality but the price is not too high. Very good for a couple to have some romantic time together.
The only thing I was not happy was the waiter there. He didn’t pay much attention to customers and kept me waiting for long time to pay bills, even if there was almost no one in the restaurant at that time. Moreover, he also asked me whether I had a groupon, which also made me feel uncomfortable since I didn’t have one…

I got the living social deal, you get to make and eat your own sushi along with some sake. i noticed a sign at the restaurant offering the class for $ 69. Sushi making class was fun, the owner/​chef, manager and waitress are very nice and funny too. It was my first time ever attempting to make sushi and I was able to make it almost perfect and it tasted a lot better than I expected. I will definitely come here for dinner one of these days. The owner came here to fulfill his dream and hopefully we can all make it happen for him :)
They also gave us complimentary miso soup which was the best miso soup I’ve ever had. Awesome!

My boyfriend and I came here for date night with a groupon. Our groupon included was $ 79 for an eight-​course prix fixe meal for two (a $ 159.50 total value). Our meal came with:
Two garlic edamame (an $ 11 value)
Two beef tataki (a $ 19.50 value)
Two tiradito (a $ 25 value)
Two artichoke tempura (a $ 12 value)
Two chilled eggplant (an $ 11 value)
Two angel-​hair fusion pastas (a $ 23 value)
Two 7-​ounce steaks with five sauces (a $ 44 value)
Banana crêpes and homemade ice cream (a $ 14 value)
Our meal also came with sake to start. Honestly. we really loved the food. Everything was tasty. I was especially surprised by the steak at the end because it was so juicy, tender, and full of flavor.
As much as I liked the food, I cannot say the same for service. The staff was very friendly and sweet but they only had 2 people hosting AND serving. The restaurant is small, but they needed at least 1 more person to help serve all the guests.
I’m happy we had a groupon because I think dinner would have been pricey without it. I would’ve never guessed this restaurant would charge such prices because the restaurant is so small and plain.
Overall, the food was excellent. The service was good but incredibly slow. The pricing is a little high. I’m still giving it a 4 star because I really did honestly like the food a lot. The service was slow but they were all nice and apologetic about it.

FOOD
The New York Steak would have been okay if it had been served at the right temperature. Unfortunately, it was barely tepid when it arrived on the table. And, within minutes, the steak cooled and the fat congealed. Yuck!
SERVICE
It took quite a long time for our food to arrive. If it weren’t for the nice, courteous waiters, we would have given up and left.
PRICE
Considering the subpar food and the slow service, the price was unreasonably high. Our bill averaged out to around $ 34 per person.

We ordered the shrimp tower. This was suppose to be a hot appetizer, but instead it was warm and tasted just ok. The presentation was blah because by the time the waiter placed it on our table the tower had collapsed making it look like a big mess.
Next we had the steak along with a side of garlic chips and mushrooms. There were several issues here:
— The steak was just warm borderline room temperature.
— The waiter suggested I get the mushrooms on the steak as opposed to on the
side. The mushrooms arrived on the side 10 minutes after the steaks came out.
— We were given butter knives. When I asked for a steak knife, they said they didn’t
have any.
Lucky for Ludlow they were smart to use groupon as a resource to gain some exposure. But unfortunately for them, their food sucks and their prices are too high for crappy food. They should consider outsourcing for help.

I decided to bring a lady-​friend here for dinner, as I had a LivingSocial deal burning a hole in my pocket. For the location itself (hidden in a business park on Stevens Creek Rd.,) I can fully understand why they need to resort to deal sites to attract business.
That said, I’m glad I gave Ludlow a go. It’s a bit out of the way for me but I wouldn’t be opposed to coming back w/​a group of friends.
First up, the service is awesome. The folks here really know how to treat their guests. Whether it was simply refilling our water to bringing out another sake bottle, they were on top of their game. Kudos to the staff.
As for the food itself, I think «Japanese fusion» roughly translates to «we’ll cook whatever we want, throw some fish or sauce on it and call it Japanese.» Not saying the food was bad at all (I was a fan of the mushroom risotto), just not was I was initially expecting. Their take on fish and chips, with friend wonton strips atop fish with a sweet glaze, was a fun spin on the age-​old recipe. All the food, in general, was cooked right and the presentation was fun. The portion sizes were decent, too, considering we had 8 courses to content with.
The atmosphere? Yes, some will call it «minimal», but I wouldn’t go so far as to bad-​mouth it. It certainly didn’t feel like a cafeteria, as some have said.
All in all, I would have no problem recommending Ludlow if you’re feeling adventurous and have some coin to drop on an unexpected delicious evening. Be sure to come w/​an appetite.

Underwhelming is an understatement.
For a restaurant that offers multi-​course and even omakase (tasting) menus, one would expect a finer dining experience. At first glance, the restaurant have its charms — elegant minimalist décor with floor length glass panels and all that. Unfortunately, both quality of the service and the food fall short.
A two-​course dinner lasted over two hours was just ridiculous. A simple salad and an appetizer took over 45 minutes and then entrees were another 50 minutes.
The food was child’s play. It would be good, if from someone’s home kitchen. The Ludlow salad has just a few tiny pieces of paper thin sashimi. The Shrimp Tower, which was practically shrimp and sweet potato tempura on a stick, was no better than what you could easily find in most Japanese restaurants. The batter was a bit thick and not crisp enough.
Had the Octopus Risotto and Beef Stew entrees. Neither impresses. The texture of the beef chunks were inconsistent. A few pieces would be all nice and tender while the rest was super chewy. The miso sauce was not bad even though it was a bit ordinary. The octopus topping on the risotto was actually quite nice. Every pieces were cooked right. The risotto was sadly too mushy with very little firmness.
I think Ludlow would be much better off if positioned as a casual and more humble homestyle diner.

Went with my friend last night, the atmosphere requires more, me thinks… my friend said it reminded her of a corporate cafeteria. Ouch.
A few more plants and maybe some window treatments or an interesting large statue or a huge vase would be nice, and would add a little something special. I mean there’s minimalism, and then there’s MINIMALISM, like nothing to comment on or warm up the place. Like sometimes if there’s a lull in the conversation or an awkward moment, I might want to study something or remark, «Did you see that amazing (whatever) over there? That is SO INTERESTING». lol
That said, she had the cold sake, I have to say, it was plenty for the two of us lightweights. I got a large Sapporo, but honestly we could have glided along on just the cold sake.
Then we got the artichoke appetizer, kind of skimpy and not what we were envisioning. I would skip it next time.
After that, we had our entrees. I had the NY steak and I have to say, it was one of the BEST steaks I have ever had. Honestly, it was seasoned and cooked perfectly. Came with steamed rice and vegetables. On the other hand, my friend was upset that her beef stew plate had a rubbery, chewy texture. Dessert for me was the fried bananas with chocolate ice cream, not that «special» in the sense that I wouldn’t say I was sitting there in Dessert Heaven or anything, but OK. But that steak, wow, that was worth the 4 stars for sure. I was winning.
Chef came out and made sure we were happy, my friend was nice and didn’t say anything negative, esp. since we had a Groupon and got a great deal. Waiter was really nice and very attentive, and very honest about his recommendations (when we asked).
Would I go again? Yes, I probably would, but they really do need to do something about jazzing up the place a lil’ bit and adding a little pizzazz to some of their dishes, some kind of visual/​taste wow-​factor that does it, like the sauce they had with the steak I had, that was awesome.

Stopped by Ludlow tonight and tried their eight course Omakaze (chef’s tasting) menu. The first two courses were pretty good; unfortunately, after that, it was all downhill from there. More about that in a moment, but first, the ambiance and service.
The restaurant itself is relatively small with only about ten or so tables for seating. Art from a local artist (Santana Row) hangs on the walls. Paper panels stand upright and mark the entryway into the restrooms. The restaurant seems causal and down to earth, blending Asian and American themes, just as they do in the preparation of their dishes.
Service was really very friendly. Everybody from the server to the sous chef to the chef himself came out to greet us and ask us about the food. You certainly get the royal treatment from the staff.
Before any of the courses come out, you’re offered sake with your choice of either hot or cold. I opted for cold, having a feeling that the first few dishes would be salad or sashimi, or something cold which should be paired with a cold sake. The waiter told me that I can always swap it out for a hot one, if I like.
Their cold sake was very smooth and went down easy. It had a good, rice flavor to it. No complaints on the sake selection.
That said, after the first two courses (which were pretty good), the rest of the food is unfortunately a bit lacking; let’s go ahead and take the eight courses in turn:
— The first course was a tiradito (a Peruvian raw fish served traditionally in a spicy sauce). Ludlow’s version of the dish featured a salmon sashimi topped with steamed leeks; it was served in a sauce made from vinegar, lime, and olive oil. It had a great flavor to it, which was citrusy and vinegary. A fantastic start to the meal.
— The second course was the beef tataki, which was a seared sliced beef topped with red onion, and served with a ponzu (citrusy soy) sauce. I really enjoyed this, although it was a bit over seasoned, and in particular, had a very strong black pepper flavor. My girlfriend didn’t care for the overly seasoning of it, and if you don’t like salty or seasoned dishes, you probably won’t either. But, for me, it wasn’t bad!
— The third course was their house salad, which was made from a base of spring green, tomatoes, and avocado. It was then tossed with salmon sashimi, albacore, and boiled octopus, before being topped with seaweed and dressed with a mild vinegar. Honestly, the salad was the low point of the meal, and there wasn’t much that stood out about it. The flavors felt mismatched, and the greens weren’t as fresh as they could have been.
— Here is where the pacing went afoul, and they brought out our fourth course after we had only had a couple of bites of the third. Nonetheless, the fourth course was a shrimp tower, stacked high atop a skewer. On the skewer were three different types of shrimp: one deep fried panko shrimp, one nori (seaweed) shrimp, and one black sesame seed shrimp. Also included in the high tower of shrimp were several fried sweet potato chips, and a lime on top to squeeze over your shrimp. On the side of the plate was a beat sauce for you to dip the various tower items in. Overall, this was a good, if not great, course with a mild flavor from the deep frying.
— Following that was the fifth course, a charcoal grilled tuna served in an orange miso sauce with eggplant. This was another low point in the meal, and the eggplant overpowered the dish, almost completely covering the citrusy sweetness flavor of the orange. I wouldn’t recommend this dish.
— After this came a really bizarrely placed sixth course, which was a mushroom risotto. Their risotto was creamy with an okay, but not great, flavor. It was served with bell peppers and spicy peppers that gave it a little kick. The strangest thing about this course was just the placement as the sixth course; it was very starchy and the portion was way too big to be eaten after five courses. I’m not sure what the rationale was for putting this so late, or even if it was desirable as the sixth course, why it had to be such a big portion this late in the meal.
— The seventh course was a miso soup; this also seemed a little bit odd as the penultimate course, but I suppose the intent was for it be a palate cleanser of sorts before the dessert course. Their miso soup was miso soup, and there was nothing special about it, but nothing bad about it either.
— For the final (dessert) course, they actually let us choose from one of three items on the dessert menu. Usually it would be one of four items, but they were out of the banana tempura (fried banana) tonight. We opted for their peach compote with strawberry sorbet as well as their chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Both were good, though the peach compote was the better of the two with a nice sweetness.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend their chef’s tasting (omakase) menu. That said, there were some good items on the menu, so it make sense to order these items individually.

Hello fellow Unilocalers! Okay, I REALLLY enjoy eating food and trying out new places, so of course, when this showed up on Groupon, I had to give it a shot. Went here with my date before going to a comedy show.
Online, they advertised a Sashimi sampler, but to our disappointment, it was no longer on the menu, as were several other things. So, we ordered the Ludlow Salad. The sashimi on the salad was fresh, however, the «cooked» ahi was a bit «fishy» tasting. Otherwise, a decent salad that I would order again.
We ordered the Tempura Artichoke (because I read rave reviews), but it was pretty disappointing in the taste department. We couldn’t taste any curry on the artichoke or on the onion rings.
I ordered the Octopus Risotto and my date ordered the Grilled Maguro. The risotto was supposed to be with grilled octopus and grilled red peppers. Neither items were grilled. The rice was lacking flavor, unless you mixed in the super hot sauce on the side of the bowl. The maguro, did not look appealing on the plate all by its lonesome self with some kind of pureed stuff underneath it (supposed to be orange miso, but it was NOT smooth and appealing in taste) and a handful of wonton strips.
For the price of each entrée, and lack of accompaniments, I think they need some work. Flavor needs to be brought up big time, and plating could use some work. I saw another diner’s entrée with boring white rice and steamed veggies along side his main feature. The décor was a blend of Asian themes, with nothing really taking the forefront. It has seating for about 28 inside, and about 10 outside.
Because I have another coupon, I will go and give it one more chance. I doubt anything will change, but I am hopeful. I can see potential, if they step up the flavors.

I’m so torn about how to rate Ludlow! I came here for dinner with some friends because I had heard such good things about it from other people, and I am always down to try new restaurants.
The location is not the best. It’s at the Oaks, but hidden from the street, so you have to actually be in the Oaks parking lot to notice it. The actual restaurant itself is fairly tiny with probably around 6-​ish tables, but the décor, while simple, makes it look elegant.
The nice thing about new restaurants is that they’re usually super attentive to their customers because they’re trying to make a good impression, and sure enough, everyone here was super super SUPER nice. Our server was very professional and welcoming, and when we saw that there was a lack of vegetarian items on the menu, he offered some suggestions on what my vegetarian friend could order, and offered to check with the chef on what he could make. He returned a few minutes later with the chef, who offered to craft a special vegetarian curry just for my friend. The chef was so adorable. I really liked him– very friendly and funny and it seemed like he genuinely cared about what we, the customers, wanted. He gave my friend a couple high fives, which was amusing, but it was nice to receive such personalized attention from the chef. He came to check on us a few times during the meal, and oddly, was even the one to take care of our bill (though for a small restaurant, I guess that’s natural?) I’m also kind of miffed about the reviews complaining about the appearance of the waiters– everyone was impeccably dressed when we went. I would give them 5 stars just for service, but alas, food has to be taken into account also.
Food-​wise, I wasn’t terribly impressed, which was really disappointing, because I wanted so desperately to really like it because I liked the service here so much (and the chef was really very sweet.) Biggest gripe? Portions are so TINY. It doesn’t help that they serve their dishes in these giant plates that make the tiny portion look even tinier. Tiny portion + expensive price is never a combination that sits well with me, and unless the food is orgasmic… not worth it in my books. We got a free garlic edamame appetizer because the server made a mistake and gave it to us instead of the table next to us. No charge, and they let us keep it, which again, was very nice of them. My friend’s specially crafted vegetable curry dish looked amazing, and the portion was larger than the dishes I and my other friend ordered. The octopus risotto and salmon pasta were both good, but in suuuuch tiny portions. The risotto was not as flavorful as I would have liked though, but I did appreciate the spicy sauce. The chef came and warned us that only a dab would be enough for each bite, but on my first bite, I happened to take a chunk of the risotto that had been soaked in the spicy sauce and needless to say, my tongue was quite surprised to find itself on fire.
tl;dr: AMAZING service. Super sweet and adorable chef, but unfortunately… tiny portions.

Used a Groupon here for dinner and… well, I can’t really say I’d recommend Ludlow. The service was spot on awesome, but for a place that’s billed as having some high quality eats plated well, Ludlow falls kind of short. Yes it does look well-​plated, but the food itself kind of falls short. For an appetizer we had the sashimi-​grade salmon which was alright but again, nothing mindblowing. For entrees we both got the steak which is normally like $ 18 for 6 (six) ounces of steak! Not only that, the sides it came with were some steamed veggies and a mound of rice with something akin to teriyaki sauce swirled on.
I sincerely hope they get their feet under them and offer a better experience because their ideas do look to have some kind of inspiration, but the execution falls pretty flat in my opinion.
Meh. I’ve experienced better.

I would never have found Ludlow if it weren’t for my sister’s friend’s recommendation, and then followed by a Groupon deal. So I used my Groupon for lunch, which included an appetizer and two entrees. We opted to get the Shrimp Tower, Salmon Pasta and Braised Pork Ribs. The Shrimp Tower and Salmon Pasta were great! I loved that the tempura batter on each piece of shrimp and sweet potato were made from different types of batter (panko, rice crispies…). I don’t know how to describe the taste of the salmon, but the sauce with the salmon and fish eggs went together really well. The Braised Pork Ribs were just ok and nothing special.
Service was good. The owner came and spoke to us for a few minutes, explained his restaurant and the dishes. I wish him all the best with his business and hope that it can survive. The restaurant itself looks like it can only serve up to about 25 people at a time, and it’s not in a great location being tucked away in the back of a shopping center. Hopefully the Groupon sales helped him bring in some customers, but not too many that they can’t handle.

The restaurant entrance is interesting. The entrance does not face the parking lot, so it requires you to enter from the side of the building. The dining area is set linearly and the tables that seat 4 are organized diagonally with the exception of the double seating tables against the wall.
Very new restaurant, staff is still working out the kinks. The menu is still on regular computer paper, the wine list is decent but they only carry half of it. So, bare with them.
If you have a party of 2, even with rsvp, you will not be able to sit in the larger table for 4 because those are rsvp even if those parties aren’t showing up till after you’ve left.
Ambience wants to be romantic, intimate, and something else, but it’s missing that spark. Perhaps extra décor on the walls, and mini additions to the tables would suffice.
The food (I reaallllly wanted to like this place):
Ludlow Salad: Okay. The sis loved how it makes her think it’s not so much greens but rather sashimi. I enjoyed the sashimi part of it.
Braised pork: Texture is definitely braised. Could have more flavor to it.
NY Steak: I just had NY steak the night before, there’s something off about this cut. Too lean and dry for medium rare and less of oz. for its price. I like my steak, chewy and juicy, this was all but the latter. The side vegetables was better.
Soju beverage: okay.
Groupon did a great job with rhetoric :) = 870+ buyers.

First time here because of Groupon deal, so I just came here with my food buddy to give it a try, and it end up pretty impressive.
This place is located on a bad location, kind of in the back of the plaza, the decoration is pretty simple, and the restaurant is small. It’s grand open for 2 months. The server here is pretty friendly, and greetings us.
The menu didn’t has that much choices, and it makes it simple as possible. The chef recommended us
–Artichoke Tempura for appetizer which I ate artichoke for the first time, and end up a weird taste for me.
–Grilled chicken for main dish which is the most popular dish here, and it end up pretty good.
–Because it’s out of sashimi samplers which I would like to try, I order lobster salad instead. The lobster is pretty fresh.
–Lastly, I order their house special Ludlow New York stead, which I like the most because they makes the steak medium rear, and with their special souses, it’s Yummy!
They has the small portion and the price is normal. But for the Groupon deal 22 dollar for 1 appetizer + 2 main dishes, which can order up to $ 49 value, how can you reject it. I would like to go back again and try their sushimi samplers next time!

2 stars for complimentary bottomless hot sake! Everything else was just plain odd.
Awkward waiter hovering over our table while we giggle over our sake. Minutes into lingering silently as he waits for the appropriate moment to squeeze in his spiel. After glancing up at him, finally he blurts out items which he thinks we should order.
Ceviche comes out with STALE bread! Complimentary octopus appetizer has been sitting out due to the blackened avocado at room temperature.
Specifically ordered my steak medium rare, emphasis on the rare. He sets it down at the table and comments that it looks very much medium without the rare. Then he repeats my medium rare order and walks away. Wuh?
Checks up on us and ask how was our plates. I replied that it was just fine and he replies with «Oh it’s just fine?» Yes, it’s just fine cause it’s just medium!
On our way out the door he asks if we’re ok to drive. Yes, we’re ok to drive! He leaves us with «Sure you’re ok to drive…»
All that sake sure didn’t mask the questioning service and menu quality.

I came here with my food buddy because we both love Asian fusion food. Ludlow just opened recently so I am sure not a lot of people know about this place. Let me start off by saying their service was so so. They took forever to refills our water and taking our dishes away. Not professional when you are constantly playing/​texting/​looking at your Iphone.
Before we ordered, right off the bat they told us they do not have some of the dishes on the menu. We proceed and ordered:
— Octopus& risotto = they overcooked the octopus to death that it tasted like chewy rubbers. The only tasty part was the risotto.
— Grilled Maguro = not fresh therefore the odd texture tasted like beef. The orange sauce was bland and the definitely need more seasoning.
— Artichoke Tempura = the chef recommended this and it was a disaster. basically fried artichoke and fried onion rings underneath.
— Steak (filet mignon) = a messy dish plated in four corners. I cannot believed they slice the steak in pieces so it was not able to hold the steak juice. The steak definitely need more seasoning. They undercooked their vegetables as well, it was raw.
Overall, I am very disappointed in this place. This place is more like a 2.5 stars but not close to 3 stars. They really need to step up their game if they want to stay in business.

This little gem packs in amazing dishes, decadent ambiance, and excellent service to boot! My boyfriend and I were excited to try this new Asian fusion spot we had heard so many great things about. This place was tidy and well-​kept; with a window to the sparkling kitchen so that one can see how each dish is meticulously crafted. This is definitely a place where you should take a date because every single dish looked and tasted fantastic.
The best part of Ludlow are the impeccable service and the fantastic prices! Our server kept our glasses full, always one step ahead, anticipating what we needed. When we called in to reserve a table for a larger group, Ludlow especially prepared fresh flowers as our centerpiece decoration! Talk about service!
For sushi lovers: this restaurant gives very generous servings and even has vegetarian dishes for your veggie friends. As far as sashimi goes, Ludlow’s fish were the freshest, most delicious fish I had ever had. The meat and fish at Ludlow are super, super FRESH! Upon questioning the server, it was unveiled to us that their very talented chef (his name is Toki) is very picky about his fish and that he hand picks them each morning.
Ludlow gets +5 stars for excellent ambiance, amazing dishes (super FRESH), and fantastic prices!