Cardinal Sushi

Even though the restaurant itself is small, the quality and taste of the food is way better then a lot of the big restaurants. This is the perfect example for the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”. The place is clean, the food taste super fresh, and the lady at the cash register is super sweet. I don’t normally write reviews for take out but I had to when I saw the words written on the box. It’s now my favorite restaurant in this area.

While the food is absolutely delicious, I can't seem to overlook the price. The Unagi Donburi bowl was over $20 on Doordash Pickup and while the unagi was a good portion, there wasn't much to go along with the very small portion of rice and veggies. I would have expected a larger bowl with more rice, even a larger on the side to complement the high price point. The spicy tuna roll is also quite pricy at $6.75 and it was extremely tasty but 8 small pieces of a roll would not have been enough for an appetizer unless you wanted a snack. Overall it's a nice place to grab some great food every once in a while if you can swallow the price.

After receiving royal status at Cardinal Sushi, how can I neglect to review it?
As a Cardinal myself, I have special motivation to give this place business. My sake sashimi cravings have resulted in trying a number of different sushi restaurants in the area. Cardinal delivers on numerous accounts and wins out!
This is not really a dine in place unless you want a really casual intimate dining experience. Don't come here on a date. It's a perfect place to order out from. Some things that make it the best take out sushi restaurant in the area are fresh, well prepared and packaged food. They will be generous with the extra ginger or low sodium soy sauce. The miso soup is wrapped in Saran Wrap thereby eliminating potential spills. They provide a small container to mix soy sauce and wasabi in. They also provide chop sticks and a napkin. The container and wrapping are exceptional from a service point of view.
The sashimi, soup, rolls and nigiri are all excellent. The prices are quite reasonable for sushi standards. (This isn't McDonalds people!)
Another MAJOR bonus is it's open late! This is a shock considering we are in a college town and one would expect many establishments to stay open late. Not so! Palo Alto is a notoriously sleepy town. If dinner means eating past 8:30 pm, you might be out of luck. Lucky for you Cardinal Sushi is open!
If you're in the Stanford/Palo Alto area and have a craving for sushi, make Cardinal Sushi your choice!

Best sushi in Palo Alto. I know the place looks like a hole in the wall, where you'd get food poisoning. But the sushi is pure joy.