Sen Japanese Gourmet Deli & Catering

This place is a hidden treasure! No dine-​in seating but they’re perfect for to-​go orders and party platters! Tasty sushi rolls and very reasonably priced!

So good! My husband and I are so happy we found a bento place! Not those fake teriyaki place «bentos» but an authentic bento place. :) their sushi is delicious too! Don’t forget to grab some monster onigiri’s.

Very authentic. They deliver next door to Thirsty Hop which is great if you want sushi and a beer.

Beautiful compositions
Ambience: —
Food: 4
Drinks: —
Value: 4
Sen Deli is a take-​out place serving authentic Japanese style bento, make by an American-​Japanese couple and the daughter’s Japanese dad. The bento is fantastic, tasty, beautiful, and full of variety (there are some interesting veggies not often given). The other stuff (e.g. nigiri sushi) are decent, but not as good as the sushi.
The best thing about this place, in my opinion, is that it is located next to Thirsty Hop the beer room. You can go get a beer, order you food at Sen, and then have them deliver the food over to the bar (to be enjoyed with your beer). It’s one of the best combos around.

Two times out of three we got really good sushi, fresh and generous portions. The third time just didn’t hit the same high mark as the first two, somehow. Maybe it was just us. Anyway, our favorite way of enjoying their sushi is to place an order and then have it delivered next door at Thirsty Hop, where we enjoy the sushi with a variety of craft beers. Definitely a valuable addition to the local takeout scenery.

Fresh tasting and simple Japanese food. I ordered a Tuna Belly Bento box and was impressed with the quantity of food and quality of the fish. The man working the register was very friendly and helpful.
Plus, they deliver next door to Thirsty Hop.

I read rave about this place and finally decide to try. I got salmon and salmon roe donburi. Salmon wasn’t bad but salmon roe was unfortunately not fresh nor what it is supposed to taste.
Salmon roe didn’t look quite right (roe was flat and some of them were broken) but I tried anyway. It tasted just as it looked. I understand these kind of things go bad quickly but they should not serve to customers this bad quality of salmon roe.
Very disappointed as I live nearby and wanted to like this place.

I got their lunch sushi plate from peachd.
It was amazing, some of the best sushi I had and not very expensive. They gave packaged soy sauce and the wasabi and ginger was also good. Overall, will buy again !

I went here a few times when it opened and was quite surprised at how great the food and service was. I had completely forgotten about it (despite living 5 blocks away) until the other day when I drove by it and decided to drop in.
I ordered the Bento of the Day for like $ 11 or something like that. The service was fast and the workers were very friendly. When I got home and actually ate the food, I was quite impressed. The fish was fresh and everything looked beautiful.
I’m so glad I found this place again. The prices are fair, the food is good, the service is great, and they even have a cool selection of Japanese snacks, drinks, and candies. All in all, if you love Japanese food and live or work close by, it’s a great place to grab lunch.

I was looking for some Japanese food and found this one with good reviews in Kirkland.
It is a small shop and for to go only. They also sell some bread, drinks and snacks etc. The cashier was friendly and helpful. I ordered a Japanese traditional bento box, a Kaisen Chirashi bowl, spicy tuna rolls and inari fried tofu.
After twenty minutes, I was impressed by the presentation when I opened the boxes at home. The seafood and all the ingredients were fresh and colorful. The portion is very generous and I love their sesame dressing. I took one start out because of the rice. If I ate the rice right after I got the order, it would have been perfect texture. Unfortunately, the rice tasted a little bit off. Overall, I found the hidden gem and will definitely go back again!

This may be a generous 5 stars but I had a pleasant experience ordering in the store and loved my meal so I really have no complaints! Sen is a to-​go store — there’s some random things you can buy like bread, drinks, snacks, etc. in addition to the menu. I tried three things so far and enjoyed it all:
Salmon sashimi, $ 6.99. They give you four large pieces, so it’s really equivalent to 8 pieces of sashimi and they also give you a small bed of veggies (loved the baby broccoli) under your sashimi and enough ginger — sooo good! I’d definitely get this again.
Salmon aburi nigiri, $ 3.49. This is «seared salmon» and it’s delicious! Comes with ginger too. I could probably eat ten of these.
Pudding, $ 1.95. Okay, not sure what this is actually called, but they just call it pudding. It’s eggy with sweet sauce on the bottom that mixes in as you eat it (see pic). It’s similar to flan I guess, but super smooth and melts in your mouth! Yum, worth the $ 2 even though it’s a small cup.
All in all, loved it and will be back. I may be convinced everything’s good, but I wouldn’t be opposed to getting the exact same things again. Why try something new when you already know what you love? :)

Wonderful take out for delicious, fresh Japanese food like Sushi, Sashimi, Nigiri, Bento, Soups and Salads. Unlike delis that have bentos and sushis made and sitting around, everything is made as you order. If you know what you want, call ahead to save waiting time. Parking can be a problem.

We absolutely adore Sen Deli!
Their quality is excellent, it’s authentic Japanese food that is being offered at an extremely reasonable price and without pretension. It’s very convenient to have a new delicious, healthy option for takeout meals on busy weeknights. For years, we’ve been paying restaurant prices for Japanese takeout but now we save money, without sacrificing any quality, by frequenting Sen Deli instead.
Hands down our favorite new spot for takeout on the eastside!

Wow. Met and exceeded my expectations.
Please note this is a «To-​Go» only establishment, with no seating available. But yes, its totally worth ordering, and bringing it to wherever you please, and itadakimasu — it up!
On my first try, I ordered two salmon bento’s, inari sushi, tamago sushi, and a california roll.
You can tell just by the california roll alone, that man, you can definitely taste the quality in the ingredients. The rice was perfectly soft and flavorful. Good amounts of sugar and vinegar. Such a pleasant «california roll». Probably one of the best in the Greater Seattle Area, and i eat a lot of sushi! You can also tell a lot regarding the tamago. Tho it wasn’t the best tamago i have ever eaten, i give it a strong two thumbs up.
Bento was amazing. Fish was nicely flavored, and not over cooked (so that it wasn’t dry). All the side dishes were greatly seasoned and presented well. Even the little piece of boiled carrot that was cut to look like a little flower? haha amazing. softly boiled, and flavored to perfection.
I definitely cannot wait to order some more to go from this place. Would even order the rolls and rolls and rolls of just california rolls to bring as my potluck item to a friends next time!
Yes its a little bit pricier than other establishments, but I think its totally worth the price. The service was quick and friendly too!
gets a big strong OM-​NOM-​NOM from me!

I wish I could give it higher than a five star. We ordered our Osechi Ryori (Japanese New Year Dish) in advance and a friend picked it up late afternoon on Dec 31^st. One New Years morning my wife arranged our traditional Osechi Ryori (Japanese New Year Dish) I wish to share with you the contents of the Osechi Rori and their meaning:
Red and White Fish cake: — The red color represents happiness and joy, and, the white color represents cleanliness; Rolled Dish — In the past, important documents were made into paper rolls. So, rolled dishes in Osechi represents the wish for knowledge and wisdom; Sweet Potato and Chest Nuts — This golden color dish is to wish wealth and good luck; Black Bean — In Japanese «MAME» (bean) is also phonetically the same as the word which means happiness; Rolled Kelp — In Japanese «KOBU» (kelp) i the word «YoroKobu» which means happiness; Anchovy — In the past, Japanese farmers sprinkled small anchovy into their farm soil to wish for making it more fertile. Thus, the anchovy dish represents good production; Herring Roe — The herring roe represents to be blessed with children and family prosperity; Shrimp — The shrimp’s long antennae and round back are symbols for a long life; Burdock Root — The burdock root grows long and deep into the ground. Because of this, it carries the meaning of stability; Lotus Root — The lotus root has many holes. The ancient Japanese wished for the power to look far into the future through these holes.
The Osechi Ryori was expertly prepared by a Japanese Master. The quality was excellent along with the service we received from Sen Japanese Gourmet Deli and Catering. I would highly recommend Sen Japanese Gourmet Deli and Catering to you for very traditional and expertly prepared Japanese food.
From our family to you and yours: Wishing your New Year 2015 to be filled with prosperity, joy, and happiness. Happy New Year everyone.

Came here during my lunch break with a friend and I was pleasantly surprised.
I got the seared salmon, spicy tuna temaki, unagi, and a shake onigiri. The spicy tuna here is really good so I recommend the temaki.
It’s to-​go only which is convenient if you’re working around the area and wanted to grab a quick lunch.

OH MY GOD.
Pirateninja is so incredibly thrilled by how delicious this place is! This could be my secret headquarters. HAPPY TIME

After trying Yoshinos in Carlsbad California, my wife and I were teying to look for something similar and in many different aspects Sens deli was exactly that.
The only (and very key) difference though is that the food just wasnt up to par. We ordered multiple dishes and they were all good but not great. I would have given a 3.5 stars if I could have and since the 4.5 Unilocal rating here is just way too high, I decided to round down.
Remember though that there are no places to sit and eat.

As good as it gets in the Seattle area, so I am giving it five stars.
I have been craving Japanese-​style bento for a really long time. I am not looking for the Americanized version where you get two gyoza, a salad made with store-​bought greens, and chicken drenched in teriyaki sauce, but the ones with multiple side dishes, fancy fried egg, and some cool looking meat/​protein. I was really craving that I would have settled for the discounted bento that one would find in Japanese supermarkets after 7pm, so I am glad that found Sen.
The chef at Sen was actually certified in Japan! You see his certificates on the wall. I think that really made a difference since people who are trained chefs don’t compromise on things just because they are in a different country. (They make adjustments based on the ingredients available yes, but not on taste!)
Sen’s banto boxes are served warm and you have to take out. The items in the bento actually looked like someone took the time to prepare it. And there are several items as it would have been in Japan, rather than 3. Bento making is such an art in Japan I am always a little sad that this art got lost in the states. It’s almost impossible to find a decent bento here. It makes sense too since US consumers don’t typically appreciate the varieties in a bento; rather most just want quantity.
Either way, I ordered the hamachi bento. I am sure the sides change daily so I am not going to spend time describing them but I will just post the picture of the bento. My favorite side from it is the braised daikon since I have been craving oden for a while. Other Unilocalers have ordered the traditional which looked good from the picture. The type of bentos they have changes daily but I think the traditional is always there.
I would eat here everyday for lunch if my office is anywhere close to here (Please open a location in Bellevue!). Anyhow, I can’t wait to visit again. I highly recommend this place for filling in a niche that is not in the surrounding areas. Next, I would like to see an oden truck start going around Bellevue.

Sushi, sashimi, rolls, deli style salads, bentos, and more! This is what you will find at Sen Deli!
I love that you can come in and everything is pretty much made to order, with the exception of the prepackaged deli items in the refrigerated section. The sushi is fresh and the value is awesome! $ 6 — $ 8 bucks for rolls, $ 10 for Salmon donburi bowl, and $ 3 for a side of things like seaweed/​roe salads, and other Japanese sides… YUM!
When I came here, I opted for a Salmon chirashi bowl; it was served on a bed of rice, and layered with sesame seeds, seaweed, salmon and topped with tobiko ($ 1 extra). This was a really great dish that was well put together and presented beautifully. I also got a side of seaweed and roe salad. delicious! :)
Take out only! I hope this place stays around!