This review is long overdue!I got my very first tattoo done by Jimmy. I found him on Yelp and decided to give him a call to make an appointment. He told me that he was booked for a while but was able to squeeze me in on a Saturday. I texted him a picture of exactly what I wanted and he was able to fulfill more than expected. I love my tattoo so much! And I get so many compliments on how detailed and the skillset it took to be able to execute it. He also had good energy and the music was dope. Overall, it was a great first experience! Read Less

I came to Jimmy for my half sleeve and boy did I make the right decision. After looking through so many artist pages I finally came down to talk to jimmy about my piece and he already had things drawn out I can look at which was very helpful . He is full of ideas and did great work , very detailed and so little pain with that numbing Cream. Read Less

No proper response and says he is booked for whole year. Well, please mention you are not open for appointments in yelp and Google ads too ;)I clearly asked if here is free anytime ahead.Please mention in your ad that you only do "complex tattoos/high hour stuff"A 5 inches compass with map is not too small, people need to get a clear idea . Not everyone one is a tattoo pro. And you definitely are not an artist! Read Less

Shot Jimmy a text and within minutes we were talking about my tattoo idea. Since this was my first tattoo and it was going to be pretty big (koi, tiger and hannya mask/chest plate and sleeve), I had to make sure Jimmy was the right guy, and boy was he the one and then some. Upon arrival we went through the different ideas he had in mind and I finally gave him the OKAY. At first the tiger he stenciled on seemed a bit small on my upper arm, but then he decided to go a bit bigger which turned out way better. Only thing he really stenciled was the tiger, koi and hannya mask, everything else was freehand. Even during the process he decided to throw on some bamboo and flowers free hand. Outline turned out AMAZING!Jimmy was super easy to get along with. We were able to talk about anything and everything while listening to music in the background which helps out alot while getting tatted up, helps you keep your mind off the pain. But Jimmy has a super light hand and is quick and efficient.Before you know it, my outline was done. Jimmy is genuinely good at what he does. Can't wait for my next appt in July! Read Less

Got referred to Jimmy by a coworker/friend. Sent Jimmy an email and within minutes he responded back with his number to text. Chatted for 30 minutes over text what I wanted and appointment date. Hassle free. His studio is right next to Spartan tacos! We spent about an hour going over design concept. Jimmy had the praying hand picture ready but I wanted a rosary to wrap around the hands. He draws everything on the iPad. None of that old school light board desk. After a few tries we agreed on a design and it was time to get ink! I already had my left chest before so I knew what to expect coming in to do my right chest. Boy was the experience much different this time! Jimmy does offer numbing cream for anyone that needs it. It'll take an hour to kick in though. I'm pretty old school so I didn't use the numbing cream. Throughout the session Jimmy explained different techniques that he was using and why. He had music playing in the background which was a nice distraction. We ended up striking a conversation about music which was awesome! Next thing you know it Jimmy says that he's done! Checked it out in the mirror and was floored as to how realistic it looked! My favorite and best tattoo yet! Jimmy's hourly rate is very comparable to other studios. My appointment was at 11am and I left his studio around 1:30pm. Sketching took an hour and the tattoo session took another 90 minutes. Overall, I am very happy that I went to jimmy. I will be going back to him in the future to finish my back. Read Less

Called jimmy he hooked it up real fast told me he was free right now. When I got there I immediately liked his vibe, even though I wanted something super tiny and small he didn't mind at all tattooing me. He's got the lightest touch and made me feel very comfortable in the parlor. Definitely worth it and definitely would come bk for more. Read Less

Found Jimmy on Yelp while researching artists in SJ area. After seeing a lot of positive feedback from his customers, I hit him up. He's a nice dude, knows a lot about tattooing and just life in general. His work is pretty painless compared to others I've used in the past, he has really clean lines and great shading techniques, with no bleeding or scars. He can do pretty much any design, just give him a reference or idea of what you want and he can freehand designs which makes each tattoo a bit different and unique. To schedule, just text him and he'll take a small deposit so you can pick the day for your first session. After that, he charges by the hour. His rate is competitive with others. Just keep in mind it's a tattoo so you get what you pay for so don't cheap out. Some others may charge less per hour but they end up taking longer overall to complete or the quality is not as great. Do your research before booking, but you can't go wrong with Jimmy, he's legit.I'm glad I hit him up, it was worth the 4-5 hour round trip to get it done. Knowing I live far, he worked fast, got my sleeve done in 2 sessions. Despite being so fast it came out legit. I'll probably come back down in a few months for a quick touch up session. Read Less

Jimmy is the man when it comes to ink. If he says he can do it, believe me he can do it and exceed far beyond your original expectations. The spot is very cozy and clean and his attitude is nothing but professional. You can come to this man with nothing but and idea and he will give birth to a full on visual masterpiece. I have multiple pieces done by Jimmy and plan on getting more from him in the future. He doesn't just do solid art work, but he makes the entire tattooing session a pleasant experience. I highly recommend trusting his talents when it comes to your next piece, you will not regret it. Read Less

Got the urge to get a new tattoo recently, and Jimmy was able to see me this afternoon. I showed him a picture of a cherry blossom tattoo I've been wanting since I was 19, and he gave a suggestion to have it start from the side, since I wanted to add to it later on and have it go down my upper arm. He freehanded the design, making sure I was ok with it before starting. Jimmy was very respectful the entire time, checking in with me every few minutes to make sure I was doing alright. It took just over an hour, and the price was very reasonable for the amount of detail in the piece. The tattoo turned out beautiful, and I couldn't be happier. Read Less

Made an appointment to get a tattoo, and he put me on the list that day because I was getting something small on my rib cage. He was really imformative and nice when he talked to me, and gave me a price range on how big of a tattoo i wanted. It costed me about $130 and when he had set me up on the table, and did his job with the tools he had, he was very nice and light handed. It didn't hurt at all and it was one of the best things for me to understand to trust the person that does something permanent on my body.After he was done, he had told me how to take care of my tattoo and how i should know what not to do. Great place for a tattoo, and he's very good at his craft. If you really want a big tattoo, make an appointment ahead of time. Read Less

I've been looking for a place that specialized in Asian drawings and when I came across his page, I knew this was the place to get my piece done! Texted the number given and got a response literally minutes after and got a consultation session THAT DAY. Jimmy's really straightforward and a pretty cool guy to talk to about anything and everything lolI'm usually never offered to have numbing cream but this for sure saved my ass. It made everything go smoother with little to no pain at all, so that's always a plus!! :) I really recommend coming here to get your pieces done. Lines are clean and precise. Read Less

I wanted to get a dragon tattoo on my back and was referred by a friend that Jimmy does really good dragon tattoos. First, he put on this numbing cream--we waited about an hour for it to settle. I literally couldn't feel anything in the 2-2.5 hours he was tattooing. I have 3 other tattoos done by different artists and Jimmy was by far the most light handed tattoo-er and worked quickly but precisely.This guy is hilarious and was so fun getting tattooed by him, really fun to talk to. His line work is so clean & precise. He specializes in Japanese style and I would highly recommend him! Will be coming back to him for my next tattoo! Read Less

I literally walked out of Jimmy's studio 10 minutes ago. Jimmy worked quickly and the process was as close to painless as a tattoo could possibly be. First, he used a numbing cream. I appreciate the hell out of that. I think there's less swelling and blood than my last tattoo without the lidocaine cream. He lets it sit for an hour, so you can go next door really quickly for lunch at spartan tacos. He'll most likely join you for a quick bite so you can chat for a bit and get comfortable with him if you like.Numbing cream works, y'all. About 2.5 hours later, I was done. Line work was painless at times, an annoyance at worst. Shading was more painful but almost ticklish because of how gentle he is.Easy 5/5 review. Read Less

Jimmy's work is legit. I've spent 7+ years looking for and thinking about what kind of Japanese-Asian inspired tattoo I wanted.Finally after getting really deep into the internet one very late night, I found an image of a geisha holding a dragon that's actually coming out of her sleeve - and instantly knew I needed that as my 2nd (but first big) tattoo.I had already bookmarked Jimmy's yelp page prior since all of his yelp reviews were amazing but it didn't seem like I needed to wait a year to get this done.I hit him up pretty quickly afterwards and easily scheduled an appointment a month out after giving him the initial $100 deposit.Two sessions later (one for the outline, the second for the shading), the piece was done and I could not be any happier! Not only is the dude good at what he does, he's super easy to talk to and very down to earth.I think in total, we spent 9-10 hours together but the time went by hella quick.Jimmy is a great artist to go to and I am already thinking of my second piece. I would happily refer him to my friends and my boyfriend (who's flirting with the idea of getting his first tat).Definitely go with Jimmy for tattoo wants before he gets booked up even more than he is now! Read Less

Thanks Jimmy! My friend and I hit up Jimmy today last minute to get a tattoo before I moved away for memories. He was super patient with us (I kept asking for more details). He was professional, cleaned his needles and changed it between sessions, and set-up right in front of us so we could see. His price was fair too. There is a $100 MIN on any tattoo, big or small, so just a tip. He's a chill guy. Read Less

When I first embarked on my journey to find my first tattoo I was intrigued by Jimmy's work. At first I searched all through out yelp looking at thousands of pictures of koi tattoos. The work that impressed me the most was Jimmy's Koi. I was able to give him an initial call where he was patient with all my first time tattoo questions. Then when I finally came in Jimmy was able to interpret my concept as well as give me some expert advise on how to create a tattoo that would fit perfectly with my body. Once we came to an agreement Jimmy stenciled the Koi onto me and freehanded the background, as this was the best way to ensure that the tattoo fits your body. At first, he applied a smaller Koi onto me and noticed that it did not quite fit the profile of my shoulder and arms. He decided that it was best apply a bigger Koi. This impressed me a lot, as  I already gave approval to the original stencil, but Jimmy being the perfectionist that he is insisted that we switch to the larger Koi. Though out the 3 straight days of tattooing Jimmy kept the work clean, least painful, and as efficient as possible. He would always check on me to see how I was doing in terms of pain and comfort. Additionally those 3 days went by in a flash because of the great conversation we had. As for the work, take a look at the picture, they speak for themselves. The lines are clean and shading is on point. Now I get to have a beautiful piece of artwork on me that will not only garner attention but also represent a lot of pride. If you want the best work around go to Jimmy. You won't be disappointed. Read Less

He is a very nice person and his art work is amazing.  The ink colors that he is using is unique which makes the tattoo turns out very beautiful.  At the beginning I had a tattoo from another person was disappointed but after I went to Jimmy, it looks beautiful that my friends and family like it so much.  I would highly recommend Anyone who wants to get tattoo, go to him and you will never regret. Read Less

One of the best tattoo artists you can find in the Bay Area! Had the pleasure of getting some work done by Jimmy and am looking forward to my future appointments with him. Jimmy specializes in Irezumi style tattoos but can easily work with anything you throw at him. Clean, professional, friendly, and uses the highest quality equipment on the market. Read Less

Very light handed, skilled master tattooist. I had a really good experience with Jimmy. He was very friendly, professional, and patient. I had an idea and he took it and created an amazing tattoo, and I couldn't be any happier. Cant wait to finish my full sleeve!!!!!!!!!!! ��� Read Less

If you're looking to get some bad ass work done , see Jimmy! His work is really clean and his pieces are sick! He worked on back and fix old tattoos from front to back.  I love my new piece on my back. He listens to what you want. Free hand is his thing. Doesn't look like other tattoos out there.  Not only does he produce great work but he also finishes fast! Hands down my favorite tattoo artist! Going to come back to him to finish my whole body!!!! Thanks broimgrum.org/user/jimmylai… Read Less

Jimmy is an amazing tattoo artist, you tell him what you want, he will draw on you right away. He works really fast, so if you are planning on getting half sleeve like me. He can finish it within 6 hrs. He turns on good music. Reasonable price and he is good. Read Less

Jimmy is the only person I go to for tattoos. I think that I can be a shy person at times, but Jimmy makes me feel comfortable throughout long sessions. He's patient and always gives me his honest opinion. I never hesitate to refer people when they ask me who did my tats. He gets booked up fast so I suggest you try to schedule early in the month. Read Less

Thank you Jimmy for being patient with our "complicated" design. This was our first time getting tattoos, and you made us felt right at home from the start. The way you handle your customers, you take good care of them making sure we are pleased with our piece of art on our body. I would definitely come back to him for tattoos in the future! He's gentle and make sures no bruising and blood! Read Less

Just got my half sleeve started by Jimmy and it seriously looks amazing! He is very friendly and professional, I cannot wait to come back to finish my half sleeve! I'm recommending him to all my friends. Read Less

I've been wanting this tattoo since as long as I could remember but I couldn't find an artist that does the type of style I want. I ended up asking my girlfriend about her leg tattoo and she told me she got it from Jimmy. Although he specializes in Japanese tattoos, my girlfriend told me that he's really versatile and can basically do anything you want. She gave me his number and when I texted him, he replied right away. He asked me what I wanted and where and we set up an appointment right away. When I walked into the appointment he already had my tattoo stencil drawn out and was ready to tattoo me. What really impressed me was that he did my tattoo, which covers most of my outer thigh, in about three hours. I have smaller tattoos on my arm and shoulder and those took about four to five hours each, so I went in thinking my tattoo would probably take about five to six hours. Not only did he finish tattooing me faster than I thought, my tattoo turned out better than I thought it would too. It's by far my favorite tattoo. Definitely recommend Jimmy and will be coming back to get more. Read Less

Got recommended by my girl to check out Jimmy cause she really liked the piece that he did on her! I messaged him and he replied within the next 30 minutes and gave me his calendar to schedule my appointment right away. I liked him already for having a quick response time. Came in and he was really helpful in figuring out how I wanted to design of my tattoo to be, and was really patient with me. He also offered suggestions to add to my piece and it turned out great. You should totally check him out on instagram jimmy Lai tattoos and see all the pieces he's done. Very light handed and the pain was totally bearable, and it was my first tat too! Really chill guy, would totally recommend him. Read Less

Getting a tattoo is not a desicion one should rush. With social media these days, it is easy to look at an artists style/work. I happen to stumble on Jimmy's work from a Google search. His instagram page, jimmylai_tattoos, showed his artwork. I wanted a koi fish tattoo and his are exactly what I was looking for. Jimmy is professional, showed me the new needle he was using and was thorough about his process. Jimmy is very open to his customers requests.In addition to the above mentioned, this man is just good peoples. We talked about our upbringing and our financial struggles as kids (we both wore pro wings growing up, the struggle was real). He is down to earth and will take good care of you. Most of his customers want Asian based artwork. However, if you look at his instagram page, he even did a Calvin and Hobbs. Hit him up, I will go back to him for my tattoo needs. Read Less

I finished a right arm sleeve with Jimmy this past summer and am booked to get started on the left arm.  Jimmy is easy to get along with for extended sessions and has good ideas on how to put together themes that i had in mind.  Im happy with the first tattoo and am excited for the next one with Jimmy. Read Less

Wow Jimmy can freehand! Jimmy will customize to your liking and anything you want! Great personality and customer service. We gave him a flower that we wanted, but he made it look better than what we gave him. Now, I'm trying to work out a sleeve with him. I'm so excited! Read Less

Come to Jimmy if you want quality work done. He's easy to work with and accommodates the customer's need. I came in to get a sleeve done and It looks better than what I imagined. I'll be coming back for future pieces. He has a light touch, which helps for longer sessions. Read Less

Hit up Jimmy Lai if you want an artist. He's a cool dude and a great artist. I just recently had my sleeve done from him and it's coming coming out nice. Check out his ig @Jimmylai_Tattoos to see his work. Read Less

I was recommended by a friend that had recently had his done here. I was honestly a little skeptical at first since it's a fairly new place but I really liked the work he had done for his sleeve. This is seriously the place to go to if it is your first experience! I'm not kidding, VEE did my first tat and she seriously was extremely light handed. I showed her exactly what I wanted and the final tat was on point. She even added her on touch to it. Loved it. She was constantly checking on me to be sure I was comfortable. I really felt like I was in good hands. She showed me some of her work so I know I will definitely be coming back for more tats. After my session...The staff and VEE made sure I understood how to take care of my tat. They handed me instructions so I don't forget and recommended things I may want to get. They answered all my questions without any annoyance. Every other place I been to were top notch jerks. Parking: there's plenty of parking on the streets and where the building is located. The shop is located on the second floor. Read Less