Expensive? Yes. Worth it for the quality? Absolutely. I have been coming to Cho Cho San Sushi in Lake Balboa for years, and it remains my absolute favorite sushi spot in the area. Most days, the vibe here is incredibly quiet, laid-back, and relaxing (you get the occasional loud group, but it's usually very peaceful). What keeps me coming back year after year is the unbeatable quality of the fish. It is incredibly fresh, sweet, and light-tasting, and the rice is always perfectly executed. You don't always find this level of quality in standard sushi rolls, but this place nails it every single time. My only critique is that the prices are insanely expensive compared to other nearby sushi spots. They definitely have some of the highest prices around, but the top-notch quality justifies the splurge. My absolute must-orders: Salmon Belly Nigiri: An extremely fatty, perfect cut of salmon served over simple sushi rice. It's amazing on its own, but absolutely perfect when you dip it in ponzu sauce. Baby Lobster Hand Roll: Packed with generous chunks of fresh baby lobster meat, avocado, rice, and mayo tucked into a perfect hand roll. The 300 Roll: A fried roll with cream cheese, spicy tuna, lobster, cucumber, and crab. Trust me, it is so worth it. Make sure to ask for the Creamy Power Sauce--it's a mayo-based sesame sauce that takes it to the next level. Shout out to our server, Yuishiro! He has been there for years and is always so incredibly friendly and nice. Exceptional food and wonderful service keep this place at the top of my list~~~ read more

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Disappointed. Philly roll came with 5 pieces. Even though they were large they weren't prepared well and they just fell apart. There also wasn't much salmon in them. Including tip o paid around $17 for it. Just not worth the price at all. Service was nice so that's why I didn't give just one start read more

Cho Cho San - Philly roll - 5 piece - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encino, California

Just what I needed when I don't want to eat something hot! Enjoyed the Hurricane roll, yellowtail handroll and salmon skin handroll. The hurricane was Spicer than I thought it would be but I love spicy food so I didn't mind. The yellowtail tasted so fresh and the salmon skin was excellent. The sushi chefs were friendly and took my order immediately. I don't feel rushed at all. Even better this place is walking distance from me so got to enjoy a nice walk on this summer evening read more

Cho Cho San - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encino, California

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A valley institution! Stick to the fresh sushi/rolls. Our favorites are the spicy albacore handroll, salmon skin handroll, lobster handroll, and BSCR. Make sure you ask for the sweet vinegar, goes well with everything. Fish quality was great. A little more on the pricey side but portions and quality were there. I often get confused when people complain about higher prices for raw seafood. You get what you pay for. Totally forgot to take pics because we devoured our food. Super empty on a Sat at lunch time. read more

Food was good, service was not. Wrong dishes were brought out, had to wait till everyone was finished and finally had the order to go. Few items we said no avacado and they still had the avacado on it. I know it was a large party but they only had two servers read more

Cho Cho San remains a fresh, well priced, and ultimately among my favorite sushi spots in the Valley. My family has been coming here for years and it's been nice to see the familiar faces of chefs and waiters all this time. Everyone is always friendly and polite and the food has always come quickly and freshly made. Octopus Salad 3/5 and 5/5, my mom and I split this as an appetizer. I personally thought it was just alright but my mom was obsessed and would order it again. Chicken skewers 4/5, so I ordered this last time but this time they were a little different. I would order them without sauce since they both seem to come with sauce?? But this time there was some vegetable in between the chicken which I was very confused by Pink lady 5/5, as always the scallops melt in your mouth they are so soft and smooth Firefly roll 5/5, a lovely spicy tuna roll read more

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Tried this place for the first time and it was pretty good. Felt like the spicy tuna crispy rice was nothing special. The whipped salmon and scallop rolls were pretty nice. It wasnt busy at all when we visited so our togo order came out fairly quickly. Staff were friendly. I would come back for a quick bite read more

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Not bad just not memorable. Did not care for the miso soup. Also the seaweed salad was much too sweet. Edamame didn't seem super fresh. Yellow tail was cut very thick and had a lot of sauce. The salmon sushi was really good, I like the rice. Spicy tuna and crispy rice was pretty standard. read more

First time at Cho Cho San and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and the friendly service from staff. Restaurant is clean and spacious with plenty of parking in the lot. I got the shoyu ramen without any protein. I really liked how there's a ton of sliced fried garlic and seaweed. It was a simple bowl of ramen but very flavorful. My table also had some appetizers to share, like tempura green beans and avocado rolls, and they all tasted pretty good. read more

Cho Cho San - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encino, California

I love the sushi here, always very fresh and wonderful portions. I highly recommend the yellowtail Kama. They always make it to perfection, regardless if I'm ordering for delivery or eating in. This is my go to restaurant, I love that it's clean and welcoming. read more

This place is a complete joke. I go to the university across the street and tried to give this place a chance for lunch a couple times. If I pay $19 for a 911 roll I expect it to be excellent in presentation, quality, and size. It was so mediocre. I gave them a chance again just because of convenience and the avocado on my roll was literally rotten. I came back a third time and decided to order a simple spicy tuna roll for $12 and they tried to charge me an extra $2 just for spicy mayo which is a freebie at most places They have no happy hour. I searched a little harder and Zeppin Japanese Restaurant is a 4 minute walk away. Way better experience in every single way. Don't give Cho Cho San your business they are not comparable to locations literally next door to them.... read more

What happened? The quality of the food has declined. We've been ordering from here for years and the food from our last order was a disappointment to our entire family. read more

This place has gone down hill and they don't care. Used to be good, is now "meh" if I'm lucky. I keep saying I'll never go there again, but I do because it's right across the street from my work and they also have a couple of specialties that I like. I got one of them today and it was so nasty, barely any there at all, and my stomach is making some weird noises. Also, it took an hour and 10 minutes to prepare (only ordered 1 roll). They just don't care any more and I have no idea how they even stay in business. Smack me hard if I ever go there again!! read more

Favorite place!! Timothy was amazing and very sweet!! He was so attentive and took care of us!!! Thank you Timothy!!!

A sushi staple. 911 rolls are always fantastic as well as the crispy tuna albacore. Just about everything here is amazing, and does a great job with takeout too. read more

Let's start with the good! Great service. The sushi chefs behind the bar were very friendly and the bussers were very kind. This seems like a very family friendly establishment and there is lots of seating both inside and outside. Upon walking it, there was a little bit of a bleach like smell. It was very clean inside, so maybe they had just wiped everything down but it wasn't very pleasant. Sushi was priced pretty high and didn't knock it out of the park for me. We ordered some sashimi, edamame, handrolls, tempura, a miso soup and a roll. The albacore sashimi wasn't that buttery texture I would have liked. Nothing was super standout. In fact, one of our handrolls completely fell apart and was't wrapped very well at all. Of all the sushi there is in the Valley, Cho Cho San wasn't a hit for me. read more

The environment and food was so clean and delicious! my spicy salmon cut roll was the perfect portion too. Our server was an incredibly kind lady who was always very attentive to our needs and made us eager to come back next time for more. It was a perfect place for me and my co-workers to have a drink and enjoy our night! read more

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The salmon is amazing and the service was top notch!! Highly recommend if you're in the area :) read more

Cho Cho San - Salmon Teriyaki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encino, California

Sadly, the VERY overpriced food was quite disappointing here. The sushi did not seem freshly cut. The rolls were drowning in mayo. The tempura shrimp tasted like something out of a box. The people working there are VERY nice and the ambiance is modern, minimalist with lots of tables (inside and out) and great music playing. But the food was just not good. read more

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Oh god, the food is genuinely gross and over priced. I can't believe I paid $13 for a lunch portion of Teriyaki Chicken to be a thin plain piece of over cooked chicken breast with awful teriyaki sauce slathered on top. If you could even call It teriyaki sauce. The tempura shrimp was bad as well. Absolutely won't be back. read more

Cho Cho San - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encino, California

Small but great sushi restaurant. The whole restaurant consists of a rectangular sushi bar where you are served by sushi chefs. It's not ideal for large groups because it takes time to get seated if they are busy. The sushi was great. The sushi chefs take their time preparing your sushi. They have a great selection of rolls from their menu to choose from. Prices are little on the high side but nothing out of the ordinary. read more

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What happened to this place? The food is similar since ChoChoSan sold it but the service is horrible and the place is a grave yard now.

Food tasted pretty good. I have a shellfish allergy and was served shellfish with my entree (teriyaki chicken) Please pay attention. read more

It used to be great years ago. The food quality has dropped and the prices are higher

Yesterday, Thanksgiving evening, my husband and I stopped to have a sushi dinner. For a long time, I pass in front of this restaurant when I go to Smart & Final. Yesterday, finally we tried the food there. The ambiance is casual, modern with a classic, fine chandelier. The sushi rolls are delicious! Really different than others. Something in the sauce that was tasty. The service is really friendly, nice. The salad was incredible good! The price was reasonable, two sushi's, miso and salad = read more

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Came here on a Sunday night. Ample free parking available. We were immediately seated and provided excellent service. As busy as they were with filling take out orders, we were attended to quite well. Their sushi is pretty average in taste. Not the best I've had for sure, however, they do have a huge selection of specialty rolls including non-rice rolls which is great. Please ignore the prices on the menu photos I'm including. Prices went up about $3.00-$4.00 each item. For convenience, I'd come here again but I definitely wouldn't crave it. Also, I would not recommend the calamari. read more

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The spicy whipped salmon hand roll is so tasty, I recommend it. The service is good. The parking is good. It's clean and good ambiance.

Wow!! Very impressed by the quality of the food and the excellent service from the staff, Miguel was very attentive also Tim did a great job he got busy and never stopped smiling, I definitely recommend this place amazing restaurant!! read more

Cho Cho San - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encino, California

Very disappointing experience, after being a customer for so many years! I feel like all the chefs have gone, the management is different so is the staff, waiters have no idea what is on the menu. On top of all, there was a hair right in my roll.... When I called the restaurant to complain, they said we don't know how to process the refund which I asked for, and said the manager will call me back... read more

Cho Cho San - Pink lady hand roll with hair on top... - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encino, California

It's a nice sushi place located off Balboa & Ventura. What I like about this place is they have a decent stretch of sushi bar. It doesn't get busy much as other sushi restaurants cause they always have to go orders. Nice staff and chef. read more

Ran into this restaurant on a whim and had a great time. The staff were so friendly and kind. The food was amazing.

Came in for a table. They offered me 2 different uber eats orders before seating me. Restaurant was half empty, brought me some other tables food, waited 55min for them to serve a cold steak teriyaki. Expensive compared to other locations with the same name. Poor service. Disappointing because my family used to come here all the time read more

Small portions and sadly tasteless. The Yatsu roll I had was much smaller than I've had in the past. I was really surprised, no wonder it was somewhat empty at 12:30 on a Friday. read more

Cho Cho San - My spicy tuna rice crispy. Tuna doesn't taste like anything at all. Very disappointed. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encino, California

We have been coming here for over 15 years! Always great service and great food! Now our daughter and her friends go there!

The most undeserving overpriced sushi in the valley. Freshness was mediocre at best. Highly not recommended read more

Cho Cho San - $30 worth of rice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encino, California

This spot has the potential to be nice but just missed the mark. When we came in it was not busy at all- We got there and the inside of the restaurant was freezing. The food was good and tasty when it came out at all or in time with the rest of your meal. Do not ask for anything silverware-extra sauce or anything because you may never ever see it. My order came out in separate parts...I had ordered tempura green beans we asked about it 3 times and then this happened.... 1.The server never put it in 2. After we told the server we did indeed order it she puts a different side in 3. After waiting 15 minutes we ask if it is coming and she says the item I did not order and I say I did not order that and she is like sorry I put the wrong item in. 4. It finally came as I finished my meal... -I also asked for siracha and it came out 10 minutes later - read more

I would like to update my review after 10 years of not going. First of all, the prices are absolutely ridiculous when you can go to Katsuya and get way better sushi for half the price. $20 a roll? That is ridiculous and it's not even good quality sushi. Second of all, the menu was very dirty and disgusting and the restaurant just does not feel clean. I understand inflation ,but there is no reason to charge an insane amount for mediocre sushi. The staff was nice, but other than that I will not go back. This is not the same place that it was 10 years ago. I do not recommend. I see why it has such low ratings ... read more

Looking for a solid sushi spot in the valley then look no further. Cho Cho San's sushi is consistent and taste great. The quality of the fish is definitely high. It's a little more expensive than other sushi spots. Free parking and you can't be missed and get great service if you sit at the bar. The location is small and I'm not sure if there is a relationship to the other two locations but the menu and taste seems the same. My go to's are the spicy salmon hand roll I love how filled this role is they don't skimp out and the 911 roll. They add chili oil on top with green onions that'll just have your mouth watering. read more

Cho Cho San - 911 Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encino, California

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Came in for dinner on an early Friday evening and the place was relatively empty, except for a table or two. However not too long after we arrived, it slowly but surely filled up. Got the spicy tuna crispy rice, spicy salmon handroll, the Dragonfly and the 3 Amigos rolls. The food was good, but that 3 Amigos roll was incredible! Had to wait a bit on it and ended my meal with that, but it was definitely worth it. I'd come back just for that roll... yum!! My only gripe is that we did wait quite some time for some of our food when the place wasn't busy at all. Also, it's a bit pricier than most of the places I frequent. However, the overall service was great and had a pretty good experience. Parking was easy and plentiful in the lot as it was a little earlier in the evening. It definitely filled up later. If I was in the area I would most likely come back here... after all, my 3 Amigos roll is waiting! read more

The sushi here is good, but not for the price that they want you to pay for it. Service is okay. I came her when it wasn't very busy but they still took a while to bring the sushi out, which I kind of understood since it's to-go and I also ordered a baked roll. The restaurant itself is very nice and I wouldn't mind eating there, but not for the prices they have. I'd still choose a different place beside this one. Along with this, the chicken itself was too tough and relied heavily on the sauces to be good. read more

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