Hands down the best sushi place around! From the high quality fish to incredibly friendly staff, this is the go to place in the area. Been going here for years and there's a reason for that!! read more

I am a picky eater and it's hard to find restaurants with a good variety of food, but Dana Kai has been outstanding in many ways. The staff is friendly and greets everyone upon arrival. If you like edamame this is the place to go. I have ate at Dan's Kai several times and have been impressed by their hospitality. Dana Kai has a laid back atmosphere for everyone dropping by. read more

Excellent food, The service was absolutely on point. Thank you to all the waitresses and chefs for creating a truly comfortable and delicious dining experience. read more

This is the best overall Japanese restaurant in the area. Great selection and quality of non-sushi/sashima 9/10, good sushi/sashimi 9/10, excellent value 10/10, ambiance 9/10. Guaranteed you'll be a customer. Only downside is wait time for in-dining and takeouts. But then again, that's one aspect I accept since this is the best in the area! read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Cucumber Salad with Uni - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Amazing food and people at Dana Kai! So very delicious Thank you so much Sunny and all at Dana Kai!

Amazing selection of no rice rolls. This is the best sushi place in south OC. Can't wait to go back again.

My husband's comment was it was all good except for the food. Cold, mushy, flavorless.

This place is a classic sushi restaurant that we come to regularly. Its the quality of the fish that I really enjoy. Their toro is amazing. The staff is friendly too! It does get very crowded & I wouldn't say to come here for the exceptional ambience. If your main priorities at a sushi restaurant are quality food & service, I recommend stopping by! read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

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We were looking for some sushi after leaving the beach and this spot popped up on Yelp so we have it a shot and it did not disappoint. Casual spot with plenty of seating and amazing service. All the sushi was fresh. Our favorites were the toro and bluefin tuna sushi. The caterpillar roll was also tasty with generous portions of eel and avocado. I also liked that they served their drinks with iced glasses. If you're looking for good sushi in a casual place with great quick service this is your spot. Parking is also very easy in the shared parking lot. read more

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There's a lot of other sushi places in the area, but none of them come close to the quality and service here at Dana Kai! The cleanliness and spaciousness of the dining area, warmth and family-like service of the waitresses, and freshness of the fish is unparalleled. The chefs really prepare each piece of sushi with great care using really high quality ingredients. You get unbeatable quality for a very reasonable price. High fish to rice ratio in the sushi, delicious unique salad dressing, and thinly coated, crispy tempura of the sweetest vegetables. Chef Daniel was a superb sushi master and prepared a beautiful plate. Nothing bad to say. read more

Used to come here often. After a number of unsatisfactory meals we've decided, no more!! It's just not that good. Rubbery fish, rush you in and out. With so many others to choose from, it's time to move on. read more

Fantastic sushi. Excellent variety and high quality. The staff is so friendly and accommodating.

Hands down one of the best sushi spots in town! Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious. My absolute favorite was the albacore carpaccio. It was thinly sliced topped with onions, garlic chips, and sesame sauce. So fresh it just melts in your mouth. Tuna belly was another favorite that also melts in your mouth. Service was also top notch! Everyone was super nice and we got our orders brought out pretty quickly. Ambiance is casual and laid back. Highly recommend this spot and will definitely come back myself. read more

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Dana Kai didn't disappoint! Went on a Friday night with my kid and we had a nice time. Service was great, we were seated quickly and we were able to put in our order easily. I tried a couple of new rolls and enjoyed them fully. My kid had shrimp tempura and a California roll which were also really good. The restaurant is consistently clean and not cramped, and this has become our go-to local spot for sushi! read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Love Roll - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Amazing Sushi best all around Sushi chefs are all artists, super fresh fish the amazing staff very quick orders.

Came in for lunch and it wasn't too busy. Service was good and quick. Portions are a good size, too. I like the rolls wrapped in soy. Good variety of food to choose from. read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

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I was not impressed with this place for quite a few reasons. The staff is very harsh, unwelcoming and borderline rude. The music playing was a radio station where 50% of the time all you heard were advertisements. The chicken teriyaki tasted like I was eating a piece of cardboard with some soy sauce thrown on top. I sat at the sushi bar and the waiters and waitresses kept reaching over me to give the sushi chef the order which was disrespectful. The sushi was fresh enough, but not excellent. read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Chicken tasted like a cardboard box - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Fresh sushi! Chirashi was amazing - my husband ordered it and I had major order envy. Ample amounts of fish and uni was spectacularly fresh - I will definitely have to order this next time. I had the sashimi and sushi combo - delicious, fresh fish all around - beautifully plated. Miso soup that came with meal was fantastic - robust umami flavor. Dressing on the side salad was also scrumptious. Enjoyed the outdoor seating - Dogs allowed on patio read more

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Love it here!!! My girls love it here!!! Good fish quality. A bit pricey, but worth it. We love coming here when we can.

Although we live in Laguna we always make sure to come to Dana Kai. Its THE best! Chris, Daniele and all the girls are always on their A game, from service to food and coldest draft pints read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Best crispy rice ever - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

AMAZING!! service was great! sushi was spectacular!! my mammaw and i sat at the sushi bar! the sushi chefs were interactive! i definitely recxo read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Walked in while on my lunch break an was completely ignored, no menus given, no greeting, terrible. Thats what happens when your latino in these areas. Do better. read more

We celebrated my husbands birthday on Valentine's Day with lunch at Dana Kai. It was amazing the sushi was fresh and good. The tempura was just right. Nice garnishes on all the dishes. The staff is friendly and energetic. We sat outside and they ran back and forth from the restaurant and catered to our every need. If you like authentic fresh sushi you ve found your place. We appreciate how hard they work. Covid has been hard on even the best restaurants. read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Platter of different rolls - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

I loved this place went for many years. But I had sashimi yesterday and now I'm on my 10th hour of throwing up obviously the food is not as fresh as it seems. read more

Amazing sushi and a wonderfully friendly staff. We were blown away by the quality and service. We popped in for lunch and loved it so much we made reservations for dinner the same night! read more

Dana Kai Sushi - No-rice crunch - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Been here a couple times and the sushi chef seemed very nice and professional. As soon as we entered we were greeted by two women one named sunny and the other unknown(both rude). We were seated very quick it was around 2pm not very busy. We then heard chatter in the back and assumed it was about our drinks because of certain words used. Then one of the waitresses asked. "So you don't want drink?" We said no it's okay. Then a couple minutes later after we looked at the menu she said. Usually we don't allow drinks inside but this time it's okay. I would've have mind putting the drinks in my car, they could've just asked. From then the environment seemed not very nice and not as warm. The server was very polite to the white customer and asked where they wanted to sit. For us it was just a point and sit there. Starting off not very nice. After we looked at the menu they asked if we were ready to order which seemed very rushed. (There was no one else waiting or behind us. There was atleast 15 tables open. We got our food the food was brought out relatively quick. After that we were ghosted by the waitress. We asked for something else and she just brushed it off after we got her attention. The server (male) was there towards the end. He was polite and got us a to go box and sauce on the side. After that we couldn't finish our food and we took everything to go. I'm a big guy and finishing the food on my plate was always a must. Don't recommend. read more

Update the review. Even the uni tasted really bad but chef still said it's very good. I have nothing to say. Uni not fresh happens a lot of time. But usually chef will be apologizing and give a new piece. Ok won't come back again. Over all is ok. But uni smells bad not fresh. Crunchy hand roll is good, rice too watery. Sealed salmon the salmon is good. read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Seal salmon with uni ( uni not fresh smells bad) - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

5 Stars Definitely not a good thing that this wonderful little place is so close to me. I ordered their Pick 4 Lunch special for $21, which included soup and salad. Rolls were very nice size and delicious! I tried their Crunch Roll & Tiger Roll. Crunch roll was deliciously crunchy, not too many panko crumbs on top. Over all perfect! The Tiger Roll was a tad bit bigger and very fresh! Generous amount of shrimp on top and the shrimp tempura was warm and crunchy. My only complaint was that the spicy mayo and eel sauce was placed in the same exact container. I personally like a little bit of eel sauce and more spicy mayo but because they were in the same container, it was difficult to separate them. Over all 5 stars! Fresh delicious and great portion for the price! I will be returning! Most likely tomorrow! read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Pick 4 Lunch Combo, selected the Crunch Roll & Tiger Roll - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

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I was impressed by how good the sushi was at Dana Kai. All of the rolls we got were tasty, with my favorite being the baked salmon roll. We also tried the Machu pichu, spicy rainbow roll, and spicy salmon roll. They are a bit slow in bringing the food out, but I understand that it's a process. read more

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I've been going to Dana Kai since 2019, probably once every other week. It used to be the best sushi I've ever had. When I first visited, the sushi combo was fantastic. Each piece was fresh, melt in your mouth, with its only special garnish. Kizami wasabi was extra but well worth it. Staff was very kind and engaging. Lunch special was great with 3 or 4 item combo. Sushi and sashimi options included. If you wanted all sushi or sashimi it was a small charge. It really started going down hill after covid and seems to change for the worse each time I visit. Last few times, sushi pieces have been chewy, kizami is more expensive and now mixed with their horseradish wasabi. They don't open until 12p for lunch now and service is very rough. Their lunch combo no longer offers sushi or sashimi and limits choices, no duplicate items. The last time I was the only one in the whole restaurant and I had to ask for my drink after they served food, they never asked. Then waited almost 15 minutes for my check because no one came by. Unfortunately, I'm now searching for a new go to sushi spot because this place just isn't it anymore. read more

Great food, AMAZING SERVICE ‍. Fresh food, friendly people. Best tuna ever! Loved the atmosphere read more

This is was my first time to order catering from Dana Kai. We were very satisfied with their selection and quality of the food. We ordered salmon skin salad, the OC roll, Baja Yellow Tail roll w jalapeno slices were the top picks. Shrimp tempura, chicken katsu, edamame, fried udon, gyoza, miso soup were other items we ordered for our party of 20. The amount of food given for the price exceeded our expectations-- very generous and visually appealing. The service was great and they immediately understood how we wanted the food packed -- not in styrofoam containers. Utensils etc also included. Food was ready on time. We ordered a month before and they didn't need a reminder. Would definitely order again for any party, large or small. read more

My wife and I went there recently and arrived at 8:20 pm. We asked to sit at the bar and before we could look at the menu, a gentleman approached us and told us they would start to clean this area in the next 20 minutes and we should move to a table as they close at 9! We begrudgingly moved as we didn't feel we had a choice and sat nearby at a table. Our server was a little embarrassed by this interaction and offered us edamame on the house. The sushi, and rolls we had were excellent, but the minute they were placed on our table, along came the bill. Within 2 minutes an other server came by and asked for my credit card so they could close out the day! I've never felt so rushed trying to enjoy this great sushi, and having to get out before 9 when they closed! This was unacceptable for a restaurant of any type, and had we been told when we entered the restaurant, we would have found somewhere else to eat casually and un-rushed. read more

Stopped by for Sunday dinner with my husband for the first time - the yelp reviews and pictures are what brought us here in the first place, we are locals coming from San Clemente and I can definitely say that this place doesn't disappoint! The food quality is fantastic, everything we ordered was so good! The staff is so friendly and welcoming. The ambiance is nice and comfortable, you can tell a lot of locals eat here. This will definitely be our new go to sushi spot. We ordered the fried jalapeño appetizer, OC roll, hamachi roll, teriyaki chicken dinner & they have Asahi on tap! We're obsessed! read more

I'd love to give this place 5 stars because it's the best sushi in the OC. The sushi chefs behind the bar are outstanding!!! Especially NICK! The waitresses here are ridiculous. They just CANT be bothered. You have to aggressively flag them down to get any help ( this is when the restaurant is completely empty too) anyways an amazing sushi experience & value but the gals need an attitude change. read more

We had Dana Kai cater our party and everyone loved the spread! The food was so amazing! Different flavors and textures. And the presentation was appealing. The service was outstanding. The food was ready on time for pick up. We were helped by a pleasant male staff member named Kelli who went above and beyond by helping us load everything in our car. We will definitely recommend Dana Kai to our family and friends for a high quality sushi experience. read more

A great find! we walked and were immediately welcomed and seated. We had a very friendly efficient server, The food was very good and fresh. Chilled sake was great. we arrived at about a past 5 and before we left the restaurant and sushi bar were full. we will definitely go back. read more

Came here after the gym hungry, with strong sushi cravings. The restaurant has a big parking lot with plenty of convenient parking spots. Restaurant is very clean and servers were all very friendly. We ordered two no rice sushis rolls (the Salmon Tataki Roll and the Daniel's Special Roll) since I'm on a low carb diet. Both rolls were kind of tiny. Only came in 6 pieces each. However, flavors were really good. The Salmon Tataki roll had seared salmon on the outside, with spicy tuna and avocado on the inside. While the Daniel's special had seared tuna on the outside and a a mix of seafood on the inside. We also ordered a Premium Chirashi to share, which exceeded our expectations even though it was a bit pricier compared to Chirashi bowls we've had elsewhere. The bowl came with plenty of assorted sashimi and seaweed salad on the side. The fish to rice ratio was high! even though the sushi rice was really good, it's nice to see a chirashi bowl that's not 80% plain rice. The portion was definitely generous and definitely can be shared by two people. read more

Dana Kai Sushi - No Rice Rolls: Salmon Tataki (front) and Daniel's Special (back) - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

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One of the best sushi restaurants in Dana Point! Always clean, fresh, melts in your mouth sushi - and always a fun spot to go to for date night or a night out with friends. Not only is their sushi good but so is their dinner specials! Miso soup, salad, rice, Teriyaki chicken, and sashimi - yum! (Other options available) read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Teriyaki chicken dinner special - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

Kind of a hit and a miss for me. It was my first time here and I ordered the Dragon roll, baked scallop roll, and spicy garlic edamame to go. The Dragon roll was decent, I just wish it had a different sauce option because the sweet taste of the eel with the sweet sauce is a lot of sweet in each bite. The baked scallop roll was not at all what I was expecting from the menu description. I had no idea it was going to be covered in cheese, absolutely not what I wanted and sadly the whole thing went in the trash. I did not find that taste appealing at all and had I known it was served this way I wouldn't have wasted $15 on that. The spicy garlic edamame looked so good but the flavor didn't deliver at all. read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Dragon roll - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

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