Absolutely incredible omakase experience! Every piece of fish was unbelievably fresh and…read morepractically melted in my mouth. The quality was exceptional, and you could really taste the care that went into every bite. I also loved the variety of fish--they served selections I don't usually get to try, and each one was unique and delicious. The entire meal felt thoughtfully curated from start to finish. If you're looking for a high-quality omakase experience, I can't recommend this place enough! And as always the service was impeccable!

We are visiting from out of town and were lucky enough to stumble upon this place. From start to…read morefinish everything was amazing.. The appetizers, the sushi rolls, the entrees, and the dessert. The food was super flavorful and the fish was really fresh. The service was better than any service we've ever had. Not only were the waiters very attentive but they were friendly as well. We will definitely come back before we go back home.

My go-to non ayce shabu spot!! The food here always hits. They have alot of delicious and flavorful…read morebroths to choose from as well as alot of protein options from beef, lamb, and fish. They also have a garden plate for vegetarians so just about anyone will be able to eat here. Don't sleep on their drink menu either- the cocktails here are both pretty and delicious. Service here is always amazing; all of the staff is friendly and has great energy :) Parking here can be rough being in DTSA but there is a paid structure nearby. The inside seems a little dark and is only bar seating. There are tables outside for larger groups. The owner of Kaizen also owns Sonder next door so check that place out if you like the food here!

This review pains me to write but I'll keep it as simple as I can: yes, inflation is up. Yes, we…read moreare collectively boned as a society. I can understand how business owners, managers, servers, and customers are all caught within the vicious fluctuations of markets and so on. However, what I was recently served at Kaizen Shabu last week was, to my mind, an egregious example of a restaurant offering well below the bare minimum of what should be expected for the prices listed (and my photos will show this, I believe). At the outset, I want to say I have no grievances with the servers. Our server was kind, attentive, and was elegantly multitasking. Bravo. Now, the food: we ordered the salmon "sashimi" plate, and what we were handed was a platter of the thinnest, grainiest, obviously-thawed and poorly sliced salmon I've ever eaten in my life. I was a bit shocked. At Cal Shabu Shabu (and other shabu places I tend to frequent more often), sashimi is... sashimi. It *looks* like sashimi because it IS sashimi: a piece of salmon purchased by the restaurant and knife-cut into appropriate portions depending on what portion size the customer has ordered. It is sashimi that gleans in the light, where the striations of fat and tissue are visible to the naked eye on the fish itself. As you can see from my photos, we were served paper-thin salmon that I could barely peel off of the plate with my chopsticks without ripping the fish into smaller, grainier pieces. It was all but inedible, in my opinion. This is not sashimi, and to serve such a thing for the price listed is beyond atrocious: it is an outright deception. Now, onto the side of veggies and noodles that come with every order of meat or fish. Perhaps the cooks could not be bothered, but what I received was broken tendrils of 2-inch udon haphazardly thrown into a bowl. I'm not sure if this is an issue with the chefs, with a dwindling supply of food nearer the end of the night, or if this restaurant truly does not care about the quality of what they are serving customers. Again, I think my pictures speak for themselves. I used to love coming here as the atmosphere was chic, and the servers are so kind. After my last dining experience, however, I cannot justify the price of my bill in the face of the quality of the food I am being served. I won't be returning, sadly. I hope the manager has an opportunity to look at these photos and perhaps reassess what can be done to improve what they are serving their customers.

Fantastic sushi - such a breath of fresh air. We live in Lake Forest where the sushi is kind of…read moredismal, so we decided to venture into Santa Ana in hopes of greener sushi pastures, and we were not disappointed. The fish was so fresh, service was fast and attentive, music was good, and the vibe was very enjoyable. Spicy tuna crispy rice: other than our favorite sushi place that sadly closed, this one was the best we've ever had. The crispy rice patty is fairly flat, which is way better and offers far superior crunch than the thick ones. "New style" salmon sashimi with white truffle: delightful. Salmon nigiri: we didn't think it could be this much better than other places. But it was. Seared escolar: I hadn't seen this on a menu in years and got really excited. It was just as incredible as I remembered. Absolutely amazing. Nevada Roll and Red Crunchy Roll: excellent. Perfect tempura flakes and perfect eel sauce. Even my daughter's humble cucumber roll was the best one we've seen in OC. It was very generous with the cucumber. We are thrilled we found this place and will definitely be back!

We ate at Ponzu Sushi Bar in Santa Ana last night, and the food was completely overshadowed by the…read morebill. When the check arrived, we were shocked. This place nickel and dimes customers for everything. We were charged $6 just to add cucumber to a roll, $4 to add gobo, and even an extra charge to add lemon. The biggest issue wasn't even the prices, it was that our waiter never mentioned any of these upcharges when we ordered. If you're going to charge premium prices for simple additions, customers deserve to be told beforehand. We've eaten at countless sushi restaurants over the years, and we've never been charged these kinds of fees for basic add-ons, especially without any warning. It felt deceptive and left a terrible impression. Restaurants don't lose customers over a few dollars. They lose them when customers feel misled. Transparent pricing builds trust. Hidden charges destroy it. We won't be coming back, and unfortunately, we can't recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for an honest dining experience.

The salmon skin salad is one of my favorites at Usuki! There is a generous amount of salmon skin…read morepiled on some green salad. The dressing is a japanese dressing with a bit of wasabi that tastes so good all together! Will come back again!

Great food and service! Everything was fresh, flavorful, and came out quickly. The staff was…read morefriendly, attentive, and made us feel very welcome. Definitely recommend this place and will be back!

Food is great Service excellent…read moreAmbiance very nice I enjoyed our meal at Honda-ya with my husband and grand-daughter.

The ambiance is like being transported to Japan. Loved the interior design! We had a party of 5…read moreseated at a booth. Wait time on the weekend for dinner was around 45min around 7:30pm. Well worth the wait. Drinks: -Honda-ya Original Beer -Kikusui Perfect Snow (Milky Sake) What we shared: -Garlic Sautéed Clams -Prime Beef Skewer -Ton Katsu 1 Item Dinner (comes with miso soup and salad) -Sashimi Bowl - Vegetable Tempura -Roll de la Familia -Bacon Enoki Skewers -Bacon Asparagus Skewers -Garlic Pork Belly Skewers -Beef Skewers -Kabocha (so yummy!) Plenty of parking in the plaza and surrounding area. Recommend walking around to digest post feasting!

I hadn't been to Shabu Shabu Bar in a long time, so coming back felt pretty nostalgic. This was…read moreactually the first place where I was introduced to shabu shabu, and it's what started my love for this type of food. I remember it being really affordable back then, but of course prices have gone up over the years. These days, the cheapest small size is around $22-$24, which isn't shocking with inflation and higher wages. One thing that hasn't changed, though, is the tiny cup of ice cream they give you at the end of the meal, which is a nice little touch. The seating is all bar-style, which can feel a bit overwhelming if you're an introvert like me and prefer having your own space. That said, it's not uncomfortable. People mostly keep to themselves, and the servers don't bother you much either. They'll check in once in a while to see if you need anything, but they're not constantly hovering. What really stands out to me about this place is the goma sauce. When it's done right, it's seriously good--rich, nutty, and super flavorful. Honestly, it's one of the best goma sauces I've had, and it makes the whole meal that much better. Even after all this time, that sauce alone reminds me why this place left such a strong impression on me in the first place.

Love, love, love this spot! The experience here stands out from other hot pot places and I…read moreabsolutely love it. The meat is always high-quality and consistent, but my favorite part is what they do once you're done with the meat...they make your leftovers into a flavorful ramen bowl! Nothing goes to waste and it's such a fun, satisfying way to end the meal. Plus, they top it all off with a little ice cream at the end! Every visit has been nothing short of wonderful. Highly recommend!

came here with my friends and got the omakase option with ayce sashimi and grill, and our server…read morenancy and the hostess was so nice and helpful! high quality fish, every dish in the omakase was delicious and portioned perfectly.

Food was very good and service was great from Sabirah. Staff was very friendly and attentive. Will…read moredefinitely come back next time we are in the area.

Kept seeing this place trending and got to try out the hype myself. What a vibe!…read more My friends and I shared dishes family style and was full by the end of the night. We got Roasted Chicken, Outside Skirt Steak, Voodoo Cocktail, and After Midnight Cocktail. Our server actually recommended the chicken dish and oh man this was not some regular rotisserie chicken dish at all! The seasoned chicken brought out such a unique flavor that was addicting! We kept coming back to it for bites. The steak was also plentiful and filling. As for the drinks, they don't go easy so enjoy LOL Their service is always amazing. Can't wait to come back here again with my friends :)

Sonder in Downtown Santa Ana is a Southeast Asian fusion restaurant with a lot of Vietnamese…read moreinfluence, but they put their own spin on the flavors and dishes. We sat outside, which was actually really nice and gave us a more relaxed dinner experience. The service was probably what I'll remember most. Our servers were hilarious and had us laughing throughout the meal. They checked on us often, joked around with us, and made the night more fun without being over the top. Even the owner came outside to check on us and see how everything was going. You can tell there's a lot of pride behind this place. The menu is made for sharing, so come with people who don't mind passing plates around. There are a lot of familiar Southeast Asian flavors, but they're presented in ways that are a little different from what you'd normally expect. We had a great time here. Good food is obviously important, but having servers with personality and an owner who takes the time to check on his customers makes a difference. Sonder gave us both.