Such an amazing place for high quality sushi. This was my second time visiting here, but def worth…read morevisiting here all the way from SD! The service is also so great! The owner is also amazing. Her recs on what to get as a group of 5 worked out great!

Hidden gem on its way to a Michelin nomination. Come before everyone else finds out…read more Hands down best sushi in Orange County. The fish is always fresh and generously portioned. Staff are friendly and professional. Shoutout to Andrew! Our go to every time we're craving sushi in OC. Interior decor is modern and tasteful. Plating is beautiful with salmon donburi and chirashi bowl. You can tell the chef is very detail oriented. Honestly, bring a first date foodie here and knock their socks off. We love it here!

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 food is incredibly fresh and offers excellent value for money; the owner and staff are great.read more

Usuki hits the spot! Usually come for their sushi combo but decided to try the chirashi bowl which…read morewas fantastic! Service is always great and it's never too busy when we go. 10/10

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

We've been coming to this establishment for 11 years now and where things have changed over the…read moreyears, it still brings me back to when my wife and I were dating. The vibes of this restaurant is very much an "drinks after work " vibe and the noise and busy dinner rush really makes you feel like you've been transported out of OC. Coming here with my young one and not drinking for sure is a different experience and I'm not sure if I'd bring my 4 year old again as the noise environment made him a bit overwhelmed after a long day. As for the food, I had some soba to help fight the heat and it hit the spot highly recommend on a warm summer night. Pair it off either a cold one or any of their non alcoholic drinks to really complete the meal and experience. This place will always hold a special place in my heart and I'm excited to continue to support this establishment for the next 11 years

Awesome! My favorite place to eat out. The food is always delicious. I love cooking my own food…read more It's always just right. The soup is always the best ending to a great meal.

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.

Food was great and the service was excellent. The quality of the sushi and rolls are only…read moreconsistently good. Thank you Sabirah!

Our server Mai was excellent and the food was delicious. She was so kind! Come try Sushi Damu!!read more

Came here on our way to Pacific Amphitheater, searched for small plates and Sonder came up…read more Walked in right around the opening time with no reservation on a weekday night. We were sat at a table to look over their Happy Hour & Dinner Menus. Ordered one of each of the skewers & the pate appetizer. Top plates were the pork belly & scallop skewers as well as the pate pastry with the side of mustard. The entire experience felt like the upscale neighborhood bar that has the vibe of great music to hand out and enjoy lovely bites

I've Sonder-ed twice in the past few months and I really like it…read more They're owned by the same people as Kaizen so the music is on point. The decor is gorgeous and inviting - perfect if you're meeting friends or taking someone on a date. Cocktails are fire, order one. For their starters, I really like the bone marrow onigiri (2 for $20). This dish is constantly reincarnated so you never really know what you're gonna get. On my first visit, it included trout roe which is so decadently delicious paired with the marrow. The rice is proportionally small so each bite captures the decadence. The skewers are pricey, but if you order one, let it be the maitake mushrooms ($7). It's so meaty that you forget that it's not meat at all. Highly recommend. If you're sharing with a group or need some carbs, I recommend ordering the fried rice. I've had the prawn and pork versions and both are great. The fried rice is solid so any added protein is just a bonus. I've met some dishes I didn't love, but I really like that their menu is ever evolving. I'll definitely be back to try some of their specials.