It's the last traditional Kappo restaurant in the Orange County area. Expect better than places like Honda Ya, Osaka Kappo (when Marie and her husband ran the place) and all the other hip, new age fusion japanese places. Case and point.... I went there yesterday and we were one of the few non-Japanese people in the place and the japanese menu is larger than the english. Quality is high, so expect to pay more. Food takes time to come out (just like eating kappo in japan). Ask the waitress for the weekly and daily specials (eg. if you're a serious japanese food fan, eat off menu). All in all, this is my favorite Japanese home-cooked restaurant in the Orange County area. My previous favorite years ago was Osaka Kappo in Tustin. Oh yeah, they use kurubota pork meat. Famous for: Kappo -- home cooked food. read more

Traditional Japanese food. Cool ambience and great food. Try the specials and hot udon !

This place is really hard to locate easy to miss, but the food is great soba cold nuddle is really nice If you are looking for cooked japnese food this is the place to go! read more

Outstanding in every way. There is little to share or provide in a review that has not been shared by others. What is, in short, beyond what has been written - is the equal highest quality of flavors- the flavors were even more dense and delicious than I could imagine. The service and staff friendliness was wonderful. Overall, truly a Tremendous dining experience. read more

I'm gonna keep this one short and to the point. I decided to check this place out after yelping japanese restaurants in oc. ummm, this was a waste of my time. -slow service -WAY OVER PRICE.. 2 people was 80 bucks and i was still hungry! read more

Finally we found an original Japanese in the area. Good food not cheap but really worth the price. Crab Dumpling outstanding read more

Great value for lunch. One of the few Japanese restaurants open for lunch. The beef is a thick cut which is different then most teriyaki beef. The young lady who served us was very nice and patience. The only problem was the chicken wings were under cooked. read more

unapologetically authentic. even the portions are standard jpn sizes :( kaoppo sui really reminds me of a japanese restaurant in my hometown, and it brings back all the memories! they offer a variety of teishoku (meal sets) during lunch but dinner is a la carte. husband ordered the salmon lunch and the salmon filet was extremely small, and the 5 of us ended up with 6 lunch sets so we all can share another lunch set due to the small food portions. service quality is a bit lacking as the restaurant is quite understaffed, we barely got water refills after asking several times. but, overall still a great lunch spot! read more

We used to go there at least once a week before COVID. Now during COVID we go there for take out at least once a week. Their food is one of the best in the area, and I hope they will be around after COVID. GANBARE! read more

We picked up two meals (the daily special and grilled salmon meal) to go today and thoroughly enjoyed them! Delicious, reasonable portions, and reasonable price. We will definitely return. It looked like they had a few tables set up outside for those wishing to dine in. read more

I got a salmon sushi roll upon request and it was so fresh and everything else tasted very authentic. Our waiter was incredibly friendly and made us laugh so much. Overall really enjoyed the food and the experience! Highly recommend if you want authentic Japanese food. read more

The food was sooooo awesome! Japanese home cooking! Just like how family made it! I need to eat here more often! read more

Kappo Sui - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Still our favourite Japanese restaurant in the area, better over Hachi. Presentation are quite authentic with details to look for, like the edge of each piece of the hirame sashimi were slightly raised for easy picking, 99% elsewhere were just flat on the plate. The cold noodle at end was a must ! read more

Kappo Sui - aji tatake and hirame. (Spanish markerel & founder) - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Kappo Sui offers cheap and good Japanese food. Fukada-style lunch combos cost only $8-11. It is closed on Saturday and Sunday. read more

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This restaurant takes me back to Japan. Home made Japanese food that reminds me of my childhood memories. read more

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Love them. Good food, good price, we'll Japanese atmosphere. One lady server was so nice and loved her! Definitely go back again

Love the Japanese food, served by authentic Japanese chefs. Been coming here since I was a kid. They have weekday lunch specials and everything is to die for. I was disappointed with their sushi lunch special one time, the color was a little off and unappetizing. Haven't had issues since that one incident. Just went there this week and everything was tasty. One thing on the parking, come early or you'll have a hard time finding a parking spot. You can park on the street a little ways down the street though. read more

Sometimes I stumble into a restaurant during my travels accidentally and am blown away by the caliber of the service and quality of the food. This was certainly the case with Kappo Sui. The sashimi was some of the best I've ever had which I followed with the delicious beef teriyaki and finally the incredible red bean ice-cream. This is a simple looking place run with great care and attention to detail. Definitely worth going out of your way to visit. read more

This place is extremely good. I came here with my family and we had an amazing time! The waiters were friendly and the chefs were world-class. Also, it is extremely authentic. I highly recommend this place if you want to go somewhere to have a little fun. read more

Lunch sets are a steal here! Our group of five all ordered the chicken karaage, which comes with soup, rice, pickles, and a seaweed dish, all for only $7.50. That price is unheard of unless the food is of crap quality, but Kappo Sui is definitely not crappy. My chicken came out piping hot and freshly fried. It was lightly crispy on the outside and very moist on the inside, but it was relatively mild in flavor and so I ended up using a bit of the mayo/aioli they put on the side. Overall though we were all satisfied (and pretty darn full) with our lunches, and I'd come back again to try other lunch sets. Pro tip: you might wanna invest in lunch reservations because the small space gets filled quickly and often on weekdays. You can also call in your order ahead of time if you know what you want! That saved us a lot of time. read more

This is a review for their lunch. Kappo Sui can definitely offer pricier dinner options, with the ambiance remaining pretty much the same. But their lunches are a steal. They offer full set lunches with a number of plates, often times including udon as a generous side for a pretty darn reasonable price. They offer the food quickly as a lot of the people who do come during the lunch hours are on a work lunch. They don't offer their same menu at lunch, but the general jist is there, with a lunch special that changes daily. Overall, the food is just as fresh and delicious for lunch as it is for dinner. I would probably recommend lunch over dinner here, just for the budget! read more

A hidden gem in a tiny strip mall on the corner of Red Hill and Bristol, this restaurant is all about authenticity. Specials of the day are all in Japanese. Pretty much everything we ordered was cooked with precision and attention to detail. The assorted sushi dinner is a steal for only $25, especially considering it included Uni, giant clam, sweet shrimp and other pieces for a total of 10. Their cold udon was cooked to perfection, with the noodles being wonderfully chewy. The ambiance may not be as trendy as nearby favorite Nanasan, but the food is definitely on par. My new favorite go to Japanese restaurant in the OC. read more

Kappo Sui - Assorted Sushi dinner for only $25...- wonderfully generous selection. - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Traditional Japanese restaurant. If you want to experience country Japanese food with taste. Must be here. I loved the lunch special. Remind of Japan. read more

Kappo Sui - Zosui.... comfort food for me. Rice in egg dropped soup. - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I came here last night after a charity event and was starving ..One of our friends suggested we come here for some yummy authentic Japanese for dinner. Once we were seated I could tell they cater to the traditional Japanese crowd. 90% of the customers were Japanese and everyone behind the sushi bar was too. It was so Japanese that I was making origami samurai hats for a 2 year old sitting next to me!! Awww she was too cute! Anyways back to the food. We ordered 2 soba, 4 orders shrimp coquettes, 1 salmon skin cut roll, steam clams, agedashi mochi, fish tempura, butterfish with miso and monk fish liver (I think). Everything came out fast and tasty. My favorite was the agedashi mochi. The mochi was nice and fresh and the granted radish and broth added a nice touch of flavor. As you can tell from the 4 orders of shrimp croquettes that it was a huge hit with my group. All the other dishes were right on too. This is one of the places I could take my dad without him lecturing me about how now a days the Japanese restaurants are losing the true Japanese tradition. 4 stars for me not getting a lecture! read more

When I worked in Newport Beach, I used to come here often with Japanese expats. They claim the dishes here are similar to the Kappo in Japan. Note this is not the place you go for sushi. This restaurant specializes in kappo, little dishes created to complement beer and saké. There is a small English menu around, but the best dishes---including miso-marinated filet mignon and terrific steamed dumplings stuffed with minced shrimp---are scribbled in Japanese on a blackboard. You'll find a fine selection of sake and Japanese beer. In Japan, people come to this sort of place after work or dinner to chat with co-workers. Here, you do see some Japanese business men, which tend to get noisy after a few drinks. read more

I am a firm believer in and follower of Yelp as I rarely believe a restaurant is incorrectly rated, but this 4 star rating confuses me. My girlfriend and I had been meaning to try Kappo Sui for a few months, but kept pushing it back as it's close to my office, but not so close to my house. Anyway, I wish I would have pushed it back further. As many have mentioned, the interior desperately needs updating, but I knew that going in so it wasn't a surprise and certainly didn't throw me off or effect my rating. We ordered the Premium Sashimi Platter figuring the chef would supply us with their freshest catch and were highly let down. Albacore was fishy, salmon and yellow tail were sub par, clam was pretty decent and the red snapper, which was the best, wasn't bad. Definitely would never order sushi here again if I ever returned (probably won't). Also tried the shrimp croquette, which was good, but pretty difficult to make fried mayo based food bad. Then tried the filet mignon (small strip), which had decent taste, but not a very good piece of meat and the miso butterfish, which was the best, but didn't make up for the rest of the meal. Worst parts though were 1) the food there is incredibly salty and both of us literally had to take salt pills after the meal to secrete some of it and 2) what I just described including two glasses of sake was $115 without tip! Price doesn't usually effect my ratings, but the fish and steak quality was nowhere near the premium price. Maybe I caught them on a day where they were finishing up their last fish order, but I was highly disappointed and will stick to Shonka, Sushi Island and Kittiyama's. On a positive note, the service was great! read more

Yum! YUM! Yummmy! The butter fish is to die for! Combo plates come with A LOT of meat. Had the beef teriyaki and it was tender, moist and flavorful. Venue is small and cozy. Decor is very 80s but clean. Sushi isn't all that great. Go for the teppan items and grilled food. read more

Well, Dao N summed up our visit here much better than I can. It was a good meal, but for the price we paid, it could have been better. I guess you really do need a native guide here to get the most out of it. I was disappointed that there was no yakitori (at least none on the menus we could read). The waitress was nice enough to give us some recommendations from the Japanese white board menu, but we could hardly ask her to read out all the items on it. Of the items we tried, the standouts for me were the duck and eggplant, butterfish in miso glaze, and the stuffed mushrooms. The rolls were well-made and fresh but pretty standard (and Japanese-sized). Probably won't re-visit unless I can find a native speaker. read more

Goodness gracious. This place is beyond words! Here is the break-down: Staff: The waitress was super nice. Seated us real quick and walked us through their specials. She checked up on us very often to make sure that we're happy. There were times when we had small chit-chats too! Food: This is the exciting part. According to the waitress, most people who go to their restaurant order the specials (which change every week). My mom and I got a mix of things from the specials and the menu. All the things we ordered were delicious. The two things that we got from the menu were lotus roots and duck with eggplant. I can't emphasize enough how insanely good it was. When I first looked at the menu, I didn't have high expectations for it because a lot of the dishes had foods that I don't like (leek, eggplant, milk). Because of the way the dishes are prepared, you can't tell that you're eating an eggplant or eating a dish with milk. Simply, amazing. Side note: Waitress said most people come for the specials, not the sushi. Place: Located in a corner in a plaza next to Shell. Small restaurant. I'd say seats about 30 people. This place is great. One of the best Japanese places I've been to, so go! read more

I've eatten here 3 times so far and every time it was awesome. Come here with a Japanese friend who can read the special menu on the wall because it's in Japanese. All the good stuff is on this menu! I especially liked the fried oysters and the cold thin udon noodles (the first noodle on the menu). So be sure to order those when you come here. The sake by the glass here is expensive but you get a decent amount with the overflow of your glass. The Haikaison is a good sake :) I'll be coming back here many times whenever I'm in the area. Love it here! Authentic japanese tapas place where many Japanese eat so you know it's all good here. read more

I've never seen shredded vegetables made into tempura before, but it was nice and crunchy. The sushi may not be the best in OC, but it was made with very little rice, which means they are not trying to fill you up on rice. This is always a good sign. read more

The food was delicious and fresh. The food served is always brought in that day. We called to make a reservation for Nabe dinner on Sunday and they told us they do not serve Nabe because the fish market is closed and they cannot get fresh fish on Sundays. $90 is the minimum for a Nabe order so it is quite pricey. However, I found myself surprisingly full after just seafood, vegetables, and broth. The food was arranged beautifully, tasted fresh, and included a wide assortment of seafood, with the perfect touch of a few exotic items. Oysters, shrimp, scallops, cod liver, octopus, fishcake, chicken, shitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, leek, udon noodles, tofu, cabbage, about 3 or 4 varieties of fish including salmon, halibut, and the other 2 I could not quite figure out, and more ingredients I probably cannot remember. Also tried the salted duck, which was also cooked and seasoned to perfection. -1 star because I did feel the anti-non Japanese vibe. It was really awkward and uncomfortable. It's kind of that way at most Asian restaurants though so oh well. lol. Just gotta learn to bite the bullet when you need authentic cuisine! Owner was quite annoying. He kept poking in on us and he would stand there and talk with his stutter and bad accent way too long explaining what everything was and making sure we were cooking it right. We get it. You put the ingredients into the pot. You cook it. You eat it. He also labeled the soup spoons for us. The one with holes is not for broth. The one without holes, that one you use for the broth. Okay we get it, can we just enjoy our food we payed $90 for now please? And he just kept coming back! To say one more thing, god it was indescribably annoying. read more

Great Sashimi dish and excellent selection of Kappo dishes. Love coming here to have few drinks and try our small dishes with my office buddies. Waiters are very friendly and cute. Will come back again for sure! read more

My wifes Co-Workers works here part time. Went to try it out the other day: When I walked in, i notices it was a normal restaurant. They care more about the food then the inside decor. The food was good, with above normal prices. Quality food does cost a bit more. if you love shrimp get the Amai Ebi (Shrimp Sushi), not for the Shrimp but for the shrimp head they deep fry for you later. For people that eat shrimp head, you normally stop once you get half way through the head. This time i went almost all the way to the EYE. Overall, this would be a place i would go when i want to get sushi and pay above average price. read more

my friend LOVES this place and is always raving about it. he comes here quite frequently and swears they have THE best lunch specials. after picking up said friend from the airport, he suggested this place for lunch so i finally got to experience the awesomeness! they had the hamburg special for lunch that day which he says is his favorite. i've never seen anyone get so excited over hamburg special day. he suggested i get the same thing but i decided to try the grilled salmon. the lunch sets come perfectly placed on a tray in an aesthetically pleasing way. cute little japanese places are always so good at making your lunch look organized and neat. my grilled salmon came with rice, miso soup, japanese pickles, today's side dish and my perfectly grilled piece of salmon with a side of grated radish. everything was delicious and it tasted fresh. the miso soup had quite a few pieces of tofu and seaweed unlike other places that just give you water and powder. i drizzled some soy sauce over the grated radish and it went well with my salmon. the side dish was good and light, i believe it was sauteed gobo. the hamburg lunch special was....pretty DAMN good. the best hamburg i've ever had. tender, juicy and seasoned superbly well. it came with a small bowl of udon, bowl of rice, today's side dish and pickles. although my grilled salmon hit the spot, i will listen to my friend and stick to their lunch special of the day next time i go...there will definitely be a next time. don't expect a fancy restaurant, it literally is a hole in the wall with simple decor but the food speaks for itself. great, homecooked-style japanese food! oishii! read more

This is an odd place to review. I guess it depends a lot on what you're use to and desire out of the dining experience. Food - Fresh, well prepared, and everything I've had was delicious. It is prepared in the more traditional Japanese style. It is Kappo so it's a bunch of small dishes that go well with beer and sake. Yes there is a difference between the English menu and Japanese menu, and there is a Weekly Specials board in Japanese that have unique stuff. I had stuff off the board, the English, and the Japanese menu and it was all good. Note worthy - i forget the name of the dish, but the box pressed sushi made with seasoned mackerel was soooooo good. I've had it at other places and ususally it's too sour or too much rice, or the rice is too mushy. Here, it's a balance of fish to rice, not too sour, with great texture. This was not found on any menu but seen on a few other tables. It's worth asking the waitress if you like mackerel. Service - The waitresses (and yes from what I could tell they were all female) were very nice... smiling and friendly. I can't say much of the manager since when I went, I was with a Japanese friend who goes in often with her Japanese bosses. But I can imagine how he could be harsher with non-Japanese customers. He isn't really an issue once you're seated, but he may have a say when it comes to actually seating you. Prices - Yes, on pricey side. Small sizes for larger prices compared to other places (we Americans are too use to grand slam portions and our stomachs stretched out :) i know i'm that way)... but it's quality of the ingredients and the preparation you're paying for. Plus, the idea of competion... other similar are limited. And those around are still on the pricey side compared to regular restaurants. Go there expecting to spend a little more then usual. Atmosphere - Small place, nothing special to look at on the walls. Place is bright. Noise is not too loud so you can't hear the person across from you, but not so quiet that it makes you afraid to talk. Casual. You will see after-hr japanese business men in suits there. It is an older crowd than Honda Ya. I sat near the kitchen when I went and after a bit of Sake the place got really warm :) So over all, I'm a foodie and am willing to pay for tradition, quality, and flavor. I don't usually doc point for lighting and ambiance unless something really bothers me. And I'm pretty patient when it comes to service. read more

Had read about this place and another person had suggested it me and so was curious to see if it was any good. Since I went with a friend that's allergic to seafood, it was a bit limiting but he told me I should go ahead and order whatever. And so I ordered, well with help from our waitress, the shrimp croquette and the pike off the Japanese menu. The pike wasn't too bad, just forgot what a pain the bones part is, not sure if I'll order it again could see my parents enjoying this dish more. Would have ordered the Kinki but for one person that was too much. The shrimp croquette with the tonkatsu sauce was quite good, made me reminiscent of my okonomiyaki experience at Gaja. My friend ordered basically whatever non-seafood dishes were left which was the duck and chicken, they weren't too bad, though not enough to make me want to rush back. A bit older crowd than Kappo Honda or Honda-ya, which has a lot more 2nd gens and 20-30 crowd, the crowd at Kappo Sui was more business folks to international students. I would go back once more to give final review. And yes I agree you might want to go with someone that can read Japanese, my one semester of Nihongo that I took close to 10 years ago, did me no good. read more

This unassuming restaurant is a gem. Don't tell anyone about this place. All their dishes are authentic and delicious! We had salmon skin salad, spinach salad, agedashi mochi, Chu toro sashimi, zousui rice, hamachi Kama, chawanmushi and the fried stuffed shiitake mushrooms. Everything was delicious. Will be back. read more

Probably one of the only authentic Japanese izakaya in OC. One of the chefs, Mr. Shirai, used to work for Kasen before starting Kappo Sui with his partners. The food is served hot and the ingredients are fresh. I don't like fishcakes but they make them from scratch there and it's actually really good - highly recommended (ask for "ebi shinjo"). I also like to order the fried whole flounder when it's available and ebi croquette is always good. You really can't go wrong with anything you order here. The only thing that always weirds me out is the drunk manager there. I think he's one of the partners so they probably can't fire him. It can be pretty entertaining seeing him interact with customers though. read more

I love Kappo Sui. Been going there for a few years now. I like it becuse the staff is accomodating and the food is the best: traditional. Brought my coworkers there with me yesterday and they loved it. One got the daily special and the rest got sushi combo, tempura combo and fried fish combo. We left full and happy that I showed them this pearl! Will be back very soon! read more