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    Kappo Sui

    4.6 (428 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM

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    Business Info

    KAPPO SUI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Kappo Sui

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    Basque cheesecake
    Dante C.

    I wanted Japanese food for my birthday, but I didn't want sushi and I didn't want Benihana. I just wanted a lunch deal, maybe a bento box. Yelp sent me to Kappo Sui, which was described as a hole-in-the-wall in the city of Costa Mesa. Sure enough, it was tucked at the end of a strip mall. I ordered the lunch special with beef teriyaki. My wife ordered the same with a plate of tempura for the table. My son ordered an udon special. The server was very helpful. (I watched as she wrote our order on her pad in Japanese.) My lunch special combo came with a hot bowl of miso soup, iceberg lettuce salad, and four pieces of a Californian roll. (See pics.) For dessert, I ordered the Basque cheesecake. (When my wife and son mentioned that it was my birthday, the manager brought three ices for us to enjoy.) Parking was typical California strip mall parking with ample spaces on an early Saturday afternoon.

    Monkfish liver
    Ariel D.

    Kappo Sui is owned by pastry chef Zuke, who also seats and waits tables. (Respect.) His demeanor is the definition of accommodating, and the intimate vibe of the restaurant is refreshingly human. Service was exceptionally attentive -- we ordered the crab dumplings, which come as three. Zuke had the kitchen plate four so we could share evenly. Michelin-level front of house service. MONKFISH LIVER: 5/5. Dense and silky richness was perfectly complemented by the bright sauce and fresh onions. SHISHITO PEPPERS: 5/5. The char on these was so good. PORK BELLY: 4/5. The fat was well rendered, the meat could have been silkier. CRAB TOAST: 5/5. Something about Japanese tartar sauce does it for me every time. CRAB DUMPLINGS: 5/5. Surprisingly large, delicate in flavor. SIMMERED KINKI (ROCKFISH): 5/5. Wagyu of the sea, in my opinion. Clean, sweet, and SO fatty. This dish is a rarity on any menu because sourcing is difficult and expensive, and Kappo Sui definitely did it justice. CHAWANMUSHI: 5/5. Absolutely THE softest egg custard I've had to date. It was hard for me to save half for my friend. SUSHI: 5/5. I am 1000% getting the omakase the next time I come here. Everything was fresh, clean, and balanced. BASQUE CHEESECAKE: 5/5. Airy, delicate, custardy, tart. I took an extra slice to go. BLUEBERRY PANNA COTTA: 5/5. I don't know what kind of magical blueberries these were, but these blueberries had the most concentrated blueberry flavor I've ever had. The panna cotta was silky and soft and really elevated the blueberry. MATCHA PANNA COTTA: 5/5. The bitter and earthy matcha, the rich and creamy vanilla ice cream? Not a combination I would have come up with, but a combination I WILL be making in the future. YUZU ICE CREAM: 5/5. Literally tasted like fresh squeezed yuzu juice that was frozen. Everything was delicious, and their menu has something for everyone. Zuke (and the rest of the staff, honestly) was such a pleasure, I'm already planning my next visit here...

    Yisana T.

    My family and I had the best experience at Kappo Sui! We were able to get a last minute reservation for my dad's birthday. Everyone was very kind and helpful and the menu was very extensive with authentic Japanese food! We got the sashimi platter, agadashi tofu, uni, and the silkiest chawanmushi. The fish was extremely fresh and melts in your mouth. Their dessert was very delicious as well! The cheesecake was baked fresh to perfection, and was truly the best way to end the dinner. You can tell they put a lot of care into baking it. They made my dad's birthday dinner so special. We were very happy with the overall food, attentiveness, and atmosphere and can't wait to come back again!

    Salmon Skin Roll
    Richard W.

    Kappo Sui is hidden in a small strip mall on the intersection of Bristol and Red Hill. As a solo, I got seated at the bar right away but they were busy, and it took a while to get orders in. Fried oysters ($14) Small and bready. I'm really looking for the briny flavor here and it's absent or minimal. Yummy dressing on the side salad though. Stick with the raw fish and rolls. Blufin Tuna Nigiri ($12) Deep rich flavor. Smooth and fresh texture - there's also more expensive toro options but I don't like too much fatty flavor. This was amazing already. Yellowtail Nigiri ($9) Nigiri cuts are more substantial than expected and the flavor is definitely all that. Golden eye snapper ($15) Generous gorgeous cut with the red criss crossed skin. Flavor levels more mild than a maguro and certainly less than hamachi so I'm not sure I would order this again at this price point. Japanese mackerel ($9) Fancy cut and no mistaking the mackerel flavor. The texture is a little tougher than the maguro standard. Salmon skin roll ($9) Instant smokiness of the charred skin on nose and palate. An excellent crunch that requires some chewing at the end but that just makes for a longer delightful finish. This is an everytime order. Fire grilled chicken thigh ($11.5) They have several meats that they grill in a high temp oven. Not quite hibachi but pretty darned close. The particular chicken breast is on the dry side but then got more tender with the inside cuts. While it comes with a spread of yellow wasabi, it really needs some kind of sauce or au jus. Who doesn't love the charred skin though. Service is somewhat scattered but earnest and I get the feeling that it's a family run operation that somewhat mitigates the higher prices. This looks like a great place for group gatherings but you should probably come early as it fills up fast. That's all.

    Jesus D.

    A quiet standout in Costa Mesa. We ended up at Kappo Sui after considering a few other spots during a local staycation. First visited a few months back, came back again--and it holds up. This time we kept a couple favorites but added some new dishes, which made for a really balanced, traditional spread. What we ordered: * Braised daikon with minced meat -- soft, deeply flavored, very comforting * Nasu (eggplant) with grated daikon -- silky with a light soy/dashi finish * Agedashi tofu -- crisp outside, delicate inside, clean broth * Chirashi bowl -- fresh cuts (uni, tuna, white fish), no filler * Grilled fish collar -- rich, slightly smoky, easy highlight What to expect: * Food leans traditional--simple dishes, done well * Flavors are clean and layered, not heavy or over-sauced * Service is warm and personable without being over the top * Portions are moderate; pricing reflects the quality The whole experience feels thoughtful and unforced. Nothing flashy--just consistent execution across the board. Easy place to overlook from the outside, but one you'll likely come back to once you've been.

    dessert
    Vivian P.

    Came here on a Monday night and the ambiance was so nice! A few of us were running late but they seated us and didn't rush us to order at all. I don't eat raw fish, so I was pleasantly surprised that they had SO MANY options for me! The eel box was my favorite item! So delicious- will be back for that alone. They are more of a traditional restaurant, but they were trying to expand and make rolls (spider roll was yum!) which I appreciated. The business feels family owned, and you can tell that they really care about their customers and want you to come back. Zuke chatted with us while we ate, gave us recommendations on what to order when we weren't sure! They had a variety of dessert and you can never finish a meal without a sweet treat so we tried it all! We will be recommending this place and returning!

    Remaining soup made into congee with some eggs.  Delicious
    Edward C.

    Delicious authentic Japanese style hotpot. A bit pricey for hotpot but absolutely delicious. Very courteous staff and attentive service. Need to try their sushi next time.

    Simmered eel & egg
    Johnathan H.

    What an absolute hidden gem! My mom's coworker recommended Kappo Sui, and we couldn't be happier. They're a traditional Japanese restaurant, so don't think of "sushi rolls" here, think more like izakaya in a traditional atmosphere. The menu is small, so they really stick to what they do best. Honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. There's some seasoned Japanese chefs and cooks in the partially open kitchen making some of the best Japanese food you haven't found in OC yet. What we loved: egg custard (chawanmushi), yellowtail collar, eel box, crab dumplings, black cod, soft shell crab, and simmered eel with egg. Thank you Zuke for being such an amazing server & pastry chef!

    Monkfish Liver
    Thomas Q.

    Our fancy foodie friends rave about this place . True appreciation of food only need a restaurant that simply says " Japanese restaurant " on the marquis and no fancy furniture. Just clean good unique menu items to try with regular fair Japanese food . Loved the Herring Roe and Kinki . All the fish were high quality, albeit cooked or uncooked . The sashimi was fresh and crunchy. Very nice service from waitress and waiters .

    Hot sake with bug in the cup (top right)

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    this place was so yummy and the owner was so nice! the sashimi is top tier and feels very authentic. the desserts were yummy as well

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    8 months ago

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    8 months ago

    Amazing food and customer service!!!! The person who help us was named zuke. I would recommend the inaniwa udon.

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    Delicious authentic Japanese food. Their sushi is fresh and we enjoy all their other dishes too.

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    Page 3 of 11

    Kappo Sui Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kappo Sui

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    IZAKAYA OSEN

    IZAKAYA OSEN

    4.3(2.2k reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$$
    Outdoor seating
    Full bar

    This is a great place to eat once, the umami flavor hits great. But after a bit it's gets old…read more Service is fast and setting is calming.

    Osen Izakaya has quickly become one of our favorite Japanese spots in Irvine! When me and my…read morehusband first started dating, we were fans of their LA location for years, so having one closer to home is definitely a win. The host and servers were super friendly, always came by to check on our table, and made sure they answered any questions we had about their menu. We ordered a little bit of everything. Spicy tuna on crispy rice, uni scallop carpaccio, premium sushi hachi mori, omakase bowl, toro roll, sea bass kushiyaki, and prime beef kushiyaki. Honestly, there wasn't a single bad dish. The sushi was incredibly fresh, and the premium sushi hachi mori was such a beautiful spread and perfect if you want to try a variety of fish. The uni scallop carpaccio was delicate, buttery, and probably one of my favorites of the meal. The spicy tuna crispy rice is always a solid choice, and the toro roll basically melted in your mouth. OH! The kushiyaki!! Don't skip on that! They had 7 choices. We picked the sea bass (tender and flavorful) and the prime beef (juicy and cooked perfectly) Everything tasted fresh and thoughtfully prepared, and the quality really comes through. The atmosphere is great for a date night, but still casual enough to come in whenever you're craving really good Japanese food. Definitely recommend Osen Izakaya Irvine if you love sushi and Japanese food. I've been back her for a few birthday celebrations, including my own. Note: I will say if you came here a few years ago when they first started out, please come back. Like all restaurants starting out, they are going to have a few hiccups while they figure things out. A lot of the older reviews I've seen mentioned that the food was solid, but the service missed the mark. If that was your experience back then, I genuinely think it's worth coming back because they've improved SO much. Highly recommend you give them another shot :)

    Photos
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    Sashimi Omakase

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    Omakase Bowl

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    Fresh Roll

    Kappo Sui - japanese - Updated September 2026

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