Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Kappo Sui

    4.6 (414 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Kappo Sui Photos

    Business Info

    KAPPO SUI ATMOSPHERE

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

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Kappo Sui

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    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...

    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.

    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.

    Hot sake with bug in the cup (top right)

    I'm grateful my stomach survived this place, but I will never return. We came for dinner over Memorial Day weekend. From the moment we arrived, the first impression was poor. The host asked us to wait five minutes while he cleaned a table, except the table we ultimately sat at was already empty and ready. We waited for him to clean a completely different table. (And it was well over five minutes, but who's counting.) For food, we ordered hot sake, sushi, cold soba, and more. The hot sake was memorable, though not in a good way. After I poured it into my cup, a bug appeared. (See the photos I took, upper right corner.) I brought it to the host/server's attention. He acknowledged seeing the bug after taking my cup, but seemed uncertain what the problem was, so I had to spell it out: the bug appeared after I poured the sake. Only then did he take the sake bottle away and bring a replacement. There's a bug in the drink, shouldn't that prompt an immediate apology and remedy? Why was I the one explaining what was wrong? The food itself was fine, but I couldn't bring myself to touch the sushi after that. The restaurant was crowded, and between that and the service, the atmosphere felt anything but welcoming. We had also ordered clam soup, which the host later told us was unavailable, completely understandable. What wasn't acceptable was finding the $15 clam soup still on our bill. I asked to have it removed. The host reviewed the bill and it remained. It took a second request to finally get it corrected. By the end of the night, I was simply exhausted by the experience.

    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.

    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!

    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 .

    Meg S.

    Came here with my son while dropping him off at UCI. Amazing food, authentic, local favorite, tucked away in this unassuming shopping center. Came back three times and will definitely come back whenever in Irvine!

    See all

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Yoshio S.

    Yoshio S.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cody A.
    2
    358
    1480

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Very authentic Japanese cooking, loved the food! Service was great and the staff was so nice.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Aej K.
    2
    28
    11

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rachel T.
    100
    15
    13

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of 和輝
    0
    35
    1

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Koko M.
    1
    16
    25

    9 months ago

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

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Danny V.
    2169
    72
    59

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Soo K.
    379
    26
    14

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nicole T.
    349
    22
    81

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cheyne T.
    1311
    1517
    1216

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C H.
    0
    9
    1

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ken W.
    141
    71
    3

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    great food great service at a very reasonable price in OC. We enjoyed everything we ordered.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 3 of 11

    Kappo Sui Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kappo Sui

    You might also consider

    Yuzu Japanese Sushi Bar

    Yuzu Japanese Sushi Bar

    4.5
    (774 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$
    Vegetarian friendly
    Gluten-free friendly

    Finally tried this place and everything was soooo good…read more Started with the Oyster Half Shell: super fresh, clean, and just melted in my mouth. The Crispy Rice with spicy tuna was definitely a favorite. The rice was perfectly crunchy, the spicy tuna was packed with flavor. Next was the Mad Man roll, which has filet mignon on top. The filet was tender, flavorful, and paired surprisingly well with the sushi. But the highlight for me was the Miso-glazed Chilean sea bass. The miso glaze added the perfect amount of sweetness and umami without overpowering the fish. Also, shoutout to our server! I feel bad because I forgot her name, but she was incredibly sweet, attentive, and made the whole experience even better. She checked in at all the right times and was just genuinely warm and welcoming.

    May 2026 and I'm honestly shocked at how much the food quality has gone downhill. The miso soup was…read morecompletely flavorless, and the fish honestly looked questionable, almost like food coloring was used just to make it appear fresh. For $160 for just a few rolls (no appetizers, no drinks, no dessert), the value simply is not there. The only redeeming quality was the staff. They were genuinely very kind, attentive, and helpful. Unfortunately, good service alone can't justify the quality or price. I won't be returning. I'd rather spend my money at places like Pacific Catch in Tustin or restaurants that prioritize and certify the quality of their seafood. As consumers, we have to support places that deliver real value.

    Photos
    Yuzu Japanese Sushi Bar
    Yuzu Japanese Sushi Bar
    Yuzu Japanese Sushi Bar

    See all

    Sushi Town

    Sushi Town

    4.0
    (928 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    Such a Costa Mesa staple! We use to come here all the time when we use to live in the area. This is…read moreme and my husband's go to when we were dating! I absolutely love this place and never did it disappoint. They are still consistent even today. The last time we are here was before we moved to Vegas in 2017. I really miss this place and could not find anything at Vegas that's casual and delicious like this place. We absolutely love the pink Cadillac and all their no rice rolls. Worth every penny. We can't get great sushi like this fresh and good in Vegas. I love the red eye as well. All light with seasoning on point. The nigiri are pretty pricey for 1 piece but it's fresh fatty tuna and blue fin. What do you expect. Especially since everything has gone up and cost of living is not the same anymore. I'll pay $6 for the nigiri. It's what we expected. Fatty tuna was on point! Service here is always amazing! Staff has been here for years. They even remember my hubby. Lol. Ambiance is casual. Can't wait to come back.

    Came here for the lunch special. It did not disappoint. Parking is not the greatest. However the…read moreservice is friendly and the ambiance is relaxing. The lunch special was sashimi I got that came with spicy tuna roll and miso soup. It was all good. Wis I could have had more. 5/5. I thought the spider roll was a bit too pricey for my liking but it was so good I wish I got more. The soft shell crab was cooked perfectly. 5/5.

    Photos
    Sushi Town
    Black hair in the Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna Roll (2 pc)
    Black hair in the Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna Roll (2 pc)
    Omakase

    See all

    Omakase
    Kakurega

    Kakurega

    4.4
    (292 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    Decided to not fall for the uber eats trap and get some fake sushi place with BOGO deals and shop…read morelocal instead! I stumbled upon kakurega down the street from me and had a great experience! We got a crunch roll and two other rolls and they were fabulous. Just what we wanted, nice fresh sushi. I ordered at the restaurant for take out and sat at the bar, the waiter offered me water and tea and was super nice helping me with the menu. The place is small and quiet and makes for a very nice date night, I am excited to get back and try the sake menu and have a nice time with my wife. I am over the delivery app deals that suck me in! Local tasty family owned sushi!!

    Came here on a Saturday evening at 7:30 and there was plenty of parking available. The restaurant…read moreis rather quaint so it's personable but great atmosphere for dates, family occasion, or even business. Server was attentive and food came out relatively fast. We ordered crispy rice for the appetizer and it was absolutely delicious except for the fact that the rice was a bit thick so it was harder to eat. Maybe if it was on the flatter side, it would have been more enjoyable. We got soft shell roll and also a variety of nigiri. The fish for the nigiri was fresh and the rice to fish ratio wasn't bad. The roll was alright. Nothing to rave about. Overall experience here was pleasant and I would come back again if I'm in the area.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Chirashi bowl
    Chirashi bowl
    Sushi lunch combo

    See all

    Sushi lunch combo

    Kappo Sui - japanese - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...