Kitajima is a small sushi restaurant with the best soft-shell crab hand roll that I have ever had - so good... you e gotta try it. They have lots of combo meal options or sushi à la carte. There is reserved parking for them right in front, which was so nice since it was raining when we went. The staff was friendly, the only fault I found is that they don't have soy sauce on the table and bring it in dishes and I like to pour it from a bottle myself. There is a second room in back that makes it bigger than I realized at first. read more

I came here probably over 20 years ago when it was just a Japanese restaurant and not combined with Thai cuisine. I recently came here with my coworkers for lunch as we needed something nearby and we were in the mood for Japanese food. We were seated right away and noticed that there were maybe three other occupied tables. It's a small and cozy restaurant. The decor was clean and simple. We were seated in a booth and able to order rather quickly. We all ended up ordering the lunch combos but different variations. I ordered my typical combo which was salmon teriyaki and sesame chicken. The lunch combo comes with a small scoop of rice and garden salad and miso soup. The miso soup didn't have a strong Dashi or Miso flavor. It lacked the umami flavor profile that you'd expect in a miso soup. It tasted watered down, but did come with some tofu cubes and seaweed. As for the salad, it seemed like it was just plopped out of a bag and lacked dressing and flavor. In fact, the amount of lettuce was so sparse that you could even see the plate within the salad space. I would be okay if they charged more for the lunch combo, which was $14.99 but provided with a bit more in quantity and better quality ingredients. The sesame chicken pieces were not appealing as it was slightly on the burnt side, and the little pieces of chicken were very small and lacked flavor. Finally, the salmon fillet left a lot to be desired. It was minuscule, thin, and the quality was severely lacking. In the same vein, the service was mediocre as our water was not refilled and we were ignored the entire time. My coworkers commented that the food was okay, but nothing to write home about. Maybe we all ordered the wrong items and perhaps the sushi is something I would try if there is a next time. read more

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We are a few minutes away from Kitajima. We come here often. The food is good, the prices are great, and the convenience is ideal. We mostly pick-up our food order, but the service is always good. Lately, I've been getting the Kitajima Combo - 8-piece (Chef's choice) with a Tustin Roll for $34. The Tustin Roll has spicy tuna, kanikama, and shrimp tempura in the inside and tuna and albacore on the outside. I've tried a few others rolls, like the Angie, Bangkok, and Kitajima, but I keep coming back to the Tustin. It's so good! You have to try it for yourself and tell me what you think of it. My kids absolutely love their plain udon. It's $7 and they eat it all up. The broth is very tasty, too. read more

Kitajima Sushi & Thai - Kitajima Combo with Rainbow Roll and Pad See Ew with Beef - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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We got Thai takeout from here and it was pretty good overall but there is some room for improvement. We ordered pineapple fried rice, yellow curry (mild), chicken satay with peanut sauce, and shrimp tempura. The pineapple fried rice was tasty, but some of the toppings didn't look all that fresh, like the cucumber, lime or cilantro. They looked like maybe they were a day old after having been cut into slices. The yellow curry was great - very flavorful! I feel like the spices were very prominent. I ordered mild and it was still a bit spicy. The potatoes and carrots were cooked to perfection. It only came with a small amount of rice though, so I would have liked more. The chicken satay was delicious but it only came with a few pieces so it was kind of on the small side. The shrimp tempura was great, no complaints! read more

We came here before a karaoke night out. Seemed like a good compromise since they are right next door and serve both Japanese and Thai cuisine options. We ended up mostly ordering Japanese foods but had a couple Thai dishes in the mix. We started with the garlic edamame. Very flavorful and delicious! I am not a big edamame fan but adding in the soy and robust garlic flavors really made this dish pop. The jalapeno poppers came next. They are a more flavorful version of regular cream cheese jalapeno poppers with the addition of imitation crab and spicy mayo filling. The jalapenos were good because they still had a bit of crunch to them for texture. These poppers are not spicy at all. I guess they remove all the seeds and ribs before filling and frying. The shrimp boat was an interesting dish to try. Usually you see versions of masago/quail egg yolk on top of uni and rice with nori. Serving it on top of the ubiquitous imitation crab salad and a lightly cooked butterflied shrimp was novel to me. I don't think it quite worked overall because it was a huge bite. Trying to split it in half somehow would have made a giant mess of the assorted eggs. The creaminess of the quail yolk was very pleasing and tied all the elements together however. Drunken noodles arrived with fragrant wok hei which is always welcome. The tofu was well handled, soft on the inside with a crispy edge. We had also ordered green curry but it wasn't anything special. Needed more curry and fish sauce flavor and lacked any significant amount of chicken. We ordered three rolls: OC, Bangkok, and Kitajima. The Kitajima was the winner of the bunch, flavorful with textural interest from the fried onions topping. Three other two rolls were bland and interchangeable. Rolls are not my preferred way to eat sushi but are the most adaptable for family style eating. They were fine but only okay. We also ordered hot sake, of which there was only one option. Dessert mochis are just freezer box mochi but plated like a tiny ice cream sundae. Cute but low effort. Convenient location with uneven hits and misses. I would probably come again if I was headed to the karaoke next door immediately afterwards but wouldn't seek it out especially any other time. 3.5 stars rounded up. Service was friendly but a bit slow, requiring multiple requests for the same items. They should consider replacing the booths because the one I sat in was pretty tired out with the spot where apparently most people sit in had no tension and just sagged. read more

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I was craving for a healthier lunch yesterday and since Full Moon Sushi has gone out of business, I decided to go to El Camino Plaza knowing there are a few options there for japanese food and plenty of parking. I haven't been to Kitajima in a very long time as my last experience was not good. This time it was great, friendly service and great food. I ordered their Sashimi lunch which came with miso soup and salad. read more

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Kitajima has become a local favorite of ours. We stopped by last night for dinner. The restaurant was pretty busy and continued to get busier throughout our meal. The restaurant staff always greets us when we walk in and the staff is always kind. Love the ambiance here. The food portions are generous too. We started with the veggie tempura and both ordered the dinner combo, which has a great number of options to choose from. We got the chicken teriyaki with spicy tuna that also came with salad, white rice, and miso soup. Look forward to coming back again soon. read more

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Best sushi place ever! Only place I'll go since they take my gluten allergy as serious as I do. Bella always remembers mine and my husband's orders every time we go. We are very particular about our food and I cook at home 90% of the time so this place is such a treat. I can relax and enjoy the amazing food. Thank you for taking care of us read more

We have been dining at Kitajima for as long as I can remember, we just stopped in for Sunday sushi and sashimi, soooo good. Every now and again I think it's important to let our local commute here the gems are, Kitajima and the staff is one of them. Hamachi sashimi belly, best in town! read more

Kitajima is hands-down my favorite sushi spot. Every roll has its own unique flavor profile -- something you don't always find at sushi places, where everything can start to taste the same. Here, each roll is distinct, thoughtfully prepared, and absolutely delicious. The ambiance isn't the greatest -- it's not where I'd take someone to impress them on a first date -- but the sushi is so fresh and flavorful that it doesn't even matter. The prices are fair, there's never a wait, and the staff is always warm and welcoming. If you love sushi that surprises you in the best way, Kitajima is a must. read more

Overall, I have to say this place is solid. It's a great place to go if you're in the mood for Thai and Sushi. It is in a strip mall close to Cream Pan and there's plenty of parking. If you order the edamame, I'd go for the garlic. It just adds more flavor to the appetizer. The chicken Satay was ordinary, I didn't think that there was anything outstanding about it. The spring roll on the other hand was absolutely delicious. The Pad Thai is spot on. I had a variety of rolls: Kitajima roll, red dragon roll, trust me roll, Beijing, roll, and the OC roll. I think my favorites were the trust me and OC rolls. I don't know what it was but the flavors seemed to have gone so well together. Don't get me wrong, we did finish it all!. Service was great, we seemed to have gone when there were fewer people there so that was a bonus. The ambiance is rather chill, it isn't usually loud with the hustle and bustle like most Japanese restaurants that I've been to. read more

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Great Service, Food, is amazing I comeback is one of my favorite places I recommend the Sushi so delicious and open to modify if you need read more

Kitajima Sushi & Thai - Looks Good - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Our party of 6 ordered sushi rolls, sashimi, miso soup, poke bowls, ceviche & edamame (both garlic & just salted). Everything was tasty, fresh & yummy! The restaurant is small, clean & comfortable. Waitstaff was friendly & professional; prices were reasonable. Glad we came here & will be back again! read more

I can't believe I ate here 3 times last week lol. Every time I come here the food and service is extremely consistent. The entire staff is very welcoming. Everyone says hi when you walk in. I've tried almost everything I think. It's hard to keep track. Pad Thai Kapow Sashimi Salad Sesame Chicken Chicken Satay Chicken Teriyaki tonkatsu Salmon Teriyaki Tom Yum Soup Tom Yum Noodle Soup All the curries Chirashi Bowl Full Sushi Boats multiple times Paradise Roll is so refreshing Mango sticky rice when available tempura ice cream drunken noodles Pad See Ew I have difficulty deciding every time I'm here. I may or may not go once a week at least. read more

Food was great as always! Came in with a big party and had everything from sashimi to thai food. Not a single complaint. Jeno and all his staff are fantastic. Will be back soon! read more

We have been coming to Kitajima for almost over 20 years and it's always a beautiful experience to be greeted and treated as family! The sushi is always superb, and possibly the best sushi spot in the OC! And, lately, we ventured out to try their Thai! The Tom Yum soup is extraordinarily delicious! Our son keeps trying different items on the menu and loves going to the place where "they treat us as family!" Wicha is a gracious chef that loves watching people enjoy his dishes! read more

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Kitajima Sushi & Thai offers great sushi rolls and flavorful Thai dishes. For sushi, I highly recommend the Kitajima Roll, Red Dragon or Kamikaze Roll (both similar but delicious, so I would pick one or the other based on your preference), and the Beijing Roll. If you're not in the mood for sushi, their Pad Thai and Tom Yum Soup are also excellent! Location is great, as it is in Old Town Tustin and is easily walkable to other shops/restaurants/bars nearby which is ideal for a night out. The only downside is that service can be extremely slow at times. If it were more consistent, this would easily be a 5-star spot. read more

It's no excuse that they have been in business for a long time in Tustin. I experienced highly attentive service and an average lunchtime meal. They can do better. read more

The food is DELICIOUS and the ambiance of the restaurant give you the classic Japanese feel. The staff is amazing to my family every time we come in. We really appreciate how you make a special eel roll for our son to accommodate his allergy. Go and enjoy you will not be disappointed. read more

Kitajima Sushi & Thai - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

What I found most unique about Kitajima is their fusion of Japanese and Thai cuisine. My party and I ordered the Kitajima Roll, Tustin Roll, Super Volcano roll, pad see ew, and yellow curry. I thought the music being played in the restaurant didn't quite fit the theme, but the food was excellent, no complaints there! read more

Amazing fresh food! The menu has something for everyone on it. They have a lovely room for large parties as well.

We came with some friends and i noticed all the newer restaurants. It's in Old Town Tustin which has some nice spots. We shared their Kitajima Roll and Pad See Ew. I thought the roll was pretty good and I liked the fried onions on top. Not too spicy. The Pad See Ew was quite salty so I would not order it again. Food came out quickly and the service was pretty good. read more

This is a favorite place. Food is good and people nice. Angie's roll is good. Will try again. read more

Amazing salmon sashimi. Awesome shrimp tempura. Delicious lobster rolls and much more orders read more

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Ordered takeout so can't speak to the ambiance. The online ordering was a seamless process and service was quick. I think it took them 15 minutes to get the food and to go packaging ready! Now the food! 8pc/10pc nigiris The fish was fresh and had a buttery mouth feel which was a plus, but each individual fish's flavor was overwhelmed by the wasabi tucked under the fish. This was disappointing since we didn't get a choice to taste the fish's umami. Angie roll This place does their rolls pretty well! The yellowtail on top complemented the lobster/crab and tasted delicious. The sauce was a nice addition to the flavor without overwhelming the roll's original flavor profile. Overall the place has good value! The meals came with miso and salad with sauce on the side. Prices were reasonable and on the cheaper end for sushi, especially with their combo deals. I'm giving a 3 star since the nigiri experience with the wasabi was not the best. My wife couldn't finish her nigiris because there was too much wasabi under the fish. read more

Kitajima Sushi & Thai - Angie Roll and 8pc nigiri chef's pick, Kitajima combo - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Amazing food! Sushi is always fresh and delicious! I get the sushi boat every time! Service always great and upbeat!

Big fan of the food here. The sushi is always fire. The staff is attentive and super friendly, and I've never had a negative experience here. Shout out to Bella for recommending the drunken noodles, and for always keeping the sake coming! read more

It wasn't bad for a strip mall restaurant. The sushi rolls and Thai food were pretty decent. It wasn't anything I would rave about though. We had pad Thai and drunken noodles and they were both OK. read more

Service is great, John is wonderful! We often visit weekly for our sushi and Thai fix. I was skeptical about a restaurant doing two cuisines well. The kitajima room is amazing! Topped with fried onions, it has a fresh flavor with a crunchy twist, so good! Pad Thai and pad see ew are the best around. Ask for a side of sliced jalapeño w vinegar to take your see ew to another level. Massaman curry is so flavorful but can be a heavy dish, especially when eaten with rice. Order accordingly. Tom. Yum. Noodle. Soup. WOW! john recommended this to us and there is no turning back! Fish balls, sausage, chicken, this dish is high in protein and so flavorful. The portion is huge, enough to share. If your looking for a smaller portion get a cup of Tom yum. Spice level is accurate in that mild is actually mild, medium is a 4-5, and spicy is a 6+. You can't go wrong here. Friendly staff, ample parking, fair portions and reasonable prices. The lunch menu is a great value option. read more

Getting take-out food is just not the same as dining in. Food doesn't taste as good after that drive in between and what's worse, when they send you the wrong order, you have to live with it. That pretty much explains my experience here but it is what it is, right? So, when a restaurant specializes in two cuisines and covers everyone's cravings in the family, it's a win-win. However, when all the dishes ordered are just A-OK, you wish you didn't mind hitting two different restaurants. I ordered the crunchy roll, baked volcano roll, Thai fried rice, pad see ewe, and tom yum soup. Out of all these, I enjoyed the baked volcano roll and the soup. read more

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Food great. NO SUSHI BAR?? Why?? We use to go once a week for years. COVID happened.... They never got the sushi bar operational again. We will not go until we can sit at the SUSHI BAR... sorry. read more

This is one of my favorite places to go to for dinner dates! At least the times that I've gone, it's pretty low key. That being said, it's mellow and not crowded, food is delicious, and service is quick and friendly. I went here about a week ago with my boyfriend on a Saturday night. Our server, John, was really cool and friendly. The food came out quickly too. I loved the plum wine! For appetizers, we got the shrimp tempura. We got the dinner plate and chose salmon teriyaki and sashimi. We also got the Kitajima combo and chose the valentine roll in addition to the chef's choice of sushi. Our meals came with salad and miso soup. I hope my pictures did it justice, but everything we ordered was amazing! We can't wait to come back and try other items on the menu! read more

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Been coming here for a while with my family and more so when my younger brother went to batting practice in the building next door. You would think this place is super tiny but they have a back room that opens up for much bigger parties! This is one of my top sushi go-to places. The chef's are amazing and make such awesome sushi rolls. The servers are super nice as well and the food never takes very long to come out. This is definitely a great spot for date night, casual bites, and even take out! read more

I love this place! My favorite sushi place. I highly recommend it! Great service and great food. read more

Staff unclear on ingredients. Do you have an allergy? Talk to the chefs at this place--we asked twice, got the same wrong answer from two different servers until we showed them that our "fish" ceviche had something (eventually identified as octopus) that was not fish. Our friend ended up downing a Benadryl immediately and will probably be fine, but dinner went from enjoyable to stressful. read more

One of my favorite spots. Great service, good quality sushi and lots of variety on the menu.

Sushi and Thai?! Two of my favorite foods from one place?! It seemed too good to be true... And it was. BOTH the sushi and thai food were sub-par; my hubby didn't even finish everything on the plate! And that is a rare sight indeed. We ordered two of the Tokyo combos- 10 pieces sushi, 9 pieces sashimi, spicy tuna hand roll. The best thing in the combo was the spicy tuna hand roll, and that is NOT a good look for a sushi spot. I was so disappointed because the photos on yelp looked so good... I'm wondering if they're using low-grade sushi during this time to save money... I don't know. What I do know is the sushi I got doesn't look the same as the sushi I've seen in dine-in photos. We also ordered pad Thai and the flavor was good... but the noodles were super dry and all stuck together. It could have dried out because we ordered it for pick-up but I've ordered Thai takeout from other restaurants and it was fine... All in all, I'm very disappointed with my experience with this place. I felt very regretful after eating here because I hated wasted my stomach space! OH and I almost forgot, my husband almost chocked on a BONE in the sushi! He said that's never happened to him before... that seems like really bad cutting of the fish. I hate to write a bad review of a small business during this pandemic but I also think we should get what we are paying for... read more

Kitajima Sushi & Thai - 2 Tokyo Combo Lunch. Pad Thai - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Absolutely delicious! My husband and I shared the OC roll, the lemon salmon roll and the paradise roll. We continually mentioned how tasty they were and how clean they were on the pallet. The Wasabi is legit. Your sinuses will be cleared. We will be coming back for sure. read more

Thai food and sushi at the same spot!? Can't go wrong with that!! The sushi was really fresh and the yummy. The Thai food was also fresh and yummy! Great vibes, big TVs, big sushi bar and great service! read more

Sushi and Thai? If you can do both good, why not? So far, I've enjoyed every dish at Kitajima. They have great service and everyone there are super nice. I went with outdoor seating (they have about 6 tables) and the food arrived at a good pace. Our tables were periodically checked and servers were wearing masks. This was a really good dining experience! The good: 1. Kapow - The dish was really, really good. The Thai chili and basil are what makes the dish so fragrant, savory, and delicious. Make sure to add an egg and mix it up with the Kapow and pair it with the rice. I love this dish! 2. Kitajima Combo (10 piece sushi + your choice of roll) - We went with the Kitajima Roll and oh my, this was a flavor explosion! I think what sets this roll apart is the fried onions and the combination of ponzu/chili oil. The flavors all worked together flawlessly. I highly recommend the Kitajima Roll! The 10 piece sushi was very fresh and beautifully presented. Actually, I highly recommend the Kitajima Combo with the Kitajima Roll (try saying that fast 5 times). 3. Baked Mussels - I've had many baked mussels but Kitajima adds a twists by adding surimi underneath the mussel and garnishes it will a bunch of flavors. The family enjoyed this a lot and I will definitely get this again next time I am here. There are still so many dishes on the menu that I will definitely be back! read more

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