Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Matoi

    4.7 (260 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndSushi Bars, Japanese
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Matoi Photos

    Business Info

    MATOI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Matoi

    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

    Jocy C.

    Matoi is an Edomae Omakase sushi restaurant emphasizing the freshness and quality of seasonal fish from Japan. Matoi's concept is having traditional Japanese cuisine with a laid-back atmosphere and 90's hip-hop. Their mission is to educate people on Japanese cuisine and culture (and to make the best sushi possible). I was looking for an upscale Japanese restaurant for dinner to celebrate a 7 year friendship-versary. Ended up at Matoi for Omakase (3 appetizers, sashimi, nigiri, seasonal dishes, and dessert). We opted to order Sake (by the bottle) on side instead of the sake pairing. Food & seafood was really fresh! My roommate even tried their Ankimo (monkfish). Inventive with a creative twist. We sat at the bar and interacted with Chef TJ (from San Diego, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Pittsburg, Tijuana, and Japan). We also ended up ordering a few extra nigiri pieces on the side after the Omakase meal was over. Food was delicious. Service was friendly. Ambiance was upscale but not pretentious. All in all - amazing time and perfect place to celebrate 7 year friendship-versary!! ENJOY!!

    Omakase menu (for January 24, 2026)
    Kay C.

    We had an amazing, intimate omakase experience at Matoi Restaurant, which only serves 2 seating times of omakase at its 8-person counter. Don't be fooled. Even though Chef TJ is Caucasian-American, he was trained in Japan and likes to educate you on the Edomae-style omakase. Edomae-style involves preserving and developing umami flavors in fish through smoking, marinating (like rice in red vinegar), or curing (in salt or kelp). The full omakase experience ($195 per person) lasted 3 hours served by Chef TJ and his Japanese helper, who took the drink orders or cleared the dishes. We had: - 3 small appetizers (tako jelly, shirako and sumiso) - sashimi combination (toro, NamaDako, mirugai, noresore, kanoachi, Aoyagi and Aji) - grilled dish (saba shioyaki and ebi tempura) - steamed dish (chawanmushi, egg custard) - 8 nigiri (kawahagi, kinmedai, hagatsui, hirame kobjime, sayori, shimaAjii, Jabara Toro, and uni) - soup dish (osuimono) - dessert (green tea ice cream) It was a laid-back atmosphere with Chef TJ answering questions or educating us on certain preparations. But most of the time, he was quietly working on his next course while we conversed and enjoyed what was placed before us. Chef TJ does have strict rules for his restaurant which were presented to us at start of our meal. That includes no cell phone use during meal, so we respected that rule and took no photos during the course of the meal. It felt like an authentic experience, like the ones we enjoyed in Japan, and we all left satisfied and full!

    Laurie Mhae T.

    Food was amazing. I got to try some things I've never had before. Was lucky enough to try an autumn dish the chef only serves 2 months out of the year. Service was excellent. No complaints there. Restaurant is small and intimate. Nothing too overwhelming. I also really admired the ceramics used for our meal. I found the menu to be quite generous and unique.

    Ran C.

    Earlier this week, someone told me - "you eat a lot of Sushi". I responded that I don't eat as much as I'd like to. And I blame experiences like I had at Matoi - because they set the bar so high that I refuse to go to places that I feel will end up in me leaving totally disappointed. So ... Ended up here with a friend for dinner. 5PM seating. Glad it was the early seating because parking in this lot can be challenging. Arrived on "Ran" time and hung out until the doors opened. No place to sit and wait FYI. No lobby or seating outside. It was all good - I stayed in my car with the AC. Parking was free. No time limit. Ushed in at 5PM. Seated at the counter. Three parties. Two behind the bar, including Chef TJ. And one server. In the small venue, with the chefs right in front of you - and the server on the opposite side of the counter - they were able to engage and make sure we were well taken care of. As for the Omakase. Overall, I enjoyed everything with only a few exceptions. I'm not normally bothered by textures, but one dish was slimy and that turned me off. It was one of the things I tried off the menu meaning it was served almost last - because if I had it first, my experience might have been soured. Otherwise, I enjoyed the cuts and portion sizes. I left fat and happy. Here's the answer to the question you're probably wondering about - yes, I'd go back. Of course, as it's in San Diego, and not, it wouldn't be regularly, but I'd definitely go back when the craving hits and or to take someone if they wanted to go.

    Mei T.

    I've been struggling how to write the review for this Omakase experience. The experience itself wasn't bad. Chef owner TJ was very thorough in walking us through each dish. He was very detailed in his explanations, often times I felt he was perhaps a bit too detailed. For example, the lady next to me was curious what some of the fish looked like. Rather than just use words to describe, he would take out his fish book and flip through the pages. He did this a few times, grabbing the book and flipping through the pages in between using his bare and unwashed hands to make sushi. Thankfully I was one of 4 people who were served by the other sushi chef. I found the back and forth between the book and sushi to be unsanitary. Who knows where that book has been and under what other conditions he flipped through the pages! Another unsanitary thing I noticed was the moving shrimp heads were placed on each of our plates, but the chef asked us not to touch it because they will take them back and fry them. Well, not everyone listened because the annoying lady next to me was playing with the shrimp head. And guess what, her shrimp head got mixed in with all the others, so for all I know, I could've eaten the one that she played with! While I appreciate the attempt to wow us with the presentation. I wasn't particularly thrilled with the concept due to cleanliness. Chef TJ was anti-salmon and anti-yellowtail, and went through great lengths to try to convince us to not eat these 2 fish due to their high content of toxins. He insisted that sushi restaurants serve these 2 fish only because they are cheap, but these are very unhealthy. I would beg to differ. I took what he said with a grain of salt. If they were so bad for human consumption, I'm sure the FDA would have a thing or two to say. I love salmon sashimi, especially salmon belly, so it's gonna take more than some know-it-all chef to get me to stop eating it. TJ seemed to be very pro tuna and pro mackerel, my two least favorite fish, especially mackerel. I'm not a fan of him, but what I disliked the most was his arrogance. One of the customers was an old grandma who had never been to an Omakase, so she wasn't aware that the plate on the counter was for the chef to place fish on only. She had placed a piece of fish there and he rudely snatched away the plate and told her not to put her food on it. I thought it was rather rude, as he could've politely explained to her and taken the plate away. As a Sushi Chef, I'm sure he felt disrespected; however, his mannerisms were equally, if not more disrespectful. Another thing I noticed was fresh wasabi was not served. To me a good sushi restaurant should always have fresh wasabi. I'm not a huge fan of wasabi, but if I'm gonna have some, I prefer fresh over the packaged stuff. I noticed that a good amount of wasabi were smothered over rice for the raw fish served. Oddly enough, I could barely taste the wasabi. So far my review has not been very favorable, but it gets worse.... My friend wanted to try a few of the à la carte items so we ordered the sweet shrimp, tuna roll and chopped tuna roll. TJ convinced us to try the aged shrimp instead. He said that he killed the shrimp the day before. Man, we really regretted listening to him. To say that the shrimp was aged was an understatement. They were slimy in texture, an indication that they were spoiled. This goes down in history as the nastiest thing I have ever eaten at a high-end sushi restaurant. My friend and I looked at each other, debating whether to spit out the spoiled shrimp or just swallow it. We didn't want to make a fuss so we swallowed it. We paid for it later if you know what I mean.... The tuna roll and chopped tuna roll were very average, nothing special about them. If we only stuck with the Omakase, then I would give this a three star rating; however, the spoiled shrimp really brought this down to a one star. One of my pet peeves is being served spoiled food. There's no recovery from that. Also, I don't care how good a restaurant is, if the owner is not respectful, then I would not support their business. One thing I really liked was the sour plum wine sake, but the server replenished my friend's drink multiple times and never bothered to ask if I wanted another drink. For a $185 per person Omakase experience, I had expected better customer service and higher quality ingredients. There are so many other Japanese restaurants that offer Omakase experience. I would not recommend this place.

    Jessica T.

    Upon entering the restaurant, we were wonderfully greeted by the staff. The restaurant was small but cozy where you are seated at the bar with a full display of the chef and his performance of making each dish. Chef TJ walked us through each course, explaining what each dish contains, where they are from, what season is best to consume these ingredients and how to properly enjoy each bite. Some ingredients are rare and not well known by customers; chef TJ quickly grabbed his book and showed us what a specific lobster looks like. If you ask me, that's awesome as chef TJ takes the time to educate his customer, truly show his passion and knowledge of his dish (I've read some previous reviews stating he over explains and how he grabs a book to show how some fish or rare ingredients looks like). Each course was amazing, fish was fresh and every bite was seasoned to perfection. Every sushi place served tuna and salmon so why not try other fish variety? Chef TJ incorporates mackerel, squid, scallop into our menu and it blew my boyfriend's mind away-totally changed his POV. At the end of the dinner when most parties had left, my crew stayed behind and had an amazing experience with Chef TJ. We learned where he learned his skills, what inspired him to open his restaurant and a peek into his life experience as an individual who lived in Japan for a long duration (over 10 years if I'm not mistaken ). He taught us the Japanese culture and what he gained from his residency (yes he is white but get over it lol). I truly believe we judge a book by its cover far too quickly but once you understand what an individual has been through and their stories, it makes a world of a difference. Honestly one of the best restaurants experience I've ever had. Will definitely be coming back.

    Dione L.

    we came and celebrated Valentine's Day here and we are so happy that we did. We did the fast Omakase which we loved. It was a great variety of different fishes and the chef was great. He was so nice and explained to each cut and we got to learn a little bit of history and the making of how he became a sushi chef the sake was also great and the service was amazing. They were quick and attentive, and it was a small room which was like intimate and perfect. The sushi itself was great. The fish was very fresh and there was like a lot of cold, different textures and unique twists to each Nigiri.

    Nice warm towel to wipe hands before eating!
    Jennifer N.

    My husband and I love going around San Diego and trying new omakase places when we get a chance. So far we've tried Ichifuji, Moments, Sushi Ota, Sushi Gaga, Soichi, Harmoni 2b1, Hidden fish, and Komatsuya. There are many more on our list we will try, but the above is what I have Matoi to compare with right now. This one is one of those more intimate/traditional ones. There's only a limited amount of seats per session and everyone gets the luxury of sitting at the "bar" where we watch the sushi chef do their magic and get served our sushi one by one as we eat. I would have to say Matoi has been my favorite from all the ones we've tried, my husbands 2nd favorite. Our reservation was at 5pm. We chose to do the 2hr omakase, they also do offer a 1hr omakase option. They provide a combo of hot and cold foods. All the fish was so fresh. The hot foods were very tasty. They play interesting music - rap & hip hop. You can tell he is very passionate about what he does. Great place, would actually come back!

    Monique C.

    We're die-hard fans of Edomae-style sushi and have tried it across the globe, so our expectations tend to be high. We were intrigued by this spot's promise of Edomae Omakase paired with '90s hip hop, but the overall experience didn't quite live up to the hype. The fish was fresh, but the quality was mid-tier. Freshness and quality aren't the same thing, and to really stand out, you need both. Based on that, we'd rate the food around a 3.5. As for the '90s hip hop, t was playing, but it was barely audible. Definitely not a defining element of the experience. The native Japanese chef was kind, respectful, and very professional. The American owner/chef brought a more casual vibe and cracked a few jokes, some landed, some didn't. All in all, it's worth checking out if you're curious about Edomae Omakase. But if you go, I'd recommend the $90 option over spending twice as much for a longer meal that doesn't necessarily deliver more value.

    Eva C.

    This will be a pretty long one, so get ready! First things first, if you're looking for the utmost "traditional" omakase experience... don't let a white man appropriating Japanese culture be the one to deliver on that. Chef TJ single-handedly ruined my experience here, by his unprofessionalism & lack of accountability. The day of my reservation, we received a phone call saying that the restaurant had overbooked for the 7:30pm time slot & they would be cancelling our reservation. The reasoning was that they were in a transitional period between softwares, & they hadnt noticed the overbooking until that day; since we had been the last party to make a reservation it was us they'd have to cancel. A few minutes later, the restaurant called back saying they could squeeze us in for the 5pm dinner, but we were not able to do this, as it was our anniversary & had other plans before dinner. They then said that they could get us in for the 7:30pm dinner, but we'd be seated at a table rather than at the bar. We made sure to ask if this would change the experience in any way, & we were assured over the phone that the experience would be the same, just not seated at the bar. When it was time for dinner, we were seated at our table, while the other guests sat at the bar. We were offered a complimentary bottle of sake for the issues we'd experienced with the online booking. So far, the night seemed to be picking up. Once dinner started, we realized that the guests at the bar were receiving more items than us; we noticed that our table was only displaying the $90 quick omakase, rather than the full experience. Obviously, this made the experience sour once again, as we felt isolated from the full bar experience AND we were not being delivered the full omakase, as we had been told over the phone. By now, the lack of communication was becoming very apparent. By the time other guests were reaching their first round of nigiri, our experience had come to an end.

    Taylor L.

    My husband and I were able to get a fast reservation with the Quick Omakase Experience. The experience was ~ 1 hour. This was our second visit (first one was the full omakase, several years ago). Majority of the group was already seated for a full Omakase experience. Chef TJ served us at a great pace even though we had a slightly different menu than the rest. Fish was fresh and there was an option to add on more nigiri at the end. Chef TJ and staff were kind and refilled my tea throughout the night.

    Dessert
    Addison C.

    Came here on a Saturday as a solo omakase diner. The restaurant is located in a plaza with plenty of parking, which is one of my biggest concerns for convoy. The interior is very cozy and unfussy and the hip hop music gave a casual vibe. I think there were 10 total people and the bar was totally full. Chef TJ served a unique variety of fish that I have never tried before plus some old favorites. I think that some of the composed dishes were a little lacking in seasoning. Everything was very well prepared and fresh. I did remove one star for the service. The service was a little awkward and unrefined. Drinks going unfilled, napkins not replaced, dishes not cleared in a timely manner before the next course came out, and the server constantly reaching over at bad times/bumping hands while I was trying to eat. Not to say the service was bad, just a little awkward.

    Quick omakase menu - March 2025
    Kristen W.

    We came here to try the quick omakase which lasts an hour and has 11 dishes. Chef TJ is welcoming and a fun character. The vibe is chill and laidback with 90s hip hop playing softly in the background. The rice to fish ratio in the nigiri is one of the lowest I've seen ever! Meaning the smallest amount of rice to fish. For my personal taste, the sushi rice could've used a bit more vinegar. But once the chefs switched to red vinegar for the sushi rice, it was perfect and complimented the fish so nicely. The otoro is one of the best I've ever had. I ordered a second round after the omakase was finished. We also ordered uni which was local to San Diego and it was sublime! Service could use some improvements when it comes to the small things, like offering water refills without being prompted, refilling ginger, wiping sushi plate after each dish or offering all guests with a bag the option for basket storage (I wasn't offered it but another guest who came after me was, not sure why the inconsistency). Overall, I'm not sure if I'd want to come back to try the full omakase before I try another restaurant. Although each nigiri bite was delicious, I can't say I was thoroughly wowed by what was served in the quick omakase. I'd recommend you try it for yourself though!

    See all

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bok C.
    0
    12
    32

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years 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 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joann F.
    13
    17
    25

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Pam R.
    15
    55
    42

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dana C.
    0
    45
    14

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jason Z.
    218
    18
    0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Teresa L.

    Teresa L.

    Helpful 18
    Thanks 0
    Love this 10
    Oh no 3
    Photo of Ambry T.
    555
    17
    51

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John M.
    49
    36
    31

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Denise L.
    202
    123
    213

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Candy J.
    293
    14
    27

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    My wife and I have been here many times because Matoi is amazing! TJ creates an amazing experience.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Todd R.
    0
    40
    51

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John A.
    24
    57
    16

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Oso L.
    111
    643
    1842

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of D S.
    1
    31
    5

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 4 of 7

    Matoi Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Matoi

    Is there a non omakase option?

    No, Omakase only

    DO they have unseared albacore?

    Every meal is different, this is a true Omakasa restaurant.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Azuki Sushi

    Azuki Sushi

    4.4
    (3.6k reviews)
    6.1 mi
    $$$
    Takes reservations
    Vegan friendly

    I am only giving three stars because of our waitress - she was great. Other than that, the food…read morewas meh. The veggies in my mixed tempura were not ripe so the veggies I had were raw/crunchy - when they should be soft and tender to consume. This is basically a date night place or where Influencers go to hang out. Definitely not going back because you also have to pay for parking. Spend your hard earned dining dollars on a mom and pop shop where parking is free instead!

    Came here for my birthday celebration back in April when my parents were visiting. It was honestly…read moreperfect! I loved everything from here and cannot wait to go back. It's a small place so highly recommend putting a reservation down. I started with the Katana Collins, which was very light and refreshing. For appetizers, we got Garlic Edamame and Miyazaki Wagyu Dumplings, which just melted in our mouths. We got a few things between the 4 of us and we all loved our food. I ended up getting the Bluefin Four Ways and it was TO DIE FOR! I didn't even know you could get toro 4 different ways and I honestly enjoyed every way. I also really enjoyed the Unagi (Eel) Nigiri as it was perfectly cooked and such good quality fish. The dessert they brought out for my birthday was very cute and light. I thought it was exactly what we needed after the delicious meal we had. I honestly don't think you could go wrong with anything you get from here. This is definitely my new fave fancy sushi place!

    Photos
    Azuki Sushi
    Azuki Sushi
    Azuki Sushi

    See all

    Sushi Ota

    Sushi Ota

    4.4
    (4.8k reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$$

    This is one of the OG sushi spots in San Diego, and I've been coming here on and off for decades…read more It had been quite a few years since my last visit, though. With so many new sushi restaurants opening around town, it's a little out of the way for us, and honestly, I had almost forgotten about it. I'm so glad we decided to come back because it's every bit as good as I remembered. I made a reservation for the sushi bar, which is always my favorite place to sit at a traditional sushi restaurant. Instead of ordering my usual rolls, I decided to splurge on the Chef's Choice nigiri. I also asked the chef to serve each piece one at a time rather than bringing everything out at once. I love taking my time, enjoying each bite, and watching the chefs work, which is another reason I prefer sitting at the counter. The Chef's Choice was absolutely worth it. Every piece was incredibly fresh and beautifully prepared. My favorite was the aged toro, which had been aged for three months. It had such a rich, buttery flavor and completely melted in my mouth. My husband ordered a few specialty rolls, and he was very happy with both the quality and the generous portions. I also upgraded my regular miso soup to the clam miso soup, and I'm so glad I did. The broth was delicate and flavorful without being overly salty, and the clams added a wonderful sweetness. Even though I was already pretty full, I couldn't resist ordering three pieces of tempura after seeing them come out for another customer. I rarely order tempura in the U.S. because it's often heavily battered, when authentic Japanese tempura should be light, crisp, and delicate. If you've ever been to a dedicated tempura restaurant in Japan, you know exactly what I mean. This tempura was surprisingly close to what you'd find in Japan--light, airy, and perfectly crispy without feeling greasy. For dessert, we shared the green tea Basque cheesecake. It leaned a little on the dry side, but I still really enjoyed it because the matcha flavor was rich, bold, and not overly sweet. We also had a chance to chat with Akira-san behind the sushi bar, which made the evening even more enjoyable. The hospitality and attention to detail really reminded me why I've always loved this place. With so many trendy and expensive sushi restaurants in San Diego these days, this restaurant continues to stand the test of time. The quality of the fish is outstanding, the atmosphere is authentic, and I honestly think the prices are very reasonable for what you get. It's a classic for a reason, and I'll definitely be making the drive back more often.

    When: Weekday early dinner What: Ota B, Shrimp Tempura, O…read moreToro and Yellowtail Belly Experience: The food was simply delicious! Definitely a restaurant I would return for some good Japanese food. O Toro and Yellowtail Belly sushi were simply mouth watering. The way both fish just melts in your mouth and the proportion of rice to fish being just right makes a difference so that it gives you the perfect sushi experience. Shrimp Tempura was tasty. Not overly oily and a nice layer of tempura that wasn't thick. But the best is the shrimp! Definitely didn't taste like those frozen ones and the quality of the shrimp (size, texture, and tasty) was delicious. My son ate 2 out of 3 on his own - and he's very picky with shrimp tempura. Ota B was yummy! It was such a balanced meal of flavor, texture and variety. Even the rice itself was good, I kid you not! Definitely a good value to have if you're there. Our kids didn't want anything else but ended up eating two bowls of just udon. All because it was good udon. What can improve (hence the -1 star) is the service. The server wasn't friendly to begin with, probably because we have two young kids in a nice Japanese restaurant, and perhaps because we didn't order too much since we had a delayed lunch but had this place reserved for dinner already.

    Photos
    Interior space
    Interior space
    Tokusen nigiri
    Tokusen nigiri
    Double double tuna roll, Softshell Crab roll, Shrimp tempura roll

    See all

    Double double tuna roll, Softshell Crab roll, Shrimp tempura roll
    EE NAMI Tonkatsu Izakaya

    EE NAMI Tonkatsu Izakaya

    4.5
    (754 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    We found Eenami Tonkatsu Izakaya on TikTok, and everything on the menu looked so good that my…read moreboyfriend and I actually changed our itinerary just to make it happen. We're from Las Vegas, and this is hands down the best izakaya we've had so far--even better than anything we've tried back home. The sushi was incredibly fresh and fatty, and my boyfriend was already wishing we'd ordered more. I had the wagyu tataki, and it literally melted in my mouth. We also loved the katsu it was perfectly crispy and so satisfying. Huge compliments to the chefs! Every dish was beautifully prepared and you can really tell they care about the quality of the food. The service was wonderful as well. We were seated right away, but by the time we left there was a huge line out the door, so definitely plan ahead if you want to avoid a long wait. We didn't catch our server's name, but she was blonde and took great care of us throughout our meal. Overall, 8/10--we'd absolutely come back the next time we're in San Diego!

    Given how pricy (starting at $26 per entree without soup or rice, 50 cebts charge per slice of…read morelemon) and limited in seating this place is, I am very surprised to to experience unfriendly service, cramped seating, and extremely useless time meat quality. The photo shows their pork loin to be made up of majority fat with less than 30% lean meat. All of the opaque white areas you see are indeed fat, not connective tissue. That is an excessive amount of fat for something labeled as pork loin and priced at $26. I hope this is informative for others who may be misled by their incorrect claim of "top meat quality."

    Photos
    EE NAMI Tonkatsu Izakaya
    Miso soup
    Miso soup
    Highball

    See all

    Highball
    Cui-daore

    Cui-daore

    4.7
    (77 reviews)
    5.5 mi

    I was craving speciality sushi rolls and Cui-daore delivered. This sushi shop is located near…read moreMirimar road and replaced Sushi Deli. I ordered take out over the phone and my food was ready in 25 minutes. Service was very friendly and warm. The quality of the food was incredible. The attention to detail and flavors exceeded my expectations. - Orange Ginza Line speciality roll - This roll is a must have and my favorite item that I ordered. There was so much flavor between the salmon, orange slices, and garlic aioli. Everything blended together like a unique piece of art. - Rainbow Roll - solid and what you'd expect. Not my favorite item of the day. - Sea dragon roll - delicious: the attention to detail with the avocado slices to the perfect grilled eel this one blended together really nicely. - Poke Bowl - I ordered 3 scoops of Salmon (extra $5 for the third scoop) - this was really delicious. The salmon marinade blended together nicely with the flavored rice. Una Don - the unagi pieces had the perfect smoky and sweet flavor blend. One of the best unagi pieces I've ever had. Overall five stars for the quality of food, creativity especially with the Orange Ginza Line, and service. I will caveat that the portion sizes are quite small for the price point. I was out the door $118 for this meal for two. I'd recommend ordering like you would at an elevated dining restaurant. Try a bowl and a couple of rolls per person and splurge a little. The interior of the shop is clean and minimal and on the smaller side. Be warned there was no AC on a warm summer day when I came. These are trade offs I'm willing to overlook for an incredible quality sushi experience. I am already craving another Orange Ginza Line roll: it is calling my name!

    wouldnt come here during summer. no ac. hotter inside than outside…read more very understaffed. 2 people running everything. poke bowl was okay. small portion.

    Photos
    Inside seating
    Inside seating
    Tuna Poke bowl
    Tuna Poke bowl
    Sea Dragon roll. Seaweed salad.

    See all

    Sea Dragon roll. Seaweed salad.

    Matoi - sushi - Updated August 2026

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