Food was great Service was amazing…read more Ambiance was perfect as we were able to sit outside which was perfect for me and my autistic kids where noise wasn't too much for them.

Small little spot that I tend to forget about but have had the opportunity to dine at many times…read more Food has always been good and the service is great as well. I like the variety of small plates that are offered here. It's a perfect spot I visit with my husband along with a few drinks. Parking can be tough if you come during dinner rush hour so I definitely recommend coming a little earlier to secure a parking spot and table without having to wait.

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!

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.

This was one of the great yakitori places I've been. The ingredients are fresh, and each skewer was…read moregrilled well without relying on an overly heavy or sweet sauce. The seasoning complemented the food instead of masking the natural flavors. Surprisingly, one of the highlights was the simple grilled tofu. It's an easy dish but they executed it perfectly. Crispy on the outside while inside is warm, silky, and tender. Sometimes the simplest dishes say the most about a kitchen's attention to detail, and this was one of them. Overall, the quality of the food and well preparation really stood out. I'll definitely be back to try more of the menu.

Make sure to make a reservation!! This place gets packed since it is a smaller restaurant with…read morelimited seating. If you drink alcohol or have never tried sake, please try their sake here. It comes in the shot cup in a box, which is so fun to try with friends. Their skewers are also made to order, so everything comes out piping hot. I really liked their pork belly and green onion, their beef skewers plain, with wasabi, and also with the daikon radish. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of their skewers here.

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."

Cindy and Yuka made this whole place worth it. Excellent service, quaint atmosphere. Love the…read morecitrus flavor of the Yuzu sake, we ended up buying a bottle, $58! The sake was the best sake we've ever had. 4 out of 4 of of us thought it was the best out of all the sakes we tried. Yes - it was really THAT good and they use real crab for their sushi rolls. 10/10 Would recommend!

Such a cute hole‑in‑the‑wall spot on the tail end of Kensington! I had no idea this place existed…read morefor years, but I'm so glad I finally found it. Located in a small shopping center with a few parking spaces, Tanuki is a great tapas and standard sushi spot. It leans more toward Asian‑fusion tapas with some sushi rolls and a limited selection of nigiri and sashimi. If you're looking for specialty fish, a huge roll list, or omakase, this isn't that kind of sushi place. But if you want a wide selection of sake, fun fusion tapas, and some classic sushi options, this is your spot. I love that they have a small bar and that cozy, true hole‑in‑the‑wall feel. The staff is friendly, the vibe is relaxed, and it's the perfect place to come alone, with a friend, or for a casual date night. The quality is solid, and the service is fast and welcoming. They also have some great sake and green‑tea‑based drinks. I love it here -- definitely a go‑to spot for us.

Absolutely enjoyed this restaurant! It is located in a small plaza with limited parking. We came…read morearound 9 and waited about 20 mins before we were able to get a table. We ordered drinks first. Their green tea was soooo delicious! I also enjoyed their alcohol options. Each dish is sooo delicious and definitely worth the money! A must get here is definitely the tuna carpaccio!! it's soooooo good! We ended ordering it twice. There were still a good amount of people when we finished. A lot of people catching up. Vibes were great!

I appreciate that it was opened late because we were looking for something to eat at 9:30pm!…read more The food itself wasn't anything special, but since we were craving Japanese food, it hit the spot. I got the lobster roll, but tbh it just tasted like an elevated california roll. The menu also said there was caviar but it was just masago...

Been having Yakyudori bookmarked for hella long and finally pulled up... man, why did I wait?…read more We went IN!!!!!!! Beef tongue, beef skewers, shrimp tempura, ramen, sashimi, seaweed salad, sausage, rice... basically everything! Everything slapped!! The skewers had that perfect char that gives you all that smoky flavor, and every bite had me looking at the next skewer like, Aight... one more.... Lol Found out the owner also owns Koli next door, so now I got TWO reasons to keep coming back. Safe to say this spot just became a regular in the rotation in my big back life

6 years since my last review and this place still deserves 5 stars! My favorite place for yakitori…read more Must orders are the pork shiso, beef w/ wasabi, harami beef, fried oysters, and fresh oysters to name a few. Very friendly staff and great service !