service was amazing! ambiance was great with the lighting! and the foood was straight gasssss!!!…read more if you have not been here then you neeeed to go and have some fire eats.

My boyfriend and I were recommended Sushi Ota by multiple people and we opted for dinner on…read moreFather's Day -- we knew it was a risky choice with no reservation, so we showed up 10 minutes before they opened. Luckily, for a group size of 2, we got sat at the bar with a time limit of 2 hours. We ordered 2 rolls and thought it was good. Nothing out of the ordinary. However, we opted for multiple pieces of the nigiri and that was delicious. The fish was fresh, buttery, and had a good ratio when it came to the rice. We also thought that the rice was seasoned perfectly. Our favorites was the tuna belly, salmon belly, and the spanish mackerel. The restaurant is small and tucked away in a small plaza. I would opt to sit at the sushi bar again if possible, it's more intimate and always a cool experience to see the chefs work.

Server Jordan S was awesome and was very attentive checking in to see if we needed anything! Food…read moreand service top notch! Also shout out manager Emily!

Little Sakana is our go-to AYCE sushi spot in San Diego because they serve fresh,…read morebeautifully-presented sushi at a fair price for both lunch and dinner. The menu is extensive, with plenty of options for everyone, which makes dining with a group easy. The atmosphere is another highlight. Inside, the restaurant has a lively and energetic vibe, while the outdoor seating area offers a more peaceful and relaxed setting. It's nice to have both options depending on the experience you're looking for. The food itself makes it worth coming back for, but the service is also consistently top-notch. During our last visit, our server Kailyn's warm smile and thoughtful service really stood out. She made our meal even more enjoyable by checking in at the right times without being intrusive and making excellent menu recommendations. Kailyn was welcoming and attentive to detail. Thanks to her, we were able to enjoy our food at a comfortable pace while receiving prompt and personalized service. The outstanding service, great atmosphere, and delicious food make for a memorable dining experience every time. We'll definitely be returning and would highly recommend this place to others.

My bestie searched up this spot and we were excited to try it out. Parking was a little tight but…read moreluckily I found a spot right away. She made a reso so that was helpful since it did seem to get quite busy. The HH was bomb we both had the Iced Green Tea which tasted a little like matcha! The roll were very unique and fresh!

I am so thankful we stumbled upon this establishment!…read more On a Tuesday morning, we initially tried to go to another sushi restaurant about ten minutes away, but unfortunately we didn't have a reservation and they wouldn't have had another table available for another two hours. Called Chef Jun to confirm if we needed a reservation here, but they said they had tables available since we were planning on being there in 10-15 minutes. We walked in and were immediately greeted by the girls up front and sat at a nice table outside on the back patio. We ordered the chef's choice sashimi, poke, beer, and green grape soju. I ended up asking for lemonade too to mix with my soju since I rarely drink and do not like the taste of alcohol lol. The food was absolutely delicious, I wouldn't have changed anything about our meal! We left satisfied and were so impressed with the sashimi variety we were served. I had no idea amberjack existed, but it's definitely up there with my usual salmon sashimi favorite! We definitely got our money's worth. Service was incredible, our server Marylyn D (that was on our receipt) was sooo sweet and we really enjoyed her energy. (We love your pikachu tattoo btw!) She made sure to check on us and give us updates on when our food was coming, which we really appreciated. Overall 10/10. Next time we visit from the Bay Area we will definitely be coming back here and recommending to our friends :)

The food is absolutely of the best quality! Their method and process for preparing and cooking is…read moreunparalleled from most anywhere I have seen in the world let alone San Diego. Truly world class! The service was amazing- I am a messy eater and dropped my napkin several times, each time they handed me a new clean napkin. The ambiance is incredible- so intimate. This is an experience!

Came here to celebrate a birthday. Timing on a Saturday evening was good enough such that there was…read morea good amount of parking out front when we arrived around 5:10 for our 5:30 reservation. We were first to enter and it was clear immediately that omakase is this restaurants institution; delicate lighting that highlighted the bar that separated diner and chef, clean lines everywhere, and just overall a beautiful place. The theme of Sushi MARU is truly attention to detail, and that extends from arrival, to service, to, of course, the food. Staff were incredibly attentive and easy to talk to, including the chefs. The food, I will comment on just generally as the menu is constantly changing (as is the case with many omakase): each dish was composed of pieces that complemented each other well and created a cohesive flavor pallette. Each nigiri was artfully prepared that emphased the quality and cut of the fish, and were complemented by flavors to further highlight that. The flow of the evening was non-traditional omakase, but it felt perfect. Price ($180pp) is not for the faint of heart, but is cheaper than others I've seen. Would absolutely visit again for a special occasion!

Finally was able to secure a reservation here. I've tried many omakases, and Soichi was always…read morementioned. Made the reservatiin online at the beginning of March for an omakase seating in April to celebrate husband's bday. They had a 5:15pm seating on a weekday at the sushi counter. Other options are the table and outside patio, however, for omakase, I always prefer the counter/bar. Unlike other omakase restaurants, Soichi offers their full vs petite vs nigiri only omakases at variable times (not limited to 2 seating times like others). You can also enjoy any of these omakases or order a la carte or both at the tables and outside patio also. The ambiance is bright and full of energy. Can get a bit loud with people talking, but didn't bother me. Parking is street parking. No designated lot. We found one a little down the street and walked over, which worked out. There is a park down the street and street parking around it. I recommend arriving earlier to find parking though, just in case. Restaurant is small inside, but clean and cozy. We arrived 15min early, and they seated us. The staff were all friendly. They all spoke Japanese to each other, which also felt more authentic. Our omakase chef was Daniel today. He was very nice, friendly, professional, and skilled. When we had questions, he answered them promptly and kindly. He also checked in with us to ensure the ratio of rice and sashimi was OK for us (of course it was). They served on unique plates too. Everything tasted so fresh and smooth. Some items were also unique compared to other omakase restaurants. The chawanmushj was also piping hot when served, so it also tasted fresh. They have barley tea here too and not just green tea. They offer a la carte at the end of the omakase course if we like, but I was too full. My husband ordered a tuna maki roll, which he thought tasted great. The dessert was also yum! Hojicha ice cream was very tasty! I recommend! They sang the happy bday song for the bday folks, where the senior chef (perhaps the owner?) played the ukelele/guitar and sang happy bday with the rest of us guests. Thought that was really neat. I recommend Soichi! Shout out to Chef Daniel!

Definitely 5 stars if compared to all restaurants, but 4 stars if compared to other omakase…read more Came at one of the first seating (4:30pm) on a Saturday for the full omakase. The service and partnership between the sushi chef and the wait staff was fantastic and every interaction was well thought out. The appetizer wasn't my cup of tea, but the sashimi, nigiri, grilled fish, chawanmushi were really good. The assortment of fish (at least for this season) wasn't my favorite (featuring sardines, mackerel, etc.) when I would have loved some yellowtail and salmon belly. We ordered a negitoro cut roll a la carte because we were still a little hungry - this was super tasty as the quality of the tuna/toro is top notch. For dessert, they had 4 flavors of homemade ice cream to pick from. The sesame was incredible and the roasted green tea really good too. I feel like most of the omakase I've been to have 2-3 seating for dinner, so all the customers for that time arrive at the same time and everyone is at the same point of the omakase. At Soichi, it seems like each party has their reservation at a different time (4:30, 4:45, 5:00, etc.) so each group is at a different part of their meal, not to mention some parties that ordered a la carte or a different omakase menu (sushi only option, etc.) As a result, the chef is bouncing around working on a bunch of different items, and we had to wait quite a bit for each of our nigiri courses. The whole meal took 2.5 hours. We also felt less of that group vibe with other parties that is common in other omakases. Overall, we still had a really lovely time and glad we got to try it!,

**5:30pm Omakase seating with Nigiri**…read more My dear friend and I came here for dinner on Monday night to enjoy Ichifuji's summer menu. Everything was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. All of the fish is high-quality, and most of it is imported from Japan. They do also source fantastic shrimp and uni from San Diego at times. Both sushi chefs are super personable, very skilled, and they have rad knife skills! Service from the waitstaff was attentive yet unobtrusive. The restaurant is diminutive and consists primarily of the sushi bar with 10 seats and an attached patio dining area. They do have a small parking lot which is appreciated! The pacing was just right, and each course was presented simply yet beautifully. I truly enjoyed this experience and give it my highest possible accolades! I loved that we were able to taste test three different sakes before choosing, and the carafe of sake was perfect for two of us to enjoy with our meal. It was also fun to choose our own special sake cup/glass from Ichifuji's eclectic collection for the evening I truly enjoyed all of the 19!! courses but the chilled chawanmushi, king salmon & all the nigiri were my favorites. When you come to Ichifuji, know that you are getting a very authentic Japanese dining experience. This is the real deal! Another fun thing that Ichifuji does is they give you a punchcard, and once you've tried all four seasonal menus, you will receive a special gift from Japan. Arigato gozaimasu!

[Food] Spring Omakase $165pp - Appetizers: 4 dishes…read moreconsisting of minced tuna, squid fly, oyster, & tempura. All delicious and wish I could've gotten seconds! - Sashimi: Chef's selection of 4 different sashimi with a side of seaweed. I enjoyed them all but my favorite are the toro and amaebi. Love that they also fried the shrimp head and gave us a choice of salt & lemon or ponzu sauce to pair with it! - Yakimono: Grilled cod with asparagus, crispy fried lotus root, and goji berries. The cod was so buttery and cooked to perfection. - Nigiri: 9 piece nigiri chef's selection. All were super fresh, melts in your mouth, and of course delicious! - Uni wrap: I'm not sure if this was part of the nigiri or its own course, but chef let us try San Diego Uni & Hokkaido Uni! Both incredibly yummy. I feel like the SD Uni has a nice sweetness while the Hokkaido Uni has a slight bitterness. My group mostly liked the Hokkaido Uni. - Chawanmushi: Very flavorful and silky as I think they added dashi to enhance the egg. - Soup: Red miso clam soup (Nagoya style) was delicious. Super comforting and savory to end the course out before dessert. - Dessert: Hojicha Panna Cotta with strawberries! I usually don't like the desserts at most omakases, but I loved this! Great balance of light sweetness of the Panna Cotta with the sweet and acidity from the strawberries. [Service] - Friendly, charming, attentive, helpful - Shoutout to our Chef, Hiro-San & server Ken-San for making sure our experience was beyond amazing! Thank you! [Ambiance] - Classy, upscale, intimate - Has sushi bar & patio seating [Overall] - Made reservations for a party of 6 for my bf's bday and they definitely made it special! I love that they took pics for us with the chefs and even gave us a print out with a stand. So cute! - Would definitely come back for the food, vibes, and great service! - Each season they have a different menu, if you had all 4 on your stamp card, you'd receive a little gift! I definitely would love to try all 4 seasons but unfortunately I don't live around the area.

Neighborhood jewel where Little Italy/Columbia District/and the Harbor meet! Calming, traditional…read moreambiance, balancing small tables, the sushi bar with two or three chefs busy at their craft. Japanese beer and sake, the freshest nigiri, sashimi, large choice of rolls and other favorites arrive, beautifully arranged on elegantly dressed tableware. A great place for a private date or fun with friends! Plenty of shareable dishes! Moderately priced and worth every penny.

An extra star for the thoughtful and child-friendly service…read more I brought my 6 year old here for sushi after trying to get into Sugarfish and then Azuki. There was no wait here but parking was a nightmare and there is almost no street parking right around the restaurant which is near the trolley tracks. I recalled coming here for a light dinner with my husband many years ago and thinking it was good, but expensive. I asked if they had Japanese soda for my daughter because it was not on the menu, and they said no, but after we came back from the bathroom the host had found one for us. They gave us chopstick helpers and were very nice. We ordered braised pork belly as an app and wagyu nigiri, albacore, hamachi, salmon belly, 2 salmons, and unagi. I think that was all. They nicely split the order so half had no wasabi for the kid. They were very considerate and I appreciated it. The food however took a while to come out. The braised pork belly was ok, but the fat had not rendered as well as at some other places so we ate around it. The flavor was good though. The hamachi was probably the best item-tender and tasty. The albacore was standard and a generous piece, but the salmon was a bit tough and my kid who usually inhales salmon tasted and then left the salmon. The wagyu had good flavor but was surprisingly chewy. For $26 I would expect it to melt in your mouth but it was not easy to bite through. The eel was very tender but had a weird taste, and was disappointing. I found myself chewing on a scale from maybe the salmon and was overall underwhelmed by the food. The bill for a soda and the sushi came to almost $150 after tax and tip for me and a 6-year old. Usually my husband and I and my kid go to places with better quality and pay the same price for the three of us. Will not be back.

High quality sushi at a low-key spot! We visited during early dinner without a reservation and was…read morelucky to get seated right away! It looks like most of the other tables were reserved for reservations. The decor is modern and very clean and chic. They also had a high chair and was accommodating with our baby. Food was incredible and the quality of the fish is evident throughout. We started with the mixed shrimp and vegetable tempura - light crispy batter, really good. The sashimi champaloo came with 12 pieces of sashimi, salmon, tuna, yellowtail, and the fish of the day was albacore. For rolls, we got the Luna Lemon, Maru's Sushi Toro, and Hamachi Hiro. The rolls were a good size and I loved how each had a fun twist (but at the same time not TOO crazy with their combinations like some other sushi places). You can tell it was designed with intention and each roll had a nice balance. The Luna Lemon roll was great with spicy tuna inside, salmon outside, and the soy dressing and shallot oil put it over the top. The Maru's Sushi - Toro roll looked so good in the photos so I knew we had to order it. The negitoro was delicious and did not disappoint. The Hamachi Hiro roll was hearty and loved the combination of yellowtail outside the shrimp tempura in the inside. We were blown away by how fast the service is. The staff was friendly and on top of everything, and the food came out REALLY fast. For example, when we ordered an extra roll at the end, it came out in maybe 3 minutes and we were shocked. Highly recommend!

We ordered takeout, and the food was packaged well!…read more We ordered the: -Sashimi champloo ($31.95): This had twelve pieces of prime cuts of salmon, tuna, yellowtail, and chef's choice. Every piece was delicious! -Chirashi bowl ($30.95): I really enjoyed the sushi rice in this bowl since not every restaurant does quality sushi rice. The sashimi was pretty good, but quality wise the sashimi champloo was definitely superior. -Salmon mango roll ($9.50): This had spicy salmon, mango, and ume furikake. This was quite tasty, and definitely had a kick to it. -Maru Maru roll ($9.50): This had imitation crab meat, shrimp tempura, and avocado. A basic roll but still good. -Chicken katsu curry don ($16.95): This was disappointing because the portion was quite small for the price. I do like how the curry was packaged separately. All in all, Hakumaru has quality sashimi and rolls, but could work on portion size for chicken katsu curry don.