Fancy ambiance with the perfect mood lighting for a romantic date. They offer bar side seating and have a few tables. We arrived right when they opened and were helped right away. The best part about this restaurant is their sushi set. We were able to sample a little bit of everything since it was 2 pieces of everything. Hand rolls are traditional which include only rice and fish, same as the cut roll. Prices are high here, I think would just come for the set since the quality doesn't meet the price point it's set at. read more

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This place is *chef's kiss*! I've been here twice in the past month and quality of the food/service was consistent both times. Both times, I went during lunch on the weekday and there was no wait. I love the bar seating set-up and dim lighting. It feels very intimate. Sushi set B and 3-4 hand rolls are perfect to share between a couple. The fish just melts in your mouth and tastes very fresh. I used to go to Ohshima for sushi/omakase in Orange, but Ootoro Bar exceeded my expectations and it's only 5 minutes away! read more

Ootoro Bar - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

This spot was honestly so good. There was no wait at all, and the ambiance was really relaxed and welcoming. It felt like the perfect place to sit at the bar, enjoy great food, and just hang out without feeling rushed. Everything we ordered was super fresh, beautifully plated, and tasted amazing. The salmon and yellowtail nigiri was super fresh, and the toro was really rich. You could really taste the quality in every bite. The uni was on another level. The uni nigiri was sweet, creamy, and super fresh with no weird aftertaste at all. And the truffle uni pasta was the highlight of the entire meal. I would come back just for that pasta alone. Even the rolls were great and packed with flavor. The combination of great ambiance, no wait, and seriously good food makes this a good place visit. I'm definitely coming back! read more

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the best sushi in irvine i have had so far. the main one doesn't do rolls but this one does. super fresh, a little pricier than other places bur absolutely fantastic. their website sucks for ordering so i used postmates. the only thing i will ding them for is charging more than i was quoted on postmates. not sure why. but it shouldn't be a surprise. not a big deal. read more

Ootoro Handroll Bar in Irvine opened not too long ago and I'm so glad I decided to try something new and gave her a chance :') First of all, SUPER clean establishment. The way my jaw dropped when I saw the pricing here -- everything was so fair priced/ cheap. The quality of fish here is top tier -- honorable mention the TORO. In this economy I felt like eating here was a steal xD My friend & I ordered the 4 hand roll set & it came out to $22 per person (with tip. I love how they put less rice & a good amount of fish. The service was phenomenal -- they came by pretty often and ensured that we were enjoying the handrolls. Overall an amazing experience, I will be back soon. The only other hand roll bar I've been to in Orange County is ROL hand bar and this one is 1000% better. read more

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My cousin took his wife and me here few days ago and it was my first time and I fell in love with this new sushi spot!! It was my cousin's wife and my birthday month January so we were having our birthday dinner and the restaurant gave us two complimentary ice cream. They were super nice about it and the ice cream was delicious!! They are known for their hand roll and my cousin's wife got the 7 rolls set and it was plentiful for her! They let her substituted one of them. My cousin and I got two versions of the chirashi, premium and regular and they were both so good! My only comment was I wonder why they did not have uni in the premium one. However, wow, have you seen my photos of their chirashi bowl??? I have NEVER seen such a THICK and HUGE cute of sashimi on a chirashi bowl!! If these were the size of sashimi on a chirashi bowl I can only wonder how their sashimi set would look like!! Their fish here is super fresh and delicious and you can tell the quality is top notch! Service here is also phenomenal and they are very attentive, helpful explaining their menu to us because it was our first time and was very patient with us! We had a baby in a carriage with us. I would definitely come back to their lunch set and would ALWAYS come back for their chirashi! I hope they never change the way the serve up their chirashi and their food!! read more

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I absolutely love Ootoro, specially the location in Irvine, so when I found out they opened a hand roll bar I was excited. I knew the quality of the fish was top tier but I wanted to see if the hand roll experience was the same. Service was quick and fast. There was no line when I went in for lunch with my dad and we got seated right away. The restaurant was a lot bigger in person than I thought. There are 2 separate hand roll counters and ~3 regular tables. I ordered the 5 roll (A) set and my dad ordered the 7 roll (B) set. The rolls came out in a timely manner, one after another. The ratio of fish to rice was good. I was faced with the same top tier quality sushi that I've loved at the Irvine location so that was perfect. One thing I wish was better is the quality of the nori. It didn't have the crunch factor. It wasn't soggy but I'd say the selection could be improved upon. Overall, I think Ootoro Bar is a great option for people who are looking for high quality fish. ROL hand roll bar is a popular neighboring competitor and in my opinion, I do like ROL because their nori, onion crunch, and sauce options. The sauces are more unique and experimental but the quality of ROL's fish is lacking. High quality sushi does not need additional sauce because the fish itself has a natural flavor profile. Ootoro Bar is offering that traditional, staple hand roll. I love a simple dish done well so this was a good experience for me. read more

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This place exceeded my expectations! The sets were reasonably priced and the fish was so fresh. I prefer my hand rolls more simple so I enjoyed that theirs weren't drenched in sauce and toppings, but more focused on the fish quality itself. The service is quick and attentive so we were in and out pretty fast. read more

The food is fab. Highly recommend and great service too. I would definitely go here and their Omakase is a really good deal. Highly recommend. read more

Ootoro Bar - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

I think my fiancé and I just found our new Sushi spot! We can literally walk here but it's been so cold these days haha. We love the set up of the restaurant, very up scale and dim light settings. Most of the seats were high rise bar seating. Mainly would be good for small groups. Fresh fish smell when you first walk in, you know it's going to be good. We both started off with some hand rolls. I ordered the 4 hand roll combo, which was blue crab, toro, spicy yellow tail, and spicy tuna. Hands down, it was amazinggg. They seasoned it with perfection. They only recommend dipping one time with soy sauce but to be honest, most pieces I ate did not even need soy sauce dipping. Highly recommend this combo I ordered.. it's the perfect variety of fish for hand rolls. My fiancé ordered sake (salmon) sashimi. Super generous with the cut and thickness. She loved it. On top of that we ordered a few nigiri's. Ordered a few toro pieces and it was delicious. Favorite piece of the night was red snapper... if you love white fish, this should be a go to. They put the right amount of yuzu and wasabi. They season their fish really well. So many options to choose from. We also tried the miso cod. This was a grilled fish dish. It was ok, we've had better. Other than that, we had a nice dinner here. Looking forward to coming back. read more

Ootoro Bar - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Ootoro Bar is the sister restaurant of Ootoro Sushi. The concept is handrolls and nigiri mostly. The restaurant itself is very spacious with two separate seating areas and some booths. You can order a la carte or omakase. The list is quite extensive. Our group of 4 went for lunch on a Tuesday. We had the Set D omakase (18 pcs | $185). Everything tasted absolutely phenomenal. Super fresh and flavorful, seasoned well. I cannot think of one thing that I did not enjoy. I like how some courses were served with 2 or 3 pieces within the same dish family. Everything was really cohesive. I will definitely be back. read more

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Move over ROL...you've got competition. It's more like a 3.5 stars but I rounded up because the service was great. From the over of the Ootoro restaurant in Irvine, this place is more similar to ROL band bar by Kei Concept. No tables-just two large bar with seatings all around. They serve mainly rolls and rolls set. Price is reasonable. The rolls were average. Rice could be better but for the price, don't expect authentic Japanese rice or high quality fish. Definitely a nice place to hang out with friends to chit chat. read more

Ootoro Bar - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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One of the better handroll sushi spots in Orange County in terms of taste, quality, and freshness. Surprisingly I enjoyed the handrolls even more than the original handroll bar, Kazunori, in Los Angeles, Warm seasoned sushi rice with your choice of fish all tucked in a crisp seaweed paper - what more can I say. It's straight forward, tasty, and will fulfill your handroll cravings. They have their own brewed soy sauce that isn't salty with an umami flavor that compliments the sushi well. I ordered the 6 handroll set b ($32.95) which consists of: bluefin tuna, blue crab, toro, scallop, salmon, and lobster. There is also a spicy version of this too. What I like about their handrolls is that they don't over-season it with sauces, fried onions, or chop all their fish. You're left with a handroll where you can taste the quality of the fish. For example, they use whole scallops instead of chopped up bay scallops like I've seen at other handroll places. The fish is handled well with proper techniques and refrigerating. You won't see pre-mushed up fish left in containers here. Besides handrolls, they have sushi sets, an extensive sushi list, and appetizers worth exploring. The chefs are attentive and friendly. They'll watch your eating pace and serve you the next handroll only after you completed the prior; this is to ensure you handroll will never get soggy. Since the meal consisted of handrolls, the meal can feel more of a "quick service." You can always ask them to slow down the pace to drag your meal out longer to enjoy your food/conversations/company without feeling rushed. The ambience is cool, chic, and modern looking. There are different bar sections so you'll feel more taken care of with your assigned chef. Tip: They are currently offering a promotion for a free chef's choice handroll if you order any sushi set or 6/7 handroll set over $30 . read more

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So my friend has been telling me about this place for months and when I came home to visit we got a chance to try it out. I haven't had sushi in socal for a while but prices are on the definitely high side. Most nigiri going for at least $8. The best deal is the hand roll set. You really can't go wrong with the 5 or the 7 roll, it just really depends on how hungry you are. Service is quick as the chefs aren't wasting their time on stupid rolls and other stuff that isn't sushi focused. Overall would definitely recommend as a high quality splurge read more

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Ootoro Bar, the sister restaurant of Ootoro Sushi, delivered a pretty solid handroll experience in Tustin. I went for the spicy six handroll set ($33) and appreciated how accommodating the staff was--they let us swap out some of the fish for non-spicy options and customize the set as needed. The fish quality lived up to Ootoro's reputation--always fresh and delicious. The handrolls are very traditional in style, with simple, clean flavors that highlight the ingredients. I will say the nori can be improved as it wasn't very crispy or flavored. The interior matches that vibe: sleek and minimal, with two square seating areas for a cozy yet modern feel. It's definitely not the most budget-friendly option, but for fresh, high-quality handrolls and great service, it's a decent pick. read more

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Details.. .. Came here for date night w. Hubs on a Friday around 7pm. .. We ordered a 7 hand roll (a) & sushi set #B to share + a wagyu garlic fried rice. prOs.. .. We were expecting a wait, but we're sat right away. I'm not sure if this was luck as they had a few seats available or just them still being new & not super busy yet. .. The interior design was clean & simple. The chairs (for bar top) were very comfy. .. The wagyu garlic fried rice was so flavorful. The rending from the Wagyu coated the rice & it was amazing. .. The spicy items actually had a good kick. cOns.. .. The nori could use some improvement compared to other places that specialize in handrolls. .. The service was good, but could use some training. Understandable as they're just in soft opening. read more

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Ootoro Bar is a simple express concept from the Ootoro Sushi family. The menus here are simple, but they still utilize high quality ingredients. Located in outskirts of the Stater Bro's plaza on the side by Noah's Bagels. I came by during their soft opening phase, so I'll be mindful that staff are still training. Upon entering the hostess was very welcoming and helpful. She showed me 2 menus, one for the sushi bar and one for the handroll bar. I was told you can still get side orders of the opposite menu. Given I was coming on a lunch time, I decided to go with the handroll side for something simple and quick. There was only 2 other ladies here at the handroll bar side during my visit so service was very quick and attentive. Maybe a little too quick at times, but that's fine. Just an observation. The main chef was training his support chefs on the technique and ratio of the filling. It was fun to watch. I ordered the 6 HandRoll Set ($32.95) and a hot tea. There was a 10% off during the soft opening, which is much appreciated. The 6 handroll set comes with salmon belly, toro, spicy scallop, spicy tuna, spicy lobster, and tempura shrimp. They ran out of tempura shrimp on my visit so they gave me a blue crab replacement. No complaints here. The handrolls here are very simple. One ingredient filling, not too much rice. Might not be enough for someone with a heavier appetite but it was the perfect amount for me. The quality of the ingredients were on point. None of the spicy options were actually spicy so don't worry about the spiciness. Definitely a nice alternative to their fancier elaborate Ootoro Sushi location where it is a whole experience. That's why I consider this place express. Staff was super nice and open to feedback. They were appreciative and I very much appreciated the wonderful service as well. Until next time! read more

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Pretty decent spot for hand rolls at a fair price. We got the 7 piece set for about $38 which included bluefin tuna, toro, blue crab, and some more. Everything tasted pretty good and fresh too. I would say the rest of their menu is pretty expensive though, especially the sushi sets. The menu also has a large assortment of fish so lots of options. We probably wouldn't try those though since the hand roll sets seem like a better value. Service overall was okay. One of our chefs was funny but the servers seemed a bit untrained. We went during soft opening though so can't really expect too much there. read more

Ootoro Bar - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Ahh. So you've come here looking up if you should come check out the new Handroll spot in OC. Short Answer? Yes. Long answer? Hell yes. Ambiance is beautiful, modern, and clean. There are 2 bars, situated inside, which is more space than other handroll spots. We were seated promptly, basically, because we came on a Tuesday, during Soften Open, right when the signed switched. I foresee a line or reservation system once they go online. The service was great, the handrolls amazing, and the prices fairly decent. I was impressed with the options outside of the sets; ranging from Scottish Salmon, to A5 Waygu. Details are crazy, even down to the Suntory frosted glasses for beer and the modern plates and pebble chopstick holders. Sets range from affordable, to "Got-dayam, who you tryna impress?" Can you get a good lunch or dinner here? Yes. Can you take a date here? For Sure. I think this place has the makings to be great meal for any occasion. The only dock down is because they didn't have tempura, and it took us flagging down the server to check out (15 minutes of us just sitting there). I attribute that to opening pains and them figuring things out. I'm sure, things will streamline better. I'll be visiting next week to try out one of their sushi sets, and I'm honestly VERY excited to try. If all goes well, this is an easy 5* for me. read more

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Have to update my review to 5 stars because it's become our go-to date night spot! We usually each getting a handroll set + a chirashi bowl to share along with a bottle of sake. Everything is fresh and delicious and we love coming here! read more

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For the past seven years, we've been loyal customers at the Irvine location. We recently ventured out to Ootoro Bar in Tustin and was disappointed that the sushi sets (A-C) are overly sauced with too much soy and tanginess (overuse of citrus). Please reconsider redesigning the seating area as we were seated in a 3 person lower table and was annoyingly disturbed by the person seated next to us (at the bar level) when he crossed his legs and we had to had to see the sole of his dirty shoe in front of us. Gross! read more

I really wanted to love this place. I came in on a Saturday night with friends, and the ambiance is great. Wait wasn't too bad - maybe 15-ish minutes? BUT, the hand rolls fell a little short for men not bad, just not memorable, especially when there are better options nearby. I also noticed one of the hand rolls from our set never made it to the table, though they didn't push back when we mentioned it. Overall, it's decent, but you can definitely find better hand rolls elsewhere. read more

I wanted to give this place another shot before writing a review since my first visit was during the grand opening week, when our order got messed up. After returning more than six months later, I'd say it's still a solid 3 stars, but there are better hand roll spots nearby. What I Love: -The restaurant setup is super unique--instead of tables, it's a bar-style dining experience, which is great for parties of 2-3 looking to catch up. - Tea is free, which is always a nice touch. - The menu is simple, so you won't be overwhelmed with too many choices. We're big fans of the other Toro restaurant, so we had high hopes for this spot. First Visit Issues: - Missing a roll in my order, even after they said it was completed. They did provide it, but not great when we have to track it - Served my partner's roll out of order, took it back, then gave him the same roll later--but it was soggy since hand rolls need to be eaten fresh. - Forgot his beer he had ordered and had to ask for it mid meal Latest Visit: - We ordered the 7 spicy hand roll set, and while nothing really stood out, the blue crab was really good. However, the nori was very thin and got soggy quickly, and the hand rolls weren't wrapped tightly, so after a bite or two, the filling would squish out and fall apart. Compared to ROL (another spot near by), the nori here doesn't hold up as well. For the price, there are better hand roll bars in the area that offer higher quality and a better experience. While the setup and concept are great, the execution could be better. Not bad, but not my top choice. read more

I had ootoro in LA and when I saw they opened a ootoro bar here in OC I knew I had to go try it. The sushi quality here is always top notch regardless of if you're getting their rolls or bowls. The service is super quick and always serves you everything as fresh as possible. It's usually pretty packed every time I go but still enough room stop seat you pretty quickly. I usually get the chirashi bowl and the 6 roll handset to split with my wife. That way we don't have to wait to eat in between every roll being passed out. I highly recommend checking this place out! read more

This review is about 3.5 stars. I made a reservation over the phone and got seated promptly when we arrived. They had a long list of people waiting for a table around 7pm. They have 2 sections. One for sushi bar and one for hand rolls. But you can sit at either side to order both menus. We were seated at the hand rolls section. There was one guy making hand rolls. We waited quite a while and no one came to take our order. I flagged down a girl who took my order but didn't in put in the computer. The hand roll person was nice enjoy to come to check on us and placed the order for us. We got the 4 pcs hand roll set and the sushi set A. Food : 3.5/5. The hand rolls were ok. Just didn't seem like they put much fish in them. They were just very lite. The toro sushi and yellowtail were both very good. Their cut of the fish is very thin with very little rice. They don't have miso soup or any other appetizers on the menu. They were definitely understaffed. We were still hungry but decided to end the meal and get food elsewhere. Plenty of parking. It is worth a try with the 10% off soft opening deal. read more

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Is this a club? A bar? A sushi bar? To be honest I'm not sure. The sushi was great. But the environment is not exactly what I was looking for. Good thing I wasnt in a hurry. Service this past Friday was extremely slow. But in their defense they were short at least 2 or 3 employees read more

Ootoro Bar - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

This place is definitely worth the visit. We came here during the craze of the first few grand opening days of ROL handroll bar in Irvine. Trust me, this place is so much better. My big issue with ROL is that their handroll sets do not include lobster nor crab but this place does a set of 5 (bluefin tuna, salmon, toro, blue crab, and lobster) for around the same price! Granted, the rolls are a little smaller, but the quality trumps other handroll places, even Kazunori. When coming here, definitely get some nigiri as well. This is the same exact quality you'll get from the regular ootoro locations. We tried the scallop, toro, and hamachi - they were all so delicious and melt in your mouth! The ambience is great. It is very spacious inside with 2 sections of bar seating. Also, the seats were very comfortable! My only thing to say is that I think they should have hooks under the counter so we can hang our bags and jackets. read more

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We've had the Ootoro on Michelson. You hunt for a parking spot, wait and then have sushi. The difference here is that you park, get seated and order a set of the food comes quickly and is explained quickly. Eat it quickly as the next dish comes quickly. Get the pattern? Modern decor, friendly staff and good sushi. What else can you ask for at the Irvine Tustin border? Just be ready to climb onto the stools. read more

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I love another Ootoro in Irvine, so we went to try this place in the very first week when it's open. Though it was very quiet at the time, but immediately I Know I would come back again. The food was good quality, price was reasonable, and setting was comfortable. This has been one of our family's go to places when we crave for Sushi. We tried its brunch this weekend and it didn't disappoint us. Again, good food with good price. The service man is kind and friendly, and he even offered us a free treat. read more

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New concept from Ootoro Sushi. It's a decent size space with a modern Japanese look. They split the restaurant into 2 bars. The left side is for sushi and the right side is for hand rolls. If you sit on one side, they give you the option to order a la carte from the other side's menu. However, it seems like you cannot order the sets from the other side's menu, which is a shame as the sets are a much better deal than ordering a la carte. Hopefully, they change this rule because sometimes you just want both sushi and hand rolls. They also have 3 small tables which we were told are reserved for people ordering the Chef's omakase. From the sushi menu, we ordered set A which was $42.95 and included 2 piece each of scallop, white fish, tuna, yellow tail, salmon, albacore, and a hand roll (toro). So that's 12 pieces and a hand roll for ~$43. Not too shabby in today's economy. Fish quality, freshness, and taste were all great! From the hand roll menu, we ordered the 5 roll set for $27.95 which included bluefin tuna, salmon, toro, blue crab, and lobster. All were decent/good but blue crab was probably our favorite. I think they are going for the KazuNori vibe, but I have to say KazuNori is way better. That being said, the rolls are small and the value was not as noticeable as the what we got from the sushi menu. Overall, the food was good and I am very happy to see a sushi spot added to this plaza. read more

The quality of the rice and fish in the handrolls here at Ootoro Bar are quite excellent, and in many cases, superb. The nori (seaweed) is always soggy though. In particular, the salmon handroll was very generous with awesome salmon chunks, as was the blue crab handroll which was filled with tons of real and tasty crabmeat, and then the "spicy" varieties of handrolls tend to be the underwhelming ones with either less fish (spicy salmon and spicy tuna) or too much oil (spicy scallops). The staff are very professional, friendly, and dutiful. I was very impressed how they didn't belittle me for ordering 1 or 2 handrolls per visit to-go, as I think other places might not be as friendly or accommodating (they always made my orders within a few minutes). The ambiance is very clean, efficient, and a bit upscale, always with a handful of customers who are excitedly waiting outside a few minutes before opening to be seated for lunch. Take note that they are closed on Mondays! read more

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Excited to see Ootoro Tustin location offer take outs and is open during lunch time (unfortunately online ordering portal wasn't working for me, so I had to call..). I wanted to try both the set boxes and some nigiri so got the Sushi/blue crab box (10 piece nigiri + crab cut roll), premium chirashi box, and 6 additional pieces of sushi. The nigiri pieces had great fish to rice ratio and so all the fish tasted fresh, fatty, and high quality! I was most impressed with the premium Chirashi box, which came with thick pieces of salmon, toro (!!), sweet shrimp, surfer claim, tamago, and several pieces of white fishes (wasn't sure of the name). It was so much fish that I ran out of rice and kept some for the next meal. Everything is packaged very well and it makes a great option for a fancier take-out "date lunch"! read more

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split the 6 spicy handroll set and lunch sashimi. they have great lunch options for a reasonable price. i liked the handroll set more than the lunch sashimi, rice was warm. staff was friendly and there was plenty of parking read more

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This is one of the best omakase experiences in OC. It's technically not omakase because you already know what you're getting when you order, but for the price, you get a whole lot of fish and high-quality cuts. On the hand roll side, I like it better than rol, kazunori, etc because they put big pieces of fish into the rolls instead of chopped fishes like they do at those other places. It's truly astounding to me that no other restaurant does this. The restaurant itself takes reservations but it doesn't usually get super crowded. Waits are still fairly minimal but this has definitely become my go-to place for a great sushi lunch or dinner read more

Came back again and sadly was disappointed in their service . The food was good and the ambiance was nice . They really need to improve their service . Me and my friends came in on a weekday , the place wasn't busy at all. So we were confused how many times they made a mistake and never apologized . A server even dropped water at a table booth behind us too. They forgot orders, added an extra full set on our bill, didn't take our orders for a while and one of our friends didn't get his first handroll after 1.5 hours . Def need some improvements read more

Ootoro Bar - Ootoro sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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One of our absolute favorite sushi spots! We've been here 4-5 times now, and every visit has been amazing. It's our go-to place whenever we have friends visiting, and last time, one of the waiters even recognized us--which was such a fun surprise! We usually each order Set A or Set B along with one of the hand roll sets, and every bite is incredibly fresh and delicious. The quality of the sushi here is top-notch! We've only been for dinner, but the atmosphere is always great--cozy, welcoming, and perfect for sushi lovers. Most of the seating is at the bar, so you get a front-row view of the chefs carefully preparing each dish, which adds to the whole experience. If you're craving sushi, this is the place to go. Highly recommend! read more

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Upon entering the restaurant, we were told there are two seating options, one at the hand roll / sushi bar and one at the other bar that serves appetizers and other dishes. We were shown the two different menus and let the host know we're interested in hand roll / sushi. We had a party size of 2, my friend ordered the 5 hand roll set (b - non spicy) and I ordered the 4 hand roll set with 2 pieces of kinmedai (golden eye snapper). My first hand roll from the 4 hand roll set is Toro whereas the 5 hand roll set (b - non spicy) set is Bluefin Tuna. When we were handed our first hand rolls there was some confusion. The chef that handed us our hand rolls was not the same chef that prepared them for us, therefore he said they were both bluefin tuna. When we looked at the menu to ask if that's correct, he clarified that one is Toro and one is Bluefin Tuna and swapped the plates to give us our respective hand rolls. The hand roll felt loosely wrapped with thin nori, so once you're one or two bites in, the filling gets squished and the hand roll becomes deconstructed. After the first hand roll, I received my kinmedai sushi which was dressed in yuzu juice and recommended to eat as is. Kinmedai is one of my favorite fish to eat and I felt like this preparation didn't allow for the fish to shine, the yuzu juice was overwhelming and the skin was not torched. We proceeded to get our hand rolls around the same time as each other, we both got our second - blue crab; which meant my friend was receiving her hand rolls out of order than what is specified on the menu. Then our third, I received the spicy yellowtail and my friend got salmon. The yellowtail was cut in strips with a muscle segment that ran through it which made it difficult to bite into. It had a pretty spicy kick to it. When we were handed our fourth hand roll, I received spicy tuna concluding my set and she received lobster. She was informed that's the last hand roll concluding her set as well. She asked to confirm whether the Toro hand roll of her set was given, to which the chef responded that it was already given at the beginning as the first hand roll. We clarified with him that the Toro hand roll was a part of my set and he responded in a loud volume that all hand rolls were given and whether we switched them is our problem. We responded that he switched them.. and that she's only received 4/5 of her hand rolls. At this time the other chef who was preparing our food tried to intervene to let him know that we were correct and they did not give her a Toro hand roll yet. He mumbled "sorry" and said whatever the other staff members did, he doesn't know and shrugged it off. The interaction was off-putting and shocking, we're not sure why it escalated so quickly. The situation was mishandled and could have been resolved by checking in with the other chefs first, rather than yelling at us and blaming us for the missing Toro hand roll. I had high expectations for ootoro bar since I enjoyed ootoro sushi in Irvine. The food at ootoro bar was decent but nothing to write home about. The service/interaction with the chef was uncomfortable and overshadowed the whole dining experience. They recently opened and may still be in their soft opening phase, I hope they will be able to iron out these kinks to emulate the same experience and quality of food you can find at their sushi restaurant. read more

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The space had a moody, dim-lit ambiance that made for a cozy, intimate setting, perfect for a Friday night dinner. We opted for the Spicy Five-Piece Handroll Set (~$28), which felt like a great value in terms of portion and price. That said, the spiciness tended to overpower the delicate flavor of the fish, which was a bit of a letdown. If you're someone who loves heat, you might enjoy it more -- but I found myself wishing the fish had a chance to shine. One downside was the pacing of the meal. We arrived around 8:30 PM on a Friday, and while the restaurant wasn't packed, we still felt rushed. Each roll came out immediately after the last, and we were finished in under an hour -- which made the experience feel more transactional than leisurely. Overall, I wasn't blown away by the handrolls themselves, but I'm definitely curious to come back and try the sushi. The vibe is promising, and I think there's more to explore on the menu. read more

Overall thought the sushi was quite good. Some very premium (and expensive) options for those that want to try Wagyu etc. I think the hand roll sets are very reasonably priced (don't buy them individually- get the sets) and really liked the crab and toro rolls in particular. Sushi sets, particularly set B - were very reasonable as well. I didn't like one of the salmon sushi creations with lemon but otherwise very happy with the experience read more

Came here on a Thursday to check out their lunch specials. What I like is that there is a wide range in prices to fit those who want to splurge and those who want a casual but nice lunch. Also was a plus that the shopping center had plenty of parking and there was no wait. Seating is in a bar configuration: 2 large square bars. This is a place good for couples or a very small group. I think the point of the seating is to be able to observe the sushi-making, but at least when I was there, the sushi was made on the opposite bar and nothing was really happening at mine so there was no "chef action" going. Also, because of the way the bar is configured honestly it doesn't make for really good viewing of the chefs IMO, unlike at other sushi restaurants when you can sit at the bar and see the fish cash and chefs at eye level. Food: had the sushi lunch and nigiri was fresh, the rice well-flavored. It took a bit of time to get our food out despite the restaurant having about 8 people toward the end of lunch service. Perhaps this timing maybe because the entire plate order comes out at once. A suggestion would be to maybe break up the plate into 2 rounds so that it comes out to the customer earlier and also allows max freshness for the consumer. The server did not introduce the cuts of fish, since this was chef's choice, I wasn't positive of what a few of the pieces were and the chef was not right in front of me to ask. For the price point of this restaurant, I would've hoped that these types of considerations would be attended to. read more