Another satisfying visit, good quality and filling portions. I wish other places offer decent cuts for the prices they charge. Been coming back over the years and always enjoyed what they had to offer. The deco hasn't changed over the years but no reason to ask for more. read more

Ootoro Sushi - Premium Chirashi ($47) and Sashimi Deluxe ($49), Lunch - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here with my girlfriend for lunch to celebrate her birthday. ( which I forgot to mention to our server and therefore didn't get a dessert .) I arrived earlier (40min prior to opening) to secure a table when they open at 11:30am. The restaurant staff were still organizing and cleaning before opening time. Once you put your name on the list inside ,you can walk around the mini mall or wait outside. They only take reservations for the bar & you are required to get the omakase. ($150 per person.) When you put your name on the list you get a table and can order either omakase or from the menu. We were one of the first group to be seated. Initially, there was a bleach smell from the cleaning AND a strong fishy odor. However, I'm glad I didn't notice it after a while. Outstanding food! Everything was very fresh and high quality. We each ordered the lunch special which you pick two items. Both of us wanted the Toro Don. For the second item, she chose the blue crab hand roll and I got the miso black cod. We also got the lunch omakase from the a la carte side to share. (Yes,we ate it all.) * I have an Ootoro location closer to where I live. Since I've only gone there at dinner hours, I didn't experience the cleaning /fish odor as I did at this location. I was worried it would dampen my appetite. ( Hence the one less star .) read more

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Location 4/5 Service 5/5 Quality and Taste 5/5 Price 4.5/5 This place is always crowded and busy. But they seem to handle well all the customers to their satisfaction. They have best premium Chirashi bowl and sushi combo in Irvine in my opinion as an ex chef. We already went there 5x and never had disappointed yet with their service and foods. # I strongly recommend this place for those who want to try premium Chirashi and sushi read more

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Make a reservation! You have to call them. No online reservations. Parking is a challenge. So grab a spot when you see one. We had reservations for a weeknight at 530 when they open. There were about 6 people who got there before we did and were waiting outside. They opened promptly at 530pm. They seated those with reservations first. The interior is nice. They spent some $ on the interior. Such fresh sashimi and generous slices! We told the server it was our first visit and they had great suggestions. Can't wait to go back! read more

Ootoro Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

One of the freshest seafood in town. Wow, everything was amazing! Their live shrimp was so fresh that when they deep fried the head, everything tasted so good! Expect to spend some serious money, but it's worth the price because you'll get the best seafood. Parking was horrible. You need to go 30 minutes earlier and wait for an open spot. Overall, I love this sushi place. For Thinsulin fans, there's plenty of green light options. read more

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OoToro Sushi is excellent--honestly one of the better sushi bars in Irvine. Quality is high across the board and the overall experience was great. That said, it's definitely on the pricier side. We did the omakase, and it was very good, but once you're at $200+ per person, the value starts to get tough--there are other spots at that price point that I'd personally rank higher. If you're okay paying a premium for a great Irvine sushi experience, it's worth trying. read more

I came here for my birthday, and I was very delighted by the dishes! Tips: - Their wait staff isn't the most attentive, so I would work hard on flagging them down. - Waiting can be a PAIN on weekend nights. I highly suggest making a reservation a week in advance, or coming in half an hour early to be the first on the waitlist. I was second, and had to wait an hour and a half just to be seated. - If you plan to come with a large party, expect to have the exact number, because seating indoors is always packed! - Bar seating will get you in much faster, but you can only order off the sushi menu. Still worth it if you don't plan to buy any of the bowls. If you can make it through these hurdles, I'd say the food is very much worth the price. The ramen and chirashi bowls (both premium and non-premium) may seem pricey, but are definitely shareable between two people. The quality of their fish is so fresh that the price justifies it. read more

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After a long day at work, I decided to treat myself to some nice sushi. Parking here sucks, but we all know that and still go here for some of the great restaurants in the plaza. I had never been to this sushi place, but thought the reviews looked promising. When my order was ready, I walked in to be greeted by a woman who hurriedly walked away without saying anything else. No problem; she looked busy. I stood for a few minutes, waiting to be acknowledged. Someone else then walked in behind me. Then, a man who worked there looked over, saw the man behind me, greeted him and immediately got his pick up order for him. He didn't even look in my direction. When I spoke up, he apologized and said he had just recognized the other guy. Doesn't really make sense to me since we both had pick up orders, and I was standing in front of that other guy. Anyway. So, time to eat. It looks delicious. The edamame is a little dry looking but tastes fine. The thick slices of sushi taste amazing. Some mounds of something I've never seen before... tastes great. I was happily eating until I noticed a bug poking its antenna out by one of the sushi. Ew. According to Google, it's an earwig, which, even if eaten, won't hurt you. But it was still gross. It must have been in the seaweed that is under the sushi. Overall, this was very disappointing, but I honestly still ate pretty much everything. Probably won't come back. read more

Finally got to try this place out ! It always has such a long line and I defs know why now !! The sushi here is so fresh and thicc ! This is one of the most high quality sushi I've had in OC ! If you can get here early enough to be the first ones seated, highly recommend checking it out ! Chirashi Bowl - Delicious ! This was so amazing, the slices of fish are big and tasted so fresh, very high quality ! This definitely filled me up ! read more

Ootoro Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

I had the churashi bowl and it was amazing. Lots of fish and seafood. Fresh seafood salad. Really wonderful food.

First time here and it was a fantastic first time! We got seated right away and the server gave us enough time to order any drinks. We ended up getting the chirashi bowl and I was amazed by the quality of fish. The fish tasted super fresh, the rice was nice and soft, the bowl was a perfect balance. I am looking forward to coming back! read more

Ootoro Sushi - Chirashi Bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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Took a friend for dinner on a Friday night. Ate at the sushi bar because there were available seats and I didn't want to wait for a table. Server greeted us right away. Ordered the 3 white fish sushi platter and grilled sea bass and white rice. My friend ordered an assortment of sashimi and sushi. What I appreciated the most was the freshness of the cuts of fish and the hot white rice that arrived with my grilled sea bass. Most excellent. I will be back! read more

Ootoro Sushi - White fish platter- 3 kinds - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Where to start where to start, I was extremely blown away by the quality of this place, like seriously. I'm somewhat of a sushi fanatic and I like to try new places all the time, and it feels like I won the lottery, I think even the pictures show just how good everything looks, tasting even better. I wish I knew exactly what I got but I went with a group and everything just came out, but for sure the sweet shrimp and the toro were on the top of my list. Salmon was really good quality too, if you want a bit of everything I believe that sashimi plate will do amazing, grab a shrimp head soup on the side to wash it all down. With our group came an actually decent waiting time for food to come out, it wasn't too long and it was on a Saturday night. The servers were constantly topping off waters and asking if we needed anything and they were really on top of their game. It's low lit inside, the tables are the only place really lit up so it feels like within each table is your own bubble of conversation. I highly highly recommend this place for the very high quality fish, once you've had it you just can't go anywhere else! read more

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Their service has drastically improved and I has a few pleasant dining experiences here. The food quality is awesome as before. I hope it stays that way. read more

Ootoro Sushi - Miso soup....so salty - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

extensive menu items!! the sushi here is so fresh and literally every piece is so amazing. my favorites were the nigiri's and the sashimi. the sushi is so thick, they are definitely generous with their portions. would highly recommend!! the service is fast and very pleasant! parking lot can get pretty crowded during dinner but you can definitely find parking. read more

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Wow everything was so fresh and delicious. I tried their sister restaurant Ootoro Bar it was amazing also. This time I went here and it was very satisfied. I will have to come back again :) read more

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Otoro Sushi is a staple for us! We come here once a month, at least. The staff is super friendly and the food is amazing. Wait times can be long, so I recommend coming right at opening or have a reservation. TIPS: - This restaurant is one of the few that sells fresh wasabi, a savory and umami burst of flavor! - The hot tea is free, and free refill Everything on the menu is delicious, but I highly recommend: - Deluxe Chirashi Bowl - comes with ur choice of soup or fried shrimp - Regular Chirashi Bowl - They have very thick cuts of sashimi! - Sushi Box (to go only) - Fresh wasabi ($5.50) - Vegetable and shrimp temura - Really fresh ginger! You cant go wrong with anything here though! read more

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Their omakase for lunch is a great price at $150 and the chef choice selections are amazing! There might be a couple items that taste "ok" but the rest are exceptional. We ordered Uni pasta for my gfs two kids and they loved it. It's so creamy and delicious. They have HUGE prawns soaking in there with slabs on Uni on the top. I didn't take too many pictures because I was busy devouring the little but beautiful pieces of sushi. The pasta dish was so big! It was a generous amount which could be shared with our group of 5. The staff were attentive and friendly. They are working hard to get the food out quickly so thank you for that! read more

Ootoro Sushi - Uni Pasta Super Creamy - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Absolutely love the lunch combos here. Everything is fresh and delicious, and such a great price at $28.95 for two items and miso soup and a bowl of steamed rice (if your combo item doesn't already come with rice). We usually come before they open at 11:30am for first seating but today we came by a little later today and got seated around 12:35pm for second round seating. The sashimi that comes with the lunch combo were nice thick pieces. The salmon Kama was perfectly cooked and very tender and flavorful. I love the black pepper sauce that comes with it. Service is always friendly. We got both complimentary high quality hot tea and iced water with our meal. read more

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Yum! First time getting Otoro to go. I was a bit apprehensive but it was delicious! The cuts of fish were super thick and delicious. The quality of all of the food was excellent. Loved the sashimi, nigiri and rice. Got the sushi box (~$39) and the mix sashimi w/ unagi box (~$47). Ordered online for pick up, we got there at the designated time but had to wait quite a while for the boxes to come out. I wasn't too bothered by it but it wasn't immediate. Didn't dine in but the restaurant is nice, a bit loud/lively, and clean. read more

Ootoro Sushi - Sushi box - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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We love the food and the cozy vibe here, plus the location is super convenient. The nigiri is always fresh -- I love the creamy, savory balance between the rice and the fish. The hot pot is also a favorite, with a rich seafood-infused broth that's full of flavor. read more

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This place has high quality/premium sushi although you'll definitely pay for it. That said they have decent lunch specials that are very reasonably priced. It also explains why there is a queue to get in for lunch so get here early if you don't want to wait. Otherwise make a reservation for dinner and just be prepared to splurge for a very nice meal. Parking can be tough read more

i got the omakase, and it's pretty good. the best was the wagyu baguette, but in the middle it started to blend in. read more

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never have I ever tasted more high quality fish! Get the salmon belly and seared toro it's the best! Great service and setting as well! Eager to return:) read more

Ootoro Sushi - salmon belly sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Otoro Sushi is adjacent to Trade Food Hall off Michelson & Bixby in Irvine. Note that it has 4 dollar signs, so expect to pay premium prices in order to dine at this high-end sushi bar. Their service is top-notch and all servers were very attentive. There is consistent traffic during peak times which helps create a nice ambience. By far my favorite was the Premium Chirashi. The upgrade from the standard Chirashi offered fresh cuts of high-end sashimi. Since we were celebrating a birthday, I also had the opportunity to sample several other dishes. I'd also recommend the Grill Chilean Sea Bass, French Toast with Uni & Crab Meat and the Soft Shell Crab Hand Roll. IMO the Crab Chawamushi and Clam Ginger Soup were a miss. The birthday boy had a good time and we enjoyed a nice sushi meal with family, so what more can you ask for? read more

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Once again we visited this wonderful sushi restaurant. We took a friend there and he was impressed with the quality and service. The quality is top notch and service was excellent as always read more

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This is my favorite Japanese restaurant in Orange County. They have the most fresh ingredients, But we have to wait for long time during weekends. So keep avoiding the weekends time. read more

Ootoro Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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I think this spot has the best sushi a la carte in Irvine! It's a bit on the pricier side, but I think the quality of fish is well worth it, similar to the omakase I've had at other places. I'm usually a salmon girl, but you have to try the different cuts of tuna and yellowtail that comes with the chirashi! read more

Ootoro Sushi - Chirashi takeout - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Hands down the best sushi restaurant in OC! My boyfriend and I absolutely love coming here. It's a 5/5 for food, service, and ambiance. I truly can't rave about this place enough! We always order the tuna tartare, the whole Aji (don't forget to have them fry the bones after), and a variety of nigiri, especially the toros! You'll probably find us dining here at least once a month. We love Ootoro! read more

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Fish is fresh, but that's about where the praise ends. The rice is packed too tightly, the nigiri looks sloppy, and the overall execution lacks precision. It feels more like sushi fast food than a place charging these prices. The spicy tuna hand roll is bland and forgettable, with little heat or flavor. Nothing is terrible, but nothing stands out either. Feels overpriced and coasting on airport proximity. Not worth a return. read more

I love to eat here ,food very fresh and good service, the people work there very friendly, I will come back again

I've lost count of how many times I've been to Otooro now. It's my favorite sushi restaurant in OC and I've taken my friends and family here. Everyone has LOVED it. Ambience: Its surprisingly more quiet than you would think. The restaurant is decently sized but since it's so busy, the wait can get very long. The restaurant has a minimal and clean look. Service: The service is usually great. My water is usually filled and the food comes in a timely manner. I have no complaints here. Food Consensus: Everything that I've tried is very delicious. My absolute favorite is the salmon ikura bowl and the chirashi bowl. The quality of the thick cut fish is phenomenal and it melts in your mouth. I'm actually salivating while drafting up this review. There is a decent potion of rice and other toppings. The flavors and quality are 10/10. I would recommend either those or the lunch deal they have. With the lunch deal, I usually opt for the toro don, sashimi salad, kanpachi kama, salmon Kama, or blue crab hand roll. It just depends on what they have! Value for Money: The prices are not as bad as it says on Yelp. If you opt for the salmon ikura bowl, chirashi hi bowl, or lunch deal, you're getting a steal. I've been to many higher end sushi restaurants with higher prices and none of them come close to ootoro. You cannot beat the insane quality and the price point. read more

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A must try restaurant in Irvine if you're craving top notch sushi. The restaurant feels high end and the service is very friendly and attentive. This is some of the best quality fish you can find in the area. The only reason I took a star off is because of the price but if money is not an issue, I highly recommend this place! If you want to try this place out, I recommend coming ~20-30 minutes before lunch time read more

Ootoro Sushi - Premium chirashi bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

This was my second time coming to Ootoro Sushi for lunch, and one piece of advice: get there before 11 AM and put your name on the waitlist, even if it's a weekday. It fills up fast! The restaurant is surprisingly spacious once you're inside, with bar seating and regular tables along the side. They don't seat to maximum capacity, which I appreciate because it helps keep the flow smooth, especially with everyone eager to get their lunch orders in. No one wants to wait longer after already being hungry and ready to eat. The ambiance is lovely--dim lighting and a relaxed vibe, with everyone chatting and enjoying their time. The first time I came, I ordered the lunch combo: Toro-Don + Grilled Black Miso Cod, which was phenomenal and made me eager to come back. This time, I opted for the Sashimi Lunch, and while it may not look like a lot at first glance, it's super filling. The fish quality is fantastic--thick cuts, and they don't skimp on portions. It also comes with a side of rice and some of the freshest miso soup I've ever had. I'm already looking forward to my next visit to try the omakase. If my lunch expectations were this high and were met, I can only imagine how impressive dinner will be. Until next time, Ootoro! read more

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I'm critical of otoro because they used to be one of the pioneers of fine sushi dining for the Irvine area before the others popped up. The sushi is still tasty but the quality of service is mid, they forgot several rolls and it came out so incredibly slow. The meal shouldn't have been 2.5 hours but it was because of the subpar service. We loved their avocado /seaweed salad and toro sampler. Vibe is still nice and dim lit. Beware of sitting near some of their low hanging chandeliers- we were burning up! read more

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I used to work 5 min (walking distance) from here so I used to go for lunch a lot and have had dinner here twice. Every single time, the service was amazing and the quality of fish was amazing. I usually prefer sashimi over sushi but this place, sushi's so perfect with the rice it comes with. Can't wait to go back. :) read more

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This sushi restaurant was excellent in last couple of years, one of my favorite restaurants in Irvine area. But, something had been changed. Food was tooooo salty. Too bad for blood pressure! Service was excellent. And the customers came there for lunch were too noisy. read more

AMAZING! Phenomenal cuts of fish, expertly prepared. Ordered the Sashimi Lunch special and was completely BLOWN AWAY! Every cut was premium grade perfect texture and spectacular flavor. read more

Long wait but worth it. Best to go when they open to avoid the long wait. Don't have to go to Little Tokyo or overpay at fancy Japanese restaurants. You actually pay for quality sushi here. Our favorite spot. read more

For my 2,100th review, I want to share w/ you an excellent sushi place on Michelson, down the street fr SNA. I have been to Otoro in the biz district of Irvine b4, but could not drop pics bc the previous visits were for biz. The latest visit was a friends bday, and it was a great experience. It was very similar to my visit at the original Otoro in Walnut. The four of us indulged in super fresh sushi, oysters, and other delights. In addition, Otoro has a great sake selection. Their offerings range fr reasonably priced bottles in the $30-50 range, up to a $725 bottle. After a couple of bottles of basic Dassai 45, I splurged for the bday girl and got a bottle of Shinsen ($150). You could really taste the difference. The latter was not sweet, and had a smooth, dry finish. Regarding the ambiance, its tight in here, but not overly so where you can't hear one another. It was very busy @ 6 pm on a Fri night. Luckily one person in our party is a regular. She was able to score a res. Joel (Manager), and his team took excellent care of us. Our food arrived quickly, and any special requests were handled w/ a smile. If you are looking for high quality sushi, and excellent service near John Wayne Airport, Otoro fits the bill. I'd have to say its the best sushi in Irvine IMHO. read more

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