Love coming here for the premium chirashi- thick cut, ultra fresh sashimi on a bed of perfectly seasoned jasmine rice. Portion and quality are SO worth the price. If you can, would also highly recommend coming for their lunch special. There's some construction going on for the building but parking is still easy! read more

Ootoro Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

The sushi here is incredible but the service is awkward, especially when it comes to wine. They serve wine and have an incredible selection. But on the drink list they only show two wines. No brands were listed. White or red. Both at like $27. So I ordered a bottle of red wine and they brought out Justin Isosceles which is usually $70 retail. I ask her how much is this wine and she says $130. It's a bit overpriced but reasonable. And not $27. I then notice this wine cabinet filled with over 50 different wines. I ask for the wine list and they tell me they don't have one. I have to pick and they tell me the price. A very cumbersome and awkward process. I wish they could fix this since not everyone likes beer or sake. read more

Came by to finally try their dinner Shiki omakase, which totaled a little over $300 after tax and tips. It's a 16 course progression that felt very bang for your buck. Like some other reviewers have mentioned, they slice their fish and other proteins very thick here, so you get a lot for what you pay for. I was super stuffed after the meal ended. Pros: all the seafood was very fresh, and as I mentioned, it's a decent value. I also had pretty good service throughout my meal, and never felt forgotten or neglected. Cons: unlike other omakase, I only had three nigiri during the entire meal. It was also very rich in terms of the menu - I wish they did a better job balancing that. read more

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Ambiance: Dim environment, what some would describe as trying to have an elevated sushi experience Service: the fastest I have ever seen. If you are coming for a quick lunch this is the place. Food: It is excellent for the price. You get so much fish and the portions are incredible. Other than that it is not the best. The cuts of fish can be done by anyone with a knife. It felt more like just eating blocks of fish than sushi. Flavors of everything felt Americanized as well. read more

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Everything here--from the quality and cuts of fish to the service and ambiance--is a perfect 10/10. I ordered the premium chirashi, which includes sweet shrimp, and they even let you choose whether to have the shrimp head fried or added to your miso soup. While it's on the pricier side for sushi, it's absolutely worth it. This is still my favorite chirashi bowl to date. read more

Ootoro Sushi - Premium Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

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The food was solid, but the service was a total disaster. One female server was incredibly rude and impatient, taking our orders with an interrogating tone that made us feel unwelcome. To top it off, we were handed the bill at 8:30 PM--a full hour before the 9:30 PM closing time--without us even asking for it. For a dinner that cost $169 for two (with no discounts or happy hour deals), this level of service is unacceptable. It wasn't a free meal, yet we were treated like a nuisance. I left feeling frustrated and uncomfortable. I won't be coming back until they address their staff's attitude read more

Ootoro Sushi - receipt - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

A solid omakase set--we embarked on the "shiki" option which included around 10+ courses and many more total items including various different extravagent toppings like toro, caviar, gold flake, truffle. This was a lot of food and we left stuffed. I felt the service was also warm and the chefs are very laid back and chill, they're really just having fun with it which translates into the overall experience being lighthearted and delicious. There is ample parking outside and it wasn't too crowded as compared to the Irvine location (we did go around 2 hours before closing). Some of the items did taste like they were recently defrosted, which is why I deducted one star but it's tough to be perfect. Overall it was a pretty fun journey experiencing all of the items the chef came up with and the emphasis I feel is really on just delivering a good experience versus having maybe the most authentic set. If you're looking for a pure Japanese experience this probably isn't the restaurant for you--but if you're into more lavish ingredients and don't care that the format is formal Japanese you'll probably enjoy this. It's also probably best to sit at the sushi bar as we were comped many items for just being cool and interacting with the chef, I would recommend avoiding the tables if possible. read more

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A local favorite spot, whether it's lunch or for dinner always a great choice. Food is always consistent. Service is always consistent. Servers check in a good amount. Always a spot you can count on. The atmosphere is great, very comfortable and cozy. Great for dinners with friends, family, dates or client dinners. Lunch favorites are always the chirashi and Ikura salmon bowl. The Chilean sea bass is also a tasty and not too heavy option. The Uni Spaghetti is delicious but the sauce is on the heavy side so do account for that. Can't wait to be back soon! read more

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Customers for over 15 years. i don't come as often especially for the past 7-8 years but I have seen the changes of the restaurant throughout the years. Most importantly, I'm a big OMAKASE person and ai travel to tons of places in the country, Hong Kong and in Japan for Japanese food so my feedback is based on my experience and part comparison to other places. Location & Parking Ootoro Sushi is located inside the Hing Wah Lee Plaza, right next to Hing Wah Lee Jewelry. There are two ways to enter the parking lot: * East side (from Fairway Dr.) - standard open entrance * West side (from Brea Canyon Cut Off Rd.) - gated automatic entry that opens as your car approaches Parking can be tricky. The ground level has about 20 spots, but they fill up quickly since it's shared with other tenants. There's also an underground garage with another 20-25 spots--less crowded since not many people realize it's there. Seating & Atmosphere There's a small waiting area outside with about 8-10 chairs. Inside, you'll find a sushi bar straight ahead and counter seating to the left. The atmosphere feels more casual than truly "upscale." At peak hours (lunch & dinner), it can get loud, so don't expect a serene fine-dining vibe. Service Service was great--servers were attentive, friendly, and welcoming. Food Ootoro offers omakase and a wide selection of sushi. The fish used to be fresh and melts in your mouth--definitely the highlight here before. However, compared to 15 years ago, the restaurant feels less refined. The quality of the food has dipped slightly over the past 7-8 years, while the prices have stayed on the "upscale" side. Overall I'd call Ootoro a semi-upscale sushi spot. The food is still enjoyable and the service is great, but the ambiance and consistency don't fully match the higher price point. Still, worth visiting if you're craving fresh sushi in the area. Rating: 4/5 read more

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5 STARS Ootoro is hands-down one of the best places to get sushi in the Inland Empire-ish area and is my go-to spot. Highly recommend getting the Sashimi Deluxe or Premium Chirashi items on the lunch or dinner menu. The cuts of sashimi are extremely generous and the variety of cuts make it worth it. Be sure to order fresh wasabi on the side! If you get the Sashimi Deluxe, you also get a shrimp head that you can choose to either be deep fried or cooked in miso soup. I recommend getting it in the soup, although the fried option is also quite delicious. One other item that I always love to order is the fried geso (squid legs). Huge appetizer portion that is easy to share with a group of people. Make a reservation for Ootoro before going as this location is always booked out on Fridays and Saturdays! They are closed on Sundays and Mondays. read more

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This place is so good!!!! The sushi is extremely fresh and the pieces were huge. I ordered the premium chirashi and the portion size was big enough for 2 people to share and we still couldn't finish. We did also order sushi and appetizers as well. The fried squid was perfect and not overly battered. My kids do not eat sushi but they had chicken karage. The chicken karage was also really good. Will definitely be back again. read more

Sushi is good but their prices are very high. You need to get there early to put your name down. Sushi bar usually is not busy. read more

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This past week we went to Ootoro to celebrate my girlfriend's bday. The service was great! We were in a comfy booth with the 6 of us. They offer 1 draft Japanese beer which was tasty. We got a bottle of 750 ml sake cuz, of course we would! We ordered from the sushi menu 3 types toro, 3 types of white fish, 3 pieces oysterx2 (loved that it came with cavier and salmon eggs), red snapper, tamago ( I don't usually love this but it was delish). We also enjoyed uni pasta. They gifted a cheesecake with ice cream for the bday girl with a lit candle. The server sang happy birthday with us to celebrate. Cheers! Thanks for the amazing dinner! read more

Ootoro Sushi - 3 types of oyster - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

It was my first time trying a chirashi bowl, and I went all out with the premium option. The shrimp head was offered to be fried, which was a nice touch. Every piece of fish--especially the tuna and toro--was incredibly fresh. The toro practically melted in my mouth, and the fish slices were impressively generous in size. The service was excellent--they kept refilling my hot green tea, which paired perfectly with the meal. The ambiance was cozy and intimate, with dim lighting that would make it a great spot for a date. We went as a group of friends and appreciated that they had large tables to accommodate us comfortably. I highly recommend going for lunch and arriving before the restaurant opens to get a seat. For dinner, it's best to make a reservation in advance. read more

Ootoro Sushi - Premium chirashi bowl - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

The salmon ikura bowl was amazing, especially during lunch prices. Wagyu bowl was good but super expensive. Maybe 9 pieces of wagyu for over $50. Atmosphere was also really good for a date night. I would give a 5 star for only the salmon bowl and would get that + sashimi next time. Charging $3 for a miso soup refill was a bit much as well. Also need to add coke zero. No coke zero here for my fellow coke zero lovers! read more

Ootoro Sushi - Wagyu Fried Rice - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

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Ootoro is located in a small complex on fairway. We came here to take advantage of their lunch specials and the parking lot was pretty full around 11:45am. The wait was about 25 mins since the first round was already seated. We ordered the sashimi set, chirashi bowl and the lunch special with cod and udon. All the food came out promptly and everything was delicious. It was a little bit dark and loud inside the restaurant but overall a great experience. read more

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Love this Ootoro Walnut is one of the best sushi restaurants in California. The fish is extremely fresh. Service is always good. Servers kept refilling my hot green tea. The place is perfect for dining and dinner. The place is upscale, intimate, and cozy ambience. You guys need to go this restaurant. read more

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My second time here (first time was back in maybe 2015 and I remember the quality really stood out). Came here for lunch and ordered the $29 lunch combo, which comes with two items - you get to pick one item from two columns. Some items on the column are not as good of a value, i.e. cut rolls vs. grilled miso black cod. I picked the Sashimi Salad and Grilled Miso Black Cod. -Sashimi Salad: portion size exceeded my expectations; very generous with the amount of fish and quality was just as I remembered (thank goodness!) -Grilled Miso Black Cod: came with a bowl of steamed white rice; fish was flavorful and tender and buttery - delish! The lunch combo also came with a bowl of miso soup and a small tiny side dish, which was yummy! Complimentary tea is served here. Service was prompt from the moment we were seated and they kept attentively refilling our tea cups. My friend and I took our time chatting after we had finished our meal and never did we feel like they were rushing us out the door. Their seating is a lot of long booths and lighting is on the darker side but makes for a nice ambiance overall. Enjoyed everything! read more

Ootoro Sushi - Sashimi salad - part of my lunch combo - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

Undeniably my go-to spot for an amazing sashimi lunch. Their sashimi combo lunch special (~$25) is so worth it for the quality--super fresh, thick cuts, and a good variety. Portion sizes are generous too, so you definitely wont leave hungry. Easily one of the better sushi spots in the Rowland Heights area The vibe inside is dimly lit and cozy, but it fills up fast. If you dont want to deal with a long wait or fight for parking, I recommend showing up a bit before they open :P read more

Ootoro Sushi - Sashimi Combo Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

Sushi quality is top-notch! Did the omakase and with each piece I was amazed more than the last. Vthere servers are very sweet. Very clean interior and simple design. read more

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This is one of the best sushi restaurants in California. It is friendly and the fish is extremely fresh. Prices are very reasonable. For good fish you get quantity and quality with a great price. I come here often and I think it is very similar to Japan quality fish. read more

We recently had a dinner gathering of more than 15 people at this restaurant and were very disappointed with the quality of service. The waitress did little more than take our orders and deliver the food. Throughout the entire meal, she only refilled our water once, which was far from adequate for a group of our size. For a large party, we expected more attentive service, such as regularly checking on our table, offering drink refills, and making sure our needs were being met. Instead, it was difficult to get assistance, and our group felt largely ignored during the meal. While the food was decent, the poor service significantly affected our overall dining experience. This experience was very disappointing, and I will not be returning to this restaurant or recommending it to friends. read more

As you can see by my other reviews, we truly love this place. If anyone feels otherwise, they don't know real good Japanese traditional sushi. As their nigiri sushi are well prepared with quality and great craftsmanship in this art, their sashimi truly stands out by the thickness of their cuts. The Ootoro is so fresh, buttery and if I say so myself, it's Oishi. If you are willing to put down some cash, some dough or some heavy green, try the Omakase. You won't be disappointed. read more

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Definitely still giving 5 stars... great service, nice ambiance...the good quality of overall food.. very delicious read more

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Overall: 5 stars, this is my go-to place for lunch since the prices are extremely reasonable and the service is quick and efficient. Keep in mind, there is usually a wait if you go a lunch so I recommend getting there early so you can get seated first. The Service: Service is very quick and efficient, they are attentive and will refill your green tea and water when empty. The staff also have recognized me since I come so often and they know my order. The Food: I usually always order the same things whenever I visit. Sashimi Lunch: Plenty of variety of fish and a good deal for lunch! You can also ask for sushi rice instead of normal rice if you'd like as well. This is extremely filling and comes with several cuts of fish, some spicy tuna and some crab meat (it depends on what they have available). It also comes with miso soup and a burdock side dish at the start. Fried Squid Legs: The squid legs are perfectly cripsy and have a nice bite to them. I love that the squid legs are not overly battered and have the perfect crip to it. Chirashi Lunch: Similar to the Sashimi lunch but there is a few less cuts of fish and it comes with tamago which is topped over sushi rice. This is great if you are not as hungry. Lunch Combo Options - Toro Don: this comes in limited quantity. The quality of the toro is great very fatty and melts in your mouth. Seared Toro Salad: The toro is slightly seared and is perfectly fatty. This also comes in limited quantity. It is a nice lighter option since it is topped on a salad. Price: Very great place for lunch since the specials are under $25 for very good quality sushi/sashimi. I do know the prices are more expensive for dinner. The Atmosphere: Very busy restaurant with a dark atmosphere. This place can be good for a casual lunch or a bit more formal lunch. Parking: Located in a strip mall, with plenty of parking. There is also an underground garage to park in as well. read more

Ootoro Sushi - Sashimi Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

Went for an omakase lunch, it was fairly busy inside and pretty loud. It was 10 or so courses of different fish, I can't recall each course as the explanations were limited and the food was just dropped to us. Some were good some were okay, the fish is generally fresh but the service left a little to be desired. I think the focus of service was a little more speed lunch mindset over experienced. Overall an okay experience but would expect more for the price read more

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Love their food and services! It's a very popular place, people are willing to wait in line regardless. read more

I like how ootoro keeps its consistency in terms of the quality of the food for their Irvine locations and the one here in Walnut. Overall, the food was great. We ordered ala carte from their sushi menu such as toro (fatty tuna) , ikura (salmon eggs), amaebi (sweet shrimp), hirame (halibut), salmon belly, dai hotate (big scallop), yellowtail (hamachi), and yellowtail belly. Honestly, all were great! I love how they already provide fresh wasabi and soy sauce on them, so it's already ready to eat without dipping. Even though the food was good, everything else had issues. First of all, the smell of the underground garage STINKS. The stench was so bad, it almost ruined my appetite, so if you're going to dine here, make sure to park outside. Second, the service was SUPPPERRR slow. It took them literally 30 min to bring us 4 pieces of nigiri. Also, we didn't like how everything came out at different times. Lastly, we didn't come in with a reservation, but they said we have to finish dining at a certain time, which wasn't a big issue but the dining room was pretty empty. I recommend coming here with a reservation. Don't get me wrong, the food was delicious and still worth the stop. I just think that the service can be a lot better. read more

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YUM. Delicious, great quality sushi, amazing service. High prices. T.T rip my credit. The omakase is freaking $150+. In Walnut. The restaurant is located in a low key plaza off the 60 fwy. There is a small parking lot, but it is uneven. Be careful with friends on wheels. The interior is dim. There is a sushi bar, but there are also tables that can accommodate larger parties. Lunch is a good time to go because it's not nearly as crowded as dinner time and the price is lower. They do charge extra for take out. I have to say I was really satisfied with the quality of the sashimi. I also love hamachi kama, so I will have to try that next time! read more

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I have been coming to this spot for years and their quality remains as good as day 1. I personally do not enjoy raw fish enough for a whole omakase set so I opted for a couple of their non raw options. The wagyu fried rice was good and heavy. While the truffle uni pasta was thick and creamy. The rest of my group opted for omakase and had their meal set. By the time dessert came around the staff proactively provided me a slice of matcha cake so that I could also enjoy dessert with the group. read more

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Always come for lunch special. Sashimi is fresh and nice cut portions.service is fast read more

Ootoro Sushi - Sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

Always my go-to spot for amazing quality sushi and sashimi! Service is always perfect and ambiance is relaxing and dimly lit. I love getting their deluxe chirashi bowls and handrolls. Salmon and bluefin tuna is 10/10, I leave here satiated every time!! read more

Ootoro Sushi is a more luxury styled sushi restaurant located in Walnut, Irvine, and Los Angeles. This was their Walnut location. The interior is clean with Japanese decor. There's a restroom available and parking out front. Though there's plenty of seating inside, there's always a line especially at lunchtime. The food is all prepared the day of so sometimes items can take a little longer to come out. The service was standard for this kind of establishment, but make sure to let them know if you have any allergies. Food We ordered the chirashi for $23 and the lunch combo for $29. The chirashi is a great deal for what you get; the fish was plentiful and the rice was soft and chewy. The fish was very fresh and the portion was also large. The lunch combo is also a great deal and it came with miso soup. The sea bass was sweet and melts in your mouth and the blue crab hand roll was delicious. The lunch menu is always my go-to. Overall | 4.7 The ambiance + service: 4.5/5 The food: 5/5 The price: $$$ read more

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Get here early!! I came with two friends on a Saturday about five minutes before they opened at 11:30 am and we were the 20th group to put our name down. Once they opened, they let about 50 people in (I counted lol). Since we had to wait for the first wave of people to finish eating, we waited about 30 minutes. We came specifically for their lunch special and you can choose two items for $28.95 - highly recommend the toro-don as one of your choices because they sell out and it's sooo good. I got the grilled miso black cod as my second choice and it was also really good. We also got the sushi lunch to share which was $48.95 and came with 10 pcs of chef's choice nigiri and a tuna roll. The ama ebi (sweet shrimp) nigiri comes with the head on the side and you can choose to either turn it into a soup or fry it. We chose to fry it since our meals came with miso soup and it was so delicious. I'll definitely be back again! read more

Ootoro Sushi - Sushi Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

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I've been coming here since they opened, decided to come back after hearing their spot in LA got hit by "peaceful protestors". Quality is top notch as always, one of the top 3 best chirashi spots in SoCal. read more

Ootoro Sushi - Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

This is one of the best sushi places in the area. Every time I've been here, there's a wait for at least 30 min even on a weekday. Lunch is cheaper than dinner for the same item. I often order the sashimi plate or the chirashi bowl. They add a good assortment of fish. The sashimi is always fresh and good quality. I also really like their tempura. It has the perfect amount of batter and is very crispy! Service is great. I always make my way back here every couple months! read more

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one of the best sushi places in my opinion. it is definitely pricey but the quality and freshness is excellent! i usually like getting the lunch special combos, since it is a cheaper pricing compared to their usual dinner pricing and still quite filling and satisfying. i also think their salmon skin salad is one of the best ones ive had, it is so crispy and delicious !! would recommend trying at least once, they also have omakase and a variety of items in their menu. it does get crowded during lunch and dinner hours so usually i would be prepared to have to put your name down and wait. read more

Ootoro Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Walnut, California

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This place is my favorite sushi spot in SoCal. Fish is always fresh and ambiance is romantic and intimate. Service is very attentive. Will continue to come here for my chirashi bowls and omakase! read more

Ootoro has premium sushi quality, probably the best you can get in the area. I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the salmon house special, the tuna, oysters in the oyster tasting were so good, and the sweet shrimp. Sweet shrimp they will ask if you want the shrimp head to be made into soup or fried. Uni special was interesting but I think I prefer uni by itself, the pairings took away from being able to enjoy uni. I read a lot of reviews about the blue crab roll so I got it, I think the blue crab is fresher here for sure but I realized that I personally don't like this roll (across all restaurants) because of how much mayo is in there. The fried squid legs was very value! They don't skimp and the pieces were so big. Everything else was really fresh. My boss ordered the kobe beef fried rice which was really tender and flavorful. I've also ordered their lunch specials before such as the chirashi bowl, sashimi deluxe, and the sushi lunch. The portions are good considering the prices, cuts are huge! If you like sashimi then opt for the chirashi bowl or the sashimi deluxe, I prefer the sushi lunch because it was a set of ~10 different sushis. I think prices are pretty fair. You're paying for quality fish so need to expect to pay this much. The lunch specials are worth imo! read more

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Went here with my family and partner during New Year's Eve and we enjoyed our meal! Service was efficient and fast. Our waitress was on top of filling our green teas. The atmosphere was relatively casual. People can dress up or down in this establishment. We had the chirashi bowls, grilled sea bass, and salmon skin salad. The food tasted great and was very fresh. The chirashi bowl in particular was the standout meal. Everything was presented nicely and tasted wonderful, down to the sides and rice. Definitely will come back and recommend. read more

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