A great grab and go place. Small interior, no dining inside, and not really any tables outside either. I took my omusubis to Ocean View Park to picnic. Decent amount of vegetarian/vegan options. My partner and I got the eggplant chili (2x), miso mushroom, and the pickled wasabi and pickled konbu. They smells amazing when fresh. The struggle is you want to eat it immediately before the seaweed goes soggy but need to find a place to eat. These were $4.50 or $4.75 each. Pretty good sized with plenty of filling. A great snack or lunch if you eat multiple. read more

Sunny Blue - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

My daughter and I have never had Omusubi or Onigiri so this was a culinary adventure for us. We both really liked the decor. Unfortunately there was no seating so we ate in our car. The staff were very friendly and helpful. My kid had the Miso beef and the Tokyo tori (chicken) omusubi. I had the Hijiki Shiitake and the Miso Mushroom omusubi. She loved both of hers, with extra love for the Miso Beef. I thought that my Hijiki Shiitake needed spicy mayo or something to bring it together, but BABYYYYYY the Miso Mushroom omusubi was delicious. I kept making the "mmm mmm" sound because it was that good. Our meals came with miso soup which was a tad salty. We also ordered a hot tea and an oolong mango boba juice tea which we enjoyed. You can select from green, oolong, and barley for the boba options. read more

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First timer but will be back! The Ebi Mayo was my favorite out of the ones I tried! I don't remember exactly what my friend got, one chicken and the mushroom however she loved both of them! read more

Sunny Blue - Left: Ebi Mayo and Tuna Mayo - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

A local gem for our ocean park community. Easy pick up and go coming from the beach. All the flavors are a win.

Second time coming to Sunny Blue and was just as good as the first time. I now have my order dialed in so I know what I'm getting every time (Spicy Tuna, Chicken Tori, Miso Beef) and I tried the A5 Wagyu today. The Wagyu was a little expensive ($11) but was worth the try for today. Highly recommend to anyone in the area and will be back as often as possible! read more

Sunny Blue - A5 Wagyu - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Wow these fresh omusubi are delicious! Served either warm on tray or wrapped to-go in a way that keeps the seaweed crisp. Great snack and affordable around $5-6 each 5/5 Miso Beef was so flavorful and well filled. Balanced umami, saltiness, hint of sweet. A popular option that I would totally get again 4/5 Ginger Pork Curry was a light curry flavor and nice to have later in the evening. Not as flavorful as the beef Tried a bit of the chili eggplant (also stellar flavors here) and a wasabi one (very spice forward). Amazing quick bite or made to order to-go snack! Note no seating inside but a section of parklet to stand outside read more

Sunny Blue - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Yummy omusubis/Japanese rice balls in the Santa Monica area. These are great for a light lunch or snack. I visited this small store for an earlier lunch on a Saturday. It was decently busy, but the staff prepared the rice balls quickly, so my friend and I got ours shortly after ordering. I got three rice balls: Ebi Mayo, Miso Beef, and Tuna Maya. All of them were tasty. The Ebi Mayo one had shrimp and it was kind of tangy which I was not expecting, but still very good. I can't point out a favorite one as I liked all of them equally. Also loved the furikake or mayo toppings on them. If you're eating them on the spot, you have to eat them quickly before the crispy seaweed gets too soggy from the rice. These 3 rice balls were decently filling for me and came out to about $15 for all of them. Would recommended as a solid Japanese rice ball spot in the area. read more

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It's all street parking and it can get tough to find a spot. Inside is small and no indoor or outdoor seating. I got the Spicy Salmon and Tuna Mayo. Both were so good. It was packed with flavor and the perfect snack! Recommendation(s): - Spicy Salmon - Tuna Mayo Service: 5/5 Tip(s): - Street parking only - No indoor or outdoor seating read more

Sunny Blue - Spicy Salmon and Tuna Mayo - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

We usually take to go! Super easy and quick. Always have stock of our favorites! I'm Santa Monica and great picnic or beach snack! Good grab and go place for a quick lunch too. Small shop and their menu design is fun! Wooden boards just like in Japan hahaha. When we take home or eat the next day, sometimes we separate the rice and nori and microwave the rice for 15-20 seconds. The instructions for how to open the onigiri for the perfect crispy rice is clear and intuitive! (To most lol not my mom) It is so smart to design the packaging this way as you keep the nori fresh and crispy and not soggy from the rice and sauce. Then when you eat you wrap it. Just like the convenience stores in Japan. Can you tell I miss Japan lol First time trying the sides. Potato salad is sooooo good with the sweet apple pieces. Pickled burdock goes perfect with all the onigiri! Must get these sides read more

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Sunny Blue is within walking distance from the beach with nearby paths taking you to Ocean Front Walk. There's meter parking lots behind Main Street. No indoor dining which is unfortunate as their Dine-in Omusubi needs to be eaten within 20 minutes. For the food: Sunny Blue specializes in Handcrafted Omusubi. I chose Dine-in Option, which makes for pretty Instagram pics, but difficult to eat. The seaweed is too thin to support the filing. Grab chopsticks to eat the fallen innards. Should be using thicker hand roll style seaweed. The rice to filling ratio is off - way too much rice. Even with same filing amount I'd prefer less rice for more balanced flavor. Take-out Option seems to be convenient store style Onigiri and I think it would've been better. The lychee green tea was quite nice. read more

Sunny Blue - Tuna Mayo, Sunny Blue Curry, Miso Beef - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Visited Sunny Blue in Venice on a Friday and tried the veggie omusubi with hijiki (vegan and gluten-free)--it was absolutely delicious. The spicy mayo added just the right kick without overpowering the flavor. The shop itself is quite small, but the staff were very friendly and welcoming, which made the experience feel personal. I appreciated seeing one of the workers wearing gloves while preparing the food--it's a small detail, but it really matters. That said, I did notice another staff member who moved from working the register directly to handling food with bare hands. He should have washed his hands thoroughly prior to returning to help make the food. Overall, I really enjoyed my visit and would definitely come back, but I hope management takes note and ensures consistent food handling practices across the team. read more

Sunny Blue - Hijiki (vegan - gluten free) - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Just a quick update... Visited on Mother's Day for the second time. The first time we ordered to go. This time we ordered to eat right away. I had no idea there was a difference. I thought to go was good, I had no idea what I was missing out on. When you order to go, they are individually wrapped in plastic. The seaweed appears to be tougher in texture than when you order to eat it right away. My daughter ordered 10 of them for the two of us. She ordered all of the vegetarian ones plus a few extras. It was way too much food, but it's always nice to have these as leftovers to take home. We ate them while standing on the sidewalk in front of the little eatery. The rice fluffy, lightly sticky and of the perfect consistency. They were absolutely delicious! Our favorites were the Eggplant Chili Miso, the Miso Mushroom and the Lucky Cat. read more

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100000/10 place! Their food is so fresh and melts in your mouth. I love the tuna mayo and miso beef the most. You can't go wrong with any of them though. Also the milk tea boba is to die for! I recommend getting it with your friends or taking it to go to eat on the beach. read more

Sunny Blue - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Been a while Sunny Blue! But I never ever forgot you!! Came early evening mid-week and there was no line. As soon as we gave our orders though, a line formed. The shop is tiny and there is no indoor eating space. There is no outdoor dining space either. Hahaha But that didn't stop us from loitering in front on the sidewalk so we could eat our food immediately after we got them. WAGYU - Very good piece of meat. My first bite was seasoned. The rest were not. Everyone else seemed to have enjoyed their choices: Kara Tuna Omusubi Albacore tuna with diced cucumbers & onions with spicy mayo sauce Miso Beef Omusubi Spicy Salmon Omusubi Cured salmon with chili seasoning Miso Beef Omusubi The single worker was not fazed when our group of 5 came and he had to answer a bunch of questions. There was no line to get in, no line to order, and it didn't take long before we got our food order. Public parking is available in a lot 2 blocks northeast, along with the street metered parking. read more

My onigiri fell apart once it was handed it to me. It wasn't made well. I waited over ten minutes for one onigiri. I got the miso beef and it tasted like the beef bowl from Yoshinoya which I didn't mind but then it wasn't that special. All in all, a disappointing experience. read more

Sunny Blue - Miso beef onigiri - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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This spot is usually pretty poppin' (and for good freaking reason)! I've been a few times and have yet to have something I didn't love. So far, the omusubis I've tried are the miso beef, spicy salmon, mentaiko, miso mushroom, Kara tuna, and sunny blue curry! I've also had their curry udon and all have been so tasty and filling order times depend on how packed it is, but they're pretty efficient regardless so you aren't waiting too long :) There isn't seating inside, but they had a lot of outdoor space to stand around and enjoy! read more

My first time being here & I got the mentaiko & spicy salmon and it was sooo good! Everyone here is also so nice and gives you really good recommendations. Love how it's quick bites that's filling! read more

Sunny Blue - mentaiko & spicy salmon - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

love coming here! it's quick, simple, and so delicious. i like how you have easy access from the outside area to sunny blue. all the servers are so kind there!!! please stop in if you want heaven read more

I love the onigiris here!! Reminded me of Japan, except it is pricier, but that is to be expected in the states hahaha My top three were the ginger pork, eggplant miso, and spicy salmon! Very flavorful and perfect rice to stuffing ratio. Parking can be a bit tricky, but service is fast and it's a nice Togo option if you want to pick up some food and eat by the beach :-) read more

Kpop-ing in the area and had bumped into this hidden gem this hole in the wall definitely did NOT DISAPPOINT **ORDERED: ~Miso Beef 9/10 Tender and juicy with the comforting taste of miso ~Sunny Blue Curry 9/10 Out of all 3, this one surprised me the most with how much curry flavor there was mixed with the chicken (Disclaiming: I LOVE CURRY so I may be biased) ~Spicy Salmon 7/10 honestly I feel like this was just a normal onigiri and not much going on but regardless it was still better than the ones you'd get at a Japanese supermarket **VIBE: It was a tiny shop with no seating at all but it was very cozy with a warm and comforting atmosphere **PEOPLE: Cashier was friendly, courteous and extremely helpful in terms of recommendations! **OVERALL: I would definitely come again .. if I were in the area as it is really far long drive (esp with traffic) parking wise is a bit hard as well due to street and paid parking read more

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Love me some Sunny Blue! Perfect beach time snack. They serve omusubi, which is Japanese rice balls served in nori. They have different options on the menu as well as seasonal items too. They offer meat, seafood and veggie options for their omusubi. My favorite are the tokyo tori (chicken with sweet and sour sauce) and the spicy salmon. So yummy! Just wish they put a little bit more meat/seafood, instead of so much rice. Other than that, it's still a tasty snack and perfect if you're looking for something to take to the beach. Friendly and quick service with a chill to-go only ambiance. Usually in and out in about 10-15 minutes. Street parking and a couple blocks over from the ocean. There's also plenty of cute shops next door that you can explore. read more

Sunny Blue - spicy salmon, tokyo tori, and tuna mayo - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

My friend recommended me this place, so I decided to try it. I got the miso beef and sunny blue curry. I liked the miso beef more. They were pretty tasty, but more of a snack. 2 of them came out to $12, but I wasn't full. There was no where to sit and eat, so I just ate it standing at the bus stop. read more

Sunny Blue - miso beef and sunny blue curry - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

So good!! A good size for a good price & they're so delicious! Can't wait to come back and try more! read more

Sunny Blue - Kara Tuna & Miso Mushroom - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Craving satisfied! Great place to grab a quick bite to eat!! I thoroughly enjoyed this quick spot to grab a bite to eat. We came around 5pm on a Saturday evening. There was a long line, however, they were quick to get the orders out & very attentive. There's not much seating around the restaurant. Now for the food! Curry chicken 10/10: customer favorite! Great flavor! Mayo tuna 6/10: tuna was a bit dry Eggplant chili 6/10: honestly, was not a fan of the chili they used, it tasted like "guachugan" Korean chili paste & I am not a fan of it I will definitely visit again & try their different flavors! read more

Sunny Blue - Tuna & mayo, eggplant chili, chicken curry, & spicy salmon - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Was passing by and decided to try. It was a Saturday evening, the place was pretty busy. I ordered things I know from other Japanese places - Miso soup, whatever rice thing with beef and with chicken curry. I got miso soup really quick but it was barely warm and very salty so I threw the half of it into the trash. After like 15 mins - because they forgot about my order - I finally got my two rice small balls with fillings. It was like 80% of rice mixed with 20% of the protein - not a balanced ration. Rice was bland, the amount of protein was not enough at all and the taste was not memorable at all. One and done and will never come back read more

Sunny Blue - Rice with beef and rice with chicken curry - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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You gotta get the miso mushroom, that's my favorite. Stuffed in the rice, stuffed in awesome seaweed and well seasoned on top. I like the salmon next. I've tried to plum with shito leaf, different, tart and if I came here more often, I might get it more often. Followed by other mushroom and peas dish. Order and step outside, post covid, no eating at the bar and post-post-covid, they got rid of their outdoor eating space, which got taken by the seafood spot next door. read more

Love this place, great prices and the chicken rice ball is my fave!! Also any of the iced teas with boba are also rlly good. read more

Sunny Blue - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I love this place! The service is so quick and the omusubi is delish. So many fun flavors to choose from. Can grab and take to go or eat fresh- but no indoor seating. Very filling, I usually get 2 and am stuffed after. read more

Sunny Blue - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

11/10 The pork ginger curry and the Tokyo tori are my favorites so far. Soooooo so so so good, served warm ... flavor is insanely good. I've gone like 5-6x since I discovered it a month ago and I think about it daily. Hope this helps lol read more

Today, my friends and I went on a little journey to Santa Monica and decided to give Sunny Blue a try!! me and onigiri are like this I LOVEE onigiri I've been craving it for a few weeks now, so I was so glad we got the chance to stop by. The Sunny Blue in Santa monica is located in a cute little area with lots of restraunts and spots to hang around! I would recommend ordering to go because it gets pretty busy, especially during the evening. The interior of the restraunt was so cute, I didn't get a pic of the menu, but for each onigiri they had a little graphic drawn on the side, it was literally the most adorable thing ever:((. My friends and I took our order to go to eat at the beach. While the onigiris were not bad, I was a little disappointed because I had definitely had better before. The rice was a bit too mushy, and for one of my onigiris, I barely had any filling, which was literally so sad. Also, I had ordered a kitsune udon and for the price it was not exactly worth it. I paid $8 and the portion was TINY and it just tasted like udon with miso soup. Perhaps maybe the onigiri and the udon didn't hit as hard because I didn't eat it right away when it was warm, but either way it was still disappointing:(( 3 onigiris is a good amount for a meal! read more

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I love this place, I definitely recommend getting the sunny blue curry or the Tokyo tori. I personally get 2 of each ever time I eat here. Only bad thing is that there is no seating anywhere even outside the store. The restaurant next to them is always empty and doesn't allow any sunny blues customers to eat on their empty outdoor seating Also only get your food ready to eat and not to go because they make it fresh that way. If you ask them to make it to go, they make you assemble the omusibi yourself with seaweed that isn't as fresh. If you really need the food to go. I recommend asking them to make the food ready to eat but put it in a bag read more

Sunny Blue - Sunny blue curry and Tokyo tori - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Food was delicious! Service was great! They made it in front of us and fast! Quality was great! read more

Great spot for some omusubi! We ordered the miso beef and spicy salmon which were delicious! They have tons of options which is great. Service was very quick and kind. If you do not know what to get, simply ask for their recommendations. No indoor seating. Will definitely be back to try their other flavors! read more

Sunny Blue - Miso beef and spicy salmon - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

You definitely have to check out the spot in Venice! Talk about delicious and super friendly service! read more

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Love this place! My husband and I took a day trip to Santa Monica pier and walked to Sunny Blue for lunch. We tried four omusubi- Japanese spicy caviar, curry chicken, spicy salmon, and Kara tuna. I also got a lychee tea and my husband and kimchi. Staff was really nice and answered any questions we had. The omusubi was ready quickly also and you can see them making it fresh behind the counter. They were delicious-- soft warm rice with the perfect touch of filling, a tiny crunch in the bite from the seaweed, and they don't skimp on the filling! I think my fav was the curry chicken. It's a very small place with nowhere to sit. It'd be nice if they had a few tables/chairs outside but we just kind of ate on the curb. I wish sunny blue wasn't all the way across the country from me! read more

Sunny Blue - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Love the friendly staff here. Was my first time here and they made some solid recommendations. I got the miso beef and spicy salmon in a bento box as it comes with edamame, pickled cucumbers as solid sides to pair with to Omusubi. The place doesn't offer seating but definitely enjoyable on the go outside for the vibes. Definitely eat it fresh on the spot, but if you prefer take out then it'll come wrapped up to prevent the seaweed from becoming soggy. read more

Sunny Blue - Miso Beef and Spicy Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

such a cute little onigiri shop, perfect for grabbing a quick bite to eat before heading to the beach! service was quick, they do not have any seating, but they offer the onigiri either ready to eat or packaged to-go. i tried the vegan options of the miso mushroom and the eggplant chili miso. the miso mushroom was a 3/5, well cooked but honestly nothing special. however, the eggplant chili miso was a MUST try, it has just the right kick of spice, the eggplant is marinated and it is full of flavor. the rice itself is fresh and exactly what i expect for my onigiri. definitely will be back! read more

Sunny Blue - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

My husband and I tried this place many many years ago, must have been before I was even into Yelp because I don't even have a review for it! Whenever we are in Santa Monica, we stop by, which is saying something because we usually don't go to the same place again...there's just too many options in SoCal! But this place is the exception. First of all, there really aren't many places you can just go to grab a quick onigiri like this. And second, it's such a great idea for a quick casual snack, or even a full meal if you get a couple of them! It's not a dine-in place so it's truly perfect for a road trip or to bring down to the beach. I am so impressed they've survived through the pandemic and I'm happy we got to visit yet again. On today's visit we got the Miso Beef (which I think we get every single time) and tried the Kara Tuna for the first time. Comes out freshly molded and so warm. Loved the cucumbers inside of the Kara Tuna one. The Miso Beef always hits the spot, although it does seem more crumbly and falls apart easier, maybe from the weight of the filling. Next time I need to branch out and try other ones but the Miso Beef is too good! read more

Sunny Blue - Miso Beef & Kara Tuna - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Onigiri was made fresh on the spot and super yummy! Staff was very friendly and told us their recommendations! We got miso beef and curry , beef was very tender and curry very flavorful ~ read more

Sunny Blue - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

All of the nigiri are just so delicious. My favorite are the curry pork nigiri with brown rice and wrapped with seaweed and also the Ebi nigiri also with brown rice.all are very good size. read more