Don't ever go watch a movie about sushi and Japanese food, thinking you can eat leftovers for dinner. We had just watched the Washoku movie, and it made both of us drool so much, we had to have sushi for dinner. *** Danger, danger, Will Robinson.....*** We searched on yelp, and came across Shunka. So we got here just when they opened, and was seated at the bar. Our itamae-san was Masa-san. And Honeybuns saw the blackboard with all the specials from Japan. He didn't want average fish, he wanted fish from Japan. We basically tried close to everything on that board. Everything we tried was fantastic except for kamasu (barracuda). I didn't like that; because barracuda has that faint uric acid smell and taste just beneath the skin, and you can't get rid of that. Other favorites? Akamutsu, bonito, live scallop, albacore, kanpachi, aji, mejina, saba, chutoro, hamachi belly, sea bream, shima aji, fresh octopus (Honeybuns ate my portion), ishi dai, hobo, yagara, tachiuo, kuro dai, and more. Plus 2 clam miso soups, a small sake, and a hot tea, we managed to run up a ~$290 tab. Thank God we only do this once every few years. Everything was absolutely fresh, top notch, and we both loved the saba. The saba was fresh, not vinegar marinated, and not box pressed sushi. All the nigiri were super delicious. Very high quality fish. Next time, we have to set a limit before we walk in. read more

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Best sushi I've had in Orange County. Great service and sushi chefs. I've come back here dozens of times and their toro and yellowtail can't be beat. read more

Excellent, very fresh sushi selection. Knowledgeable and friendly servers. Good selection of Japanese imported fish. Currently doing take-out and limited outdoor dining. Highly recommended. read more

Shunka deserves every 5 star review on here. It's unbelievable. My boyfriend lives in Japan and on my visits there I've become pretty picky about the quality of sushi and sashimi. I didn't think I'd find anything around here close in terms of the quality until Shunka. My go-to food (being as I'm a constantly broke 23-year old) is the chirashi bowl. You get a nice big sampling of a bunch of different slices of fish and eggs over rice for $20. Their iced green teas are pretty tasty too - made from iced green tea powder from Japan not just hot green tea poured over ice. The only drawback is that it can be kind of pricey. But they're flying in fish fresh from all over the world so in this case you're really getting what you pay for. Melt in your mouth quality, top-notch service. If you're a sushi and/or food fiend and aren't pinching pennies, you can't go wrong with Shunka. read more

Sushi Shunka - Chirashi bowl! Delicious! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The fish is fresh. The service is also excellent. We will definitely visit here again. read more

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AKAMUTSU AKAMUTSU AKAMUTSU They have a selection of your standard sashimi and sushi but they also have special fish from Japan which is really cool that they have. And it's ALL about the akamutsu. Personally, I like it sushi style because of the balance of flavors with the rice but I know people like it sashimi too. I definitely think it's worth it to call ahead to make sure they have akamutsu before coming. If you're there for sushi/sashimi, definitely sit at the bar and talk to your sushi chef. They're super knowledgable and ready to share their knowledge with you! The rolls and handrolls are really good too! I really like the nori they use and the rice is, of course, very well cooked. read more

Sushi Shunka - Sushi/Sashimi List - Sushi Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Amazing experience, had sushi chef Juro's choice and he served sushi freshly imported from Japan. His suggestions and interaction interaction with us was that of a Master chef. CHEF JURO is The MAN! read more

This place is pretty much amazing, the 16 piece o·ma·ka·se from chef Eiji was top notch! It takes a lot for a roll to win me over and the Shunka roll my wife ordered was pretty much amazing as well. The waitress seemed a little out of sorts which was weird seeing how we were there during lunch so be aware, but hey it was o·ma·ka·se time so I had no hurry in me! HIGHLY Recommend! read more

Sushi Shunka - The Bonito - just one of the 16 different types of nigiri I enjoyed from Eiji! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I've been too all the sushi restaurants in Orange County and this is by far my favorite. The food is always delicious and the sushi chef's are really friendly! My boyfriend and I, had gotten omakase and the bill was definitely reasonably priced. I would also recommend the Yuzu sake if you're having a date night and wanting to get a little buzz. read more

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What a gem! Great sushi, service was great! Definitely on my list for whenever I'm back in this area.

Another great Costa Mesa !! Everything is extremely fresh. My boyfriend and I love sushi and we are always checking out new spots around the area. For sure great quality and not too pricey. We got the salmon roll, the Shunka, the snake, and sumo roll. My favorite was probably the Shunka which is their house roll I'm assuming. Loved it and will definitely be back. Only thing was there was a wait and you can't make reservations read more

Sushi Shunka - Sushi Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Dang, my tastebuds are either jacked or these yelpers are whack. Just kidding my yelper friends. 3.5 stars at the best, maybe it was an off day. Went with the omakase selection and after 4 fish in, I cut the cord. Yes, I broke the golden rule, and cut Chef J off. Seemed that he was extremely busy and didn't really care to provide us the omakase experiences I've come to appreciate at places like Zo, San Shi, and Oshima. Once I ordered al carte, it was much better. Ordered toro, uni, sea bream, hirame, giant clam, octopus, yellow tail, yellow tail belly. Won't be going back. read more

First time at Shunka, and won't be my last!! I plan on coming back because: 1. The ambience of the restaurant is very balanced! Busy, but not overcrowded ^^ decor is very cool toned and simplistic. 2. Service is precise and to the point, if you ask for something, the servers immediately go to help you. (Always had my tea refilled without asking ) 3. The sushi was delicious, fresh, and so flavorful!! 4. Seigo is an EXCELLENT chef who knew exactly how to flavor the sushi. How much, how little seasoning to put on! The pairing was perfect and he recommended an excellent sake as well :) instead of fetching the waiter for us, he would personally help us (I.e. get more ice for our sake, get more napkins..) He was basically the waiter and the chef at the same time, so kudos to that! Did an excellent job balancing making our orders as well as others' orders ^^ Next time I hope to go when Seigo is there!! I just know he doesn't work Sundays ^^ read more

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Come for lunch. I ordered the shunka special omakase and soft shell crab. The fish quality is okay and taste really flat. It's not match with the price. read more

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This place is a hidden gem. I think I will be in trouble for letting the secret out. Best people and best sushi in OC. Come early. First seating fils up quick. read more

Sushi Shunka - The boys! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Our first experience at Shunka was amazing! Price was more than reasonable and quality was superb. Service was also great and we got to try many different type of fish. I was super excited to make Shunka our go-to sushi restaurant, HOWEVER, our second visit forever left a bitter taste in our mouths. Our chef (different than first time) added sauce to many pieces which took away from traditional sushi experience. We still wanted to trust the chef, but everything came to an end when tuna left fishy aftertaste. This was our sign to stop omakase and get the check. I don't think we'll be going back... read more

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Whoops! I forgot to review Shunka even though I talk about it all of the time. - I'm a fan of this place but I'll honestly never visit, and here is why: Shunka, for me, falls into a big three with Nan* Sa* and Oshim* but for me it's least favorable. - Shunka is the most POSH of all the aforementioned places so maybe if it's a date I'd choose this spot. - Great fish, great omakasee price, hovering around $75 pre tax or so depending on how much you eat. read more

Omakase was amazing. The fish is extremely fresh, and our sushi chef knew how to season each one perfectly. The amberjack, sun bream and uni were my favorites. Each just melted in my mouth. I would rank this equal to Ohshima. Fantastic sushi experience read more

NIGIRI ONLY OMAKASE We tried their Shunka special, which was a nigiri only omakase. Caveat, I'm biased in favor of the full omakase experience. In all, about 8 nigiri pieces and 1 hand roll. Not nearly enough food to become remotely full. The highlights of this meal included: - toro, so melt in your mouth tasty - crab hand-roll, by far my favorite and the most memorable - all the fish tasted extremely fresh Because we weren't remotely full, we ordered 4 more pieces of nigiri, two being requests upon recommendation - monkfish liver & uni. - green tea powder dusted nigiri (sorry forgot what fish), but the green tea powder did nothing but take away from the fish itself - the monkfish liver was rich and smooth - the uni (said to be from Santa Barbara) should NOT have been served, you could see some slimy-ness that indicated that it was starting to turn, sadly we ended on this note Overall 3.5, the fish selection that we received as part of the regular omakase, were very tasty and fresh. The big knock for me was that 1) it wasn't enough and 2) don't serve me something that has started to turn (Uni). I'm not a renowned expert on uni but that slimy-ness atop should have been something that was not served. read more

Sushi Shunka - Sushi Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Where do I begin? I am never disappointed when I grab a bite at Shunka. This is SoCal's hidden gem, with the freshest fish. Every time I visit, I order a few favorite rolls and then let the professionals surprise me. Tonight, was beyond epic. Seigo made my husband and I 5 different things. Every. Single. One. Was. Amazing. AMAZING. It was all incredible. My number one suggestion is to let these chef's do what they do best and choose for you. You can't go wrong. Thanks Shunka staff, and especially chef Seigo!!!!! read more

First time at Shunka and it was a rocky start. There were several open seats, but had a problem getting seated. Had an order of sushi recommended by the chef and it might have been okay, but in the drama of seating issues, I wasn't able to enjoy. Circumstances forced me to leave. We just purchased a home 1 block away and I would like to eat sushi 3-5X week so was really hoping this place would be a winner, but the service was impossible. read more

Bit disappointed with Shunka. I'm a sushi snob! Been 3 x before but haven't been in a while & not happy with the service. Went last Saturday, arrived 30 mins early before everyone else. Top of the list for the Sushi bar w Yuki San the owner... The owner wouldn't make my friend & I's Sushi since his regulars were there so he pushed us onto Eiji, whom was very fun/ friendly/sweetheart. Yet still, I came early to sit w the owner & he wouldn't make our sushi. I was excited bc by reading the reviews the owner appeared very nice & fun... but not to me. I didn't even take pics like I planned, bc it ruined my friend & I's mood & we just wanted to eat & leave. Pro: Quality: Great Owners Service: Unpleasant Con: Very long wait for preparation of food/ Sushi. Was there for 1.5 hours. I may return & sit w Eiji again since he was awesome! But unsure as of now.... read more

ohshima was closed today so we decided to try this place... we ordered 2 omakase $60 each for 12 pieces. the pieces were small... we were still hungry at the end so we ended up ordering 2 more alacart items.. meal came to $180 for 2... quality was just ok... nothing special or memorable... . one of the pieces didn't taste fresh to me... service was ok... probably won't go back. read more

Worst rolls I've ever taste. Today ordered to pick up, first time ordering with them, but wanted to try as Yelp reviews were very nice. California roll, crispy roll, spicy tuna roll and miso soup. Soup was awful. The rolls were gross (all of them), tasted like mayonnaise, spicy tuna tasted like regular tuna roll and the crispy one not crispy? Ended up throwing the food in the trash. Will not go back. Do not recommend. read more

A hidden gem. I love this place. Staff is kind and the sushi is always fresh. I love this local place.

If any of you knew where Frenzy Sushi was in Costa Mesa - this is the new place that is there now - GO THERE! Seriously some of the best sushi I have had in Orange County! So fresh! They have specials on the board that I believe is flown in that day and each time I have tried something off of there - so good! I've been there a few times now and have had a great experience each time! Really friendly staff who will suggest outstanding choices for you if you ask! Lots of variety with rolls, fish and other great menu options. I think this place is going to get popular, so get there now! :) read more

Nom nom nom...sushi is absolutely delish. This was my first time trying omakase. $45/person for 8 different types of sushi & 1 blue crab hand-roll. Not bad letting sushi chef decide what I should eat. We order 1 sashimi with chili oil. "No soy sauce please" say sushi chef and we agreed. It was good as is. Chili oil really brought out the fish. Great place for fresh & tasty sushi. read more

Sushi Shunka - $45 omakase - 8 pieces of sushi and 1 hand-roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Great quality sushi for cheap - it was the first time I ate Uni without thinking that it tastes like fish pudding or wanting to vomit immediately because of the texture/taste combination. I'm not sure if there is one or two different types of omakase but I thought I picked the higher quality one. Both were at the same price for $45/person but I'm assuming that the higher quality one had less dishes since it was only 8 pieces of sushi and one hand roll. We added one of those nuclear mushroom/seafood egg custard bowl each in order to not leave the place immediately heading for an In n' Out. So as a note, I've had omakase at other restaurants for more than double the price but you leave in a food coma. Come to Shunka if you only want the sushi portion in your omakase and don't mind adding on other items. read more

Came for the omakase and it did not disappoint! The service was excellent and the sushi was amazing! I love being able to try different fish! I even got to try things I wouldn't normally order and it was so delicious! Awesome service, awesome food! read more

Had lunch here. The food was very good. I am not sushi expert but they had a lot of variety and what I had was very good.

Had a lovely dinner here with Joanna Y. the other day and Shunka did not disappoint. Omakase is the way to go. Just sit back, enjoy a cold beer and let the sushi masters serve you their recommendations. My favorites of the night were the King Mackerel, Mejina and the lobster hand roll to finish things off. Definitely a must try if you're in the area. read more

My favorite place for omakase in the OC! 1) Fish is imported from Japan on a weekly basis. Look for the board to see what the weekly imports are! 2) Generous amounts of great quality items. My wife and I got live uni straight out the shell, and we scooped that sucker clean. Another time, we got a whole piece of mackerel, deep fried. They definitely don't skimp here. 3) The itamaes take the time to talk and drink with you, which feels more like your buddy cooking for you. Buy the guy a beer or two, relax and crack some jokes. 4) Staff is very kind and attentive. They will ask you not to use your cell phones, but this is OC: that's like asking a person not to breathe! Tl;dr great quality, abundance, friendly chefs and attentive staff! Kanpai! read more

Sushi Shunka - Sushi Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Shunka is legit!!! We had the omakase $45 option and a few side orders of nigiri. You get bang for your buck here. The quality of the fish was amazing and every piece was so buttery. My favorite was the blue crab hand roll and would highly recommend this. Super fire. Overall, I really enjoyed my first time here and would definitely come back again. Until next time Shunka! read more

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Fantastic sushi. Fantastic team. Best sushi place in OC (and one of the best in the States) by far. It's not pretentious, its quite casual. The focus is on the food and it's pure quality. You can try new things and go at the pace you wish. The chefs are experts, and the food is beyond. We are here on a weekly basis, loving life and loving fish. read more

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*Review for Take-Out Only* Probably one of my now favorite sushi spots in OC! Absolutely was in shock when I saw the VARIETY and QUANTITY of fish in their menu. Every piece of nigiri was a little piece of heaven for my tastebuds. I got my favorites, chirashi, aji, chu-toro , o-toro, salmon belly, and their scallop handroll. Everything was so fresh and delicious. Can't wait to go back to try more of their fish and experience their dine in! You can either call or order at the restaurant for the take out! Easy takeout experience :) read more

Would give it 5 stars if they moved out of the strip mall, but I might not be able to afford dinner again if they did. I live in San Diego and would gladly brave rush hour traffic to be rewarded here. The fish is like eating golden butter made from heavenly cows. Omakase had me a puddle on the floor. I wish they were on Convoy Street in San Diego. read more

Sushi Shunka - Foodgasm - Sushi Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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All the sushi chefs are very good! If you don't know what to get, ask for their choice! They will not disappoint you!! Love their Uni, Scallop and Saba sushi! I don't get fresh Saba a lot. If you like sake, just get their house got sake, it will be a great combo w your sushi! If you are up for challenge, talk to child Juro and ask him to just prepare all the sushi for you for the night! I have never not liked it! Friday night this is THE place to come! read more

The food is very good and their fish is outstanding and fresh. Not super thrilled about the rolls but the sashimi is spectacular

Best sushi, loyal to their repeat customers. Definitely worth the wait, when opened back up. Nothing to fret about for take out, it's equally delicious. read more

This is probably my favorite sushi place. The sashimi so fresh n very friendly environment. The chef Yuki know how we want, he made the dishes not too big, so that i can try many kinds of sashimi. I will be back soon! read more

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