* legit fresh sushi restaurant * * there is a NO CELL PHONE sign. if you are used to eating while glued to your phone, you're going to have to hold off until after you leave the restaurant. RESPECT THE RULES!! * shunka opened about two years ago by a sushi chef from japan. enjoyed the decor -- very clean and tasteful. the artwork behind the sushi bar was drawn by a local cartoonist (if you look closely, it is three panels put together). it's a picture of a powerful dragon with huge golden eyes. they have daily specials up on the chalkboard. there is a menu and two sushi sheets. one sheet is for cut rolls, the other for sushi. on the backside of the sushi menu, there were about 10 fish that i did not recognize. they were all fish from japan. the waitress explained to us whether they were like sea bream, like whitefish, like snapper.. there has never been a list of fish so foreign to us (we know our fish). sushi: yellowtail albacore mackerel black snapper cut rolls: scallop spicy yellowtail chawanmushi everything was fresh and pleasing. good service. we will be back to try the $40 omakase which includes sushi, appetizer, miso soup, dessert. read more

One of the worst sushi restaurant in OC. What a disappointment !!!! HERE IS THE MOST DISGUSTING MOMENT OF OUR ENTIRE DINNER. After we finished a sashimi plate. We saw an almost dying insect( it looks something in between fly and moth) on our sashimi plate. He was drowning in the ponzu where we just pick up the sashimi from and his not splashed leftover legs were still twitching. So we were eating on his ponzu-ed corpse the whole time? Aaaarsee. After I told our waitress, she didn't apologized, she thinks it's funny because of the twitching insect legs. she took our plates away and gave us a new empty plate, she pretended like nothing happened, this is all normal. Mr.Q and I ordered few import sashimi, few sushi: yellow fin tuna, sea urchin...etc. kara-age small fish, popona and Yozu sake. ---Fish meat weren't fresh, import or local. The fish meat isn't sweet, nor tender. Yet some of the fish meat is quite fishy, tasteless and the texture were crunchy in a bad way. The topping that goes with the sushi didn't bring out the sweetness or freshness of the fish.Some of the fish meat were falling off. ---The sashimi were at room-temperature, I don't like my sashimi to be freezing, but fish meat in a room temperature creeps me out. ---I never had bad Sea- urchin like this place before. It looks like melted candle wax when they served, the seaweed falling apart before we touch it, everything falling apart right before we put it in our mouth. The sea- urchin tasted fishy, bitter and it's textured like drinking sea-urchin yoghurt. GROSS! --+Karaage small fish weren't crispy. ---The popona have exactly the same presentation as Spanish mackerel. Popona sashimi has an unpleasant flavor and the meat is little, while Spanish mackerel sashimi wasn't fresh and it's tasteless. The fried popona was nice, but the fried Spanish mackerel have this big bone that will stuck in between your teeth. The fish head is enormously big and fishy. I still remember the quality of the Spanish mackerel at Nana San, That was like heavenly unforgettable bite. Sigh! --+The knife technique is too rough, it's similar to the knife technique from Angotei, but the fish from the Angotei is fresh. --- Our Yuzu sake comes with a grey kitchen/toilet paper cover. WTH? It looks gross: A sake with grey toilet/kitchen paper on the top. How do I know my sake hasn't been used before? ---The service is friendly, but not Nana San, Ikko, Angotei, Sushi wasabi friendly. When we enter the restaurant, only the chefs is greeting us.There weren't hostess/waitress to check the customers, even when the place isn't packed yet. I won't called the service good either with a fake smile on the face and pretending nothing happens while there is a bug on the plate. I WON'T RECOMMEND ANY FRIEND TO EAT THE ROOM TEMPERATURE/UN-FRESH/TASTELESS SEAFOOD AND PONZU SOAKED BUG. read more

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

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Fantastic sushi, nice ambiance, and excellent service. We ordered most of the ones that was shipped from Japan and man they were awesome, the Shunka roll was surprising good as well. I was a little disappointed with the crunchy roll and spider roll, they could use a little more flavors but oh well, they're not my favorites anyway. Also disappointed they ran out of the Pompano it looked good and I was definitely excited to try, and it was only 7:30 pm. Love the ambiance, the private seating, and the waitresses were quick and helpful. I'm a fan. read more

I've been here now 4 or 5 times. I really love everything here. Yuki the owner is awesome. The sushi is fresh and delicious. Today I came in for lunch and had a lunch combo. It was very fresh, presented beautifully and everything tasted soooo goooood! Don't hesitate.....go to Shunka NOW! You won't regret it! read more

I've had this place bookmarked for almost a year and have finally been able to try it. I can definitely see why they have such a high rating on Yelp. I'm not a huge sushi snob but I've been working in Japanese restaurants for a long time. My family goes to Japan all the time and they know their stuff so as soon as we walked in we knew we were in the right place just from the smell. It literally smells like Japan in there so that was a great start. We tried a bunch of sashimi from their basic salmon to their uni and even a fish that our (lovely and very prompt gentleman who's name I can't remember sorry) server recommended. Each fish was beautifully presented and very fresh. I wish we sat at the sushi bar to be able to get the whole experience but we'll definitely go back again for that. Another thing I loved about this place is the service. Our server was professional but friendly and he seemed to know when to come by at the exact moment. We never had to wait long to order and he made some excellent recommendations. So all in all I think this place is probably one of the best (if not the best) authentic traditional Japanese restaurants Orange County has to offer. :) read more

I have to confess. I've lived in Orange County for 13 years and I've been to dozens of sushi restaurants. Nothing has compared to Matsu in Huntington Beach. I live in Costa Mesa and it's not exactly convenient, but definitely worth the drive. I've been going there for years. When Shunka opened a block from my house I figured it was worth a try. When I walked in, I recognized Yuki immediately. He was always my favorite sushi chef at Matsu and after dinner it was clear that I would never again be making that drive to HB. If you go there (which you should, immediately), do yourself a favor and order the Tuna Tataki to start. Yuki makes the best Ponzu sauce that I have ever had and he tops the generous portion of tuna with crispy fried onions. OMG. I also ordered the Cucumber SPECIAL Roll which was yellowtail, ahi and crab meat wrapped in a thinly sliced roll of cucumber. Watching him expertly cut the cucumber is almost as exciting as eating it. We also ordered a roll that I can't pronounce with baked scallops on top. EVERYTHING was fresh and absolutely delicious (including the Sake)! The service (personal), the decor (authentic) and the sushi (out of this world) makes this restaurant one to tell your friends about...but not too many. I still want to be able to get a spot at the sushi bar. read more

Don't know what all the hype is about for Shunka. I was in OC this past weekend and wanted to grab some delicious sushi before heading back to LA. However, all my go-to delicious spots were closed on Sundays. Since Shunka got such a high rating, we all headed over to Costa Mesa. The restaurant is small, with sushi bar seating, booth seating, and a few small tables. They sat the 6 of us in a booth, which was a bit tight. As the meal progressed, the booth got pretty hot as 6 of us were crammed into a booth that was probably meant for only 4 people. The sushi was quite expensive given the quality was not A grade. Most of the fish lacked the sweetness that fresh fish usually has. I had the chirashi which only came with about 8 slices of fish, a scoop of salmon roe, and 2 big pieces of egg (tamago). The best part of the chirashi was the egg, which I'm not even quite a fan of. And this was for $26. The Chef's Choice omakase was $40 and came with a miso soup, poke appetizer which was too salty, a steamed egg (chawanmushi) which was pretty good, 8 pieces of not so great sushi, a poke handroll which was way too spicy and salty, and ice cream. For the price and the amount of food you get, its a pretty good deal. But I'd rather get better quality. Overall, I'd rather get the omakase at Sushi Murasaki in Santa Ana as they have way better quality of fish for about the same price. Service: Not sure if it was because they were packed or what, but service was a bit slow. Someone in our party ordered the combination dinner. She ended up finishing her entire combination before my chirashi even arrived. And the omakase diners waited at least 20 minutes between each sushi's course. Overall, it was a lot of waiting by everyone for their food. Parking: Parking lot shared with the entire strip mall. read more

As we expected, ultra high grade sashimi, masterfully created works of art and service that is second to none! Servers, master chefs and both owners are very much involved with the entire dining experience! Such a treat! Hope to see everyone again soon! Mahalo! Bravo! read more

Tonight we had Japan come to us. We were fortunate enough to be served by Eiji. He was so nice and fun. Ordered omakase. FYI the omakase is not a set price or set menu. It really is the chefs choice. You literally have to tell the chef when you want to stop. He will keep serving you till your belt pops off. Everything was fish that was flown in from japan. Got super lucky except no amberjack tonight, Eiji said come back next week and they will have it. Anyway, chef will let you know when to dip soy sauce and when to skip it. So my absolutely was the Medai & the sea bream. Medai has this fragrant chili sauce on it. The sea bream is out of this world with its ponzu/yuzu flavor sauce. Eiji and I kanpai, he down a beer in one quick swing & said "oishi" :) So if you can sit at the bar, do so because the experience is so much more fun!! Once you're gone the chef tallies up your fish orders and then the server will bring you the check. Anyway, stop reading my review and just go look at the photos then go eat some amazing sushi made by Eiji!!! read more

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This sushi bar has become one of my favorites. The bar itself is not yet reopen, we hope as their customers it will someday. The sushi is perfectly portioned and if you allow them to do it their way it is in the correct order. Everything tastes fresh and truly enjoyable. There usually is a wait but the wait is not that outrageous and worth every minute. read more

Jesus Christ, one of the best sushi I've had in the OC but holy cow it's expensive. had a dinner for 4 the other day and the bill was about $200. WHAT TO ORDER: SHUNKA ROLL TOTORO SASHIMI PLATE SPICY TUNA CRISPY RICE ROLL WHAT WASN'T WORTH IT (BUT STILL TASTY): CLAM MISO SOUP SNOWCRAB HAND ROLL SCALLOPS & MUSHROOM DISH definitely one of the best sushi places i've had here in the OC but some things, I just wouldn't order twice. the atmosphere was really intimate and romantic. I came in on a sunday night and it wasn't busy at all. Tip to newcomers-- KEEP YOUR PHONES ON SILENT!! WAITRESSES WILL TELL YOU TO TURN IT OFF....... -___- will update this review again as soon as i come back to try new things! read more

Similar to Yelper Vickie C., I am not sure why this place has such great ratings. We got the chef's course (very affordable) and the only thing I really loved was the blue crab hand roll. The fish itself is expensive for the quality you get. I ended up walking away thinking the chawanmushi and other sides were better than the fish itself. I would much rather drive the distance to San Shi Go in Balboa. read more

Great food and service! Sushi was fresh. Will definitely come back soon! Highly recommend omakase

I decided to go with what a friend suggested and went with the omakase. Thought I had good sushi before but this place completely blows every other sushi bar out of the water. You can taste the difference in quality here. It is beyond comparable. They say they get the fish fresh out of Japan, and you can definitely taste that freshness with each piece that the chef serves. Some of them seem to just melt in my mouth. I tried taking pictures of everything that was served, but they were so delicious that I didn't even bother and scarfed it down the moment it hit my plate. We arrived right when they opened in the evening so there was no wait for us and we were able to grab seats at the bar. It created for a more intimate experience with the chef, as he was able to explain to us the proper way of eating and how he prepared each piece. It was nice to know tidbits of information of what you're being served. It did get crowded later into the night, so I recommend getting there when the doors open. Service was exceptional. Our water was always filled and empty plates immediately scooped out of our way. It is a must try for anyone who makes a stop in the OC. Highly recommend and have to thank my friend for spoiling me and setting my bar so high now lol. read more

My favorite Sushi restaurant in the all world !!! A bit expensive as they also import fresh fish from Japan daily but .. totally worthwhile ! The Chefs masters anhd also owners are Japanese and always there and the same preparing for you a never ending list of special treats as you like. Let them surprise you !! You will love it read more

3.5 Although my friends and family love shunka everytime Ive eaten here its fishy. I know hello youre eating sushi- its fish!! Nah, havent really had the same experience with other sushi. The staff and chefs are extremely nice warm people. I get the whole authentic thing totally. The sushi and sashimi is very good; I sorta get why people rave about it? The rolls are lackluster and lacking in flavor. The ponzu sauce for the poki is a standout however. Overall Im kinda confused, but its good... read more

Fist time at this sushi place and it was amazing! Not an empty seat in the hhouse but only waited about 15mn. Sushi chefs were on it and the fish was epic. We tried two new types of fish that melted in your mouth. We eat a lot of sushi and this place is by far our favorite! Looking forward to bringing friends next time! read more

Go here, sit at the sushi bar, and get the omakase. If you have the dough to spend, you will not regret it! Everything is so delicious here and service is always great. Among my favorites are the toro, uni, engawa, and sea bream. But really though EVERYTHING is tasty!! You won't leave disappointed. read more

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A very high quality sushi joint to which I have been back to any times. A couple of more times and this might be my new go to sushi place. First, you do have to acknowledge that this a real sushi joint where they get their fish from Japan. Second, this is a real sushi joint where they get their fish from Japan. Our last time here, we were sitting next to a couple at the bar trying to get Rolls here only to have the chef be like.... Uhhhh we have spicy tuna rolls? This isnt a rolls kind of place and Expect the bill to get up there if you do the omakase because this is the real deal. We have had a wide variety of fish here and a few of them I have never had before which is always a good sign. I am pretty adventurous when it comes to food and when they still have a trick or two up their sleeves compared to other sushi bars... You knows its going to be good. I will be back! 5 stars! read more

Highlights: 1. That Sumo roll is pretty tasty. It's a crunch roll with tuna sashimi on top and eel sauce. It's got a little kick to it but it's not death spice. Delish. 2. Good chawan mushi. Strong mushroomy flavor, but I like mushrooms. Recommend. 3. Combination sesame chicken (karaage?) + sashimi (tuna, salmon, some kinda white fish) was fresh and satisfying. I can't wait to come back. I now have this and Tabento as go-to sushi places, hooray! read more

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Great sushi restaurant find! I took my mom here for mother's day, and it was a hit! She loves sushi, and she proclaimed that this is one of the best places she's been so far. Get the live scallop if they have it! The scallop was fresh and with the rest, the make a dynamite, which was one of the best we've had. The hirame, ika, bonito, and albacore sushi were all fresh and tasty. The roll we tried was ok - I'd stick with the nigiri and sashimi vs. the rolls. We couldn't get a seat at the sushi bar, which we usually prefer; however, here, it didn't matter. They accommodated by coursing out our sushi and by letting us order as we go. Only let down was that they ran out of the live and packaged uni. :( Definitely make reservations. There was a line and wait the whole time we were there. read more

Appreciated the quality food and service at my latest experience at Shunka. When you can test sushi across the menu and taste the difference of their fish, it really makes a didference and stands out from others. Sushi was really good : yellowtail, snapper, toro, amberjack, fresh octopus, albacore belly, all of it was fire. Wayne our server couldnt have been better, the rest of the staff there was also super nice. Thanked them kindly. Will be sure to return, thanks Shunka. read more

ALERT: Sushi snob review below----- I'm struggling hard to find exactly how I should rate Shunka and this is why... My meal began flying solo-dolo to Costa Mesa to find this lonely strip mall sushi joint. Alone, without my girlfriend by my side, cell phone turned off, I was looking forward to a meal where I could truly flex my gustatory cortex. After being promptly seated at the bar in front of itamae Juro-san at 6:20 (no reservations for bar),I ordered a kirin draft and it began. First off came a fairly typical fish, maguro. On first bite and chew, I began to analyze and compare this sushi to other places I've been throughout my young sushi snob career. It was honestly, 3 stars, A-OK-- fairly typical in both presentation, taste, and texture. Continuing on with light tasting fish to not over-power the palette at the beginning of the meal, next up was halibut, also fairly prototypical. My initial thoughts were that this was going to be an average omakase meal. Soon began some of the heavier hitters in the line up with included tai or sea bream that had a fantastic hit of yuzukosho which really brought out the flavors of the fish, tako or live octopus that had a great creamy yet snappy texture,and kinmedai or golden snapper that had a very unqiue taste unlike anything I've had before. Other fantastic nigiri that was part of the meal included uni (from Santa Babara, sans nori), bonto, salmon belly, and jumbo scallop. There were a couple more, I just don't recall (sorry!). The biggest let down was finally getting that piece of toro that just didn't compare to other top sushi joints in LA. It just wasn't that fatty or as melt-in-your-mouth as toro is supposed to be. After downing my 2nd kirin draft, I told Juro-san that I was full and and ready to receive the damage as I was stuffed. At this point, in my head, I was contemplating where I would rank Shunka in comparison to other sushi joints in both LA and OC. After must deliberation, I decided to give Shunka a solid 4 stars- all in all, a very good meal that started a bit slow. And then I received the bill. $54 ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? $54 including 2 kirin drafts!? I couldn't tell if my eyes were deceiving me. Ladies and gentlemen, I have found a gem hiding in Costa Mesa. If you took out my two beers, I was well under $45 if not less. I honestly felt like a crook paying this little for a quality meal. I tipped 25% and called it a day. You should do the same. Service: was great. Very attentive, drinks always filled, checking up, etc. End: Maybe they thought I was some type of under-cover journalist or something and gave me the homie-discount. I was dressed very casual though. And when I say casual, I mean a Nike t-shirt, basketball shorts, and flip flops. I'll come with my girlfriend again and report back. read more

Came here because a friend recommended it, and I was in the area. It was dead when I arrived around 5:30 but they don't allow you to sit unless your entire party is with you. Boo. My friend finally arrived and we were seated at a booth. When we left, the place was packed with people waiting to get in! Service was excellent - I almost felt as if we had one waitress to ourselves, at least in the beginning. My friend go the Omakase for $45 - she opted for the slightly more expensive one, which came with fish from Japan. Both of us are not big sushi connoisseurs, so we wouldn't have been able to tell if it was fish from the Mexico. She also got the fresh wasabi for an extra $3. They have two kinds other than the typical one from a tube - one has bits of crunch in it and the other doesn't. She prefers the one with actual pieces in it. I ordered a few things, including the salmon skin hand roll (good - came with a healthy portion of salmon in addition to salmon skin), crunch tuna sushi (my favorite - this one was better than at Honda Ya - somehow the crunchy rice was more flavored), asparagus with bacon (big slices of bacon around long asparagus and quite juicy), and a couple of orders of the uni. Everywhere I go, uni tastes different. Here it was not fishy at all and had a slightly different texture that wasn't quite as buttery but good. You get two small pieces for $10 (we ended up ordering one more order). My friend got an array of sushi - my least favorite was the mackerel. Halibu was good and a few others I've never tried before. She said the fatty tuna was better on her first visit, though. At the end, we got a blue crab handroll, which was delicious! This place is not cheap, though - the bill was about $150 for both of us, including a bottle of cold sake. However, the fish was not slimy as I was scared it might be nor was it super fishy - I'm a newbie sushi eater, so I can't tell good sushi from the excellent yet. However, my friend and I both enjoyed our meals and came out sated. read more

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Being the only Japanese in my group of work buddies means that you have to deliver on good Japanese joints when it comes to lunch time. Being from the Gardena/Torrance area, where quality Japanese joints are plentiful, it's hard for me to promote anywhere near Irvine. I guess Costa Mesa is far enough away because the number of quality Japanese joints are popping up in number. We decided to try this place strictly based on Yelp and the fact that it was Japanese owned. As soon as you walk in, you see a board of imported fish from Japan on special for the season. That's a good sign for me. For those skeptics that think anything from Japan is radioactive, then nothing will change their mind, but rest assured most of the fish from Japan are far from that area of Japan. Chirashi Sushi was the meal of choice for us. To me, it's the standard that I can trust to base my opinion of the entire joint on. You can judge the freshness and cut of the fish and the quality of the rice all in one bowl and without spending a fortune on individual nigiri or sashimi orders. The price of $20 seems steep to some but about normal for a good sushi joint outside of Japan. The fish was excellent! Nice expert cuts and fresh fresh fresh. Ikura, Sake, Shiromaguro, Akami, Hamachi, Tai, Ebi, Tamago, Unagi, Tako, and Saba. The saba is usually a good tell tale sign of how fresh fish is at a sushi bar for me and this one just right. Not too fishy and firm as can be. Very good. The rice was perfect. Shiny, room temperature, and not too sweet. It glistened in the dim room light and to my surprise, kampyo was lined underneath the rice as nice complement once the sashimi was done. Very nice touch. The service was on point. I don't speak fluent Japanese but I spit a few lines here and there, especially at restaurants. I spoke a few lines and wouldn't you know it, she starts talking super fast Japanese to me instead of English. Haha. Luckily it was all restaurant talk so I understood most of it but it was funny. Now for lunch, yes, it can be pricey. I have never been to an inexpensive quality sushi joint outside of Japan, but that doesn't mean you can't get a better deal somewhere else for decent fish. With raw fish, you always run the risk of quality so you have to be careful, that's all. With Shunka, you will pay the price for good quality fish. As an added bonus, it's close to Hi Times! read more

Brought my wife here for her birthday. We were both very impressed by the food and the service staff here. We had the: Hamachi collar--very good! 369 roll Albacore sashimi Chawan mushi Wagyu sushi Scallop roll Tempura entree That was all we could eat. Very satisfying! read more

This was my first time at Shunka. I ordered some of my favorite rolls and got miso soup, seaweed salad, and a seafood salad as well. Everything was fresh and delicious. I finally got the Shunka roll which was also delicious. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this place. Sometimes the atmosphere of sushi places in particular can sort of make or break it for me, not entirely sure why. I came here with my mom for my birthday and received green tea ice cream and an awesome Japanese poster from on of the sushi chefs. All the staff was very, very friendly and wished me a happy birthday. I really had a great time here. Thanks!!! read more

I went because of the good reviews and comments from Yelp and the OC register. However, I wasn't impressed. Yes, the fish was fresh, but the flavors were subpar. The sushi roll menu didn't have any description or pictures so we had to go down the menu and ask what was in all the rolls. It's not that big of a deal, but I feel like restaurants should always have a description of their food. For appetizers, I got the crispy spicy tuna and baked mussels. The crispy spicy tuna was good, but the baked mussels were rather small. Tasted good, but really small. For entree, we got the poki roll which is the California roll with poki on top. It was tasty, but the tuna was kinda chewy and it was kinda drenched in sesame oil. We also got a spicy tuna hand roll and also a spicy scallop hand roll which was good. Overall, I've had better and probably won't come back. read more

I loved my experience here. The staff was extremely courteous and friendly from the minute my friend and I walked in the door. The decor is minimalist yet stylish and clean. We had a great experience at the sushi bar, where we were catered to by all three highly skilled chefs working that evening. Everything was fresh and expertly crafted. I had omakase, and they did a very good job of tailoring it to my palate. I highly recommend Shunka for a fantastic night of Japanese cuisine. read more

I eat a lot of sushi, Shunka came highly recommended. My Japanese boss said it was really authentico. I sat at the sushi bar, the fish was good quality, but nothing really blew me away. It was....okay. I like omakase as I don't do rolls, but nigiri. Initially I told the chef, go for it, show me what you got, as long as it was good keep it coming, no budget. The first four pieces came out with gusto and after that it seemed like I needed to prompt him to keep the pieces coming. After about a $100 worth of fish, I was getting a little annoyed so I asked for the check and left. Ohshima still ranks #1 for me in Orange County. read more

Best and the most fresh sushi I ever had.

My friend and I came here for dinner after leaving the nearby OC Mart MIX. Overall I think it's average and not as good as a number of places I've tried in LA. We ordered some nigiri (KINMEDAI, BLACK SNAPPER and UNI), YELLOWTAIL SASHIMI and a few rolls: * SPICY YELLOWTAIL ROLL * SHUNKA ROLL - Seared salmon and Siracha on top, but don't remember what was inside * SUMO ROLL - Tuna on top, shrimp tempura and avocado inside and drizzled with eel sauce *369 ROLL - Salmon, tuna, yellowtail, crab and salmon roe wrapped in soy paper with no rice There's lots to choose from, including a special menu of imported fish. But, it's a little hard to order without getting some explanation from your server. I didn't recognize the names of a number of fish and the rolls are listed but without any descriptions. How would anyone know what the Shunka Roll is without asking?! It's inefficient to have the server stand there and describe every roll. Anyhow, none of the rolls we ordered stood out. I'd stick with nigiri here. read more

Super good and affordable...had chirashi bowl and a couple rolls. Fish tastes very fresh and the rolls are well prepared. This isn't the type of sushi restaurant to give you imitation crab in every roll...suprisingly, it was affordable too. A filling sushi dinner for two was less than $80 with a 20% tip. I've spent $150+ at other sushi restaurants in LA for less food. read more

Very fresh fish - I thought that the rice was a tad sweet which interfered with the balance of the sushi. Nice place, good service. No Japanese when I was there. read more

After running into Elite Yelper Dan. H at Sushi Koto, when I saw his review for Shunka with the words "Live Uni" I knew I had to visit. The first time I was absolutely ruined when the last Live Uni in the house went to another patron. But the combination of very good rice, great selection of fresh fish, traditional style service and decent price inspired me to try again. This time, I called ahead to reserve it so there would be no dissapointments. And there weren't - the Live Uni is very fresh, delicious, and worth the price of entry. I've only had better Uni in three other places - Sushi Zo (LA), Tomo-e (NYC), and Tsukiji (Tokyo). The other sushi is all fine and good, but I really care about Uni, so that's what I'm writing about. Other details - it's a relatively small restaurant, maybe 12 seats at sushi bar and another 16-20 seats in the house, so make a reservation if you're eating around 7:30. But this is much easier to get into than Nana-sen. Any complaints? Okay, I have one. More patrons should order Omakase instead of springing for crunchy rolls! They serve good stuff, just run with it. read more

Hands down the best sushi bar I've been to in Orange County! Yuki is a master of the art of sushi.

Overall a good meal but not exceptional. We sat at the bar and ordered the 8 piece omakase and 1 hand roll for $45 plus uni and fresh octopus nigiri. The omakase came out 2 at a time. The fish tasted fresh but it didn't melt in my mouth. It's not rich, buttery, and tender like at Ohshima. The highlight of the meal was the blue crab hand roll, which was dense with crab...it really is the best blue crab hand roll I have ever had. I also enjoyed the Japanese uni a lot. I probably would come back again, but it's not a top choice for me. read more

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Authentic Japanese cuisine, specializing in fresh seafood straight from Japan. Located in a strip mall in Costa Mesa, the interior is stylish and modern, with flattering lighting, roomy booths, and plenty of sushi bar seating. Service was polite and attentive. The menu offers primarily nigiri and sushi, with a few traditional appetizers and dinner combinations as well. Unfortunately, vegetarian and vegan options are extremely limited. My only choices were Vegetable Tempura, Lotus Root Tempura, and a Vegetable sushi Roll. The roll was excellent, and a surprisingly large potion for the price. Asparagus, cucumber, carrot, and a generous heap of avocado are encased in the perfectly cooked sushi rice. The tempura was just okay. The breading was too thick and slightly overcooked, while a few of the vegetables remained undercooked, particularly the lotus root. My boyfriend and friends ordered a huge variety of sushi and nigiri, and enjoyed everything they tried. Dinner for 4 came to around $150-reasonable considering the high quality of ingredients and preparation. I recommend Shunka, and hope they consider adding a greater variety of vegan items to their menu. read more

I came in for omakase dinner with my brother. The food is beyond amazing with reasonable price. I have been to many omakase restaurants with all kinds of price range. Each specializes certain dish, and Shunka also has their own special menu and fresh seasonal fish. Our chef was Seigo and he's very nice and sweet. I would definitely be back from now on when I have a sushi craving read more

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

Found this hidden little gem by recommendation of our OBGYN of all places. She said the fish is high quality and we were dying to have some sushi. We had multiple pieces of sashimi and a few rolls. Their chicken popcorn appetizer (I can't remember any names haha) were all delicious. We didn't know anything about the fish listed and our server was happy to walk us through the entire menu and make some great suggestions. All in all it was a nice date night and we left for about $70 and both feeling satisfied. We definitely will be back! read more