I feel like a fish out of water at Sushi Shunka. The sushi chefs and the locals dining in seem to all know each other! The vibe just felt right for icy cold sake and a flirt with your Omakase sushi chef. You're sitting at the bar? You're doing Omakase. You comment on the deep fried Spanish Mackarel the chef gives to your neighbor? Sushi chef makes one for you to try. Needless to say, the food matches their customer service: delightful and palatable. Lastly, ask for "fresh wasabi." Few places offer this freely and it's a totally different experience then the wasabi paste that normally pairs with ginger slices. The wasabi is a cactus like texture and has a spicy kick to licking Chinese hot mustard. Like my sister says: "it hurts so good" Would come back in a heart beat. read more

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Wow... with confidence, I can say this was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had - and I couldn't wait to write this review because I can't think of a place more deserving of one. From the moment my boyfriend and I walked in we were enthusiastically greeted and chose to sit at the sushi bar which was the best decision as it allowed us to engage and talk with the talented chefs there. We had the opportunity to try sushi suggested by the chef and I tried things I never would have ordered on my own - but I ate some of the most incredible sushi I have ever had. So not only were the chefs and staff incredibly kind, knowledgable, and talented... the food was out of this world incredible. the food was fresh, and I appreciated how the chefs focused on the simplicity of the dishes, even noting that the importance behind highlighting whatever was being served on its own - I can't wait to become a regular here now. Please do yourself a favor and have yourself a seat here - I haven't stopped smiling since I left. Even as I write this, I feel like this review is insufficient in describing how incredible of an experience this was I think I'm just still in too much of a blissful daze of having eaten here without finding the right words is difficult read more

The sushi here is still really good but the quality in the nigiri and rolls are not the same. I understand the prices rising because the prices have risen everywhere but the portions are extreme small. This used to be my go to spot but now sad to say, not so much. read more

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

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This is a disaster of Japanese restaurants in Southern California.as; 1) cups that serve water has fishy smell 2) soy source for sushi is too old that smells so bad 3) sushi rice seems to be a day old judging from the texture 4) most importantly fish is not so fresh From a point of view of sushi expert like myself, this restaurant is very disappointing for those who love sushi. Do not order Omakase ($60 pp) if you know sushi. If you don't know, who cares? read more

Had a chance to practice my 日本語 in an authentic Japanese restaurant so I'm pretty happy about that! When I visited, sushi bar is still closed, but they have tables both inside and outside. I decided to get Omakase and was recommended to get the 12-pcs since I would love some uni. The nigiris are fresh and good, though small. Although served at the table, they comes 2-3 pcs at a time, very well paced. I was told which pieces to eat as is and which pieces to eat with soy sauce. As the size of the nigiris, after the 12pcs, I feel like I can eat more lol so I get 1 hotaru ika (firefly squid) and 2 amaebi (sweet shrimps). They prepared the shrimp heads in 2 ways for me, miso soup and tempura. The tempura shrimp head is perfectly executed and I like it a lot. Overall, omakase is good. Restaurant is well located in a shopping plaza with parking lot. Staffs are friendly. read more

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Japanese sushi done traditionally clean fresh tasty friendly made good suggestions repeat

Went on Friday night for their omakase course. At first seeing all the outside seatings and its crowd, I was worried it is another overrated, roll specialty, self claimed Japanese place. This place is not. It's the real deal. For someone who has been researching omakase around OC, I see comments on every yelp page of sushi places: "the best omakase in OC!" or even "the best omakase in SolCal. " Well, I actually tried 6 and 7 of them, and my vote goes to Shunka for the best omakase, until I find better ones. I went for the $65 for the 12 pieces. And added lotus root tempura and agedashi tofu for appetizer. First 6 pieces are common fish types for omakase. One thing notice is that the fish is near room temperature. Not sure if it's that they are very busy so the fish stay out until gone, or they use the old fashion Edomae techniques. Not a minus, but you can sure taste the difference. Chilled fish definitely adds freshness and texture. Their sushi rice is almost like plain rice. Well formed by chef and cooked, but not at all vinegary as I expect. This is quite surprising becauae this is the fundamental for a great sushi place. However, it is well balanced in flavor with the unchilled fish. I think they deliberately do so. The only minus point is the serving order. They served 6 pieces then the tempura. It conpeletely changes taste and disrupt the rhythm. Despite that, their tempura and agedashi is among the best. Top 3 agedashi tofu in my ranking, and the tempura takes part of my soul away. I am no tempera expert, but this makes me consider to start another project. The next 6 pieces are fancier fish. Serving styles come in more variations. Torched black cod and akamutsu are impressive. Its a pleasant surprise to find akamutsu here. I would rate the sushi 4, and overall restaurant 4.5, because of their tempura. Finally Yelp is right once. But since it doesnt allow half points, I round it down. Regardless, It is still the best omakase I've had so far in terms of value, fish freshness, variation, sushi techniques, and non-sushi dishes. read more

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I'm on the fence about this place...food seemed fresh, service appears to be attentive and friendly, but there just seemed to be something missing. We went for an early dinner so it was very empty. That's why I say service appears to be attentive...i wonder how it would be if it was busier. Our server was new and in training. We ordered the omakase and she was so uncertain of what was being served...even after being told what it was before bringing it to our table (we could overhear the sushi chef telling her). It was funny...had a full glass of cold water spilled on me (thankfully not the hot tea she had also brought to the table) and everyone was so apologetic, making sure I was ok, etc. Yet, they were unsure how to react. Should they clean it up? Should we move to another table? We had to prompt it all. I get it....they were probably in shock and maybe even embarrassed that it happened, but this is where you can differentiate yourself from a service perspective. It was also very warm in the restaurant. Not a big deal normally, but I am mentioning given it is a sushi place so makes you wonder how the warmth may impact the freshness of the fish. Messes with your mind a bit. Value is there for omakase...10 pieces for $65. Nice selection of fish. Parking was easy, but can see it being tough on a busier time as there are lots of shops and restaurants in that strip mall. I feel like we need to give it another shot, but as mentioned, I am on the fence. read more

The worst thing about moving out of SoCal is missing all of the great food, especially fresh, authentic Japanese sushi. They don't take reservations but do have a waitlist, so be prepared to wait for a table. When we arrived, there were a few groups ahead of us, but we were fine waiting for a table inside. The owners and staff are so friendly and accommodating. They're also Japanese, including the chefs! We ordered 5 types of nigiri and two rolls, and all of the fish was fresh, clean, and so buttery. The only thing we didn't enjoy was the 369 roll, which sounded good, but the soggy soy wrap made for an unpleasant texture to us. The Poki roll was good and heavily topped with cubes of fish. Everything came out quickly and was AMAZING! read more

I have been here a few times now. Chefs omakase 65$/ pp. Wonderful fish quality, presentation, and taste. Got the sushi bar seats upon arrival with no rsvp on the weekends which is a plus. Great customer service. We were pleased with the visit. read more

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I came here for my birthday on a Friday night and it took ~45 min to get a table for two. We chose to sit inside, but they did have outdoor seating options available for covid which was nice. I ordered the shunka special omakase (8 pc sushi + 1 hand roll) and my bf ordered the chirashi sushi. Both dishes were delicious and met our expectations! The fish tasted fresh, there were no scales, and the pieces were presented nicely. However, the hidden gems in this restaurant are the fried appetizers. The chicken kara-age and the fried calamari were deep fried to perfection. The batter was well seasoned, not too thick, and still crispy. The meats were still juicy and not overcooked. I would come back just for the tempura 10/10!!! read more

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Came here for dinner tonight and really enjoyed the whole experience. We had the 12 piece omakase, grilled yellowtail collar, blue crab hand roll, spider roll, and shunka roll. Everything tasted wonderful! The price is very fair for the quality. Loved all the omakase pieces. For dessert, we had the tempura ice cream. So delicious! Overall, a very good dinner, and will definitely come back! The staff was also super friendly and attentive. Extra points! read more

Some of the best sushi in Costa Mesa! Such great service and such a comfortable vibe. Sushi is always so fresh! Always great options of fish. Love ! read more

Sushi Shunka - Yellow tail belly and fresh octopus - Sushi Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Perfect dumplings and miso soup. Loved sushi. Love service it's my favorite sushi place in CA so good. 200% recommend! The inside is beautifully decorated 5 stars read more

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

Above average quality sushi. One of the better sushi bars. Price matches its quality, this is not value based.

I guess this is a follow up to a prior review. The place is just not up to pre Covid levels. Portions are still small and prices are 50% higher. No longer competitive with the other top offerings in the area. I don't do rolls, only nigiri. I hadn't been back for 2 years and hoped things had improved, but sadly not the case. It's good, but there are better places serving high quality sushi with bigger portions at better prices. No longer recommended read more

Chef Tomo and Nobu were amazing. Fish were fresh, service was exceptional, ambiance was appealing, and price was fair. We'll be back. Thank you, Tomo and Nobu! read more

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Came here on a Friday night to celebrate a friends birthday. I called earlier in the week to see if they take reservations but it's first come first serve. They opened at 5pm and I still had to wait for my friend but I got seated inside immediately. There is also outdoor seating. No bar seating at the time of this review due to covid. We ordered a delightful yuzu based sake and the 12 piece omakase meal. Every piece of sushi was prepared masterfully by the chef and explained how to eat (with or without soy sauce). Pieces came out 2 at a time so you didn't feel rushed. I also finished my meal with an additional soft shell crab hand roll which was amazingly tasteful and the perfect end to my meal. Outstanding service and food and will definitely be back. read more

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We've been going here for 6+ years and cannot get enough! The fish grade is amazing, service is even better, and best of all- very dog friendly on the patio!! Get the sumo roll and medai- you won't be disappointed. read more

Always a fun spot to hit up -- when they aren't absolutely swamped with customers (which is just a testament to their success). In some ways, they're almost a victim of their success -- routinely you will run into hours long wait times. I myself have been doing to-go orders, which seems to work best. The variety of fish they have is their strong suit -- you'll be eating things you've probably never tried if you do the Omakase. One of my favorite rolls their is the negitoro with pickled vegetables. If you are in the area, it's worth stopping by (here's a tip, go before they open and put your name down). read more

Great service, nice ambience, and most importantly excellent sushi. Best meal I've had in a long time.

The food is alright (hit or miss) but the service is not. We got here early and was the 1st ppl to put our name down. Somehow we got seated 5th? There are 5 people on the floor and 0 organization. I had to flag people down for everything, wasabi, soy sauce, to order; etc. Plus the waiter with the glasses seems to have a stick up his ass on something. So much attitude and we have just sat down. Chatting with his coworkers instead of taking our order. Waited for 20 mins to get my first pieces of sushi (i did the unlimited omakase) And another 15 mins between sets, damn my grandma can walk up the stair faster than this. They really should improve their service. Honestly I think this place has gone downhill since last year. I dont think i will revisit, the next sushi craving I have i will go to San Shi Go in newport. Also, my uni was old and not fresh. Attached is a picture of how mushy and gross it was. Yuck! read more

Sushi Shunka - OLD UNI, so gross - Sushi Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Woke up this past Sunday with a craving for traditional Japanese nigiri sushi. Immediately, I took to Yelp to find an answer. I was on the hunt for some authentic, high quality sushi in Orange County and willing to spend. It wasn't long until I stumbled upon Shunka, with great reviews and a menu containing a decent variety of items that I rarely see at sushi restaurants. The pictures looked good, and though it was a 25 minute drive, I was in. I always love discovering new places, and Shunka seemed both promising and authentic. The nigiri list is largely what brought me here. The options are great, with many harder to find items. Most of the specials are from Japan, adding even more to the excitement. I was impressed by the menu, and ready for a memorable meal. We decided to order strictly off the specials wall, with our first round consisting of six pieces: Kanpachi, Shima Aji, Kosho Dai, Akamutsu, Bonito, and Sagoshi. It came all at once, stuffed onto one plate, which is not ideal, but definitely set the tone. This wasn't going to be a nice, high-end sushi experience, with pieces carefully served one by one and meant to be eaten right away. No problem. I can do more casual. With expectations lowered, I was still optimistic about this place. Although we ordered 6 pieces, our plates only contained 5. Maybe the last one will be served separately? No problem. When I asked which was which, the sushi chef quickly rattled off the names: Kanpachi, Saba, Kosho Dai, Bonito, and Sagoshi. Hmm, that's weird. We didn't order Saba, which is Mackerel. Also, our 6th piece never came. I think the sushi chef assumed we wouldn't know the difference, but it was definitely noted. After tasting the sushi, my disappointment sank in further. The fish lacked flavor, and the rice was so-so. After a couple of pieces, we had decided to order one more round of sushi then bounce. We were still hungry, but not willing to spend more than what was needed to satisfy. We ordered Kohada, Kintoki, Tachiuo, Me Dai, a tuna roll, and then closed out. We also ordered fresh wasabi (both marinated and non-marinated), which were superb, and probably the highlight of our meal. Unfortunately, the sushi and experience itself was a miss. I'm fine with paying big bucks on sushi, but the taste, quality, and overall experience need to be elevated. The taste just wasn't there, and though the fish quality was decent, the experience was seriously lacking. The bill was not itemized, so I have no clue if we paid for the two pieces of sushi we ordered that never came. All in all, this isn't a sushi restaurant I would really recommend. Its worth checking out if you're in the area and curious, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. It's not a particularly pleasant experience like some high end sushi restaurants provide, and the price is pretty high for what you get. I must admit, I'm disappointed in Yelp's 4.5 star overall rating. I will say, however, the waitresses provided great service. read more

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First time omakase , have gone back 8 times. Absolutely love it. Recommend all the time, miss living in oc

A great place in Costa Mesa for sushi, fresh and so many rolls to choose from. We met a few friends for some sushi and saki and as always it was perfect read more

During this covid stay at home order, restaurants are massively affected. And since Shunka is one of my favorite restaurants in Costa Mesa, this is backed by my number of check ins. I wanted to make sure I support this local restaurant. They now have outdoor seating and also omakase take out options $50 for 10 sushi and $60 for 12 pieces. And they are fresh and satisfying morsel of fishes. I love how things are labeled and which sauce to use is indicated on the box, Ponzi or eel sauce. I am never disappointed with Shunka, so I am sure I will continue to come back again and again. With or without Covid, this is one of my favorite places to visit. read more

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My absolute most favorite sushi place! My husband and I have frequented here over 8 years and it's our constant "treat" meal. Everything is awesome but we usually just go omakase and enjoy the delicious fresh fish. Always have to get the sea bream, the medai and a spider handroll to end the meal. Since Covid, we have been doing takeout when we can. Can't wait to head back! read more

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The Omikase here is phenomenal. I think this is one of the best places in the area. I will miss this place!

The best sushi and sashimi ever!! Chose to eat at Yuki's restaurant 3 out of 4 days of vacation. Just awesome!!

My Yelp search for sushi restaurants with outdoor dining led me here. One pic in particular drew me in...the fresh baby squid. Sadly when we went they did not have it (so items are seasonal-call if you're looking for something in particular). I was pretty disappointed as I'd been looking forward to trying it all week (my fault for not calling ahead to check). Decided to salvage the trip and order dinner here anyway. Glad we stayed! Everything we had here was excellent. Our server let us know they had Tako 2 ways? Boiled or Fresh. We decided to get both. Oh my, fresh octopus! Why have I never tried this? So good! The two fried tentacles were the perfect touch. The negitoro handrolls were great too (beats the one we had at Akafuji the night before). Two of these was pretty filling. Overall, everything was fresh, came out promptly. In fact, we decided to order a mixed tempura midway through and we were surprised on how quickly it came out. We thought it was another table's order. The only quip I have is the toro we ordered could have been better. This wasn't worth the market price they charged. I'll definitely be back (hopefully when they have baby squid again). Just an added plus...Sidecar is just down the street read more

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Given its location, I wasn't expecting much so I was pleasantly surprised by the authenticity of the food. I've tried a number of their rolls, chicken kara-age, and udon - all of which have been good. My favorites are the shunka roll and the tempura here. The tempura's batter was light and crispy - a sign of good tempura. (I hate tempura with super thick breading.) Also, you can tell from the simple but beautiful plating that Shunka cares about their product. read more

Sushi Shunka - Spicy tuna roll - lots of tuna and no vegetable fillers! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Spectacular Japanese fish sushi, tempura, teriyaki chicken Great owner and staff. Great set lunches, beautiful restaurant with all the sweet touches of Japan. Love Shunka Sushi read more

Most sushi restaurants that we wanted to try in the Anaheim area were closed on Mondays, so we decided to give Shunka a try since it had high ratings and we saw several toro and belly sushi options on the menu. Nothing was bad but nothing stood out either. Every piece was plain and lacked seasoning. We asked for the bellies and toro pieces to be seared, which the owner/chef did a great job of, but they still lacked flavor. Hand rolls lacked chemistry. The flavors were off when tasted all together. Also, does anyone else feel like salmon skin hand rolls should just be salmon skin? So many restaurants put predominantly cooked salmon meat in their hand rolls and only a few bits of skin. If you're going to do this, shouldn't it be called a salmon hand roll and not a salmon skin hand roll? The positives? Fish from Japan, nice decor and good service. The negative Lackluster sushi. read more

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3.5. Rounding up because I'm feeling generous. The pieces of nigiri they serve are very small. Selection of fish is massive which is probably the best thing this place has going for it. Not a place to get rolls even though they serve a few - rice not sticking together, crunchy topping things stale. Not sure what is going on but quality has taken a hit vs the other times I've been. read more

I went late on a Thursday night. Omakase only. After the omakase then you can order what you want. I got the chef omakase at 60 for 10 pieces. 4 out of 10 was stringy, bad cut. 2 pieces were chewy probably the end cuts. 1 was super fishy. For the price and quality received, it is not worth it. They had some new toppings to pair up seasoning but it wasnt like wow. Many other prices that has better sushi so wont be coming back. read more

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

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Sugoi, Oiishi. Absolutely impeccable sashimi and sushi. Worth every penny. Friendly staff, very knowledgeable, fast, and unbelievably delicious. I tried at least three fish from Japan I haven't seen before. In total we had about 15 different items of sashimi mainly and a few rolls of sushi. Small but delightfully decorated shop. Booths and tables for regular dining. Sushi bar for omakase dining. read more

Great, quality sushi! I came for dinner with my husband and we chose to sit at the bar to interact with the sushi chef. We ordered the standard omakase with Chef Inaba (but actually received the endless omakase - more on that later) and started receiving sushi right away. Favorites (ranked) - all were fatty and flavorful 1) Toro - fatty to perfection, melted in my mouth like butter 2) King salmon 3) Black cod 4) Striped jack Also delicious: - Jumbo conch - flavorful and crispy - Mackerel - mild smokey flavor, smooth, melted in my mouth - Scallop - seasoned well, lightly flame torched - Bonito - fishy in taste like bonito flakes but very fatty and soft - Uni - delicious, but not one of my favorites since it wasn't as rich and creamy as I've had at other restaurants Indifferent: - Amberjack - light and refreshing - Red eye snapper - seasoned with a crunchy chili sauce on top that wasn't necessarily spicy, but enhanced the flavor of the fish Skip next time: - Yellowtail - dry and tasteless - Raw octopus - too chewy and not flavorful - Snapper - chewy and light in flavorful It wasn't until our 11th or so piece that we tracked down a server to ask if toro or salmon was included in the omakase. We then found out that Chef Inaba assumed we wanted the endless omakase. IMPORTANT TIP - please make sure to be clear which omakase you want!! We don't necessarily regret the endless omakase though, since it allowed us to discover our favorite fishes. Chef Inaba was a great chef, but he's a little rough on the edges and not very personable or friendly. I'd love to have this experience again next time with Chef Juro. read more

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One of my favorite sushi joints for omakase. One of the few places where I can ask for omakase and request only fish (I don't prefer shell fish). Sit at the bar if possible, I know this is mentioned a lot but I sincerely feel like the quality and experience at the bar is significantly different than when I sat at a booth. The medai and king salmon are must-tries here. They put this amazing garlic crunch chili topping on the medai that was so good I asked them to tell me where to get some and I stocked up at Tokyo central on our way home one of the times. The king salmon is out of this world. This is coming from someone who doesn't love salmon nigiri. It's a little pricier than a lot of omakase places I have been to but the quality is top notch. They have a lot of fish from Japan I don't see at many sushi locations too. read more

Came here for the first time, and I really enjoyed it! Our chef- chef Seigo was cool and friendly. The waitresses were nice, excellent service. Everything was very good and fresh. Before coming here I was a bit skeptical, but I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't have a favorite one because everything was very good, however, I thought the fried octopus suckers were special and delicious! The price was very fair, especially for the quality of food they serve. I can't wait to come here again! read more

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I Love this place, not fancy one but good food, good price... always packed so you guys better go early :) read more

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

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