Sushi Speakeasy Bliss Behind a locked door, we found a sushi speakeasy that felt like a dream. Just us, the chef, and the hostess--both sake sommeliers--delivering an unforgettable omakase and sake pairing experience. It started with a crisp cucumber salad and house-made dressings, followed by fresh wasabi so generous it deserved applause. The sake pairings elevated every bite, each one more perfect than the last. Then came the showstoppers: soft-shell crab with the best ponzu sauce I've ever tasted and five different fishes prepared as both sushi and sashimi, so you can experiment and compare. Amberjack shined until salmon--yes, the common salmon--stole the night, proving it could be extraordinary. The finale? Elevated takoyaki perfection. I'm scared to check the bill, but I'll be back for a celebration. Hidden gems like this don't stay secret for long. Reservations only and the hostess said they would open for lunch just for you. read more

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Came in angry, left happy. So I get text messages from both my roommates telling me that they weren't gonna be home for dinner. Son of a... I'm almost home and now I gotta cook dinner for one? Lame. I decided to get off at the San Juan Capistrino exit and find a place to eat. Turning to my trusty Yelp App I ran a search for restaurants. I get repeated "cannot log onto server" and realized that my Blackberry is being a total tool again. I pulled over to a random shopping center and stumbled on Sushi Tai. Now, I don't want to come off as a super flamer, but to be honest the thing that attracted me to this place were the two handsome sushi chefs. They looked mad cool. Real cultured fellows, like a couple of ex-Yazukas. I walked in and was seated immediately by one of the servers. I looked over the trendy menu and had a WTF moment. Bulgogi... Soju... Haemul pajeon... the menu has more Korean dishes than Japanese! I totally felt like I got tricked. Just then my Blackberry started working again. I Yelped the place to see what I was getting myself into and found out this place has '$$$$'. Damn you Blackberry. Had I known, my cheap ass wouldn't have walked in and sat down. I started to sweat bullets and the '$' lights from Bravo Burger seemed to taunt and snicker at me. As I was about to get up and make a run for it, a gorgeous blonde chick startled me and dropped off some water. "Damn it", I thought, "I don't want to look like a cheap-o, in front of this server. No turning back now." I looked through the menu and ended up going with the sashimi special + miso soup. The soup was a bit watered down and it wasn't anything special. When the server brought me the sashimi special, I realized I'm gonna need more food. The sashimi special was well presented and had 10 very thin slices of Salmon, Tuna, Albacore, Yellowtail, and Halibut. Typical Fishes. For 25 bucks, I was hoping I'd get to try a baby sea lion or Shamu. The thing that really stood out with my meal was the homemade wasabi. It hand a hand-ground texture and it didn't have a kick like most commercially made wasabi. It was a really pleasant balance. The sashimi was pretty amazing. The tuna melted in my mouth, as did the other fishes. All the fishes were very fresh and well cut. By the end of the meal, I realized that I was stuffed. I was thoroughly impressed. Overall I was happy with the service, cleanliness of the restaurant, and the taste of the food. My bill came out to be 35 bucks with tax + tip, which is on the pricier side. I typically wouldn't spend that much on a meal with just me and rather save this kind of money for a nice meal with friends or fiancé. But needless to say, I found a really good "Japanese" restaurant. As I walked out, I decided to swing by Bravo Burger anyways, just because I've never had it before and I was worried about getting hungry on the drive home. See Part II of my dinner tonight at Bravo Burger! A little about my credentials: I first got into cooking & food when I was in college. After being rejected by numerous girls and getting zero action, I decided it was time for a change. I needed a new makeover to boost my geeky, engineering image. I applied for a cooking position at a Mediterranean-Italian Restaurant near my home and learned to cook all sorts of pastas and dishes. I never became a professional chef, but I continue to enjoy & love food. 9 years later and 55 lbs heavier, I am now an engineer that travels all over the world trying new foods and learning about different cultures. read more

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O M G!!!! Is all I can say after eating here for lunch with my husband. I was very hesitant because we consider ourselves "sushi snobs" and only like the finest of finest sushi spots. But after sending our son away for 5 days and realizing we were kidless we thought we would try something new. And honestly, who knew this place has been her for 10 years?!? Not us! We've live less than 5 miles for 12 years and had no idea this place was here. Totally hidden in SJC, this place blew our minds! We were happily surprised walking into a simplistic boho designed sushi restaurant not overly done with cheesy strip mall motif. The menu was very simplistic as well but when I went to order my usual Sapporo, I was educated on the delicious Japanese beers they have to offer and incredible sake too. Then came time to order... absolutely without a shadow of a doubt, get Omakase (to trust your meal with the chef). Each plate that came was like a surprise explosion of the tastebuds. Omakase is one of my favorite ways to eat sushi and extra bonus points if the rice is warm (guess what? It was!!!)! Dessert was BEYOND and the entire experience was INCREDIBLE!!! Tai is the sushi chef (owner) and Sunny is his wife (owner). They do not have any employees so guess what? Everything is made and served by THEM ALONE!!! This was not a cheap lunch by any imagine, however I will absolutely come again to not only enjoy this impeccable food but to have great conversation with Tai and Sunny! Dinner is reservation ONLY so plan ahead and tell them CJ sent you! Absolutely Amazing food and experience!!!! read more

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5 stars. Sunny is always friendly and attentive. Chef Tai's scallops are my favorite!

This place is my absolute favorite sushi restaurant! The prices are a little intimidating but once you start eating you can see why, the fish and seafood is of the highest quality in the area. The sashimi and rolls are absolutely beautiful and taste amazing, I've never had anything like it. It's definitely a wonderful place to go to treat yourself every now and then. It also has a great ambiance and soothing mood about and and I love everything about it! read more

Sushi Tai - Sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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The sushi was good. The miso was good. The service was good. The sushi chef owner was nice. His wife, the waitress was nice. It was more expensive than Normal. read more

Sushi Tai - Miso good - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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FIRE!!! This is THE BEST sushi I have ever had -- hands down!!! And I have had sushi in JAPAN and this was better than the sushi I had overseas. The overall experience was AMAZE-BALLS! They only do Omasake style, which is a very traditional way of serving sushi! If you don't know what that is google it! The server (Sally) is also a Sake Sommelier and will not lead you astray! TRUST THE PROCESS -- it will be well worth it! Just be warned this is not cheap ($135 per person) not including the sake. And boy was it well worth it! They are very selective in regard to who they accept reservations from. They only accept up to three reservations per night! It feels very exclusive. If there is a sushi version of a speakeasy.....this is it! Call or text the number and they may or may not get back to you but keep trying (like I did) it will pay off in the end! This is one of SJC's BEST KEPT SECRETS! read more

Brought my only OC clients here whose office is within minutes of Sushi Tai. It's convenient and parking is a breeze at lunch time. We started off with beverages and Edamame. We then followed with Salmon & halibut sashimi, California roll, Sashimi roll, caterpillar roll and lastly lobster popcorn. Everything was fresh. tasted incredible and the service was on the spot as usual. Only con is I wish I lived closer to Sushi Tai. read more

What a great find! When the first sushi arrived, we knew we found our new favorite place. The fish is so fresh and so unbelievably good. It's great knowing that Sonya and Tai own the restaurant and also prepare and serve the food. You can taste the pride they have in their food. It's amazing. This is the best sushi I've ever had. Highly recommend. read more

Don't bother coming here every time I pass it it is closed during dinner time I don't know how to get in you can make a reservation but nobody's ever there to make the reservation for you read more

By far the best sushi in the entire state. One place in Hawaii is close but Tai and Sunny know what good sushi is. Soy sauce isn't even needed here it's that good! My wife who didnt sushi will only eat it here because of the taste and quality! By far the best sushi within 500 miles and yes, that includes Vegas! read more

Asked for a roll the said no we asked why and said no why... should I say more? Food was ok but come on why can you have better customer service please. It's not hard give a reason that's just rude. Not cool. Sorry not to be negative but just be nice not mean. Sushi is everywhere so step up. read more

Sushi Tai - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Ridiculously good, frickin good, amazingly good, come back tomorrow good, never had it before good, want more good, pants are too tight good, you haven't lived until you come here good. Highly recommend the omakase!!! Seriously this is incredible sushi with much thought and love behind the preparation. read more

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What a phenomenal experience we had here for my boyfriends birthday. Start to finish the service, food, and sake were some of the best I've ever had. Sunny was so knowledgeable and kind, and I loved getting to learn more about each dish we were enjoying. What an absolute hidden treasure, I can't believe I'd never known about Sushi Tai before! I can't wait to come back. read more

I just stumbled upon this restaurant and WOW is it delicious!!!! The baked salmon roll was to die for! This will definitely be my new go to sushi spot! read more

Sushi Tai - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Best tuna & salmon I've ever had and I order it every time I go to a sushi place. The sushi chef was friendly and very helpful! The sushi as fresh as you can get. They get their fish 6 days a week... I'll definitely be coming back here regularly! read more

Sushi Tai - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

This place is absolutely Amazing! Some of the best sushi I have ever had. We came in and got a recommendation for sake and it was out of the park great. I can not recommend this place enough, some of the best, high quality sushi I have ever had. read more

Couldn't tell you how good the food is because we didn't get that far We came into a empty place and a sign that says reservations are mandatory. The hostess comes out and says let me get you a menu to look before you sit down. I thought that was kinda strange. I look at the menu and find myself looking at rolls for 25 bucks and a limited menu. Ummm you can keep your empty restaurant and your over priced rolls. What a joke. read more

What a pretentious place. Went here a year or so ago and loved the food. Came back tonight for dinner. There were 4 customers in the restaurant - one table. I asked if we could sit at the sushi bar, which was COMPLETELY EMPTY. That was not an option because we didn't have a reservation. I didn't know a reservation was required for a seat in an empty restaurant, but apparently there is something I'm not aware of. So, I will not be back again nor will I recommend this place to anyone. Apparently that won't matter, since they have enough to turn away customers who would have spent $200+ in an hour. read more

They will turn you away if you don't have a reservation even though the restaurant is literally empty on a Friday night at 7:00. I've never seen anything like it. Who takes reservations still? Fail. Disappointed as we live close by and wanted to try this place out. Doubt we will make a reservation to try again. read more

The food was great! But there was no soul.. they were so worried about getting soy sauce on the menus it just turned us off... $100 plus later... sorry.. dont plan on going back. read more

Sushi Tai - Ahi lime roll.. delish on a dish - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

I've been here twice for dinner, and it's overpriced for what they offer. The chef tends to decorate Neta (the seafood part of sushi) with spicy/acidic sauce or a lemon slice which kills flavor of seafood. When they served me sushi with half cooked rice in my second dining experience, I swore myself to never come back here even if somebody else is buying me a dinner here... I personally do not care if the chef has $3K knives imported from Tsukiji when he can't even cook rice right... read more

My taste buds were satisfied, but my wallet is significantly bruised. An insignificant looking sushi place in a strip mall near work, with the likes of Bravo Burger and Red Velvet Cafe, I didn't think this place was going to be a cardio workout for my credit card! Came here with 2 coworkers, walked into a completely empty restaurant during what would be lunch rush hour, odd... took one look at the menu and understood why. $6 for 2 pieces of nigiri sushi, $15-$20 rolls, $18 for the chef special which only has 5 pieces of sushi... I can feel the Scrooge in me shrieking in protest. One of my coworkers walked out. But as I was on a short lunch break and didn't want to find another place, 2 of us sucked it up and reluctantly ordered 2 rolls and 2 nigiri. This better be plate lickin good or else! Had a roll that is spicy tuna topped with albacore and red onions, the rainbow roll, yellow tail, and salmon nigiri. The food was delicious! Rolls are pre-seasoned with a light soy and sesame sauce, and the fish was fresh. I love sushi restaurants where the rolls are already seasoned and you don't need to dunk it into a massive dish of wasabi and soy sauce to mask the mediocre fish. The best part though, was the sushi rice, one of the the best textures I've had. The rice is shiny, sticky but not mushy, each grain is intact, and slightly chewy but not too much. Everyone concentrates on the fish, but rolls are almost 2/3 rice, having good quality rice is essential for great tasting rolls. I'm conflicted about how many stars to give Sushi Tai. I'm a fan of the taste, not of the value. Sold on the quality, but the taste is not enough to make me crave it. At $50 for lunch, probably won't come back. If it's located where I'm likely to splurge for dinner, might be a different story. read more

My suggestion is save your money. With all the hype and locals saying this place is sooo good I decided to try it out. I love good sushi and was pre-warned about the high prices but this place is just not worth it. I ordered a tuna roll, received the jalapeno tuna roll instead with pickled jalapenos from a jar. Not fresh, for $16 you think it would be fresh (and get the order correct). The presentation was nice but doesn't mean anything if the food is barely pare. The ambiance/ decor was cute. The Service SUCKED! Pardon my language, but I went on a Friday night, the place was not even half full. The manager/owner was too busy catering to the regulars that it took a total of 1.5 HOURS to leave. I sat at the sushi bar with only 5 other people. It took forever to get her to come over and take my order. Bottom line, if your a regular good for you, but if this is your first time find a better spot to go to because you aren't getting any service and the food isn't that great. read more

When you sit down you get a delish cucumber salad. Then when you start to order just know that their regular miso soup is super watery. They have 4 types of miso soups; don't get the shrimp miso because you get just one piece of shrimp that is in it's full shell and actually tastes nasty once you suck it from the shelling. Couldn't believe how much it costed for such a crappy gross soup. Super pricey, thin little sushi slices, but it's super clean and ok service. The sushi chefs were not very friendly at each visit I've been... It's not crowded at all with the 6-7 times I've gone for a california roll. If you sit at the bar area and put your plates on the next placemat, the owner snatches it and you can tell she's extremely picky with the way everything is around the restaurant. Once receiving the bill and inserting cash, just as quick she asks if you're done with it. Energy in the room sucks. You want great prices, double the food and more than 50% off the price and fun sushi chefs who greet you and don't take you for granted? Hands down, I suggest Good Choice Sushi in Laguna Niguel. Seriously way better all the way around. Or if you want the same great portions and amazing energy, a nicer upscale sushi is on Crown Valley and Niguel Rd in Laguna Niguel called Jizake Sushi. Worth the visit and meal :) read more

I feel that Sunny's new brunch at Sushi Tai is the first step toward creating a long lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, healing the world as a whole and having a yummy weekend. John + Jilly Q. Chef and owners of the Ramos House Café read more

Sushi Tai - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Just went back again and the food was amazing! For some reason I saw that someone posted them as closed, but it is open and the sushi is the best in OC. Thanks again Sonny and Tai for another great experience!! read more

I took my husband in there last night to show him this REAL sushi place to let him tell me if it is as good as I thought. He freaked out. He has friends that are real Japanese foodies (that lived in Japan for a decade) that he can't wait to take here. He said to me "now this is the place that you do omakase(chef's choice)." We ordered halibut, but she said they sold out last night how about trying the amberjack? Oh. my. gosh. It was 10 flavor layers thick with different textures all the way to the end. She brought out the different fish we ordered that she asked if the sushi chef can make the way he thinks bests suits the fish. I wish wish wish we let him do that from the first piece. We ordered 12 pieces of salmon. Half of them he did with a ponzu sauce and lemon juice and a few grains of togarashi salt (maybe just plain salt, but there was a black sesame seed on it and tasted more complex like togarashi salt). When Sunny brought it out she specified "no soy sauce" on it. What I tasted was like a miracle on a plate. We also got this lemon salmon roll...so good. I put a little fresh wasabi on the bottom, dipped a little of soy sauce (the soy sauce is ligit...like strong flavor brewed, no kikkomen here, soy sauce) then put it in my mouth. I tasted the wasabi and soy sauce first, then crunch from asparagus and cucumber, then salmon, then at the end, the sweet tart of a perfectly carved thin lemon ring of skin (like whisper thin). Get that roll whatever it was. The sweet lemon stays in your mouth. SO good. Be brave. Ask for omakase. You will not be disappointed! The chef is a true artist. Thank you for renewing my faith in good sushi Sushi Tai. It was a privilege to be served by you guys last night. read more

The BEST sushi I've had in a long time! So weird that it was virtually empty on a Friday night. This is surprising, as it came highly recommended and should be packed! This is a dang good sushi place and very nice people who run it. Suggestions: add mood lighting of some sort and a 3 form wall to create a little visual interest on the walls. Change the music to a more upbeat tempo (very sleepy play list currently). Add a more robust sensory experience mood and vibe, keep serving the awesome dishes you're making, and you'll have a line wrapping around the corner! We'll definitely be back! read more

I really love the sauces that they use on their rolls. They are rich in flavor. I wish they still served other dishes besides sushi. When they first opened, they had really tasty Korean beef ribs. Their prices are a bit high, so I can't go there all the time. read more

The sushi is here is top quality but a bit pricey. The restaurant is nicely decorated and the staff is very friendly and accommodating. I love the fact that they serve fresh grated wasabi, not the pasty stuff. It is very rare to find a place that serves fresh wasabi. This means they take their sushi seriously. Although, for a japanese sushi place, the cooked dishes they serve are mostly korean food, odd. I didn't see any unique cut rolls, mostly the standard ones you find at most sushi bars. I probably need to get to know the chef more so he can make me some of his more creative dishes. Anyways, the hamachi belly sashimi was great. We had a couple of cut rolls, all good. The poke salad was exceptional. Last but not least, the Ono sushi was excellent, prepared just right, not overly seared like some places. I'd go back a lot more often is it was cheaper. read more

True Japanese experience. Food is pricey but worth every penny. They do prefer reservations as they order fish fresh based on them. Service was impeccable, server takes the time to learn your name and likes for the next visits. read more

Sushi Tai is our absolute favorite when it comes to sushi! It's a bit longer of a drive for us and it's a bit pricey, but it's absolutely worth it - all of the places in our neighborhood pale in comparison. When we go, we usually just ask the chef to make us a couple of rolls and a couple of sashimi plates of his choice. We love spicy food and he delivers the most delectable dishes I have ever had. Each roll and piece of sashimi is prepared with precision and love - they are like works of art. And the sashimi just melts in your mouth! The fish is super fresh (he picks it out himself every morning!) and the owners are very personable and fun to chat with. Plus the vibe is good - impeccably clean restaurant, nice decor, and mellow tunes playing on the background. If you are a sushi lover (especially sashimi!) I highly recommend it. read more

Must make a reservation. But if you have one this place rivals three Michelin Star sushi in nyc. Sunny and tai are masters at there craft!

We are regular customers. The fish is amazing and the freshest we have had in Orange County. Tai & Sunny are lovely! They require reservations because Tai likes to make sure he can take care of each customer properly, his sushi is art, not only in appearance, but taste. There is no rushing that. read more

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This is some of the best sushi I've had in a long time! I'm a big sushi fan and regularly dine at Nobu (over-rated) and Uchi (decent) in Dallas, TX. I'd heard rave reviews from family and friends about Sushi Tai, but didn't believe it could be all that great - since I'd never heard of it. I'll be the first to admit - I WAS WRONG!!! This sushi is AMAZING!!! The fish was incredibly fresh and the preparation was absolutely sublime. I have to steal from another review because they said exactly what I felt: "Each piece is lovingly prepared and is a tiny work of art. The sushi chef is creative and inventive and knows exactly how to bring out perfection in each different delicious morsel. The finest ingredients are used. Real wasabi from Japan! The best quality ginger! Fabulous garnishes! The owners are charming and the decor is modern, zen, and relaxing with elegant touches like white linen napkins. This restaurant is worth a drive." We came in for lunch on Saturday around 12:30 without a reservation (last minute planning) and were seated immediately. Sunny explained every dish as it came out and was super friendly! I highly recommend this restaurant and suggest the other reviewers who gave it low marks for not accepting walk-ins, simply to make a reservation if they want to have the best sushi of their lives. . .if not, their loss. I'll definitely be back the next time we visit California (and will be sure to make a reservation just in case). read more

I have had very good sushi across the states and across the planet this place would be my top two of all sushi restaurants I have ever had the opportunity to have their great food. Just start out to warn you it is expensive the rest of it though is sushi and sake heaven the owner and chef decides what he wants to make and create that in front of you. There is no menu. You sincerely will not be disappointed read more

Great fish in a quiet, calm space with excellent service. We walked in with no reservation and it was no problem, seated right away. We will be back! read more

Literally the weirdest sushi experience I've ever had.. So tonight, I had to drop my mom off for a meeting in the same parking lot as Sushi Tai, so I figured I had an hour to kill and my son and I were hungry so we agreed to have sushi. We walk into this restaurant which was completely empty, no one greeted us so we went to sit at a table and the waitress comes out of no where and tells us that particular table is reserved. Weird since the entire restaurant is empty? Then we sit down and she hands us menus, the menu is so limited they literally don't even have California rolls and the sushi is ridiculously over-priced ($21) for a basic roll I can get anywhere else for half the price. So whatever, I end up getting the salmon lemon roll, and a California roll, and an order of salmon sushi. The roll tasted good but the salmon slices were so tiny. I live in San Clemente and we have 9stylesushi which has the same exact roll for $12 and much more fish. The California roll was $11, and didint even have cucumber which I thought they all do? The salmon sushi was basic nothing special. I ended up walking out spending $50.00 and still hungry. This place even has table cloths (which is not fitting for a sushi restaurant where you may heaven forbid spill a drop of soy sauce). I felt akward even talking to my son in this place because it was so empty and quiet. Basically don't come here unless you want to pay double or even triple for mediocre sushi. read more

This place turned me down because I didn't have a reservation. There was a total of 5 people in there on a Thursday night and the waitress said I couldn't eat there because I didn't have a reservation. I don't see how a business can stay open turning down $30-$40 dollars on a Thursday night read more