We recently went for a Friday night. The sushi is extremely well executed and I'm so glad we made the choice to go check it out. What we tried: Bluefin Tuna (tasted fresh out of the water) Unagi (so good we had to order seconds, mouthgasm, best unagi I've ever had, so tender and smoky) Toro (melts in your mouth goodness) Baked scallop (again, amazing, so rich in flavor) Orange clams ( first time trying, won't be my last) Salmon (very buttery) Sake, Sapporo draft beer Overall, service was very good as well. Maybe my favorite sushi spot in Orange County for now. The bill came out be about $99. Not complaining for the quality of food we got. read more

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This place is deserves a 3 and half star, but I'm gonna give it a 3 because I'm nerve gonna go back there again. I don't think their omekase style is like the one I has in the past. This omekase style is more like a eat until ur full but the chef will decide what u eat type of thing. I honestly thinks that other Japanese restaurants like ikko (high end), kitayama (high end) or taiko (average price) will satisfy my sushi craving than this place. The price here is quite high for what they offer. Other than their freshness and their service, I definitely don't consider their over all sushi experience as one of the high end sushi place. If I do come back here,I'll probably sit at their sushi bar more than their sushi bar so I can order exactly what I wanna eat. But, make sure u make reservation for ur table or you won't be getting any sushi form here. read more

Food was high quality. The service was good. Ambiance was chill. It was a good value for an Omakase dinner. I would definitely go back because the pieces were fresh and high quality. read more

We wanted to try a new restaurant for omakase and this nondescript corner shop in a busy strip mall more than surpassed expectations. Fairly priced and flavors filling, I will definitely come here again. They are offering take out right now as well, and seating has barriers between tables so privacy was well kept. The only difficulty I found was in the parking, so just be sure to be ok if you need to wait a few minutes to park, something will open up. Head over when you have the time for some awesome e traditional omakase. read more

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Hello Crab Rolls...nice to see you again... I have to admit...this tiny and I mean tiny hole in the wall is so inviting. The selections and quality is usually very fresh. The only thing I have a slight minus is for their slow service and not all too HAPPY service. Don't get me wrong...the hubee/wifee team is great and they are funny but since it's just them, the service cannot be STELLAR. I am fully aware they run a tight shift...love that part, just that sometimes...it's a bit slower than other times depending who else is there. IF you are the 1st to arrive...service is GREAT! So I haven't seen it where I can give them 5 Stars. But let's move onto the food. 01. 4-Crab Roll ($6.00) - 4.5 Stars - These are always so DELISH...creamy and huge for a roll...you can get full on 2-3. 02. 1-Toro ($9.00) - 4.5 Stars - So smooth and perfectly sitting on top of the rice. I can't have too many of these lil guys but 1 is just right for me. Very fresh, it just melts in your mouth. 03. 1- Scallop Hot Plate ($6.00) - 4 Stars - This was pretty good except I've had it where the sauce was much more milder. Today, it was a bit overwhelming. I love how they serve it too. See my pix to see what I mean. 04. 2-Cucumber Roll ($4.00) - 3 Stars - Though these were my least FAVE...it was fresh, crunchy and refreshing. Today it was quite messy, it didn't seem to have been rolled tight enough. Oh well, all goes down the same way. Overall, those darn crab rolls makes me craving it when someone mentions they crave it. My cravings are dependent of what I hear sometimes. So yeah, I can be influenced and sway one way if they sell it good enough. Go and check it out and see...they are GOOD. I know I'll be back. read more

One of the best hidden gems in Tustin. As of 5/18/21 they are doing omakase only for dine in. It's $65 per person and there is no a LA cart ordering. However, once you finish the omakase, they offer to make you more of any of the dishes you were just served. The Canadian albacore here is one of my favorites - served COLD in ponzu. There were only 4 tables set up so try to call in and make a reservation if you don't want to risk waiting for a while. The parking lot isn't the best in terms of how many spots there are but I've always been lucky and found one. I had my first omakase experience here back in 2012 and the quality was mind blowing. I have since tried many amazing omakase at many different places but every time I come back here, I am never disappointed. If you're looking for an authentic Japanese sushi experience, dont let the name fool you and dine here. read more

This places rules. They do it omakase style which means "I leave it up to you". So the sushi chef decides what to serve and he always decides right. This is the real deal. Jiro stuff. read more

My hubby and I have had sushi in Japan as fresh as it comes at tsukiji fish market AND at a Michelin star restaurant in Kyoto , and Sushi Wasabi is still my husband and my favorite sushi restaurant! It's the absolute best hidden gem OC has to offer. Book a reservation asap! read more

What a hidden gem! Omakase is one of a kind. Price js very reasonable. Food quality beats many expensive omakase out there!!!

1.) v.e.r.y. s.l.o.w..... perhaps we came on a wrong night cus there was only one chef at the bar... we waited average 15-20 mins in between courses, at least. 2.) filler in between, and not a good ending - perhaps they didn't want us to wait for too long... so they used some frozen little scallops, onions, TONS of mayo and served us the very Americanized and not good at all 'baked dynamite'. i did not even finish it... For the ending, we got two pieces of ootoro that were so stringy, i couldn't even swallow without chewing for like 2 mins.... everything else was good and yum, fishes were fresh, my guy friend complained the sushi rice was too little - but i am happy with that. lol - blue crab hand roll was still my favorite. 3.) parking... oh parking. i circled three times around the big block and ended up parking across the street in the other plaza... thank god my car did not get towed. based on the above... i don't think i would be coming back... it's sad though since i liked this place a lot the first time i came... which was years ago... good luck! read more

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Please support Sushi Wasabi as they remain open during quarantine with their to-go menu (they've never offered to-go before). Just call ahead to place your order. New Take-out menu is on yelp. We ordered 3 omakase set, 3 blue crab handroll, & an unagi bowl. Everything was fresh & delicious because we ate it right away when we got home. Sushi was just as great as we had it there. Handrolls were specially packaged to separate the wrapper & came with easy assembly instructions. Loved it so much getting it again in same week. read more

Sushi Wasabi - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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So let me start off by saying I was had visited long ago when the previous owners were in charge. I remembered it was a 5 star affair. Every bite of sushi was a 'WOW!'. I know the new chef is the apprentice of the previous chef but lacks the perfection I remembered hence the 4 stars. Still a respectable establishment but falls short of perfect. We had 10 rounds of omakase: 1. Yellowtail from Canada 2. Bluefin Tuna from Boston 3. Red Snapper from Japan 4. Yellowtail from Japan - one of these pieces kind of chewy - a bad piece unfortunately 5. Scallop hot plate - could have done without - next time I'd request they leave this out of the rotation 6. Scallops from Japan 7. Scottish Salmon 8. Uni from Santa Barbara 9. Blue Fin Toro from Boston - one of my pieces was a little chewy - sad. 10. Bluecrab hand roll - not pictured because I didn't want the nori to get soggy so I gobbled it up quickly. A few bad pieces didn't ruin the whole meal. The good pieces were melt in your mouth good. I remembered the rice to be bigger than pearl size but I appreciated the fish to rice ratio this time around so it didn't feel heavy after the meal. It was an overall great meal but I would not be dying to go back any time soon. My first choice for omakase would be Ohshima with Wasabi coming in at a close 2nd. The waitress came over after 8 rounds and asked if we were still hungry and wanted to continue. I don't know the the minimum number of rounds should have been. We weren't hungry but still wanted to try the Uni and Blue Find Toro so we went with it. Oysters were part of normal rotation but I'm not a fan so I opted out. read more

Sushi Wasabi - bluefin tuna, uni, red snapper, scottish salmon, hot scallop plate, toro, yellowtail from japan, oysters (didnt have), scallops, yellowtail - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

We miss coming here and dining in, but thankfully, they have a take-out option which is as fresh as ever. We've been coming here since Katsu and his wife ran this place in 2002. When the older Katsu sold the restaurant to the younger Katsu who is the current owner, we were worried that quality would go down. BUT IT DIDN'T, thankfully! During Covid, we've gotten take out almost once a week. Our family favorites are the nigiri set with added spicy tuna rolls. The rolls are put in this super cool contraption that will keep the seaweed super crunchy so you unroll it only when you are ready to eat. They just introduced the hot scallop plate which was very tasty. Other favorites are the unagi bowl and the salmon poke bowl. We get Wasabi when we want to have a healthy meal. It's so easy because you have to call ahead and give them your order. You can pay over the phone so it limits the contact. They also provide a small ice pack with the food to keep it cool during the drive home. read more

I visited Sushi Wasabi with my grandparents in March 2002. I still recall that day since my grandfather was so pleased that he wanted to do another round. I was treating my grandparents and mom and I didn't want to spend another $400 ($800 for four!) by ordering two sets of Omakase per person. Both of my grandparents passed away but I still have a huge smile on my face whenever visit Sushi Wasabi. Yes, now I can get fancier and better omakase in LA and OC but Sushi Wasabi holds a special place in my heart. I like the nondescript yet no-nonsense omakase. Quality service & FRESH sushi! read more

Best sushi in OC! Their to go sushi box and hand rolls are great and perfect for at home dining. I won't eat sushi anywhere else!! The staff are incredible- help support this family owned business and get some sushi to go! read more

Sushi Wasabi - Tasty albacore to go! Help a beautiful family owned local business in this hard time! - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Highly recommend this place. Sushi was amazing to say the least. It is all Omakase right now and so worth it. Very small and intimate place, which makes for a great date night spot. My girlfriend and I loved this place. She has been there a few times and now I am loving this place as much. The quality, freshness, and variety of the sushi is amazing and the small setting makes it perfect. We will be going back again soon. read more

Very disappointed with the taste and serving portions. Very skimpy, and the taste was bland. It used to be our place for special occasions before they changed owners. read more

I believe this restaurant serves only omakase, although you can order additional dishes. The $70 omakase set menu consists of albacore sashimi, crab roll, and 10 piece sushi. Quite good for the price. We both enjoyed the tasty dinner, particularly the crab roll, scallop sushi and tuna trio sushi. We thought it was better than other omakase set menus that we've had elsewhere. We also ordered the baked scallop but it was a disappointing dish, as it had too much ponzu and onions and too few scallops. We also had the small but delightful Japanese tiramisu, consisting of light vanilla cream with strawberries, chocolaty mochi, and a sauce that tasted coffee/chocolaty. We'll surely return. read more

Yes, I'm absolutely a fan. Sushi Wasabi is unassuming from the outside, and traditional through and through. It has nothing but a few tables and bar seating, which is reserved for omakase style only. It's very quiet and the chef barely speaks. Do not expect cut rolls or hot prepared foods other than any small dish requiring a quick broil in the toaster. Less is more, here. Aside from what's listed on the small sushi paper menu, the only other options are daily specials of fish the chef has recently procured. The restaurant was half-filled on a Wednesday night, allowing for a quiet meal of freshly prepared no-frills sushi. Each sushi order is for 2 pieces and I noticed that it was common for the pieces to be prepared in two different ways. I was surprised to find their fish to rice ratio being quite large, and appreciative that I could order more without becoming full too quickly. Yellowtail belly (not on the usual menu) - a demure pale pink slice of fish graced with lines of fat, leaving no other option than for it to melt in your mouth. This was a memorable one! Scallops - served whole with ponzu sauce and a lime slice. One had a baby dollop of yuzu, while the other appeared bare. These were sweet and super tender. We ended up ordering two of these. Blue crab handrolls - these are wrapped tight with crab meat spilling out. I loved that it wasn't too sauced up, and that rice was light again. I thought maybe the roll was crab heavy only in the front, but there ended up being sweet meat in each and every last bite. Sweet shrimp (no heads) - another double presentation dish. One serving was sprinkled with yuzu salt, while the other had a small whip of uni. There was a lemon slice on the side and extra yuzu salt on the plate as well. We had two servings of this dish and noticed that the first was significantly mushier than the second. You would think the textures would be consistent... Salmon - served sprinkled with sesame seeds. Whoa, a load of s's! Tasted fresh, but also tasted too much of sesame. Uni - firm in texture, bright in orange color, rich in sweetness with a hint of salt...all things necessary to confirm you're eating fresh urchin gonads. Toro - they both had pretty marbling, and one had green onion garnish. It was buttery in texture, but it was still so cold in temperature. Feels like they tried to wait out on serving it while it thawed, but it still wasn't able to come to the right temperature. Red Snapper - another favorite! I haven't had great experience with snapper sushi historically, but this was so good. It was sprinkled with coarse salt and also served two ways, one with yuzu paste and the other with shiso tucked underneath. I would return and I have already recommended Sushi Wasabi to friends. The bill was around $120 for two, with no alcohol. The service was great. Our server tried her best to accommodate us and answer any questions we had, even with limited English. My only feedback is that having the option to have fresh wasabi would be great. read more

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Great Omakase for a cheap price! House hot sake is very smooth. Very small restaurant so recommend you make reservations.

The sushi is decent but not the best. However, for the price, I'm happy with the quality of their omakase.

Omakase is awesome! You get top notch service every dining experience. We would love to sit at the sushi bar again some day in front of the sushi chef but we'll take eating indoors for some great legit sushi any day. We had such a wonderful experience we'll be going back soon! We couldn't resist since our last visit there last week, we had to go again this week. We already made reservations to go back next week too. Yes, it's THAT good! read more

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This place has truly set the standard for quality sushi in Orange County. Good and bad thing is you really start noticing the difference in quality sashimi after you've dined with Sushi Wasabi. The care the owners take into running the restaurant and ensuring customer satisfaction are really admirable. During a time like this, my husband and I are grateful that Sushi Wasabi's door is still open to allow us to indulge in top quality sushi. Thank you Sushi Wasabi! read more

Sushi Wasabi - Deluxe! Well worth it! - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Love this place! Salmon alone with worth the drive out for me. Great service. I suggest calling ahead and making reservation because if they are full, they will turn you away. Oh and no Cali rolls here, just good old traditional sushi only. read more

We love sushi. It was hard to find a good authentic sushi restaurant ever since we moved down here from San Jose Japantown. We discovered Sushi Wasabi during the pandemic and have been loving it so far. If your stomach is craving some good sushi dinner, definitely check this place out. I found ever dollar of their takeout menu worth it! read more

Sushi Wasabi - Chirashi and handrolls - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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One of our spot to get sushi and doesn't disappoint. We discovered this hole in the wall restaurant for our 5 year anniversary outing. It's been two years now and we continued the tradition. Sushi is fresh and melts in my mouth. Simple and nothing compares. read more

Amazing sushi place. Highly recommend as long as you are comfortable with omagase. Great family that owns it

We came here on a Friday night and was able to get table seating right away. There seemed to only be 1 chef serving a bar full of people and 2 tables of guests. Service for food was pretty slow but expected since there was only 1 chef preparing all the food. We received our first dish about 35 minutes in but it was worth the wait. Everything we ordered was really fresh and delicious. The two waitresses were super attentive in between dishes. Would definitely go back again. read more

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Friday was my first time trying Wasabi...And holy moly! I was impressed. I love the Omakase idea. (it's left up to the chef) You pretty much just keep and going and going until you burst. Btw this was my first Omakase experience and LOVE it. I have heard other yelpers say they use too much ponzu sauce on all the dishes, however that was not the case for me when I went. I only had 2 out 8 dishes that had ponzu sauce on it. Service is good. However, one thing sucks is you can NOT bring wine to the restaurant. so No corkage. Boo :-*( -We started with the albacore from Canada -Then Tuna from New York - so soft -Baked scallop - little fresh baked scallops -Chopped Toro - which this dish was my fav, it was like buttah -You could suck it up through a straw it is so soft, fresh, and subtle. (my mouth is watering right now for chopped toro) *Drool* SO GOOD! -Red snapper from New Zealand - Also amazing had many levels of flavors from ponzu to chiso a very complicated sauce. -The well know Blue Crab roll - very good tasty slightly sweet. Tasted exactly like a crab (ha ha! i know that sounds funny.) But true. -Kumamoto Oysters - very good small young oysters -Yellowtail from Japan - the final dish. I was getting really full as well. Even though you can not bring your wine the food is very delicious and everything is FRESH! It was a great experience. (Sake always helps) ;) My final analysis is "yum yum yum!" *while doing the happy dance* read more

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I've been wanting to eat here for a while now. In fact, it's been on my bookmark for a long time. However, it's hard bringing a kid to omakase and I never knew they were open for lunch until yesterday. So today, with a bunch of yelpers in tow, we arrived at Sushi Wasabi when it opened and sat down at the sushi bar -- me, very eager to sample this omakase I'd heard so much about. I was actually a bit nervous after hearing about the sushi nazi (Katsu-san), but he seemed harmless. His wife, who is also the server, brings us all hot towels as soon as we sit down. Although I was already hot from the heat outside, I thought it was a very nice gesture. Soon, the omakase began. Katsu-san gave us each a small plate with albacore sitting in a pool of ponzu sauce. The ponzu was overpowering and masked the plump slices of albacore. I thought it was odd that he would serve this first seeing it sort of puckered your tastebuds with so much ponzu, leaving your mouth kind of numb for the following items. As the sushi started coming one by one, I was glad that not much rice is used. I hate sushi with a lot of rice. The sizing, though small, was really how 'real' sushi is served -- mouth sized pieces to be popped into the mouth whole. My favorite was the halibut with a small piece of shiso and only a splash of ponzu. This was Katsu-san's piece de resistance with ponzu. He served another fish (mackerel) also with ponzu but it was way too much! It again overpowered the mackerel so I couldn't taste the natural flavors of the mackerel. The blue crab hand roll was probably the very best item, followed by the uni and halibut. Although fresh wasabi is served, it looks rather watered down, not like the pure wasabi served at ikko. I enjoyed my meal, but, it didn't blow me away. I might come and try the dinner omakase just to be fair, but from the sounds of it, there isn't much of a difference between lunch and dinner omakase. I wouldn't say it was bank breaking for omakase. My total was around $45. I've had omakase totaling around $150/per person, which was well worth it, so for $45, I'd say Sushi Wasabi isn't all bad at all. 3.5 stars UPDATED 08-15-07: Came back again with some g/fs who have never been before. New items sampled was a baked scallops and onion dish served warm and with ponzu sauce., also a chopped toro sushi. My friends even commented on how almost everything is doused in ponzu sauce and this is from people who have never been to Wasabi before. The meal is still enjoyable, but I couldn't do it often since we're eating the same stuff at each visit. read more

My boyfriend took me here for my birthday dinner!! I would definitely recommend taking your SO here for omakase because it's not only super good and fresh sushi, it's an experience! It revealed to me the amazing items on the menu that I would not normally choose. (Like sea bream sushi) The waitress we had was super attentive and respectful. We were seated at the sushi bar and were able to have a short-but-pleasant conversation with the owner/sushi chef! It's also a lot of fun being able to watch him do his magic :)) Everything was delicious and fresh; I wanted to savor and devour every single plate!! Will 100% come again to celebrate any and every special occasion read more

As far as sushi quality is concerned, this place is definitely 5 star worthy. The price is on the steep side though, even compared to other hole in the wall authentic Japanese Restaurants I've been to. For two people our bill came up to about $112... this is what we had for that price: - Albacore sashimi with homemade ponzu... - Big eye tuna (yummy! I usually don't like tuna) - Snapper - Salmon sushi - Uni - Blue crab hand roll - Spicy tuna hand roll - Baked scallop in a shell (dynamite) - Halibut with special sauce - Yellowtail - Spanish mackerel - Albacore Sushi - Eel It was really good! The blue crab roll was to die for. All his sauces and the wasabi are homemade. What else can I say about this place? He doesn't overload the sushi with rice so it doesn't take away from the fresh fish taste. The chef was super nice! He said that he wakes up at 5am every morning to go the fish market in LA in order to pick the best fish for this place. His wife is the waitress here. One of the customers we were sitting with was saying how he was making sushi for his mom on mother's day and the chef and his wife insisted that he take with him some of their homemade ponzu sauce and fresh leaves (for decoration). How sweet is that? Nothing makes me happier than good food and friendly, generous people. I gave them a 30% tip on top of that whopping bill, and I don't regret it at all. read more

This tiny sushi restaurant is tucked away in a totally nondescript strip mall. I would not have known to even look for this place had I not been going with someone who knows the ins and outs of this place. We sat at the sushi bar for their omakase. I was impressed by how fresh the seafood was, but I felt that a lot of the dishes were heavy on the ponzu. Making the entire meal feel a little bit one noted. I think the baked scallops (dynamite) could have been a lot better had it not been drenched in ponzu. In fact, I think I would have enjoyed the meal even more if they toned down the citrus-y flavors and let the quality of the seafood speak for itself more. The blue crab roll was pretty good but maybe just a smidge overhyped. Overall, a good sushi restaurant with great service. read more

FINALLY, WE MADE IT TO THIS PLACE. The location is hidden pretty well, cuz it's hard to find it even by using Google maps. Service is friendly and the hot green tea keeps coming. Drink list is pretty small. One sushi chef is doing a 14 people omakase and 8 people's order. There is only one sashimi on the menu and the rest will be sushi. The fish is very fresh, light, sweet and juicy. However the chef likes to use a lot ponzu, scallion and wasabi. Where is the original taste of the fish if you drip the fish into the lightly salted ponzu sauce? I ordered extra Monkfish liver sashimi, the liver was delightful, fresh, juicy, soft and again, he dip this beautiful tasty monk fish liver into the ponzu sauce. I had this chunky wasabi under my tuna sushi that made me almost cry. It wasn't the tears of joy from what the chef made for me or how fresh the fish is, but it was the tears from that d*mn chunk of wasabi. It was like a surprise attack. OMG, I tried to hold my tears back, even the wasabi kept hitting the back side of my head. Gggrrr....Call me chicken, but I just don't like that much of wasabi on my fish. Sushi rice was a bit hard, it's good for fried rice, but when you pick up the sushi, the rice falls apart every time. Our friend C recommended us to this place. Me and Mr.Q liked this place, but we didn't love it as much as C did. Nana San, Ikko & Angotei brings us more surprises, they had combinations of good quality fish, fusion sushi style in mix with traditional sushi style. This place is way too traditional for us, the top quality fish lying in the ponzu sauce was a waste of the fish and it was too boring for us. I will still recommend this place for friends for their fresh fish and great service. read more

Sushi Wasabi - Sushi Wasabi - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

2.5 stars. Can you say.. Ponzu all up on my sushi?! Way too much sauce.. Came here once for their albacore sashimi, but cringed when it arrived drenched in ponzu.. We decided to give this place another shot last night and it was no better than our first experience.. Salmon nigiri: http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=MRy7TBd_z6N7qJllURih3Q&userid=rMRSt0r8q0AvpUllXgrH2w Only one piece had kelp.. How do you forget to put kelp on the other piece..? Large, fatty slice of fish, but the sesame seeds killed it for me. It overwhelmed the flavor of the salmon.. Yellowtail nigiri: http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=weME-Yi9HXbI7m0Hw7GqDA&userid=rMRSt0r8q0AvpUllXgrH2w This was okay. I've definitely had better. Albacore belly: http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=qcuWabyQZNB94leKcbjelg&userid=rMRSt0r8q0AvpUllXgrH2w Ugh.. Swimming in ponzu.. Scallop: http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=KkV-9jZtBh3ZF7ZBo93a1g&userid=rMRSt0r8q0AvpUllXgrH2w Good texture, but again, all I could taste was the sauce.. The nigiri that came with ponzu sauce fell apart as soon as we picked it up with our chopsticks. The total for 4 orders of sushi (1 order = 2 pieces) was $25 without tip. Overpriced for mediocre sushi. read more

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Even from the outside, this place looks questionable. Fellow Yelper Jane L. suggested that I try this place out. Very small restaurant. A one-man show! Unfortunately, the sushi bar was filled. Very very sad, but the place isn't that big so we weren't far from the bar. The waitress, who is the wife, warned that they don't serve lunch specials, bento boxes, teriyaki, etc. Good thing I read through these reviews, because I totally knew what the deal was coming into this place. This place is strictly sushi, and maybe about 5 hand rolls. The quality of their fish wasn't bad at all. Their halibut is YUMS and their unagi was REALLY good. I'm not sure what kind of powder they sprinkle on top but it was good. Try their crab hand roll. It's made with REAL crab. Their spicy tuna roll was kind of off, not spicy at all. Prices weren't bad at all. Their hand rolls weren't more than $6.50. Most of their sushi was around $5.00. My only gripe with this place is the speed in getting our food out. I do understand that everything is being made by one man. I guess I have to come AFTER work so I can take my sweet arse time eating all the yummy goodness this place has. SUGGESTION: Sit at the sushi bar! If you don't know what you feel like getting, go with the omikase. WARNING: No to-go orders. No bento boxes, no teriyaki (chicken, beef, etc.), no tempura. STRAIGHT UP. SUSHI. read more

I've never written a review for the man my boyfriend and I call fondly the grumpy old sushi man. But as the place is changing owners very soon and our grumpy man is going back to Japan, it's probably fitting to write a review. Relative to it's size and location, the quality of fish served here is superb, far better than a lot of sushi places. However omakase is usually served with the same three pieces while rotating out the other pieces. A lot of it is served with ponzu sauces and whatnot. The grumpy man is very set in his ways. He would often tell you what you can and cannot order. The boyfriend who has been going there much longer than I have has said he has even kicked people out at some points but seems to have calmed down over the years. He's not very friendly or talkative if you sit at the sushi bar, he's just the grumpy old sushi man and does his job. Consistency is a bit lacking as one piece hardly had any rice underneath the fish, while others were perfectly proportioned. This place is pretty pricey and they are very strict with reservations as they're only open for 3 hours for dinner. They will also move your party to their discretion. I think we keep coming back more for the fondness we have for the sushi man. We were told the new owner is going to keep it exactly the same, so we'll have to check it out and write another review! read more

Sushi Wasabi - New owner omakase. Tastes the same as the previous owner and he kept the same order. Sooo yummy and fresh! - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. This was my first Omakase experience, and the chef knows best. If you are a true sushi lover, you will truly appreciate all his delicacies. The sushi is uber-fresh and the presentation makes every dish photo-worthy. The husband and wife team make this place cozy and special. The location may fool you into thinking it can't be that good, but I like the fact that it isn't pretentious-looking. Maybe that'll keep the crowds away. My favorite dishes I look forward to are the blue crab hand rolls, the uni, the baby abalone, the oysters, and the hamachi. Of course, EVERYTHING was absolutely delicious. At Sushi Wasabi, the sushi is the star so there is minimal rice. There are no prices posted since there is no menu for omakase but expect to pay about $150-$200 for a party of two. Yes, you gotta really love good sushi. I also love the fact that it's close by so we can make quick trips here but don't expect to make a quick trip out. Omakase takes time. Just relax, savor the flavor and enjoy the pieces of heaven. Mmmmmmm...can't wait to go back. read more

The hole in the wall restaurant looks like a dump from the outside. Once you get inside it still looks dingy, I would have never found this place without handy dandy yelpers. There's a sign outside that clearly states that they serve sushi and sashimi only, so everyone please take note before you step inside...there's no rolls, no appetizers, no miso soup, no edemame, no green tea ice cream. They just have really fresh fish, sushi nigiri, and sashimi, selections by the chef for that day. They have omakase style, but the price is the same as ordering individually. One special item they do serve is the fresh grounded wasabi, which I have not had elsewhere. The taste is quite different, fragrant and not as spicy, as the wasabi they serve at other restaurant. The fish is very very good, needless to say since this is their selling point. The selection of fish available is very limited, depending on whats the chef bought that day. The service was good, the waitress would announce where the fish came from as she places it on the table. So on my visit I had tuna from Tahiti, yellowtail from Japan, and bluecrab roll from Cali? whatever... you get my point that it was good quality. Like another yelper stated, this place is for the purist, but unfortunately I'm not a purist and I like my sushi to come with miso soup edamame, green tea ice cream, to feel complete. This place is not exactly the sushi nazi, but their approach is too bare, too minimal, too boring for this colorful broad, so thanks but no thanks, I would probably not visit again. Although I'm sounding so negative right now, I'm still giving 4 stars for the quality of the fish, so for those of you out there who are purist, then give this place a try. read more

Sushi Wasabi - Fresh catch of the day - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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My gf and I went here to celebrate our anniversary. The yelp reviews did not disappoint. This was a very palate pleasing dinner. Looks: This place is in the worst location ever. 10 shops and there is about 25 parking spaces. We had to park across the street. Taste: We did not want to sit at the bar since we wanted to try out items we wanted. Everything was fresh and my taste buds were having a party all night long for dinner. There were some items I would recommend and some I would pass on. Items that were to die for were the uni, halibut, yellowtail, raw scallops, albacore sashimi and the HIGHLIGHT of the night was the TORO from Spain. As soon as the toro hit your tongue, it started to melon in between your taste bud with a delicious umami flavor that filled your mouth. $16 for two pieces but you have to try it! I would not have the baked scallops again, there were only like 8 pieces of overcooked scallops topped with gallops of onions. The octopus was also disappointing because it was rubbery and difficult to eat. The salmon was topped with sugared sesame seeds which hide the true flavor of the fish. Personality (customer service): When you walk in, there's about 20 seats total with one waitress and one sushi chef. There are extra staff in the back making warm items but the restaurant itself is very intimate. The waitress was very attentive and refilled my green tea 4 times. Each plate came out with a 5-10 minute wait period in btween since there was only one sushi chef. Overall, this experience was amazing. I would come back here again and next time sit at the bar. In total, we spend about $155 including tip. Not extremely expensive but not something you will eat every day. read more

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