My husband brought me here as a surprise bday dinner. We had our 5 year old in tow who ended up…read moreknocking out right after we ordered. We ordered a bunch (see photos). Cant remember what they're all called but they were all good and would 20/10 order them again. Ambiance was also wonderful! But what made this place even better was the staff. We were promptly sat down upon arriving. Servers frequently checked on us and were all so nice. But what really stood out was their empathy. Like i said, my son knocked out. He's 5. He woke up as we were leaving. by the time we figured out what was really upsetting him (he wanted to stay there and eat and wanted the table we were on), we have gotten out of our table and obviously the table was then cleaned for the next guests. So basically my lil one cried, took him to the bathroom bec unfortunately we dont get everything we want just bec we cry. So we went into the bathroom for him to cry his feelings out and be ready to get out. Was he loud? Absolutely. Was i embarrassed? Yes. But it was a lesson he needed to learn and i didnt want my discomfort to hinder that. (Mind you the bathroom was in the middle of the stairs lol midway the lower and the upper floor). So was i ashamed to get out? Yes. But the staff, so empathetic. So nice about it. Told me i didnt need to apologize and that they get it. And that made me feel better as a mama who walked out of there carrying a 5 year old out their door. No judgy stares. Just smiles and understanding eyes. So july 18 2026, 4-5pm staff, you are all so amazing and we truly appreciate it. We hope to be back again when in the area.

What a lovely place. Every bite of sushi was melt in your mouth, heaven. I loved the crispy tuna…read morerice - perfect fish to rice ratio in my opinion and the spicy tuna was seasoned well. I got an assortment of nigiris (sorry I forgot which ones I ordered) and the Azuki chirashi bowl which included an assortment of fishes. I do wish the nigiris were dressed as I like different flavors paired with my fish but soy sauce and wasabi worked perfectly fine. The chirashi bowl was a great dish to share as it was quite filling and was a generous portion. Overall ambiance was super cozy and felt intimate enough for a date night.

Excellent food , great service . Sushi Ota has been a…read moreclassic Japanese restaurant in Mission Bay of San Diego . Reservation is a must even if you dine in a weekday . We ordered the OTO B set , one order of the Tokusen nigiri, 3 pc shrimp tempura and Matcha ice cream . To be continued...

Very good sushi in an unsuspecting spot near a 7-11 off the freeway. Service was solid and food…read morecame out very quickly. The o toro sashimi melts in your mouth. Worth every penny. Overall, this place is pricey like most sushi spots in San Diego. Ambiance is nice, it looks nothing like you'd expect from the outside.

I never get tired of going to this restaurant, I'm a sushi fan and as a former sushiman I'm…read moreextremely picky about eating sushi, especially temakis. Rice, the main ingredient of cooking is always on point but today it overcame, probably because it is very hot, the contrast of today's air conditioning was excellent, anyway. The best temaki in San Diego because it still arrives at your table crispy. A restaurant that surprises me every day that passes because it is a restaurant with the age group of younger waiters in SD but with better service than many restaurants in La Jolla. For those who really understand modern (non-traditional) Japanese cuisine, without a doubt the best. By the way, today the yellow tail was melting in the mouth. Anyway,,, thank you Little Sakana Crew,,, you are to be congratulated.

My go-to casual date night spot! I love Little Sakana's fish quality, and often opt for their…read moreall-you-can-eat option over à la carte. If you want to add sashimi to your all-you-can-eat experience, there is an extra charge. My favorite rolls are the lemon roll and the UFC roll. Ask about their secret menu! They often have things like salmon belly nigiri and yellowtail belly nigiri. For a two-person AYCE experience, with tax and tip, it's around $90-95. The wait is pretty long on weekends, and you can join their waitlist from a QR code at the host stand while you walk around other businesses in the plaza! Heads up, the restaurant is pretty loud, as they often blast their "Happy Birthday" audio over speakers multiple times. Recently, I've ordered catering for their large platter (base $150). Super great deal considering the amount of rolls they give you and the freshness. Pretty simple to order catering off their website as well!

This place is a little hidden gem. I wouldn't have found it, if it wasn't for yelp. The service is…read moreawesome! They were really nice, fast, and attentive. You can call ahead to book a reservation. We sat in the little patio area. I really liked the crispy tuna appetizer. That was so good! Crispy rice, tuna and avocado. I wanted two orders of that lol The Chilean sea bass was also a hit! The miso sauce went perfectly with the bass. Little sweet and umami with flakey sea bass. The chirashi bowl was a huge portion! The sushi is pretty good quality and fresh. I'll definitely be back to check out more dishes

Been wanting to come here for so long! I always drive by on the way to Costco. Feel like I…read morediscovered a hidden gem. We ordered the chicken gyoza (not pictured), Crispy roll, Avati roll, and the Hawaiian roll. The gyoza was a small portion (maybe 6 pieces). It was okay. To me the stand out was the Avati roll, with seared tuna. It had a kick but it was delicious. You could tell the roll had quality ingredients and it felt very delicate. The Hawaiian roll was also very good, with tuna and shrimp tempura inside. The green kale tempura flakes on top was a nice touch, it felt very elevated. I will be returning and hope to try their lunch menu during the week.

Adequate street parking in front and a huge ACE parking lot right in front if you're down to pay a…read morelittle extra. Easy to miss the door but theres a small wooden plaque by the front. Super small and intimate service, never felt rushed and very attentive staff. Extensive sake list and more than the usual options for beer. Chef Maru recommended to take photos upside down to get a better angle and he's so right lol The nigiri was great and I loved how the menu switched from fresh snappy bites to buttery melt in your mouth pieces, never felt like the last piece was competing with the next. I loved that crab was used in multiple dishes, like the warm dish and soup. I wish the nigiri was bigger in general, on the smaller side compared to other spots. Tuna lovers will appreciate how many dishes had tuna. The warm dish (seabass w hairy crab sauce) was one of my favorites, the hairy crab sauce consistency reminded me of banh canh cua. Tuna is from Mexico, most veggies and fruits were from Chino farms.

I was really looking forward to Sushi Maru omakase. I made reservations for the late seating at…read more8pm. Once arrived we were seated about 5 minutes later. They were still setting up. My first impression of the restaurant was, it was beautiful restaurant with a counter that seats 14. First off, Chef Maru and his entire staff was absolutely fantastic and professional. They were all attentive on refilling water and tea. Chef Maru himself was absolutely awesome, he explained each course that was served. Which was the right way to do it. Omakase: Omakase 20 pieces at $180. It's a great price, but in my head there had to be a catch to it. The starter and appetizer started out strong. Everything (fish) were all fresh, so when the nigiri course started that's when everything went south. The nigiri that chef served was really small and it's not your standard size nigiri .There's barley any shari ( sushi rice) and fish. If felt like I was sampling each nigiri. You can't really enjoy it when it's that small.The only highlight was the Uni from San Diego. That felt like a month full, other than that everything just felt like a tease. Don't let my photos fool you, it was all zoomed in. My wife and I had many omakase before and lelf happy and satisfied. This was the first time that we ever left after an omakase meal and was still hungry and a little disappointed. I would love to give Sushi Maru more stars but I just can't after this vist.

The first time experiencing Soichi, we just lucked in to it. We were in the area, popped in and…read morethey happened to have a table for 2, the reason I say lucked in is we tried to get a reservation the next time and they book out months at a time. It is not surprising as this Michelin 1 star since 2021 is quite the tiny, yet comfortable setting that continues to get high praise. Unlike several of the other Michelin guide or Michelin Star sushi establishments, they offer more than just Omakase. While the do offer Full Omakase for $189, Nigiri Omakase for $140, and Petite Omakase for $65, they also allow you to order nigiri, sashimi along with multiple other specials and cut rolls. On our first walk in experience, we ordered the Petite Omakase which included 4 seasonal dishes, 6 pieces of sushi, a light fish broth, and a small dessert, we also ordered some add-on sushi. On our first reservation here, we opted for the Full Omakase, which was absolutely amazing. It is hard to find any fault in the experience here as everything is done with such meticulous care, and exceptional service, making you feel welcome. I cannot recommend Soichi enough!

Came back for my 3rd visit here since they've opened and am thrilled that the business is doing…read morewell and has continued to hold it's Michellin star. I've ordered the Omakase each time and while I still love the atmosphere and the energy from Chef Soichi and the staff, I do have to say that this last go round was not quite as good as the last two. This is meant to be opinionated criticism to help improve but I think the dishes could use more diversity and depth. Having done a fair share of omakase from places like Kinme and Matoi, I feel like this isn't that much more memorable or special and I'd hate for it to follow the same path Tadokoro did where they were absolutely my #1 choice and fell after they got their star (which they later lost). Still love that Chef Soichi continues his tradition of birthday serenades with his guitar and the place still has that mom and pop charm so I hope they continue to thrive!

If you're looking for a unique, intimate omakase experience and love trying unexpected flavors,…read morethis is absolutely worth it. We initially couldn't get a reservation, so we joined the waitlist and were thrilled to get a Friday afternoon call offering us an 8 PM opening. The sushi bar has only about 10 seats, making the entire experience feel incredibly personal. The fish is flown in daily from Japan, the menu changes every three months, and you get to interact with the chef as each course is prepared. There are two omakase options: $145 or $165 with additional nigiri. If you're worried about leaving a tasting menu hungry, get the nigiri. I lost count of the courses and was completely stuffed by the end! The highlight was getting to try fish I'd never even heard of and some genuinely creative flavor combinations. You do need to be an adventurous eater--think oysters and fried shrimp heads--so it may not be ideal for someone hesitant about seafood. But if you're willing to trust the chef, that's part of what makes it so fun. The entire experience lasted about 2 1/2 hours, and because the setting is so intimate, we even ended up chatting with the diners next to us. And the sweet potato ice cream at the end was absolutely divine. We left full, happy, and feeling like we'd been briefly transported back to our travels in Japan. Such a special experience. We will absolutely be back!

The omakase started off alright with complex appetizers that I didn't love, but fit Crystal's…read morepalate better. However, when the sushi started coming out the omakase got better and better and the fish selections included both classics as well as some unique options that we had never had before.the flavor combinations were also quite strong. Additionally, the price point was very affordable at around $160 per person.

What a delicious hidden gem! Fun to sit at the sushi bar and watch them make the rolls. Great…read moreselection and everything is very fresh

An extra star for the thoughtful and child-friendly service…read more I brought my 6 year old here for sushi after trying to get into Sugarfish and then Azuki. There was no wait here but parking was a nightmare and there is almost no street parking right around the restaurant which is near the trolley tracks. I recalled coming here for a light dinner with my husband many years ago and thinking it was good, but expensive. I asked if they had Japanese soda for my daughter because it was not on the menu, and they said no, but after we came back from the bathroom the host had found one for us. They gave us chopstick helpers and were very nice. We ordered braised pork belly as an app and wagyu nigiri, albacore, hamachi, salmon belly, 2 salmons, and unagi. I think that was all. They nicely split the order so half had no wasabi for the kid. They were very considerate and I appreciated it. The food however took a while to come out. The braised pork belly was ok, but the fat had not rendered as well as at some other places so we ate around it. The flavor was good though. The hamachi was probably the best item-tender and tasty. The albacore was standard and a generous piece, but the salmon was a bit tough and my kid who usually inhales salmon tasted and then left the salmon. The wagyu had good flavor but was surprisingly chewy. For $26 I would expect it to melt in your mouth but it was not easy to bite through. The eel was very tender but had a weird taste, and was disappointing. I found myself chewing on a scale from maybe the salmon and was overall underwhelmed by the food. The bill for a soda and the sushi came to almost $150 after tax and tip for me and a 6-year old. Usually my husband and I and my kid go to places with better quality and pay the same price for the three of us. Will not be back.

Had an amazing experience at Hakumaru!…read more Every roll is so fresh and creative. They do a great job of accentuating the natural flavors of each fish and adding a complementary twist either in texture or flavor. I also really appreciate the ratio of rice to fish. I leave feeling full but never too heavy because the food feels clean and refreshing!

+ Food is really good here + Service is also good…read more- Menus are gross... please replace them. - 1 Light beer is $9? That's pretty outrageous.

My husband and I came here for dinner and really enjoyed both the food and the atmosphere. The…read morerestaurant has a modern rooftop vibe in the heart of Downtown San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, making it a great spot for date night. We ordered the miso soup, spicy edamame, Den Miso pork belly skewers, tamarindo tuna ceviche, seabass serrano, crispy karikari tuna, and mochi ice cream for dessert. To drink, we had the Taiyo Margarita and the Clouds of Matcha cocktail. The spicy edamame was probably the only dish that fell a little short for us. It wasn't bad by any means, but we were hoping for more flavor. The absolute standout was the Den Miso pork belly skewers. My husband and I both took our first bite at the same time, looked at each other, and immediately said, "Oh!" We were genuinely surprised by how juicy, tender, and flavorful they were. There were only two skewers, but they packed so much flavor that we instantly wanted to order another plate. The tamarindo tuna ceviche was fresh, light, and refreshing. The taro chips added a nice crunch without overpowering the dish. The seabass serrano was enjoyable, though it wasn't a stand out for us. The crispy karikari tuna (spicy tuna over crispy rice) is one of my go-to orders whenever I visit a sushi restaurant, and this version was up to par. The only component I wasn't crazy about was the long, thin slice of avocado on top--I personally could have done without it, though my husband actually liked it, so that's just a matter of preference. We finished the meal with mochi ice cream, which was the perfect sweet ending. Overall, we had a great dining experience. Between the rooftop ambiance, attentive service, and several delicious dishes - especially those unforgettable pork belly skewers - we'd definitely come back and would happily recommend it to anyone looking for a great dinner spot in the Gaslamp.

This is a hipster restaurant for after-work drinks and sushi, where the crowd is relatively young…read more The rooftop bar and open air is great for a breezy summer evening. The music is a bit on the loud side, but you can still have a chat with a group. I ordered the Akira Back Pizza, Mango Bongo Roll, and Super Spider Roll. Akira Back Pizza was my favorite, as the crunchy chip base and truffle drizzle made it extremely craveable. The rolls were pretty good too, and they use real crab! By the way, Lumi's AI answering service says they do not do take-out, but they do. Their receptionist is difficult to reach to confirm, but I have ordered take-out from their bar without any issues. It's just that they may not be able to allow call-ins for to-go orders.