I've been going to this place for over a decade now (wild to think about!). Seen it go through different ownership and a renovation. It is definitely much busier now because of the AYCE menu. Definitely get on the waitlist when you arrive. Past few times we have been it gets busy during the lunch hours, and thus service is a bit slower. Nice seating inside with booths. Menu QR code will show you some pictures of what you want to order. We have been going down here for a while, so we have our favorites. The appetizers here are surprisingly very good! Garlic edamame and sesame chicken are our favs. I even have a soft spot for the house salad because the dressing is just yum. I rarely order salmon nigri, but for some reason this place is pretty good! The pieces I receive are always nicely portioned and soft. We never bother with the other rolls anymore because we know our favorite is the VEGAS ROLL! It's been my favorite roll since I started coming here. Literally no other sushi or Japanese restaurant has this combination of ingredients. Crunch from unagi, spicy tuna on a CA roll with eel sauce and spicy sauce. *chefs kiss* Lots of textures, flavors, sweet, salty, spicy. Just come in with a purpose. We noticed that other tables tend to a bit longer because they were never ready when the server came by. read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Vegas Roll & House Salad - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Solid AYCE sushi place in Irvine. Had a great time with my friends and we ordered a lot of nigiri and rolls for the table. The fish quality was good and there were a lot of options on the menu. My favorites were the salmon and yellowtail specifically. My biggest complaint is that they pack the rice so tightly that each nigiri feels like swallowing a large pill (and it definitely fills you up fast) The restaurant does get pretty crowded, especially on the weekends so be prepared to wait. We came on a Friday evening and waited about 1.5 hrs to be seated read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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This was actually my first time trying this place, so I can't compare it to past visits. But something happened while I was waiting for my to go order that I feel like I should mention. As I walked back in to grab my food, I saw a staff member who was wearing dirty gloves and pushing a dish cart,fist bump and then shake hands with two separate sushi chefs who were preparing food. I know it's just a friendly gesture, but that kind of hand contact right before touching food is a real food safety concern, especially with sushi since it's often handled with bare hands and there's no cooking step to kill off anything that gets transferred. Little things like this are honestly how people end up getting sick. I can't judge the food yet since I was just picking up my order, informed the manager, and requested a refund. I really hope management sees this and reminds staff to wash hands or glove up after any contact like that, especially around the sushi bar. I'd like to come back and give the place a real shot once I know that's being taken seriously. read more

Visited Tomikawa last Friday with a party of six. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. The food selection was more limited than we expected, and the overall quality did not seem to match the price. The biggest concern was the AYCE Sushi Carpaccio, which did not taste fresh when it was served. After our meal, four out of the six people in our group became sick. While we cannot say for certain what caused it, the carpaccio was the one item that stood out to several of us as not tasting fresh. We have enjoyed many sushi restaurants in the area, but this visit fell short in both food quality and variety. Based on this experience, we would not return. read more

Solid sushi place in Irvine - happy hour prices are good and the fish quality is decent! I always get the Albacore Lover roll whenever I visit, there's a great balance of spicy tuna to albacore. The spicy tuna on crispy rice is also tasty and unique compared to others I've tried. I think the rice is wrapped in some sort of nori. Staff is also nice and friendly here. :) read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Albacore Lover, Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, Salmon Crunch - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I've been coming to Tomikawa for a while, but I'd have to say that the quality and the service has gone down a little. The rice to fish ratio is uneven, causing me to get fuller faster than usual. The server was over our shoulder constantly and we felt like we were being watched while eating, making it uncomfortable. The carpaccio is still amazing, but we felt like the rest of the food lacked in comparison to what it was before. It was quite loud in the restaurant, but that didn't affect the review. I would love to try again sometime, but it was a bit disappointing. read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Salmon Carpaccio - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Our family and friends suggested we try this sushi restaurant since we loved sushi and a good date spot. We came right at opening on a Thursday, and the restaurant filled up pretty quickly. Despite being one of the first tables that placed an order, it took them about 40 minutes to serve our first round of sushi. We tried to give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe we ordered too much. However, upon looking around, we were disappointed to see other tables with multiple plates of sushi despite arriving later than us. We're not sure the logistics of it, but I think 40 minutes is just too long. We ordered 18 pieces of nigiri + 1 order of salmon carpaccio for the first round. For our second round, 6 pieces of salmon nigiri took 28 minutes for it to come out (Yes, we timed it). At that point, our appetite was replaced with frustration. In terms of food quality, it was good. However, the experience is what brought it down. There are other sushi places around the area with better sushi and wait times. The service from the waiters was fine-- they refilled our waters, asked how we were doing, and took away our dirty plates. Again, it was just the extremely long wait times that disappointed us. Keep in mind, their time limit is supposed to be 1 hour and 15 minutes for AYCE menu, so we couldn't help but speculate it was a strategic move by the restaurant to have us eat less. Nevertheless, we were relieved we spent less for the weekday menu. read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - 4 orders of salmon 1 order of seared garlic tuna 1 order of yuzu tuna 1 order of tamago 2 orders of fresh eel - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Our go to for AYCE sushi. The only thing is that there's always a wait since it's so busy so sign up on the waitlist on their ipad and wait till you get a text that the table is ready. The food is always pretty solid and the sushi is pretty fresh. Not too much rice which is perfect. And service is pretty quick with servers checking in often if we need to order more. read more

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Great sushi and value, long wait times. This is a put your name down an hour ahead of time type of place so arrive with proper expectations. The sashimi style ponzu dishes come out quickly as do the salads, it expect a bit of a wait for the sushi, especially on a busy weekend. The sushi here is worth the wait. Each piece was fresh and perfectly presented. read more

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I love it here I've been a regular for years now. And they're as busy as Din Tai Fung. Wait is at least 45 minutes to two hours on weekends. But they serve quality sushi, miso, and sashimi. My regular sushi order is: Eel, octopus, albacore, yellowtail, shrimp, squid, mussels, edamame, sashimi, and miso They decorate for Christmas, and have warm wooden Japanese accents year-round. read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here to celebrate my hubbys birthday and was so excited to have some Ayce sushi. The sushi was pretty great! There were so many options, nigiri, sashimi, and sushi rolls. They even had hand rolls! We ordered a few of each and was most impressed by the sashimi / carpaccio. They was delicious. Especially albacore. The rolls were ok this time around. The tempura roll, and the snow roll were pretty good. The handrolls were tasty as well! I will say that the most disappointing part was that they wouldn't do anything for birthdays unless it's the exact day of the birthday. So not a day before or a day before unfortunately. Bummer and a total buzz kill after the meal. So it may not be the best birthday meal if you're expecting a lil bday dessert. read more

This is my brother's favorite sushi place of all time and I can confirm his favorite is fuego! Come one come all this place hasn't had a slow night probably since never! Usually a high wait time almost every time we have come but trust me it's worth the wait every time! Hands down melt in your mouth sushi ugh warms my belly writing this! My brother always comes here for his birthday and now I love the tradition because this place never lets down. Sushi I coming out quick and fresh as ever, they don't fill you up on rice! Just be sure to eat all your order unless you're al a cart. Big enough for most party sizes and small enough tables for two! Always vibing with the music here drinks are always being served fast and tons of wait staff to accommodate your needs. Sushi from the long rolls to the nigiri to the hand rolls! Even the baked muscles are som of the best I've ever had! Sushi cuts are of high quality you can tell the difference in the color and how it literally will melt in your mouth! I enjoy this restaurant every time my brother suggests it we always agree it's well worth the wait. read more

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their all you can eat is the best deal around, great quality and service. Their sushi is authentic and the atmosphere is clean and friendly read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - All you can eat - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I've been to Tomikawa multiple times now and overall I would say I've had good experiences (aside from over-ordering LOL). My friends and I love the lunch special and the unlimited carpaccio. The service has been pretty standard for the most part. Even with the restaurant always being busy, they keep everything very clean and nice. A solid option for AYCE sushi in Orange County. read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - An assortment of the carpaccio options available - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Second time coming with a large group. I always end up satisfied and extremely full at this ayce spot. Round one came out fairly quick, but round 2 took probably 30 mins for everything to come out. I think they try to bring everything out at the same time so it takes longer. Nonetheless, service was great and they always made sure our waters and sodas were filled. We ordered a bunch of rolls and sushi, carpaccio was yummy too. Their fries tasted like McDonald's, I think we ordered 4 plates of fries lol. My favorite was their spicy garlic edamame, I ended up ordering more of that after I was done with all the sushi. This location is better than the Pasadena one! read more

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My family and I visited on a Wednesday evening at around 7PM after visiting Downtown Disney. We added our name to the waitlist and waited ~35 minutes for a party of 3. The Yelp waitlist was pretty accurate as estimating our wait time. There is a nice waiting area outside the restaurant. It was $37.95/person for AYCE. Sodas are $3.25. The sushi was good and the fish was fresh. However, it definitely seemed like we received orders that we did not order. We still ate it though as the items we didn't seem to order were served on the same plate of items we did order. Our server was nowhere to found. There is plenty of parking as it's located in a retail strip. Service is friendly, but not attentive. Not an issue for me, but it may be for some. read more

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Tomikawa is always a great option for AYCE sushi. I will admit, the first couple times I had been here, I was not that impressed, however, my most recent visit solidified this amazing review. Nigiri: The salmon and spicy albacore are my favorites. The salmon is always is super buttery and so delicious, and the spicy albacore has an amazing taste Mussels: you HAVE to get the baked mussels, they are always fresh and taste so good, i couldn't recommend this more. I have no complaints about the service here. They are always quick to attend to you and when you are one of the first ones there for lunch, the food comes out really quickly. read more

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I loved: Mackerel Spider roll Unagi sushi Salmon I really liked: Takoyaki Smelt egg I liked: Salmon egg Albacore Seared garlic tuna Spicy albacore Tomikawa in Irvine is easily one of my favorite AYCE sushi spots in OC. Everything tastes clean, fresh, and the rice ratio on the sushi is spot on. The salmon is great and I love that they present some items like a carpaccio. The mackerel is excellent with a balanced flavor that is not too fishy. The unagi sushi is so clean with perfect flavor and texture. The spider roll is fantastic, with refreshing greens and a soft shelled crab that is not too hard, making it an awesome bite. The takoyaki is hot, crispy on the outside, and super satisfying to eat. The smelt egg and salmon egg are both tasty with nice pops of flavor. The albacore is fine, though it does taste a bit like it was recently defrosted. The seared garlic tuna has strong garlic flavor but does not overpower. The spicy albacore is a bit too overpowering for me, though I am not the biggest fan of spicy fish in general. The tuna here is very clean. All the sushi is great. Very clean, very good rice ratio, and the rice itself is tasty. The soft textures combined with fresh fish make it super enjoyable to eat. #goodeats Great place to eat, especially for the lunch AYCE menu. Probably my favorite AYCE spot in OC. The restaurant is clean, service is quick, and I always leave super stuffed. read more

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The best AYCE sushi in Irvine! I love this place, salmon collars are my weakness! So fatty, so delicious, so tasty! The service here is super attentive, the sushi kept on flowing! The vibes are casual, everyone's having a great time filling their bellies! read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Salmon collar - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

This is one of my family's go-to restaurants, and I usually really enjoy my visits. However, my most recent experience fell short. We were told right away that we had 1 hour and 30 minutes to enjoy AYCE, but the wait time between rounds was unusually long. The restaurant is typically busy and full, but that wasn't the case this time, so the delays felt unnecessary. We also had to flag down our server multiple times, and a few sushi rolls were missing between rounds. I understand service can vary, but this felt out of the norm compared to our previous visits. Also, an automatic 18% gratuity was added because we had a party of 7. I don't mind tipping at all, but the service that day didn't really match the added charge. read more

Loooove it here. Classic all-you-can-eat sushi spot. I've been here a handful of times & the fish always tastes fresh. I would say this is a good spot to go with a friend group rather than a date night. It is always very loud & lively inside. Expect a 40 minute wait after putting your name down. read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Tomikawa might be a value when you eat AYCE sushi but for à la carte feels unreasonable. We ordered a Caterpillar Roll, Unagi sushi, and Ikura (Salmon Roe) sushi. Total with tip $31.63 Main issue is when they take the order nobody knows what Ikura (Salmon Roe) is and there's always new staff being trained and inconsistent service. This causes delays when they bring the wrong item and then have to put a new order in again. This is inconvenient as it's a busy place and crowded in the front causing a bottleneck. Sushi is a fine Japanese cuisine with a special reverence for timing, aesthetics, fish quality and temperature. Unfortunately, Tomikawa has not checked off all our boxes this time. read more

Fresh fish, however the soy sauce is crazy salty!! They don't fix it. Asked for low sodium..." we don't have it"

The ambiance was pleasant, and the restaurant was clean. However, we had to wait nearly 35 minutes to be seated. Once we ordered, the food did not arrive at the same time. I received my meal first, while the rest of my family had to wait another 30 minutes for their sushi, so we couldn't eat together. I ordered the beef bento box, but the beef had a strong liver-like taste. It seemed that it may not have been marinated or prepared properly. read more

TOMIKAWA @ IRVINE Parking is available and free right out front, it's shared with other stores so it can be packed. My friend worked here for a bit, and after quitting, she STILL comes back to eat and decided to bring me this time. Says a lot especially in the food industry. AYCE Sushi. What better way to spent a set amount of money at a spot. I was super stoked to try this and we got there right on time and had to wait for about 15 minutes - says a lot since people were ready when the door opened on a normal weekend. Our server was delightful, kind, and gave us lots of time to choose. The sushi, sashimi, and everything was fresh and unlimited. I really enjoyed their crispy tuna rice, that was amazing and full of flavor. One thing that is amazing about this spot is how little the rice portion they give you, they truly want you to eat all the fresh fish! The ambiance is nice, bright, and very spacious. Definitely will come back here. read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

When the boys are hungry we head to tomikawa- the all you can eat menu is great for casual hungry nights

Leaving Tomikawa honestly pretty frustrated. Couldn't give an accurate time of when we could get seated. Was told to wait 15-20 minutes, but ended up following up three times after that for a total of 40 minutes. Reason being they were holding tables for a large reservation party of 16, but I would have appreciated a realistic time estimate upfront because it made us very late for our follow up appointment. I'm not sure how said party was able to make that reservation because I've tried to reserve ahead of time in the past and was told they only take reservations in person and don't hold tables for anyone. Food came out and was also disappointed at the quality of the tuna (torn up) and unagi was quite small... I understand that restaurant time estimates are hard and variable especially at AYCE. But it was hard waiting without a clear time estimate that I hoped to have gotten in the beginning. Service was attentive but not the most friendly. I understand that I was coming as a pretty difficult customer, which is hard to deal with on the employee side. That being said, I think you should still try to be friendly being a waiter/waitress, especially to a frustrated customer. This experience gives me serious hesitation on whether to come back, even though I've known Tomikawa to be a really great restaurant. read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Tomikawa is always a go to restaurant for me and my family. We typically come on a Saturday night around 6:30 and the wait is around an hour to an hour and a half. I've also come during lunch before and the wait is a lot shorter! The restaurant is always filled with lively tables and the service is always great as well. We always order a bunch of nigiri's with the salmon, tuna, and eel being our favorites! For an all you can eat place, the quality of the fish is still pretty good! You can tell that it is fresh given the buttery texture and lack of fishy flavor. Although we do enjoy the specialty rolls as well, the nigiri's and the salmon collar are always must haves! read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Incredibly fresh fish that melts in your mouth! The AYCE is worth it if you're able to eat mostly nigiri. Their rolls are really good as well. There was about an hour wait to get in for a family of 7 at 6pm so be sure to get there early. The restaurant was bustling and can get pretty loud, but it makes for a lively atmosphere. read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Salmon nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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This is one of the local favorites. We went on a Monday at 11:45. It filled up quickly snd the long waitlist started shortly after. The sushi quality is solid. I'm a purist, so I love their nigiri (authentic traditional sushi), and their garlic tuna carpaccio is excellent as well. They served miso soup with plastic spoons, odd for a high-end sushi restaurant. That detail definitely fell short of a great experience. My family was visiting the U.S. from abroad, and I wanted them to try the tempura ice cream listed on the menu--but they didn't have it. In fact, they didn't have mochi ice cream either. It was disappointing and made me wonder if it was due to fast table turnover priorities. I also wish they would take reservations, as they always have a long wait time. read more

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An AYCE spot that won't disappoint. Selection includes all the basic nigiri and roll choices - freshness is a thumbs up. Attentive staff and fairly speedy even during busy hours. Most visits we'll start with their salad, miso soup edamame and a round of nigiri. Then transitioning to some appetizers like broiled mussels, tempura green beans, seaweed salad, cucumber salad and crispy rice w spicy tuna. Finishing off with a round of nigiri and maybe a roll. Good to know: They use a paper ordering system, no need to order on your phone or tablet. Let them know if it's your birthday - ice cream dessert! read more

Great food quality and service! Comfortable setting! I highly recommend! Worth the wait if there was a one

AYCE Sushi... food is pretty good. But today ordering off the happy hour menu for an early Sunday dinner. This is a nice neighborhood restaurant with a contemporary aesthetic. Side music plays in the background. Started with the Salmon Collar, Shrimp Tempura, and Mussels as our appetizers. The mussels were very tasty. Tempura had a nice light and crispy batter. The salmon collar was a bit over done but still fatty. Then followed up with a rainbow roll and Tomikawa Special Plate. Rainbow roll was not disappointing at all. The Tomikawa special plate was very good with a nice mix of nigiri sushi, hand roll, sashimi, seaweed salad and a uni & caviar rice bowl. Service was excellent and they gave us free refills on our teas which never went empty Four out of Five stars! read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Happy Hour Drinks - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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For an AYCE sushi spot, Tomikawa is probably one of the better options in the area. With AYCE, the goal is pretty simple...you're not expecting Jiro Dreams of Sushi quality, but you do want plenty of menu options that are tasty, fresh, and filling. Tomikawa checks those boxes. The fish quality is better than a lot of other AYCE places I've tried. Rolls are well balanced (I like how with some of their specialty rolls they aren't DOUSED with sauce like some other places do), the nigiri tastes fresh, and there are enough appetizers and hot dishes to keep things interesting so you don't get bored. Service has been consistently friendly on our visits, and food comes out at a reasonable pace. It can get busy during dinner hours and feel a little cramped, but if you come earlier and get on the waitlist, it's usually manageable. If you're after truly premium sushi, there are other options in the surrounding area. But if you're craving variety and AYCE and want something reliable, satisfying, and fairly priced, Tomikawa is a solid choice. Go in with the right expectations and you'll leave happy and full! read more

Quality like being in Japan! my wife is from Tokyo and she is super picky on sushi quality- she loves this place and it's very good quality. Also the service and staff are exceptional,. This place can get a super long waitlist but definitely worth it. Very inpressed with everything here. My daughter also loves it and staff are super nice to her even when she makes a mess. read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - da Boss Baby - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

It was great!food,service,everything All on time a little line but it's ok ready to come back again and again read more

Tomikawa... I keep walking by the restaurant and wasn't sure what they served. However, I always see how busy they are, and there is sometimes a wait at night. I'm so glad I finally dropped in for lunch on a Saturday. It was a great deal for AYCE- $40/person. You get a 90 minute time limit and 3 rounds to order. I usually only do 2 rounds since I order in bulk on the first round... but I made it to round 3 this time lol. We got an assortment of rolls, 2 pc sushi, assorted tempura, and a hand roll. I liked most of everything I ordered. The hand roll was ok. I would stick to the sushi rolls and the 2 pc sushi. The food was extremely fresh and the orders came out fast. I think this may be a good or even better than my favorite AYCE sushi spot, Sake 2 Me. I will definitely be coming back here when the cravings hit. Happy eating! read more

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Pretty decent sashimi and rolls. We got take out the other night. I will try again with the family soon. Service was pleasant and sweet. See photos. Plenty of diners inside and decor was cute. read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Sashimi platter - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

just did some basic sushi and rolls here, but the price and the portions were very fair and the fish was very fresh. didn't try anything else on the menu but given our first time experience just doing basic takeout, it was a good start. ordering online through their site is very easy and it was nice not to have to use a third party like ubereats or doordash which will mark up the price even though you are picking it up. order was ready at the time it was expected. this is our local japanese place near our new place in woodbury so this is encouraging. read more

No matter how many times I eat here never get tired of fresh sushi and over the top service. Just simply excellent and great AYCE or ordering off menu. read more

Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant - Alaska roll baked - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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