Zen Sushi is one of my favorite local sushi spots near Laguna Beach since I've been coming here for more than 5 years. The fish is always incredibly fresh and you can really taste the quality in every bite. The chefs are skilled, professional, and put great attention into both the presentation and flavor of each dish. If you're looking for consistently excellent sushi in the area, this is it!! read more

Hubby and I were heading over to our usual local sushi Sango Sushi but couldn't believe it had since closed down! We headed over to the closest sushi spot which was Zen Sushi. We ate outdoors and since it was 4 pm not busy. The waitress got our order out super fast. The only issue I had was the shrimp tempura was raw shrimp! I didn't say anything since I planned to take home and throw it in the air fryer for a couple of minutes. Other than that the sushi was delicious! My favorite was the caterpillar roll. We also ordered the rainbow, California, dragon, Philly, and Alaskan roll. read more

A small local spot in a strip mall off of La Paz road in Aliso Viejo I found on Yelp. I was pleasantly surprised by this place for lunch. A beautiful Chirasu fish bowl for $16 may be the best lunch deal in OC. Chik-fil-a at lunch is $15 now and this quality of beautiful Japanese rice (it was probably Korean as it's run by Koreans) tuna, salmon, shrimp, and a yummy tamago for $16!!??? Ridiculous. And then the chef brings us over some sashimi with onions and ponzu on the house to say thank you. I love local owned Mom and pops like this. I cannot wait to come back. read more

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This place is sweet, I may be biased because I've been coming here since I was a kid but I like it. Sweet staff, good vibes. Chicken Udon for $11 which is a great price! Good roll, good quality fish. Shout-out zen sushi fr. read more

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ELEVEN DOLLARS FOR THE UDON!!!! BEST DEAL IN SOUTH COUNTY!!!!!!!! Great service and great udon for the price. The Alaskan roll was also fantastic and they gave a great amount of ginger as well which was great!!!!! read more

Zen Sushi - Beef Udon - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

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I found Zen Sushi after it was recommended to me by a local and I'm so glad I gave it a try. It's such a cozy, welcoming little spot that feels like a true local gem. I can really tell the chefs care about how the food is prepared from the freshness of the ingredients to the attention to detail in every dish. Definitely a place I'd love to come back to even for takeout read more

Sit at the bar to watch the chefs as they prepare your sushi! There's also a few televisions if you'd rather watch that instead. Tables are available for larger parties, both inside and at their back patio. THE FOOD. - Garlic Edamame | Garlicky and nutty flavors with seasonings for added savoriness. - Spicy Salmon Roll | Rich, buttery salmon with a kick of spiciness. The rice was portioned perfectly as well. - Double Double Roll | Refreshing and flavorful pairing of tender, slightly sweet shrimp and the creamy richness of avocado. - Baked Lobster Roll | California roll with seared langostino on top. Drizzled eel sauce adds to the sweetness. - Mackerel Sushi | Fishy, but the green onion helped to tone down the flavor. They gave me an extra cut of mackerel on top, which I appreciated! THE DRINK. - Iced Tea | No fuss, it's tea and it was good. THE PARKING. Free parking and plenty of it. THE RETURN? Yep, it's a pretty solid sushi place. I also want to mention that the staff are super helpful; continually passing by to clear out the plates and refill drinks. read more

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The service was great but the sushi was not cold at all, it was borderline warm and made us a little nervous. We usually eat a lot of sushi but we didn't add any additional sushi after our first round came out. read more

Excellent attentive service, all food was very nicely presented and had very good flavor. The Salmon Lemon roll was very y but not sour. Cozy layout. Long Sushi bar. Very cute serving plates. All the Sushi was very fresh and tasty. Liked that they had no rice options for some of our guests. We will definitely go again to try other dishes. Service was quick. There are appetizers that do not show up on the ordering menu. We really enjoyed the flavor of the garlic edaname; crunchy garlic bits in a light chili oil on edaname. It is helpful that they have a color menu with photos for you to be able to see alot of the menu offerings. read more

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It is better to eat any raw fish in the restaurant than have it to go . Service was good and place is welcoming.

I was in the mood for some sushi last minute and decided to try this place for the first time--I was pleasantly surprised. Food came out quickly even though they were busy. The fish was fresh and the rolls, sushi, and hand roll I got were tasty. Would definitely return for a good meal. read more

I like coming here because it's never busy and the items are pretty good! Its customer service is lacking I think they are just sick of working! For example, they brought my edimame AFTER I finished my main sushi saying they forgot, I took it to go! It relatively 5 minutes to get your order unless it's baked. They are slow to refill soda and don't order water unless it's bottled. The menu items are unique and cute! read more

We were at Target when my kids got a craving for sushi, so we headed across the parking lot to Zen. It was a small, modest looking restaurant with nice wait staff and a steady flow of customers. I ordered the Salmon Lemon Roll and my kids got 2 California Rolls and Shrimp + Veggie Tempura. The seafood was fresh and the food tasted good. Unfortunately, all 3 of our sushi rolls kept unrolling and falling apart. That was a big bummer! We might give them another try next time we're in the area. read more

Zen Sushi - Salmon Lemon Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

Awesome fresh sushi and great service! They have a varied menu, all rolls are delicious, sashimi salad is great and the salmon carpaccio is amazing. Sushi chefs are friendly and very efficient! Highly recommend. read more

Me and my girlfriend's first time here and we loved it. Great food, great service, great prices and great chef. Will definitely be coming back here when we're craving sushi again. Thank you! read more

Great quality sushi and friendly staff! This place has been here for a long time and I definitely recommend it as a go-to sushi spot!

The food is good, but the service, especially from the host, is very poor. As a customer for over 5 years, I am extremely disappointed and will not be returning. read more

Came here for some lunch with some coworkers after a great recommendation. We got seated at the sushi bar and ordered a bunch of sushi to share. We got the yellowtail, yellowtail belly, salmon, escolar, scallops, ono, and uni sushi. My favorite was the yellowtail, yellowtail belly, salmon, and uni. Their fish cuts are fat and definitely fresh. I also got the salmon skin handroll and it was very flavorful and crispy. Their handrolls are huge and definitely filling with rice, avocado, and cucumber. The service was great and the sushi chefs were personable. Definitely a smaller shop so I can see them being busy during dinner time. I will definitely be back to try their sushi rolls and other sashimi. read more

Used to have great experiences at this place but recently orders have been wrong consistently. We had called to explain that our order was wrong after placing an online order and the waitress had answer and rudely explained that she wasn't wrong. We were able to bring back our food back and get the problem fixed but it's disappointing when this spot had been so fun. read more

Best sushi around -- been coming here for over 15 years and it's always fresh and delicious! No gimmicks -- just great sushi.

I ordered online and went in to pick up my food. I got all the way back home and they called me to say that they gave me the wrong order and asked me to bring it back. I came back to get the correct order and they were very rude and would not compensate me at for the inconvenience of it all. I understand that things happen but I feel they were not interested in making it right. I will never dine or order from here again. Do not recommend! read more

Good food Service excellent Friend atmosphere Fast and easy ordering Clean dining area great music read more

Asked what rolls could be prepared gluten free and the guy was a huge jerk about it, smugly saying rice is gluten free and so is sashimi. Thanks Captain Obvious. Business 101, don't eliminate a huge chuck of clients who have food restrictions and LOVE sushi because you are too ignorant to research how simple accommodations are, like using Tamari vs. Soy sauce (which has more wheat than soy), or leaving off fake crab, which only saves you money. Also you're in South Orange County. Know your market. read more

I absolutely love the sushi here!!! The restaurant itself smells a litttttle funny and it's very very small inside aaaand the waitresses aren't very friendly but regardless of all of those negatives, the sushi itself is good enough to STILL give this spot 5 stars. If you're looking for better atmosphere they have another location on Golden Lantern that is very nice. I love the baked salmon roll, sunset roll, no kiss, and many others. Highly recommend!!! read more

Amazing little hole in the wall spot right off the 73. Super friendly staff - especially the sushi chef's. Not a lot of seating so it does get pretty packed. We showed up on a Friday around 5pm and no one really came until almost 6 then it started to fill up. Prices are great and food is absolutely delicious! Their octopus salad is super tasty with cold sake, I absolutely loved their "fire cracker," (spicy tuna with jalapeño and avocado on fried rice) and of course the tuna belly and yellow tail belly were delicious (great quality). Highly recommended. read more

Zen Sushi - Tuna belly and yellow tail belly - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

Food is great. Sushi Rolls are amazing. Wouldn't recommend the water though. They bring and take your order quite fast, almost like in a rush. Not the best place if you plan on taking your time. read more

My girlfriend and friends were treated very poorly here and faced racial discrimination by certain employees. As someone in the restaurant business, all guests should be treated with respect and feel comfortable. I hope these employees are held accountable. I will be telling everyone I know about this experience. read more

The service and staff are great and the fish is super fresh.. love the bento box and sushi special read more

Zen Sushi - Bento Box - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

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Zen Sushi is one of my go to places with my niece. She is super picky about her Sushi and no joke, is a sushi expert. Not kidding. So, when I suggested going to Jizake as I usually like to visit and she wanted ZEN, I was skeptical. BOY WAS I WRONG! It might not asthetically look like anything special, but thats what I have realized, great sushi doesnt need fancy seating, or decore, all it needs is fresh fish and awesome chefs and there you go. It was soo good, that we came back a week later, and now, its on my radar. Its not Gen Kai Sushi, but its a strong option if in AV. Top contenders: Beef Teriyaki $14.95 (from Dinner A La Carte menu), Baked Salmon Roll , Mango Roll, Kiss of an Angel Roll, Baked Lobster Roll, Caterpillar Roll to name a few. I would recommend Zen Sushi located in the Target shopping Center. read more

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Food and service is all good. I get my favorite bake salmon sushi which is delicious. Have a tried a few things which is pretty good. read more

We have been going to Zen for years and love it. It's nothing fancy, but the food is great and once the staff gets to know you, they treat you like family. It doesn't look too large, but there is a seating area in the back outdoors. My favorite items are the Hawaiian roll, the spicy octopus salad, and the salmon lemon roll. read more

Zen Sushi - Cucumber salad and spicy octopus salad - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

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I love the whole place! They make you feel important and part of the family period. I love the owner, June. The employees are all considerate and kind and know you by name. The food is amazing and the portions are wonderful. read more

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The service is always fantastic and the sushi is phenomenal, I love coming here, it's a great place for sushi lovers!

Excellent quality sushi, lots of different options on the menu. Very kind staff who are super helpful! We had some amazing food here!

Tempura was tasty! Sushi was just alright. Definitely not worth the price, though. The menu has a good variety of choices.

This is my "go-to" sushi for any day. It's a nice family run business where everyone knows you, treats you, and respects you for your business. They work hard and the food is great. The service is fast and it doesn't kill the wallet. read more

2.5 rating here. They are very accommodating and big portions!! Would I come back? Possibly but not after my last 2 sushi extravaganzas Quality is a B, presentation a D. Sushi chef is so sweet. I can't rate them a 2 so I'll give it a 3 star rating. I'm grateful for the portions and miso full!! Presentation is severely lacking read more

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Sushi. Sushi. Sushi! My fiancé and I are on the hunt for our local favorite sushi joint and we decided this spot is a contender. The reviews here in Yelp seem to be a love it or hate it experience so I really wasn't sure what to expect. We stopped in on a Sunday afternoon during lunch and we were surprised to see it fairly packed. The restaurant is much bigger than it appears from the outside with seating in a back patio as well. We seemed to walk in while some were leaving for lunch break so there was a bit of a wait and confusion about our seating arrangement. It did make us a bit uncomfortable but we were sat at the bar and that seemed like the best option to get the food quickest. More importantly though - the sushi. It was served so fast and everything was good! We ordered a cucumber salad - soft shelled Crab which was covered in a Panko crust Instead of a traditional batter and it was a pleasant surprise. Delicious. We also had salmon sashimi - halibut and mackerel sushi. All great portions and freshness. The Baja roll was awesome - so saucy you didn't need to dip in soy sauce. The spicy yellowtail was surprisingly a very large roll as well. All very good. Our bottle of nigori was pricey at around $15 a bottle. We are accustomed to about $10 elsewhere. Regular rolls are priced fairly well but the specialty rolls are a bit high. But this is pricing I'm seeing is a bit more common in this area. Overall we were happy with the quality and the portions. We would go back but I got to try out a few more local spots before we decide this is our "sushi" spot. read more

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My friends were treated horribly as the drunken chef said to my friend (she's mexican), "Hola como estas?" the same chef asked my other friend, "Soka University?" She replied, "No I think you've got the wrong person." Someone at the bar responded with, "No she's goth" because of the way she's dressed. The waitresses also muttered saying they hope she wasn't Mexican. Was very uncomfortable and will not come back again. read more

The baked lobster roll is the best! The service is great as well! I would definitely recommend