50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Aliso Viejo

“Best Sushi/Japanese spot I’ve been to in OC. You know the food is good when my Mother “75 year old Thai” and my two children “8 and 9” love all the food. The waiter/manager was extremely accommodating, and everything was fresh, timely and satisfying. Will come here again!!! Highly recommended. A+++++++++“

“Craving some udon while we were passing through the area so we decided to stop here for a quick early dinner on a weekend. It was quiet and service was quick.

Set up like a Chipotle and Subway. You order your main dish and you move along to customize it by adding tempuras (extra fee), vegetables (extra fee), green onions, or tempura flakes.

The udon soup base and noodles was good. The tempura batter on my shrimp tempuras was too thick and not light and flaky. I wanted to add vegetables to my udon and wish they were cooked first or cooked with my soup. Dumping uncooked vegetables into my soup just cooled everything down right away.

There was a lot of seating inside and on their large outdoor patio. The place was very clean.“

“Just like Oki....iykyk 💛 🔥“

“Fresh fish expertly prepared by friendly chef with equally cheerful service staff! We will be back“

“came here for the first time last week and honestly wish i’d found it sooner. the guy behind the counter was super friendly and helped me pick out something good since i couldn’t decide. definitely gonna be coming back, its my new favorite spot in the area.“

“I never learned how to eat sushi until a few years ago. It all started here. I only cime here for the Aliso Viejo Roll. I tried to explain this roll to other sushi spots but no one compares! So delicious. The staff is so sweet and always remember us when we go. Im weird apparently amd live my plain edamame with butter and the guys cut a sliver for me without asking! I live this place and they give the best hugs! 😄“

“Shins sushi is unassuming but is possibly the best sushi you will find in OC. Shin picks fresh fish himself and has an excellent eye for quality. The portions are very generous and the service is excellent. You won’t regret coming here.“

“Fast ... very friendly... great foods and great prices... A+++++....“

“Best poke! So much variety, tuna, salmon, spicy tuna, albacore, octopus, shrimp. tamago, and tofu. Delicious add-ons and lots of toppings!“

“Such a cute spot next to UCI! The interior decor is gorgeous — such a vibe! They have beer, sake, and COFFEES! Everything on the menu looks soo good. Many of the rolls use the same ingredients so that’s an area for potential improvement, but didn’t take away from the experience.

Service was great, our server was very kind and attentive. I didn’t love that water for the table was already sitting on each table when we arrived, it looked like it had been there all day. The ginger and wasabi was a similar situation, it didn’t look fresh, but when we requested more the server immediately replaced it!

It was so quiet and chill in this area, and they have outdoor seating as well where families were hanging out. Very mellow and cute.

We were in the area for a concert, but would definitely return for Botan Sushi! Thank you!“

“We have been going to Niko Niko for 10 years now. We love the restaurant and the community and the friends we made there I would definitely recommend this place, the food is amazing and the owners are very accommodating to the costumers needs. Love you Niko Niko family. My youngest daughter was so in love with their miso soup that they named an specific to go order with her name. “Christiana style”.“

“This place is adorable. We've been here a few times now. Food is good and drinks are great. I mean who wouldn't like googly eyes on their sandwich bun and coconut drink?!“

“Well worth the wait! GREAT sushi, service and quality.“

“Super Bowl Express has been one of my go-to spots in San Clemente for years and after today I had to leave a review.

Not only is the food consistently amazing, but the people there genuinely care about their customers. Joo, the owner, is one of the kindest business owners I’ve met and went completely above and beyond for us today. Martha was also incredibly welcoming and took amazing care of us.

The spam musubi is hands down the best in town, the beef bowls are unreal, and the Korean ribs are always a must order. Everything is fresh, flavorful, and consistent every single time.

Highly recommend supporting them if you haven’t been already.“

“Jerk chicken ELL eggs Tantan udon Kaisendon Everything“

“We have been there many times and love it! One of the best sushi restaurants I know! I prefer sashimi and the presentation is beautiful and mouthwatering!“

“The service was very good, and the overall taste was impeccable; the food was delicious and well-balanced, but it lacked the authentic and refined Japanese flavor. It was also unusual that the rolls fell apart. They gave us two eggs with the oden... The bonito broth tasted exactly like the one from Lawson convenience store, haha. The sake-steamed clams really tasted strongly of sake! The sukiyaki was quite impressive, a huge bowl! The only downside was the lack of a raw egg accompaniment, which felt like something essential was missing“

“Tried their jumbo beef pepper rice and I really enjoy the rice. The rice is oily with a lot of flavor and definitely carried the beef in my opinion. Their onion rings are also good and fresh but I kinda wish there was more for its price. Overall, the food taste great but the portions are in the smaller side.“

“I love the katsu and curry here. I think the curry is better than most other Japanese style curry restaurants. Good ingredients and thickened perfectly. Service is always good. New fav katsu and curry place. Oh, it's like $20 per order but the serving size is big.“

“Pretty good sushi place, fish tasted fresh. The rolls are on smaller side but tastes good. They have bento lunch specials. I would recommend they invest in a better menu book with photos. It will help their business and make it more enticing for customers to purchase more menu items. I was recommended to try the Romeo and Juliette Roll and it was light and delicious. Bonus, there’s a huge Tesla Charging Station on the other side of the strip mall.“

“The food is amazing!!! Knee is the best waitress ever👏👏👏👏🥰🥰“

“Food: Sushi rolls were excellent and pretty competitive prices. My favorite was the caterpillar. Fish quality was excellent. Avocado and cucumber was fresh and sushi didn't taste like it had sugar in it which was excellent.!

Service: Sucks. They are impatient, rude, and quick to walk away and pretend they didn't hear you. For example I asked if a waiter could remove a plate. He ignored me and signaled at the busboy to pick up the plate instead. Even the busboy realized that was odd.“

“My family and I usually love Jizake and have been to this place multiple times over the years. However after last nights dinner not sure if we will come back. The first issue is that the server forgot to bring us 3 of our appetizers. I also noticed that my hot sake wasn't very hot and that they have trimmed down the size of their rolls. During the meal it became obvious to all of us outside that they were using a wifi speaker and whoesever phone it was hooked up to must have been moving around since the music was going in and out. Lastly while asking for the check I instructed the server to take the appetizers off our bill since we didn't receive them. He said he would and when he came back I was given a hand written bill with the break down. To his credit those appetizers were shown but not charged. I totaled up each line item and everything seemed correct as the subtotal was $170 with tax total should have been $183.17. However after taking my credit card he came back saying they totaled our bill incorrectly and apologized. Our new printed bill after charging my credit card didn't show the pricing break down for all the items but it appears that they added back in the money for the appetizers as with tax it came to $196.11 plus tip. By this point we just wanted to leave. After getting home we started not feeling so well. We don't usually have any bad reactions to sushi so maybe it was some sort of cross contamination issue. Either way I would caution everyone while eating at this establishment.“

“Ordered for the entire office!
Ive had the chicken bowl and the tempura plate. It has been consistently great in service and quality! I recommend it for anyone looking for delicious fast and healthy meal- their portions are very generous as well!“

“When we searched for the best sushi place in San Clemente, Malulu Sushi came up first on the list.

Good things come in small packages, right? Well, this is a small place, but it doesn't matter because the food & service are excellent.

To me, service is very important!!! At Malulu, the Japanese hospitality is on full display. Then, the food came, and we realized that we had found our favorite sushi place in SC.

Everything we ordered was tasty. And to our surprise, the female sushi chef made the best spicy yellow tail handroll. It reminded us of a sushi roll that we could only get at a sushi restaurant in Laguna Niguel (sadly, the chef moved to Japan).

We are already planning to go back this week & bring some friends along.“

“Best sushi I have ever had“

“Today was first time dining here with my wife and what a surprise very nice place with very delicious food , great service and some charm to it . We were in the area shopping in Trader Joe’s and went on google maps to see if there was any food near by . Kotobuki came up and we just headed straight there . We ordered bento boxes and everything I mean everything tasted fresh and amazing. We will be back !“

“all of it was delish! great service as well.“

“So good! Everything was fresh, flavorful, and tasted incredibly authentic, just like what you’d get in Japan. You can really tell there’s care in the quality and preparation. Definitely a spot we’ll be coming back to!“

“I had a great time over there. Delicious food 🥘“

“Great little gem! It’s more like eating Art! The photography is breathtaking Every menu item is a work of Art and tasty! No dish is the same 😋😍“

“A favorite restaurant for our friends and family. Food is always consistently good and the atmosphere is fun!!!“

“Wagyu Factory in Tustin takes AYCE dining to another level with a hot-pot-forward experience, unlimited A5 Japanese, M9 Australian, and American Wagyu, plus an 80+ item buffet packed with seafood, sushi, vegetables, dim sum, hot dishes, cold dishes, desserts, and more. Come hungry, build your dream hot-pot spread, and do not skip the Chubby Club membership perks—especially if your birthday is coming up.“

“There are restaurants that chase perfection and there are restaurants that simply make you happy you walked through the door. Miyabi falls squarely into the second category.

No, this isn’t the best beef I’ve ever had. If you’re hunting for the most exclusive wagyu or the rarest cuts imaginable, there are places that will happily charge you two or three times as much. That’s not what Miyabi is trying to be.

What it does, it does exceptionally well. My wife and I came for the lunch special and by the time we left we both looked at each other and said the same thing. We’re definitely coming back.

The value is outstanding. The meat is fresh, beautifully sliced and generous. The broths are clean without being bland. I went with the kombu while my wife chose the yuzu and both were excellent in completely different ways.

The real surprise was the ponzu. Most ponzu leans too sweet or too salty. This one somehow lands perfectly in the middle. Bright, balanced and exactly what I wanted with every bite of beef and vegetables.

The vegetable bar is another thoughtful touch. Extra greens, scallions, grated daikon, garlic and everything is there whenever you want it instead of waiting for someone to bring it over.

Service deserves its own paragraph. They somehow found that balance that’s harder than it looks. They’re never hovering over your table, but they’re never impossible to find either. Water stayed full, empty plates disappeared and whenever we needed something, someone was already walking over before we had to ask. That’s good hospitality.

The restaurant itself is comfortable. A little darker than some shabu places, but clean, relaxed and somewhere you actually want to linger. We happened to catch the World Cup on the TVs, which somehow made an already enjoyable lunch feel even more relaxed.

If I had one criticism, it’d be the rice. It was just a touch firmer than I prefer. Still perfectly edible, especially with their crispy chili topping, but not quite as soft as I’d hoped.

Don’t skip the hot drops. It brings serious heat without overwhelming the food. Spicy enough to wake everything up, but never so aggressive that it masks the flavor of the broth or the beef.

Miyabi isn’t trying to be the flashiest shabu restaurant in Southern California. It’s trying to serve a genuinely satisfying meal at a fair price with attentive service and thoughtful details. Mission accomplished. I’ll absolutely be back.“

“Love this place! The service is excellent and you feel like you’re in some little restaurant in Japan. The rolls are fancy, substantial and delicious. They are on the pricier side but it’s totally worth it, you don’t need too many to be satisfied. The Ginza and crunch roll are a couple of my favorites. I just wish they had more flexible hours, that’s the only reason I hadn’t come here sooner! Definitely my favorite Sushi spot in RSM now.“

“This place was really good. We had a couple of the pork rice bowls and the portion of the meat was small. However, they ask you for your ID and card before you order (for context we say outside). The server said it was because we sat outside and wanted to avoid runners.
I would suggest maybe getting your customers to pay first if you are worried about that. I’m just a bit hesitant when I had to give my ID and credit card.“

“Best onigiri I've had outside of Japan. 🤩 Would definitely recommend! DON'T BE DETERRED BY THE EMPTY LOOK, STAFF ARE IN THE BACK COOKING. The staff are very nice here and the food was amazing. Each onigiri was just overflowing with meat on the inside, and the meat/fish was so flavorful. Food came out fast. The rice was warm and fresh. Great onigiri, great service, great place. You gotta come try! 🍙💓“

“i like the food, big serving & it’s worth the price, i hope they willnot increase the price or lessen the service.“

“Delicious food, fun and inviting atmosphere, excellent service and the friendliest owners Key and his lovely wife Grace. Our local reliable go to.“

“Our meal was delicious and the service was amazing“

“I’ve visited several times, and each time I’ve tried different dishes. Every staff member is very friendly, and the food never takes too long to be served. The food is authentic and delicious, and you can really feel the chefs’ dedication in every dish. It’s hard to find another Japanese restaurant with such great quality and value!“

“So far my favorite sushi place in San Clemente. It is a little bit pricey, so I don't go as often as I would like to. Sometimes I go to another place occasionally to get my sushi fix when I don't want to spend so much. But Miyako is the best!“

“Honsan Sushi is truly AMAZING!!! Likely thee best sushi I have ever had! The Dragon roll was absolutely superb, incredibly fresh with an impeccable presentation. I loved the black forbidden rice cooked to perfection. I did not miss the white rice one bit or its higher glycemic index. The Eel Hand roll was equally as impressive and absolutely delicious! I am so grateful to have found this incredible gem in my neighborhood! I will definitely return and Honsan will be my sushi restaurant from here on out. 10/10“

“Authentic Japanese, with my favorite grilled fish like salmon kama, miso cod, and they even have great grilled red meat. The make your own, deconstructed sushi is awesome too. The kids love the tempura, my grandpa loves the seafood noodles. Everyone is happy, with fresh, big portion plates (although the price does reflect larger plates). Quiet atmosphere, great for quiet conversations with family. The little dishes that come with the meal sets are really good too.“

“It's my favorite lunch spot the service is consistently great, and the food is absolutely fantastic. Their lunch specials are a steal, and the regular menu items are delicious too. Plus, they can accommodate large groups! Highly recommended!“

“I love � fukada“

“It's really one of the best restaurants in Irvine compared all including price, quality and service. Especially, Jane, the store manager, I sincerely appreciate her kindness and all staffs are taking care of my husband whenever he visited with me on wheelchair....~😊💕“

“I recommend the AYCE. All You Can Eat for a great price. The Sushi was very fresh and flavorful, the service very good and the Price was very reasonable. I would try the Jalapeño Poppers if you like a bite of spice and uniqueness! The Melon Soda was really good. Enjoy!!!“

“This was hands down one of the best meals I’ve had in LA. The quality of the fish—especially the toro and uni—was flawless. I haven't tasted toro this good since my trip to Japan. I did the DineLA event and got the $99 omakase—highly recommend. The only downside was that we had to wait 45 minutes to be seated, even with a reservation. Normally, a wait that long would be a dealbreaker for me, but they compensated us with a complimentary spicy crab, and the food completely turned my mood around ;) The server was also incredibly welcoming and broke down every single dish for us.“