50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Aliso Viejo

“We visited this place today with our whole family and had a wonderful experience. Even though it was a busy time, they were able to find us a table quickly, and we didn’t have to wait long.

Our server was very kind and attentive — he helped us choose our dishes, gave great recommendations, and answered all our questions.

The food was absolutely delicious, and the entire staff made us feel welcome and well taken care of. Everything was just perfect.

We highly recommend this place and will definitely be coming back, especially since we live nearby!“

“I am allergic to shrimp, and today I decided to have an udon soup here. My sincere congratulations and endless thanks to the staff who took care of me tonight at the bar. They remade my order from scratch to make sure there was no cross-contamination, and the manager personally supervised the preparation of my udon soup to ensure it was completely safe. Thank you so much, I will definitely be coming back to this restaurant!“

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

“We LOVE it here! Weekly dinner! Baked lobster roll, baked salmon roll are impeccable. Never disappointed! We swear it gets better every time! Also the seared garlic albacore is like butter. So delicious. Absolutely eat here. Jenny & Michelle are absolute angels!“

“A Hidden Gem in Surfer’s Paradise – Super Bowl Express Delivers a Knockout!”

Tucked away in the heart of surf heaven, Super Bowl Express is the kind of place you stumble upon once—and never forget. The staff? Absolute legends. They literally fired up the kitchen after hours just to make me dinner. That kind of hospitality is rare.

The food? Fresh, flavorful, and made with heart. The BBQ with brown rice and vegetables is a game-changer—smoky, wholesome, and perfectly balanced. And don’t sleep on the sushi—it’s ocean-fresh and melts in your mouth.

If you’re chasing waves and crave something real, this spot is your post-surf paradise.“

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

“This place is a hidden diamond. It was the best sushi me and my wife ever had. I am big with all you can eat sushi restaurants but this place is heaven. I will not go anywhere else moving forward. This is my spot now.
I highly recommended the hostess, and the waitresses are extremely friendly.“

“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.“

“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!“

“Simple, delicious, and healthy. This place species in beef pepper rice and have mastered their craft. The menu is nice and simple which makes it easy to order. The beef pepper rice is affordable and delicious, but the toppings at $2 each is pretty absurd. You order at the tablet and the staff bring out the food to your table if dining in. The staff are very friendly and the interior is clean.“

“Family brought us here to celebrate a birthday - even though they stick to bento boxes and don't get the sushi. Worked out, everything was very fresh and tasty. It's a small space inside and very homey. Loved the no rice roll options. The servers were making jokes with us and jumping in pictures, we were the only ones there for awhile. (If you're the stick to yourselves type, you will hate this.)“

“It's a lovely sushi place. Went on a weeknight early evening and sat by the sushi bar. Had the chefs choice and it was a delight. I find it to be a. Ice gem for a sushi place. It's not a place I would expect to have chef choice sushi but it was a nice surprise. Will go back and will bring friends and family.“

“Super fresh, smelled clean inside. Owner is quite friendly and really cares about making a nice bowl.

Got the large bowl with brown rice, and a selection of great sides and toppings. Not *too* many, but each one worth considering. Flavors and spice level were spot on, not too salty or sweet, which highlighted how good the fish choices are.“

“The sushi is so fresh and everyone is so friendly, It is obvious that there are many regulars in there. So many groups of customers were talking and joking with each other, it is a very friendly atmosphere. It is a small place with only one Sushi chef and it appeared that many customers knew each other, the chef seemed to know most of the customers, the customers knew the chef……you get the picture. Seeing the place full of so many regulars was reassuring on its own but the food spoke for itself.“

“Great food, you get a lot of food for your money! Had the Chicken Katsu, came with the chicken, rice, some vegetables and broth. A great amount of food for the price. Great Customer Service. Located inside the WestPark Plaza. Lots of options to choose from and this is a sure bet.“

“Needed a healthy option for my daughter and this is her favorite.

Super fresh ingredients and tasty quality I expect of sushi and bowls. The teriyaki chicken bowl is very tasty and enjoyable.

We generally get to-go. The eat-in option are basic tables and chairs.“

“Ordered Yasai catering for a work lunch and everyone loved it! The workers are super friendly and they made sure we had all of the utensils&sauces for each dish. The sushi & chicken Katsu was delicious! 10/10 will order catering again 😊“

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

“This is the ultimate sushi spot. We have been coming here for many years for date nights and also nights with the family to celebrate and enjoy a special occasion. Everyone here knows us and we are always welcomed with big smiles and “come in, come in!” The staff and chefs here make this place feel like home, like this is our spot. It’s a very small restaurant, hole in the wall, which I absolutely love. We’ve sat at tables inside, the bar, and the tables outside are great too! They have enhanced the outdoor area with umbrellas and heaters, candles and table lamps. We always ask about the specials - go with the specials! They have sake, beer, sodas, tea - we usually get a large Asahi and share it, or ask for a recommendation on sake. The oysters and monkfish liver, when they have it, are incredible! Any and all of the nigiri is our go-to, can’t go wrong with any of the rolls too (we usually do sushi when dining in and get rolls for take out). I love the uni and unagi, chu toro and buri toro (all the toro), hamachi and kanpachi… I honestly love it all. The kids always get udon and karaage chicken with a side of white rice. This is our special place to celebrate, so grateful to have this kind of spot to go to that’s close to home. We love it here.“

“Had a really good experience at GU Ramen Taps & Tapas recently. The ramen was flavorful, the tapas were perfect for sharing, and the drinks selection was solid too. We went during happy hour and the atmosphere was super fun and relaxed, definitely a place we’ll be coming back to.“

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

“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“

“Just had late dinner, last minute. I found them open. It’s a nice idea. It’s something different than others. The service was fast was looking better than our picture on the website and was more rich with ingredients for this reason I do rate as a five star.“

“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!“

“The staff is super friendly and the food is incredible. Best sushi Ive ever had! They also have some of the best whiskey. Will definately be taking any friends that love sushi to this place in the future.“

“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”.“

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

“Love our little sushi spot. Best sushi! We get no rice rolls and we cannot find the selection elsewhere. They r fantastic with kids“

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

“I normally don’t enjoy shabu shabu, but I was surprised with how much I liked the the quality of the meats and the ambiance at Miyabi. Maybe I’ve just been cheating myself by not spending a little bit more for higher-quality shabu shabu. I’m a fan of their crispy garlic. Attentive and friendly service from Chris and Alyssa made for an excellent lunchtime dining experience.“

“Quick and friendly service, food is yummy!.😋“

“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.“

“Discovered this gem while on the search for lunch! Amazing sushi 🍣 sashimi options, and the tempura was fried to perfection (very crispy)! Also tried the non alcoholic Sapporo and it was light and foamy. Miso soup was okay! Loved the restaurant ambiance, very quiet and clean/nice decor, attentive and friendly servers (more upscale than a casual place). I think we found our new sushi 🍣 spot in Irvine 🥰 highly recommend!“

“Love the service. Amazing quality in food and service. Our server Hatch was really welcoming accommodating and nice. He helped us out with everything that we need. I got the tonkatsu broth and it was very yummy. Very good selection of meats veggies side dishes and hot plates. Will be coming here again and again and again.“

“Superb Japanese restaurant that is set in a modern, elevated dining space. The quality of the food is great and very delicious. They have a large menu filled with classic sushi, sashimi, rolls, and other entrees. The staff are very friendly and helpful. This was the first time I have ever seen double sided chopsticks, which were very interesting and helpful.“

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

“Server terry was great, food was delicious i tried the new beer they have from japan they serve it to you with mint leaves 🍃 and it tastes phenomenal, the Mexican roll, stuffed jalapeños and the Jeffrey roll and the miso soup are the best 👌“

“AMAZEBALLS! Japanese A5 Wagyu For The Win!“

“DELICIOUSNESS! healthy, tasty and great prices“

“I’d rate Soba Izakaya Minami one of south OC’s best izakaya. Their small portion (Japanese tapas) are delicious and served very fast. Don’t forget to order the Orion beer draft if you’re a beer lover!“

“What is there to complain about? I always come by whenever I'm in the neighborhood. Still one of the few deals thats under $10 for an actual meal.Their Pork Cutlet Curry ($9.25+tax) is my go-to for its volume and the home-y feeling it gives you.The gentleman at the front gingerly took my order and my food came out ~10mins. Mind you, this was on a Tuesday afternoon (2pm)I prefer this locaction sometimes compared to its sister location in Costa Mesa. The choices here are limited, but you get the quiet and convenience.Tip: There's a parking in the back corner of the mall where you have direct access to the food court instead of parking and walking through the front. If you can find it...“

“Small place. Reservations recommended. Pricey but fish is fresh and delicious.“

“Everything was amazing to the food, the atmosphere and service!“

“I love � fukada“

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

“The food was so delicious.“