38 Best Japanese Restaurants near Capistrano Beach

“Nice atmosphere and the food was very tasty 😋“

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

“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.“

“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!“

“​I've had a lot of sushi in Orange County, and this spot is one of the best—and the price is right. The high-quality food, the location, and the fantastic staff all make this place a winner. Tom and his wife are an absolute delight.

​I highly recommend the Poki bowl. This place was serving up poki bowls long before they were on every corner. The quality is so much better, and you get way more fish. It's a must-try.“

“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.“

“Love this place. I’m surprised I haven’t reviewed it as I’ve been probably 60 times since I found it! I will say here and there sometimes it is inconsistent with the amount of sauce you get based on who is serving you, but otherwise the team is always really friendly and super quick!!!

The fish/ingredients are always fresh and flavorful.

So they earn all five stars.“

“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.“

“Great place! Hole in the wall with limited seating, but the food was fresh and delicious. Price was not much more than lower quality sushi restaurants.
it gets packed very quick, so reservations is recommended. We didn't have reservations and had to wait about 10-15 minutes.“

“Best sushi I have ever had“

“I ordered the ramen tofu because there normal ramen was a combination of tonkotsu broth with pork and chicken.
Since I don't eat pork, it had to be the tofu one, which is really sad for me. I was expecting them to add chicken to it, but they couldn't, so I had to order a chicken lolipop on the side, which was actually pretty good.
So if you don't like/eat pork it's gonna be hard for you in there but otherwise the ramen tofu was good but I didn't want to eat tofu because I don’t like it but chicken but like I said I had no choice but to order it.“

“Came here for dinner with my mom to celebrate the 15th anniversary of my dad’s passing. The fish was fresh, the miso soup was delicious, and the staff were so hospitable! We loved that it was quaint inside and easy to walk to from our Inn. Definitely recommend Maki Yaki!“

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

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

“Tried their new signature udon and loved it — the noodles were perfectly chewy with great texture, and the broth was flavorful (I wouldn’t mind a bit more of it!). The restaurant is bright, clean, and well-organized with a fast, efficient ordering system. No long lines and an overall great dining experience.“

“Amazing sushi, with many fresh specials of the day - it’s popular and we had to wait a short while for a table, but we didn’t mind and it was really worth it. All the classics perfectly executed, and many new combinations for special rolls. Prices were reasonable. Highly recommend!“

“Great food! More like a "Sushi to go" restaurant. You order your food at the counter. There are only a couple of tables inside and out the restaurant and they will bring the food to your table if you are dining in. It is family owned and you often see Father, Mother, and Daughter working behind the counter. But every time I've eaten here, I've been very pleased with the food and service.“

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

“The food was so delicious.“

“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!“

“good food on the go. plenty of seafood options.“

“Restaurant is clean and open. Their sashimi bento box lunch special [includes miso soup, cucumber salad, tempura, half CA roll, and seven slices of quality sashimi served with real wasabi!] is the best and it was only $20. Thank you to sushi chef Obi for his recommendation. Now if they only served Kuronama or any other Japanese dark beer, they'd be perfect.“

“The service here is so nice and fast. You can’t beat the lunch special deals! ($10-13 for entree with soup and salad) I love coming here for lunch, I want to try all their deals haha. If I didn’t make it for the lunch specials I would definitely try one of their specialty rolls!“

“Oh My Sushi is a hidden gem tucked away in a strip mall in Laguna Niguel. They serve incredibly fresh fish, beautifully presented in both classic and creative sushi rolls. The Toro Tasting is amazing. The décor is modern and inviting, the drinks are inventive, and the dessert selection is a sweet surprise. Their sake list is impressive — don’t miss the sake flight, it’s a must-try!”“

“This is my husband and I's favorite poke place ever. We've tried a ton of places throughout OC and on the east coast & this place is definitely the best. The family that runs it is always very nice when we come in and the food always tastes fresh. Also, The place is always VERY clean which is super important to me when being served poke. 10/10 recommend“

“By far the best Sushi place in the area! There are two equally good sushi places further away, but I cannot recall any that is better! Food is always delicious, fresh, and very friendly and fast. You can tell that the chef is very experienced and knows how to deliver the experience! I feel lucky to live really close! :)“

“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.“

“We sat at the sushi bar and Joe-san was our sushi chef. He was fast, efficient and everything was tasty. We chose the Oh My God roll towards the end and honestly folks? It is OMG spectacular! And so was the Queen Imperial with yellowtail and mango. Great service!!!“

“Great sushi and the atmosphere is great. The owners and chef’s will stop by your table to see how things are going. They also make sure that you always have a cold beer. While you’re there, buy the chefs a beer, they love toasting with their patrons.“

“This by far the best Poke bowl restaurant in SoCal! The food is always fresh and the staff is really polite and helpful if you want to try something new. It's always clean and has simple and mellow atmosphere. You won't find a better selection and service any where else!

Parking: Underground parking is free when they stamp your ticket. Always space to park.“

“Cool little hole in the wall place down the street from my parents place. Got the bento box and it hit the spot. I don't live there, but if you are looking for a random place, this isn't a bad place to check out. Only dig is they close early. Probably because they are in the back spot of a complex. So staying open late would be tough if folks don't know you are there.“

“4.5 actually. Cool decor. Great concept--a speakeasy sushi bar (actually upstairs from a Goonies inspired speakeasy). Friendly staff. Very nice cocktails. And quite good food, but I wish there were larger portions offered (my only complaint). Definitely worth a visit or revisit.“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
We tried the onigiri and poke yesterday and they were absolutely amazing! The flavors were fresh, authentic, and so delicious – every bite was a treat. The service was friendly and attentive, which made the whole experience even better. Definitely a spot we’ll be coming back to again and again. Highly recommend! 🍣✨“

“Good food and friendly service“

“Best Sushi ever, have been there 4 times in two weeks of vacation with friends and family. Great & friendly staff, too!“

“Yukino is one of the kindest, most hardworking people I’ve ever met. She and the team at Sea Butter Laguna Beach treat me like family every time I visit. The quality of the sushi is amazing, but it’s the warm, welcoming atmosphere that keeps me coming back.

Yukino goes above and beyond for every guest—she’s attentive, gracious, and genuinely cares about the experience. Sea Butter is lucky to have her. Highly recommend this spot—not just for the food, but for the heart. ❤️“

“We ate dinner here last night. Probably the best sushi we’ve ever had. The staff was great as well.“