43 Best Japanese Restaurants near Dana Point

“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.“

“The food was so delicious.“

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

“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.“

“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!“

“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 !“

“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+++++++++“

“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!“

“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.“

“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.“

“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 😋😍“

“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.“

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

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

“First time here and I absolutely love this place!! I’m very particular about sushi - I love my sushi to be very fresh tasting And this place here had nothing but High-quality Sushi.

I ordered the blue fin toro & Salmon Nigiri. Also got the yellowtail, Crunchyroll.

So delicious, easily became one of my favorite Spots!“

“The vegetarian rolls are so flavorful and the staff is super friendly! Definitely going back.“

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

“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!“

“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!“

“Nice atmosphere and the food was very tasty 😋“

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

“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!”“

“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!“

“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!!!“

“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.“

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

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

“The staff member that helped me (purple hair and a nose piercing) made my first visit to Poke Tiki so pleasant that I want to go back. Their communication was clear and they helped me make such a delicious poke bowl! We need more customer service and kindness like this person—they made me feel welcomed. The bowl was tasty with fresh fish and great toppings. 10/10 would recommend if you like a relaxed food spot with nice people around.“

“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! 😄“

“OniGuru was such a pleasant surprise. I came in looking for something quick and fresh, but the food ended up being much better than a typical casual meal. Everything tasted clean, flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared.

The onigiri had a great balance of rice, filling, and seaweed. The rice was soft and fresh without being mushy, and the fillings were generous without overpowering the whole bite. I really liked how each flavor felt different instead of tasting the same. You can tell they put effort into both the ingredients and the presentation.

The service was also excellent. The staff was kind, patient, and very helpful, especially if you are not familiar with all the options. They made the ordering process easy and welcoming. The food came out nicely prepared and looked just as good as the photos.

The atmosphere was simple, clean, and comfortable. It’s the kind of place that works well for a quick stop, a relaxed lunch, or even grabbing a few items to share. I also appreciated that the portions were satisfying and the food didn’t feel heavy afterward.

Overall, OniGuru is a great spot for anyone who enjoys fresh, tasty, Japanese-inspired food. I would definitely come back again and try more items from the menu. Highly recommended.“

“I love this place! We have been coming here for over 4 years! It’s the best sushi in town! We love the chefs and especially Grace !“

“Incredible experience! My family & I went on our vacation and we could not have had a better time. Wonderful food & service - our waitress gave us amazing suggestions & helped us try all of the right things! The fish was very fresh. This place is a must visit!“

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

“A uniquely delicious experience:
Actually ended up here by accident trying to find dinner at the downstairs tiki pub. Were swept off our feet by an intimate and well tailored japanese fishing/90’s citypop culture vibe, insanely good cocktails and the best sushi I’ve ever had. A bit more expensive, but I’d recommend this over its downstairs neighbor.“

“WOW Poki has easily become a top Poke spot for me. I've tried thier wrap and thier bowl so far and intend to return and try more! Plenty of options and every ingredient to pick from is fresh and ready for addition to your order. There is zero discoloration or proof of ingredients sitting out too long and when eaten, everything tastes fresh and flavors are strong in the best way possible and complimentary to each other. You can tell everything in the kitchen is well maintained by seeing and tasting. Service is polite and to the point so you can get to enjoying your meal right away and servers are not stingy with portions. I've left twice now feeling satisfied and wanting more the next day. The perfect spot to eat when you want something savory during this hot weather.“

“Good food and friendly service“

“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!“

“This is my favorite place for years to go. When it comes to all you can eat sushi. It's not a buffet style, pretty pretty much fresh to your mouth.... with the new changing ownership, it's even better... it's always good but now it's better.....“

“always fresh delicious friendly staff.All you can eat Monday and Tuesday 👍“

“Best Tomo fried rice, smothered fries, and Ramen I've had since moving to south OC. And the staff is super friendly! I drive 15 to 20 minutes just to get their food.“

“I have been coming here for over 10 years, and it consistently hits the spot. The Chicken Teriyaki bowl with extra chicken is the way to go, and the sheer amount of food you receive is uncanny.

Can't recommend it enough if you are craving a Chicken Bowl“