50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Del Mar

“Heated outdoor, large menu, great food!“

“The food was delicious I recommend it everyone.... FrIendly waiter u can see them making the food I enjoyed it.. I’m coming to eat..“

“Fantastic food quality. Purist food.“

“An amazing restaurant! The fish is so fresh that it sparkles!! Get the omakase!! And we will definitely be back And that means traveling there from Northern California. It’s that good.“

“Great chefs, great staff, great food, great sake… what’s not to like when everything was great!?!?“

“this is clearly one of my favorite Japanese markets in San Diego is not that big but I has enough stuff to make you happy in the dinner place is really good the ramen is amazing and I love you decoration because it makes you feel like you're in Japan looking at the samples you should totally go here will never regret it. prices are there regular has another Asian market but when you think about these being products that you don't get every where it is kind of cheap.“

“We dined at their SM North Edsa branch. Good food. 👌 Crews were accommodating. 💯“

“The sushi is amazing...baked salmon roll and Philly rolls are my go to!“

“My sister and I were craving Japanese food, so she suggested Kumi Sushi Grill. I ordered a bento box with chicken teriyaki, yellowtail sashimi, and mixed tempura. My sister also got the chicken teriyaki bento box with mixed tempura, and fried gyoza. The Bento boxes come with miso soup and we also ordered Green Tea.
All I can say is everything was excellent. They give you 3 big pieces of yellowtail sashimi that melted like butter and their tempura was awesome.The portion sizes are huge. We should split a box. You can swe hiw much food my sister had in her to-go box. Mine was just as much food but not as pretty. I highly recommend this place.“

“Absolutely incredible! We have dined in with Chef Nghi and have ordered their Epic board for take out and every time it has been nothing short of incredible. We’ve tried just about all the high-end sushi spots in San Diego and we’re always left impressed by chef Nghi! Not only is their fish so fresh and their rolls fun and creative but the service is top notch! I highly recommend Ju-ichi!“

“Stumbled upon this spot when we were craving sushi. Our servers were incredibly hospitable and the atmosphere made it one of the most memorable nights my partner and I had during our trip to San Diego. It's been over a month and I still think about our dinner experience here. Highly recommend 👌“

“If you are lucky in life, you occasionally get to have a real dining experience. Something that defies expectations, challenges the norms, sets the bar at an unattainable level. That often comes with high-end restaurants with renowned chefs. When it happens in a tiny, unassuming neighborhood establishment, it makes me giddy. I just had one of the best meals of my life hosted by Hiro the chef and only employee at Hanaya Sushi. In fact it was just he and I in the restaurant on a Wednesday early evening. He served me a beautiful presentation, delicious beyond any words that I possess. It was truly edible art. Hiro was amazingly talented in his food preparation, a real culinary artisan. On top of that, he was funny, kind, humble, grateful and entertaining. When it was all done, he sent me home with an awesome little goodie bag. What's clearly evident to me, that while my treatment seemed so special and personable, I know he takes care of everyone with the same effort and respect. He doesn't really want a crowd, even though he deserves one. He is happy taking care of one customer at a time and giving them all he has, grateful for the living it provides for himself. We need more Hiros in this world. I've eaten at a lot of good places and have been happy to provide reviews for the ones that really stand out. But I've never written a dining review quite like this. I'm so grateful for this very personal experience and I'm actually sad I don't live in the area so that I can enjoy Hiro and Hanaya Sushi on a regular basis. This will be a dinner I'll never forget and I hope to make it back one day. Thank you Hiro!“

“As a long-time fan of Japanese curry, I was thrilled to finally visit a Curry House CoCo Ichibanya – my first time at this particular chain, though I'm no stranger to the style, having frequented a beloved (and now sadly closed) Curry House in Westwood pre-pandemic. I was so happy to find the menus quite similar, with all my old favorites present and accounted for!
We started with the Garlic Cheese Naan, which was absolutely delicious fresh and hot, though it did lose a bit of its magic as it cooled – so definitely enjoy it quickly! It was also my boyfriend's very first foray into Japanese curry, and I'm happy to report he absolutely loved it. He opted for the spicy teriyaki fried chicken, while I indulged in my classic chicken cutlet. Both dishes were just as rich and flavorful as I remembered, hitting all the right notes of comforting deliciousness.
My only minor disappointment was that they were out of iced coffee, which would have been a perfect complement. Nevertheless, the overall experience was fantastic, and I'm already planning my next visit to have my old favorite, the keema curry! I'll definitely be back when I'm in San Diego.“

“Owner is from Hawaii. Great service and great taste. Spicy Miso Broth hit thr spot. definitely will be back when I'm in town for work. 🤙🤙🤙“

“FABULOUS LUNCH ! Hey I have never been inside a Japanese restaurant in my life. On the other hand my wife has traveled to Japan many times for her work and loves Japanese food...her fav is Chicken Yakitori. NOTE ! I saw a video a few days ago of Chicken Katsu Curry posted by my mate Jack...one of my best friends on Yelp. It looked so delicious that I had to have it. TODAY ! My wife and I were down in La Jolla taking care of business. I had previously looked up URBN Sushi and knew they served Chicken Katsu Curry and Chicken Yakitori. After a slow 10 minute drive due to roadworks...we arrived here at around 2pm. A friendly server named Henry greeted us with a big smile when we entered. Glasses of iced water came out quick followed by COMPLIMENTARY bowls of Miso soup and Edamame Beans. My wife ordered a Chicken Yakitori Starter and I had to have the Chicken Katsu Curry of course. A few more customers trickled in while we waited for our lunch order to arrive. WHOO HOO ! My wife's Chicken Yakitori Starter...2 skewers arrived first followed soon after by my beautiful looking Chicken Katsu Curry. TOTALLY DELICIOUS ! There is a first time for everything and now I know I love this dish. MORE ! My wife loved her Chicken Yakitori skewers but needed more food so a Vegetable Tempura Starter came out within a few minutes. And I pinched a few pieces...so delicious. THE MENU IS HUGE ! We were more than happy with our first lunch visit but there is so much more to try on the menu. TOP SERVICE ! Our server Henry was great the whole time answering all my questions about items on the menu. WE LOVED IT !“

“Amazing sushi and noodles at Ayu Sushi & Noodles in Pacific Highlands Ranch in Carmel Valley. We loved everything, the tempura udon, the yume, sachi, and anata rolls, the bluefin crudo, and the salmon hand rolls. Great selection of species on the menu, next time will need to get more nigiri and sashimi. Great service, friendly and quick. We sat on the dog friendly patio. Recommend!“

“I come here often to get crunchy roll, California roll, mango habanero roll and gyoza. The service has been consistent . It’s a small restaurant with unique decor. There’s plenty of parking out front. I’ll continue to go back when i crave some crunchy rolls.“

“The service, prices, and atmosphere were all great. The woman at the cash register was so kind and offered us table service since we had our dog and baby. She made the experience special. My husband got the bento C and he really liked everything. Unfortunately, I got the sushi lunch and didn’t love it. Typically I love ahi nigiri, but I found theirs chewy. All the other fish were good.“

“Amazing omakase, friendly and knowledgeable staff“

“Curry: 4.5/5 This curry is very good. It is slightly sweet, savory, and has a depth to it. That being said, it stays within the parameters of a typical Japanese curry. The only thing that docked it from being perfect was that the texture was not perfectly smooth. There is this sort of floury grain to it that I associate with store-bought curries that took me slightly aback. I also sort of miss the flavor of having spiciness cooked in the sauce rather than just putting a powder on top. Oh, and more pickles!

Karaage: 4.5/5 The Curry Club does a phenomenal job at frying. The chicken was moist and crispy. I normally do not like karaage with my curry because it has that sort of karaage taste (ginger, soy, etc.) but this was recommended by my waitress and it was awesome.

Fried Again, great fried shrimp, almost no notes. It DOES have that slight mushy texture right between the coating and shrimp that I really detest, but I have accepted that is just part of the experience at this point. Solid choice if you want seafood.

This egg was shockingly good. It puts most of the ramen shops in San Diego to shame. Well marinated, perfectly gooey, a great balance between sweet and salty, the literal perfect egg. I’m not sure if it matched the curry, but I would just eat it as dessert to be honest.

Ambiance: The restaurant is casual but nice. I don’t see why you couldn’t make this a more special restaurant date.

Service: Service was very fast and kind. They “served” just the perfect amount.

Parking: The parking lot is a vast lot. Very easy, no pain.“

“yellowtail roll is amazing!“

“Food is amazing.
Rose lychee green tea is refreshing and my new favorite

I had the chicken pad Thai level 1 spice and it was great. Not too spicy. But it has a decent kick to it.

I definitely want to try the bbq honey pork next.“

“Great food 😋 and friendly atmosphere 🥰.“

“It's amazing. Simply amazing. Great customer service. Delicious sushi. Good music. Love love love.“

“They missed the mark the last time I was here. The karaage was bland and soggy and the miso salmon was quite salty and tasted over cooked. The seaweed around the negitoro hzndroll tasted stale and was soggy. They have a great menu and the atmosphere. This is a really fun place to go with a group to share some dishes. Hope they can pay a bit more attention to the food coming out of the kitchen!“

“We had the most amazing meal there on Wednesday night! Everything was exceptional, especially the uni! The service was fantastic! We will be back!“

“I look forward to coming here every week during my lunch break. It is such a calm and relaxed atmosphere where I can unwind and read a book with green tea and my favorite sushi roll. The service is amazing and they are all so kind. I bring friends and family here every chance I get and am always told that this place exceeded their expectations. 100% recommend“

“Though under the same ownership (I believe) as Yakitori Taisho, Hino has more of sushi bar feel whereas Taisho has more authentic Japanese Izakaya. I felt Taisho had a bit more yakitori selections than Hino. But, Hino had better sake options including sake flights.“

“The food was absolutely phenomenal! They had both Japanese and Korean options to choose from with both of foods being executed extremely well. They had a great quantity of food with the sushi combo and bibimbap. Furthermore, they were able to accommodate substitutions within the sushi combo which is great for those with allergies. All around would recommend and will eat there again!“

“Great no frills Japanese fare.“

“This is quite easily the best sushi restaurant we’ve eaten in since moving to San Diego years ago. The fish is fresh, always consistent and the owners treat us like regulars. Because we are. If you like sushi that’s inventive, tasty and fresh consider Samurai!“

“Very good sushi and ramen. Great service! Comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. We will be back when we return to San Diego.“

“The best yakitory I've found in the US so far
Just like in Japan the restaurant is set up for single eaters of groups. The flavor and food always take me back to adventuring across Japan. It's so good my wife and I have to mark on the calendar when we go because we blow so much of our food budget here. So worth it!“

“Friendly and fast. The food was great!“

“I’ve never had a bad time at Glass Box! The food is amazing and the servers, sushi chefs, and management team will make you feel kind you’re a VIP from the second you walk in their establishment. I highly recommend the omakase experience!“

“Delicioso y excelente servicio“

“Me encanta el sushi y tienes muchas opciones!“

“Sipz Vegetarian Fusion Café in Clairemont is DELICIOUS! And ALL vegetarian! That’s right none of this is meat!! BBQ Chicken Appetizer and Tangy Orange Protein: "Chicken" Spice Level: Not Spicy (I forgot to take pictures before starting to eat sooo they give you more than what’s in the photos 🤣) You can even customize which type of protein you want and spice level so you get what you really want! And it is SO yummy!! I haven’t had Chinese in SO long!! ❤️“

“The cheesecakes here are so good. Super soft, moist, and fluffy! They’re slightly sweet, which is so addicting. I love the original flavor the most. The pandan one wasn’t that good.
The strawberry burnt basque cakes is also very good. It’s better than the original one.
Parking sucks though because the shop shares a small lot with many other stores, so it’s always difficult to find parking unless you come right when they open.“

“Pay attention everyone. THIS is how you operate a sushi restaurant.

We were greeted by the sushi chefs from across the room as we entered the front door. Seconds later, the wait staff guided us to a table. Water arrived lickity split, and our waitress patiently checked on us a couple of times until we were ready to order.

Miso soup and a side salad came with our entrees; they came out quickly and were delicious. The sushi didn’t take long, either. Before we knew it, our plates were empty and the owner herself came by to see how we enjoyed our meal. And we weren’t big spenders like the table next to us, but we were treated as if we were.

This is how you run a restaurant. It’s really not a high bar, but it’s astonishing how so few restaurants “get it.”“

“Shiku Sushi has the best atmosphere for dining, from their amazing menu and service. You are greeted the minute you enter and each server has a smile for you. I love the rolls, and I try different ones each visit. Casanova, Summer Beach Body to name a few. This Sushi bar is a MUST when you're visiting. You won't be disappointed!“

“Please please please support this place!

Incredible service, the food is so good, it's extremely reasonably priced especially for San Diego. I can't say enough about it. Transports me back to Japan and soothes the soul.“

“One of the best Chinese food places in San Diego, Ca. Everything is super tasty and doesn't leave you feeling bloated like other Chinese food places. I gave 3 stars for the atmosphere because at lunchtime it can feel super crowded. Other than that it's a definite go to when I'm around that area. I always call my order a few minutes ahead and I'm in and out of there quickly freeing more of my lunchtime break to enjoy my food.“

“Great place to go when you’re craving ramen. They are very generous with the pork portions.“

“I always have fantastic service and wonderfully tasty food every time I come here. This visit was no exception.“

“Stumbled upon this little restaurant in Miramar when I was in the area. Came in for a late lunch and the place was empty. There was a musty smell and I think it must be because the building is old. But the restaurant was clean and service was quick.
I ordered my chicken,beef, and veggie combo rice bowl to go. There was a lot of food and the price was very reasonable. Good place to grab lunch on the go.“

“We sat at Sam Cha’s sushi bar and it was amazing. This will be our go-to place for sushi. Great food, fun ambiance, easy parking. We can’t wait to return.“

“TJ really makes this restaurant unique and puts his own spin, hearing hip hop music during Omakase. The chef is really interactive with everyone and makes the meal fun! For this experience, we did the Omakase. As for drinks I started off with a Suntory Premium Malt Small. Then 3 Small Appetizers - Tako Jelly, Ankimo, Misotakai, Sashimi Combination - Toro, Mirugai, Kanpachi, Namadako, Aji, Okiaji, Hotate, Palate Cleanser - Negitoro Sumaki, Grilled Dish - Mehikari, Fried Dish - UchiwaEbi & Wakasagi Tempura, Steamed Dish - DobinMushi, Nigiri - Nodoguro, Aoyagi, KobujimeHirame, Hagatsuo, Sawara, Sanma, KamaToro, Uni, Dessert - Green Tea Ice Cream. When it comes ot the Small Apps, I would rate it like 4/10. Sashimi 2/10 - I really hated the Octopus and clam. I really really really liked the Palate Cleanser Negitoro Sumaki. The Grilled Dish - Mehikari was great too. Fried Dish tempura was 5/10. Steamed Dish was 5/10 too. As for Sashimi the ones that were good was Nodoguro, Hagatsuo, Sanma and KamaToro. These were ok: KobujimeHirame, Sawara. The one I didn't enjoy was Aoyagi (Conch). Nice to experience, great food and a fun meal!“

“This is a restaurant in the market with a shared common eating area. My daughter refuses to eat anywhere else.The udon is actually very well done, as are the pork & beef rice bowls. Healthy portions, and you can add whatever you want. It's all pretty tasty.“

“Good experience! Friendly atmosphere“