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..“

“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.“

“Fantastic food quality. Purist food.“

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

“This market has a great selection of food, especially warm to-go options like onigiri, teriyaki bowls, and sushi. They also have a nice produce section, plenty of cold drinks, and a fun variety of Japanese candy. The store itself is clean, well-organized, and easy to browse.

We tried the spicy tuna onigiri, it was just okay, nothing special. One small downside: they charge 15¢ for a bag instead of the standard 10¢ most places charge. Parking was also pretty hectic and hard to find.

Overall, a solid spot for Japanese snacks and quick meals, just be prepared for the parking situation.“

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

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

“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.“

“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 👌“

“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!“

“This place was really good. I got a to-go order and was really surprised at how many extra sides I got along with my two rolls. I didn't think I ordered that much but was absolutely full when I ate everything. The Philadelphia roll had a generous amount of cream cheese. I'm definitely going back for more.“

“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 !“

“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.“

“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.“

“I owe Shin, our waiter for tonight, a life debt for the best service I’ve ever had at a restaurant in my life. He single handedly grew our crops, raised our children, did our homework, made us laugh, and got us our food in record time still steaming. He wins a gold record in serving and if he has a boss who is reading this, he deserves a raise and also maybe a smooch on the cheek. The food was stunning and the prices were great, amazing, will come here again (mostly for Shin)“

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

“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!“

“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.“

“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 Sunset roll is my go to! The staff here is so attentive, we dine here often. I appreciate the various offerings they have at the restaurant. When I'm not in the mood for sushi, I get their curry, it's so great on a cold or rainy day!“

“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“

“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!“

“Me encanta el sushi y tienes muchas opciones!“

“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.“

“We went on a Friday night and it was packed. Waited about 20 min to get seated. While the server was nice, service was horrendously slow and getting our food was even worse. We ordered 3 appetizers, a bento box, ramen and about 8 rolls. The appetizer rook so long that the owner gave me a free beer and apologized. Then my hubby's bento box and daughter's ramen came out first. They were fully finished while we were still waiting on our rolls. The owner came by again to apologize and gave us a free roll. She also came by when we were finished and again apologized profusely for the long delays with our food.

With that said, everything was fresh and delicious. We will definitely go back, but not on a Friday night.“

“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!! ❤️“

“Such nice people working here. Went after work, I work nights so thats about lunch rush. Parking can be difficult at lunch but I got a good spot. Ordered chef lo mien to go. They made it fast & were so kind to add some deeelicious dumpling. So yummy, lots of protein & chewy yummy noodles. This will more than likely be my new noodle place.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

“Good experience! Friendly atmosphere“

“it looks delicious never tried it I live in Puerto Rico USA used to live in California and ate sushi twice a week so I know west coast sushi, sashimi, miso etc. are the best your pics sure make me hungry thanks for sharing I would eat the entire tray 🍣🍤🍣🍤🍣🍤🍣“