36 Best Japanese Restaurants near El Cajon

“The workers were very kind to us. When I paid, he gave me a free water. When I asked for a medium, he gave me a large, and he spoke in a very gentle manner. The lady that took my order would point towards the menu to make sure that I knew what I was ordering.

The place seemed very orgainized, and the counters were spotless.

As for the food, it was high quality and delicious. We ordered the Udon, Caterpillar Roll, and the Green Dragon Roll.

The crab in both rolls was creamy and soft on the inside and out. Along with that, The udon was rich with flavor along with garnish. The noodles were bouncy and gummy, and the broth would have a rich, deep, brown color that made it feel like I couldn't leave my table without finishing.

Overall, I would come here again, being one of my first food options at this mall.

(I didn't get their names)“

“Yi Sushi Review

Today I stopped in at Yi Sushi for a quick bite and ended up staying for an experience! I was greeted by a young lady with such a kind spirit, which set the tone for the visit.

They had plenty of specials and happy hour deals that immediately caught my attention. The Shrimp Consomé soup intrigued me right away, and there was also a Salmon Kama special that sounded amazing. I had originally planned to get my food to go, but since the salmon was dine‑in only, I decided to stay—and I’m so glad I did!

I sat at the sushi bar, where the chef served each dish directly to me, fresh from his hands. Let me tell you, that Shrimp Consomé soup was chef’s kiss! The flavor, the texture, and the crunch of the patty with the green onions on top—it was absolutely perfect. I could have easily gone for a second bowl.

Next came the Unagi, served as a pair. Fresh, rich, and so satisfying. Then came the star of the night: the Salmon Kama. I didn’t know what to expect, but it did not disappoint! The salmon was grilled to absolute perfection—tender on the inside with just the right amount of char. Honestly, all it was missing was a side of rice, which I’ll make sure to order next time.

I was so full by this point that I had my Crunch Roll packed to go. But before I left, I couldn’t resist trying a piece of Yellowtail tuna. It was exquisite—soft, delicate, flavorful, and not fishy at all. That’s definitely on my list for my next visit!

Special shoutout to my server, Anne, who was an absolute darling—kind, attentive, and made the whole experience even better.

I came for a quick sushi stop, but Yi Sushi turned it into a memorable meal. I’ll definitely be back!“

“Fast and friendly service, Great tasting food my favorite is the honey walnut shrimp💜“

“personale gentilissimo. qualità del pesce ottima e.menu molto vasto e di qualita“

“Right as I walked in, the person was already there! I said, table for two because I went with a friend, they sat us down and they took our drink order and after that they took our food order, and them we ate and it was amazing! Overall, this a great place for sushi, definitely recommend going.“

“Upset...this place had quality sushi, great prices, and awesome service! I am not happy I don't have a sushi place near me thay checks these boxes and more.

Down at SDSU on move in day and after the move in we wanted something fresh and light that would not put us to sleep on our 2 hour ride home. We found this place with a basic search...glad this popped up.

Walked in to this low key location, greeted right away and seated. There were quite a few people here already, but a couple open tables. Server was attentive, gave suggestions. We chose 4 different rolls, nothing basic, large sashimi plate, even some chicken and rice. We all had drinks, they brought us appetizers. The server continues to check on us verified our food was good, drinks were filled, etc. Spent about 45 minutes here... Time for the bill...for 4 of us...barely at $100!

This will be our go to for our SDSU trips when visiting“

“The food is amazing, as is the service. My family have eaten there since they opened in 1986. They were small then, when Swenson's ice cream used to be next door. My favorite dish was the champon noodles. It still tastes the same!!“

“good food, friendly staff and atented“

“Eaten here numerous times. Excellent quality food, and service. Equivalent to San Francisco Bay Area Japanese restaurants..which are outstanding.“

“Great spot for sushi, the food was good, the vibes were there although they could have a better music selection, the servers were super sweet and personable, I would definitely go back especially that the prices are very reasonable and the quality is there.“

“Great prices! While everything seems to be getting more expensive it's good to know there are some places putting out delicious food for a decent price. The rice is good thats what makes or breaks a sushi spot. We had the Red Dragon roll, Rainbow roll, Philly roll, California roll and some orange chicken all were really good. If you live in National city and want to stay in the area and have goid sushi this is a place worth stopping at.“

“We love Chiba! We lived here 8 years ago and we’re back. I am glad to see the food is still as delicious as I remember! The food was fast and I recommend the sushi! Also, our waitress was great!“

“Our favorite spot for sushi and sashimi😍“

“Sushi was very good 😋 edamame green beans also ! Great service 👍🏼“

“Ordered from Sarku Japan first time and loved it. Teriyaki chicken and shrimp are flavorful and tender, rice is fluffy and veggies have nice crunch to it. Their sushi rolls turned out pretty good too. Try some Cali rolls or Spicy tuna rolls to complete your meal. 🍱🍱🍱“

“the bestttttt japanese food!“

“I don’t know what happens in SD, but some restaurants (Good restaurants) look empty. This place is nice, good vibe , and good service. I like see restaurants half full, people enjoying food and flowing service and this one has potential for that! 🫶🏼“

“Sushi is DELICIOUS! Customer Service is Awesome! Place is Mellow and Relaxing and very Enjoyable!“

“Oishii is such a hidden gem! Very clean, and the insanely friendly and attentive staff make you feel right at home. The highlight for me was the pork noodle soup—seriously, it’s the closest thing I’ve found to authentic street noodle soup from Thailand. Such a rare find! Everything we tried was fresh and delicious. I’m already planning my next visit. Highly recommend!

Also 50% off apps and some rolls, beer and Thai tea for happy hour. Can’t beat it. Everyday from 2-5pm.“

“Pleasantly surprised by this place. First time trying it as I’m looking to make 2023 a year I explore new food places. This was my first new place of the year and I’m glad I found them! Friendly people and don’t be fooled by the small frontage. Hole in the wall places are the best. I also liked their happy hour menu….I was there for lunch but will be going back for happy hours and dinners😃“

“Great place. have been here a few times now, staff is attentive, friendly and the food it great. We will be back for sure and highly recommend it!“

“Pranzo spesso da Sai Japanese Bistro con i colleghi e mi piacerebbe usare i buoni pasto Coverflex, sapete se li accettate? Non vi trovo nell’app e sarebbe comodo poterli usare qui.“

“I moved away from San Diego in 2017 and their salt and pepper tofu is the one meal I miss the most 😂 Sooo good“

“Food already great here 💕 🍣 🍱“

“San Diego’s best sushi! Get the CATS roll!“

“Amazing food while we were visiting the area. Best service and the food presentation was perfection. Portions and pricing are both outstanding. 10/10 recommend.“

“We ordered food to go from Sushiman and it is one of the best sushi that I have ever had in a long time. The price is also very affordable. This will be my new go to sushi restaurant. The shrimps were extremely fresh and tasty. Just writing this review now days later is already making me hungry. Maybe I'll go there again tonight!“

“I stumble across this place while running errands in National City and I really enjoyed the sushi!

Staff were great and friendly, my order was prepared in a timely manner and the prices were great!

Will definitely come back with my husband here often.“

“We loved our egg 🥚 and fruit 🍉 sando and grilled chicken onigri ! 🍙I had the taro 🧋tornado and my sister had the Kyoto matcha 🍵 it was so delicious even in the soft open. Authentic and creamy. Our new favorite spot. Beautiful cafe and lots of parking!“

“I dont eat sushi but I came here on a whim to check out the other options. Ordered the katsu chicken, cream cheese rangoons, and my boyfriend got a poke bowl. Would've ordered an appetizer too but thats doing too much. Everything was delicious! My boyfriends poke bowl came with a soup, I tried it but I dont like soup. He said it was good though. My rangoons were crisped well and my katsu was breaded so good, and it was a lot of food so we were both able to eat half and save the other half for lunch the next day. Next time I come here ill try the Thai tea and a vegetable roll (again, I dont like traditional sushi with fish). My server made good recxomendations and I spoke with 2 employees who were both very helpful. I love this place. Giving it a 3 star for atmosphere as I came here on a weekend night and it was busy and seemed a little small. Ill try again on a weekday and come back to update.“

“Very good service and great food. We are planing to go back for lunch or dinner. The prices are Awesome, my Salmon was delicious and the salad all our food was good.!!!♥️ Thank you Del & Dora Delgado 🥰“

“The food was great. Mango-Mango roll was exceptional!!“

“It's all about that scallop sunshine. Best roll in my opinion. It's not on the main menu, but on the white board specials. Service is great. Prices are reasonable. I haven't tried the steak/live cooking side of the restaurant.“

“One of the best Japanese Restaurant in town, highly recommended!“

“Came by when I saw they had a happy hour menu from 3-6pm for $5-6 standard rolls and appetizers. For a smaller additional cost, you’re able to test out a selection of their premium rolls for $9. Restaurant is clean, service was passable but the highlight was the food - the quality of the appetizers and sushi was outstanding, fresh, and creative. The BOGO 50% off draft beer paired well with the delicious meal. Overall excellent value for both the happy hour and also the lunch menu.“