50 Best Japanese Restaurants near La Jolla

“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.“

“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!“

“It is an okay place for a fast bite of sushi. Atmosphere is average. Service was average. Food was just edible. Not bad but not really good. Mediocre.“

“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.“

“Fantastic food quality. Purist food.“

“Amazing omakase, friendly and knowledgeable staff“

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

“It’s a large store that has a bit of everything—from Japanese snacks to cosmetics and quirky items. The place is clean, and the service is friendly and attentive; I’d definitely recommend a visit—it’s worth it, because once you step inside, you’re sure to end up buying at least one thing.“

“What's not to love? Went for omakase with a friend and throughly enjoyed every morsel. Fresh and tasty across the board. Inventive bites and flavour combinations, great pairings of seafood with local ingredients, impeccable service and atmosphere, really top notch across every metric. Would highly recommend for a special occasion.“

“Fantastic fresh food; great sushi bar. Wonderful service from Kaz. I highly recommend..best sushi and sashimi around!“

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

“I had a great time over there. Delicious food 🥘“

“Luke is an amazing multitasker❤ made us feel very welcome.“

“Loved the smooth flavors, quality ingredients, so attentive and kind staff, and comfortable and inviting atmosphere! The miso soup and sushi rolls have an excellent balance of texture, temperature, and flavor. We loved how each piece of sushi held together in a single, mouth-filling bite. Chef also provided us with a generous serving of edemame and ginger. Their hot green tea was brewed just right, and we could taste a pleasant sweetness with every sip. And their affogato carajillo was just the perfect balance of robust espresso, vanilla ice cream, and liicor, creating a rich, velvety aromatic drink. Thank you to all the Taka team!“

“We celebrated my husband's birthday here. Staff are so friendly and attentive. We didn't wait long eventhough we just came. Food was awesome to my taste preference. Flavors are not overwhelming. I usually don't ask for desserts and drinks in my meal but here I felt like I wanted to experience everything. Ambiance was relaxing and inviting. It's a small space but staff moves fast without having people wait for long.“

“The food is SO good. The chef was super friendly and nice. We can’t wait to go back. 😄“

“They were very busy when we got there and there was a bit of a wait for a party of 4 but once we were inside they were very friendly and quick to take our order and quick to serve our food. The rolls were really yummy. Everything tasted fresh and the veggie tempura roll was very big. We were very full by the end of the meal and took home leftovers.“

“We came here last night to celebrate my wife's birthday with our son, and the three of us had an absolutely wonderful dinner. The food was completely off the charts, and the service was excellent. We will definitely be back! Much Thanks to Kendra, Chef Tony and the entire staff!“

“We had a great time here tonight. The restaurant staffs and the sushi chef were friendly and the omakase dinner course portion was generous and super delicious. :)“

“Some of the best Japanese food in San Diego. I wish I had known about them sooner.“

“Kumi has been one of my absolute favorite places to eat near my work. The prices are great and the food is even better. Josh was our server and he was attentive and kind and made us feel right at home. The quality is top tier and the place is clean and modern. I 100% recommend them❤“

“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.“

“Covid-19 take out can be a hit or miss with food tasting like it's container. This place did not disappoint. I ordered the Vegan Ramen for a late lunch. Inside the restaurant is following proper protocol and is very clean. I have always ordered Vegan Ramen anywhere I visit outside of California, and have ordered all over San Diego. This by far is the BEST Vegan Ramen out there. The coconut milk, chili and miso broth is well balanced and buttery, the noodles and added ingredients are well proportioned, the tofu is not at all mushy or greasy..The noodles are fresh and delicious. for a couple dollars more you can add more noodles.. Definitely a stop for some comfort food!“

“Great place. True European feel.“

“This place was perfect after a long swim in La Jolla! THE FOOD WAS AMAZING. Best handroll we’ve ever had!
Super grateful to have the best service by staff and our food prepared by the owner himself! 🙏
P.s - Whoever is in charge of the playlist is the real MVP.“

“Absolutely incredible experience from start to finish. Everyone was so friendly, kind, and welcoming, and you could tell how much care went into every single course. The food was honestly indescribable!!!! Every bite somehow got better and better. The quality, flavors, presentation, everything was just amazing. One of those meals you’re still thinking about after you leave. We will 100% be back!“

“I've only ordered takeout/delivery from this location since it is always a large line when busy. And parking is very scarce in this lot, for all of the businesses that are located here. Generally I've received their amazing compartmeted takeout containers with their delicious goods. A couple of times over the years I seemed to get some backup supplies for packaging, probably because there was a non-stop flow of curry leaving the place.

But the flavor is unmatched. I had been craving the delicious Curry House since I moved back to SD from O'ahu over a decade ago. There were multiple Curry House locations available to fill the void at any meal, and multiple competitors that offered similar fare. Then around covid this gem popped up.

I haven't found any business, anywhere, that can nail the Curry House style meal as consistently as they can for decades now. Oh yeah I also notice their ads on Padres games behind batters, doin alright here in SD.“

“The Hand Roll Combo, Sashimi Set, and Sushi Set are such a great value for money and taste amazing. They use real fresh wasabi, which gives it a premium touch.

​The interior at Moment Sushi feels clean and sleek.
The food is also super neat and well-presented.“

“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. 🤙🤙🤙“

“I had such a wonderful experience at this sushi restaurant! The food was absolutely delicious ,everything was fresh, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. You can really tell they care about quality.
The atmosphere was just perfect ,clean, relaxing, and very inviting. It made the whole dining experience even more enjoyable.
And I have to mention the service ,the waiter was incredibly kind, attentive, and made us feel so welcome. That kind of service really makes a difference!
I will definitely be coming back and highly recommend this place to anyone who loves great sushi and a lovely dining experience“

“Wonderful ambiance and even our great VP of the US came to eat there. Compliments 👏 🙌 Sashimi and homemade ice cream 😊“

“The shrimp head moving scared the crap out of me but everything was delicious and awesome“

“This was the BEST sushi we have ever had. The entire experience was so wonderful. We left feeling relaxed and happy. Highly recommend this place and the staff were all fantastic and very attentive.“

“Best sushi in San Diego at reasonable prices! Delicioso!!!“

“One of the best hotpot places I’ve ever eaten at!! The meats are incredibly delicious and although the stations for picking your own foods is slightly limited compared to other places, it is more than made up for by their meats available. The fish was incredibly soft and the lamb was very flavorful. They also have milk tea and calico on tap basically. And for dessert, there is self-serve Ice cream. The available flavors are butter pecan, strawberry cheesecake, mint chocolate chip, and cookies and cream.“

“Everyone who works there is friendly With excellent customer service food was delicious 🤤“

“Best curry in San Diego!!“

“Great place to get yummy gluten free sushi!! I have celiac disease and when I came in to order takeout and asked the waitress about gluten free options she was SUPER helpful. She explained which options I couldn’t have, and seemed very knowledgeable about it all, and I was able to get a couple substitutions to make rolls gluten free. The minced spicy tuna isn’t gluten free but the waitress said I could still get it with slices of tuna (and a different spicy sauce on top) instead. I loved the salmon special roll, and the spicy tuna roll was great too! I made sure to wait a day before leaving this review to be 100% sure I didn’t have any gluten reactions, and I’m happy to report I did not consume any gluten here.“

“I came here tonight with my family, including my baby- it was amazing!!! The food was incredible but most importantly, Mike & Maria were so welcoming, so sweet, played around with our baby and made my husband a special sushi roll. We wish we lived here so we could come here all the time. The best! The type of place that has a sense of community.“

“We arrived right before noon on a Friday. It was not busy, and I got a space close to the entrance in their parking lot shared with several other businesses. My friend and I both ordered the Friday lunch special, sesame chicken. My friend didn't expect the chicken to be deep-fried, but we didn't ask how it was prepared. The lunch came with a cup of miso soup, salad, and rice. I enjoyed my food. We also ordered fried calamari, which were all tentacles--my favorite. They weren't too big, which I prefer. I liked them. Service was great, too. I remember it was quiet, and traditional decor. Prices were reasonable.“

“BEST JAPANESE BBQ SPOT EVER! My family have been consistently coming to this resturant for years to celebrate any special occasions or birthdays. The meat, rice, side dishes, and rice are always delicious. The staff are welcoming, accomodating, and even recognize my family now. I highly reccomend the family combo as it offers a good balance of beef variety and value, especially for larger parties. The portions are not the largest and on the pricier side but I think it's worth it for the quality over quantity. Free parking but it's difficult to find available spots especially at night, as expected of Convoy tho. The restroom is nothing special, single room, and in the back next to the kitchen. Will definitely continue to eat here !!“

“My husband and I were able to get a fast reservation with the Quick Omakase Experience. The experience was ~ 1 hour.

This was our second visit (first one was the full omakase, several years ago).

Majority of the group was already seated for a full Omakase experience. Chef TJ served us at a great pace even though we had a slightly different menu than the rest.

Fish was fresh and there was an option to add on more nigiri at the end.

Chef TJ and staff were kind and refilled my tea throughout the night.“

“I've been going here 3x already and been trying different dishes every time and I would say, it is good! It's inside the pyramid building. From snacks to drinks to meals, that are good for the price! Father and son working there. Very nice people also! Loved everything so far!“

“Fire. Sushi tastes like it’s fresh off the docks. Super fresh fish, great flavors, and a cool vibe. PB really needed a Japanese restaurant like this. Stoked to have a spot like Cherry Fish in the neighborhood. 🤙🏻“

“Very fast service, friendly people. Delicious food especially the ramen.“

“My wife and I have gone to this sushi place in San Diego the past 3 years. The food is amazing! Just as amazing as our service Aiden N. was our server. Aiden was so attentive absolutely excellent service. Highly recommended Chef Jun supper chill atmosphere!!“

“We had a magnificent dinner last evening at Elvira in Ocean Beach. It's the less formal sister restaurant to Cesarina. They put as much care into their food as to their creative and fun-loving website, and their decor and truly personal service are outstanding. We don't say this often in San Diego, but they serve cuisine, not just food. At last, a San Diego restaurant which serves hot, al dente pasta, and the pork ragu was luscious and the meaty baby back rib was an extra treat in the Fettucine Maile e Spuntature. Both of our entrees were excellent: half chicken and lamb chops prepared on a wood fired grill, with slightly crisp Yukon gold potatoes with a wonderful flavor and fantastic Romanesco broccoli with a beautiful texture. The choux pastry in the dessert was lighter than air and would be proudly served in a Parisian restaurant. Having the chocolate sauce in its own dish and the chantilly cream in its own pastry piping bag meant each of us could fashion our preferred dessert combination. The accompanying fresh peaches were delectable. Sparkling wine and red wine were also good and very fairly priced. I understand Elvira opened in November 2023 - wish we hadn't taken this long to experience the wonderful ambiance, service, decor, and Italian cuisine.“

“Looking for not -so -sweet delicious cheesecakes?

This spot is my favorite to grab an affordable and easy dessert for potlucks, celebrations, or just a treat for myself.
It’s an easy in and out to grab one of the delicious cakes!

My favorites? Original and matcha!

Newest seasonal? Mango!

They’re light, airy and make you feel guilt free.“

“This is easily one of our absolute favorite spots in San Diego! My wife says the food tastes exactly like traditional Japanese home cooking. Honestly, everything on the menu is incredible, so you truly cannot go wrong. The service is always fast and friendly. We have been coming here regularly for over 12 years, and their quality has never dipped.

For lunch, their bento boxes always hit the spot. For dinner, we love ordering a mix of individual dishes and sides to share. We highly recommend this place as an absolute must-try for anyone in the area!“

“I saw this restaurant was close to my hotel and gave it a shot. I wanted to try Ramen here in San Diego in hopes that there is a difference in taste compared to where I live. It's 100 times better. The pork was so tender and the crab was delicious. I got a crunchy dragon roll and they didn't skimp on anything. I will definitely add this place as my go-to for Ramen when I come back!!!“