50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Rancho Santa Margarita

“This place is adorable. We've been here a few times now. Food is good and drinks are great. I mean who wouldn't like googly eyes on their sandwich bun and coconut drink?!“

“It is a very small restaurant with about 4 tables inside, 6 tables outside and a small bar. Do make a reservation as they fill up quickly! We sat outside in February but it was fine because they have lots of heaters! You can also get a partial view of the lake from their patio.The service is prompt and friendly and food is delicious.

Parking: Lots of free parking available in the plaza lot.“

“We have been going to Niko Niko for 10 years now. We love the restaurant and the community and the friends we made there I would definitely recommend this place, the food is amazing and the owners are very accommodating to the costumers needs. Love you Niko Niko family. My youngest daughter was so in love with their miso soup that they named an specific to go order with her name. “Christiana style”.“

“Love our little sushi spot. Best sushi! We get no rice rolls and we cannot find the selection elsewhere. They r fantastic with kids“

“This is truly a hidden gem worth visiting for some great sushi! We went for a date night and instantly fell in love with the cozy atmosphere along with the warm and inviting service.
The rolls were delicious and fish was absolutely fresh and tasteful.
The happy hour specials were the cherry on top! The service was top notch and super fast. Servers were so sweet and friendly.
Will definitely be coming back!“

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

“First time eating here and it did not disappoint. I ordered the sexy roll and it was delicious 🤤 . A great combination of crunchy and spicy. I also ordered miso soup and so far one of my favorites , so savory definitely recommend this restaurant. Wonderful service, i will definitely come back.“

“Great place! Hole in the wall with limited seating, but the food was fresh and delicious. Price was not much more than lower quality sushi restaurants.
it gets packed very quick, so reservations is recommended. We didn't have reservations and had to wait about 10-15 minutes.“

“Love this lil place. Service is amazing and love the waitresses -they are always so friendly and welcoming! I really appreciate and am grateful they have a gluten free menu! It’s limited and wish they had more options but it’s so great because I don’t need to worry about getting sick from gluten! Not many sushi places have gluten free menus!“

“I’m glad Uoko survived the pandemic and still in business since the 80s.“

“This is the unicorn my Obaachan searched for! I only regret finding it late. Delicious authentic Japanese food made with the best ingredients by native Japanese who care. Tomoko-san, the co-owner, made sure I was aware of the City of Lake Forest Shop and Dine Card to get 50% off at this restaurant and many other LF businesses. I had the Hamachi and Salmon Donburi. The serving size and quality was perfect. I've already been back with friends and look forward to many more meals here!“

“​I've had a lot of sushi in Orange County, and this spot is one of the best—and the price is right. The high-quality food, the location, and the fantastic staff all make this place a winner. Tom and his wife are an absolute delight.

​I highly recommend the Poki bowl. This place was serving up poki bowls long before they were on every corner. The quality is so much better, and you get way more fish. It's a must-try.“

“Love this place. I’m surprised I haven’t reviewed it as I’ve been probably 60 times since I found it! I will say here and there sometimes it is inconsistent with the amount of sauce you get based on who is serving you, but otherwise the team is always really friendly and super quick!!!

The fish/ingredients are always fresh and flavorful.

So they earn all five stars.“

“After my daughter’s basketball game in Mission Viejo, we drove about 12 minutes to Marugame Udon in Aliso Viejo for lunch. The food was great. My kids really enjoyed the noodles and everything tasted fresh. The restaurant was clean, spacious, and had a nice setup for families.

The only downside was how hot it felt inside. There was no air conditioning, and with the temperature outside at 88 degrees, it was uncomfortable eating the hot udon noodle soup. My kids even said the restroom felt cooler than the dining area.

Overall, we liked the food and the space. If the AC were more powerful and consistent, it would definitely elevate the entire experience and make dining much more enjoyable.“

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

“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!“

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

“The food is amazing!!! Knee is the best waitress ever👏👏👏👏🥰🥰“

“I recommend the AYCE. All You Can Eat for a great price. The Sushi was very fresh and flavorful, the service very good and the Price was very reasonable. I would try the Jalapeño Poppers if you like a bite of spice and uniqueness! The Melon Soda was really good. Enjoy!!!“

“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!”“

“My go to order is Salmon and Spicy Tuna handroll and there's avocado in it too. The salmon is really yummy as well as the spicy tuna.
The restaurant is big but I don't see a lot of customers when I come at 1:30pm-ish. I usually call my order in so it's ready by the time I pick it up.“

“We came here to use a coupon we got in the mail for a BOGO tonkatsu bowl. We were told this item was not on the menu but we could order it. We decided to get this mystery item and it was delicious! The menu has a very large selection and is reasonably priced. Service was fast and friendly.“

“DELICIOUSNESS! healthy, tasty and great prices“

“We love it here! Super good food and nice employees. We went the other night for dinner. My husband got the chicken and beef teriyaki plate with white rice, California rolls, edamame, tempura, and Crunchyroll. They put a great variety of items on the dinner plates and it's so delicious! I got the Chashu ramen. It was delish. It was like a bowl of comfort. The only thing I would suggest is on the ramen there are green onions on top and I wish that they were chopped up instead of in strips. I feel like I always have a hard time chewing strips of green onion, but other than that, everything is so good.“

“Great food! More like a "Sushi to go" restaurant. You order your food at the counter. There are only a couple of tables inside and out the restaurant and they will bring the food to your table if you are dining in. It is family owned and you often see Father, Mother, and Daughter working behind the counter. But every time I've eaten here, I've been very pleased with the food and service.“

“AMAZEBALLS! Japanese A5 Wagyu For The Win!“

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

“By far the best Sushi place in the area! There are two equally good sushi places further away, but I cannot recall any that is better! Food is always delicious, fresh, and very friendly and fast. You can tell that the chef is very experienced and knows how to deliver the experience! I feel lucky to live really close! :)“

“Sashimi is a sushi restaurant located at the corner of Lake Forest Drive and Dimension Drive. It appears to be run by a Korean family and is a popular spot among the locals. They have a sushi bar, but we opted to dine at a table. Steve greeted us and was not only friendly and helpful, but his service level enhanced our overall dining experience.

We tried a number of dishes during our visit. Among my favorites were the Veggie Tempura, Salmon Nigiri, Lake Forest Roll (I appreciate that they allow substitutions so I subbed spicy yellowtail in place of the spicy tuna) and Special Carpaccio S. The Spicy Salmon cut roll was nothing special and tasted more like a California Roll. The Yellowtail Cheek was good, but it was more meaty and less tender than I've enjoyed at other Japanese restaurants. My wife ordered the Pink Lady, but I prefer my sushi with rice. All in all, we enjoyed our Sashimi experience and I'd recommend checking it out if you're in Lake Forest and in the mood for raw fish at a reasonable price.“

“It's one of me and my fiancé Denise's favorite place. We go there all the time and it's always awesome. I highly recommend it to anyone that lives in the area. We absolutely love it and they take care of you like family.“

“Best Pokee in the Irvine location. I highly recommend this place.“

“Restaurant is clean and open. Their sashimi bento box lunch special [includes miso soup, cucumber salad, tempura, half CA roll, and seven slices of quality sashimi served with real wasabi!] is the best and it was only $20. Thank you to sushi chef Obi for his recommendation. Now if they only served Kuronama or any other Japanese dark beer, they'd be perfect.“

“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.“

“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!!!“

“Good food and friendly service“

“They gave us as much sushi as we wanted and didn’t blink an eye when we ordered 30+ rolls. I also didn’t get AYCE sushi and they were super accommodating as long as I didn’t eat any bites of the others food. Such a great experience, would recommend!“

“If you’re looking for your new favorite sushi spot—this is it.

I’ve been coming to Tru Sushi N Fish for almost 2 years now, and it’s consistently amazing. The fish is incredibly fresh, the flavors are clean and authentic, and everything on the menu is prepared with real care and respect for traditional sushi culture.

It’s not just the food that keeps me coming back—it’s the experience. The vibe is perfect for a date night, a catch-up with friends, or even a solo sushi fix. The space is cozy, stylish, and never feels rushed or overwhelming.

And let’s talk about the people—Eurie and the whole staff are absolute gems. They’re friendly, welcoming, and genuinely make you feel like a regular from day one.

Tru isn’t just a sushi restaurant—it’s a place you’ll want to keep coming back to.
Whether you’re a sushi connoisseur or just discovering it, you’ll leave happy, full, and already planning your next visit.

🔥 10/10 highly recommend—don’t sleep on this spot!“

“Fresh, Friendly, Unique!
My sister and I became big fans of onigiri when visiting Japan, and ONIGURU did not disappoint.
Visited last Sunday and ordered a variety of onigiri; they were all delightful.
They were delicious and refreshingly fresh. In addition, the service was fast and extremely friendly.
The lady that helped us was a pleasure and made our visit more special.
Four thumbs up :)“

“Cool little hole in the wall place down the street from my parents place. Got the bento box and it hit the spot. I don't live there, but if you are looking for a random place, this isn't a bad place to check out. Only dig is they close early. Probably because they are in the back spot of a complex. So staying open late would be tough if folks don't know you are there.“

“The freshest fish I’ve ever had in my life. Absolutely fantastic. Is ten stars a thing? This place deserves that many. Epic 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“

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

“Stopped by this Japanese restaurant in lake forest on a Friday night with family. We sat down promptly and the service was fast. Tried an assortment of sushi and hand rolls edamame cucumber salad and their spicy beef bowl. All gray and fresh although the the spicy beef bowl wasn’t spicy and was more sweet than anything else. Overall a solid 4.“

“Great food and service nice people“

“Have been coming to this place for five plus years. Always get the poki bowl which is always super good. They recently raised the price for the poki bowl but they have consisently been the lowest price for a long period of time. Fish is always high quality and the bowl is well made. Beef and chicken bowls are also fire.“

“Best lunch bento box. Miso soup was very tasty. Spicy tuna roll was delicious!“

“First time trying this buffet since we were from out of town, The food was plentiful and freshly hot, sushi was good but missed a little something can't put my finger on. Service removing dishes needs attending to, but overall, we had a great dinner experience.“

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