I was incredibly disappointed. This restaurant is attached to its highly acclaimed affiliate sushi bar. However, the more formal dining experience misses the mark. The flavors of the ingredients are drowned out by overzealous sauces that do more harm than good. For several of the dishes I was not able to taste the star ingredient (often uni, wagyu or caviar). While the service was adequate, the wait time between courses was inconsistent and felt sloppy.
There are dozens of similarly priced Japanese fixed menus in San Diego that I would recommend above this.
Scot Brown
Nothing fishy going on here. An absolute must try. Everything was fantastic. Chef & the entire staff were warm and welcoming. The in-house fermentation program delivered some truly delicious and unique bites. Highly recommend the sake pairing.
Daniela Alvarado
So happy I got to try this place. I did not know the menu is set courses when you get there.. never the less, the menu was still impressive. Made the reservation a month early and we walked in and we were seated quickly. The restaurant had a light yet dark ambiance that was cozy and inviting.
Our menu consisted of, Oysters on the Half Shelf, Blue Prawn and sea urchin, Fish of the day (2x3 Sashimi), Steak Tartar Toast, A-5 Waygu, Bibimbap and Snow Crab Cold Somen.
The Oyster was so fresh and well seasoned with subtle hints of dashing stock and cucumbers to complement and bring out the freshness. It was served with cold Korean noodles that made the whole course comes together in a welcoming way.
The Blue Prawn was delicate, cut up in pieces that were bite size but it was still played out in the bowl in its original shape of a prawn. The sea urchin have a buttery taste with the soy-matinated Salmon Roe that provided balance to the entire dish.
The fish of the day was Tuna, scallops and I don't remember the third one but they were all very delicious with a side of soy sauce and wasabi.
The A-5 Waygu was cut into three small slices, cooked medium and laid over a bed of potato purée with asparagus and Gabli sauce. The steak was cooked perfectly and the flavors were wonderful. You could tell it was waygu as soon as you took a bit! Which I noticed right away, most restaurants will make you question if the meat is Waygu or not but here, I was certain! So good!
The Bibimbap was a bowl of well cooked rice with sashimi on top. Tuna, Salmon and Yellowtail were served with a spicy Korean chili sauce that the server told us to mix it completely and them enjoy, but man I wish I didn't listen to her.. it was so spicy! I mean made my ears steam from the inside! I ate around the Korean chili sauce and ate the rice and sushi and but it had cood flavor before i mixed in the chili.. but it was definitely the largest course the had ans i didn't finish it since I was already getting full my this point. I hate to waste food stuff this price point but this dish a little too spicy, big, and underwhelming :/
Snow Crab Cold Somen has about three piece of perfectly cooked crab in it. It was nice and subtle but by this time I think i was getting full so I ate the crab and didn't finish the dish.
Over all a great restaurant with amazing flavors and the chef is truly inspired and it shows in his work!
Esther Koo
I’m not a seafood lover, and I’ve tried sushi and sashimi in the past without much enjoyment. But for my sister’s birthday—who absolutely loves sushi—I gave it another shot. I have to say, this was by far the best I’ve ever had. The presentation was stunning, each piece beautifully crafted, and the flavors were clean, fresh, and incredibly balanced. You can truly see and taste the passion and precision the chefs put into their creations. Most importantly, my sister had an amazing time and thoroughly enjoyed her birthday dinner.
Kristina Bolt
For 22$ a coarse essentially I would not necessarily recommend this place to people. Food was not bad, service is not up to standard as HIDDEN FISH who they are affiliated with. But nothing was 160$ per person worth on the menu. Many other places to go to at this price point where the food is up to standard with really good ingredients.
Taylor Chapman
Extremely mid in all regards. No subs, no extras. Just a limited menu and you may leave hungry - like I did.
Wouldn’t recommend.
L. Lee
Hats off to Chef John Hong for a unique dining experience. I’ve been here twice this season and it has been phenomenal, bursting with flavor and creativity. Japanese omakase with a Korean flare.
If you’re coming here just to get disgustingly full, wrong place. I almost didn’t try this place because of the reviews. I can eat A LOT and the portion was just right. High quality ingredients. Loved the whole menu, which also changed from a month ago last I went. If you’re on a date, easy to share the dishes. I normally don’t order Wagyu but it was so tender, just melted in my mouth. I love the punches of flavors and pops from the caviar and roes. My favorite was the uni and caviar, lobster and uni, toro tartare toast, and both snow crab dishes were yummy - the cold samen is so unique. Chef is so nice and personable, I felt like I was coming to a friend’s to eat. I can’t wait to come back again!
Tierra Willis
Absolutely incredible experience at Hitokuchi! Chef John and the entire staff made the evening unforgettable. Meeting him and hearing about his journey and dedication to his craft was truly inspiring. The dishes were unlike anything I’ve ever tried—each bite a work of art. As a huge fan of Hidden Fish, I had high expectations, and Hitokuchi exceeded them. I can’t wait to come back and savor more of Chef John’s creations!
Sarah Barker
We came here to celebrate my birthday and it was an incredible experience from start to finish. The dining room is intimate but well appointed, with obvious care given to the sensory experience. Every dish was meticulously prepared, and the Chefs were friendly and knowledgeable. Their love for food and the culinary experience was evident in every dish. We can't wait to go back and see what else Chef John has in store for us!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brad Barker
This is an amazing opportunity to dine in a chef's kitchen for the night. Chef John has set up a small intimate dining experience. If you get the opportunity, take it.
We sat with the kitchen view and had the opportunity to talk with chef John and the sous chef Raul the entire night. This made the experience incredible. We got to hear stories about the food, their backgrounds, and watch the food being prepared.
The menu changes at chef's whim, and based on the ingredients that are sourced. The spiny lobster on our menu was due to it being recently in season here in San Diego, and the pine mushroom is sourced from Japan and recently came in season there.
We have dined at a few different tasting menus, this was definitely a very fun way to do it.
Hitokuchi is quite a surprise gem in Convoy! With a unique asian tasting menu, it's a welcome change from the typical upscale American restaurants. It was a night of such unexpected yet delicious flavor combinations, with many dishes I haven't seen anywhere else. I can't wait to go back again and try everything else on their menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mariko Ladrillono
I enjoyed the fish and shrimp dishes, but some of the other items didn’t quite meet my expectations. I noticed that many dishes were served cold, which was a bit surprising, aside from the Matsutake soup, which felt a little too much to finish towards the end of the meal. While I appreciate the concept of Hitokuchi (one bite) and understand this is a more refined dining experience, I still felt a bit hungry and not entirely satisfied afterwards.
The servers were attentive and friendly, although I found the frequent inquiries about which dishes we liked a little overwhelming. Additionally, the sake selection leaned heavily towards Daiginjo, which, while excellent, felt a bit limited. It would have been great to see a wider range of options, especially considering the variety and quality of sake available.
As someone from Japan, I imagined these Japanese-influenced dishes to reflect flavors I’m more familiar with, but I understand the restaurant’s goal was to offer a different interpretation....
Overall, while there were some highlights, the experience didn’t quite align with my personal preferences.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
Jimena Mosqueda
Food and service are good! But they told us that the only option is to have the full menu ($140 per person) they also told us that they would charge the full menus to our cards even if we only had drinks (because of their cancellation policy) we still enjoyed, but it’s not amazing, it’s just good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jimena Mulvaney
Food and service are good! But they told us that the only option is to have the full menu ($140 per person) they also told us that they would charge the full menus to our cards even if we only had drinks (because of their cancellation policy) we still enjoyed, but it’s not amazing, it’s just good.
Ariel Schwartz Chang
Came here for Father’s Day celebration also a rare getaway (from home) because we came across these guys on social media and was excited about it. Having dined here, we are not coming back because of the lack of the true omakase experience, especially for the price. This is more of a drinking place (should’ve known by their translation of Hitokuchi…), and unfortunately neither of us are big drinkers. we both order the menu with recommended variation between the two of us, plus a couple sake and beer…we went home still hungry and not impressed. Everything felt “premade” and was plated at the sushi bar. I was expected a true omakase where the sushi chef prepares each dish there that day but it sounds like the hefty price tag was simply justified because they fly their fish overnight from where they were caught? Talk about unsustainable practice… and then passed on to consumers.
I wanted to see more creativity and play with taste and unique choices on seafood and the blend of (what they are low key proud of ) the Japanese and Korean cuisine training. As we were leaving we felt overcharged but the service overall was good, our server was very attentive and friendly but the food can stand for improvement.
I was incredibly disappointed. This restaurant is attached to its highly acclaimed affiliate sushi bar. However, the more formal dining experience misses the mark. The flavors of the ingredients are drowned out by overzealous sauces that do more harm than good. For several of the dishes I was not able to taste the star ingredient (often uni, wagyu or caviar). While the service was adequate, the wait time between courses was inconsistent and felt sloppy.
There are dozens of similarly priced Japanese fixed menus in San Diego that I would recommend above this.
Nothing fishy going on here. An absolute must try. Everything was fantastic. Chef & the entire staff were warm and welcoming. The in-house fermentation program delivered some truly delicious and unique bites. Highly recommend the sake pairing.
So happy I got to try this place. I did not know the menu is set courses when you get there.. never the less, the menu was still impressive. Made the reservation a month early and we walked in and we were seated quickly. The restaurant had a light yet dark ambiance that was cozy and inviting.
Our menu consisted of, Oysters on the Half Shelf, Blue Prawn and sea urchin, Fish of the day (2x3 Sashimi), Steak Tartar Toast, A-5 Waygu, Bibimbap and Snow Crab Cold Somen.
The Oyster was so fresh and well seasoned with subtle hints of dashing stock and cucumbers to complement and bring out the freshness. It was served with cold Korean noodles that made the whole course comes together in a welcoming way.
The Blue Prawn was delicate, cut up in pieces that were bite size but it was still played out in the bowl in its original shape of a prawn. The sea urchin have a buttery taste with the soy-matinated Salmon Roe that provided balance to the entire dish.
The fish of the day was Tuna, scallops and I don't remember the third one but they were all very delicious with a side of soy sauce and wasabi.
The A-5 Waygu was cut into three small slices, cooked medium and laid over a bed of potato purée with asparagus and Gabli sauce. The steak was cooked perfectly and the flavors were wonderful. You could tell it was waygu as soon as you took a bit! Which I noticed right away, most restaurants will make you question if the meat is Waygu or not but here, I was certain! So good!
The Bibimbap was a bowl of well cooked rice with sashimi on top. Tuna, Salmon and Yellowtail were served with a spicy Korean chili sauce that the server told us to mix it completely and them enjoy, but man I wish I didn't listen to her.. it was so spicy! I mean made my ears steam from the inside! I ate around the Korean chili sauce and ate the rice and sushi and but it had cood flavor before i mixed in the chili.. but it was definitely the largest course the had ans i didn't finish it since I was already getting full my this point. I hate to waste food stuff this price point but this dish a little too spicy, big, and underwhelming :/
Snow Crab Cold Somen has about three piece of perfectly cooked crab in it. It was nice and subtle but by this time I think i was getting full so I ate the crab and didn't finish the dish.
Over all a great restaurant with amazing flavors and the chef is truly inspired and it shows in his work!
I’m not a seafood lover, and I’ve tried sushi and sashimi in the past without much enjoyment. But for my sister’s birthday—who absolutely loves sushi—I gave it another shot. I have to say, this was by far the best I’ve ever had. The presentation was stunning, each piece beautifully crafted, and the flavors were clean, fresh, and incredibly balanced. You can truly see and taste the passion and precision the chefs put into their creations. Most importantly, my sister had an amazing time and thoroughly enjoyed her birthday dinner.
For 22$ a coarse essentially I would not necessarily recommend this place to people. Food was not bad, service is not up to standard as HIDDEN FISH who they are affiliated with.
But nothing was 160$ per person worth on the menu.
Many other places to go to at this price point where the food is up to standard with really good ingredients.
Extremely mid in all regards. No subs, no extras. Just a limited menu and you may leave hungry - like I did.
Wouldn’t recommend.
Hats off to Chef John Hong for a unique dining experience. I’ve been here twice this season and it has been phenomenal, bursting with flavor and creativity. Japanese omakase with a Korean flare.
If you’re coming here just to get disgustingly full, wrong place. I almost didn’t try this place because of the reviews. I can eat A LOT and the portion was just right. High quality ingredients. Loved the whole menu, which also changed from a month ago last I went. If you’re on a date, easy to share the dishes. I normally don’t order Wagyu but it was so tender, just melted in my mouth. I love the punches of flavors and pops from the caviar and roes. My favorite was the uni and caviar, lobster and uni, toro tartare toast, and both snow crab dishes were yummy - the cold samen is so unique. Chef is so nice and personable, I felt like I was coming to a friend’s to eat. I can’t wait to come back again!
Absolutely incredible experience at Hitokuchi! Chef John and the entire staff made the evening unforgettable. Meeting him and hearing about his journey and dedication to his craft was truly inspiring. The dishes were unlike anything I’ve ever tried—each bite a work of art. As a huge fan of Hidden Fish, I had high expectations, and Hitokuchi exceeded them. I can’t wait to come back and savor more of Chef John’s creations!
We came here to celebrate my birthday and it was an incredible experience from start to finish. The dining room is intimate but well appointed, with obvious care given to the sensory experience. Every dish was meticulously prepared, and the Chefs were friendly and knowledgeable. Their love for food and the culinary experience was evident in every dish. We can't wait to go back and see what else Chef John has in store for us!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is an amazing opportunity to dine in a chef's kitchen for the night. Chef John has set up a small intimate dining experience. If you get the opportunity, take it.
We sat with the kitchen view and had the opportunity to talk with chef John and the sous chef Raul the entire night. This made the experience incredible. We got to hear stories about the food, their backgrounds, and watch the food being prepared.
The menu changes at chef's whim, and based on the ingredients that are sourced. The spiny lobster on our menu was due to it being recently in season here in San Diego, and the pine mushroom is sourced from Japan and recently came in season there.
We have dined at a few different tasting menus, this was definitely a very fun way to do it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Hitokuchi is quite a surprise gem in Convoy! With a unique asian tasting menu, it's a welcome change from the typical upscale American restaurants. It was a night of such unexpected yet delicious flavor combinations, with many dishes I haven't seen anywhere else. I can't wait to go back again and try everything else on their menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I enjoyed the fish and shrimp dishes, but some of the other items didn’t quite meet my expectations. I noticed that many dishes were served cold, which was a bit surprising, aside from the Matsutake soup, which felt a little too much to finish towards the end of the meal. While I appreciate the concept of Hitokuchi (one bite) and understand this is a more refined dining experience, I still felt a bit hungry and not entirely satisfied afterwards.
The servers were attentive and friendly, although I found the frequent inquiries about which dishes we liked a little overwhelming. Additionally, the sake selection leaned heavily towards Daiginjo, which, while excellent, felt a bit limited. It would have been great to see a wider range of options, especially considering the variety and quality of sake available.
As someone from Japan, I imagined these Japanese-influenced dishes to reflect flavors I’m more familiar with, but I understand the restaurant’s goal was to offer a different interpretation....
Overall, while there were some highlights, the experience didn’t quite align with my personal preferences.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
Food and service are good! But they told us that the only option is to have the full menu ($140 per person) they also told us that they would charge the full menus to our cards even if we only had drinks (because of their cancellation policy) we still enjoyed, but it’s not amazing, it’s just good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Food and service are good! But they told us that the only option is to have the full menu ($140 per person) they also told us that they would charge the full menus to our cards even if we only had drinks (because of their cancellation policy) we still enjoyed, but it’s not amazing, it’s just good.
Came here for Father’s Day celebration also a rare getaway (from home) because we came across these guys on social media and was excited about it. Having dined here, we are not coming back because of the lack of the true omakase experience, especially for the price. This is more of a drinking place (should’ve known by their translation of Hitokuchi…), and unfortunately neither of us are big drinkers.
we both order the menu with recommended variation between the two of us, plus a couple sake and beer…we went home still hungry and not impressed. Everything felt “premade” and was plated at the sushi bar. I was expected a true omakase where the sushi chef prepares each dish there that day but it sounds like the hefty price tag was simply justified because they fly their fish overnight from where they were caught? Talk about unsustainable practice… and then passed on to consumers.
I wanted to see more creativity and play with taste and unique choices on seafood and the blend of (what they are low key proud of ) the Japanese and Korean cuisine training. As we were leaving we felt overcharged but the service overall was good, our server was very attentive and friendly but the food can stand for improvement.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Loading...