Fantastic and yummy food, I liked the character the place has, and the staff members were very kind. Will surely come back again.
Janice K.
I've been coming here since my husband and I started dating since 2016 and fell in love with this place. This is our go to sushi restaurant. We love the flavors of each piece and end up comparing other places to Shirahama. It's hard not to! Thank you Mr. Kotani for always making delicious traditional sushi! Will be back again :)
Buyung Santoso
Great food, great service. A small restaurant, but you can tell they care about their product.
Matteo S.
As a non-Japanese speaker, I would not go back. It was quite expensive and not very accessible, but I can see why other people might like it. The owners are very nice.
Lena G.
First off let me say that I am a professional chef and have travelled to Japan so I have a good understanding of sushi. I was welcomed in a very strange manner, probably because I'm white and I noticed almost all the other clientele there is Japanese. I placed an order for 4 plates. One was very good. Another just good(meaning passable). The other 2 were just awful. The salmon was tough and did not seem very fresh. The ikura was the sloppiest presentation I have ever seen, and was not very good. I didn't see any prices listed anywhere on the so-called menu I was given. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I got the check. The bill was not itemized and was more then double I have payed at similar establishments. I kind of felt like this was the white person rate and I should not bother going back. They were not very welcoming there. Go at your own risk! I am not in the habit of giving one star reviews, so take this as my honest opinion. I left hungry, not very satisfied and a very light wallet. Bad combo!
Richard S.
Amazing sushi best in San Diego hands down. Be prepared for a real treat. The best quality I have ever had in California. Truly fresh fish with amazing flavor and service.
Hali M.
This place is my absolute #1 favorite, perhaps my #1 fave restaurant in all of San Diego. I have been here three times now to experience their traditional omakase, and it is absolutely delightful. The fish is super super high quality and flown in from japan. The chef is one man from Japan who has been here for ~20 years now? And his wife. The ambiance is not really that important, as it is the food that is INCREDIBLE! It honestly demands so much respect, it is applaudable. Reminds me of Jiro Dreams of Sushi on Netflix. This man NEEDS A MOVIE ON HIM. Omakase and sake typically runs for about ~$300 with tip, for two peeps. Don't you dare ask for wasabi, and eat with your hands! No chopsticks 10/10 recommend this black curtain, hidden GEM! If you're a true foodie and/or a sushi snob, this place is 100% for you. Don't sleep...
Y S.
I have to say this place is a joke too. We waited for 45 mins to got 12 pieces, even though there were only 6 customers. The chef didn't talk to us at all. We are 100% sure that we didn't get the scallops, but they insisted on charging it. There is no service at all and no air conditioning, so the fish was warm and tasted not that fresh. I went to many sushi places are similarly run by old Japanese couples, and had wonderful and lovely experience, not like here. Please go to Sushi Ota or any other place with a similar price, but much better service, food and environment. We paid $110 and went to another restaurant after this...
Becky L.
The worst sushi I've ever had. The food and services did not deserve the price. We paid 12 pieces for a relatively high price but we did not get full. No air conditioner provided, so I don't think the fish were fresh enough. Please consider going other sushi places before dining here. This store definitely needs huge improvement.
Tatyana T.
Best sushi in San Diego. Traditional Japanese sushi experience. They are a bit pricey but definitely worth the experience.
Really fresh sushi. Old school and very personal. A little pricey, but worth every penny. Highly recommended.
Keiko H.
This place has been around forever but we finally tried it for the first time and probably will not go back due to price and not so pleasant customer service. -1 star for customer service/ambiance -1 star for price tag This is a small sushi place run by older Japanese couple. I am assuming they have been doing this for years. We went on Friday night without any rsvp and there were only 2 other people at the bar counter. It is kind of intimidating even for me who is from Japan and speaks Japanese, there is not much greeting or communication or friendliness happening when you first walk in. There is no menu other than what's written on the woods in Japanese on the wall, and drink menu (sake & beers) so when I asked the chef he said in few words basically it's omakase and everything you see on the window, if you don't like something you just tell him what you don't like. I don't mind omakase but usually you know the price and how many pieces you are getting. We ended up ordering some nigiri we like such as salmon, unagi, ikura, etc. When the bill came, it was shocking, $160. There is no break down on the bill, it just said $140 and $8 for beer, so I have no idea how much each piece cost. I didn't keep exactly how many pieces we ordered but no more than 20 pieces. Sushi was good quality but not worth the price. They only serve Nigiri, no rolls and that's how it is in most places in Japan. To be honest, I am kinda of shocked they are still in business but I am guessing they have royal customers who has been going there for years and because of high price tag, they don't need large number of customers. I don't think we will be back since I can get just as good quality sushi as other places like Ota or Azuki.
Pacifica Sailing Charters San Diego
Absolutely the freshest, most particularly prepared Real Japanese Sushi in San Diego, bar none.
Lawrence Greenfield
Amazing restaurant in a strip mall. Make a reservation, eat whatever is put in front of you, and be happy. The fish is fresh and maybe you'll have something you never had before like I did. (Monkfish liver!)
Kristen Ampela
Top quality nagiri and rare bottles of sake expertly curated by the owner, who is also the sushi chef and runs the place with his wife. Only about 20 seats in the restaurant so make reservations! Order the chef's choice (omakase) and a nice bottle of sake for an unforgettable meal. Not cheap but totally worth it. It's nice to offer the chef a cup of sake from your bottle too
Fantastic and yummy food, I liked the character the place has, and the staff members were very kind. Will surely come back again.
I've been coming here since my husband and I started dating since 2016 and fell in love with this place. This is our go to sushi restaurant. We love the flavors of each piece and end up comparing other places to Shirahama. It's hard not to! Thank you Mr. Kotani for always making delicious traditional sushi! Will be back again :)
Great food, great service. A small restaurant, but you can tell they care about their product.
As a non-Japanese speaker, I would not go back. It was quite expensive and not very accessible, but I can see why other people might like it. The owners are very nice.
First off let me say that I am a professional chef and have travelled to Japan so I have a good understanding of sushi. I was welcomed in a very strange manner, probably because I'm white and I noticed almost all the other clientele there is Japanese. I placed an order for 4 plates. One was very good. Another just good(meaning passable). The other 2 were just awful. The salmon was tough and did not seem very fresh. The ikura was the sloppiest presentation I have ever seen, and was not very good. I didn't see any prices listed anywhere on the so-called menu I was given. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I got the check. The bill was not itemized and was more then double I have payed at similar establishments. I kind of felt like this was the white person rate and I should not bother going back. They were not very welcoming there. Go at your own risk! I am not in the habit of giving one star reviews, so take this as my honest opinion. I left hungry, not very satisfied and a very light wallet. Bad combo!
Amazing sushi best in San Diego hands down. Be prepared for a real treat. The best quality I have ever had in California. Truly fresh fish with amazing flavor and service.
This place is my absolute #1 favorite, perhaps my #1 fave restaurant in all of San Diego. I have been here three times now to experience their traditional omakase, and it is absolutely delightful. The fish is super super high quality and flown in from japan. The chef is one man from Japan who has been here for ~20 years now? And his wife. The ambiance is not really that important, as it is the food that is INCREDIBLE! It honestly demands so much respect, it is applaudable. Reminds me of Jiro Dreams of Sushi on Netflix. This man NEEDS A MOVIE ON HIM. Omakase and sake typically runs for about ~$300 with tip, for two peeps. Don't you dare ask for wasabi, and eat with your hands! No chopsticks 10/10 recommend this black curtain, hidden GEM! If you're a true foodie and/or a sushi snob, this place is 100% for you. Don't sleep...
I have to say this place is a joke too. We waited for 45 mins to got 12 pieces, even though there were only 6 customers. The chef didn't talk to us at all. We are 100% sure that we didn't get the scallops, but they insisted on charging it. There is no service at all and no air conditioning, so the fish was warm and tasted not that fresh. I went to many sushi places are similarly run by old Japanese couples, and had wonderful and lovely experience, not like here. Please go to Sushi Ota or any other place with a similar price, but much better service, food and environment. We paid $110 and went to another restaurant after this...
The worst sushi I've ever had. The food and services did not deserve the price. We paid 12 pieces for a relatively high price but we did not get full. No air conditioner provided, so I don't think the fish were fresh enough. Please consider going other sushi places before dining here. This store definitely needs huge improvement.
Best sushi in San Diego. Traditional Japanese sushi experience. They are a bit pricey but definitely worth the experience.
Restaurantji Recommends
Really fresh sushi. Old school and very personal. A little pricey, but worth every penny. Highly recommended.
This place has been around forever but we finally tried it for the first time and probably will not go back due to price and not so pleasant customer service. -1 star for customer service/ambiance -1 star for price tag This is a small sushi place run by older Japanese couple. I am assuming they have been doing this for years. We went on Friday night without any rsvp and there were only 2 other people at the bar counter. It is kind of intimidating even for me who is from Japan and speaks Japanese, there is not much greeting or communication or friendliness happening when you first walk in. There is no menu other than what's written on the woods in Japanese on the wall, and drink menu (sake & beers) so when I asked the chef he said in few words basically it's omakase and everything you see on the window, if you don't like something you just tell him what you don't like. I don't mind omakase but usually you know the price and how many pieces you are getting. We ended up ordering some nigiri we like such as salmon, unagi, ikura, etc. When the bill came, it was shocking, $160. There is no break down on the bill, it just said $140 and $8 for beer, so I have no idea how much each piece cost. I didn't keep exactly how many pieces we ordered but no more than 20 pieces. Sushi was good quality but not worth the price. They only serve Nigiri, no rolls and that's how it is in most places in Japan. To be honest, I am kinda of shocked they are still in business but I am guessing they have royal customers who has been going there for years and because of high price tag, they don't need large number of customers. I don't think we will be back since I can get just as good quality sushi as other places like Ota or Azuki.
Absolutely the freshest, most particularly prepared Real Japanese Sushi in San Diego, bar none.
Amazing restaurant in a strip mall. Make a reservation, eat whatever is put in front of you, and be happy. The fish is fresh and maybe you'll have something you never had before like I did. (Monkfish liver!)
Top quality nagiri and rare bottles of sake expertly curated by the owner, who is also the sushi chef and runs the place with his wife. Only about 20 seats in the restaurant so make reservations! Order the chef's choice (omakase) and a nice bottle of sake for an unforgettable meal. Not cheap but totally worth it. It's nice to offer the chef a cup of sake from your bottle too