50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Trabuco Canyon

“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.“

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

“I recently discovered this gem of a restaurant and I am happy I did. We tried the bento box and all the items were fresh, tasty and leaves you wanting more. It was so good we returned 2 weeks later and had it today. This time we tried a variety of sushi rolls and once again it was delicious. Great friendly staff and quick service to add. Excellent service and great food all around.“

“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.“

“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?!“

“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!“

“4.5 stars.

A bit pricy and the hours are a bit odd but have always left full and happy. The hospitality is amazing and each roll or dish is hand prepared with care.

The hand rolls are huge - beware when ordering as they are quite filling (and delicious!). Cucumber salad is refreshing and the yellowtail and tuna are incredibly fresh and light.

Daily specials are “special dishes” not necessarily specials of the day (price wise).

Huge lot shared with other retailers but this location is off to itself with ample parking.

Vegetarian options: Salads and some options but not many

Parking: Huge lot shared with other retailers but this location is off to itself with ample parking.“

“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.“

“Delicious ramen , broth was amazing . Sushi rolls very fresh and creative, looking forward to trying more things !“

“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!“

“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.“

“Great food and excellent customer service
Highly recommend
Yaki Udon noodles were great and all of us enjoyed our dinner
Excellent service and food
The employees were attentive if we needed anything
This place deserves more than 5 stars“

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

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

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

“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“

“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!“

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

“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.“

“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!”“

“DELICIOUSNESS! healthy, tasty and great prices“

“AMAZEBALLS! Japanese A5 Wagyu For The Win!“

“Fresh fish expertly prepared by friendly chef with equally cheerful service staff! We will be back“

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

“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.“

“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.“

“Surprisingly excellent and interesting sushi and sashimi. We wandered in here for lunch one day and sat outside in the patio which was nice. The service was good. Price is a bit higher but you totally get what you pay for. The quality, flavors, and quantity were all great. We really enjoyed it and if we lived closer would come often.“

“This is a good neighborhood joint. It's not fancy, but the food is solid and the staff is attentive and friendly. If you go regularly, they'll remember your name.The have indoor seating (sushi bar and tables) and a small covered patio. They have fun hand-lettered signs with specials. Halibut carpaccio was one the specials tonight.If you go for lunch, they've got bento box specials that are tasty too.RECOMMEND

Parking: This is in in a large shopping plaza with a big parking lot. Parking is never a problem.

Kid-friendliness: They don't have a kids menu or specific option for kids. If your kid likes sushi or teriyaki or tempura, then your kid would do okay here.“

“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.“

“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!!!“

“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.“

“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 :)“

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

“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!“

“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!!!“

“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“

“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.“

“Good food and friendly service“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“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!“

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

“Great food and service nice people“