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Cafe Japengo
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Asian Fusion Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Asian Fusion, Japanese [Edit]
8960 University Center Ln(between Caminito Plaza Ctr & Lebon Dr)
San Diego, CA 92122
Neighborhood: University City
(858) 450-3355
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 2 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
269 reviews for Cafe Japengo
Review Highlights
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"...chocolate syrup, vanilla gelato, and the lava cake itself." In 19 reviews -
"Don't miss their happy Hour, it is a total Scene." In 27 reviews -
"pizza roll was good and good selection of cold sakes." In 13 reviews
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269 reviews in English
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Review from Janice L.
5/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is probably one of the top four sushi restaurants I've been to. Obviously this is not a budget friendly place but it's sooooo worth the money. The decor is similar to that of Katsura but not as mod. There's kimonos on display and kabuki masks on the walls.
We started off with the honeymoon oyster appetizers which may require an acquired taste and not suited for everyone. It comes in a martini glass (but has no alcohol) with three different colors of masago (small fish eggs), one oyster, topped with a raw quail egg.
The thing I love about this place and most upscale sushi restaurants is that they use real crab meat for their rolls. Also, I could tell that their fish is fresh, hopefully not frozen... The shrimp tempura in the rolls also made a huge difference in the roll. One of the rolls had the standard temoura kind and the other had a BBQ'ed shrimp inside. Both types were excellent, not chewy and tough like the cheap overlooked kind used at many sushi places.
My parents used to own a sushi restaurant and I've worked in one as a college part time job. I'm very passionate about sushi! This is definitely a place you go to spoil yourself with damn good sushi :) -
Review from Mari A.
San Diego, CA
5/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Maybe it's the free business lunches and not having to be so concerned about the check that just puts the cherry on top of the pie... Or the fresh wasabi on top of that sushi.
Besides happy hour, I'm usually here because of work. I've tried almost all their rolls and every singly one is as fresh as it gets. I'm not even going to excite you wth the roll by roll descriptions. Just get 'em. =D
Appetizers- we've had the calamari and potstickers and both excellent choices.
Desserts- yuuuum. Love.
Tea- Mango Black. Winner.
Again, it's pretty pricey here. But because of these business lunches, there's nothing else really holding me back from giving this place the 5 stars that it deserves. It's now one of my favorite sushi places to go to on those special occasions. MMmmmM Hhhhmmmm. -
Review from Saba S.
4/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Check In, Check In, Check In and get the lettuce wraps on your table for free! Also, Make reservations! We stayed at the Hyatt Hotel across from this restaurant for a wedding weekend and was craving sushi! Happy we came here! Didn't get to experience sitting at the dining area, but like the high top tables at a bar and enjoyed my time there.
Service was 4/5. Our waitress was attentive, apologetic about everything, and it wasn't her fault that we got a small order of rice rather than the large one we ordered. After almost finishing it up, she said "That seems to small." And a few minutes later, brought the right size back.
Food was delicious. Spicy Tuna rolls are my favorite, and they were actually spicy! Which I can't complain about. Presentation was nice, food was in good temperature, and this place had a romantic feel. What a great way to have dinner. There were a few more restaurants around the vicinity, but I'm glad we chose Sushi and did it here on a Thursday night! -
Review from Eva W.
Chula Vista, CA
5/19/2012
I enjoyed the sushi making class. I wish there was more sake selections to taste.
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Review from Kimberly L.
San Diego, CA
5/8/2012
Went here for happy hour and the food was pretty good. I got the hawaiian roll and the sampler plate. Very pleasantly surprised that there were noodles under the calamari! Calamari was tossed in a sauce and was very tasty. The duck dumplings were just 'ok' and the chicken eggrolls were WAY too salty. The roll was pretty good, but then again I like just about any kind of sushi roll. All in all...3 stars.
One big gripe was that I ordered an Arnold Palmer (half lemonade, half tea), asked for a refill and was charged for 2 drink orders! First of all, no free fountain refills? Seriously? You charge up the ass for 'ok' food (yeah. I looked at the regular menu.) and then it's 3.50 for a fountain drink and no free refills. Oh and I'd honestly be ok with paying for each refill if it was quality stuff, but the lemonade was OBVIOUSLY Minute Maid syrup stuff and the tea was Lipton black. -1 star for fleecing thirsty customers.
Conclusion: Hit it up for happy hour. Avoid the fountain drinks. Get the calamari. -
Review from Mike S.
San Diego, CA
4/20/2012
Great location! Atmosphere is really nice! But the food is very over-rated - especially for the price!
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Review from Lila Z.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 4/23/2012
Great happy hour crowd! The HH menu is really good too!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/12/2011
came here for lunch. TONS of business meetings happening. the sushi is better than average. the… Read more »
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Review from Konica M.
San Diego, CA
5/1/2012
We went here for their all day happy hour Sunday and it was awesome. We basically had the patio to ourselves (a few people were coming and going) and it was really nice. The food is great as is the service but I took off the one star only because the drinks were weak/small. I will be back there soon!
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Review from Amanda T.
San Diego, CA
3/20/2012 10 Check-ins Here
This is my favorite sushi place out of the 10 or so I have tried in San Diego. We go every Sunday...Sushi Sunday and sit at the sushi bar. My favorite sushi chef is by far MelJon! He is very talented and puts his own flared to the rolls he makes. My husband and I don't even order rolls or sushi...we just let him create and he has not done us wrong once! To end things off I absolutely love the tempura bannana...yum! Great workers and service. Love the decor of the place. There is also a great happy hour on a cute patio outside. Highly recommend checking this place out!
PS: parking is on the street or Valet only. -
Review from Tina P.
Brooklyn, NY
2/15/2012
Staying at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla, we came here due to a matter of convenience. And my goodness, were we blown away. Great ambience, casual to trendy, but not pretentious. Good prices for their portions.
~Crispy Chicken Spring rolls (complimentary 4square newbie special! #win): served with sweet and sour sauce, butter lettuce, mint, cilantro. Good but not mind-blowing. But, hey it was free ;) .. 3 stars.
~Roasted Shishito peppers: served with ponzu and bonito flakes - yumm!!! The portion was generous and the peppers were larger than what I'm used to seeing in NYC (i.e. Ippudo's). Typically the peppers are pretty mild, but the first pepper I ate sent my mouth on fire while hiccuping and grasping for my glass of water. It was probably my fault, it was so delicious I couldn't stop eating it haha. All the others were mild. Definitely grab them while their hot & crispy, and don't let them sit too long in the sauce .. 5 stars for savory, zesty goodness.
~Abacore roll & Red dragon roll: delicious. so fresh. portion generous. 4 stars.
~Pan Fried Bread pudding: this dessert was off the charts. Served w/ poached Asian pears, coconut gelato over caramel?! I almost never have room for dessert, but each bite was heavenly. 5 stars.
Definitely going to come back next time I'm in San Diego. Loved it. -
Review from Melanio F.
San Diego, CA
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Happy Hour
Was here with Maria C. so her review pretty much sums it up.
Pricing good.
Food delicious to okay.
Oyster trio was my favorite.
Drinks are fine. 3 dollar Sapporo draft during HH FTW!
Would love to try it for regular dinner too someday -
Review from Maria C.
Came in for Happy Hour (5-7p).
Ordered the following:
-Tengu-tini ($8): Sweet with midori and chambord - my 2 fave mixes... It's a layered drink and it creeps up on you. I was buzzed after a drink and a half...
-Oyster Trio ($5): I enjoyed the oysters and would order it again. They were shooters and came in some time of soy sauce.
-Hawaiian roll ($5): Cali roll topped with spicy tuna. Reasonably priced. I would def order this again.
-Truffle Nori French Fries ($5): The fries were delish. Next time I will order the fries well done. Enough to share amongst a group. Accompanied with an aioli sauce.
-Curry Crusted Calamari ($6): I enjoyed the calamari, which had a little sweetness. Unfortunately no tentacles.
-Spicy Shrimp Dumplings ($4): Only came with 2. This was probably my least fave. Had a little kick to them, but not overly spicy.
Our service was friendly and attentive. We were charged gratuity since we had a larger party. The bar area is pretty small with about 5-6 high tables and bar seating. There is also a patio for the warmer evenings to enjoy happy hour. Also a couple TVs that were playing the college ball games.
Located off La Jolla Village Drive sitting in the same center as Flemings, The Melting Pot, and Trulucks. Fun to do a little happy hour hop between all the restaurants since they all end at 7p. Limited street parking, but you can self park at the Hyatt and get validation at the restaurant (if you don't mind the walk.)Listed in: After hours Happy Hours!!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/22/2011
I was referred to this place a while back by a friend who indicated that CJ was their fave sushi… Read more »
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Review from Yuki M.
1/18/2012
Fire Roasted Oysters had a bit of spice but overall balanced flavor. Rich and juicy and though I prefer my oysters raw, these were pretty impressive.
Seared Jumbo Scallops were fantastic. I didn't know if I was going to like the chive cake but it surprised me. The Ikura was just enough to have presence and the beurre blanc was a nice touch. Could have done without the red wine syrup but it didn't hurt.
Also, did I mention we ordered room-service? 4-stars for having been made and delivered across the way to the hotel. I can imagine had we dined in the actual restaurant, this would turn out to be a 5-star review.
Can't comment on service or atmosphere but these two dishes were impressive. I look forward to returning.Listed in: Hotel/Resort Food
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Review from Caitlin S.
San Diego, CA
2/24/2012
LOVE Japengos!
Fantastic atmosphere, AMAZING sushi, great bar area, awesome location. The only con I can think of is parking but I live right across the street so this isn't a problem.
It's also definitely pricey but not over-priced, considering all that it offers. I've been there about a dozen times in the past 3 years and I always leave there happy. -
Review from Jamie J.
Los Angeles, CA
3/4/2012
#26
I was near by and listened to a fellow yelpers review that I kind of trusted. Wronggggg.... I should have known better. This sushi spot is like any typical wanna be place that's concentrated on decor and providing a cool loungey factor to offset the fact that they are serving high price unsatisfying food.
Staff at this place is incompetent and I really think that has to do with the fact that there are no Japanese employees in a Japanese restaurant.... This compared to OTA Sushi that I just visited and was warmly greeted and served with precision.
Here are my issues as I sat at the sushi bar. The order was 3 different types of Nigri and a specialty roll. But I also ordered a Miso soup which is not included in meal and cost an extra $3.50. That along with an appetizer of mussels. So you think I would get the soup and app first, right?? Nope. Specialty roll first then appetizer then soup and then 3 separate large plates of the sushi... Why couldn't they just put all 6 pieces on one plate and serve together? Instead I have to juggle 6 different plates in my small piece of dining real estate.
The worst part was that each dish and soup was handed to me over the counter . Is it me or is that not suppose to happen. They handed me the soup over the sushi counter, and the hot appetizer and each of the 4 additional plates. I really thought that was terrible. Now I've done sushi bars at the nicest spots from the Tokyo fish market to finest omakase places all over the country and I understand when a chef reaches over and puts sushi on your plate. But i should not be touching plates and figuring out where to put it in my small area to dine with. What if I dropped the soup??
I had a waiter but he was hardly around and really didn't check. Even noticed that the hostess went missing for some time and had customers waiting with no one to attend to them.
The sushi was fine and maybe worthy of 3 to 3 1/2 stars, but service or the lack of service was a 1 star experience. The ending topped it all off. Just wanted some green tea ice cream. But it came in a bowl with a bunch of fruit, lots of fruit like a fruit cup. I would have rather had an extra scoop as all I wanted was the ice cream. If I wanted fruit then I would have ordered fruit.
If you're staying at the Hyatt and really want sushi, then take a cab to OTA. It'll be worth it and call ahead for reservations. They were packed on a Monday night at 8:30 pm so I would imagine that they are always busy. Skip this place unless you're just looking for a spot to have a few overpriced drinks. From what I've read, it seems happy hour may be worthwhile as well. I'll never know since i won't be returning. -
Review from Steven C.
Encinitas, CA
2/21/2012
The food is tasty, but the pricing is crazy (especially for lunch). Most of the people eating at lunch appeared to have someone else or a company paying the bill.
The service is very good.
I just would not come back because the pricing is ridiculous. -
Review from T. B.
San Diego, CA
2/12/2012
I come here for special occasions, lunch time sushi needs, and happy hours. Japengo's makes me happy for all. Plus I've asked Jerry, the head sushi chef, to marry me at least twice.
The sushi prices may seem high but the fish is freshly fantastic (say that three times quickly, I dare ya) and the rolls are larger than what I'm used to, so I consider it value. Their sushi combinations are very well-thought out and lack a lot of the cream cheese and additions you might find at a place like Sushi Deli. I'm not bashing Sushi Deli, it has its favored place status too (you know, the copious amounts of beer and sushi status).
The ambience is great and the non-sushi food is good, although I always swear I'm going to try more things on their menu before getting suckered into more sushi. I can speak to their appetizers since I usually hold strong enough for those. The glass noodles on the calamari rocks and the grapes are a lovely addition. Gets pretty busy on Thursday, the official La Jolla happy hour day. -
Review from Jennifer S.
Dallas, TX
3/25/2012
Great happy hour and very convenient to my hotel - the Hyatt Regency. I enjoyed the spring rolls, the dumplings and a nice glass of white wine for a little over $20 with tip - such a deal! My server was nice and efficient as well.
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Review from Arlene P.
I thought the happy hour was still a tad pricey and the selection wasn't awesome. The happy hour sushi didn't impress me... it was pretty basic. However, the food was decent, the ambiance was nice and the server was very polite. I liked her a lot.
I ordered a signature drink but really didn't like it and she didn't give me a hard time about it. I realize now that I do not like spice in my drinks unless it's like a spiced chai tea or something.
I know it sounds like I didn't have a great experience, but I think I'd go back to Cafe Japengo. Because of the potentially great dishes this place might have. Really, you won't have to twist my arm. I think the sushi bar might be more fun to sit at in this type of place... we were sharing a small bar table for 5 adults... space was awkward.
Oh if you want parking, the med center across the street is only $3 on weekends after 6pm. -
Review from Pamela B.
Los Olivos, CA
4/7/2012 Seated via OpenTable
We had a great meal. The service was superb, the food was fantastic. No complaints. I did make a reservation and we were seated immediately. The sushi was excellent. I gave it 4 instead of 5 simply because the prices were a little steep.
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Review from Sunny G.
San Diego, CA
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Yummmm.....
I've been here a couple times and have always left happy. Last night went there to partake in restaurant week, I split...
Seafood salad...Very spicy and out of this world!!!!
Carne Asada roll and half a protein roll...Delicious
Chocolate cake...Rich, warm, and gooey paired with vanilla ice cream in a cup formed out of caramel that just melted in your mouth : )
Added on an additional fifty/fifty roll...Hit the spot
It was a great evening! Also, got a free chicken spring roll app for checking in. But it wasn't til we were finished so we'll have to go back to use it :) -
Review from Kiki N.
10/27/2011
Cute, trendy spot for sushi, salads, sandwiches, and other cafe goodies. Pricey for what it is. Mostly business people in the area during lunch time. Service was a bit slow. Typical tasting food; no wow factor but it was a nice treat.
I'm a choco lava cake lover and usually share desserts, but their portions are ridiculously minuscule. Really fudgy and mehhh tasting. Should've tried the tempura banana with vanilla bean ice cream, as recommended by our waiter! -
Review from Jonathan W.
Updated - 12/13/2011
Great location next to Hyatt, tough competition next to Trulucks and Flemings.
The newest update to the menu certainly is an upgrade. Still quite expensive and there are better options than the sushi but a few things are bad.
As far as the local area goes, a good place to take visitors for some Japanese.Listed in: Sushi...eat it and you'll live…, University City Eats
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/17/2010
Mondo expensivo.....and the food is barely average. Just wander over to Flemings or Trulucks and you… Read more »
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Review from Holly B.
Oceanside, CA
3/17/2012
Food was phenomenal and a great mix for everyone. If you have a large group you can take everyone from the bigger sushi critics to the newbies that are scared of trying the cuisine. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who like a great atmosphere and is a fun place to visit.
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Review from Christine K.
San Diego, CA
12/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here with a coworker and had the hot udon soup when I was feeling kind of sick. The soup comes in a small portion but its reasonable as it comes at a small price as well. A complete dinner will run you well over $70 for 2 though, so depending on what your budget is, this may not be the restaurant for you.
I know happy hour is a pretty good deal on saturdays and sundays and will make an effort to come back then. -
Review from D A.
San Diego, CA
3/12/2012
OH jAPENGOS,what would I do without u? You get great sushi and great prices, The staff is friendly and their prices are good. If you don't want to get a tabe,their happy hour is also great at the bar area. One more thing,if you can ,attend their anniersary party,they rock.
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Review from Jae C.
San Diego, CA
8/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I made reservations for 7:30pm so seating was not a problem. I immediately noticed the unique decor and the hip/retro ambiance. I loved it! The hostess seated us in the back of the restaurant at some random table awkwardly placed next to a booth so I moved myself to a more convenient table. Our waiter, John was very kind and did his part to satisfy my dining experience (except for the fact that he forgot to bring me a side of ginger for my sushi..)
I ordered the hawaiian special roll(waiter's recommendation), carne asada roll, salmon nigiri, and tiger shrimp 10 ingredient fried rice.
Their sushi roll ingredients consisted of a LOT of immitation crab meat; I wasn't too pleased. Also, their allegedly popular roll called the "Hawaiian special" tasted very mediocre to me. However, their carne asada roll was super delicious! Their 10 ingredient tiger shrimp fried rice was also delicious!
Lastly, I had their tempura fried banana with a scoop of greet tea ice cream.. omg... that thing was so freakin delicious.. my taste buds were going crazy!
Contrary to what others say, their service was not horrible. It wasn't the best kind of service I've experienced, but it definitely was not horrible.
SIDE NOTE: MAKE SURE TO CHECK IN AND TELL YOUR WAITER! YOU GET A FREE PLATE OF CHICKEN SPRING ROLL!***Listed in: Romantic Dinner Dates
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Review from Anh V.
Updated - 1/14/2012
hh! ok, it was because truluck's and flemings were full up with suits but we got to find out that it does have a decent hh.
$3 large sakes and beer, $6 wines and a bevy of appies to munch on from duck spring rolls, dumplings, beek yakitori, truffled fries and a few rolls on the hh menu.
no slow kitchen problems here because the dishes were arriving one after the other like an airport runway.Listed in: sexy san diego, La "Joy" La, Happening Happy Hour Haunts
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/13/2011
looks like people either love or hate this joint.
reading other reviews...it sounds like they don't… Read more »
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Review from Ben B.
Del Mar, CA
12/22/2011
Set a bowling bowl at the top of that trail going down to Black's Beach. Release.
Now there's something that actually went downhill faster than Japengo. It's a swanky place, but the food is now JUST OK. And get out your damn wallet, this place is pricey. Our super-nice waitress didn't charge us correctly--overcharged on the pear-vodka-sake things I was sucking down. Unfortunately, I just paid it because we had to get out of there. -
Review from Steven H.
7/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
OK, first let me say that my first visit to Cafe Japengo was in 1990 and I ate there on numerous occasions in the 90s, but hadn't been back in my many visits to La Jolla in this millennium. On my most recent business trip to LJ, I decided to search for it on Yelp!, and lo and behold, not only is it still open, but it gets some very nice reviews. So I decided to have dinner there, solo at the sushi bar.
Well, what a pleasant surprise! The interior has been updated (but, alas, the glass blocks containing live goldfish on each table are no more) and is quite nice. The sushi bar is just inside the front entrance and is quite large. My server, Rachel, wasted no time taking my drink order (she recommended a stellar draft Stone IPA). I told her that Yelp! offered me a free order of spring rolls for checking in there, and she put the order right in. It was delicious, crunchy and greaseless with a tasty filling. The complimentary edamame were undistinguished - cold and insipid.
I ordered quite a bit of sushi/sashimi, starting with a special of grilled octopus sashimi. Wow was that good! Fresh and pleasantly chewy, served with citrus and sliced jalapenos in a seasoned soy sauce with a beautiful little seaweed salad, this was a great taste that I definitely had not had before. This was followed in quick succession by an outstanding salmon skin hand roll that was crunchy, succulent, salty and sweet all at the same time. Mmmmm. Next was a better-than-average spicy scallop hand roll (very fresh, not sweet, though).
I ordered a special, the summer roll, which contained fresh salmon, crabmeat, avocado. Very generous portion but somewhat pricey at $17. It was very tasty, though. I then had the best uni I have ever eaten. Two pieces of nigiri topped with the sweetest, freshest, most appealing sea urchin - I never see uni of this quality on the east coast, and this topped the best I have eaten in LA. Thank you, sir, why, yes, I will have another order. I mean, who knows when (if?) this treat will appear again.
At this point, I was happily sated. I want to give two shout outs: one to Rachel, an outstanding server and an exceptionally sweet young woman who defines what good service should be. The second is to my sushi chef for the evening, Solomon, who not only makes terrific sushi, but also could not be nicer and more attentive.
A very happy experience all around. Can't wait to come back on my next trip! -
Review from Denise K.
9/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
HH all day on Saturday and Sunday? Hellllooooo, Japengo!
$3 draft beers, $7 cocktails and $4 california rolls? After a long weekend of work (wretched, I know!), it was nice to unwind here. Service was wonderful at the bar. The patio is also a great place to relax. Tons of heaters spread throughout, comfortable patio sofas and tables. I'd say it's a snappy casual atmosphere, nothing too pretentious. They validate parking in the structure. -
Review from Melissa Nicole J.
San Diego, CA
2/1/2012
The sushi was amazing...the service was not. I always liked coming here awhile back and it feels like it has changed quite a bit. We ordered our drinks from 2 different people. My drink order was wrong...I ordered iced tea, hard right? And my friend ordered a beer from the bar, which was the wrong beer. It was really hard to not like this place, you know having such fond memories of it. But unfortunately, it is not the same anymore. The only thing that hasn't changed much was the quality of the sushi and the appetizers...the miso soup always a favorite of mine here, but TOO much salt on the edamame. Makes me wish that my old friend was here, she was always a great waitress and was always attentive regardless. Sorry guys, my tummy was definitely happy, but I was parched the WHOLE time....
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Review from Katherine N.
Aliso Viejo, CA
1/29/2012
Great place for HH.
Fun place for group dinners.
I've never been here and had it be "quiet".
I've only had the sushi - basic, but good!
One of my favorite places to go to in SD. -
Review from Criselle O.
San Diego, CA
8/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had dinner here tonight with my bf's mom, dad and sis. Came here around 7PM and had to wait 20MIN. because we didn't have dinner reservations. . .
Our waitress finally showed us to our table and as we were walking through the dining area, there were hella tables that were empty... why you might ask!? Beats the crap outta me.
K. We got the flatbread steak and the free spring rolls (thanks yelp!) for appetizers. I thought both were just okay. As for the sushi, we got the 50/50 roll, protein roll, baked salmon roll and of course a salmon roll. Everything was excellent and I loved every bite!
We also ordered two orders of the miso butterfish. My god, I felt like I died and gone to butterfish heaven. The flavor was so good and it seriously melts in your mouth. Mmm.
Our waitress was super nice and the customer service was up to par. I like this place but I honestly had better. Also, this place is a bit pricey so you might wanna come here only on a special occasion. Overall, I had a good experience here but I'm not quite sold with Cafe Japengo. I don't think I would wanna make this place a regular of go to places to eat.
Oh yea, free parking validation... -
Review from Allison J.
San Diego, CA
I had a gift certificate so decided to take the hubby and sister here. We had reservations, but got there early at 5pm so we decided to do happy hour at the bar area. I thought it was great to have happy hour all day Sundays. Also as a bonus, if you check in on the yelp app, you get 1 order of free spring rolls!
Happy hour prices are great. The sushi bar list is limited with only Hawaiian, CA, and pizza rolls but only costs $4-5. The rolls were decent. Standard sushi rolls. For the other appetizers, we tried the french fries, calamari, dumplings, & had our free spring rolls. We also tried a shrimp tempura roll which was on their regular menu. The food was simple. Nothing unique or technical about it - but then again it is bar food and we didn't order any real specialty rolls. But based on what we had tried, the consensus was that this place was just ok.
But this is bias for happy hour only and might not reflect the regular dinner menu choices. -
Review from Peijean T.
San Diego, CA
7/3/2011 1 photo
Why would anyone ever get excited over a CALIFORNIA ROLL? Well, Cafe Japengo has the BEST California roll you will ever have and is truly something to get excited about!
The rolls are packed with moist, soft crab that seems to have been MASSAGED VERY FINELY between the chef's fingers! (The real secret is probably just a bit of mayonnaise on top of real, good quality shellfish.) During Happy Hour (ALL DAY Saturday and Sunday at the bar! W00t!!), the Calif rolls are only $4, so it's definitely worth a try then!
Another appetizer/Happy Hour standout is the curry dusted calamari (with lime vinaigrette and chukka salad). It comes in a big round cocktail glass, layered with seaweed salad, cucumbers, cellophane noodles. It's almost a meal on its own! My companion and I got this as part of the Japengo sampler plate, which also had shrimp dumplings (with coriander-mint pesto and ponzu) and spring rolls.
Apart from Happy Hour and the Bar (which has tables and an outdoor patio, so you don't feel like you're at a bar per se), full dinner entrees at Cafe Japengo in the dining room are great (with first-rate service) but the food is not as memorable as Japengo's sushi and Happy Hour. -
Review from M P.
Carlsbad, CA
3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Ahi salad- tuna was kinda tough, not melt in your mouth kinds. The yellow tail strips hand rolls - the seaweed was really chewy , not crunchy - so a disappointment. Red hot roll was just ok - kinda soggy with all the stuff in it. Overall - this place is average, nothing special.
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Review from Maria A.
Laguna Niguel, CA
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Waitress was very nice.
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Review from Michelle G.
San Diego, CA
12/1/2011
Best Albacore Sushi Roll that I have ever eaten! It is super fresh and super pricey! If you are feeling like spending a little more than the usual Sushi Deli prices, than Cafe Japengo is your best bet! The sushi chefs really know what they are doing, clearly. I have not been here for happy hour, but I think I will have to check it out since the sushi is amazing!
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Review from Daniela J.
San Diego, CA
6/24/2011 2 photos
This place is amazing! I am big sushi lover and Japengo has made me a fan. I crave their rolls that are not only amazing but also beautifully presented! I love when I look at my plate and the colors and textures are just screaming at you.
I took one star out because it is pricey. The food is very fresh, tasty and wonderfully prepared but it is not like you are seating in La Jolla ocean front property where the real state cost can justify such prices, this is in UTC at the Hyatt hotel.
So now to the sushi:
1- Protein Roll- my favorite, no rice just fish, crab, scallops and avocado wrapped in rice paper. To die for! But as I said pricey. $18 for 8-9 pieces
2- Hawaian and Caterpillar- 5 stars too
3- Nigiri- I was impressed with the Salmon, Crab and Eel. My friend, who is a bit of Uni-snob, had the Uni ( sea urchin ) and wasn't impressed giving it 6 out of 10 stars for freshness. I don't like Uni but just reporting here for other Uni fans.
Service, kind of hit or miss. This place gets really busy at lunch and happy hour. I had wonderful service some days and kind of slow at others.
Reservations Strongly Recommended. Single?? Don't miss their happy Hour, it is a total Scene
