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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese, Chinese
4529 Mission Bay DrMon. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Tue-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Tue-Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
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Great Sushi! I've been going here for 15 years, and it never disappoints. Head right to the sushi bar, and ask the chef to make 'whatever', which will undoubtedly be some of the best sushi that you have ever had. Grab a Sapporo to wash everything down. It's tough to find a better place for a meal, and who would've thought that it would be right next to 7-11?
If you haven't been here, just go...
5 yelp stars - hands down.
After a fun-filled day of EATING and not much else, I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle a sit-down meal so I didn't pay much attention to the menu instead let our hosts (who RAVE about this joint) order one of everything so that we could try it.
It was absolutely mouth-watering sushi in every aspect.
+3 Fresh sushi - the freshest, most tastiest nigiri ever.
+1 Good presentation - especially the quail egg.
+1 Flavorful - all the pairings of flavors were perfect.
We ordered all of the staple nigiri:
tuna
salmon
el toro
hamachi
They all melted in my mouth with the freshest of flavor. Seriously, best nigiri I've ever had and my BF once went down to Baja for a tuna fishing trip and brought back self caught fresh tuna - something about being served makes it taste slightly better.
We also ordered a quail egg sushi, it was served beautifully with the raw quail egg sitting atop the small orange fish eggs. We also had an order of the Uni which I am never too big a fan of, but it was tasty. And we got an order of the crunchy salmon roll.
I was very pleased. I'm excited because the BF and I are going to SD at the end of the year and I can't wait to take him! Ask anyone in town, they'll tell you Sushi Ota is the place to go for sushi down there.
I loved this place so much, I went back the next night!
My colleague and I shared the osusume sushi for $27. The combo plate included squid, tuna belly, red snapper, yellowtail, Spanish mackerel, salmon, surf clam, salmon roe, sea urchin, and eel nigiri plus negitoro and ume shiso yamaimo maki. It was delicious, but we were still hungry for more (Who wouldn't be? Sushi is addictive.) I think the osusume sushi was meant for one person since it came with only one bowl of miso soup, but oh well. The fish quality and taste was still there.
LOVE SUSHI OTA!
Many thanks to Ryan Y. who recommended this place to me. They served the best…
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Why write review 472? Just to confirm the 5 start rating and to make one point. If you stick to basic sushi you can eat here reasonably. And if you want to let the sushi chefs (how many were there?) you will spend. Hey, if you order Lobster or Snow Crab legs and Uni what did you expect?
We had a blast, sat the counter, drank Kirins, ate sushi until. Total including the Snow Crab and the Uni was $100 and well worth it.
Sit down at the bar and let them go. Don't be put off by the exterior.
This place has been yelped to death, but what the hell.
We made a reservation because it seemed a must. Definitely is. The parking and location were a bit odd; I didn't realize the lot in the back was connected with a walkway. The place was bigger than expected on the inside and a little cramped (the lady leaving the table next to us brushed her jacked into the sushi though she was trying to avoid us).
We had a double yellowtail roll, the crunchy salmon, and an assortment of nigiri (salmon, yellowtail, salmon and yellowtail belly, unagi, red snapper, etc.). The double yellowtail roll wasn't that interesting; it just tasted like a generic spicy chopped fish roll and the texture was a bit too mushy throughout to be satisfying. The crunchy salmon was nicely presented and was delicious. The nigiri was all fresh, tender, buttery, and flavorful. I was surprised when the bill with beer came to only about $70. I will definitely be going back next time I want sushi to try more.
With 500 reviews, Sushi Ota is the best. Comparable to sushi in Japan. Just go and remember these three things:
1) Get a reservation for the bar, and get there a little early.
2) Learn 3 Japanese phrases:
- "itadakimasu"---ee tah dakee mahs (let's begin this deliciousness)
- "kudasai"---ku da sah ee (hamachi kudasai...an order of yellowtail please)
- "gochisousama"---go chee sou sama (the sushi was ridiculously perfect)
3) If you enjoyed your visit, try the omakase (chef's choice) for next time.
I've had sushi. I've had good sushi, I've had bad sushi. I've had fresh sushi, I've had old sushi. I've had expensive sushi, I've had grocery-store sushi. But I'd never had sushi like this.
The sashimi? Ridiculous. Everything is so fresh, so tender, so melt-in-your-mouth good, that I can't wait to get back here again (er...when I have enough cash to spare). The ambiance? Wonderful. No overbearing music, no loud crowds...just you and your tastebuds going to town on some fine fish. The service? Wow. We sat at the bar (request it if you can), where one of the sushi chefs, Take, took extraordinary care of us.
Bonus for sitting at the bar? You get to see everything being made, so you can point to a plate and say, "oooh, that looks good! I want one of those," at which point your chef will whip another one up for you. Dangerous for your wallet, but so satisfying.
Unquestionably the best sushi I've experienced so far, and worth the expensive price tag (expect to drop at least $100 a person). Given, we didn't order any rolls...those might be cheaper overall, since there's more filler per order.
Fantastic authentic sushi! I typicaly go during lunch hour so getting a table has never been an issue...does anything else really need to be said about the quality of the fish they serve?
Other items worth mentioning: the hot tea, miso soup, the killer seaweed salad.
I'll be back again and again.
SUSHI OTA: San Diego's Best Kept Sushi Secret
From the exterior, you'd never guess that this humble storefront houses the best sushi and most skilled sushi chef's in San Diego.
My friend and I made reservations at the bar for dinner, (recommended!) where your own personal sushi chef creates a mouthwatering menu catered purely to your own palate.
We dined on eight delicious dishes which were expressively explained by our chef Derek:
- The crab and fried eel skin salad was clean and crisp.
- Next was a trio of seaweed with ginger, crab cucumber rolls, and a raw oyster on the half-shell. This trio was perfectly matched, harmonious, and invigorating. We were ready for more!
- A skewer of grilled toro, lobster, a seared scallop atop a bed of sauteed mushrooms, and an anchovy chip perched on a tiny spinach salad sat together on one plate. This dish was like couture comfort food; warm, fulfilling, and familiar...but outrageously yummy.
- The lightest tempura followed, relaxing on a chilled pickled plum sauce.
- Next was million dollar mushroom soup! A tiny teapot held a broth containing the ridiculously rare fungus. I've never tasted a relatively clear broth so full of flavor.
- Finally SUSHI! And it was the freshest fish I've ever put in my mouth. Seven different pieces of sashimi, each with their own unique taste and texture swam fluidly into my belly. I am not a raw-slab-of-fish lover, but this sashimi rocked my world.
- A special roll created for us by chef Derek contained beautiful shrimp, lump crab meat, and toro; was decked out in a velvety orange sauce. By this time we were both full but we couldn't help over-stuffing ourselves on this roll!
- For desert we had green tea ice cream which was a nice, cold, and refreshing way to end the meal.
Chilled sake and Sapporos complimented our meal and cleansed the palate between each course. The waitstaff was attentive, polite, knowledgeable, and good humored, and made sure our glasses were always filled.
All in all, Sushi Ota far exceeded my expectations in every way. Sushi Ota is more than just another sushi restaurant, but a palace of sushi supremacy, where conveniently, the commoner can eat like a king- and at a reasonable price :)
I love this place. It is well worth every penny. Everything is alway fresh and my stomach always leave happy.
The down side is the wait. But once the food arrives on your table you forget about the frustration of waiting for a table.
Give it a try
I'm not giving any fancy sushi place 4 stars when it's located next to 7-11 in a strip mall. The food is good but the prices are out of control for the size of the portions and lack of ambiance. Not to mention the wait is 2 hours on a Sunday w/o reservation. Sure, the dining room itself is nice but when you're 30 feet away from a slurpee machine that takes a little something away. My dinner for 2 was well over $100 for 2 orders of rolls, 1 sashimi order, 2 beers and some sake. I left hungry and half drunk. My date liked it at least so I just filled up on her tuna late night ;)
I have heard about this restaurant for years and had been meaning to try it FOREVER. Though it was definitely very good, fresh sushi, I don't think I like it nearly as much as everyone giving a 5-star review. My boyfriend and I came in a little before 9:00 on a Tuesday night. The restaurant was about half-full. It took a long time before our server arrived to offer drinks and water. Though the restaurant if lacking in atmoshpere, it was clean and bright. Our server apologized for the wait and promptly brought out sake. They did have a great deal of sake to choose from. We started out with quail egg shooters which are likely the best I ever had. I would go back just for those. Whe then shared 3 types of sushi and had two rolls. The halibut was delicious and I liked the soft shell crab roll. The shrimp tempura roll was mushy and I couldn't get myself to eat more than one bite They have a policy where you pay extra for snowcrab if you don't want imitation crab...nice that you can avoid the fake crab, but it was odd when they asked if we wanted to substitut for the soft-shell crab. We wanted another bottle of sake and some water, but had to flag down someone from the waitstaff. All in all, the service was ok....thought they were friendly. I did find the food a bit pricey for such a casual place. The food was good, but I didn't enjoy everything. I will likely be back, but will definitely try some other sushi bars first. If I could, I would give 3.5 stars, but I did enjoy my dining experience enought to round up.
Delicious.
Nuff said.
mmm. sushi.. sushi... sushi... i can repeat that for my menu daily... I love sushi.. and sitting at the bar at Sushi Ota makes it that much sweeter... the fish is fresh.. the chef is creating your meal in front of you.. so yes. SIT at the SUSHI BAR, and order away.. cheer on sake next time if we are sitting together...
I can still have picture in my mind of a fatty tuna sushi.. although i am not a big rice eater, i like some of my fish to have rice in/on them.. especially uni... yummm. UNI.. i love eating it.. so sweet and accompany with onion and cilantro salad is a perfect match... I make this at home when i can.. sometime all week long.. hehee...
the place is tight so reserve and be on time... you will not regret the meal...So YES. sushi ota is a place to go.. and if even if you are new at eating sushi... pay for the bill and ask us to join you... we will help you become a sushi lover too...
Excellent sushi. We had reservations and our friend was a little hesitant on taking us here since he had never been himself. Everyone recommended it to us, so we went anyway. The place is quite small and in this random building. If I didn't go with a local, I don't think I would have found it.
The service was fine. Beers and saki were brought out first. The saki was chilled the way I like it, and we toasted to our weekend in San Diego.
We ordered the medium toro [fatty tuna], hamachi [yellowtail], and tuna rolls with jalapeno.
The medium toro is sooooo freakin' good. It's just as good as the high toro, but cheaper in price. We got 4 orders of it because it was so good. The yellowtail is well cut and just melts in your mouth. And the tuna roll with jalapeno is awesome. The jalapeno gave it the most perfect kick, and the roll just falls apart. They are also not huge rolls, which I hate. It was perfectly cut and rolled.
I can't wait to come back.
this place would have gotten five stars from me if they didn't seat my party thirty minutes after our reservation. AND if it wasn't my birthday. being from LA, i didn't know there were so few EXCELLENT sushi restaurants in San Diego. nonetheless, when we were finally seated, they apologized and tried to win my good graces back with edamame and calamari on the house.
nevertheless, this loud, crowded, sushi joint had some outstanding fish. I can usually judge how good a place is by their uni, and their uni was quite good. i ordered a few other nigiri pieces, and all were delicious. my friend who doesn't eat fish, said their teriyaki was good, and the other two dining companions enjoyed the food as well.
Holy Hamachi, 424 reviews with an average rating of 4 1/2 stars! OK, I needed to try Sushi Ota and see if this place cuts the karashi.
Sushi Ota is located in a tiny mini mall next to a 7-11 and could easily go unnoticed if not for the huge line in front of Sushi Ota. I took everyone's advice and made reservations and luckily was able to snake a good parking spot. Having reservations allowed us to be seated right away, even though we arrived a tad early.
When trying new sushi places, I always try the maguro and hamachi to test its freshness and Sushi Ota passed with flying colors, especially the hamachi. I also tried the entrée of sea bass and when I first looked at it, I thought it was going to be dried out, but I was pleasantly surprised, not dry, but with delicious flavor and seasoning. I ordered it with fried rice and that was good, although a bit greasy. Service was really good and I was impressed watching the sushi chefs. They seemed to approach their craft with precision and dedication at providing really good sushi with nice presentation.
San Diego does indeed have a top-flight sushi place.
First of all, you have to make a reservation and show up at the designated time.
Second, the place is too young urban professional for my tastes.
However, I think it is a great place for a first date to impress a girl.
The sushi was good and probably the best in Pacific Beach.
I ordered some good sake, vegetable tempura, mixed sushi plate, and soft shell crab roll.
The sake selection was pretty decent and bottle I purchase went down in its entirety.
The Vegetable Tempura was a great appetizer to split. It had two yams, two mushroom halves, two green beans, and an onion. Clearly, one piece of onion is enough.
The Mixed Sushi Plate was a good deal.
Included Toro, Yellowtail, Salmon, Squid, Surf Clam, Sea Urchin, Eel, a misc. white fish, and some Maki pieces made up of "Japanese yam" is how the waitress described it. The "Uni" or the gonadal portion of the sea urchin was very fresh, well prepared and delightful. The taste is a combination of sweet, briny, and creamy. BEWARE, It can be very off-putting to non-adventurous eaters.
The flavors of the Soft Shell Crab Roll were delicious. However, the pieces were the size of drink coasters, which makes eating sushi in one bite a little more difficult.
Overall, a decent way to spend a $100 on dinner.
OH MY GOD. I knew I was saving a 5 star sushi review for something amazing... but this sushi is out of this world. My meal here has positively ruined every sushi experience I'll have in the future.
I had Ota "A" and I'm tempted to never order anything else again, as my meal was so good. I had never thought I'd say that I love seaweed. The idea of paying for something that threatens to strangle me everytime I paddle out at Blacks was completely beyond me before eating here. When I first noticed the little green pile on my plate I decided to eat it first to get it over with, and before I knew it I was wondering why they served me so little. The fish was fresh and beautifully prepared. The cooked portion of my combo was amazing; for once I don't have words for it.
The waitresses are very sweet and attentive, and the service is incredibly fast for such a large restaurant! This place reminds me of a little-known sushi restaurant back home in Morro Bay called Harada's. The fish is excellent, and all dishes are well worth the money for quality alone. Add in great service and there's no question.
This place simply makes for a glorious meal for any sushi lover.
I usually stay away from fusion rolls, but this time I had a few drinks before and went for it: The Diego Roll.
I was impressed with the freshness. I didn't need soy sauce at all. When I'm not really impressed with the food - soy sauce comes handy... Just like A1; when my steak is mediocre - says OzZ "oh! where's A1?!"
I could distinctly taste each ingredient. Carefully tweaked. Serrano peppers had a tiny bite (they are so hot sometimes we're even scared of the name) and huge flavor.
Finished it with a protein bomb of Quail eggs over roe. Then one egg, in warm sake (I don't think it's gross :D) gulp! Oh yes! Come to daddy! ;-)
*Service was prompt. Thumbs up for that while they were slammed.
*And yes, reservation is strongly recommended!!!
*Decor is humble. Honestly, if it doesn't bring up safety issues I'm down with any decor (excludes upside down chairs).
*The place isn't so huge you can't really expect so much privacy or having mellow and quiet conversations. I don't think they ever have a slow night at that restaurant considering the amazing stuff they pump out. So, I don't know if it would be my choice of a romantic night.
And, you should definitely check it out to be the best judge. And, yes you should reserve a table in advance (I know I said that already). :)
I've been going to Sushi Ota for the last 10 years and consistently they have served the best sushi in town. I'd say their sushi is more classic in the sense that they don't do a lot of funky rolls that some other places do.
Their sashimi has always been fresh, and their chefs are have been more than happy to create something else besides what's provided on the menu. I've also had some of their non-raw items (grilled calamari, cod with miso) and they were great too, but I've mainly gone for the sushi.
I used to be able to call in and get a table (or even eat at the sushi bar) later that evening for the time I wanted. No longer the case. I highly recommend reservations at least a day or two in advance (depending on weekday or weekend). Otherwise be prepared to wait at least an hour for the next opening.
I would give this SD Sushi Spot a score of slightly less than 5 stars due to its price (And they always ask for your ID every time you order an alc. bev.). The quality of fresh fish, however, deserves all 5! The service is a bit pushy, but considering the fact that its very difficult to get a reservation (even on a mid week day) i guess its ok. BUT refusing to give you extra serving of ginger and asking you to pay for a minor request, is a poor practice.
Suggestions: Order sushi dinner combos (more reasonably $ed), make a reservation in advance, and have your ID handy!
Been livin in San Diego now for 10+ yrs. Of all the sushi places I've been to 'Sushi Ota' is easily one of, if not the best sushi in Diego.
What my party had:
Miso Seabass- tender meat, flavored beautifully. This dish took me back a bit, I couldn't help but close my eyes to truly absorb all the flavor going on. I couldn't allow my other senses to distract what i was experiencing. I've always liked seabass but this restaurant confirmed my love for this fish.
Halibut- fresh clean taste
Salmon belly- delicious, flavor is just straight up awesome.
Toro- like butter, it's as if it was MADE to melt in your mouth!
Yellowtail belly- like butter
Uni- fresh, creamy, o so good!
Hamachi Kama- crispy outside, flaky inside, very good stuff
If anyone is looking for good sushi, ur not going to find it here. But if ur looking for excellent, consistent, and awesome sushi. Look no further, bc you've found the pot of gold and the rainbow ends at 'Sushi Ota'!
Holy S**t! I work in Torrance (with huge Japanese population) and I thought I was constantly being spoiled by good Japanese restaurants. But I found my favorite sushi restaurant, down south in San Diego!
Here are recommendations from the locals. Always make a reservation and asked to be seated at the sushi counter. And let the sushi chef give you what's fresh and good. It's called "Omakase" menu. Once you had enough, please make sure to tell the chef "no more" or else he'll keep on giving you more food! And you'll not be happy when you receive your bill.
We ate to our hearts content and came out to about $100 per person without heavy drinking. Expensive but was well worth it. I was awed by the freshness of the fish. You hardly need any soy sauce (shoyu) to eat them. They were that good!
Only complaint was wasabi lacked the kick! I liked more kick with mine.
I usually get nervous when I am invited to a restaurant in a mini strip mall. But, this is California, and that is usually where the best food is located. Sushi Ota definitely fit that bill. The food was very good and the service was good, too. Sadly, I can't eat fish, but I had the steak teryaki and was fantastic. The only downside is if it gets a little busy, it is kinda cramped for space in there.
What can I say that hasn't been said. While I've never been to the place up in Encinitas which I hear is on par with Ota, I'm going to call this the best in San Diego, most likely Orange County, and when taking price into consideration, better than those trendy, 400 dollar a person places in LA. Now, that isn't to say Ota is cheap. I came here with my girlfriend and we spent about 175 including tip. Expensive, aboslutely. But what we got for that was unbelievable. Toro, Salmon belly, the best octupus I've ever had (NOT rubbery), uni that can only be described as seafood whipped cream, golden eye snapper, amber jack, tuna, oysters flown in that morning from Osaka, best scallop hand roll of my life...the list goes on, I can't even remember. The sushi chef was just picking things for us. Probably a top 2 dining experience, period. I know it gets said a bunch...but this place will make even non-sushi eaters love sushi. The stuff doesn't even taste like "fish". It's unbelievable. God bless you Sushi Ota.
Just a tip......Sit at the sushi bar, it makes all the difference in the world
I am not terribly adventurous when it comes to sushi, but my friend is and both of us love this place. She had eaten here several times before (the staff know her by name) and she took me here during a recent business trip.
The place itself is rather unassuming (next door to a 7-11 in a strip mall)...but don't let the surroundings fool you...the food is tasty. We waited about a half an hour or so on a Sunday night so we could sit at the counter and was glad we did. It was great to watch the men make the sushi and made the dinner more than a meal...it was an experience.
We both loved our sushi and I will be back again next time I'm in town.
The only good choice in San Diego.
Expensive...the quality can be better.
This is HANDS down the best sushi place I have been to in Southern California! The restaurant is authentic, traditional Japanese (mostly everyone who works there is Japanese, the restaurant has Japanese translations, it is about as authentic as you can get..), the ambiance is nice, the prices are reasonable, and the food.... well, the food is fantastic!! They offer a great variety of seafood on their menu, but also feature specials with more unusual fares such as kobe beef sashimi and kumamoto oysters on the half shell. We got edamame to start, then a sushi platter to share, and then the teriyaki chicken and teriyaki salmon as our main entree. Everything was delicious, and everything was incredibly fresh. The uni (sea urchin) here is the best I have had anywhere in the United States! The teriyaki salmon I ordered was really good too, and the portions were very generous. I can't wait to go back and try other things off their menu. This place definitely deserves a five star rating!
I think this is the best sushi place I have ever been too. Usually I like eating special "rolls" with the spicy mayo and all that jazz... and I was never a big 'raw fish' eater. Till i came here.. SO ridiculously good! I'll admit when I saw it from the outside, I thought.. 'what's the big deal?' but on the inside it was packed! No need to get anything fancy here... their fish speaks for itself
No question, this is the best Sushi Restaurant in USA.
Uni is incredible. Don't miss it when you go to San Diego.
I cannot stress enough... MAKE A RESERVATION!! If you don't, chances are you will wait until after nine in the evening to be seated. But, it'll be worth your wait. This place is the *BOMB*!!
We have been searching ever since we moved to Carlsbad (a couple of months ago) for sushi like this and, we've finally found it!! Sooo good!!
The mixed green salad rocks and has the most incredibly wonderful ginger dressing I've ever tasted! Too, the tempura kicked butt!! Their miso soup was sooo good -- I wanted to order another bowl, but didn't want to fill up on soup! They have the freshest yellowtail, it melted in my mouth, just delicious, delicious, delicious!! Their salmon is amazing too. But... they have this roll called (damn, I can't remember what it's called), but it's the one that has spicy tuna and cilantro on the inside with sliced seranno chili peppers sprinkled on top (just remember that, if you can :)). OMG!! Incredible!! I have been craving that roll since we left Ota last Sunday night!! I am sooo hooked!
Service is amazingly fast for as busy as the place is, in fact, we were impressed by just how fast our meal came to us. Too, everyone that worked there was super friendly. A big plus when it comes to dinning out -- fast, friendly service!!
Let me tell you, I made sure to make a reservation for this coming Friday night!! I am not taking any chances here. I'm serious about getting my hands on that roll again. ;-)
Yum!!!
Ota-San, Hai!! I'm no sushi expert, but I eat it often.
This is hands down the best sushi I have ever had. It's a totally unassuming place, in a strip mall. Ota, the owner is a perfectionist and has his hands in every part of the place to make sure its perfect.
It's always busy, for a reason. So make a reservation, and still may wait. If you're adventurous try to sit at the sushi bar and ask the chef to make you something original. Their creations are pleasing to the eye as well as the taste buds.
This is a great Japanese/sushi restaurant. The food is great. I highly recommend the Amaebi. Unlike other sushi restaurants that I have gone to, you have the option to have the shrimp baked or fried. Most restaurants serve Amaebi fried. However, the shrimp taste excellent when baked.
The sushi is noticeably fresh. As for the main entrée, I recommend the Beef Teriyaki. All entrées are served with soup, and a choice of either steamed or fried rice.
Staff are friendly -- although they are rushed (considering that the restaurant is always crowded). Also, I have always encountered a moderate to long wait.
When dining in, I have not expected any problems. However, when dining out, the staff tends to miss items that are ordered. For example, on two occasions, I was only given one Amaebi -- when an order is supposed to come with two. Also, on more than two occasions, they did not include rice.
Sushi prices range from about $4 to $25. Entrées range from about $10 to $16. Certainly, the sushi prices are a bit inflated. But there seems to be demand...
We were in town from DC and went to Ota this past Saturday at a friend's recommendation - was not disappointed at all. Honestly, it was the best sushi we ever had. While I am sure there are other places in Cali that have sushi just as delicious, I can't imagine them being too much better. While all the sushi was very fresh and served perfectly at room temperature, I highly recommend the snapper (with a touch of rock salt), yellow tail belly, and salmon belly.
The service was fantastic. And yes, as everyone said, you should make a reservation. We made reservations at 5pm for the sushi bar and when we arrived, there was already a line of folks waiting for the doors to open! Try to sit at the sushi bar if you don't have a large crowd. There's nothing like having the sushi chef directly serve you. Our chef was Mickey - great friendly guy.
I have loved this place for years! Fresh, wonderfully prepared sushi, yet recently I found a bone in my spicy yellowtail. When I showed the waitress she curtly replied: "Sorry." When I saw our bill the item had not been comped. Hmph. This, I did not like, so I asked our waitress to take it off due to the BONE, she had the nerve to bicker with me because we ate the rest of it! What the heck?! Screw you guys I'm going back to SF for some GOOD sushi. Bastards
favorite sushi spot in sd.
I can recall a day when I was really sad and sat down at the sushi bar for some lunch. I single-handedly spent $70 on myself. While that may not sound like that much to you, keep in mind the fact that I'm a college student.
Anyway, looking back in retrospect, I almost wonder whether 'being sad' was just an excuse to eat my heart out at one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego (emphasizing a point). Eating at Sushi Ota has become quite an occasion for me whenever I go because it's definitely not everyday that I get to eat here, but if I could, boy, would I.
If you're a fan of sushi and sashimi, you have come to the right place. I'm a harsh sushi critic and I will say this: by far the best place for sushi and sashimi and San Diego. Sushi on the Rock? Yeah, NO. FYI, it does make a difference that all the sushi chefs at Ota are Japanese, have at least a few years of experience as a sushi chef, and have been trained by the head chef, Ota san.
Parking here, however, sort of sucks (that's an understatement depending on what day and time you go) and if you want a table, make sure to make reservations in advance... even on a weekday/weeknight. If you want to sit at the sushi bar, and in front of the head chef, Ota-san, I would make that reservation at least two days in advance.
The prices for the sushi and sashimi are not bad. They're comparable to lots of other sushi restaurants in San Diego. The difference, I believe, is that when you go to Sushi Restaurant A, you eat lots of rolls and not much sushi because quite frankly, you don't need awesomely fresh fish for rolls; but when you go to Sushi Ota, you take advantage of the freshness of the fish and eat as much sushi and sashimi as possible. The salmon belly and yellowtail belly are to die for. Even hit-or-misses, such as the eel and sea urchin, are good here. If you're new to sushi, ask the chefs or servers for a few recommendations. Personally speaking, I LOVE their ama ebi (sweet shrimp), all of which is 'live' before being chopped up and served much to your taste buds' delight. This is considered special at other sushi restaurants. At Ota, this is standard.
That's what's so great about Sushi Ota: they take specialty and excellence in all of its forms and make it standard. They don't need a lavish restaurant in downtown La Jolla or Hillcrest to lure customers in. In all of its simplicity, if their fish could speak, they would speak louder than the decor, the ambiance, and even the service. Don't be the uncultured and waste your time, and money, by ordering a California roll and something from the kitchen. Go for the good stuff. Take a chance. I'm pretty sure you won't regret it.
Each time when I go down to San Diego to hang out with one of my buddy we would try and go here if we feel like eating sushi. My buddy introduce to this place and I was hook when I first try it. The sushi is super fresh and it just melt in your mouth. You can order anything on the menu or any special fish they have for that day and you won't regret ordering it. Just a FYI, this place isn't cheap and it might look ghetto from the outside but they are normally a waiting list that can be hr's esspecially on weekend. Normally my buddy would tell them just send all of your fresh fish out and this is our amount we are going pay a person such as maybe $120 each person but somehow I was pretty drunk and I was so hungry that I keep eating and eating and when the bill came it was like $500 or $600 for 3 people. I felt bad the next day but i didn't remember anything so I am only telling you the story that he and my ex told me LOL
I miss eating sushi that fresh. I haven't good sushi even since NYC :(
I was originally drawn to Sushi Ota because of the hype, including its top food rating in the Zagat Survey for San Diego--a city which I love visiting. Unlike the pleasant surprise I received with also highly-rated Isabel's Cantina, I was disappointed by Sushi Ota.
The dishes that stood out were sweet shrimp served with deep-fried heads over a bowl of tangy orange-colored ponzu and the less-common sushi mantis shrimp--hybrid flavor of crab and shrimp. At that time, the presentation of the deep-fried heads seemed unique, but it seems to becoming more and more common nowadays (Sushi Sono's is better).
However, here comes the big issue I had with most of what I ate: the sushi tasted fresh, but somehow seemed rather flavorless.
While certainly reasonable in cost compared to similar places, I cannot say it is worth it if there is hardly any flavor in most of the sushi we ordered--at least a half-dozen different items. I have had sushi of higher and lower freshness, but never before with such a lack of flavor--either tasty or unpleasant.
Bottom line: I just do not understand the hype surrounding Sushi Ota :-\
I love to savor excellent sushi, and if need be, I will save my cravings (and money) to go out of my way to one of my two absolute favorites: Sushi Sono (Columbia, MD) and Sushi Yasuda (NYC).
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Neighborhood: Pacific Beach
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