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    Crystal Fish

    4.1 (1.5k reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Crystal Fish Takeout or Delivery

    Crystal Fish Photos

    CRYSTAL FISH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Crystal Fish

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    Reviews With Photos

    Mango crunch, fire cracker, sunset, and Mama Mia
    Kevin S.

    Yummy food at a no frills sushi spot. They got busy and service was meh, they brought out our appetizer after we finished all our rolls and no one came to refill drinks. Would come back, just don't expect top notch service.

    Lots of awards - 8 years straight #1 Japanese in Monterey County
    Daniel C.

    Monterey is known for its excellent seafood, and that applies to sushi too. Crystal Fish is a small eatery that's easy to missed on crowded Lighthouse Avenue that seems to draw lines every time we drive between Monterey and Pacific Grove at night. It was less busy during lunch. Note they only have free street parking with 60-min limits, so be prepared to move your car or maybe try a block or two more for 90 mins. The food is excellent here, and I'm not alone in that opinion. Their shelved are lined with awards for beat Japanese/best sushi in the region over multiple years. Their nigiri omakase was a thing of beauty with each piece mouth-watering with umami. And they seasoned the rice properly ad well. We also got a combo bento with Teriyaki Chicken and Salmon. Generous portions of both and cooked juicy. The sides of miso soup and salad are mostly hit or miss at Japanese places but Crystal Fish took pride and made both of them good. Wife got the Nabeyaki Udon which is basically a kitchen sink of assorted seafood and tofu/bean curd both sweet and savory cooked on a rich broth with some soft chewy noodles. Surprised to see such a huge menu, and they serve alcohol as well. They also offer specials and premium nigiri so you can splurge as well.

    Lunch special - 3 entrees bento box with Fire Roll, sashimi and teriyaki salmon
    Diem P.

    Came here 15 minutes before the closed down for lunch and reopen for dinner..,I really appreciate the fact that they sat us and not rush us out the door! Loved my udon - the flavor was good and had lots of chicken, a whole egg and other toppings. The dashi broth was rich and tasty! Everything in the bento box was delicious and very fresh. Restaurant' was bright & clean. Tables were well spaced and we didn't feel cramped. Will come back to try sushi next time!

    Irena S.

    Came here for dinner on a Monday night right before closing, got the tea, 3 nigiris, 3 rolls for $75. Very tasty fish, efficient and kind service, delicious tea. Casual but clean ambiance. The perfect sushi fix near our hotel. Reasonably priced for the amount of food we got!

    California roll and Shauna's chimichanga

    Honestly really good sushi. The rolls were plated beautifully and they tasted as good as they looked. I will say though the server's attitudes and attentiveness is severely lacking. When I went I sat by the window right by the servers station and we still didn't get the service that you normally get in most restaurants and mind you it wasn't busy at all there was only two other guest in there at the time and two Togo orders came through. We sat without drinks refilled and felt like we had to beg for things or wave someone down/ get up and ask for things. Usually even bad servers ask if we need anything else.

    Sashimi Dinner
    Devin M.

    9/10 Fresh, Flavorful, and Worth the Wait! The sashimi was absolutely amazing each piece was incredibly fresh and full of flavor. The presentation was visually appealing, though a bit cluttered for my taste. Still, the quality of the fish more than made up for it, and I'd absolutely order it again. I also had two tekka rolls. While they were a little rough around the edges in terms of appearance, they still hit the spot. Service was friendly, but a bit slow especially when it came to getting the check and water refills. That said, they were clearly busy, which is understandable since this place is always packed. Highly recommend making a reservation in advance. The ambiance is cozy and welcoming, making it a great spot for a casual yet quality sushi night.

    Chashu pork with zucchini noodles
    Maria G.

    This place was close to our hotel and since we just checked into and too tired to drive somewhere, we came here since it was a three minute walk. We got here around 6:30 on a Sunday evening and got the last table for two. Service was pretty quick. We ordered the Chashu Pork with the zucchini noodles for an appetizer. Then we got the Philadelphia Roll, Alaska Roll, and Monterey Roll. All were good. The pork was tender. The zucchini was a bit on the peppery side but good. The rolls were good, especially the Monterey Roll. Fish tasted fresh. Good seating. Good casual setting. I would give this place five stars if I didn't see the cockroach crawling down the wall behind my husband.

    Death Star roll
    Cindy N.

    3.5 It wasn't bad but not worth it to come back to. The roll was allllrightt, the fish and flavor just didn't tie together well for me. The sashimi felt like it came RIGHT out of the freezer. It was still very cold. I agree with the other reviews about the service being not so great. Out of all the tables they seated us at the only ones without sauce plates and they also forgot our waters. They were still very nice, just not attentive. I like that the restaurant was very spacious.

    Melanie M.

    Passing through Monterey for a couple of days and my husband and I decided to check out Crystal Fish since we love sushi. They had plenty of unique and delicious roll options for my husband, who is plant-based, which we really appreciated. When we ordered, my husband noticed a couple of sushi boats at other tables and asked the waiter if ours could come out on one too. The waiter was incredibly accommodating and made it happen, which was super cool! As for the sushi itself, it was fantastic!! Everything tasted very fresh, the rice was perfectly balanced and not overbearing, and the quality of the fish really stood out. I definitely recommend the Sexy Roll and the nigiri as well. If you're a sushi lover, this is absolutely a spot you should check out when you're in Monterey.

    Our first time and last time coming here. I don't know what kind of rice was that. It was terrible mushy rice that they use. Worse than the supermarket sushi. There is no service, they pretty much just take the order and drop food. That's it. Also, parking is very charllenging around that area.

    Japanese KFC (Karaage chicken)
    Michael A.

    Came in on a weekday around 1 and were seated immediately. The staff was very nice and welcoming. We ordered the Japanese KFC (Karaage chicken), the Cannery roll, and the pink dragon roll. The Japanese KFC was solid 4/5. The flavor was good, the only thing that didn't work with the chicken was the uncooked cucumber. The Cannery roll was listed as spicy, but overall my first bite tasted only like rice. There was a very subtle flavor on the scallops and the tiniest hint of spice. 2/5 The pink dragon roll was good, I think the only issue was that the avocado inside the roll looked mostly brown. Maybe it oxidized a bit. 3/5

    Tonkatsu/sashimi dinner combo
    Monty H.

    Solid spot for fresh sushi, the tonkatsu/sashimi combo was great for dinner; I eat a lot and was actually full with the dinner combo. As far as the atmosphere inside, it's a bit noisy especially when it's a full house, but overall the traditional plus fusion choices and fun types of rolls and dishes make this a good choice for Japanese cuisine.

    Omakase.
    Danreb V.

    I don't know how poppin' Monterey is during New Years, but my girlfriend and I came to town looking to get away and spend some quality time together. With it being New Years Eve, we had no idea where to go for dinner. We came to Crystal Fish because it looked like a nice sushi spot on my friend's list of places to go in Monterey. To put it plainly, it was mid. I treated myself to the omakase, and while I didn't hate what I ate, I wasn't blown away. Almost every piece of nigiri was just fine. I felt like with the exception of two pieces (the mackerel and fatty tuna), it lacked creativity. They also ran out of a cocktail I wanted to order and recommended cans of malt fruit alcohol. I'm not saying I expected a fine dining experience, but I do expect more from the seafood in a beach town.

    Unagi hand roll, cannery roll, Mrs. Santa Claus, mahalo, California roll

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    1 month ago

    Great environment, amazing staff. Food is great quality and super good portions. Definitely recommend!

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    Crystal Fish Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Crystal Fish

    Can you order to go?

    yes of course

    Is there a brown rice option?

    Yes, but there will be extra charge.

    Is this restaurant Japanese owned?

    No. The new owner is Chinese.

    Are there gluten free options specified on menu?

    Do they take reservations?

    Do you require a vax card to dine in?

    No and masks are optional.

    Is this business dog friendly?

    I’m not sure what’s business dog mean, but we have quite a few customers bringing service dogs.

    Does this restaurant have outdoor dining?

    No they don't

    Is this restaurant opened again from covid for dine-in?

    Yes, open for dine in. Ate that last night.

    Do they have all you can eat sushi?

    No they don't.

    Does this restaurant do take-out orders?

    Yes they do; I've never dined in, I've ordered to go and it was just fine.

    View All 12 Questions

    Hula's Island Grill - Coconut shrimp rolls were sooooo good! And filling!

    Hula's Island Grill

    (3.4k reviews)

    $$

    Ambiance: 4/5 Service: 5/5…read moreFood: 5/5 Drinks: 5/5 Price: 4/5 Parking: 4/5 Second time at Hula's, and I'm a fan. Good food and drinks. Hazen was our server, and he was great. Price is what you'd expect in Monterey, and while often paid, the parking is everywhere.

    We decided to come to Hula's for dessert after spending some time on Cannery Row. The ambiance of…read morethis place is great and the lighting and vibe are perfect for a date night. All of the desserts seemed delicious but we settled on the Ohana Pie for $15. This pie is Oreo cookie crust, ice cream (the flavor changes and this day it was chocolate fudge brownie), whipped cream, macadamia nuts, and hot fudge. The dessert was so delicious! It was exactly what I wanted and a large serving that was perfect for the both of us. I have absolutely no complaints about the food. The service however was bad. There is a bar in one room and additional bar style seating in another. We took a seat at the bar style seating (not the actual bar) since it was self seating and the restaurant was mildly busy. It took a while for a waitress to come up to us and take our order. When she did we made it clear that we just wanted to dessert to split and a couple glasses of water. When she brought the dessert out 15 minutes later she brought our check out with it. I took a bite of the dessert and then immediately put my card down so that she could take it whenever she came back. She did not check on us again for a full 40 minutes. The only reason she ended up coming up to us is because I was turned in my barstool waiting for her with the bill in my hand. We wanted to ask for napkins since we were eating what was essentially ice cream cake and didn't even get those until we were actively leaving. The dessert was good, but I hate when a restaurant offers self seating and then does not do a good job actually servicing it. I don't know if that was the reason the service was so terrible or if it was because we were only ordering dessert. It was disappointing to feel like we were being ignored by our waitress when she was incredibly attentive to other tables.

    Toribashi - Tonkotsu Ramen

    Toribashi

    (464 reviews)

    $$

    We had a craving for ramen while on vacation in Monterey, and Toribashi came thru for us!…read more This restaurant was located in a downtown area, so there wasn't a dedicated parking lot, but it was fairly easy to find street parking. I ordered the Shoyu Ramen which was flavorful with a rich broth. I also know my kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves because there was nothing left in their bowls :) Thank you, Toribashi!

    Welp.. We finally had the chance to return to Monterey.. As we were squeezed for time, we chose to…read morecome to Toribashi tonight. Parking was only mildly challenging, as a space opened up after only a single lap around the block. Inside here, you'll find a busy place with a few tables and individual bar-style (partitioned!) paired seating along the walls adjacent to the kitchen in the middle part of the restaurant. Order up at the self-serve order kiosks, tap in your table/counter number, and they bring out your order in a couple of minutes. We had six of us in our party, and most of us kept it simple by ordering the default Tonkatsu Ramen with different customizable options. Most all of the ingredients in this order were on point - The Chasu Pork Belly was tender, thick and delicious, ramen noodles nothing special, but generally stil on point, as were the bamboo shoots. However, the co-star/centerpiece of the Tonkatsu Ramen other than the Chasu Pork slab should be the broth, but sadly the broth was far far TOO salty which overpowered the other flavors in the broth. Chasu Pork 4.8/5, Tonkatsu Ramen 3.1/5. Service was good as everyone was hustling hard in the kitchen, along with attentive bussers/waitstaff to quickly turn tables. They take good care in wiping down the tables here. If I return, I'll just get the Paitan Ramen like I did in years past, as that seemed less salty. Then again the Paitan soup base begins with the same chicken+pork soup base as the Tonkatsu Ramen. I hope Toribashi will step back up to their former glory.

    Kafe Toribashi - Outside, view, taiyaki, ice cream

    Kafe Toribashi

    (42 reviews)

    On a rainy afternoon in Monterey, we were wandering around Fisherman's Wharf looking for something…read morewarm, coffee or tea, and a cozy spot with a view of the water. After lunch at Sand Dabs, we stumbled across this really cute café, and it ended up being the perfect stop. When we walked in, the first thing we noticed was that they were making fresh taiyaki, those sweet, fish-shaped pastries. The fillings offered were red bean, Nutella, and Oreo. There's a small discount if you order two, so we started with the red bean and Nutella, and honestly, they were so good that wished we ordered the Oreo too...warm, freshly made, and really delicious. I'll admit, I've had Taiyaki desserts before and was never a huge fan, sometimes they're bland or overly sweet. These were different. Even my friend said the same thing, we were both pleasantly surprised by how good they were. We both ordered hot teas, which felt perfect for the rainy weather, and I was totally intrigued by their ramen vending machines. You pick your ramen, choose your toppings, place it in the machine, and it fills with hot water and cooks right there. A few minutes later, your bowl is ready. It felt very Asia-inspired and not something you see very often around here, especially in a café setting. This spot is the café version of their main restaurant, which I believe is on Alvarado Street (I haven't been there yet). The service was genuinely great. The guys working were friendly, patient, and took the time to explain everything to us without rushing. You could tell they enjoyed what they were doing. Because it was raining, it wasn't crowded at all, which made the experience even better. We ended up hanging out for about an hour, just chatting, sipping tea, enjoying dessert, and looking out at the water. They also carry Marianne's Ice Cream, so I'm already planning a return visit on a warmer day. And honestly, next time I'll probably try the ramen too, if only for the fun of it and all the topping choices. Parking around the wharf is paid. We parked in a nearby lot and walked over, which was pretty easy, just something to keep in mind. Overall, the vibe was fun, cozy, and relaxed. Great desserts, a unique experience, kind staff, and a really nice place to spend a rainy afternoon by the water. I'll definitely be back.

    I thought the cafe name was super cute. After browsing the menu, I decided to give this place a…read moretry. It's the only place that offers matcha/taiyaki so I thought it was worth a go. I ordered the mango matcha latte, which was a whopping $8.75 ($9.55 after tax). I gulped pressing the "pay" button; part of me wanted to swallow the doubt and see if it was any good. TLDR: it was bad. I'm not sure what the mango is made out of, but it is not smooth like a mango jam or puree. The texture is like blended up unripened mango meat. I will say, matcha taste is there, but the entire drink was just extremely sweet and there was little to no mango taste, besides chewing on the chunks in each sip. It's as if the drink was purposely made extremely sweet to hide the quality of the matcha and fruit. I tried finishing the drink since I paid nearly $10 for it but I couldn't, and had to throw the rest away. However, the worker who made my drink was kind and seems very friendly. The interior is very simple and cute, and there is a nice view of the ocean from the outside seating. I just wouldn't recommend the matcha here. Especially for what I paid for, I am pretty disappointed! :(

    Toro - Tuna, albacore, halibut sashimi and Carmel roll

    Toro

    (540 reviews)

    $$

    Service was prompt and very personable, menu offerings were very well portioned, my Hawaiian Poke…read morebowl was the perfect amount with fresh ingredients and the right touch of heat, and there were plenty of gluten-free offerings for my wife. Our main server and man who brought out our dessert were very friendly. Would 100% come back on a sunny day to sit in the outside patio. Toro is a great place for either a family dinner or a romantic date

    Toro is an absolute gem in Carmel. The moment you walk in, you're met with a warm, welcoming…read moreatmosphere and a stylish, modern vibe that immediately sets the tone for a great meal. It's intimate without feeling crowded and has that perfect Carmel charm. The food is outstanding--fresh, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. Whether you're ordering sushi, small plates, or one of their signature dishes, everything feels thoughtfully prepared and balanced. You can really taste the quality of the ingredients, and the menu offers just the right mix of creativity and comfort. The service is another highlight. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive in all the right ways. They're happy to offer recommendations and make you feel genuinely taken care of throughout your meal. Overall, Toro delivers a memorable dining experience from start to finish. It's the perfect spot for a relaxed dinner, a date night, or a special evening out. Highly recommended if you're in Carmel and want something delicious and elevated without being pretentious.

    Crystal Fish - japanese - Updated May 2026

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