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    HITOKUCHI

    4.3 (96 reviews)
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    Reviews With Photos - HITOKUCHI

    Kevin W.

    This has to be a top 5 experiences for me! This place was fantastic on every level. Service, ambiance, quality, and creativity of the food, amazing! Great selection of Saki to pair with as well.

    Raw wagyu toast. Wish they can torch a little bit
    David L.

    Really nice interior. That's why you're getting 2 star Food is average and cold, takes too long between course of the meal, lost my interest after my 3rd plate. The bibimbap is a joke, they should just say it's a poke bowl menu is a little on the cold side, wish there's something warm/hot to balance the menu. Service is below average, lady server just throw plates down without explaining about the dish. I paid, didn't finish the last course and walked out. Most people are only trying this place because the sushi place next door doesn't take walk ins.

    Estefany B.

    ABSOLUTELY LOVED MY EXPERIENCE! The menu is constantly changing which is so cool. The staff is nice and friendly I loved everything single item on the menu I believe it was about $170 per person. Did have a slight allergic reaction to the blue prawn this allergy was unbeknownst to me but lucky it wasn't severe and the owner came and check on me and was even nice enough to bring tea over which helped so much. I 100% think you should make the reservation it's worth the wait and money.

    Amanda T.

    Came here with my friend for my birthday and it was such a fun experience! We had a reservation and got seated right away upon arrival. There was a small gift (shot glass) on our seats, as the restaurant was celebrating a new menu, which was a nice touch. The menu was unique and gave you the option to pick between two dishes for the last 4/7 courses. All the dishes were good, but my favorite was the Abalone Liver Jook. It was so good, flavorful, and the portion size was more than enough. I also liked the uni + caviar rice, it was a simple dish but it was really creamy and filling. Aside from the food, the experience was also great. We sat at the bar and had a fun time interacting with the chef. They also let us try a complimentary sake shot which was nice of the staff. Overall, I had a great experience here and would definitely recommend to others/come again.

    Miso sake Chilean sea bass
    Jennifer C.

    Everything tasted good but nothing very memorable and the price is way too high for the quantity you get. We got the scallop on 1/2 shell, shrimp and crab pan roast, miso sake Chilean sea bass, creamy lobster basil, pork belly rice bowl and the tofu somen salad with the Korean chili sauce. My favorites were the scallop and the tofu somen salad. The scallop was really fresh and all the flavors were well balanced. The tofu salad was a nice mix of textures and very flavorful. Service was friendly and everything came out well paced. This is definitely more of an upscale place but there are many other upscale places I'd recommend before this. I probably wouldn't come back.

    Lobster basil dish
    Dung N.

    We came here to start our wedding anniversary celebration! It was really empty when we came! Hubby got a bottle of kitaya kansansui (sake) and Kagua beer to start with. For food, we got almost everything on the menu! We ordered the amberjack & jumbo scallop and snow crab legs to start with. Both appetizers were light and cirtrusy. Our server recommended a side of soy pickles, so we got that too. We also had the shrimp and crab pan roast as well as the king crab and uni toast. I liked the flavors and textures of both! We also tried their bone marrow special, which was nice and buttery! It came with a couple slices of toast. In the hot bites section, we chose the A5 wagyu tataki and the creamy lobster basil. The wagyu melted in my mouth and had a side of garlic green beans that paired well together. The lobster basil dish was our least favorite. It was lacking in flavor. We mentioned that to the chef, so now he knows haha. The uni and caviar was brought out last and it was a great ending to our meal. Overall, the service and food was phenomenal! I would love to come back, but be forewarned that you will probably still be hungry afterwards.

    Emily K.

    One of the best in SD/convoy. Chef John owns both hidden fish omakase and this elevated Japanese izakaya and it hits the spot. You can order a la carte here and also get alcohol. They have everything seafood from scallops to pork belly rice bowl!!! The atmosphere is super calming and professional. The servers were very attentive and seemed like they knew what I needed at all times. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants a fancy date night or with friends who want an ELEVATED IZAKAYA experience and for those who have good taste. 10/10 would come back again, & I heard they have a chef's course menu coming up so keep your eyes peeled!

    Wagyu beef
    Maurice A.

    This wasn't going to eat at a restaurant it was transportation to Japan. Not that I've been, but it's what I imagine. There were only a few tables and the service was meticulous! The place was very private it felt. It was a chef's menu and 3 of the 7 courses were brought to you. 4/7 course you chose between 2 options. Fish is flown from Japan. Few wine choices, but the choices were excellent. The dishes looked like art work and tried things I've never had before and were great. We met the chef and that was very cool! You have to go at least once in your life. It's that excellent and can't say enough of my time there. Thank you chef!

    Love Chef Hong's concept and creativity! I've been here a few times and each time is a little different based on the season and fresh local ingredients. I almost didn't come here the first time because of the one star reviews of cheap customers complaining about price and portions... this restaurant is about quality over quantity. Each time we're greeted at the door, immediately the server got us our drinks, and the menu is straightforward. I am still dreaming of that uni rice with roe! Oh so gooood! Halfway through the tasting, chef comes to the table, thanks us for dining, chitchats a little, and generously offers some of his own stash of sake to us. What restaurant does that?! I feel like I'm at his home! From start to finish I'm ear to ear smiling with mmm's and ah at the deliciousness. Can't wait to come back!

    Scallops on the half shell
    Michelle Z.

    I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to this establishment. Yes, the food is pricey and the portions are a tad on the smaller side, but it is a drinks and tapas place. As long as you don't come on a fully empty stomach, this place is great for small quality bites. The atmosphere and interior vibe is very chic and great for a girls night or for a nice date. Our server was attentive and told us that their menu changes every 2-3 months so we are excited to come back again to see what's new.

    Uni & caviar
    Joyce L.

    Right off the bat, ambiance was off with loud music... and heavy electronic dance music, at that. If I wanted to listen to EDM, I would go to a rave, not a more high-end restaurant that we booked to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We are chronic music festival goers, so it's not that we hate the music. There is a time and place -- this is not it. We felt the food had so much potential, but was a missed opportunity. We ordered the following: - Scallops on the 1/2 shell. The only dish we enjoyed all night. Impressed by the wasabi crème fraiche and ponzu pearls. Cute presentation. - King crab & uni toast. Overall unimpressed. The uni flavor does not come through. Felt like an expensive piece of toast that was lackluster in flavor. But again, artful presentation. - Creamy lobster basil. Also lacked in flavor. Sauce tasted as if watered down or something. It could have been creamier (or more buttery) to elevate the lobster. My husband said it could have been saltier? Whatever it was, it tasted plain. Missed opportunity. We were most disappointed by this dish. - Uni & caviar. This is supposed to be the signature dish, and yet again, we were unimpressed. We've had amazing uni/caviar rice dishes before, so our expectations were let down. Not sure if it was the batch of uni, but uni flavor felt subdued. And the rice is cold! We were thrown off by that too. And personally felt that warm rice would've elevated the comfort food aspect of this dish. Disappointment. Overall, we thought the dishes were alright... but we don't pay $30+ per tiny dish for just alright. I will give it to Hitokuchi -- their presentation is on-point: A+. Their food looks great! But for overall taste of the food: C+. Overall vibes of the place: C+. We would not come back again.

    King crab + uni toast
    Jessica D.

    What I ordered | King Crab + Uni Toast ($45) | Amberjack ($30) | Soy-Sichuan Pork Belly Rice Bowl ($36) | Creamy Lobster Basil ($42) | Tofu Somen Salad ($23) | Sake - Kinpou Odayaka | Sake - Kitaya Arabashiri Taste | my favorites were the king crab + uni toast and the amberjack sashimi. I like how they use milk bread for the toast. the tofu somen was light. the creamy lobster was good, I think I was more sauce since it said creamy lobster. the pork belly rice bowl was good. tasted how you expect a pork belly rice bowl. The sake were good! they tasted very similar. they were sweet and dry. Service | server was nice. she helped explain the sake menu. Parking | small lot Notes | next to Hidden Fish. This is a sake tapas lounge. they do note that these are small dishes. the menu is small and some of the dishes are on the pricier side. We made a reservation online!

    Sign next to the front entrance
    Emmett T.

    Hitokuchi was supposed to launch a few years ago, but the pandemic put the debut on hold until recently, much to the relief of Chef/Owner John Hong. This dark, stylish sake lounge is affiliated with the adjacent parent restaurant, Hidden Fish. Together with a next door boba tea shop and a standalone Mexican restaurant out front, the four businesses share about fifteen parking spaces on the Convoy St property. There has been little advertising done for Hitokuchi partly because of the uncertainty around the opening date. It was also an intentional strategy to create a sense of exclusivity, for better or worse. You can try to book a time slot using Resy for the limited seating capacity of roughly two dozen customers. The interior was split into bar seating on the left and four small tables to the right. The soft opening menu consisted of five raw bites and five hot bites. Beware that you will be paying premium prices for "shareable, amuse-bouche-sized dishes" as described by one local preview article. The least expensive item was a Tofu Somen Salad ($23). The choices will periodically change as some ingredients enter their prime harvest season during the year. I selected the AmberJack from the first category. Seven slices of yellowtail sashimi were soaked in yuzu ponzu with serrano, a blend of extra virgin olive oil, red radish, and micro cilantro as toppings. The amount of ponzu was perfect to provide a tart, tangy sharpness to balance the mild, sweet flavor of the raw fish. I then picked the Soy-Sichuan Pork Belly Rice Bowl from the second category. Pieces of pork belly were braised in a soy-based Sichuan pepper broth. Fried jasmine rice was the base with pickled ginger, scallions, and mala sauce as garnishments to the meat. While the serving size of the bowl was small for $36, the ratio of meat to rice was spot on. Something about the braise made the pork flavorful, yet it wasn't too spicy or salty. Chef Hong was making the rounds to each party during my visit. He stopped by my table as I was finishing the rice bowl. We started chatting about my past experience at Hidden Fish. He insisted that I try one of the two toasts as a complimentary offering from the house. Moments later, a serving of the Bluefin Tuna Poke Toast was brought out. Four small pieces of Hokkaido milk bread were each topped with a mix of lean red tuna meat (akami), garlic-ginger ponzu, guacamole creme fraiche, pickled red onions, and micro cilantro. The balance of the ingredients with citrus, cream, and acid all played nicely with the tuna. What scared me from initially ordering this was the price tag for fancified toast that was plated beautifully. It's hard to not at least acknowledge the cost concerns as detailed in the low-rated review posted by one Yelper. Valid points were raised about the amount of food relative to the price and/or quality. For example, back to the poke toast... I expected a premium cut (i.e. otoro) of bluefin tuna for a tapas that would have cost nearly $50. The head waitress (Jenny) was very professional and knowledgeable about the whole operation. Her service and the generosity of the owner also factored into my composite four star rating.

    Amberjack

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    Ask the Community - HITOKUCHI

    Are kids allowed? I have a 6 yo

    They didn't check the id

    Can I make a reservation online?

    yes

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    Kumi Sushi Grill

    Kumi Sushi Grill

    4.3
    (500 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    Edamame beans were marinated very well with garlicky sauce. Bento box was fulfilling and fish was…read morefresh to say the least. Staff was very friendly especially near closing time when we dined there.

    The first time that I dined at Kumi, I made a reservation over the phone. We had a group of 14 for…read morea birthday celebration, and Josh made sure that all of the tables and chairs were set up by the time that we arrived. He was incredibly attentive, and was an amazing waiter. Josh gave us time to look over the menus, efficiently put in the orders, and gracefully tended to our whole group throughout the whole lunch. He even gave a complimentary birthday dessert which was a deep fried tempura ice cream. We all got to eat a few spoonfuls, and it was delicious! I ordered the chicken katsu curry with salad ($17.50). For the bento, I selected the sides 4 piece California roll ($2.95) and shrimp and veggie tempura ($2.95). I really like how the curry came on the side so that the chicken katsu didn't get soggy. The California roll was fresh, and the tempura was pretty crispy. The second time, we ordered takeout. For our group of 4, we ordered: -salmon teriyaki bento box: The salmon teriyaki was actually one of the best I've ever had. It was juicy and very flavorful. -2 chicken katsu curry bento boxes: This was almost as good as when I dined in the first time. The katsu tasted more crispy in the restaurant, but that's to be expected. For one of our bento boxes, we upgraded our side to yellowtail sashimi (3 pieces for about $5 more). The sashimi was very fresh and well worth the upgrade. -yellowtail nigiri (2 pieces for $8.40): This was good but not as thick and high quality as the yellowtail sashimi. I'd recommend ordering the yellowtail sashimi instead of the nigiri. -new style salmon sashimi (7 pieces for $18.95): These were thinly sliced pieces of salmon that were marinated in sauce, green onions, and garlic. While it was tasty, I feel like it would have been best with thicker cuts of salmon. Overall, Kumi Sushi Grill offers a wide variety of delicious options, and I'd happily return for both dine in and takeout.

    Photos
    Plenty of seating
    Plenty of seating
    Tuna Poke Bowl*
    Tuna Poke Bowl*
    Counter seating

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    Counter seating
    Ju-ichi

    Ju-ichi

    4.6
    (297 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    My boyfriend and I tried Ju-ichi for the first time and it's now easily one of our favorite spots…read morein the Convoy area. Don't miss out on Happy Hour as they have some pretty good deals on nigiri, sashimi, hand rolls, appetizers, sake and mini bowls. All the fish we had were fresh and everything was prepared nicely. They do not skimp on presentation here. Nigiri fish to rice ratio was perfect. We also got the Mixed Veggie and Shrimp Tempura, Soft Shell Crab Hand Roll and Salmon Skin Hand Roll but was not able to take a photo. They were all very good as well. It was probably the best salmon skin hand roll I've ever had and it was only $5 because of Happy Hour. We will be back for the sunday Omakase soon!

    If you're a sashimi lover, Ju-ichi is worth adding to your list! We ordered takeout and when we…read morearrived, everything was already neatly packed. We ordered: -Deluxe sashimi mix: This was my absolute favorite item that we ordered. Every piece truly felt premium. It included tuna, salmon, albacore, and yellowtail, all of which were fresh and delicious. My favorites were the chef's choice pieces which made the upgrade worth it. The fresh wasabi paired perfectly with every bite. -Bara chirashi: This was hands down the most beautifully presented dish. I loved the balance between the sashimi and rice, so every bite had a great ratio of both. -Sashimi mix: This was also very good, but I'd recommend spending a little extra for the deluxe sashimi mix. The chef's choice selections really set it apart and justify the higher price. -Soft shell crab hand roll and eel hand roll: Unfortunately, these didn't hold up as well for takeout. I'm sure they'd be much better when enjoyed fresh at the restaurant. -Mixed shrimp and veggie tempura: Some of the pieces could have been cooked a bit longer. Overall, Ju-ichi really shines when it comes to its raw fish. The quality and freshness of the sashimi stood out, especially in the deluxe sashimi mix!

    Photos
    Ju-ichi
    Gohan (mini rice bowls) with Snow Crab Legs
    Gohan (mini rice bowls) with Snow Crab Legs
    Nigiri: Golden Eye Snapper, Blue Fin Tuna, Scallop (left to right)

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    Nigiri: Golden Eye Snapper, Blue Fin Tuna, Scallop (left to right)

    HITOKUCHI - japanese - Updated June 2026

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