We went for my boyfriend's birthday. He requested an Omakase that wouldn't break the bank. Holy, this was the best omakase deal I've ever gotten, only $45 for 9 pieces of high quality, deliciously prepped fish, plus a hand roll with generous amounts of fish stuffed inside. The deal also came with miso soup, salad, edamame, and cucumber salad. I've eaten a fair amount of omakases, whether in Japan or at $$$$ restaurants in LA, and I am blown away at the dinner tonight. I am so happy to discover this hidden gem and will definitely come back! read more

Ordered 2x omakase set - Blue fin tuna - I found this to be a very good cut of tuna that wasn't fishy at all. The texture is above the cheaper cuts we've had at other locations. I love how smooth and satisfying to chew it is. - Amberjack with salted egg - Super unique and actually worked well! The salted egg yolk added a subtle twist to the flavor and texture and it all went down easily. We've never seen amberjack presented like this before so it was a novel experience we'd definitely like to appreciate again. - Sea bream - we loved the crunchiness of the white fish and the kick from the yuzu. - Halibut with shiso leaf - This was a fun bite. It was a bit sweet and spicy from the sauce, and complimented with a fresh, aromatic flavor from the leaf which honestly kind of felt like a twist on the usual wasabi flavor. The fish was also very crunchy. - Cherry salmon - Very sweet and smooth cut of salmon. High quality, not sure what the sauce was, but it worked. We're pretty picky with our salmon, but this makes it. This was one of my gf's favorite piece. - Sea bass - had a nice soy flavor with it and enjoyed the crunch with the green onion. - Young yellowtail - Thick and crunchy cut. Not much to say here, we also loved this one - Toro - Amazing cut, literally so smooth and creamy and melts in our mouth. This piece alone elevated the omakase set we got. It compares to the toro we've gotten at much pricier omakase experiences. - Black cod - Despite appearing to be the heaviest of the bunch based on its seared and saucy aesthetic, it actually turned out to be quite light! Sear was subtle, and the sauce gave it a bit of a savory kick to complement the fish. This was a surprise standout. Overall (5/5): We came here on a Thursday evening and it was pretty empty. It's a bit of an unassuming spot, that you wouldn't expect to have an amazing budget option for omakase. I would be genuinely shocked if there was a better restaurant for omakase at this price point, considering it's not just a nigiri set, you also get a salad, miso soup, and an extra hand roll! Each nigiri was well made and sported thick cuts of fish and a very balanced rice to fish ratio. The rice also didn't fall apart when we picked it up with chopsticks... unlike more expensive and highly raved about spots we've been to! Also, be sure to avoid soy sauce, and enjoy each fish as served because the chefs have already perfectly flavored! The one thing to note is that they are pretty understaffed, resulting in it being hard to get attentive service and could be worse during busy weekend times, though the staff was very friendly and still took the time to explain the fish in the omakase to us and talk to some of the customers. read more

Kaigen - Japanese Near Me - Orange, California

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Drove 1 hr to come here a second time. Omakase is a must! At an affordable price. The fish is fresh and melts in your mouth. You don't need soy sauce with it. Will definitely come back! read more

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Authentic fresh sushi and sashimi for me and delicious fresh rolls for the family. Service is A+++ and great ambience! Must try if in the area read more

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Highly recommend to make a reservation. We were able to squeeze in for two at the bar when Kaigen opened. Omakse Sushi and Omakse Sashimi is delicious! Wow. Fish is fresh and I enjoyed the service! Interior is clean and welcoming. read more

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I came in at 11:30 for lunch with no reservations and was seated right away. The omakase was excellent quality and each fish was perfectly seasoned. The quality and craftsmanship of each sushi was just as good as Oshima down the street but the price and availability was much better. I will be coming back! read more

my bf treated me to omakase here a few years ago and i never posted about it until i saw these pics from that day. i still think about this experience to this day because the price and quality were amazing back then. i would love to come here again for our anniversary and experience omakase from this place again. read more

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Hidden sushi spot in Orange with ~$40 omakase? let's try it! comes with 11 pieces that all taste fresh and are of high-quality. Attentive and friendly servers with a chill ambiance. While it doesn't scream family environment, we took my 2 year old nephew and everything was fine. They offered his water in a to-go cup and provided extra dinnerware for him. They also have pitchers of beer! read more

Kaigen - Japanese Near Me - Orange, California

Came here twice now and each time we've had a great experience. Our friends love sitting at the bar, so they called in advance and requested the bar for us. We all ordered the omakase, which is hard to pass up at $42, and comes with a miso soup and salad, in addition to the 9-piece. Sounds little, but we were pretty full afterwards. Of the nine pieces, our favorite was the last one -- black cod. After the nine pieces, they ask if you want a blue crab or yellowtail handroll. We all went with blue crab and it did not disappoint. We did include an order of uni from the a la carte menu, as well as some of their yakitori sticks. All in all, we had such a great experience and the food is amazing. The price point also really helps with our experience. Most places leave a hole in your wallet when you leave. Parking is pretty easy as there is a large parking lot. read more

Sushi Chef is from northern Japan. His technique and style is amazing. The fish is so fresh. I can't say enough good things. Best sushi I've had since we were in Japan. Highly recommend the Omakase: fantastic craftsmanship and a wonderful conversation follows every dish. read more

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Such an amazing experience. Food - soooo good. Service- soooo great. We walked in on a busy Friday night and were assisted right away. Love this place. read more

I'm so glad my friend introduced me to this hidden gem. This restaurant is in a little row of shops and it doesn't have the best appeal from the outside but don't judge it by its exterior. Once you enter the restaurant, you'll be welcomed by the friendly staff. I had the omakase which was the perfect choice! Nine pieces of extremely fresh fish with a delicate flavor. My favorite was the toro. I wish I could have nine more pieces of just that! It was delicious. The ambiance is very casual and I thought the prices were reasonable. read more

Kaigen - Omakase - Japanese Near Me - Orange, California

My favorite place to get omakase and grilled yellowtail collard. I've been here more times than I can count and I am always satisfied with the amount of food and the service. I'll be honest and admit I am not a fan of their rolls, but I don't come here for that and just don't order that when go. read more

I'd had Kaigen bookmarked in case I was ever in this area of Orange County. Kaigen is located in an unassuming strip center but inside is nice with plenty of booths and a large sushi bar. I ordered the Sushi lunch for my daughter which comes with 5 pieces of nigiri, a roll (CA, tuna), miso soup and salad. At $20 it's not great value but the quality of the sushi makes it worth it. I ordered myself the omakase which came with 9 pieces of premium nigiri, hand roll (I chose yellowtail), salad and miso soup. At $42 I felt this was a bit overpriced. Especially compared to the $20 sushi lunch. However, the quality of the nigiri was outstanding! The fish is super high quality and very fresh tasting. I also really appreciated all of the special toppings on the nigiri. Overall Kaigen is a solid 5 stars (due to the quality of the fish and delicious flavor combinations) and I'd return for sure if I'm in this area again. The service was also outstanding. read more

Kaigen - Sushi lunch - Japanese Near Me - Orange, California

My girlfriend and I came here for Valentines Day. Originally I was going to bring her to a steak house but changed my mind since we had steak during the weekend. I called Monday and the server was gracious enough to have an opening for 530 for a small table so I took it (even though of course bar seating was full) They're strict on their 10 minute grace period but we made it. We ordered an Orion and Large Hot Sake Usually I don't order Fried Soft Shell crab but today I was feelin it. It was delicious! Nice and fluffy with a ponzu dipping sauce. 5/5 Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice 4/5. Rice was a little bit more crispy than I liked but still solid overall. Nigiri Omakase. 5/5 My gf was eating this one but half way we switched since it was too much rice for her. It was nice trying different types of fish. $48? Sashimi Omakase 5/5 - Presentation was beautiful. Slices were thick. $75? Overall, servers were all really nice! You can also take shots with them if you like! If you're looking for a cheap omakase in the Orange area I definitely recommend. I think for the price point it's amazing. The corner table on the right side ended up being perfect. Maybe since I served before so I always prebus and arrange everything nicely haha! Thank you Kaigen for the great experience! read more

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It's a hole in wall sushi restaurant in Tustin that doesn't look appealing in the outside and could get more daunting as you walk inside and see a small, homey vibe, but the food is actually pretty good. Right off the bat, I got worried because the chopsticks are cheap ones where you have to take off the splinters but when they gave me the miso soup and salad, I was happy because they were very delicious. Then the omakase began. Eat with your hands to feel the freshness of the fish. A wet towel is provided to wipe your fingers and fresh wasabi and ginger is provided to cleanse your palate. Each nigiri was carefully curated by the chef in front of you and will patiently wait for you to enjoy your plate so do not feel rushed. Each bite was so flavorful, and different. Tuna melted in your mouth, cherry salmon was sweet and buttery, the yellowtail tasted like the ocean and the scallop was just plain amazing. No need to have soy sauce and wasabi on the side because each plate was already measured to perfection. Great taste and value. I came out feeling good and not too full. read more

Kaigen - Japanese Near Me - Orange, California

Kaigen Omakase is definitely worth trying. Chef was great but service was just okay. There weren't a lot of people when we dined during a weekday afternoon. read more

Kaigen - Japanese Near Me - Orange, California

The omakase is a great deal! We used to go a lot when it first blew up on social media, and have dropped to occasional visits from the popularity. It is a hole in the wall location with limited seating, so plan around to wait a bit especially if you want the sushi bar. Staff is friendly enough, and the chefs are very detail oriented. We also love their albacore sashimi plat, and is a must every time we go! read more

This was a delightful experience. The fish quality was immaculate and the service was beyond. We sat at the bar and it was such a fun and pleasant time. We will definitely be back. We ordered the sushi omakase and we 10/10 recommend! read more

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Hands down, best sushi I have had in years. Unbelievable. I forgot how good sushi can really be. This place deserves a 10 star review. This is how sushi was meant to taste. Freshest fish....Love this place. Nice people, too! read more

Kaigen - Salmon Skin hand roll & Spicy Tuna hand roll - Japanese Near Me - Orange, California

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Just stopped by for omakase for lunch and the fish was absolutely delicious! We normally go to Sugarfish in Newport/CDM but we didn't want to wait today so we drove north to visit this place on a whim and absolutely enjoyed our food! The service was nice and we loved everything we ate! Highly recommend! We will be back! read more

We walked in on a Tuesday night at 6:30 and most of the restaurant still had open seating. We sat at the sushi bar for the 9 pc sushi omakase + handroll set and also ordered an appetizer and special roll. The omakase set was good and the highlights were the toro, jumbo scallop, black cod, and snow crab hand roll. There were a couple others with delicious seasoning and garnishes as well. Is it the best omakase quality out there? No. But it is good quality, delicious, and a fantastic value at $42. I would pass on the spicy tuna jalepeno poppers (1/5) and the kiss of fire roll (3/5) to try different rolls next time. Kaigen is located in a small plaza of a not so great area and I did see strange people in the parking lot so be careful walking around. read more

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It's been on my list for years now but I finally tried the $42 Sushi Omakase at Kaigen and left very happy with the quality of the fish at such a good value. All of the sushi was delicious, with my favorites being the Toro, Black Cod and Cherry Salmon. In addition to the omakase we also ordered a Hamachi collar, which was also fantastic. According to the chef, the collars are usually gone during lunch time but definitely worth checking. Service was really good the entire meal from the whole staff. In terms of parking, Kaigen is located in a relatively small lot but most of the cars seemed like they were there for Kaigen so there were plenty of spaces available. Overall, really enjoyed the experience here and will definitely be back for more delicious fish. Fish: Bluefin Tuna Amberjack Sea Bream Scallop Cherry Salmon Raw Octopus Sea Bass Toro Black Cod Blue Crab Handroll Hamachi Collar read more

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Fuss-free 9-piece omakase that also comes with additional salad (loved the dressing) and miso soup comes at an unbeatable price here ($42). Preparation is simple, impactful and fresh. I don't need gold flakes on my tuna, i just want clean flavor, and that's what you get here. Love the choice of hand roll at the end. Clean, inviting atmosphere and friendly staff. Will be back read more

Went for my birthday dinner and ordered the omakase. Sat at the bar and for a weekday night the restaurant was busy. The service was great as well as the sushi chef. I believe the restaurant is Korean owned. The music was a weird mix and pretty loud. The experience would be better with softer music. I found it super distracting and hard to talk even though we were sitting next to each other. The fish itself was good. Some fish were seasoned perfectly and tasted fantastic. Others weren't as good quality as you can see the veins in the fish which I normally do not get at other omakase serving restaurants. Overall not bad for the price and what we got. We ordered extra pieces on top of the omakase as it wasn't enough to get us full. So one star off for annoying music and some ok quality fish. read more

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$42 Omakase! 9 pieces with a handroll + soup/salad + edamame. Came here for early dinner around opening on a weekday and did not have a wait. This is a random hole in the wall in Tustin in an older plaza. Excellent quality and service for a great price. Shout out to the staff for gracefully clearing out all our plates and making sure our needs were met! Would love to come here again. Quality omakase, not basic omakase that's just salmon nigiri. Crafted with pride. Each piece is handed to you on a small little dish. read more

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A friend recommended this place to us to try it out. $42 for Omakase. We sat at the sushi bar. Very tight seating. After we ordered, the soup came but our salad didn't come until we were almost done. The place was busy and very hard to get the server attention. All the sushi pieces were fresh and delicious. For the price, it was definitely worth giving it a try Located in a small plaza. I would definitely come back again. read more

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I've been wanting to try this place for awhile and finally got the opportunity to while being in the area. There was no wait time at 5pm on a Sunday. I ordered a baked salmon roll, halibut sushi, sea bream sushi, and their omakase nigiri sushi. The orders came one by one starting with the halibut and sea bream. All of their sushi was fresh and delicious. My favorite was the halibut sushi with its already slightly smoky taste. I loved the addition of blue crab rolls in the omakase nigiri sushi. The chef's choices for the omakase was very nice too, given most if not all were in season. The baked salmon roll wasn't anything special but was a nice hot plate filling for the meal. Overall, the sushi quality lived up to my expectations. The pricing was honestly cheaper than I was expecting. This is a place I'd recommend to my friends. read more

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My gf and I like usual were craving sushi and searched out a spot near by work. I had Kaigen bookmarked so we made a reservation at the bar. Parking is in an open lot, and it was pretty empty when we went inside. The menu is pretty standard, along with their specials on the board and their omakase options. They also do have yakitori which is a plus. We could not figure out what we wanted so we both decided on the sushi omakase. _Sushi Omakase ($42) Comes with 9 pieces nigiri sushi, and yellowtail hand roll or blue crab hand roll, miso soup and salad. The order is as follows; +Bluefin Tuna. The tuna is fresh and although I am not a big fan of bluefin tuna, this was simple and good. +Amberjack. A solid nigiri. It did not need much soy sauce as it was already dressed in a ligtht sauce that seemed like a ponzu sauce. +Sea Bream. A very light fish, and often can be a bit bland. It was topped with a bit of yuzu koshu and salt, that gives a light salty flavor to bring out the fish and a bit of spice from the yuzu koshu. +Scallop. One of my favorites. Fresh and meaty. Topped with a bit of black salt. +Cherry Salmon. Different from a regualr salmon and salmon belly. Less fatty than the belly, and a bit more sweeter. This was good. +Sea Bass. This was mild and light. The sauce and garnish on top was great. +Toro. The toro was fresh and slighty fatty. Melts in your mouth. +Black Cod. This is what I kept seeing on yelp and I was happy that it was included in the omakase, otherwise I would have ordered it a la carte. Slightly fatty and oily, but in the right ways. The char marks were beautifully done and had that nice depth of flavor to it. +Blue Crab Hand Roll. Pretty solid, I thought it was baked but that was my fault. Good amount of fresh crab meat to rice ratio. +Uni (off omakase) This nigiri was not the typical wrapped in nori nigiri. Just a big slab of fresh uni on top of the rice. It was fresh, not the best I''ve had, but enough to hit that uni craving. _Kiss of Fire Roll ($18) Spicy tuna, fresh jalapeno, cucumber and avocado inside, cajun peppered seared ahi tuna on top with chili ponzu sauce. This roll was a bit spicy but more of a peppery taste than a slow burning spice. A pretty good roll. I will say, I was not a fan of the sushi rice. I find that the rice can be more important than the fish itself, and I was not a fan of the texture. Overall very fair price for the quality. Great service. Will be back to itch my sushi cravings and try their yakitori as well. read more

Kaigen - Kiss of Fire - Japanese Near Me - Orange, California

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$42 Lunch Omakase, chef choice, can't be beat. They include miso soup, salad and 8 to 10 premium sushi nigiri and a handroll of either blue carb,bluefin tuna or yellowtail. Sit at the bar so the sushi chefs can also tailor your choices to avoid anything you dislike. For me,it was makeral (saba) that I didn't want, so they avoided anything that even remotely is reminiscent of makeral taste. I told them I love kinmidai (golden eye snapper) and it happened to be in season so I was very happy. Only thing is today I did get a bone in one of the peices as well as my companion in the same cut of fish, so they had a sort of off moment. However it was the first time I experienced that in over 6 times of coming in for omakase these past few months. Overall 5 stars! read more

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Probably the best omakase experience in terms of cost and quality in Orange County. They also have the sashimi omakase that looks amazing. Same fish, just looked like you get two pieces each. read more

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First time here and we shall return soon! Service and food was on par. Plus, $39 for an Omakase experience with great quality sushi is hard to beat! So tip well please so they can keep up the great prices! The highlight pieces I had were the blue fin tuna, cherry salmon, black cod aaaaaannnnd toro is my all time fave! It's a super chill spot so no need to feel like you need to dress up. read more

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Came here late at night around 9 PM to have a random date night for sushi the place was empty at this time. The sushi was really good - I got a sashimi omakase, which was really delicious. The bluefin Toro might've been the best that I've had in my life. The yellow tail was also very very good! read more

Easy parking. Quick service. Quality sushi. Good prices. Will be back. The omakase high quality pieces, all of them tasted good. None of them felt like a filler piece. I really enjoyed the roll that was included. I thought that was a nice touch. Miso soup and a salad a delicious standard starters (however, it seems like more places do not include this anymore...) Ika karage was nicely fried. I noticed that it is fried, then cut into smaller pieces. I wish it was the other way around. read more

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Shame on chef and hostess We drove here 30 min before lunch closing And they didn't take us . But took other party who was their same time . I understand last call but chef and hostess was just rude read more

You won't find a better and cheaper omakase than here! Even with inflation and cost of good rising, I'm so thankful to find such an affordable omakase around. Not only is it affordable, it's delicious! I came here at opening for dinner without reservations. We were seated at the bar, which is the best experience for omakase. Throughout our entire dinner, the place never got too busy. This is a huge plus considering how crowded and difficult it is to get a reservation or seat at Ohshima next door. And yes, I have to compare it because everyone is asking the same thing. In my opinion, I'd choose Kaigen over Ohshima simply because it's a better atmosphere, less cramped and crowded, and no need to stress over reservations (although I hope they don't get so popular that this happens to Kaigen too). Anyways, we got the nigiri omakase ($39), which comes with 9 pieces of nigiri and a handroll. What a deal, right?! Oh, we also had miso soup, salad, and a cucumber side to start. Each piece of fish was perfectly served on a cute mini plate and flavored nicely. Make sure you ask for the real wasabi, which adds a nice flavor. I'm not a big wasabi fan, but this was so good. I finished the meal with my stomach and wallet happy. read more

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I can't say good enough things about this restaurant. At $42, the Omakase menu is an absolute steal. For the money, you get miso soup, salad, 9 pieces of nigiri, and a hand roll. Each piece of fish is perfectly crafted. I'd highly recommend sitting at the bar for the omakase. You can still order the omakase at a table, but the experience just isn't the same. The chef will serve you each piece as you eat, so the sushi is as fresh as possible. The restaurant itself is relatively small and unassuming in the middle of a little strip mall. Come here for some great sushi for any occasion! read more

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Came on a Saturday night around 8:10ish and the restaurant was not busy at all. There were maybe about less than 10 people dining before I got there. My party was seated immediately and they got us some waters while we looked at the menu. We ordered two omakase meals and it came with 9 pieces of chef's choice nigiri, a handroll, miso soup, and salad. The miso soup was your average miso soup you could find at any Japanese restaurant, the salad was just the same. Truthfully speaking, the omakase selection for the fish was really great! The quality and the freshness of the fish was delicious and for $39, I would say it's more than worth it. I feel that the rice to fish ratio was good because there was more fish to rice, but I think a little more rice would have been good. After the omakase I was intrigued to try other pieces that they had available and I will say that the uni and ankimo that they had tonight was spectacular! I also forgot to mention we did order some crispy rice with spicy tuna to begin with, which was just okay. The service was good and I always had my cup of water filled. The only issue I had with tonight was with the individual little plates they had on the table already. I'm not sure if it was just my table, but the plates they had in there were dirty with some type of residue, not sure if it was oil, water, or some sauce that wasn't washed off properly. I give this experience an 8/10 for the service and the quality of the food for such a low price. For two people I paid ~$150. read more

Kaigen - Omakase on 3/4/23 - Japanese Near Me - Orange, California

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Had a wonderful experience ordering the Sushi Omakase $42. A great value! I believe our sushi chefs name was Chris and he did a fantastic job. Not very conversational but was efficient and accommodating for my apprehension with wasabi. Each roll was carefully crafted and plated beautifully. My personal favorites: cherry salmon, toro, and black cod. After your 9 sushi dishes you get the option of either: yellow tail, blue fin, or blue crab hand roll. I chose the blue crab hand roll and it was the perfect finisher. The restaurant itself has a chill ambiance. Customers came in casual attire. Plenty of seating options. Tables seemed to accommodate up to 8. read more

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Food was amazing. Chef was friendly and helpful. Service was super fast. Omakase top notch.