We were in the mood for sashimi and our 1st choice was too hot and had slow service so we left. We…read morecame here and were offered a table we thought was too small for us so we requested a different table and they allowed us to sit at a larger table. They brough menus promtly and shortly after offered us water. We mainly order nigiri, but ended up ordering other things as well. The food: Fluke' n crab was delicious. I loved how they added fresh jalapeño and finely sliced chili. The seafood paradise was a salad with a variety of sashimi from shrimp, jellyfish, salmon, yellow tail, etc. Think rainbow roll but as a salad. I appreciate them for using nice sized pieces instead of thinly sliced like a lot of other places. The jalapeno hamachi roll was ok. I wish it had more heat or some fresh sliced habeneros with it. I know not everyone can handle spicy but the roll didnt have any kick to it at all. When we asked where the habenero was, the waiter knew we wanted some heat and offered to bring us their house made siracha. The arigato roll was ok. I couldnt taste the smoked salmon but the wife could. I tasted more mayonnaise. But when I popped the salmon out, I could taste the smoked flavor. I do want to note I have lazy taste buds. The sea eel goes to Hollywood reminded me of a California roll but with sea eel and had a sweetness to it. The snake roll had a great presentation and tasted good. I liked how it wasn't super sweet. Overall I enjoyed this place.

Arigato is one of our favorite sushi spots in Santa Barbara. My family and I go there often, and we…read morealways have a great experience. We especially enjoy sitting at the sushi bar. The owners are wonderful, the chefs are amazing, and they're always friendly and helpful. One of the things we really appreciate is how willing the chefs are to create something to your liking or come up with a one-off based on what you're in the mood for. It makes every visit a little different and special. The sushi is consistently excellent, the atmosphere is great, and we always enjoy our time there. If you haven't been to Arigato yet, I highly recommend giving it a try. And if you're already a regular, keep supporting this great local Santa Barbara restaurant. We certainly will

This place was so good, I had to take out my phone to take notes. Each dish blew me away, and I…read morestarted texting my friends about it before all 9 courses were done. Had reservations for 7 pm dinner on Friday. The place wasn't busy during our entire dining experience. Aside from a larger table of ~10 people and 2 smaller tables, the place was empty, which was nice and quiet for date night and anniversary celebration. The 9-course Kaiseki was plate after plate of flavor. Highlights: - Course 4: Somen with sweet broth, grilled beef, and grilled green onion. THIS. The beef was so good, I refused to swallow, so I could savor the flavor. Fatty in flavor. Lean in cut. Somen cooked to perfection. - Course 7: Chilean sea bass simmered in bonito chicken broth with daikon and green beans ~ THE SEA BASS WAS GAS. Marinated in miso before grilling, the tenderness and juiciness of the sea bass is locked in prior to simmering in the broth. Chicken broth with the bonito added depth to the dish. - Course 9: Black sesame pudding with tangerine jelly ~ THIS. This dish embodied the level of black sesame I expect for any dish. Tangerine jelly cuts through as a nice refresher for the next bite. Perfectly not too sweet. All in all, I had the best experience. Each component of a dish adds its own flavor that completes the dish as a whole. Ultimately, one of my favorite culinary experiences that took my taste buds on a journey! Would return!

Food was so unique and delicious. Services was above and beyond. Ambiance was quiet and romantic.read more

The food is incredible! We got a table after maybe 20-30 minutes? But oh my god, I went on a one…read morenight trip to Santa Barbara from Los Angeles with my girlfriend and this was incredible!!! We actually went the two days we were there cause it was just so good. The pricing is also very good. Will be coming back! Ambiance is very nice, I mean typical restaurants ambiance. Service was also very good

Sun Sushi is located in a nondescript strip mall on State Street, but their food is mostly really…read morefresh and delicious. The miso soup was pretty "meh", but the salad with its miso dressing was tasty, as was the shrimp and veggie tempura; nothing outstanding, but on point. The pork-filled gyoza were also fresh and delicious. The "Bluefin tuna 6 ways" was outstanding: each presentation highlighted different cuts of the fish and each one was delicious and a bit different, really good. My girl had some green tea mochi she liked; I tasted it and it didn't do much for me, but... Wine pours by the glass are generous and reasonable, and the service was just fine, courteous and attentive. This is a small restaurant and it can get kind of noisy and crowded, but that's also a testament to the fact people know how good this place is. If you're a local you probably know this, but if you're a visitor (like we were) be sure to check this place out if you're in Santa Barbara and craving really good Japanese food. Recommended.

I love the intimacy of the restaurant - not too loud, luxurious, high quality food and sake options…read morewith being too overpriced, and getting to be close with my partner, definitely my top recommendation for a sushi date night. We booked a reservation for my birthday, but it wasn't too busy on a Wednesday night. The specials are listed both inside and outside the restaurant, and I definitely recommend ordering from there over the standard menu - not because anything was wrong with the standard, but everything from the specials was top tier. From the specials menu, we had the Toro Tartar with Uni as a starter, then the CA King Salmon and Anago (sea eel) nigiri. Everything was so fresh, rice was perfect with the nigiri, and the Anago melts in your mouth (if you like unagi, this is its hot cousin). We also had the sake sampler to share, the unagi avocado roll, and Three Amigos roll. Of the three sakes, I really liked the Akitabare "Daiginjo" for its refreshing aftertaste, while my partner's favorite was the Oka. We both liked the "Junmai" Nine-Headed Dragon sake for its sweeter aftertaste. Definitely go to this little hole in the wall - this is where the best sushi is at by far in Santa Barbara proper.

Omg !!!!!!!! Delicious I went crazy in the yellow tail Everything had a great taste Great location…read morewonderful staff wonderful service ambience your typical little sushi spot. Great location right on the State Street. Food was freaking phenomenal. I will definitely be back again. The spicy edamame had like the best flavor with like that garlic sauce The yellow tube has been melted in my mouth felt fresh. It was amazing.

Oku is one of our favorite restaurants in the area. The food is amazing and the service is amazing…read more Can't beat the rooftop patio at sunset.

I had dinner here last night for the first time. It was an unseasonably warm, Sunday evening. I…read morereally wanted to sit on the roof top but no space. The menu has an assortment of what I would consider appetizers / small plates, sushi rolls noodle dishes and dessert. The price point is really sporadic. I had the David's Addiction roll and I really enjoyed it. It was a little spicy. I wish I had a bigger appetite to have eaten more here. I had the POG cocktail. It was ok. I wasn't super excited about it. This place seemed like one of the best options near the pier.

Leaving reviews for all my favorite spots in town in hopes that they stay here forever. Secret Bao…read moreis perfect. The Kung Pao Cauliflower has never disappointed. The Udon Carbonara is insane. Their baos are 10/10. And don't even get me started on the passion fruit or matcha crème brûlée when they have them. Truly one of those places where I want to order everything on the menu every time. Please never leave us, Secret Bao.

Excellent food and good service at this popular place. Prices are fair. Cool vibes although at…read moredinner it gets loud. Not an extensive menu although as first timers we still struggled to make our choices. More traditional choices and fusion ones, like the fantastic poke tacos. First time trying Korean fried chicken. Was good but a little dry. My friend's beef wide noodle dish was amazing. Next time I'm in town I wanna enjoy another meal here.

Amazing service, friendly staff, great food!…read more My wife and I had the Mizo and pork ramen that hit the spot after a day trip of wine tasting. The staff constantly checked our table to make sure our needs were met. The food was delicious!

This was our first visit to this restaurant, and unfortunately, the overall experience was…read moredisappointing, mainly due to the atmosphere and pricing. We were drawn in by the happy hour specials, which were advertised until 7:30 p.m. We arrived at 7:15 p.m. and ordered a couple of appetizers from the happy hour menu, along with miso soup and sushi rolls. At the time, we were the only two customers seated in the dimly lit dining room. As soon as our appetizers arrived, gnats began swarming our table. One landed on my water glass, and another ended up in our soy sauce. After dealing with a couple of them, we felt rushed to finish our meal before more appeared, which made for a very unpleasant dining experience. The food itself was decent, but nothing memorable. The miso soup could have been served hotter, though I did appreciate that it wasn't overly salty. Our server was friendly, attentive, and our food arrived promptly. One aspect that made the experience uncomfortable was that the four staff members stood nearby watching us eat, which gave the impression they were waiting for us to finish and leave. Finally, despite ordering multiple happy hour appetizers before the advertised cutoff time, only one item was discounted at the happy hour price. Overall, the service was good, but the insect issue, uncomfortable atmosphere, and pricing left us disappointed. Unfortunately, this isn't a restaurant we'll be returning to.

The sushi was delicious and it came out on a giant boat platter! I had guests from Korea visiting…read moreand they loved it. Great experience

这里的海胆非常棒，软壳蟹也很出色，寿司同样美味----在圣巴巴拉想饱餐一顿海胆的话，来这儿就对了。我们吃过两次，每次都很满意。…read moreExcellent sea urchin, great soft shell crab, good sushi - great place to get you sea urchin fix while in Santa Barbara. Very happy with our two experiences here.

Best take I've had in my entire career genuinely amazed by how delicious a bowl of soup and noodles…read morecan be the ginger is top tier as well as there shrimp gyozas the chicken steamed dumplings were to die for now don't get me started on the service they were extremely nice and very quick

Overall wonderful experience! Food was delicious. Both…read morerolls we got was enough in terms of quantity. The unagi rice bowl was very good. The spicy beef udon was a really good choice if you like spicy. The broth was fire! The chaschu ramen was amazing. The pork was so soft, like melt in your mouth. The spicy miso wings and edamame were a good surprise. The wings had such a yummy sauce. Service was commendable. They were all attentive! Perfect for a lunch out after the zoo or other family activities in the area. Casual and family friendly inside. Although I have to mention the bathroom did not have a baby changing station.

We visited Sama Sama Kitchen around 7:30 pm on a Sunday and were seated immediately. The restaurant…read moreitself is beautiful, and I loved the overall ambiance and vibe inside. There's a parking garage a short walk away, along with street parking nearby, so parking wasn't too difficult. We ordered the Crispy Rice Salad, Chicken Satay, and Nasi Goreng Jawa to start, then added the Larb Gai afterward. Honestly, our original three dishes would have been plenty for three people, and adding the fourth ended up being too much food. The Crispy Rice Salad was BY FAR the star of the meal and absolutely lived up to the hype. It was so refreshing, flavorful, and easily one of the best crispy rice salads I've had. It was also the one dish from our meal that felt truly memorable. The Chicken Satay had a really good sauce, although the chicken itself leaned a little dry. The Nasi Goreng Jawa was good too, but tasted like a fairly standard fried rice to me and didn't stand out much. The Larb Gai was refreshing, but after having the Crispy Rice Salad, it felt like a much less memorable version of those same bright flavors. I honestly found myself wishing we had just ordered another Crispy Rice Salad instead. The staff was friendly, although service was a little inattentive at times and it could be difficult to get someone's attention. There was also a small mix-up at the end where I was handed the wrong physical receipt. The amount on the actual payment terminal was correct, but the receipt itself wasn't ours and the mistake hadn't been noticed before it was handed to me. They also have a gender-neutral bathroom, which was pretty clean during our visit. One random thing to watch out for is the sink because the water comes out surprisingly strong, so turn the nozzle on slowly! Overall, the food was good, but the Crispy Rice Salad was on another level compared to everything else we ordered. I'd definitely come back for that alone and would be interested in exploring some other dishes on the menu next time.

I'll start with the most important. Imagine going to a Mexican resteraunt and your waiter doesn't…read moreknow how to pronounce tortilla, or a Vietnamese resteraunt and they mispronounce pho. Have respect for the food and the culture and make sure all of your wait staff knows how to pronounce the names of the dishes properly, especially at such a high end joint. Overall the food is decent/okay, definitely nothing to write home about if you've had Indonesian food before, but not bad. Outside of the faux pas mentioner above, the wait staff was very attentive and good. The prices are high for how much food you get, but for the ambiance and location I'm not surprised. I probably would've given it a solid 3 stars if not for the initial complaint. It is a little crazy that this place is bib gormond rated, I think that shows how much Michelin values style over substance.