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    Ken Sushi Workshop

    4.5 (1.1k reviews)
    Ultra High-EndJapanese, Specialty Food, Sushi Bars
    Open 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM

    Ken Sushi Workshop Photos

    Business Info

    KEN SUSHI WORKSHOP ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Ken Sushi Workshop

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    Toro fatty
    Mei T.

    I had a really wonderful experience here! I was fortunate enough to be seated at the sushi bar and served by Owner/Chef Ken. For our visit, my friend and I ordered the following: salmon belly sashimi, hamachi jalapeño, smoked toro, sweet shrimp, Kumamoto oysters, shumai, and garlic edamame. Everything was incredibly fresh! Chef Ken took excellent care of us. He's a very kind man and is very sweet. His personality alone makes me want to come back again and again to support his business. I think I have a new favorite sushi restaurant! The restaurant itself is not very large, but there are igloos outside. I guess these were set up during COVID, and they remained. They look very cozy and intimate, perfect for a date! Note, if you're a golf fan, you'll appreciate that Chef Ken has a golf-themed decoration throughout the restaurant. There's even a golf cart in front of the restaurant! Definitely come check out Ken Sushi Workshop! I promise you will not be disappointed! P.S. There's fresh wasabi here!

    Seared scallops
    Prakash I.

    I have lost count of how many times I've been here--it's easily one of my favorite sushi spots in San Diego. From the warm greeting at the door to the great outdoor seating they created during COVID to give each group more space, everything adds to the experience. For me, a great outdoor dining experience comes down to three things: the ambiance and service, the company you share it with, and the quality of the food. Last night, all three came together perfectly. We went with our friends from Orange County and spent a wonderful 90 minutes enjoying sushi, sashimi, and lively conversation. The highlights were the crispy rice with tuna and albacore, and the seared scallops. The scallops were a new discovery for me--recommended by our waiter (whose name I wish I had remembered)--and they turned out to be a standout Overall, it was another five-star experience

    Mixed sushi
    Elizabeth M.

    Came here with my dog and friend, we were seated outside in a tent, it felt both cozy and a little tucked away. This place is busy and full of energy. You can tell the owner, Ken likes golf and outdoor by the decor outside of the restaurant. The servers were all very nice, and even bought out some water for my dog. We got soft shell crabs. mixed tempuras and assorted sushi, they all were very fresh and tasty. It is a warm, welcoming spot, we'll be back.

    Chef's Choice Nigiri
    Peg S.

    Expensive, rare treat - creative, inventive, and unique sushi, beautifully presented. We had the crispy rice appetizer, the hula roll, the workshop roll, surf's up roll, and chef's choice nigiri. Our favorite was the oh no but yes roll. The tempura ice cream was fun. Customer service was top notch. We've only dined outside in their bubbles and tents, which gives you more privacy. They kept the outdoor dining warm with heat lamps and blankets. Sake selection was impressive.

    Nick U.

    I have been to Ken's several times and my family frequently dines here. They have individualized dining experiences outside where you can sit in your own "bubble" or "tent" which feels like an exclusive dining experience. The staff is very professional yet fun. The sushi and food itself are AMAZING. Every time I go, I leave so satisfied. Ken is friendly and welcoming too! I will continue to keep visiting this restaurant when I want high-quality sushi and a fabulous dining experience.

    Toro sampler
    Rhiza D.

    This place is amazing! Ken is a warm and personable guy who is proud of his craft. We sat at the bar and had a wonderful time socializing and watching him prepare dishes. He has some unique sauces that are flavorful! Loved the Hula roll (it has macadamia nuts and matcha), toro, and tuna cheek (omg to die for I've never had anything like it - even in Japan!) I love the vibe of this place, it's very casual inside although quite pricey. It's 100% worth it. I never was a fan of sake until coming here. I am definitely recommending this to all light-hearted sushi lovers.

    Matt H.

    After many people recommended this place I finally made it to Ken's. During lunch with a friend we both ordered the omakase special and it was incredible. Cuts of fish were top notch, nigiri was fantastic, different flavor profiles made it a culinary masterclass. I left full and content. Would highly recommend and will return.

    Menu March 2025
    Jessica N.

    Great service by our server Jacob and another young man who came to check on us often. No wait at Tuesday lunch time and we sat outdoors in their tents which is fun. Weirdly located in a medical plaza but I'm not complaining about free parking. The food came out quickly and everything was delicious. I enjoyed the sashimi plate more than the nigiri even though they had similar fish. It was just tastier to enjoy the fish by itself. I really liked the variety and it did "melt" in your mouth. Very tender and well cut. Amberjack, blue fin tuna and otoro were my top favorites. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a peaceful sushi venue. Some people had business meetings too so it was very relaxing.

    Omakase course #2

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    22 days ago

    The food was spectacular and Ken was there to greet all of his guests. He truly cares about the product he serves to all customers.

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    20 days ago

    Luv omakase, and u can't go wrong with anything on the menu. The staff is very friendly. Ken makes this the best sushi spot in SD!

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    25 days ago

    The best sushi in my opinion! The service is always on point! Definitely recommend making a reservation, as the place is always busy.

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    4 months ago

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    10 days ago

    Best Japaneese Restaurant in San Diego. You should try the package call Love ($160 per person) just amazing

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    Page 1 of 28

    Ken Sushi Workshop Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Ken Sushi Workshop

    Where can I make a reservation? I don't see on website and you guys are not part of Opentable

    Did you try calling? I called.

    Is there private dining room for small group of 4?

    Yes but make a reservation

    How many pieces is the $150 omakase?

    My omikase has always been well over $150, and well worth it!

    How much is the cheapest omakase?

    I believe it is $130. We had the $180 and thought it was well worth it.

    Is this an AYCE Sushi bar?

    no it is not but its so good youll order everything and it might as well be,

    View All 7 Questions

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    Azuki Sushi

    Azuki Sushi

    4.4(3.6k reviews)
    14.3 miBanker's Hill
    $$$
    Takes reservations
    Vegan friendly

    Man, these guys are consistently producing high quality dishes in a modern, chic ambiance with…read morefriendly service. We were lucky to snag a table on Thursday night for two without any resy's. We were offered a two person table upstairs, which I prefer. Started with the Azuki salad that's perfect for sharing. The dressing is light and lots on the plate including avocado, taro chips, cucumber, and apples. Textures and flavors go so well together. I also got a spicy tuna hand roll, the Kobe Roll, and a few nigiri's including Hamachi, Chutoro, and Salmon belly. All were delicious but the Chutoro was the fave. Finished dinner with a burnt butter mochi cake complete with ice cream and some strawberry sauce. Def glad we stopped in and will def be back for more.

    Food: Overall the food isn't bad but I didn't find anything…read moremind blowing or special as it was made out to be because I know how popular this spot is. Although, it was still enjoyable! Crispy Rice & Spicy Tuna (9/10) - loved the crisp and the flavor. it wasn't too spicy and the spice was more for a little kick of flavor Stardust (7/10) - wasn't as citrusy as i thought with the lemon but tasted fine. it was basic in flavor but still good Spicy Salmon Hand Roll (8/10) - it was made well and it was good but nothing too special either Super Dragon (9/10) - the sweet potato was such an interesting and nice touch. really good flavor combination Service: Service is a bit slow since the beginning even to seat you even with a reservation but they remained very kind throughout the experience. Ambiance: It's a bit small but we were sat upstairs in another room with seating and since it's small, when it's packed it can get really loud with everyone talking. The vibes of the place is dimlit and not too upscale but also not too casual. It's just a very nice restaurant vibes

    Photos
    Azuki Sushi
    Azuki Sushi
    Azuki Sushi

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    Sushi MARU - Iwashi

    Sushi MARU

    4.9(79 reviews)
    15.0 miDowntown

    Came here to celebrate a birthday. Timing on a Saturday evening was good enough such that there was…read morea good amount of parking out front when we arrived around 5:10 for our 5:30 reservation. We were first to enter and it was clear immediately that omakase is this restaurants institution; delicate lighting that highlighted the bar that separated diner and chef, clean lines everywhere, and just overall a beautiful place. The theme of Sushi MARU is truly attention to detail, and that extends from arrival, to service, to, of course, the food. Staff were incredibly attentive and easy to talk to, including the chefs. The food, I will comment on just generally as the menu is constantly changing (as is the case with many omakase): each dish was composed of pieces that complemented each other well and created a cohesive flavor pallette. Each nigiri was artfully prepared that emphased the quality and cut of the fish, and were complemented by flavors to further highlight that. The flow of the evening was non-traditional omakase, but it felt perfect. Price ($180pp) is not for the faint of heart, but is cheaper than others I've seen. Would absolutely visit again for a special occasion!

    Best omakase experience so far! This was my first private omakase sushi bar, and I really liked how…read moreintimate it felt. The food was top tier, and all the sushi tasted fresh. The staff was polite and professional. We did the sake pairing and the "Kid Muryozan" was my favorite. I want to buy a bottle! I was also able to take a lot of pictures and everything tasted as good as it looks. Can't wait to come back

    Photos
    Sushi MARU - San Diego Uni!! So sweet!

    San Diego Uni!! So sweet!

    Sushi MARU - Kobujime Tai

    Kobujime Tai

    Sushi MARU - Kasugo-dai

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    Kasugo-dai

    Soichi Sushi - Nigiri

    Soichi Sushi

    4.8(545 reviews)
    12.6 miUniversity Heights
    $$$$

    Finally was able to secure a reservation here. I've tried many omakases, and Soichi was always…read morementioned. Made the reservatiin online at the beginning of March for an omakase seating in April to celebrate husband's bday. They had a 5:15pm seating on a weekday at the sushi counter. Other options are the table and outside patio, however, for omakase, I always prefer the counter/bar. Unlike other omakase restaurants, Soichi offers their full vs petite vs nigiri only omakases at variable times (not limited to 2 seating times like others). You can also enjoy any of these omakases or order a la carte or both at the tables and outside patio also. The ambiance is bright and full of energy. Can get a bit loud with people talking, but didn't bother me. Parking is street parking. No designated lot. We found one a little down the street and walked over, which worked out. There is a park down the street and street parking around it. I recommend arriving earlier to find parking though, just in case. Restaurant is small inside, but clean and cozy. We arrived 15min early, and they seated us. The staff were all friendly. They all spoke Japanese to each other, which also felt more authentic. Our omakase chef was Daniel today. He was very nice, friendly, professional, and skilled. When we had questions, he answered them promptly and kindly. He also checked in with us to ensure the ratio of rice and sashimi was OK for us (of course it was). They served on unique plates too. Everything tasted so fresh and smooth. Some items were also unique compared to other omakase restaurants. The chawanmushj was also piping hot when served, so it also tasted fresh. They have barley tea here too and not just green tea. They offer a la carte at the end of the omakase course if we like, but I was too full. My husband ordered a tuna maki roll, which he thought tasted great. The dessert was also yum! Hojicha ice cream was very tasty! I recommend! They sang the happy bday song for the bday folks, where the senior chef (perhaps the owner?) played the ukelele/guitar and sang happy bday with the rest of us guests. Thought that was really neat. I recommend Soichi! Shout out to Chef Daniel!

    Definitely 5 stars if compared to all restaurants, but 4 stars if compared to other omakase…read more Came at one of the first seating (4:30pm) on a Saturday for the full omakase. The service and partnership between the sushi chef and the wait staff was fantastic and every interaction was well thought out. The appetizer wasn't my cup of tea, but the sashimi, nigiri, grilled fish, chawanmushi were really good. The assortment of fish (at least for this season) wasn't my favorite (featuring sardines, mackerel, etc.) when I would have loved some yellowtail and salmon belly. We ordered a negitoro cut roll a la carte because we were still a little hungry - this was super tasty as the quality of the tuna/toro is top notch. For dessert, they had 4 flavors of homemade ice cream to pick from. The sesame was incredible and the roasted green tea really good too. I feel like most of the omakase I've been to have 2-3 seating for dinner, so all the customers for that time arrive at the same time and everyone is at the same point of the omakase. At Soichi, it seems like each party has their reservation at a different time (4:30, 4:45, 5:00, etc.) so each group is at a different part of their meal, not to mention some parties that ordered a la carte or a different omakase menu (sushi only option, etc.) As a result, the chef is bouncing around working on a bunch of different items, and we had to wait quite a bit for each of our nigiri courses. The whole meal took 2.5 hours. We also felt less of that group vibe with other parties that is common in other omakases. Overall, we still had a really lovely time and glad we got to try it!,

    Photos
    Soichi Sushi - Beautiful flowers for Valentines!!

    Beautiful flowers for Valentines!!

    Soichi Sushi - Fried shrimp head. Whole thing is edible!

    Fried shrimp head. Whole thing is edible!

    Soichi Sushi - Appetizer

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    Appetizer

    Ichifuji

    Ichifuji

    4.9(201 reviews)
    9.8 miClairemont
    $$$$

    [Food] Spring Omakase $165pp - Appetizers: 4 dishes…read moreconsisting of minced tuna, squid fly, oyster, & tempura. All delicious and wish I could've gotten seconds! - Sashimi: Chef's selection of 4 different sashimi with a side of seaweed. I enjoyed them all but my favorite are the toro and amaebi. Love that they also fried the shrimp head and gave us a choice of salt & lemon or ponzu sauce to pair with it! - Yakimono: Grilled cod with asparagus, crispy fried lotus root, and goji berries. The cod was so buttery and cooked to perfection. - Nigiri: 9 piece nigiri chef's selection. All were super fresh, melts in your mouth, and of course delicious! - Uni wrap: I'm not sure if this was part of the nigiri or its own course, but chef let us try San Diego Uni & Hokkaido Uni! Both incredibly yummy. I feel like the SD Uni has a nice sweetness while the Hokkaido Uni has a slight bitterness. My group mostly liked the Hokkaido Uni. - Chawanmushi: Very flavorful and silky as I think they added dashi to enhance the egg. - Soup: Red miso clam soup (Nagoya style) was delicious. Super comforting and savory to end the course out before dessert. - Dessert: Hojicha Panna Cotta with strawberries! I usually don't like the desserts at most omakases, but I loved this! Great balance of light sweetness of the Panna Cotta with the sweet and acidity from the strawberries. [Service] - Friendly, charming, attentive, helpful - Shoutout to our Chef, Hiro-San & server Ken-San for making sure our experience was beyond amazing! Thank you! [Ambiance] - Classy, upscale, intimate - Has sushi bar & patio seating [Overall] - Made reservations for a party of 6 for my bf's bday and they definitely made it special! I love that they took pics for us with the chefs and even gave us a print out with a stand. So cute! - Would definitely come back for the food, vibes, and great service! - Each season they have a different menu, if you had all 4 on your stamp card, you'd receive a little gift! I definitely would love to try all 4 seasons but unfortunately I don't live around the area.

    Originally, I sought out Michelin star restaurants in the SD area but they didn't have a lot of…read moreglowing reviews. I found out about Ichifuji through some Reddit forums for omakase's. Ichifuji has routinely been one of the personal favorites of many users. I booked a reservation. It was about $160 before tax and tip. Definitely a lot cheaper than most of the Chicago ones and the quality of each course was exceptional. Our chef had a great sense of humor. Everyone was pleasant to talk to. I recommend coming here early before your reservation to secure a parking spot, at least an hour or more. The lot is shared with a Vietnamese restaurant and the parking lot is already small. We thought about parking in the bigger lot to the right but was unsure due to the towing signs. We're from out of State so we didn't want to risk it. If you have the money to spare with no kids, I recommend coming here.

    Photos
    Ichifuji
    Ichifuji - Toro handroll

    Toro handroll

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    Chawanmushi

    Hakumaru - Halibut Carpaccio

    Hakumaru

    4.6(271 reviews)
    9.6 mi
    Locally owned & operated
    Happy hour specials

    My favorite sushi place for the north SD area! Their sashimi has been fresh everytime, very unique…read moredishes also available like carpaccio with monk fish liver that you can't easily find elsewhere to try. They also have a rotating specials menu so there's different seafood options to try for your sushi and also cooked options. My go to is the chirashi bowl. Good portions and delicious sashimi! Sushi is one of my favorite foods, so I don't say it lightly :). I have brought family and friends back here too My brother in law brought his kid and tried the chicken of the sea nuggets (tuna) and even I loved them! Friendly service, although sometimes food takes a while to come out. The parking is plentiful, in a plaza parking lot. Good ambiance for a bit more casual date night that's cozy!

    Quick dinner out and was surprised how slow it was for a weekend evening. My husband and I were…read moreseated right away and orders taken pretty quickly. The menu is pretty extensive, but it definitely has a good quality for what we ordered. Service is quick and ordering to food coming out was pretty fast. For someone with a low tolerance of spice, you never know how spicy the spicy tuna will actually be, I gambled wrong for my tolerance. Delicious none the less but for me a little too spicy haha! The other rolls were fantastic though, and all very good. Would definitely come again if in the area!

    Photos
    Hakumaru - Wagyu Nigiri

    Wagyu Nigiri

    Hakumaru - Luna Lemon

    Luna Lemon

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    Haku's Alasakan

    Lumi - Charred Yellowtail yellowtail, charred green onion, masago, avocado, cucumber, yuzu kosho aioli, garlic ponzu

    Lumi

    4.2(1.1k reviews)
    15.7 miGaslamp

    The service was excellent and very attentive to our group. We always love the vibe with the dj and…read morethe lighting with the artwork on the walls. The rooftop has fire pits too which is always nice. We got some drinks and i love the appetizers we got which is the pizza one and yellowtail Serrano. Then I got the charred yellowtail roll which was delicious too. The nigiri chefs selection was nice and fresh as well.

    Came here for San Diego Restaurant week in January 2026. Three course for $65…read more We ordered: 1st -Chicken karaage - hard crunch just straight up fried chicken skin and chicken jerky due to the dryness. No flavor unless you dip. It was like eating chicharron. -Egg plant skewers - Couldn't tell it wasn't meat, it had the firm and tender texture with Unami flavors. 2nd -Rock shrimp tempura - this would taste better with rice. Almost like honey walnut shrimp. Ate like 3 and got full. Too much batter. -Big eye tuna tataki - nothing stood out 3rd -Surf and turf roll - by the time we got this dish, we were already disappointed not satisfied. -Kim chi chaufa - basic fired rice with the crispy burnt rice at the bottom. For a place this upscale, I wasn't impressed with the restaurant week menu. The food was under whelming. Sad to say that our favorite dish out of all were the egg plant skewers. I would rate 2 for the food but increase due to the view and ambiance. We looked around and saw every table with the pretty sushi box. I expected the menu not to offer all cooked dishes. This would go down as one of our least favorite restaurant week dining experience. No parking in this area so we took an uber. I can't believe we spent over $100 each and left disappointed and hungry.

    Photos
    Lumi - Inside the upstairs.

    Inside the upstairs.

    Lumi - Namaiki "Sassy" made with producer espadin, herradura blanco tequila, aji amarillo, pink guava, lime

    Namaiki "Sassy" made with producer espadin, herradura blanco tequila, aji amarillo, pink guava, lime

    Lumi - Uchuu "Universe" made with bombay dry gin, alma tepec chili liqueur, passionfruit, lemon, effervescence, coconut cream

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    Uchuu "Universe" made with bombay dry gin, alma tepec chili liqueur, passionfruit, lemon, effervescence, coconut cream

    Ken Sushi Workshop - japanese - Updated May 2026

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