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    Naka Sushi

    3.9 (301 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Closed Closed

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    Sake (salmon) nigiri
    Gabrielle C.

    This is the best sushi in the world, bar none. As a person who loves to complain, I've been to Naka many times and can tell you that I am unable to complain! The sashimi is glorious, cuts of fish are exquisite and fresh. The presentation is aesthetically beautiful. The service is always friendly. Hours of operation are somewhat limited, but that should not discourage you from going, in fact, it should be an intentional destination that you make time to enjoy.

    The chef refused to give us unagi sauce. Also the poor kid serving us was terrified to ask the chef for the unagi sauce. I've never been to a place that serves sushi that's this big. If you like sushi like that and you don't need unagi sauce go for it but it's insane that they straight up say no to giving you sauce. I also would like to add that the fish is farm fish which is gmo af and there charging so much for it. At least serve wild fish for that price. I'm not a rookie sushi eater I eat sushi multiple times a week from Rumble Fish in SV but was in Capitola and a friend recommended this place. But she hadn't been here in 3-4 years since she moved away. She was super disappointed in her favorite appetizer which is fried chicken. She also said that the rolls never used to be this big when she came.

    Dinner salad.
    Lei H.

    While the kids ate ramen from next door, the adults ordered from here as we were craving Japanese food. While it's a little pricier the food here is worth every penny. Super fresh high quality sushi and also generous cut We got - hotate scallop nigiri - Hokkaido scallops $9 - hamachi yellowtail nigiri - huge! See photo -$11.50 - hamachi collar $16.99 - dinner salad - very fresh with ginger dressing on the side - size of rice - we even love the rice. So fluffy Definitely plan to be back if we are in Santa Cruz again. They only had take out since this is still COVID time so glad our hotel was across the street at Fairfield inn.

    Very chewy tuna.
    J N.

    I've had some good food here but also questionable interactions.I've had take out from here 5 or 6 times . They warn you the rolls are large and as others mention almost impractical. So I usually deconstruct them or order hand rolls. Knowing this I usually enjoy this place and its solid for the area. I think sometimes their large portions cause the customer to receive large sinewy pieces that have horrible mouth feel. No one wants to chew a piece of tuna for minutes and still have it be intact. I alerted them to this and they basically told me I was crazy. I might be but I've eaten a lot of sushi and usually a section like that won't make it into a plate. The place has been there forever, is small and often crazy busy where they won't take phone orders.

    Soup and salad
    Andy N.

    Hands down the best sushi that you are going to find here in Santa Cruz and Capitola! But it does come at a price. Having lived in Japan and always searching for the best sushi wherever I go, it is safe to say that I've finally found my spot here in this small town. Run by what seems to be a small Japanese family, Naka is a no-frills Japanese restaurant that does what it does best, and that is serving up some really good portions of fresh sushi. My friend and I came here towards closing and ordered three sets of nigiri for each of us, and shared their Ebi Fry Curry. The nigiri come at a stepper price than normal (ranging from $7 - $11) and our curry was around $21, but for good reason. The nigiri here is massive and at least four mouthfuls worth of sushi in my opinion. Don't come here expecting to eat those fancy American maki rolls, because the true core of Naka is with their amazingly fresh fish. Sake nigiri was delightful and mouthwatering delicious. I also really loved their hamachi and ika, which was some of the best I've had in the States. As for the curry, while quite pricy, the quality of the rice and curry itself was definitely reminiscent of what I'm used to enjoying in Japan. The ebi fry itself seemed to just come out of a package so it isn't anything special. I'd stick with just the sushi next time. Thank you Naka Sushi for an incredibly high-end sushi meal. I definitely hope to return back as a "treat myself" kind of meal.

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    11 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Best fish in town. Sushi rice is absolutely perfect. I've literally never had a bad experience at naka.

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    12 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    Ty M.

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    Ty M.

    Sushi rookie.

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Best sushi in town with a wonderful staff. A real treat to experience in person or sneak away with take out.

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    6 years ago

    Fresh sushi, great service and awesome presentation make this a go-to stop for sushi in Santa Cruz!

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    Ty M.

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    7 years ago

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    Ty M.

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    7 years ago

    The sushi chef was a jerk his fish was deffently not fresh the prices where outrageous. I cant believe any one would eat there.

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    Ty M.

    No jerk chicken here. Only sushi.

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

    This is traditional Japanese food as good as it gets. The people running it are the real deal. Yum!

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    7 years ago

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    Ty M.

    Yes, better tuna at Subway. Much cheaper. Enjoy!

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    4 years ago

    Very friendly . Busy and the food want presentable and delicious. Will be going back again .

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    4 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Best blue fin tuna. Quality sushi every time! Recommend it for anyone who likes less Americanized sushi.

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    12 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    19 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    7 years ago

    The best sushi in town, hands down. If you want real Japanese style sushi this is the spot. Best sake nigiri, Cheri is OG

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    11 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    Ty M.

    Arigato! Please come again!

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    12 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    Page 3 of 8

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    Sushi Garden - Yellowtail Roll

    Sushi Garden

    3.8(521 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Hello new favorite asian restauraunt in all of santa cruz county / norcal coast?? Sushi Garden has…read moreextremely fresh and clean cuts of fish and has a super cute garden with a koi pond and an inviting outdoor patio seating!! Inside, natural light floods in through giant windows overlooking the garden. Time to try sushi: - Chirashi - Sushi Garden Special (sashimi + nigiri combo) The fish is incredibly fresh and clean! For either of these, you get thick cuts of buttery melt-in-your-mouth fresh salmon, toro (tuna belly), hamachi. There were other cuts of fish but these truly stood out. For such premium cuts, it's a pretty good deal! Their tamago/egg was tasty and sweet - delicious. The rice itself could use a bit more flavor, but the rolls, on the other hand, were so deliciously flavorful! Overall, the sauces on all the rolls delivered excellent flavor. Not too heavy, salty, or spicy. Great balance and ratio of fish : rice : sauce. the ROLLS we got: - Magic Dragon - This is like a spicier dragon. Great combo of spicy and sweet. Yum! - Trio (from the special menu) - A lighter, all-protein option with no rice. Again, quality buttery salmon right here. - Dr. Woo's - yellowtail inside with albacore outside, great combo with spicy mayo - Volcano roll - spicy tuna topped with seared salmon - like when salmon gets slightly seared, it absolutely is the best! All the rolls were great, but the Magic Dragon and Volcano Roll were my favorites because their flavor profiles were chefs kiss. The staff was incredibly nice and generous. This local establishment has been a staple here for years! Their menu is massive, and while the names of the rolls could be more straightforward, their website has pictures, which helps! They truly have options for everyone, from classic to fusion. Btw free parking! Huge lot.

    Fun ambiance. Staff is always friendly. Sushi, udon, delish. Today I got the seafood udon noodle…read moresoup. Salad comes with it. Edamame is complimentary.

    Photos
    Sushi Garden - Sushi bar

    Sushi bar

    Sushi Garden - Chirashi - lots of buttery melty TORO!

    Chirashi - lots of buttery melty TORO!

    Sushi Garden - Volcano roll (torched salmon!!)

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    Volcano roll (torched salmon!!)

    Fuji Sushi - Fuji Volcano Roll

    Fuji Sushi

    4.4(48 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    Amazing delicious sashimi and Dinner Bento Box. Sashimi was…read moresuper fresh and tasty loved it. I will definitely come back again and Highly recommended. Definitely 5 Star Appetizers-BBQ Pork was delicious. Looking forward to come back again

    Pros: The combo tempura was piping hot and just *perfect*,…read morewith a fun assortment of veggies (crunchy green bean? almost creamy Japanese eggplant? Super cool.) I honestly haven't stopped thinking about it. The chow mein was also piping hot and extremely fragrant of garlic as the plate was set in front of me. I haven't stopped thinking of that succulent steam facial, either. I also had a root beer. Life should always be perfect tempura and your favorite soda. The service was great as well. They replied with a genuine "enjoy" to each of my "thank-you's", and also spoke very kindly and gave great service to the considerably under-spoken guy at the booth next to mine. Con: The place is old as dirt and needs to be gutted. I don't think it was 'sticky' tablecloth dirty, but I was pleasantly surprised that the bathroom was very clean and tidied. The smell when I entered the restaurant quickly let me know that something was wrong with the sewer lines, or something. Like, I almost left before anyone saw me stroll into the empty place, ok? There was a gal who was walking in to scope the place out for she and her friends as I was leaving. She didn't stay. I was waiting for an Uber as she hightailed it back to her car declaring "Well, I guess I haven't been there in a while..." into her phone. Overall, I'm glad I stayed to give an old place a new try for the first time in... 15 years? Not surprised that all of the orders were being picked up by DoorDash, etc, but also not surprised at how many orders were being pickup up, one after another. I need tempura and rooty beer this week. Not sure if I'd ever be brave enough to give their sushi menu a try, though.

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    Fuji Sushi - Interior

    Interior

    Fuji Sushi - Tiger Rolls (with added spicy mayo)

    Tiger Rolls (with added spicy mayo)

    Fuji Sushi - Japanese and Chinese menus

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    Japanese and Chinese menus

    Aloha Island Grille - Kalua pig with salad and rice.  Best around! Deeeelish!

    Aloha Island Grille

    3.8(617 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    **Overall: 4.2 stars**…read more Think local, surfer beach aloha vibe. You order at the counter or on the one kiosk. When I went, no one was in line, so the friendly staffer greeted us and told us she could take our order. When I was debating between 2 dishes, she described the salmon and that sealed my decision - haha. Order, ready! The portions were HUUUGE! The dishes were delicious! I can't get over how tender and flavorful my salmon was, yet the skin was crispy! (I don't usually eat the skin, but I did! That tells you how well they cooked it!) The chicken katsu had TWO layers of chicken! And each lunch plate had two scoops of rice and one scoop of Mac salad. They tasted like traditional Hawaiian cuisine. We sat outside on the main patio so we could be in the sun and watch the cars and passerby's from the beach. It was so nice to be a couple blocks from the ocean. The only negatives -- though small ones -- were parking is street parking because they only have two onsite spots, and they are super casual dining (like it's common to see customers in bathing suits and flip flops here), so it may not be a place to go if you're on a date or wanting to take out of towners or clients. It's a place to get great local Hawaiian food! Aloha Island Grille may just be my new favorite Hawaiian spot.

    I have no idea how this restaurant isn't 4.5 stars. I have tried so many Hawaiian spots in…read moreCalifornia and this place is absolutely amazing. Chicken teriyaki might be the best in the state. Katsu is great, Teri beef is just as good, their Mac salad is amazing, and the coconut shrimp are a great app.

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    Aloha Island Grille - Cute and casual

    Cute and casual

    Aloha Island Grille - Inside the fish I had! Was so tasty and tender!

    Inside the fish I had! Was so tasty and tender!

    Aloha Island Grille - Chicken Katsu Plate

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    Chicken Katsu Plate

    Naka Sushi - japanese - Updated May 2026

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