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    Ootoro Bar

    4.4 (200 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Ootoro Bar Photos

    OOTORO BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Ootoro Bar

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    Sashmi lunch!!
    Calli Y.

    I've been craving sashimi so I finally made it back to here. They are closed Sunday & Mondays so make note of that. I wanted it the other day and was out of luck. We made it here today for lunch. Always friendly service. Our sashimi today was beautiful and tasted very fresh! Great food and plenty of parking.

    Tiffany C.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]This is now my go to location as it is starting to get busier but still not crowded like the other location.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I've returned for lunch several times and have enjoyed sitting in the booths with my family, as well as sitting at the bar where you have constant attention by the sushi chefs and staff.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]There are actually two full bar areas and I've seen them utilize both areas when they are busy but often they just start with one side.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is not too loud but you hear the hustle bustle of guests and staff doing their thing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Everyone there is friendly and happy to help. They were even able to accommodate when I placed my order and 5 minutes later changed my mind and asked if I could swap out an item. They've updated their lunch menus a bit more to remove the super premium Sea Bass and move the Miso cod to the left side of the lunch combo. I still miss the old menu but I understand it's business and they need to be able to make money as prices for the ingredients have also increased. Food is still amazing and fresh and we always leave full and satisfied.

    Jay L.

    The food was so good that it made the wait worth it! Joel was so sweet and made our experience really special. Can't wait to be back!

    Lunch menu
    Tom L.

    Amazing sushi and incredibly fresh fish. The toro was buttery and melted in my mouth, and every piece was beautifully prepared. Great service, nice atmosphere, and definitely worth the price for the quality. One of the best sushi spots in Orange County! Friendly staff and lunch deals are great!

    Elisa T.

    We were craving sushi and decided to stop by here for a quick dinner, and I'm so glad we did. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is intimate, with two separate sushi bar counters and a few tables along the side. The lighting is dim and romantic--perfect for a date night.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service was excellent: super friendly, attentive without hovering, and always checking in at the right moments whenever we needed something. We started with the toro tartare, which is an absolute must-order for me. It's topped with uni and tobiko, then finished with freshly grated truffle and truffle salt. Scooping it up with the seaweed chips was such an umami bomb--rich, savory, and incredibly satisfying. All of the hand rolls and nigiri we tried tasted very fresh and flavorful. I will say the spicy hand rolls were pretty spicy for me, but still delicious if you enjoy heat. I'm so happy we found this spot, this is definitely becoming our new go-to sushi spot for me and my husband.

    Paulina N.

    No lie Ootoro Bar has the best sushi I have ever had. My boyfriend and I came on a Friday night around 6 pm and it was pretty busy. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant had a dim setting with two sushi bars and a couple tables.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Luckily they had a table open, so we were able to get sat right away. We decided to order the Sashimi Deluxe, a couple sushis, and the 3 hand roll set. Everything tasted absolutely delicious and melted in our mouths, but our favorite was the ootoro sushi which was mind blowing lol. My boyfriend said the sushi here tastes just as fresh as in Japan when he went. The hand rolls to me were just okay.. The blue crab hand roll was my favorite from the 3! Service was also great and all the servers were very attentive. Ootoro Bar is a bit pricey but it is so worth the money. I think we found our new date night spot hehe

    Blue crab cut roll with added avocado $8.50
    Kathy S.

    Ootoro Bar doesn't compare to its other location on Michelson. The was no wait at 5:45pm on a Saturday for a table. Even when we left at 730pm the bar was half empty. Is this usual for a Saturday night?? Sushi Set A includes 2 scallops, 2 kinds of white fish, 2 tunas, 2 yellowtail, 2 albacore, and 2 salmons (that we never got), and 1 daily hand roll. I don't recommend the sushi here as the sauce that paired with the fish was too overwhelming (either too tangy/sour or salty). Unless the fish isn't fresh there's no reason to drown it in sauce. 6 Hand Rolls: that's what we ordered but we only got 3 due to the lack of communication between the server and sushi chef. After the server brought our "Daily hand roll" from sushi set A she thought we had received the first 3 rolls from the hand roll set. We ended up getting only 3 rolls from our order. After waiting for 20 minutes (having given them grace for possibly a busy night plus we were seated in the back corner so we couldn't tell what took so long) we canceled our order especially having to explain to the server what we have eaten 20 minutes ago and what we didn't. We were over it! Blue crab cut roll (4 pieces) with avocado (extra charge): pretty standard Crunch cut roll (4 pieces): nothing special Servers were nice but lacked communication with the kitchen/chef. Also they stopped checking on us toward the end. When we were heading out there were probably 3-4 parties at the bar. Not sure why service was so slow. This won't be added to our sushi rotation.

    Donna L.

    I was craving sushi so I decided to swing by here. I did a walk-in (no reservations) and was easily accommodated. I may have only waited 5 minutes to get seated. I really like the ambiance. The restaurant is very modern and simple. It is a great spot for a girls night out or a couple date night. It was pretty loud but it was not unbearable. I ordered the sushi set A, which came with 12 pieces of sushi and 1 hand roll for roughly $43. I like the pace at which I was served each piece. I did not wait too long or felt rushed to get to the next piece. One thing that really stood out was the size of the fish slices. They were big enough that you could barely tell there was rice underneath. I was impressed by the fish to rice ratio.

    Chi P.

    A friend if a friend recommended this place so we decided to give it try. We couldn't get through by phone for reservations but were able to get a seat at 11:30 Friday without a problem. We got the $69 sushi set B and all of it was delicious! The fish was soft and fresh and the size was generous. Albacore is not one I usually like but theirs was quite good. The amount of soy sauce was just right too. The staff were all super nice too. I wanted to try the rolls but I was full already. I will definitely be back.

    Tempura set from two-item lunch combo
    Wayne T.

    Have been here for lunch and dinner. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It feels super authentic and you can watch as they make the sushi and sashimi dishes right in front of you at one of the two sushi bar areas.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The bar stools are a bit high for shorter people to sit at but there's three tables too in the restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Just be prepared to wait for seating since the tables fill up almost right after opening time. Great variety of handrolls to choose from in a set, which are served one a time, fresh sashimi and sushi lunches along with two item combos, and Orion beer available. Great prices and value for this level of Japanese food, which is a very hard to find combination in the Irvine/Tustin area nowadays.

    Premium Chirashi
    Winny K.

    So happy about this additional OC location for Ootoro! This one feels more intimate (dimmer lighting) than the Irvine location, and it's mostly bar seating with a few partitioned tables. Service was efficient and we were in and out pretty quickly after enjoying Ootoro's signature delicious and fresh sushi! My husband got the Premium Chirashi, which was beautiful and chock-full of tasty and fatty cuts of fish. I ordered the Sushi Lunch, which was just as good as I remembered from the Irvine location, if not better. Love thet both options come with sweet shrimp and they ask if you'd like it deep fried (to crispy perfection) or in a very comforting and savory soup. We did one of each and I loved both! Can't wait to come back again for lunch. For the quality of fish, the lunch prices are pretty reasonable.

    Toro hand roll
    Yau-Ru C.

    A quick and easy place to enjoy hand rolls and sushi. Got the 6-piece hand roll (A) which comes with blue-fin tuna, blue crab, toro, spicy scallop, spicy salmon and spicy lobster hand rolls. I enjoyed the crisp nori and slightly warm rice. However, the 3 spicy rolls proved to be a bit overwhelming for my taste buds...all I can taste is the spice and not the ingredients. So, I would recommend going with the non-spicy set and adding a la carte spicy ones as you desire. I wish the hand roll sets would come with something like miso soup or ootoshi appetizer...because we were done with our food in under 15 minutes, feels a bit rushed.

    Chilean seabass 5 out of 5

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    15 days ago

    Great sushi, reasonable prices and the best part - great service and almost no wait. This is our go to sushi spot.

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    Page 1 of 5

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    Ask the Community - Ootoro Bar

    Can they accommodate a gluten allergy?

    Rice is gluten free - if you order fish + rice, that's gluten free.

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    Habuya Okinawan Dining is one of those rare places that isn't just about the food--it's about…read moreexperiencing Okinawan culture. Mama (Mayumi) has poured so much of herself into this restaurant, from the artwork on the walls to the warm hospitality that makes it feel like you're being welcomed into someone's home. (Oishii Desu "It's Delicious"⁠) If it's your first visit, don't skip the Okinawan specialties. The mountain yam dishes, rafute (braised pork belly), Okinawan soba, and an ice-cold Orion beer served in a frosted glass are all part of what makes Habuya so memorable. It's a place to slow down, share plates, and enjoy the experience. I'm genuinely happy to see Habuya getting so much attention on social media because it's well deserved. My only hope is that as more people discover it, they also help preserve what makes it special. This is a small, family-run restaurant, so please be patient during check-in, be kind to the staff, and remember that many guests have been waiting for the opportunity to enjoy the experience as well. Come to appreciate the food, drinks, and Okinawan culture--not just to snap a few photos and leave. One thing to keep in mind is that if you don't drink alcohol or follow a vegan diet, the menu may feel a bit more limited. But if you're open to experiencing authentic Okinawan cuisine, Habuya is truly one of Orange County's hidden gems.

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    We were craving Japanese udon and/or soba, so this spot was perfect for us. They offer plenty of…read morehouse-made udon and soba dishes as well as ramen, rice bowls, sushi rolls, and more. I ordered the Inaka soba, which was very savory and flavorful. The bowl included tororo, mushrooms, bonito flakes, shredded nori, green onions, and an egg. I enjoyed the nutty buckwheat flavor from the soba noodles and the clean taste from the light dashi broth. My husband had the curry udon with beef. The curry was aromatic and came as a silky, soup-like consistency that coated each udon noodle nicely. It had a deep umami flavor. The udon was the ideal texture - thick and chewy. As for the beef, it was very tender. We shared a crunchy roll on the side. It was cut into 8 pieces. Every piece was super crispy and delicious. The main flavor came from the eel sauce, so it tasted very sweet and savory.

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    Ootoro Bar - japanese - Updated August 2026

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