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Ootoro Bar

4.3 (189 reviews)
Closed 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Updated 3 months ago

Ootoro Bar Photos

OOTORO BAR ATMOSPHERE

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

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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. The restaurant had a dim setting with two sushi bars and a couple tables. 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

Jessica D.

My husband and I always drive by Ootoro Bar and are curious but we usually like to stick to our usual sushi spots. I've had Ootoro Sushi in Irvine before but a long time ago and remember enjoying it. We had the day off and decided to try something new since this is also close to home. So glad we did because we were very pleased and would totally come back, especially for the sashimi lunch. We felt like that was so worth it. We got that sashimi lunch set and the sushi set B. All of the servers who helped us said that the sushi set B is their most popular and a good choice, which I definitely enjoyed but I truly wasn't blown away. However I really liked the sashimi lunch, especially for it's price at a little under $30. All the fish were really fresh and clean tasting. The little sides with it were great too. My husband and I both agreed we'd definitely return more regularly for the lunch sashimi and try their hand roll sets as well. At one point, they did seem to have forgotten to check in on where I was at in my sushi set so there was a little lag time that we noticed took a little longer. Then someone asked what I got last and then I was given the rest of the set. Service was friendly though and we sat at the bar, which was very roomy. The restaurant is much bigger inside than it looks from the outside. There are two spacey bar seatings and very few booth tables. Clean and dimly lit restaurant.

Elisa T.

We were craving sushi and decided to stop by here for a quick dinner, and I'm so glad we did. 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. 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.

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.

Chilean seabass 5 out of 5
Katherine N.

Everything was amazing from beginning to end. Service was quick and friendly. Food was fabulous. I got there around 12:30pm and ordered off the lunch menu. I got the Chilean seabass with toro roll & I also got the sashimi lunch. Each order comes with miso soup and rice. The sashimi pieces in the sashimi lunch were melt in your mouth good and they didn't skimp-- the pieces are huge! The Chilean seabass oozes of buttery goodness. Flavor was unbelievable. To celebrate a birthday for my friend, they brought out a complimentary slice of cake. There's plenty of parking. I can't wait to come back!

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.

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.

Ashley P.

Loved this spot! I appreciate any place that makes it easy to order with pre set menu options. We got a handroll set and sushi set B. Every bite was delish but the toro was so fatty and goooood. Service was so fast and professional and the ambience is relaxing with the dim lighting.

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.

Sashimi lunch - $24 - always the best big thick cuts!
Crystal W.

Will DEFINITELY be back. Comparing Ootoro Irvine and Ootoro bar Tustin. I'm bummed I can't remember the name of our chef, but everyone was truly so kind and friendly. I love that I don't have to wait 15-30 min ahead of time for Ootoro Irvine. We were able to get seated right away from Ootoro Bar and the interior was absolutely beautiful. There were two large bar tops and the chefs were in the middle serving all 4 sides. Ootoro pieces of sashimi all look like colorful and shiny pieces of gems. Both restaurants taste great.

Handroll
Michelle ..

We came at opening on a weekday and the place quickly filled & had a wait by the time we finished eating. We chose from the handroll set menu to get the most bang for our buck (would recommend the 5-handroll option with toro and bluefin tuna)! My personal favorite was the bluefin tuna, which just melted in my mouth. I only wish our rolls were timed or spaced out a little more, as our next roll would come before I finished the last one, so the nori wasn't as crisp. The salmon ikurai bowl (an alternative to the traditional chirashi bowl) was amazing with topped thick cuts of salmon, covering the various items underneath - rice, seaweed salad, blue crab mix, tamago. The tamago had a slightly off taste compared to other places but the quality of the bowl was great otherwise. Our fried squid legs were also a hit, with a light but tasty batter over the generous portion of squid. Perfect texture addition to the meal! Overall, a quality restaurant with many menu options in different price tiers. Service is friendly though they seemed to be running left and right, it was tough to flag someone down for the check. I wish to come back in the future when staffing is able to match the pace of the restaurant for even better service.

Paula H.

My fiancé made a reservation right when it opened! We were promptly seated. The ambiance is very nice. It's dim inside and lots of room for seating. It also seems pretty kid friendly because there were quite a few parties with families. We got the 6 hand rolls, spicy and non spicy. The spicy had a good kick to them. For the spicy, you get Bluefin Tuna/ Blue Crab/ Toro Spicy Scallop/ Spicy Yellowtail/ Spicy Lobster. For non spicy, you get Bluefin Tuna/ Blue Crab/ Toro/ Scallop/ Salmon/ Lobster. My favorite was probably the toro, blue crab, and scallop. We also got an order of soft shell crab. That was very delicious and would get again.

5 roll set not spicy

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Izakaya Habuya Okinawan Dining - Salmon , Oba mint carpaccio

Izakaya Habuya Okinawan Dining

(1.1k reviews)

$$

Can't believe this was our first time eating at Habuya -- such a hidden gem and totally worth the…read morewait! We joined the Yelp waitlist about 30 minutes after opening and waited around an hour to be seated. Since it was prime-time Saturday dinner and the restaurant is tiny, the wait made sense. Pro tip: come 30 minutes before opening or join the waitlist early if you can! White Corn with Truffle Salt -- 5/5 A must-order. I wasn't expecting much, but it was absolutely perfect and so good with drinks. Pork Cutlet Curry -- 4/5 Classic katsu curry flavor, but the breading was a little on the harder and darker side. Maybe just a bad batch, but still really good. Bluefin & Salmon Sashimi -- 5/5 Order it with the pickled wasabi. It melts in your mouth -- SO good. Purple Sweet Potato Fries -- 4/5 A great appetizer and perfect for snacking with drinks. Beef Sukiyaki -- 5/5 Served with a soft-boiled egg, tofu, mushrooms, and kimchi. I usually don't love sweet beef with kimchi, but this was perfectly seasoned. The BEST. Saving the best for last -- the owner and her team are the sweetest ladies. They work fast, check in often, and you can really tell they care about their customers becoming regulars. Best izakaya in OC! Thank you, Habuya, for a wonderful dinner.

Authentic, super delicious izakaya food!! Totally worth the wait. Wife and I had a great time. We…read morestuffed our faces. Service was great. Quirky music. Small space. Will absolutely come back! Our absolute favorite dishes were the Atkin Mackerel and Shrimp Curry. Highly recommend them. The only dish that was mid was the Chicken Karaage - we'll skip this dish next time.

HONDA-YA Tustin - Outside

HONDA-YA Tustin

(3.6k reviews)

$$

Tried this place while in Tustin. We got on the waitlist which on a Friday night was about 40…read moreminutes. Not sure if they take reservations. The restaurant had ample seating and it was busy. The food came up pretty quickly. They have so many options it's hard to know where to start, since it was my first time. Next time I'll be more prepared. Everything looked amazing and smelt delicious. We had the garlic chili cucumbers. I was disappointed they weren't crunchy and didn't have much flavor. But I did love everything else. We had the Sexy Roll for sushi, mixed tempera, Hoi-Ko-Ro, Breast w/Ohba & Yuzu peppers, thigh with sauce, miso pork belly w/green onions, prime rib skirt, Japanese beef, kabocha & bacon asparagus. The portions are small but filling. The peppers in one of dishes was so hot. The waitress said it's a 50/50 chance it 's beyond hot. We enjoyed everything we had. The table we sat at was pretty small but the waitress pulled empties off the table very quickly. Waitress was great and it looked like everyone inside were pretty regular and having a great time. So definitely a plus. It does get loud inside. Yes, I'll be back. It was delicious. And yes I agree with their FOMO. It's true!!

I absolutely love this place, and have been coming here now for about 27 years. Some of the best,…read moreif not the best, yakitori I've had in the US. The sushi and the side dishes are really good too. Oddly, I hadn't come here in about 8 years, so this review is based on my most recent visit. They don't take reservations, but they have a very efficient check in system as you walk up to the restaurant. It's almost always crowded when you come here, so bear that in mind. However, it's really worth it. Since I was alone, they were able to seat me right away at the sushi bar. Overall, I'm giving this experience a 4.5 stars. Knocking them down half a point because I was never checked on. However, they were fairly prompt in getting me whatever I needed when I flagged them down. Looking forward to my next trip out here, which will be very soon.

TANAKAYA - Matcha Soba

TANAKAYA

(866 reviews)

$$

I've been meaning to try Tanakaya after seeing their soba flight on Tik Tok! I came near opening…read moreand got seated right away, and by the end, it was pretty full, so I can see how waitlists might be long during busy hours. Plenty of parking and staff is attentive! Everything is a bit expensive for what it is, but overall taste wise, everything was amazing regardless! We got the assorted tempura, filet katsu don, and cold soba flight sampler. The assorted tempura was good, they had a lot of variety and I enjoyed the mushroom, asparagus, and potato! The shrimp tempura portion is very generous in size and was good. A little overpriced for what it is, but if you love this assortment of fried tempura, it is overall good to try! The filet katsu don was amazing, and I like that it came with a small bowl of miso soup! It's always nice to have that as a complimentary side dish. The katsu was crispy and complimented well by the sauce! I'd highly recommend this dish! And now for the star of the show... the soba flight! This was so fun to go through and I highly recommend it just for the experience! My personal favorite was the one that included enoki mushroom on the topping. Definitely would recommend trying Tanakaya if you haven't already! I'd definitely come back.

Food: their menu is fairly priced, plain soba is $17 and their combos are usually $20-25. We enjoy…read moretheir quality of soba noodles and dipping sauce, it's a great place for authentic Japanese food. Service: their service is quite slow. We often try to go right as dinner service begins and still find ourselves waiting 30-40 minutes from ordering to get our food. I assume it's because they make their food fresh, but even so, often it takes a while to get the bill. However, the service is always nice and respectable. Parking: the lot can get pretty full sometimes, but it's quite spacious since there's not a lot of businesses in the plaza.

Hako - Chicken Katsu

Hako

(1.9k reviews)

$$

Tried the curry katsu at Hako and it did not disappoint! I got the regular curry katsu while my…read morehusband got the spicy curry katsu, which had a really good kick without being overwhelming. The portions were generous with lots of crispy katsu -- the breading was crunchy and flavorful, and there was definitely enough meat in each piece. The side cabbage salad was a nice fresh touch, and the pickled radish paired really well with the curry. Definitely worth trying if you're craving katsu curry! It was crowded on a friday evening but we just called in to pick it up to-go and it was all ready once we got there!

The food here is solid and the portions are extremely generous. Small place, but feels solidly cozy…read morewith extremely friendly staff. They serve their food in trays, which helps keep everything together. Also, love the chopsticks since they're nice and smooth so I won't fear getting splinters. I will say, if you come with friends and everyone wants curry, you only need to order a few curries on the side since the serving of curry they provide is... abundant. The cheese tonkotsu was honestly pretty heavy, lots lots of cheese. Honestly, I wouldn't get it again since I didn't feel like I got much meat simply because of how much cheese there was. I'm sure there was pork, it just felt like an extension of the breading. Every order off the main course section of the menu (fried things) come with miso soup, a side salad, and pickled side dishes that are extremely refreshing. Pork over Chicken for sure.

Ootoro Bar - japanese - Updated May 2026

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