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    SOTA

    4.3 (429 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    SOTA Photos

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    SOTA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - SOTA

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    Regular omakase

    We came here to celebrate a birthday and had an absolutely fantastic experience from start to finish. Before we even sat down, one of the sushi chefs noticed us and warmly greeted us, inviting our party of three to sit at the sushi bar. It was a Saturday just before Christmas, the restaurant was packed, and we were thrilled to get seats right in front of the chefs. While looking over the menu, Chef Yan offered to send out an appetizer. I told him I trusted him and asked to be surprised--and he completely delivered. The appetizer was amazing and set the tone for the rest of the meal. I then told Chef Yan that I wanted to try all the omakase options on the menu. He handled everything with professionalism and great pacing, starting us with the regular omakase, followed by the fatty omakase, which was absolutely superb. The halibut fin was insane--OMG. He then brought out the omakase rolls, which were just as impressive. Still wanting more, we ordered the Cabo roll and the Lollipop roll, and once again, everything was outstanding. Chef Yan truly made the entire experience feel special and memorable. To top it all off, after our meal the servers surprised us with a small dessert for the birthday celebrant, and all the sushi chefs came together to sing. It was such a thoughtful and fun touch. Truly a great experience all around. Highly recommend this place--we'll definitely be back.

    Rainbow roll
    Kevin A.

    Went here on a last minute decision the day after Valentine's Day since my wife was craving sushi. We waited for a bit over an hour for a seat at the bar. It was 1000% worth it. The rolls were amazing and the staff was very friendly. Although it was busy they showed effort and apologized each time they felt the time between check ins was too long. My favorite roll was the yellow submarine and the omakase roll. A small unassuming sushi place that is packed with goodness. Officially my favorite sushi spot.

    Nigiri sampler and spicy salmon avocado roll
    Asha S.

    I wanted to love this place because I'd heard great things and it's close to our house, but it just didn't do it for me. Nothing was spectacular. My favorite dish was probably the crispy rice with spicy salmon. The nigiri was also pretty good but the carpaccio and rolls were not enjoyable.

    Soft Shell Crab
    Teresa T.

    This is a great place... u can reasonably get in on busy nights (one of the reasons I come) and it's reasonably priced. Theres a place on the pennisula I prefer but it's double or triple the price and it's a 2 hour ordeal at min. I feel like this is a great neighborhood spot... My Go to's Oyster: Uni shooters (we love these!) Soft Shell Crab (sooo good ) 5pc Omakase Chardonnay Lychee Martini Good wine selection basic but good enough Love the staff and chefs everyone is great here!

    Wavy skipjack
    Liz G.

    Soooooo good! Haven't had anything here that I don't like. Staff is so cool and friendly and helpful.had the wavy skipjack, needlefish, live scallop, bluefin tuna, spicy yellowtail on crispy rice, Cabo roll and a few others and they all were delicious! Came in on a Saturday night right when they opened and couldn't believe there was already a bunch of people waiting to get in! Yeah, that good!

    Shrimp boat
    Linda B.

    Chef Sota is a master at his craft. Each piece of nigiri was a work of art with fresh and creative flavor bombs. Can't wait to go back!

    Simply delish

    Service and food were top notched ! Soo good we're grabbing the rest of our group and coming back tomorrow to eat !

    Candice N.

    Sooo I'll be honest, my friend and I actually tried to go to Sugarfish but the wait was 3 hours!! So my friend told me about Sota and said it was just down the street so we walked over and I'm actually really glad we went here instead. Sota definitely has more of a traditional sushi vibe and the sushi chefs were all so nice and attentive. I feel like we ordered everything off the menu lol the food is amazing! Sota is a must try and I can't wait to come back

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    6 days ago

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    5 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Sota is amazing. Food is to die for, get the Bob's hand roll (off-menu item). Can be busy though so get there early.

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    11 months ago

    The food is the best! Sota is not only an excellent chef he is so welcoming! See you soon Sota!

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    1 year ago

    Sota is a gem. Great service and great food. Never disappoints. It can get quite full so we plan ahead of time, but well worth the wait.

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    6 months ago

    Great sushi and wonderful sushi chefs. Suggest you just order omekasa and let the chef's do their thing.

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    2 years ago

    Our favorite Sushi in Newport Beach. Never ever been disappointed. The quality is absolutely the best. Sota and entire staff are awesome.

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    Page 1 of 11

    Ask the Community - SOTA

    Do I need to make reservations if I come at 5 for two?

    Probably not

    View All 3 Questions

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    SUGARFISH | Corona del Mar

    SUGARFISH | Corona del Mar

    4.2(429 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$$

    Finally made my way to the OC Sugarfish after hounding them to open one up ever since I moved from…read morethe Westside and they didn't disappoint. That warm rice is unforgettable when it touches your lips and it brought me back to those wonderful experiences eating at SF when I was living in Santa Monica. Koji and Kathy were pretty cool too. If you're feeling like a fatty, do the Nozawa. If not, do the Trust me experience. Albacore belly is a must try. You will not be disappointed my peeps

    When I first tried SugarFish in NYC I had to find out if there was one where I lived in California…read more While it's out of the way for me to drive to Corona Del Mar from San Diego I absolutely made it a goal to take my husband here because I fell In love with it on the east coast. Be prepared for a wait though, Sunday at lunch is very busy, and the restaurant can only hold so many people for their dining experience. Once we were seated I opted to get the Trust me menu while my husband ordered the trust me lite menu and the bluefin otoro. This was the perfect amount of sushi to start our day. Everything was delicious, my absolute favorite was the tuna and chutoro sashimi, but each piece of fish was amazingly delicious and fresh! So fresh one of my salmon pieces still had a scale on it, and the blue crab roll had small gravel like shell texture in it. Not an issue for me personally, the quality still outshone the surprises and I would still consider coming back if in the area.

    Photos
    SUGARFISH | Corona del Mar
    SUGARFISH | Corona del Mar - Salmon Kombu: toasted sesame | $6.50 (2pcs)

    Salmon Kombu: toasted sesame | $6.50 (2pcs)

    SUGARFISH | Corona del Mar - Giant Scallops

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    Giant Scallops

    Sushi Roku - As fresh as it gets at Sushi Roku Newport Beach!

    Sushi Roku

    4.1(1.5k reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$$

    Had an amazing experience all thanks to Elle…read more From the moment we sat down, Elle made us feel genuinely welcomed and taken care of. She was warm, attentive, and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. Her recommendations were spot-on and elevated our entire dining experience. You can tell she truly cares about her guests and takes pride in what she does. Our drinks were never empty, and every course flowed seamlessly. Elle checked in just the right amount -- present without ever hovering -- which made the night feel relaxed, thoughtful, and special. Dining out is always about the food, but service like Elle's is what makes it memorable. If you visit Sushi Roku, ask for her. She's a big reason we'll be back.

    If you've been following my Yelp escapades, you already know I treat restaurant scouting like…read moreOlympic training for your dating life. I test the vibes, the lighting, the food, the flirt‑potential, all so you don't accidentally take a promising match to a place that screams "situationship energy." So buckle up, buttercup, because here comes another one. Sushi Roku is a great spot for a date you've known for a while, not quite "meet the parents," but definitely past the "I don't know your last name yet" stage. The ambiance shifts like a good relationship: warm and romantic after dark, bright and lively during the day. It exudes the "we're comfortable, but still trying" vibe. The salmon belly and sushi rolls? Fresh, delicious, and absolutely must‑order territory. Think of them as the reliable green flags of the menu. Prices are standard OC, not cheap, but not the kind of bill that makes you reconsider your life choices. Our server was sweet, attentive, and totally earned the 25% tip we left her. We skipped the wine, but apparently Coke Zero is the unofficial drink of Newport Beach, so I fit right in. Too bad they don't serve it. I wish they did. Parking is a breeze with a free public lot right out front, and there are plenty of places to stroll afterward if you need to walk off the sushi... or extend the date because it's going well. Been there, done that! Date‑worthy? Absolutely. Thumbs up from me, and I'll be back.

    Photos
    Sushi Roku - Front & center is our Seared Salmon with torgarashi crust, avocado, cilantro jalapeno salad

    Front & center is our Seared Salmon with torgarashi crust, avocado, cilantro jalapeno salad

    Sushi Roku - Skewers from the Robata Grill

    Skewers from the Robata Grill

    Sushi Roku - Churro Dessert with vanilla bean and dulce de leche ice cream topped with fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce

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    Churro Dessert with vanilla bean and dulce de leche ice cream topped with fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce

    Yuzu Japanese Sushi Bar

    Yuzu Japanese Sushi Bar

    4.5(766 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$
    Vegetarian friendly
    Gluten-free friendly

    I really enjoyed our date night at this sushi restaurant! Overall I felt like the sushi was…read morehigh-quality and had a lot of unique flavors that kept things fresh and exciting. You won't find your typical rainbow rolls at this restaurant (I do love a good rainbow roll though). The rolls we ordered were the Snowflake (which was flavored with yuzu), the Lobster roll (which was so much more than a typical baked lobster/langostino roll), and the Are You Kidding Me roll, which was big on truffle flavor and came topped with fried onions. I thoroughly enjoyed the Snowflake roll. It had multiple types of fish inside, and the yuzu flavor added the perfect fresh citrusy touch. It also came dotted with a tiny bit of sriracha (or some other spice) but it was just a hint and it's easy to wipe off if you don't want any spice. The Lobster roll was the star of the show. I give it a 10/10 for presentation, and it was also the best tasting one in my opinion. It was plated with a shelled lobster tail, which looks visually pleasing, but the most impressive part was right before serving, the waitress lit it on fire and handed it to us, as if it were flaming creme brulee or something. The flame actually wasn't on the roll itself, but was on what appeared to be a trail of salt (presumably soaked in some kind of alcohol to make it burn). It definitely was a cool effect and I've never seen anything like it in a sushi restaurant! Lastly, the Are You Kidding Me roll - this was my third favorite out of the three we ordered. It was pretty good but I think the truffle flavor was a bit strong. I'm also personally not a huge fan of fried onions on top of sushi since I think it clashes a bit with the freshness of the fish, and gives me too many bar food vibes. But it certainly was flavorful and my husband and I still finished it. We shared these three sushi rolls between the two of us and it was just the right amount of food to leave feeling full. Besides the food, the restaurant itself was nice although I'm not sure they really needed to have a live DJ there as opposed to having a Spotify Playlist. Didn't bother me but I don't think it really added much to the vibe. I would definitely eat here again!

    Celebrated our anniversary !…read more Service was good and friendly. The flavors were beautiful! We sat like in the center of the restaurant. It's one of my fear LOL. But the flavors of the dishes eased my fear. It was delicious. I love salmon and uni when it comes to sushi and I would recommend others to try this place! Several people already saw my instagram post and asked the name of the restaurant! I'm very happy that the food turned out phenomenal! Toyko nacho (recommend) : it was messy to eat and had a kick of spice. I didn't mind the mess though. Lots of different flavors. Uni hotate yuzu: scallops topped with uni. Eating it was like butter. Sour flavor profile from the yuzu. A bit overpowering. And the maldon sea salt was interesting. So you get the texture of buttery soft from the scallop and uni and a crunch factor from the salt. 5pc Salmon nigiri: so fatty and buttery! If you love salmon then definitely get this. The presentation was so cute. It lays on a bed of ice. And throughout the dinner the pieces of salmon were chilled. Monster nigiri (recommend) : I don't think anything about this when my honey suggested order this. But once it got to the table and we ate it. Wow! This dish flavors stood out to me. The crispy sweet onions and sauce perfected the meal. Dragon: It was pretty tasty and decent. I know my honey liked it a lot. He prefers not to eat raw fish, so this was to his liking (I recommend to those who don't eat raw fish). Truffle essence (recommend) : The taste of truffle is weirdly addicting. The presentation was eye catching because the candle is keeping the truffle butter warm. The concept of dipping or pouring the truffle butter onto the roll was a fun way of eating. Snowflake roll: A lot of reviews mentioned this was a popular dish. I can see why it was popular. It's literally a bunch of fish in a roll! Haha, fish lover this would be perfect to order. Crunchy roll: It was a decent roll, but a bit dryer than I expected. Orders and ratings: Tokyo nacho 9/10. Uni hotate yuzu 10/10. 5pc Salmon nigiri 10/10. Monster 11/10. Dragon 8/10. Truffle essence 9/10. Snowflake roll 10/10. Crunchy roll 6/10. Thank you!

    Photos
    Yuzu Japanese Sushi Bar
    Yuzu Japanese Sushi Bar
    Yuzu Japanese Sushi Bar

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    Chobop - Uni and Toro

    Chobop

    4.2(2.3k reviews)
    5.3 mi
    $$$

    WOW! I am a sushi snob and usually only frequent a couple of local sushi spots. A coworker told me…read moreabout this all you can eat sushi spot and I was VERY hesitant to try it. I don't usually go to all you can eat because I feel like the quality is not great. I don't know how Chobop does it but their all you can eat is one of the best I have ever had. The rice to fish ratio is perfect, the fish tastes fresh, the appetizers are delicious. Next time I will order less rolls because the nigiri was truly the star for me. Service was also incredible. Can't wait to come back!

    This place used to be called sushi Imari and the sushi was great. For some reason all the yelp…read morereviews from sushi Imari has been migrated to this new "all you can eat sushi" place and that is neither fair or accurate. Today we went there not knowing of the change. The food is now certainly "all you can eat" quality. We opted against the all you can eat limited menu, and ordered of the regular menu but the quality was terrible: 1. The toro nigri was chewy, very thinly cut, with a very small piece of rice. 2. We could not tell the difference between regular salmon and the salmon belly nigri they brought us. It looked and tasted exactly the same. Definitely not fatty salmon belly. 3. The yellow tail belly was chewy. 4. All the fish in their nigri sushi were thinly cut with very little rice. Definitely all you can eat amount of fish. 5. The rolls were small and for some reason all tasted the same with little flavor. If you like all you can eat sushi places which always offer low quality fish, you might like this place. We will miss sushi Imari and the great quality sushi they served.

    Photos
    Chobop - Waiting area

    Waiting area

    Chobop - Baked Mussels

    Baked Mussels

    Chobop - Green Tea Ice Cream

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    Green Tea Ice Cream

    Takumi Sushi

    Takumi Sushi

    4.6(574 reviews)
    6.4 mi
    $$

    Food was amazing, all you can eat menu is fantastic many options, waiters have amazing service and…read moretalk very well with customers.

    i came here on a sunday afternoon for a lunch date, and everything we had was super yummy and…read morefresh! there was about a 30 minute wait, which wasn't so bad for how crowded it seemed inside, and the service was super efficient and tentative. food: - eel, sweet shrimp, madai, & seared salmon nigiri: these were all really good, and you could taste the freshness in each slice of fish! i also appreciated how the rice ball was small hahaha. i was craving eel and really loved the eel they had, which was soft and had a savory and sweet sauce on top. - bluefin tuna & salmon sashimi: these carpaccio dishes were sooo yummy! the fish was soft, and the sauce that came with it had a nice tanginess that didn't overpower the fish. definitely my favorite bite of the meal! - spicy scallop hand roll: pretty standard handroll, and nothing special but still tasty! the scallop wasn't spicy but i never really expect sushi to really be spicy LOL - spicy tuna crispy rice: these were MASSIVE. we underestimated how much rice and tuna would come with each one, so we mistakenly ordered two orders (4 total) LOL ... good but can get heavy quickly. - baked salmon roll: pretty good, and the fish wasn't dry from being baked! this was a nice contrast from the raw fish that we ordered overall, i really liked takumi sushi! it's nice eating at a non-AYCE sushi place every now and then to taste the quality in each slice. it looks unassuming from the outside, but the inside is very cozy and great for a date spot!

    Photos
    Takumi Sushi
    Takumi Sushi
    Takumi Sushi

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    Bear Flag Fish - Ocean to table seafood in Lido Marina Village featuring freshly caught fish and bold coastal flavors at Bear Flag Fish Company in Newport Be

    Bear Flag Fish

    3.9(2k reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$

    Bummer they were closed today was hoping to pop in for our last day in California Our family was…read morehere for the week and the kids loved it we came in multiple times the young blonde girl at the register was sweet and helpful and young man next to her was helpful too and she showed us our new favorite snapper fish and we loved the poke the guys at the sushi bar were also very nice and helpful Wish we had this place back home

    Located in the beautiful Lido Marina Village in Newport Beach, this spot is perfect if you're…read morecraving fresh seafood or sushi after a beach day. They also have a great variety of drinks including Arizona teas, Gatorade, beer, and wine. I stopped by on a Saturday evening after spending time at the nearby beach, and luckily it wasn't too crowded. Ordering was quick and easy, and there was plenty of seating available both inside and outside. The outdoor patio was especially nice for enjoying the cool Newport Beach evening weather. I ordered the specialty burrito with ahi poke, and it came out in less than 10 minutes. The burrito was huge, fresh, flavorful, and packed with quality ingredients. Definitely one of the most refreshing meals I've had recently. Great food, fast service, relaxed atmosphere, and no complaints at all -- definitely a 5-star experience for me!

    Photos
    Bear Flag Fish - Ocean to table seafood in Lido Marina Village featuring freshly caught fish and bold coastal flavors at Bear Flag Fish Company in Newport Be

    Ocean to table seafood in Lido Marina Village featuring freshly caught fish and bold coastal flavors at Bear Flag Fish Company in Newport Be

    Bear Flag Fish - Ocean to table seafood in Lido Marina Village featuring freshly caught fish and bold coastal flavors at Bear Flag Fish Company in Newport Be

    Ocean to table seafood in Lido Marina Village featuring freshly caught fish and bold coastal flavors at Bear Flag Fish Company in Newport Be

    Bear Flag Fish - Outside seating available

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    Outside seating available

    Yuzu Laguna Beach

    Yuzu Laguna Beach

    4.7(173 reviews)
    6.2 mi
    Outdoor seating
    Vegetarian friendly

    I love going to Yuzu Sushi. It has become our go to spot for special occasions. The quality of the…read morefish is always amazing and everything tastes so fresh. You can really tell there is a lot of attention to detail in both the flavor and presentation, which makes the whole experience feel a little more elevated. It is definitely on the more expensive side, but it feels worth it for those moments when you want something a little nicer. Everything we have tried has been consistently good, and it is one of those places that feels reliable when you want a great meal. Overall it is one of our favorite spots for celebrations or date nights. Always a treat and something we look forward to.

    I am so picky about sushi, but this place hits all the marks…read more The sushi rice is the perfect temperature. The seaweed on the hand roll is light and crispy. We sat at the bar. The server was really attentive and thorough. We got some mixed nigiri, and it was fabulous. Great cuts. Great flavor. I also got a California hand-roll, which I always get at least one hand-roll when I go out. I find it always tells you the quality of the place. We also got the miso black cod, and it was everything you could ever want. Buttery, flaky and a tiny bit sweet. The inside is beautiful. Great for a date night. The lighting and color is really nice. They have nice heated patio seating. I suggest making a reservation. It can get busy. Parking is all city lot is metered parking. I will definitely be back! This is a gem.

    Photos
    Yuzu Laguna Beach
    Yuzu Laguna Beach
    Yuzu Laguna Beach

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    SOTA - japanese - Updated May 2026

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