I was in the area for an event and so was a friend. She suggested I meet her at Sapporo. It was…read moreconveniently located across the street. When I came in, there were no other tables except for my friend but I was greeted warmly upon arrival. I found my friend and joined her. She had ordered a plate full of sashimi. I was craving Hamachi so I just ordered a hand roll. It was flavorful and the fish tasted fresh. My friend enjoyed her sushi as well. Our waters were kept filled, and our server was very attentive. We were just a little bit too early for happy hour, but it looks like they have some good deals and I would definitely come back and try other things.

Although I still haven't eaten here inside, I've continued to order several times per month…read more Typically I forget to take photos of the perfectly prepared and packed food because of how much we love the food. On my last order... Chicken Bowl-fresh vegetables and teriyaki chicken over round rice. Sunomono (cucumber) salad was delicious and refreshing. Spicy tuna roll and tiger roll were incredible as always. I'm so glad that this restaurant opened few years ago. We've pretty much had everything on the menu and never been disappointed.

If I could give 10 stars, I would!!!…read more Blue Ocean is easily our favorite restaurant, and my boyfriend and I make the drive to Carlsbad every single month just to eat here. It's become our favorite date night spot, and after all this time, we've never had a bad experience. Our absolute favorite appetizer is the pork belly skewers. They are seriously unreal--they legit melt in your mouth and are packed with so much flavor. We also love the pork belly bao buns, which are just as delicious. The Brussels sprouts are another must-order. They're hands down the best Brussels sprouts we've ever had, and we can't come here without getting them. We also always order the spicy garlic edamame. The sauce is so good that we actually dip our sushi rolls in the leftover edamame sauce, and it's honestly a game changer. (The pricing is also unbeatable for how good the food is). Every sushi roll we've tried has been incredibly fresh and beautifully made. We always end up ordering way more food than we planned because everything is just that good. For drinks, the Cracked Summer is our go-to cocktail every single visit. It's refreshing, delicious, and pairs perfectly with the food. The atmosphere is perfect for a date night, the staff is always friendly and welcoming, and the quality is consistently amazing every time we visit. Blue Ocean has become more than just a restaurant to us--it's one of our favorite monthly traditions. If you're anywhere near Carlsbad, do yourself a favor and eat here. We recommend it to everyone, and we'll definitely be back next month for another amazing meal.

Came on a Thursday lunch and there's plenty of seating yet somewhat busy. Nice ambiance even had…read moretheir own parking lot They have a pretty extensive menu and I appreciate the lunch special items I was looking forward to a fresh poke salad but this was a big miss, mostly just cilantro and onion with little bits of albacore that didn't taste fresh So we ended up getting some cooked items such as padres roll which was baked and friend and their hot stone beef Perhaps location and ambiance is what u go for but def not for a true Japanese restaurant

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! The food. The ambiance. The owner. The staff…read more We hadn't been to sushi in about three years because there just wasn't any place decent to eat it. NOW there is! And we go there a couple of times a month. I think you'd call us a 'regular!' And it's an honor. THANK YOU! Debby and Myles

Not worth the hype at all. Even with an advance reservation, we were stuck on a long waitlist. When…read morewe were finally led to the bar, our seats were covered in bakery crumbs. Staff didn't bother cleaning them or welcoming us--my husband had to clean the area and rearrange the chairs himself. The overall service and management were extremely poor. Two of the staff members seemed completely exhausted and were outright unfriendly. When we ordered drinks, they told us they had no cup holders available. Worse, when I pointed out a fly at our table, the employee just nonchalantly suggested we move to a table near the restroom hallway or outside--ruining our special celebration after we specifically reserved bar seating. We didn't even stay for the food. As locals, we definitely won't be back.

The food was so delicious. I fell in love with the food. The service was amazing, the waitress kept…read morechecking in with us and made sure everything was good. The ambiance was so chill and friendly, the only problem was one bathroom which I understand you can't change it.

We came in for a late dinner while in the area. I've had it bookmarked for a while so it was…read moreserendipitous that we happened to be in Vista for a birthday party just around the corner. The restaurant is small, cozy, welcoming and aesthetically pleasing. It isn't well suited for larger parties as most tables are tables for 2 unless tables are pushed together. They do have patio seating and heaters outside, but it didn't appeal to me being so close to the street/loud traffic. Gabriel checked us in, seated us, took our order, served our food and waited on us for majority of our visit, I would give him 10 stars just on his impeccable service. The food though? The food was AMAZING!! Everything we ordered was the best we have ever had anywhere. The buns were very kawaii (and we ordered ever single one to try). The fillings were savory, but we also loved their seasonal panda bun with ube filling while the kids preferred the nutella bunny. Best chicken karaage we've had by far, the coating almost tasted like it was rolled in kinako powder. The ramen broth was "chef's kiss" with so much flavors, the crab rangoon were jumbo and the filling was delicious, but the chicken katsu was also the best we have had anywhere (including Hawaii). The breading was just top tier crunchy while the chicken was thick and juicy. There isn't one bad thing I could say about this place, from the service to the food, I would make the drive out here again. Super duper, highly recommend, don't sleep on this little place, you'll regret it!

I wholeheartedly agree with a lot of the yelpers on here. I got to take the team out for a great…read morelunch here today. It was absolutely amazing. For $25 you get a starter (think edamame, marinated cucumbers, dumplings, etc.), a choice of Chicken, Pork or Beef, and a soft drink. It also includes all the dipping sauces, broth, rice and vegetables. Everyone loved that you could customize it to their own liking and it was just a fun experience cooking together with everyone. Definitely will come back and it was an awesome value at only $25 a person.

I want to start by saying that I very much enjoyed eating at Tabu Shabu. It's very fair to state…read morethat my three star experience is mostly my own doing more so than the restaurant itself. Our server was fantastic, the setup clean, and the menu was fairly easy to navigate. Where it fell apart for me all came after that. This is not my style of cooking. So many places I've been to, where you cook your own food on a grill or hot plate at your table, you're mainly dealing with thin cuts of meat, salt and pepper, and possibly a dipping sauce. This makes the cooking simple, a quick sear, a light crust on the beef or pork, and the finished product is basic and delicious. Shabu, though ... it's boiled meat. That's not to say that Tabu Shabu isn't good, but unless you're really adept at making soups, it's easy to be completely out of your element. And I can safely say I was a bit over my head at this restaurant. You start with your broth, where I am ashamed to admit that instead of opting for the Tonkostu with its deep and rich fatty flavor, I chose the basic umami of the White Miso. Because of that, I spent most of my meal mistakenly chasing flavors I would normally find in a Ramen Shop. They give you a plate of chopped herbs to add and some basic instructions ... I like garlic, so I added the whole thing, radish sound alright, so add in the whole ball, what was the last thing I put in? They give you a few squeeze bottles of oils with paper labels ... this one makes it more sour, this one makes it more spicy, this one has sesame, and I'm too timid to add enough of any to truly add to the flavor of the broth, so it just keeps that basic umami flavor without being as salty as it should be. Then you have a plate of vegetables to steep in your creation. Cabbage, broccoli, spinach, bok choy, tofu ... all of it serves as a way of soaking up that broth you've made. Other options, like the carrots, mushrooms, and squash, become sweet and tender after taking their turns in the pot. And they're nice as they offer a different flavor other than that umami. And then there's the meat. A wide variety of options ranging from salmon, to chicken, to pork, all the way down to multiple versions of beef. But, all of the meats we ordered seem to differ only in texture after spending some time in that broth. Some fell apart on the tongue, some still had a nice chew, but all shared that umami from the pot, with an aftertaste of beefy flavor before swallowing. After a few initial pieces, I found myself thankful for the dipping sauces to distract me from how boring I had made my broth to be. You also get a choice of rice, which I don't think you really need. You get a choice of noodles, which they give you a good amount where it doesn't fill you up with carbs. And anything left over is readily bagged up to eat at home after the flavors mix together and mature. In the end, it's a very filling and fairly healthy meal. I think it's difficult to not compare this to eating a bowl of Pho or Ramen. All the ingredients are there, just instead of eating it with a spoon, you pull out the individual bits with some chop sticks and pretend you're not eating boiled beef and spinach. If I were a better cook, or had another ten visits worth of practice, Tabu Shabu could easily be 4-5 stars. As it is, though, I think I would rather just go to GONZO and get another chef's creation to be sure of the flavors I want. Regardless, I want to come back here and try again one day. The variety of options and the wait staff alone are enough for me to learn more and expand my Shabu options, as well as recommend this place to others.

Sushi Kuchi continues to be one of my favorite places for a quick and satisfying sushi meal. The…read morerestaurant was clean, the service was fast, and the staff was attentive, polite, and helpful throughout our visit. Every roll we ordered was excellent and had its own distinct combination of flavors. The Salmon Skin Roll had a great savory crunch from the salmon skin, gobo, cucumber, eel sauce, and crispy topping. The Vegas Roll was rich and satisfying, combining salmon, imitation crab, avocado, and cream cheese before being deep-fried and finished with spicy mayo and eel sauce. The Stuffed Jalapeño Roll was easily one of the most flavorful choices with spicy tuna, imitation crab, cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, and jalapeño worked perfectly together, while the spicy mayo, eel sauce, and hot sauce gave it just the right amount of heat. Everything tasted fresh, balanced, and delicious. Quick service, great staff, and amazing sushi make Sushi Kuchi an easy five-star recommendation.

Never received my order for 46.00. Kuchi did not accept responsibility and would not send a new…read moreorder. Door dash would not refund my money. Never use DoorDash again or order from Sushi Kuchi. Some sort of scam going on here.

Came here on a Sunday evening in a group of 3. The restaurant is in a plaza so there is plenty of…read moreparking. When we got inside, we were able to pick our seats. The restaurant has bar seating, where you can see the chefs prepare the sushi rolls in front of you, or regular table seating. It's spacious and clean, and they have some TVs on the wall where they were playing golf and soccer games. They offer traditional sushi offerings, such as nigiri and sashimi, and rolls, but also have hot appetizers, ramen and rice dishes. We opted to get sushi rolls this time. We ordered the spicy salmon roll, the rainbow roll, dragon roll, limitless roll, truffle shuffle roll, karaage and the 3x3 sashimi combo roll. The rolls didn't have too much rice on it and had a lot of the ingredients inside. There were about 8 pieces per roll. Our favorite ended up being the truffle shuffle roll. The fish was fresh. The karaage was lighter than I'm used to, I believe they used white meat instead of dark meat and it wasn't as oily. The staff are very friendly and attentive. They came by to ask us how we liked our food and brought us water refills. Would come here again to try the other rolls!

Junmai is located in a little shopping center off Melrose…read more Parking is spotty, overcrowded, depending on the day and time. The menu has plenty of items to choose from, several different sushi rolls, but other options as well. The interior is nice, welcoming, clean. They have plenty of tables and the bar. I tried 3 rolls. The Philadelphia roll, pretty good. Northing fancy, same ingredients as other restaurants that make the roll. $12 price was reasonable. The Rainbow roll, also pretty good. Same ingredients as other restaurants that make the roll. $18 price was reasonable. Taste was good. Price was reasonable. The Crispy Albacore roll. I asked if they could remove the spicy tuna and siracha. They said yes, for an extra $3 upcharge. The roll went from $20 to 23. It was good, I like seared albacore, but not worth $23. I would eat here again sometime. Try some of the other rolls and options.

The food was really incredible and our server Fatima was amazing. We ordered a lot of sushi and the…read morechicken teriyaki and everything was amazing. I would go back again in and instant.

Visiting from out of town, and we enjoyed this place a year ago so we came back again. We came…read morehere for an early dinner on a Monday and it wasn't crowded. The outside patio was nice. It wasn't too sunny and had a breeze. I don't know if it is everyday, but the bar downstairs had karaoke. The food was delicious and portions were big. The Beach Bum is their version of a spicy tuna on crispy rice. Each bite was a mouthful and it was delicious. I ordered their salmon skin roll, thinking it would be a small roll since I wasn't that hungry. Well, I struggle to finish it all. It was just too much for me. My daughter order the Tasha Combo 1. It says substitution, but my daughter is allergic to shrimp. They were able to swap it out with another salmon for an up charge. She enjoyed it a lot. We also got two Udon soups, which my wife and son liked a lot. My other daughter got the Salmon Teriyaki, which she loved. For the vegetarian, there is a good variety. The udon soup is vegetarian and we just got one without the fish cakes. We also got the fried tofu without the bonito flakes (which is fish). Overall, a very nice place for Japanese food. We definitely will come again.