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Haiku
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
1520 Garnet Ave(between Haines St & Ingraham St)
San Diego, CA 92109
Neighbourhood: Pacific Beach
(858) 270-2589
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Thu 12 pm - 10:30 pm
Tue 5 pm - 10:30 pm
Fri-Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
Sun 2 pm - 10:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
35 reviews for Haiku
Review Highlights
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"SD's best kept sushi secret, perhaps." In 25 reviews -
"...bar and the sushi chef was very funny and entertaining." In 4 reviews -
"i loved it and i usually skip out on the fried rice." In 4 reviews
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35 reviews in English
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Review from alison b.
San Diego, CA
5/1/2012 1 photo
This place was delish! I uploaded a picture of the stuff we ordered, which was a lot of yellow tail. Love that fish! :) Also some salmon and tuna. It was kind of sad... it was totally empty and we were there from about 6:15 -7:15 PM, so prime dinner time.
I would definitely recommend this place. The service was super nice and attentive. The only thing is...it wasn't really cheap. Even with the 20% off happy hour. Oh well, it was worth it. -
Review from Mark G.
Huntington Beach, CA
4/25/2012
So I'm in San Diego for a few weeks on business and stumbled on Haiku. I'm sad to say that I'm very sorry to have gone there and in retrospect would have preferred Denny's.
The good:
The sushi chef was nice, very personable, and prompt. He even offered me some advice on good sushi places to try and apologized for the lack of selection.
The Bad:
Everything else! The quality of the sushi (with the exception of the Uni) was only "OK" at best, often times it was bland and dry. There was no real selection to choose from outside the very basics, and I had to use lots of Wahhabi and ginger to cover up the taste and I had a lot of tea. Finally the price was in my mind appalling after the experience I had, nearly $85 (no alcohol at all). I don't mind spending over $100 for a good experience, some of the more exotic fish, etc, but this was pathetic.
My recommendation is to avoid this place at all costs. -
Review from Sally M.
12/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love that Haiku offers their happy hour menu to go. And the happy hour is more like a happy day: 12PM - 7PM. They have select items offered at 20% off, beer/sake specials on certain nights, and rice bowl specials. The sushi here is pretty good. The salmon can be phenomenal if you're there on the right night. I've also eaten on the Teppan yaki side of the restaurant and haven't had any complaints. It's always fun to watch the chef make your food and perform some fancy tricks.
The staff here is always friendly, gracious, and accommodating. I've never had problems with getting a table here (it's never that crowded). Parking can be difficult (it is PB), but they do have a small lot behind the restaurant (a few parking spaces) where you just enter in the back of the restaurant to get in. -
Review from Mimi J.
Point Loma, CA
4/10/2012
Ok so the sashimi was really good what was really bad was the price and service. I came here with a friend and let me tell you that 4 pieces of sashimi and one cup of miso soup is not worth $20. Next time Ill just drive to Genkai in Dana Point(OC) and pay $10 for sushi and sashimi.
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Review from Brooke S.
San Diego, CA
2/29/2012
I Love the sushi here! the fish is so fresh! you don't even need soy sauce! why this place is one of the best sushi restaurants in san diego....There menu is priced well too! my only complaint is once I placed a pick up order and when i asked for some extra sauces , the woman told me she was too busy to get it for me...i was very upset, especially since i asked for the side sauces when i had spoke to the woman on the phone...I work in the service industry and you "NEVER" say no to a customer...other than that one time...Everything has been amazing! i suggest everyone try this restaurant
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Review from LILY W.
Chula Vista, CA
6/6/2011
We came here on a Thursday night and the place was pretty empty, but it was early, around 5:30pm so I wasn't really surprised. Also, the Miami-Dallas game was on so I'm sure a bar would be where the people are lol!
We came here to celebrate my daughter's 6th grade promotion...I know a celebration for 6th grade promotion, really? Well I guess these days we have to find any and all things to celebrate right? So hell, why not. Gives the husband and I an excuse to skip cooking for a night so that's a plus :)
We were seated immediately, they took our orders quick, and very shortly after our chef came out and greeted us. The chef was very entertaining, skillful, and the kids were amazed so that's all that really mattered. The price wasn't too bad for a teppanyaki place cause I know it can run a lot higher since you're getting a show with dinner.
Now the food, my husband and I shared the love dinner which included steak, shrimp, and chicken. We also opted for the friend rice. I have to say everything was surprisingly tasty and if you like sauce, the two dipping sauces they include were also very tasty.
If you want a show along with your dinner, this isn't a bad place to go and I'm sure it's at least somewhat cheaper than Benihana ;)
Next time I think I'll have to go back and try the sushi since it seems most people yelped that they were yummy. -
Review from Lauren F.
San Diego, CA
7/29/2011
Best Sushi in Pacific Beach and probably San Diego, so delicious, so fresh and they are always coming up with new rolls and that never let us down. Love the men making the rolls and the gals serving you, all so friendly and nice, a really family-run feeling. Everytime (which isnt often) we eat sushi anywhere else, we think, "why didn't we just go to Haiku?"
Its a little more pricey than Zen 5 but well worth the price when you compare value, you can just taste the freshness. -
Review from Monique H.
El Cajon, CA
9/11/2010 5 photos
Every time this year, the posse gets together and goes to Haiku for our boys bday dinner, its been the same place the last 3 years in a row., So they know we have a large party with over 25 people who love to drink some sake and eat some foods, get loud and have fun in the Teppan Room. This year was the exact same .. with the exception that this year I actually went outta the box and got something new to eat.
They got a Sake Bomb Special right now, its pretty cool- A large(21oz) Asian beer of your choice and a Large bottle of Hot sake (aka rubbing alcohol). So Sake Bombs galore and I think we ordered at least 20+ of those specials in our group! Kirin Light was crisp and wonderful the hot sake I'm not a huge fan of, but drank down the shots that were poured for me. Oh yeah its only $9.95 for the beer and sake, which is pretty reasonable.
I kept saying this is a lower class of a Beni Hana's and boy was I right! I think our chef wasn't having a good night. No Onion Volcano was made for us, no really good jokes told, he barely spoke English, but understood me talkin shit in Spanish, not that a Mexican cant be a Teppan chef or whatever, but, Yo at least have a personality!! Isn't that part of the whole experience. I mean shit, for as much as I'm paying for a fried piece of NY steak, say something funny. I was already saddened that I didn't have a fat Buddha or ceramic geisha to drink out of .
The chicken fried rice that you pay an extra $2.50 for is - ho hum -OK .. he used not enough garlic and waay to much soy sauce. I didn't order any Sushi, but alot of the posse for their Sushi on, It was well presented ,looked creepy or really pretty. Since we took up 2 grills , the other chef was way entertaining, so I went over there to watch his song an dance of a show, we pretty much gave our chef the boot and told him he got served by the other chef. Leave it to my mouth to piss off a chef, thank you Sake Bombs for that!
When you have a Sushi Chef as a friend and at your table all you are gonna hear about is fancy fish this and fresh oyster that, I told him his Oysters looked gross, he said they weren't fresh and not well prepared. So I took his word for that and let him mack those down. Others said their Sushi was pretty good. I really liked the grilled veggies best. But how do you mess up grilled fried veggies??
Bottom line is I only go here 1x a year and its all for Paco's Bday! If it wasn't for the Sake flowin and my kick ass posse of friends Id never roll into this joint ever again! And I'm stoked I didn't have to figure out the bill for all those drunken boys, I got this year off!! So yey to that ! But when I got home , I got uber sick, and yakking up Steak isn't fun, so thanks Haiku for a horrible ending to a great fun night! -
Review from An P.
San Diego, CA
Went here for lunch after a day at the beach and it was the perfect thing to have for lunch.
Went with a friend, and we were the only one there since we went at an off peak time. We sat at the sushi bar and the sushi chef was very funny and entertaining.
I had the TYS (tuna, yellowtail, salmon) and the sashimi was very good. There wasn't a fishy taste to it that you sometimes get if the restaurant uses lower quality fish (gross!)
I also had a roll but I forgot the name, Baja something roll. It was a huge roll with a kick to it. Very spicy. I liked that they didn't have to cover up their fish with a ton of sauce or other things like other places tend to do. I could actually taste the fish in my roll and it was delicious.
I will definitely be coming back with more friends, and hopefilly get to try out the grill side -
Review from Meg M.
Los Angeles, CA
10/22/2007
Okay - if you had read my review of Haiku Japanese Restaurant before today, you would know that I am a frequent customer and that I thought that it was worth 5 stars, and that the sushi was incredible...it truly was one of my favorite sushi places and was included my "Top Nosh in San Diego" list....Looks like they might have changed their name... so just in case....
Unfortunately, I ate there last night and I really doubt I will ever go back to Haiku again.
Last night was a NIGHTMARE!
6 of us headed out for a 5 pm reservation at the Teppan grill side of Haiku. By 6pm, we had barely been served our edamame but we were all having a great time, so it wasn't really noticed...
The BIG issue of the night was this:
One of the people at our table, has a very serious allergy to shellfish - and had asked everyone, if the chef could cook all of the shrimp separately and last. Everyone agreed so we asked the server to make sure everything was prepared and cooked separately, explaining a trip to the hospital would be necessary if precautions weren't taken. He responded with "you need to mention it to the chef".... okay, fine, not a unreasonable request. But when the chef finally appeared, he brought everything out with him and the shrimp was touching the steak my friend had ordered! We told him how serious it was - and he blamed the server!
With an attitude, he went back in the the kitchen to get another steak for her...and we all assumed, he'd cook hers first. Great, right? Well it would have been! Instead, he cooked all of the shrimp on the grill beforehand - barely wiped the grill down and then proceeded to cook her meal - AFTER everyone else's.
By the time she got her food on her plate... the rest of us were done. Tentatively, she had a few bites of her food, hoping that the heat from the grill, would have killed off any leftover shrimp juice... but she started to have a reaction from the few bites so she quit eating. A pricey dinner to not get to eat! Granted it wasn't a full blown attack - but it was enough for her to know that it could get really bad, really quick.
To top the whole evening off...
When our group expressed our concerns to the owner... as frequent customers, and with complete respect - the owner smacked my friends hand, and laughed at us.
WTF Seriously???Listed in: STAY AWAY!!!
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Review from Roger M.
San Diego, CA
9/2/2008
I came here about twice in the last few months.
They are located away from the main bars on Garnet so parking is a bit easier to find for this place, but nevertheless its still PB, haha.
Service here isn't the best as they aren't too attentive, and we waited at least 5 mins or so each time we were here for the server to bring out our menu checklist thing to mark what we wanted.
I have not seen this place crowded yet, with only a few small groups of people chillin' out eating, so thats minus one star based on service.
They have a good selection of sushi and sashimi, more than others in the area. The fish quality here was also very good from my last two experiences. The fish is firm and has a nice color to it and doesn't smell or taste like its been sitting around for too long, so thats a plus.
Rolls are made nice and firm so it won't break apart easily for you chopstick noobs :P
Pricing here is about average with other places but you get way better quality stuff here.
The drinks here are quite ok, sake is about 5 or 6 bucks, you can get house sake for two people.
Overall, I give this place a 3 star, for their decent quality sushi and rolls but minus one for their below average service.Listed in: SD's Sushi/Sashimi Spots!
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Review from Devon C.
5/14/2010
I've lived in PB for about 3 years now and after having driven by here hundreds of times finally made my way in.
This place is easily comparable to Benihana but you don't have the overcrowdedness, the long wait time or the loud and boisterous diners...and did I mention that the prices are a lot cheaper than Benihana?
The food was delicious, plentiful, decently priced and the "show," although rather similar to that of Benihana, decent. This is a good place to go when you want Benihana food but don't want to pay the huge price and wait...
This place is like Benihana "light," except that the food is about the same quality, the prices are lower and everything else is on a lower level. -
Review from Mike M.
Carlsbad, CA
7/20/2011
Probably top 5 Sushi in PB, obviously not number 1; but when you can't get a reservation or you don't want to break the bank, this is a great option. Had the standard fare, nothing super exciting as the toro was running at $36 that day haha. Everything was tasty and fresh, just what we needed on a hot day in Southern California.
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Review from Seth M.
San Diego, CA
2/13/2011
SD's best kept sushi secret, perhaps? Everything was absolutely perfect - every bite was meticulously constructed, incredibly delicious, and a feast for the eyes. And FRESH! I feel that the worst thing about most sushi joints is that the fish isn't exactly right off the boat, but at Haiku it was perfect.
They also have a generous 20%-off Happy Hour that runs until 7pm most nights - if you can't find enough incredible items on that menu, you have no business eating in a sushi bar.
And if you go, definitely sit at the bar (in the sushi half of the restaurant), as Jonathan is the nicest, most genial sushi chef out there. -
Review from Melissa L.
San Diego, CA
10/3/2010
My bf and I went here to celebrate his birthday. Having recently moved to PB, we stumbled across this on yelp and were excited to find a Japanese Steakhouse just minutes from our place.
We went on a Wed night and it was pretty empty. The chef was very pleasant and seemed happy to be demonstrating his sizzling skills. We both got the filet (not sure why anyone would ever order anything else when filet is an option, but whatev). The steak was melt in my mouth delish and the veggies/salad/etc was all very good. It was a bit less expensive than benihana but in our opinion just as good without the hoards of annoying people!
shall return soon. very soon. -
Review from Jeff W.
San Diego, CA
7/13/2011
I have been here twice, once on the sushi side and once on the teppan side. I don't really like sushi but the yellowtail cheek was phenomenal. Last night I was on the other side. It is much like Benihana's except it was pretty empty (duh taco tuesday) so it felt a bit more like a private experience. Had the steak/shrimp with fried rice and was impressed, it was enough for myself and another to split and the meat was cooked to perfection.
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Review from Janet J.
Los Angeles, CA
10/13/2010
So me, my hubby, my sister, and her hubby took a weekend getaway to San Diego to catch the Miramar Air Show about a week and a half ago. We ventured off on Friday and that evening for dinner, I wanted to take my sister and her hubby to Sushi Teppan.
My hubby and I had already been there the year before on a sunny weekend trip to SD in April. We found this awesome place on a Saturday night, and I absolutely loved their food! Thus the reason why I decided we should take them there.
We arrived at the restaurant Friday evening, and it wasn't too packed. The side of the restaurant with the sushi bar and regular dinner tables was amply filled, but the teppanyaki side was not too crowded. So that was good. We were seated pretty quickly, and about 10 minutes later, placed our orders with the nice waitress who seated us. We all ordered from the hibachi section of the menu. I ordered the same thing from the last time me and my hubby were there, which was the hibachi shrimp.
Our chef for the evening was a really upbeat, cool, and funny guy. I could tell he genuinely enjoyed what he was doing, and that he had been a teppan chef for many years with his skills and artistry. This place is very similar to Benihana's, which we've been to many times on special occasions. But I liked Sushi Teppan because it wasn't as crowded, the prices are a bit lower, and it isn't as loud and noisy as Benihana's. But don't get me wrong, I still love Benihana's of course.
Everything we had that night was simply delicious. My sister and her hubby thoroughly enjoyed their filet mignon, grilled vegetables, shrimp, fried rice, salad with tantalizing ginger dressing, and piping hot tea. They totally loved the food. My husband enjoyed everything on his plate, which included his calamari. As for me, I totally emptied my plate of shrimp and grilled veggies. I always love their salad with the ginger dressing. It's the best! I chose steamed rice instead of fried rice to go with my dinner. I'm not really a big fan of fried rice. And the tea that they serve you is always piping hot! I love my tea that way. Most places serve lukewarm tea, and that is something I don't care for.
We all had a really terrific dinner at Sushi Teppan. We left with satisfied tummies, and a truly wonderful evening. You gotta try this place if you're ever down by Pacific Beach on Garnet Ave. I love this restaurant and will be coming back if we're ever down in SD! -
Review from JoAnna G.
San Diego, CA
3/22/2009
This is the first review I have ever written...and this establishment was the inspiration to do so.
Sushi=blah
Ambience=lacking
Service=HORRIBLE!!!(as in, fairly slow, my water glass was never refilled and had to ask 3 times for chop sticks)
The bill=incorrect
Value=totally overpriced
I was there with a small party and I almost asked them to take the gratuity off the bill. I would never go again-any other sushi place in PB is better. -
Review from Bill B.
1/25/2010
Decent. I'd give it a 3.5, but we don't have that option.
Went here around 7 on Saturday and sat in the steakhouse part (versus the other room devoted to sushi and other meals).
Presentation was good, servers were attentive, no complaints. Of course, we're in PB, so I had to constantly hear an overweight kid in a track suit do Jersey Shote impressions and yell "Natalie!!!!!' at the table behind us (which they graciously reciprocated, vs. telling him he was a PB DB.).
Honestly, it's a cool place for PB and kind of hidden (right next to Chiptole). it seems fairly free of the typical PBDB's.... which is a great thing. Honestly though, it's just ok, so I'd give it a 3.5 if I could, but I can't ;-)
About $45 a person for food + two beers. -
Review from Wilmer G.
San Diego, CA
6/16/2010
I've only eaten in the sushi half of the restaurant, and I was very impressed. The sushi was mid-range in terms of price ($5-6 for nigiri, about $10 average for a specialty roll), but the amount of food and freshness of the fish was excellent. The slices of fish on the nigiri was generous and the rolls were huge. I was able to eat my fill of high-quality sushi for less than $40.
Sushi Teppan is a little out of the way, close to Ingraham next to the Chipotle. This is probably why the place wasn't so crowded on a weekend afternoon. Regardless, it was a great meal at a reasonable price with excellent service. I would definitely return. -
Review from Trevor W.
San Diego, CA
5/29/2011
I give it 3 and 1/2 stars. ..Good Sushi....My wife and I had a few of the more common hand rolls, and we had a good time. Not the highest quality of fish, but definitely good enough, it reflects the price. Service was awesome and very attentive. We would go here again, but kind of want to try other sushi joints in the PB area first.
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Review from Amy C.
San Diego, CA
5/15/2009 1 photo
When I first moved to Pacific Beach, this was the first sushi place I tried, and it's remained the best. My GF and I are even recognized by the staff because we eat here so often!
They have a lot of variety for their rolls, and they all taste different.. and delicious! They also don't fill them up with cream cheese like other sushi places.
Service for us has always been great, except for one time. We tipped appropriately that time, and service has never been bad again since.
The only downside is trying to find parking on weekends, but that's true of any place in PB. -
Review from Jackie O.
Summerville, SC
2/9/2009
I love going to this place, mainly because I'm kinda obsessed with Japanese steakhouse. Mmmmm.... Although I love Benihana's, this place is just as good, and a lot cheaper. Plus, you don't have to make a reservation and then wait 45 minutes after your reservation time to get seated like you do at Benihana's. In fact, I don't think we've ever had to wait for a table and we've never made a reservation here. The chef's are pretty good too, they make sure your food is the way you want it. I'd recommend it, and their sushi is pretty good too.
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Review from Craig C.
Manhattan, NY
2/17/2008
This place has really good food, great selection of sushi rolls and reasonable prices. The teppan is really good too!
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Review from Tania N.
San Diego, CA
9/15/2008
Came here for the first time with a few regulars and i wasn't disappointed. i thought we'd have horrible service as we scampered in about an hour before closing, but they were nice and didn't hurry us out the door. the food was good - lobster and shrimp. the seasoning they used was yummy. the filet was also like butter. but the fried rice? oh man oh man. i loved it and i usually skip out on the fried rice. the spicy tuna rolls with cream cheese - killer. they were wonderfully spicy. i have absolutely no complaints - LOVED it!
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Review from Megan D.
San Marcos, CA
1/30/2011
Spicy crunchy shrimp roll was delish for a late night between bars bite to eat!
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Review from Charlie C.
San Diego, CA
2/22/2009
I love sushi. I scour the earth, or at least San Diego for the best sushi, and I think this is it. The prices are reasonable, it's in PB and the food is tasty! The service, when it is not crazy busy is good and the chefs, although quiet are generous! I recommend this joint to strangers on the street. It's that good.
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Review from Andrea Y.
San Diego, CA
6/24/2008
I love this place! I'm a regular here and I've always had an awesome experience. The restaurant is split into two sides - one in is the Teppan side, and one is the sushi side (oh really? go figure!). I had my birthday party of about 20 people here last year, they took good care of us. The teppanyaki chef put on a very entertaining show, much like the one I got at Benihanas. As for the sushi, well... I think it is delicious, but don't just take my word for it. My friend who is a sushi chef as well as connoisseur tells me that this place has the freshest sushi in San Diego! I believe it. The owner is a sweet little Japanese lady who is very attentive, tries to make sure you have everything you need. This place is one of my two favorite sushi spots in Diego. You really would be missing out if you didn't try this place!
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Review from Brent M.
Scotts Valley, CA
10/21/2009
I had a blast here! Sushi chef was funny as hell, and we ate like kings! Sit at the bar, way more fun, and will have great service!
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Review from Phil L.
Santa Clara, CA
6/4/2010
Gosh I freakin' LOVE this place!! I've actually never tried the side where they grill it for you live, but I go to the regular sit-down side alll the time and it is de-lish!
First order of business, the Price: Everybody thinks this place is really pricey compared to cheap-o sushi places, but if you look at how much stuff they put in each roll, it is really equivalent to the other sushi restaurants that have really cheap (but super thin) rolls. And plus, if I'm going to place that serves RAW FISH, I don't mind spending a little extra money to ensure that its fresh. Is anybody else with me on this?
Now for the food: This place has the best sushi in SD hands down. I have tried 5+ sushi places in SD, and this is the freshest and tastiest that come. I always order 1-2 rolls + a fried chicken dish. This always fills me up realllyy well.
Service: Awesome. It is a small, family owned restaurant that loves interacting with their customers. My friends and I instantly became regulars at this place after our first time, and they have always treated us with great hospitality ever since.
In conclusion: Definitely a must if you are in PB! -
Review from Darlene G.
San Diego, CA
5/8/2010
I have only tried the sushi side of the restaurant and can only say that everything was okay. I was not overly impressed with the freshness of the fish for Nigiri or Sashimi, but in a roll it's not as critical for flavor.
I may go back, but only if I can't get reservations to Sushi Ota. -
Review from Jennie C.
San Diego, CA
8/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place is great! I'm so glad my friend brought up sushi because it was an extremely hot day and who wants a hot plate? We checked Yelp to see what was around the area since we were chilling at the beach. It's a good thing all the other sushi joints were closed in the afternoon, otherwise we would have missed out. The sushi here is very fresh. I ordered the Scallop Roll and the Hawaiian Blvd Roll. One word: YUM! We sat up at the bar and the sushi chef was very friendly. Overall, we were very satisfied and we will definitely be back!
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Review from Katie H.
San Diego, CA
12/14/2010
This is our favorite sushi place in PB. Try the spicy crunchy shrimp roll and baja hamachi roll. Always good and always fresh.
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Review from Katie D.
San Diego, CA
10/8/2010
The sushi is the best I've had. The Chef's are always nice, friendly. All the staff is welcoming. Food is delicious. Try the volcano roll.
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Review from kat a.
San Diego, CA
2/27/2010
love this place! it's my favorite sushi restaurant! i've been here about 3 times and always ate where they cook the food in front of you. the chef is hilarious and the food came out really good! so five stars for good entertainment and great food! =]
