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Ikiru Japanese Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
2850 Womble RdSte 105
(between Decatur Rd & Truxtun Rd)
San Diego, CA 92106
Neighbourhoods: Liberty Station, Point Loma
(619) 221-1228
- Hours:
Mon-Fri, Sun 11 am - 9:30 pm
Sat 12 pm - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
159 reviews for Ikiru Japanese Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"The best roll is the Ultimate Crab Roll." In 7 reviews -
"Fresh wasabi to die for." In 6 reviews -
"Tucked away in Liberty Station it is pretty chill." In 9 reviews
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159 reviews in English
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Review from F N.
Honolulu, HI
3/12/2012
Was craving for sushi and read about Ikiru and decided to give it a try. They did not disappoint. We ordered the California Beach roll and it was very tasty with crab, cucumber, scallop and onion and it was baked.
For our entree, we ordered the salmon combo which came with grilled Teri salmon, assorted shrimp/vegetable tempura and four pieces of California roll. The dish came out piping hot and everything was fresh. It also came with a bowl of miso soup and a small salad.
Prices were very reasonable. They take reservations and I would highly recommend that you make a reservation because it's a small restaurant and it got really busy. -
Review from Jessica T.
San Diego, CA
4/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
This review is mainly for their ramen dishes since I didn't order that many sushi dishes while I was there. I did try their octopus dish, ahi salad, seaweed salad, and the ahi boat roll (2 pcs). I would have to say all four were mediocre however the seaweed salad was quite good. Not at all fishy. Now for our main course, I and three other friends tried their spicy miso ramen. Much to our disappointment, the soup was lacking in flavor though it was a deep, bright red. It seemed to have a Korean, kimchi taste to it which kind of throws us off guard since we're expecting Japanese Miso. They gave a great deal of noodles and the bowl was large however it just didn't taste good. Sad to say that I regretted coming here and taking my bf's friends since they are from Jersey and you always want to leave a good impression of San Diego with them. =/
Next time I know, be adventurous on my own and stick to what you know when guests are coming to town. -
Review from Courtney C.
San Diego, CA
4/23/2012
The hubs and I were looking for a new sushi place and based on the reviews, decided to try this one out. Below is a run-down of our experience...
Pros:
- they offer fresh wasabi on the menu (as an appetizer). We actually ordered it twice and it really added to the rolls/fish. It looks like green salsa but is hot and horseradish-y, without being ridiculous. Try it, you'll like it.
-the yellowtail sashimi was good and plentiful. 5 thick slices... yum.
-the yelp offer is a good deal - buy a large beer, get a large sake. We partook and enjoyed.
Cons:
- like others have mentioned, the service is slightly lacking. We arrived approx 7pm on a Saturday night and were seated at the sushi bar with no wait. We got our menus and ordered drinks, however, it took 10+ minutes to actually get the drinks delivered. Another server (not ours) asked if we'd ordered drinks and followed up for us.
- the sushi rolls were ok, yep, just ok. Skip the "Pizza Roll" unless you like a massive blob of mixed fishes all piled on top of rice and smothered (drenched even) in sauces and random fixin's. It was super fishy tasting and likely where their day-old fish goes to die... we each took one bite and pushed it aside.
Overall - we will give it one more try but will order other items with the hopes that we've found a new sushi gem. -
Review from Brett B.
4/1/2012
Overall great experience. We got the beef teriyaki dinner combo, ultimate crab roll, and the California beach roll. The beef teriyaki was very tender with the right amount of sauce, and came with excellently crispy tempura (shrimp was great!). Nice miso. The ultimate crab roll and California beach roll were similar, the CA beach being spicier, but both were great! Tasted fresh with lots of crab, nice sauce and fresh avocado.
However, we were not as impressed with the agedashi tofu, and the edamame was ok-standard. Also they were out of hamachi kama-bummer! -
Review from Sandra F.
Chesapeake, VA
4/3/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Hidden gem..... I enjoy going on the weekends between 3:30-6:30 for 'happy hour'. Buy 2 rolls get one free (of equal or lesser value) plus buy a large beer and get free sake! Great for 2 people to share....
I like all the fresh rolls on their menu... I'm not big on tempura but I am sure they are just as good! -
Review from Muktida G.
Chula Vista, CA
5/13/2012
This review is long over due. Began as our go to on New Year's eve tradition 3year's ago. Now it's just our go to all the time every time we get the sushi craving, which is often. We tell all our friends about it. ORANGE crush is our favorite roll yet you can't go wrong on anything. JOHN is a very talented sushi chef, I am a well seasoned sushi fan, had of the best in the Bay Area, NYC, Vegas and more and this is truly worthy of being my fave! Service is TOP Notch too. Thanks for the gluten free soy sauce and the prices are pleasingly affordable.
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Review from Nicole D.
Monterey, CA
4.5 stars
I love the breadth of menu items offered at Ikiru. Very impressive! Housed in a small dining cubbyhole, you will find nothing scanty about their selections -ramen, udon, donburi, yokisoba, sashimi, nigiri, deep-fried rolls, fusion rolls, salads and desserts! Everyone's a happy pampered camper here at Ikiru!
We ordered the Crispy 'N Spicy Roll, the NTC Roll and the Ultimate Crab Roll. For dessert, we finished with a couple orders of their vanilla and strawberry mochi ice cream.
Crispy 'N Spicy Deep Fried Roll -- crab, spicy tuna, avocado, cream cheese, jalepenos; all deep-fried and topped with spicy mayo and eel sauce. Sushi remix - all my sushi favs together in one seemless hit. Delicious!
The NTC Roll -- spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, shrimp tempura, seared salmon, onions, spicy sauce and eel sauce. A seafood soiree with every bite.
The Ultimate Crab Roll -- real crab, avocado, cucumber with an outter layer of lobster, scallop, onion, masago, more crab, spicy and eel sauce. Seafood-packed delight - only thing needed was maybe some flecks of gold.
Mochi ice cream -- this is the strawberry mochi that ignited my mochi obsession. Their mochi is delicious! Worth a special trip!
Warm and friendly sushi bar/restaurant with a cornucopia of delights! It might be a good idea to get a reservation due to the limited seating. They have wonderful Happy Hour Specials from what I could glean from their postings in the window (Buy 2 Rolls, Get 1 Free, ect.). -
Review from Jonathan G.
Playa Vista, CA
3/15/2012
I was a bit disappointed in the quality of the sushi here based on the reviews. The sushi was just adequate, and definitely nothing special (we ordered two special rolls including the Protein Roll, the spicy yellowtail cut roll, and unagi). The mixed tempura was pretty bad. We were seated for about 10 minutes before a waiter came by our table, but after that our food was brought out quickly.
The main allure of Ikiru has to be the price. I was a bit shocked when the bill came, as I do not think I've ever paid so little for the amount & type of sushi we ordered. Whether or not that is enough to endorse the restaurant is a personal decision, but for me I'd rather pay more for a really great meal. -
Review from Yong T.
San Diego, CA
4/21/2012
Probably the best sushi I have had so far for the price. Some of my favorites are the white tuna, spanish mackerel (love the deep fried bony remnants) and hamachi nigiri. The chefs always try to provide the best quality fish and service to us and have several times already given us dishes on the house. It seems impossible for me to spend under $50 there on a given night even though the portion sizes for each individual nigiri are the largest I have ever eaten. The rolls are also great if you prefer that type of dish.
Rest assured, the isolated location and limited seating serves to provide a relaxing atmosphere for the customers (like any great hidden restaurant does, right?). If only I could afford to come here every week... -
Review from Matthew V.
San Diego, CA
5/1/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Delicious sushi that you can carry out until 9:30PM? Yes please! Usually you've have to compromise quality for convenience like this, but not with Ikiru. Reasonably priced, the only caveat to this place is that if you haven't been it can be hard to find tucked away in the Liberty Station shopping area. Still, well worth the late-night walk through the promenade. Besides, someone much smarter than myself might not have such trouble finding the place...
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Review from Mia L.
2/15/2012
2.4.12: It was alright..Just alright
There was a wait because the place was so small, arrived around 730pm. Once we sat, it took forever to just get menus, we were looking around and that waitress were busy cleaning other tables. They have a busboy but he was mainly in the back doing something else. So after about 5-7 minutes we got the menu, then another 10 minutes she finally came by to ask us for our drink orders. After that we ordered:
Agedashi Tofu: It's missing a lot of stuff that I'm used to with agedashi tofu, like ginger, or daikon, or fish skin. It didn't have any of that except for green onions.
Liberty Roll: Everyone raved about it on the reviews..It was Meh..Nothing stood out about this roll.
Ultimate Crab: Something about their sauce, probably made this the best roll so far
Pizza: Yea it was alright..Looks cool when they brought it out, it was in the shape of a slice of pizza.
Sashimi Platter: The fish was okay, I think I only like the Tuna. Everything else was alright, it didn't melt in my mouth, and it didn't taste like the freshest fish every, it didn't wow me...
Not sure what the raves were all about. But maybe next time I have to try it again..Maybe... -
Review from Emily J.
La Mesa, CA
1/10/2012
I think the greatest testament to how INCREDIBLY good Ikiru is are the number of regulars that are always in there. C.J. and the chefs know us/them by face and most of the time by name. This place is a gem! They have the freshest nigiri I have ever tasted. I used to say "I don't like tuna" "I don't like scallops" and this and that...it turns out other places were just feeding me shitty fish. The rolls are incredible and creative. They have a new one called the Liberty (after Liberty Station...duh) that is actually making my mouth water thinking about it.
My fiance's favorite part is and has always been the fresh wasabi that they put on the salmon. Sometimes the chefs give him a separate bowl of it to put on everything else :)
Seriously, do yourself a favor and become a regular. You, like us, will never go to any other sushi place again. -
Review from Amber E.
San Diego, CA
2/15/2012
Excellent sushi - came here tonight for the first time and it is instantly one of our favorite sushi joints. We're not a "regular" at many places, but this could be one of them. Everything was so fresh and tasty. We wanted to try a bit of everything, so got the C combo w/ 4 each of 6 rolls -- eel, deluxe eel, dragon, crunchy shrimp, Hawaiian and orange crush.
They were all amazing, from the simplest of the rolls to the most complex. They were really flavorful, fish was super fresh, and the rice was very tender. My favorite was probably the orange crush w/ spicy scallops, salmon, cucumber and avocado, but the crunchy shrimp and Hawaiian were good - they were all good.
Of course the grass always looks greener, and the table next to us ordered 3 rolls that looked so incredible I had to ask what they were -- rainbow roll (always one of my favorites), Five Friends and the Point Loma. Will have to try at least a couple of them next time.
By the way, this Combo is MORE than enough for 2 people. We had initially ordered the hamachi sashimi too, but when we saw how much sushi was going to be coming in this combo (all for just $28), we cancelled the sashimi. They confirmed it was cancelled, but then later brought it out by mistake. They gratiously said it was on the house (which we appreciated and tipped them well); so of course we tried it, and it was fantastic, too. We'll be back! -
Review from Chris M.
San Diego, CA
1/24/2012
I AM SO LUCKY!!! My office is right behind this awesome sushi restaurant. I am so fortunate to be able to walk 28 steps from my office front door. The food is so fresh (it is still moving in some cases, order the UNI)
The wait staff are very friendly, and the owners take really good care of you. Please do yourself a favor and try this local establishment. Their prices are very reasonable, and the sushi just melts in your mouth. If you are into spicy, they will get it done! Not for the faint of heart, they serve the Ghost Chili when available.
Yum sums it up! -
Review from Dalton N.
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Pretty good Japanese place. I couldn't tell if the chefs were actually Japanese because I didn't look too hard, but the food was good.
Came here with a few friends. We wanted to eat at a sushi place close to where we would be going next. I'm amazed that this is the only sushi place around the sports arena area.
The food was delicious. We had 6 rolls and sashimi salad that we all split. Oh, were we full. The selection of fish seems fresh and nice, so that's good. The place was almost packed, but service was decent. I forgot what rolls we had so I can't talk about them. All I can say was all 6 were great. You can't go wrong with any of them.
The only thing I can think of as a downer for this place was finding out where it was the first time. There are no signs on the exterior of the complex, so I drove around the whole area twice before parking in the big parking lot in front of Trader Joe's and walking around for a few minutes to find the place. -
Review from Mindy Y.
San Diego, CA
3/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
If I could, I would give this place more of a 3.5 stars. Came here because I saw all the raving reviews on Yelp but didn't feel like it lived up to all the hype. The sushi is good but I don't think it stands out from many other sushi joints. It was a little better than average though. The sushi chefs are actually Asian (although not Japanese, because I think the place is Korean owned) and I noticed a little extra effort was put towards the food's presentation. We got the Roll Combo B, which was 4 pieces of 4 different rolls. I thought this was a good deal seeing how you get a little more variety. We also got the Point Loma Roll, Mapo Tofu and a Hamachi Kama appetizer. The Point Loma Roll and Kama were the best part of my meal, but I can't say that will keep me coming back for more.
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Review from r c.
San Diego, CA
5/13/2012
This is great sushi. The same prices as anywhere else (although they do have a buy three rolls for the price of two happy hour deal), but the fish quality, presentation and variety is really good. We go a lot and do take-out too and the service has always been quite good.
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Review from Sarah B.
San Diego, CA
5/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fresh FRESH Fresh!!!! This place was excellent and the sushi came out one right after the other! No waiting. Coming back FOR SURE.
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Review from Erin's M.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 4/18/2012 2 photos
I'm still loving this place! The ultimate crab roll is my absolute favorite! A must try! Prices are pretty decent with exception of sashimi, but you get fresh sashimi!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/10/2011
Went here due to the http://restaurant.com coupon. YUMMY! Sushi was very yummy. The variety crab… Read more »
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Review from Julia E.
San Diego, CA
3/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
SUSHI!!!!!! God, this place was pretty good, too. The miso still doesn't compare to Harney's but man the rolls were still extremely tasty. Mm mm mm!!
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Review from Lisa G.
San Diego, CA
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Had a noodle dish that was just ok.
But for sushi and combo plates, this place rocks. They've come a long way since they first opened, the quality and proportions are great. For me it's all about the quality of the sushi that makes a place. This place has it.
Combo plates like chicken teriyaki come with healthy servings and include gyoza, tempura veggies & one shrimp and cali roll. More than enough for one person. Perfect for two if you add a roll or sushi.
Also very happy they serve beer and wine now. Cozy and small environment.
Enjoy! -
Review from deepika d.
San Diego, CA
11/27/2011
Go! Yep...Go!
The food is great. The people are friendly. The prices are reasonable. They serve a generous portion of fish on their sushi.
True, it's tucked away in Liberty Station but don't let that hold you back.
True, it's delicious
True, it's delicious
True, ...
.you are still reading this hua? -
Review from travis d.
San Diego, CA
4/23/2012
jesus christ this place is delicious. gives ono, ota, hane a run for their money...for a lot less money. fresh wasabi, ramen, 9piece sashimi plate, 3 specialty rolls, 2 beers and three teas 80 bucks. best sushi we've had in a long time. and the small weird space gives it kind of an authentic feel
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Review from Ryan I.
The good, the bad, and the ugly.....
The good: the sushi and sashimi! We had the sashimi platter 3x5. There was maguro, sake, hamachi, tai, and ummm..... something else. The fish was fresh and the cuts were big. We also had the ahi ahi rolls, which were ahi on top of a roll with spicy ahi inside, and those were great. My kids had Teri chicken and ramen. I didn't glean too much from other reviews that there were non sushi items here for my kids, but fortunately there were things like donburi, udon, ramen, teishoku and appetizers like karaage, edamame, tofu, etc.
The bad: the service was slow and the waitress forgot our extra salad. My water was never refilled. The karaage had neither crunch nor taste, and the fried tofu had a weird chewy exterior.
The ugly: though we met friends here and made two separate tables - one for kids and one for adults, we split our checks. We had 4 in our party. Our check came, and the itemized order sheet didn't have the prices on them. Rather, the prices were tallied on a separate calculator printed sheet, which we fortunately studied, because not only was the 18% tip already applied, they applied it to the post tax amount! Then when the credit card slip came, there was still a space for tip, and our waitress didn't advise us that our tip was already applied. I mean, who does that?
The sushi and sashimi were awesome, and would have warranted 5 stars, but the other items and the suspiciously arranged tip situation dropped our rating down. Fortunately we were aware of what was going on so we didn't care all that much, but let that be a warning for other diners.
And one last thing - we had intended to shop at Trader Joe's after dinner, and this restaurant was in the same shopping mall as both TJ and Von's. Bonus! Lots of parking too.Listed in: Our San Diego / Disneyland…, Fish!!
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Review from Angela H.
Glendale, CA
1/21/2012 1 photo
MELT in your mouth Sushi! This place is a hidden gem in the Liberty Station plaza (located right behind Sammy's woodfired pizza). I'm a very picky sushi eater and the chefs John and Jay are masters. Here's what my friend and I ordered...
1. Albacore sashimi plate (rich and fresh, thick cut pieces)
2. Live sea urchin: Uni (it was creamy and delicious!)
3. Freshwater Eel: Unagi sushi (best I've ever tried)
4. Orange Crush roll (amazing!)
5. Tres Amigos (sooooo gooood!)
Everything looked amazing, and I can't wait to go back. Sit at the sushi bar..excellent service! -
Review from Misha M.
San Diego, CA
1/3/2012 4 Check-ins Here
Ikiru, you have turned me into an Uni addict. I've never had such fresh Uni before visiting you, and what a difference it makes. The needles were still moving in the shell as I devoured the flesh.
The rolls were quite good, and reasonably priced. But the sashimi was great. I also enjoyed the salmon skin hand roll and usually I dont like hand rolls as they are too dry.
Happy hour prices are a great value for the quality of the food.
Will definitely be back! -
Review from Dan D.
11/2/2011
Atmosphere - Very quaint...did I just say quaint?....with about a dozen tables and 8 or so seats at the bar. Tucked away in Liberty Station it is pretty chill. I have been here about 20 times and the service has always been super nice and friendly...and prompt.
Food/Beverage - Full bar and they just revamped their menu...not too many sushi places do that...which is funny cuz after my last few sushi trips (I go at least twice a week between lunch/dinner) I was kinda getting bored with selection. So they changed up a bunch of rolls, added some combos. The quality is about a 4 out of 5 (very few places I would say consistently have 5/5)...they have happy hour 3 for 2 specials and drink specials throughout.
Cost - Not too bad with other similar type sushi places. The only SLIGHT complaint I have is that the combos cost like $1 more as a combo than if you were to get the items individually? Granted you get 4-6 half rolls...and I would much rather pay a buck more to get 6 different half rolls than 3 different full rolls (I like my variety)..you generally want to feel like you are getting a deal when you buy a pre-selected combo item.
Summary - Killer service, just around the corner from Sushiya which is very similar in quality IMO but almost NEVER has lines like Sushiya...(hence why I end up here more than twice as often). Food is above average and fresh. Nice chill place and it won't kill you in the wallet if you get the http://restaurant.com coupon...as stated below.
BONUS BONUS BONUS
Get the http://Restaurant.com $25 cert for $2 and you only need to spend $45 on food...beats the places that sell "half off sushi" but really have jacked up their prices to $14 for a common type roll. Dinner and beverages usually comes to about $40 including tax and tip and you walk away content. -
Review from Janna D.
San Diego, CA
2/23/2012
I really loved the sushi, atmosphere, and the service was great! The mochi was a bit overpriced and I highly recommend happy hour because if you buy two rolls, you get the third free.
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Review from Rachel C.
Salt Lake City, UT
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Just start out by ordering a Liberty roll, Harbor roll, & Ultimate crab roll. For nigiri or sashimi get the hamachi and the albacore. The fresh wasabi is fantastic! You can thank me later:)
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Review from Lianas V.
San Diego, CA
8/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is so generous with its delicious fish. Seriously, largest fish portions ever!
It is tucked away in the Liberty Station mall, so follow the signs.
You will not be disappointed. The staff are friendly, the fish is great, and there is a lot of great sake!
I have to say my least favorite thing here was the salmon. But hey, everyplace has its shortcomings.Listed in: Great eats in San Diego
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Review from Greg E.
10/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good Japanese food, but I've had better.
They give you lots of Ramen though. -
Review from Mo T.
San Diego, CA
4/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
This one was pretty mean. Sushi was fresh and I enjoyed it! Great place for fresh sushi.
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Review from Trista B.
Coronado, CA
7/20/2011
WOW....I was super impressed by this place!! I'm really stoked cause I think I have just found my sushi spot in SD!! Super fresh fish, fantastic service, and awesome prices!! I'm smitten!!
Huge thanks to my girl Jen C. for taking me here today! Such a great lunch spot....and I absolutely LOVE their prices, too!! Great quality food for an affordable price. I had the Ahi Ahi roll and a crispy lobster roll and they were both AMAZING!! I would have only ordered one roll, I was surprised at how big they were, but since they were such a good price I got two. Jen got the roll and sashimi combo, and it was really good as well. Their tuna was so fresh and tasted so good, and their roll presentation was beautiful. The lobster roll was also super good, the only problem is now when I go back I want to order these two things again because they were so good, but all the other rolls looked amazing as well!! Ahhh decisions....
I was really happy with how quick the service was also....we barely waited at our table at all and the food was already out! Friendly people, too, and inviting atmosphere. A smaller place, but with charm.
Oh boy, it was a good day today at lunch at Ikiru, I really can't wait to go back and get some more rolls!!! -
Review from Paola M.
Miami, FL
2/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Excellent sushi, place is small, but well worth the wait!! Wait staff was friendly, very attentive, everything we ordered was fantastic!!
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Review from William T.
Los Angeles, CA
8/1/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Slow service, but amazing food.
We happened to get there 15 minutes before the end of Happy Hour (had NO idea) so we were able to take advantage of the 3 rolls for 2 deal. AWESOME, though we probably went a bit overboard. I went with my girlfriend and her sister. Between the 3 of us, we shared a CNT(?) roll, Ultimate Dragon roll, Pizza roll and Ultimate Crab roll. All were around $10-$13 each. Now, I normally love dragon rolls... but in this case, that was actually the worst of the bunch. Not to say it wasn't good, but the others just blew it out of the water. All the seafood was fresh, presentation was nice, and the portions generous. The Ultimate Crab roll was probably the best, followed by the Pizza roll as a close second.
We drove all the way down to SD from LA just for this and it was well worth the trip. Its a little hidden, so look for the sign above as you walk down the corridor. -
Review from Michele J.
Alpine, CA
2/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have just found my new Sushi place. Last night a group of us enjoyed several very fresh tasty rolls and Teriyaki chicken plates. One of the rolls was the Ultimate Crab Roll....it was fantastic! The Tuna and fresh Wasabi were also amazing...the best I have ever had. There are delicious Teriyaki dishes if you are not a Sushi eater so everyone one in your group will be able to enjoy this GEM of a restuarant. The servers and chefs know their products and are eager to give you the "Ultimate" Sushi experience. It is a small place so going early before 5:30 PM is helpful to get a bigger table. Great service and great food all around!
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Review from Nicole F.
Updated - 8/12/2011
I really want to knock them down to 2 stars because the ultimate crab roll seems to be off the menu. I asked our waitress if they changed the menu and I described the ultimate crab roll. She said they had not changed the menu and also that the only crab roll they had was soft shelled!
Knowing that it probably wasn't the same thing I went ahead and ordered it and no surprise.... was very disappointed. So then I came back to yelp to see if I was mis-remembering and sure enough, many reviewers mention this ultimate crab roll. So what the heck?!
Only reason for the 3rd star this time is that the fresh fish sashimi is good. However, I am so disappointed that the menu seems off and not being able to order the ultimate crab roll may be cause to not return. By the way, $3 for a small dish of edamame is a rip off. If it's a small portion being served, it should be complementary at any japanese restauran. Do you know how much that costs at your grocery store? If you don't and you love edamame, it's time for a shopping trip stat.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/3/2011
While the potstickers were unremarkable the sushi was fresh and done right. The ultimate crab roll… Read more »
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Review from Timothy D.
San Diego, CA
12/28/2011
Ikiru has become our family's favorite Japanese restaurant. My wife would choose sushi or fish over any dining choice and finds the quality and taste at Ikiru better than other local sushi houses. I like fish less, sometimes not at all, but have enjoyed tasting her dishes. As others note, the Ultimate Crab Roll cannot be criticized.
I recently ordered the Pork Donburi, which I found to be far better prepared than similar dishes I have eaten locally. Rather than finding some meat sprinkled atop rice, this dish was prepared with great care, with a variety of ingredients, each separately prepared before mixing.
The atmosphere is quiet (I do not miss the 110 decibel Reggae usually played in sushi pick-up joints (COUGH..Harney Sushi...COUGH). The staff is friendly and efficient. -
Review from Robert S.
San Diego, CA
2/18/2012
This place is the most consistent sushi place I've been to. The sushi is fresh, tasty, unique, and reasonably priced. The service is great, the sauces are amazing, and I haven't tried a single thing that wasn't impressively tasty.
Go for the NTC roll and try the fire sauce. -
Review from Jacob H.
San Diego, CA
8/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Bottom Line Up Front: I'm borderline giving this place a 1-star, if not for the friendly waittress. I'm going to say that I will never spend another dime here.
Quality:
The quality of this restaurant is difficult to judge, since I believe the chef/cook did not prepare the meal well. I had the spicy calamari, baked mussels, and Hamachi Kama (yellowtail)
Taste:
My spicy calamari was not spicy. In fact, it was super salty. The frying of the calamari might have been great on its own, but the chef drowned them by putting them in a bath of a salty liquid. I ate salt.
The baked mussels were the best item of the 3. A bit of cheese, mayo, mussels, onions were all in there. The mussels were chopped up in to pieces and served with all of the ingredients on top. Overall taste was fine.
The Hamachi Kama was the biggest disappointment. The kama looked like it had been fire grilled - great. However, they had some soy sauce/unknown sauce combo doused over the kama. Instead of the kama coming out fresh, tender, and aromatic, the kama came out being well-done salty-sauced-over.
Service:
The waittress was very friendly and attentative. Given that there was only me in the restaurant, she didn't have much to do either. But, a good job on her part.
