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Todo Japanese Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
9823 Carroll Canyon RdSan Diego, CA 92131
(858) 566-0206
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
173 reviews for Todo Japanese Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"The sensual pleasure roll was so good." In 14 reviews -
"8) green tea ice cream = yum." In 9 reviews -
"Like delicious stuffed jalapenos OR fish heads YUM." In 17 reviews
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173 reviews in English
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Review from Jackie A.
5/20/2012 7 photos
Ever since I discovered this restaurant minutes from my home, I find myself making excuses to come here. Usually it is my excuse not to want to cook dinner. So when my plan works out, we usually end up here.
They have the best quality and value of any sushi place I've ever been to in San Diego. Nice portions of fish, great menu selections, awesome custom rolls that I haven't been able to find elsewhere. This place is no Nubo. They are not over hyped nor are you downing over priced sushi. At Todo most items on the menu are 50% off. It makes eating sushi reasonable. They offer a large array of sushi to select from.
My favorite items:
1. Sensual Pleasure
2. Crunchy Shrimp Roll
3. Baby Lobster Roll (requires 15 minutes to prepare)
4. 3 by 5 Sashimi Platter- nice variety of 5 different types of fresh fish
5. Star Wars Roll
During my visits here, the staff usually will give you a complimentary sample of jalapeno stuffed with crab meat or if your lucky a few pieces of sushi. It all depends on the evening. -
Review from Christopher W.
San Diego, CA
4/13/2012 6 Check-ins Here
You have to eat at the Sushi Bar and order everything from the 50% off money! Ordering from that menu is a delight as you get great quality sushi for the right price. The 50% off menu is comparable to the price at cheap Sushi Deli, but the quality and taste blows it away!
Sitting at the Sushi Bar is a delight as Marcos and the other sushi chefs hook you up and make your food all delicious! -
Review from Son V.
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
For what you pay for, it's actually pretty good. I don't understand the need for the 50% off gimmick. Just put the stupid price that you want people to pay. You're a sushi restaurant, not TJ Maxx.
The rolls are good, so is the nigiri and hand rolls. The chicken "yakitori" was a joke. Tough, to the point of almost being inedible.
Staff and service was very good, even on a busy Friday night. -
Review from jhalee g.
San Diego, CA
5/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Excellent SUSHI...FRESH and affordable (50% off dine in and 40% take out // see their menu list)
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Review from Albert Myles P.
Murrieta, CA
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
I just signed up for yelp but have used it for years. I want Todo Japanese Restaurant to be my first review. I've been coming here with my family for years and we always leave happy. The sushi is, in my opinion, the best in the Mira Mesa area. Half off sushi as always and the staff hooks it up with free spicy bell peppers with crab meat deep fried or scoops of green tea ice cream. Service is fast, prices VERY reasonable so if you're on a budget and starving, this is the place to go. I come here 2-3 times a week for lunch and I always try new items. I'm pretty much always satisfied with the food here. On busy nights, it gets crowded so be sure to get there early.
Not a fan of the rolls with cream cheese but that's just me :) I love everything else including the sashimi which is so fresh and flavorful.
I recommend the Sensual Pleasure roll, Dragon Roll, or Mia Roll if you're coming here for your first time. -
Review from Elda P.
San Diego, CA
4/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nice little gem.
It's pretty hidden, my husband found it on accident, but I'm glad he did.
Service is pretty fast, and I really like the flavor of their sushi.
Their stuffed jalapenos are popular, sometimes you get some on the house -
Review from Jennifer A.
San Diego, CA
1/31/2012
If I could give this place ZERO stars, I would. My family of 6 showed up on a busy Friday night to cure our sushi craving. After reading some pretty decent reviews on this place, we decided to give it a try. We understood it would be a bit of a wait- no problem.
After about 7 minutes, a party of 8 showed up. 10 minutes later... The party of 8 that showed up AFTER us was seated BEFORE us. After attempting to question the waitress with the disheveled bun on her head, and being ignored, I approached the older lady, and asked why the party that came after us, was seated before us. The answer? Because they didn't mind being split up between two tables (tables that were right next to each other). She then said they were trying to accommodate us. NO THANKS! I'll take my business elsewhere! We went over to HAPPY SUSHI, and what a difference! Pleasant and served right away... And so far the food is awesome here. We lived in Japan for 3 years, and so far this place is ok.
Save yourself the trip and find another sushi place. -
Review from Vivian H.
It' awesome having a foodie friend in SD! She knows all the good places. A group of us came here for dinner and there was 50% off menu, and not just a small tiny menu, but a huge menu!
We ordered plenty of rolls with fresh fish. Some were jive-y (creamy and deep fried, which I was not a fan of), but that's okay; I think most people come here for the great prices. Plus, there were plenty rolls that were on the simpler side.
Not bad at all. -
Review from Goli H.
San Diego, CA
12/14/2011
Favorite sushi place in San Diego! Cheap, fresh, and delicious!
Favorites are sensual pleasure, rainbow, and manhattan. Tuna nigiri is fresh and tasty. Don't forget to try the special edamame!! It's a spicy garlic sauce mixed with edamame. -
Review from Leonard L.
San Diego, CA
2/12/2012
Todo Sushi
SD: Mira Mesa
Saturday February 11, 2012
Four Stars
We tried going to Chez Nous, but they only take cash (jerks). Therefore, we ventured next store to Todo Japanese Restaurant. We entered and heard the traditional Irashamaise! We sat at the bar and sushi chef greeted us with aloha. I really enjoy those greetings. He seemed very Japanese, which is a huge plus. I ordered the "Takka Bowl B" lunch special, which included a bowl of sushi with five pieces of Ahi, a Salad, and mixed Tempura (Shrimp, green bean, onion ring, sweet potato, and a yam) for $10. The rice was a little hard; the salad was just greens, dressing, and two cherry tomatoes; the Fish was excellent (even for Tuna). After eating my good portion lunch, I ordered a Hamachi Nigiri and California Roll. Each were only $3 (because they were on their always 50% off menu list). The yellowtail was lushly fatty and the California roll was filled to the brim with crab. This was actually a very enjoyable place. Just order the sushi though. (Note they have tank filled with live shrimp). Excited for next time.Listed in: Sushi
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Review from Britta B.
CARDIFF, CA
4/13/2012
Star Wars roll is to absolutely die for. My preggo friend and I order it weekly and drive the 10 mins to get them. Ironically, we have 3 boys who LOVE Star Wars, and now we do, too.
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Review from Alexandra P.
El Cajon, CA
3/13/2012
The star wars roll was not as good as i expected it to be. The food was still good though.
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Review from Fiona M.
San Diego, CA
8/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
3.5 Stars Really...
The Pros:
Friendly staff and service
Prompt service
Food arrived quickly
Sashimi was very fresh
The Cons:
Teriyaki Chicken was very dry
Sensual Passion Roll was Ehhhh...kinda fishy
No Children's Menu
Not bad but not exactly worth the $$ -
Review from Rosie B.
San Diego, CA
2/23/2012
Wow this place is busy. So busy that I'm convinced that our waitress completely forgot about our table. With a hungry 3 year old this kind of thing could turn from bad to disastrous very quickly. From reading the reviews about this place my expectations were high. I was a bit disappointed in the experience and the food.
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Review from An P.
San Diego, CA
7/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Meh. That was how I felt entering the restaurant, during the meal, and when I left.
Came here because it was open when most sushi places were closed (4:30). Should have waited the extra 30 minutes and gone somewhere else. Don't get me wrong, the food wasn't terrible...it just wasn't good. And why settle for edible , when you can have great.
The one consistent thing I know about sushi is you get what you pay for. I should have remembered that when I went to Todo and stuck with the rolls instead of getting nigri. The yellowtail nigiri I got was served room temp, with skin still on it. Gross. I have never been served yellowtail with skin on it.
We also ordered one of the specials of the day, the live shrimp. I was really looking forward to this since I saw the shrimp in the tank when we walked in. 12 bucks for 2 large live shrimp! I don't know if it was just the shimp at Todo or what, but it wasn't great. Tasted...fishy. Not a fan.
My friend got the yakiudon or something and that looked like a pile of
noodles covered in grease
The best part of the meal was the Sensual roll. It was pretty tasty but I wouldn't go out of my way to go here again just for one roll.
.
This place is extremely cheap but again you get what you pay for. Personally I'm willing to pay a few more dollars for food I actually enjoy. -
Review from Mia P.
1/12/2012 5 Check-ins Here
I've been going here since about 2004 and it has maintained its quality. Today we sat at the bar and had Marco as our sushi chef, he did a fabulous job. He was quick and efficient. Everything he put in front of us was great astetically and taste wise. The stuffed jalapenos are a must try!
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Review from Christopher J.
San Francisco, CA
5/28/2011
==Todo==
What's that pleasure in my mouth? .. Stop thinking dirty for a moment and remember it's a sensual pleasure roll!!! By far the only... and best roll I have eaten. Get TWO orders :) It's worth it -
Review from julie g.
San Diego, CA
5/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been here a few times: once when I was wasted and wanted to find the nearest sushi place for miso soup (don't ask why), some time last year and received extremely slow and horrible service, and, well, today.
I came in today expecting a "3-star" experience, but I must say, I've bumped it up a notch. I'm impressed with the service, quickness of the food, quality of the food, and prices. I'm not sure if there are happy hour prices, but when we sat down, we were given a sheet that had a good portion of their sushi rolls marked half off. This is what we got:
Gyoza: panfried goodness wasn't as meaty as I'd hope for, but you can never fail with gyoza. i found it a bit odd that they placed a cherry on the plate as a garnish... but if it keeps their boat afloat, im cool with the cherry.
California Roll: simple and fresh. it's what my preggie sister craved
Soft Shell Crab Roll: so awesome and totally the noms! it was wrapped in bright green soy paper! GREEN! and they stuffed a mini fried crab in that thing?! Bahahaa... how cute (:
Shrimp Tempura: although we enjoyed all the rolls, we both agreed that this was the best one. it only came with 6 or so pieces (maybe less maybe more), but they were big ones..... heh, thats what sh, okay nm.
Green Tea Ice Cream: initially, it tasted like vanilla ice cream. after a few bites, you can taste subtle hints of green tea, which was quite nice. I've tasted many varieties of green tea ice cream that kicked the teeth off my face for being so explosive in green tea flavor. I put a dollop in my beer to make a green beer float (just made that name up right now... i'm a proud child)-- it wasnt bad at all :D
Oh yes, I got a glass of draft beer. I believe there was only yellowtail pale ale and kirin on tap, but they had a few bottle selections and an OK sake menu.
Service was great and fast. Food tasted great! Prices are great! All that and beer for $25? Now THATS a deal.They even gave a little plate of fried white tuna during our meal--a "complimentary dish on the house", which was actually very delicious. Psh, we know they're great; they're just showing off now! -
Review from anh l.
7/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's cheap, its alright, however not the best quality, I think people over hype themselves about the happy hour so they have to believe is great.
There are too many sushi place in San Diego, to give this place an average of 3 stars. The rolls are small and read the reviews, a lot of people come for the happy hour.
This is your average sushi place to go if you're in the area and not willing to travel. -
Review from Cindy W.
5 stars for Todo sushi.
I came here last night and was seated at the sushi bar. The sushi chef was very friendly to us and made conversation.
Sushi: very fresh sashimi and rolls. We had the yellowtail sashimi and it melted in our mouth. No fishy taste at all! $3.00 for 2 pieces.
We also got several other rolls. I realized why the sensual roll taste so darn good. Its because there is sesame oil drizzled on top! Hey im asian and we love our sesame oil. The roll has has spicy scallop inside with spicy tuna on top. The cucumber gives the roll a great crunch. Price was right for $7.50.
Albacore crunchy roll has shrimp tempura, crab, avocado, and albacore tuna and masago on top. $7.00 for 8 pieces of sushi.
We were given complimentary stuffed jalapenos and even green tea ice cream.
Total bill $30.00 before tip for 4 rolls. 2 special and 2 regular rolls.
See my pics of the prices. Rolls range from$ 3.00-$8.00 with their 50% off.
Come back again? For sure!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/6/2010
Came here last night for dinner with some friends. Supposedly they give out free stuff if you sit at… Read more »
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Review from Krystal A.
San Diego, CA
"They have a Star Wars Roll." - the first words my now-boyfriend uttered that made me excited to try this place! & yes, it worked.
The first time I was introduced to this place was six months ago when my now-boyfriend (because back then, he wasn't my boyfriend just a friendboy) suggested this place for lunch. We sat at a table even though it wasn't busy (also because it meant that I'd sit across him so I can admire his face). After carefully reading each roll's description, I ordered the Star Wars roll...and after one bite of it, I kept wanting to come back. Forward six months later to dinner at the sushi bar (to finally write my Yelp review).
I'd highly recommend eating at the sushi bar when you have a chance just because it's more fun. We ordered the Star Wars roll (love the spice and the way it's presented), Tiger Roll, Crunchy Tempura Roll, and the Sensual Pleasure. I liked them all! For the record, yes. The Sensual Pleasure is thaaaat delicious--an explosion of amazing goodness in your mouth ("that's what he..." ahh, nevermind). The sushi chef was also giving us complimentary Salmon Skins and Stuffed Jalapenos, which the boys ate.
On a side note: our server was new and she did a fine job after "two days of training." (I think it's important to mention servers every now and then, they make or break businesses. Just saying).
So yes, I'm a huuuuge fan. They have a roll (pause for effect)... named after Star Wars! #geekmode. And 50% off select rolls (especially the ones I mentioned)...my wallet appreciates this place! -
Review from Marlon F.
San Diego, CA
5/3/2011 29 Check-ins Here
Alright, so here's the deal. I'm a sushi addict. And it should be known that this review is solely based on their sushi menu and the restaurant's service and ambience. With that being said....
This place has pretty darn good sushi.
I go here at least 3 times a month and it never gets old. This quaint restaurant sits comfortably in a business area conveniently right off the 15 freeway. Lucky for them, there's always a bunch of hungry people on their lunch breaks heading over there. This place is affordable, about $7+ per roll. They say their sushi is 50% off, but it's always that price every single day (the number one way sushi joints get you to eat at their restaurants). Personally, I'm a "speciality roll" type of guy and loves to try the diverse rolls these sushi chefs make, and I must say that Todo Japanese Restaurant is one of those sushi joints I approve of. They have a good selection of speciality sushi rolls, but a handful has truly compromised my taste buds, forcing me to get them every time I come in for lunch/dinner:
Sensual Pleasure Roll (truly is)
Eunice Roll (sauce is flavorful)
Karen Roll (it's a simpler roll, but one of my favorites)
There are several other rolls that I'm pretty sure people will fall in love with as well. The service here has been pretty good for me personally, but sometimes they could be a bit on the slow side on certain days. Other than that, it's great. If you're lucky, they give you complimentary appetizer/sushi. On most visits, they had given me and my girlfriend deep-fried crab-stuffed jalapeno poppers and one time, they gave me pieces of salmon with sauce on top. The employees are super nice and to me, they are doing a great job running their business.
All in all, this place has good sushi in my opinion. If you're looking for a new place to experience new combinations in sushi rolls, definitely check this place out! -
Review from Lynn H.
San Diego, CA
2/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here for the first time with some of my friends and this place was pretty packed when we arrived. Two of my friends were raving how affordable the sushi is here and how good it was. I took their word for it once I saw how packed it was. The service here wasn't that great though. Since it was packed the servers took awhile to help us out they seem to have a lot on their hands.
My friends and I ordered four rolls:
Alaskan Roll
Tempura Philadelphia Roll
Tiger Roll
and I forgot what the last roll was but it had jalapenos in it.
Three of our rolls came out the same time and my roll came out after all the other rolls were gone. All of the rolls tasted pretty good and since they were 50% off it was a good deal! (:
I would come here around if I was in area because I don't live too close to the area. -
Review from John G.
San Diego, CA
8/10/2011 6 Check-ins Here
I love coming to this place.
Its simple, fast, nearby and not too expensive.
I'm not crazy picky about my sushi but I have had "expensive and real" sushi and for some reason I prefer this place. -
Review from Jennifer A.
San Diego, CA
2/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Todo has your typical good variety of interestingly named rolls for decent prices. All the rolls I tried were pretty tasty!
If I'm in the area, I have no opposition to stopping by again!
Be sure to take advantage of the 50% off section of the menu. There are some good deals to be had!Listed in: My SD Japanese Hot Spots!
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Review from Alex U.
San Diego, CA
6/28/2011
This is probably my sushi spot to go when i want sushi. I usually get the Tempura Udon and a couple rolls. Caterpillar roll and Star Wars rolls are probably my favorite.
The prices are very affordable since majority of the sushi rolls are half off all day.
The service is pretty good, but at times they tend to forget an order or two which isn't a biggie when its a full house. The staff is very friendly, and on occasion they'll give you things that are on the house "stuffed jalapeno poppers".
All of room to sit either indoors, the bar or even outside.
Overall i like this place a lot and would recommend to come and try them out if you haven't. -
Review from Peter M.
San Diego, CA
2/11/2011
For the longest time, I thought I'd already reviewed this place.
I work across the parking lot, so I've been here many, many times. Always for lunch. I love this place, especially after they got caught in the 50% off war of recent Sushi places. They have great rolls. Not the absolute best I've EVER had. But definitely up there. And they get additional points for consistency.. every time I've come here they've had consistently good rolls. The California Roll is one of the best I've had, so good that my coworker has made it a weekly ritual to get one to go (they know him by name now). The Star Wars, Hawaiian, and Shrimp Tempura roll are also awesome. My boss usually gets the sashimi lunch, and he also says it's quite good. The Bento boxes are probably average, although they do give you a hearty serving of delicious tempura (shrimp, mixed veggies, pretty much anything your heart desires).
Not sure if it's just on Thursday (the day I usually come), but they used to come around with "Chef Special" or samples of other delicious dishes that you normally wouldn't have (Mushroom salad, fried Eel, and -my favorite- a cheese stuffed jalapeño popper). They haven't done it recently, but it might be because I've started coming on different days.
I've never came here for dinner, but a friend of mine did, and she just said it was average.. so I can't really attest to dinner service, but I would DEFINITELY recommend it for lunch. -
Review from Thai Y.
San Diego, CA
2/12/2011
Good, cheap sushi? Yes!
Understaffed, so be patient.
Unique rolls to try. -
Review from Rainier V.
Santa Ana, CA
3/17/2011
you really need to check this place out.
It's in the random shopping center where the Carl's Junior is at.
whenever I get the chance to dine here, i do! it's inexpensive cause sushi is usually 50% off.
I ordered a roll that was not on the 50% menu last time... i forgot what it was but it had cooked tempura shrimp and jalepenos and a lemon w/ salmon eggs on top. IT WAS DEEEELLIIICIOUS!
BUT our server forgot to put my order in, so it never came until VERY late in our meal. i had the "kawawa" (sad) face on so she gave it to me for free and let us sample a whole bunch of different sushi! apologized to me but no apology needed since they i only had to pay tip haha
only thing i have to say negative about it is it gets busy and has a small staff.. Understandable though since they are being as efficient as they can be. -
Review from Criselle O.
San Diego, CA
Ate here last night just to try n see if I would change my mind about this place but nope, not at all. After last night, I don't think I'll ever come back. Idk why so many people give this place so much praise because this place sucks.
The boyfriend and I ordered a regular tuna roll, salmon roll, spicy yellowtail hand roll, spicy scallop hand roll, and the awesome roll. The tuna roll's seaweed tasted funny and the avocado in the salmon roll tasted kinda stale. WTF. My spicy yellowtail hand roll tasted watery. I honestly don't know how you can f*ck up a hand roll? We didn't get to the awesome roll because we didn't feel like eating anymore. Everything was just. . . WACK! Ugh. We took the awesome roll to go because we just wanted to leave already.
Our waitress was taking hella ages just go give us our check. Nobody else was in there besides us and another couple and we were waiting and waiting AND WAITING. All my experiences here with the waitresses have always been bad. I don't know why I try to convince myself that things will change.
Anyway, the only thing I like about this place is that they give you things on the house. Usually, they give us the jalepeno thingy but they changed it up and gave us cold ass gyozas and this spicy baked salmon skin roll that was pretty good. Other than that, NEVER AGAIN.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/16/2010
This place is alright. Not the first place I'd go to if I was craving sushi but it's pretty decent.… Read more »
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Review from Mary Ann C.
San Diego, CA
10/26/2010 1 photo
This is my new favorite sushi spot! (:
We came here today (Monday) around 3:40pm. There was only 1 other group of people other than us, so it was pretty empty.
Our waitress was nice and they give you a paper menu so that you can put what you want to order, so there's no way they can misunderstand you or get your order wrong. The 50% off sushi are all the basic rolls, but it's still a really good deal - $3 for an 8p California roll is the cheapest I've seen. We were confused whether or not they were already marked or if it's 50% off that price. It ended up being 1/2 off the marked price. So we ended up ordering:
3 California rolls (8p): 9
1 Soft Shell Crab roll (6p): 5
1 Shrimp Tempura roll (6p): 4.50
1 Baby Lobster Dynamite roll (8p): 13.95
1 Chicken Katsu Bento: 7.90
Total came up to $46.06, but they added an order of edamame, which we didn't order, so they changed it to $43.88. Which is a reeeally good price for what we got!
All the reviewers mentioned how they got complimentary deep fried tempura stuffed jalapenos, but we got sooomethin' else, haha. It was some kind of fish I think. I did not enjoy. But if it's free, I won't complain (:
This place is really good and it's my new Mira Mesa sushi spot; especially since they're one of the few sushi places with fried ice cream! Which I was too full to try, by the way ): Next time!
EDIT:
I was looking @the pictures and one other person posted a picture of what we got and it was the complimentary salmon skin! Blechhh. Like we're not even good enough for the actual meat, we get the SKIN! The reject part after they make the sushi! Goshhh. Hopefully next time we get the jalapeno! Juss sayinnn (: haha -
Review from Randy C.
12/22/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Based on Yelp reviews, decided to try out Todo. Glad we did!
At 6:45 on a Tuesday night, the place was jammed, but fortunately we got the last open table. Pictures of food on the table and walls was helpful, as was the separate laminated hand out with descriptions of the sushi. As others have mentioned, the 50% off thing is a bit gimmicky, but I don't mind.
We ordered hot tea (it was a cold rainy night!). Miso soup. Fatty Tuna roll. Spicy Tuna roll. Crunchy roll. And the Rock and Roll roll.
The tea was good. Perfect. Only negative here was no refills after we drank it. Not a big deal, I could have asked for a refill. The servers were busy. Miso soup...was only ok... meh
The server told us the fatty tuna was out. OK. Next time. We got the Spicy Tuna and the Tempura Shrimp crunchy roll next. Another small negative, we barely had enough Wasabi. But the rolls... very good. I was happy.
Then someone brought out the Rock and Roll. I had no idea it was served on fire. Holy crap. So.... the downsides were the roll does stick to the plate so you have to fight it a little... and the roll is soft so it tends to fall apart while you are fighting it... and the fire is a little crazy until it goes out. But it was freaking amazing taste. I don't even recall what was in it. All kinds of goodness. Layers of amazing. Yum.
So, very cool to have a place to close to my office that has good food. The Nabayaki Udon looked great and I want to try some of the Bento boxes....and that sensual roll. -
Review from Vinh H.
6/30/2010 2 Check-ins Here
after reading Lisa T.'s review of the day, i decided to re-frequent this sushi spot. Todo is usually my default sushi spot since i live a mere few blocks a way. problem is that when i frequent something, i tend to overkill it. 2-3 times a week means that after a month, i stop eating there for a looong time.
anyhow, when i come here, my buddies and i always opt to eat by the bar. the chefs here are always friendly. usually i just order a couple different types of nigiri and mix in the sake bombs. this time, i changed it up. the recent oysterfest made me crave for oysters again. it came on a big bowl of ice. fresh, big oysters = euphoric.
in additional, i tried their shrimp tempura 'crunchy' roll. this is pretty much a california roll with shrimp tempura inside and caked in 'crunchies'. they dyed the 'crunchies' red.+1 for presentation. the crunchy tempura shrimp added some next texture to an otherwise soft roll. the avocado doesn't provide enough firmness. either way, it was delicious.
the nigiris were okay. they're not bad, but nothing spectacular either. the plus is that they give you big cuts of fish..
lastly, the chefs always give us complimentary stuffed/fried jalapenos. it's a pretty much half of a jalapeno stuffed with imitation crab and cream cheese, caked in tempura batter and fried. the jalapeno + cream cheese combo alone is already bomb - i make this often. adding imitation crab and tempura batter just like icing on cake.
note: they always have the 50% off advertisement. it's a gimmick to make you feel as though you're saving something.Listed in: land of the yellow.. [san…
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Review from Shannon M.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 8/19/2010 14 Check-ins Here
I visit here about once a month. In the last six months service has gone so far down hill. It takes forever to get your food, for a server to take your order, and forget about drink refills because it appears that you can only have one drink before they forget. The server brought the wrong roll to our table, was out of two items on the menu. The specials board is never accurate, so don't set your heart on anything on there. Our server forgot to bring one whole persons order, and then asked if we were finished. When we told her that one of us still had not eaten dinner, she assured us it would be out in 10 minutes. She avoided our table until 25 minutes later when We got up to walk out, magically the food was coming out of the kitchen right then.
Pro: Food is good, fresh. Staff is friendly.
Con: HORRIBLE service, you may go home hungry. BYOB if you want more than one drink of water or anything else for that matter.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/8/2010
I'm a regular here. Service has gone down hill a little recently (maybe due to growing popularity?)… Read more »
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Review from Denise E.
San Diego, CA
3/14/2011
Todo is one of the nearest and legit sushi places to me, so I used to come here a lot.
They're located in a not-so-noticeable area, which is a bit hard to find if it's your first time here. Regardless, this place is good.
I've had their soft shell crab roll, and it differs in taste...depending on when you go. Sometimes it's crunchy and delicious, at other times, it's just right on the line of satisfactory. I've had their tempura, it's coated in way too much batter. I can hardly see the shrimp...but their portions are pretty big, so you'll get full off of a roll and a couple of small ones.
One of their perks to highly consider coming back is giving you a sample of either the salmon skin tempura or the imitation crabmeat and sour cream jalapeno poppers that are coated with deep fried batter. It's delicious! :P Who doesn't love freebies?
The salmon teriyaki dinner is really good. Very well-portioned. It will fill you up guaranteed. I couldn't even finish mine last time I went. It comes with 2 half-salmon steaks with the skin on, a lightly stir-fried vegetable side, and imitation crabmeat and 2 chocolate wafer sticks stuck to it with parsley to top it off. It sounds a bit odd, but it's delectable...just eat the chocolate wafers AFTER everything else lol.
They can be pretty inattentive to their customer service sometimes, I've gone there more than 4 times and 3/4 times, they've neglected to refill our drinks...and it's not even that busy.
4 stars for the taste, 3 stars for their freebie strategy, 2 stars for their service. -
Review from Andy S.
San Diego, CA
4/6/2011
Food quality has dropped over the years.
We had the Spicy Scallop , baby lobster , shrimp tempura, and fresh salmon rolls and were disappointed by all for the following reasons:
- They use a lot of imitation crab meat to fill their rolls.
- The seafood was noticeably not fresh. Had that fishy odor of old fish.
I guess you get what you pay for, as their prices are relatively cheap. -
Review from Scottie C.
San Diego, CA
10/31/2011
Service was bad. Group of 4 of us had to request for water, clear our finished plate, remind the waitress about our order, and never once asked if we are ok. As for the food, the lobster was dry, the sensual pleasure roll did not look like the advertised picture, rice was old, they put siracha on everything. The only good part is that we are leaving.
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Review from Lisa T.
3/9/2010 ROTD 6/28/2010
Shout out to my LL Shayne C. for recommending this place! It's a bit of a drive for me, but ohhh the things I would do for some good sushi...
The restaurant is conveniently located right off the freeway, which is always a bonus. Our party of 3 walked in and were immediately greeted by the waitresses and sushi chefs. We were seated in the middle of the restaurant and started looking at the picture menus on the wall.
We shared the following -
- Philadelphia Roll - didn't have cucumber again! boo.
- Sensual Pleasure Roll - Shayne's recommendation, so I knew I had to try it. Plus.. who doesn't want a little sensual pleasure (in bed. hah!)
- Baby Lobster Dynamite Roll - our favorite roll of the night. The baked goodness was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. A must try!
- Rock n Roll - came out on fire! We had to blow out the flame because it was getting a little out of hand. The rice stuck to the metal plate, so the roll kept falling apart. But the slices of pickled jalapeno added a nice kick.
- Tempure Green Tea Ice cream - my first time having this and I was expecting the ice cream to be colder, but it was still very good.
The service was a bit slow, but they were super friendly and the restaurant was completely packed. Strange though, by the time we left (around 8pm) the place was near empty. I guess this spot is a hit for the after work crowd.
Overall we had a great sushi experience. Many of their rolls are 50% off (including the Sensual Pleasure), so make sure to take advantage of that. I'll have to come back soon to try some of their other delicious looking rolls!Listed in: Taste of Asia, ROTD!
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Review from Jackie T.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 1/31/2011
This place is okay. Their prices are very cheap especially if you go on the weekdays. Just about all the sushi is half off so you can get a tuna roll for like $3. Maybe because of the price drop the quality went down. The sushi is definitely not the best but decent enough to eat.
I do go here a lot though when I just want some quick sushi since this place is close to my house. The low prices are what keeps me going back because if they charged regular price I'd rather go somewhere else.
The service is also just meh. Maybe it's because there's only 2 ladies running the whole floor but the place really isn't that big to begin with. The best service I had from there is when I chose to sit at the sushi bar instead. The sushi chefs are cool, they'll give you some free food just for sitting in front of them :)1 Previous Review:
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10/14/2010
Really good sushi for the area. Good sake good service
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Review from Cindy W.
I've been here a few times before but I wanted to only write a review for it once I have photos since in the past when I came here....I forgot my camera. *gasp* Anyway, we came here again because we were lazy and didn't want to cook dinner and I had a rough week and this wasn't far from where we live. Every time we come here, it feels like we're in and out of there, in no time! Maybe we live so close, maybe it's because the service is so fast...whatever the reason, I enjoy this place.
However, I will admit that I tried sensual pleasure roll for the first time tonight since I've never ordered in the past. I also wanted to order the baby lobster roll but couldn't since it has mushrooms in it and I'm allergic to mushrooms :(
My go-to roll is the dynamite roll, very good. So this time, we ordered....
1) Sensual Pleasure roll
2) Shrimp Tempura Roll
3) Lobster Crunch Roll
4) Konpachi
and we got Gochu (stuffed jalapeno peppers) for free, like we always do and free edamame to start along with some nice Japanese beer to wash it all down.
My favorite things about this place:
1) the photos on the wall and the tables are very helpful
2) descriptions of the rolls also help
3) very friendly service & makes me miss Japan since they speak Japanese & they thank you in Japanese!
4) free edamame and gochu, very cool!
5) 50% off the majority of the rolls, all day, everyday!
6) easy parking
7) Japanese beer
8) green tea ice cream = yum
9) Chef's specials
10) you can take your time, as long or as short as you want there
11) Bento boxed meals on the menu!
