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Toshi-San Sushi & Shabu-Shabu
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
7614 Fay Ave(between Kline St & Pearl St)
La Jolla, CA 92037
Neighbourhood: La Jolla
(858) 456-4545
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- 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:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
68 reviews for Toshi-San Sushi & Shabu-Shabu
Review Highlights
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"They have some super FRESH fish here." In 5 reviews -
"Black Cod Miso Saikyo: Very good flavor, nice and tender." In 4 reviews -
"...San on the same level as Sushi Ota (The best sushi bar out..." In 10 reviews
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68 reviews in English
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Review from Irene H.
San Diego, CA
3/14/2012
I was first introduced to Toshisan by my employer since it is the most favorite place that my employer. The first few experience with my colleagues were decent but not super impressive. My Caucasian colleagues have ordered very standard American favorite rainbow rolls, etc. It was average sushi. However, when the uni sashimi and live shrimp sashimi came up. I was astound with the freshness of the sashimi. It was so fresh, so sweet and so tasteful unlike anything that I ever had. It is nothing that sushi ota can compare to. My Japanese clients were so happy with the uni that they have told me they never had something this fresh in Japan.
The most amazing experience really happened when I first discovered omakase sushi (market fresh sushi by Chef's creativity). I am shock that seeing so many people said that sushi ota surpasses this place due to creativity. That is not true at all, sushi chef Toshi-San is amazingly creative. I've tasted the most authentic selection of sushi that I ever had that ranges from live sweet shrimp, halibut fin, toro, uni, fresh octopus, mackerel, yellow tail, etc. Each is a masterpiece of great texture, taste, freshness, and creativity.
My favorite is the halibut fin. It is something you can hardly find in any other sushi place, and it is definitely the most tender spot of halibut, which in my opinion is equally delicious as the toro. I've ate at least three different version of halibut fin at this place: Regular nigiri style, lightly seasoned version with dash of onion, and lightly grilled to perfection style. Today, I have see a Japanese customer came in and ask the chef what is fresh, and the chef has made a beautifully grilled red snapper head dish which is not on the menu at all. I was a bit skeptical at first when the Japanese guy kindly offered me some especially it is part of red snapper head. However, I was glad that I've tried it. It is the most amazing dish I had, tender, juicy and tasty. Apparently, Japanese red snapper is in season for winter, and the head is the best part of it.
I guess bottom line is if you want to get Americanized sushi roll, Toshisan is not the place for you. However, if you want to taste an innovative, fine, delicate and seasonal fresh traditional Japanese Nigiri, you are in the right place. Make sure you sit at the sushi bar and be open minded, you'll be very surprised by the Chef's creation. -
Review from Rachel L.
San Diego, CA
5/17/2012
Well, from reading the reviews and blogs about this place, I was excited to try it even though I was deathly sick for dinner.
Some of the reviews already warned you with the lack of customer service and enthusiasm with the staff, but hey, I'm Asian, and I KNOW how service is last on the list.
The place is older, I still found charm in a bungalow kinda feel. The parking was excellent, and of course, there was no wait.
Our waiter wasn't really understanding us very well, maybe cause I lost my voice a lil. I ordered the soft shell Crab roll with the avocados on the side as I am allergic, but my friend is not allergic, so she could have it separately. They ended up charging us for the avocados on the side, cuz they had avocados in the roll. And also the prime rib shabu plate was hella small. We ran into a lil more hiccups here and there with our waiter not understanding but all in all, we kinda got what we wanted.... Except, for the avocado. He served us the avocados first, and our shabu plate, so we started. Then served the soft shell crab roll and before biting into it, I saw avocado in it. So I didn't eat it...
But when the bill arrived, the avocados on the side were charged, just 10cents... But I still felt compelled to tell him nicely what the mix up was, and then asked if he could do anything about the bill? He asked for the avocados back, well.... That is hard, its being digested in my friends belly! So, i thought, not a big deal, but they refused to take off 10cents in sake of customer service. 10cents?!!!!... Really??? (well then THAT is gonna reflect ur tip buddy!)
I won't be returning here.... If the quality of the food was amazing, then I'd consider coming back. But the portions were small, sake is Nobu pricing... And I can totally get the same foods in Kearny Mesa.... With the same type of service but better portions -
Review from Rossi H.
Updated - 4/9/2012
I hate this. I am losing a friend and a go to spot,
my sushi spot.
I didn't see it happening and when I first heard complaints,
I blew them off.
I try to maintain an optimistic view.
The glass is half full kind of guy but without all the spirit fingers and crap.
And Toshi-San just meh?!?
No way.
This was just someone who was used to fancy deep fried rolls,
someone who was used to paying for more but getting less,
someone who can't believe something so simple
can be so amazing.
Then another complaint from someone who knows a thing or two
About sushi...
This sparked me and forced me to get down and enjoy a meal with Toshi-San.
I didn't enjoy it.
It was ok. It lacked ... that spark, that zest that it used to have.
Maybe this was on off day. Maybe. One so-so meal
shouldn't ruin the luster that I hold for this spot.
So...I came again with a friend.
It is done.
I have lost my go to sushi spot.
Some things change and it isn't always for the better.
Sometimes it is better to say thank you for all the good times
and be on your way. People change, perceptions change...
It wasn't a half-truth or a lie when I said I loved you...
But that was yesterday and now...We aren't the same.
That door is closed and a new one will open.
Best of luck Toshi-san,
with everything.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/13/2011
A common interaction with someone new and rossi h.
"Oh. Interesting. So what are you?"
Ummm....a… Read more »
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Review from Richard M.
Riverside, CA
12/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is one of the last dining experiences I'll be having in La Jolla for quite sometime. I came here with the X G/F for shabu shabu. It wasn't really memorable but it was eatable.
The portion size was adequate, and if I remember we ordered some rolls that where okay. Think it was a soft shell crab roll,. Shabu shabu doesn't really have a tasty broth like Chinese hot pot so I guess I'm not really a fan.
Doesn't matter I wont be going back. -
Review from Kanin Gem A.
San Diego, CA
11/13/2011
The quality and selection of food was satisfactory; Shabu Shabu was adequate but the rest of the dishes were mediocre, many of them overpriced.
Furthermore, the appalling level of service provided at this restaurant simply brought me to a loss for words. Their utter disregard to manners and social etiquette brings 'rude' to a whole new level.I would expect better service at a soup kitchen or school cafeteria.
First of all, the service was remarkably slow and crude. The waiter completely ignored our first order, leaving us to wait for nothing. The waitress showed no respect whatsoever, she accidentally knocked the shredded fish from our tofu salad whilst trying to retrieve the menu, but did not have the decency to apologize. Instead, she walked away.
In addition to the substandard service, the cashier literally forced us to pay 18% gratuity by filling in the 'tip' section of our credit card slips. I would be more than happy to pay this amount of gratuity if the service was decent.
It seems as though the staff at this restaurant were not educated well enough to understand basic social conduct. The unreasonable pricing, poor ambience and discourteous staff perfectly explains why it was empty on a Saturday night.
Simply put, I would rather starve myself to death than eat at this hell-hole.To any of you who happens to have the the slightest urge to eat at this place: think again. -
Review from Julia P.
7/7/2011
Whoever thought of having a restaurant that serves both sushi and shabu shabu is a freakin' genius in my book! These are two of my favorite things to eat and I could hardly contain my excitement when I found this on Yelp during my brief stay in San Diego. When we first got to the restaurant I was nervous because it was completely empty besides one other table, but then I realized that they were about to close in 20 minutes so it made a lot more sense. We got some sashimi which was extremely fresh and we also got the beef and seafood shabu shabu (I know I'm a pig). The meat and seafood were delicious but I was kind of disappointed in the vegetables because I expected a lot more cabbage and a lot more variety in the type of vegetables.
I'm giving this one more star because of something that happened as we were closing out our check. I decided to pay for dinner and I had accidentally handed the waiter an old debit card that had already been cancelled. Obviously, the card was declined and when the waiter came back to tell me he made up some excuse that sometimes the credit card machine doesn't recognize certain banks and etc. It made absolutely no sense but I liked the effort. It gave me a good laugh.
I highly recommend this place if you're in La Jolla and are craving Asian food since there is not too much of it. -
Review from Elizabeth J.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 4/8/2012
Ate at Toshi-san again last night. Still as wonderful as ever. I ordered the House Combo set meal, which reminded me of the wonderful meals served at minshuku (bed & breakfasts) in Japan. The salmon sashimi is still the best I've had outside of Japan.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/2/2011
Toshi-San gave me the best salmon sashimi I've had since I lived in Japan 6 years ago. The menu is a… Read more »
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Review from Reem A.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012
Came here with a friend one night for dinner after reading their yelp reviews. I ordered the shabu shabu and my friend chose to order some sushi rolls. I'm a huge fan of shabu shabu, but I was really disappointed with the Shabu at Toshi-San. It wasn't very tasty, the quality of the meat wasn't that great, and it was overpriced compared to most shabu shabu places. The service was okay, but our server seemed a little confused by some of our requests and questions. My friend was satisfied with her rolls, but we both agreed that we wouldn't be going back.
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Review from Margaret D.
San Diego, CA
2/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cadillac and I went here on a Saturday evening and it was dead. Bad for them, good for us (though I hoped it was because we were there old-people early). I haven't had sukiyaki since my mom died 17 yrs ago, so that's what we got. We chose to cook it table-side (one order to share). We also got a rainbow roll, seaweed salad, and a tofu salad.
Everything was delicious. The fish in the roll tasted very fresh and the chefs are back there waving at people like they want to impress you.
The tofu salad was HUGE, like a dinner salad though it was listed as an appetizer. I mean, not Cheesecake factory dinner salad big,but normal dinner salad big, with an enormous shaved bonito mountain on top.
We were stuffed at the end. I can't see how you could get two orders for two people of sukiyaki or shabu shabu, unless you're like a 16 year old boy and can eat your own body weight. If you get one order to share, get an extra bowl of rice because it comes with only one (and one soup bowl).
Real Japanese people working & eating here, too (in case you were wondering).
The only odd thing was they had very low lighting, some track lighting off to the side, so it was kind of dark at the table. Give us a candle or something.
No appetizers were placed out for us. -
Review from Gracie M.
San Diego, CA
7/13/2011
Went here on a search for shabu shabu with my fiance. (Recently moved down to SD from OC.) At first, we were sticker shocked about the shabu shabu. I was really hoping it was good since I could get my sushi fix and he could eat shabu shabu. My sushi order came first - albacore and salmon. AWESOME! Generous pieces. Excellent meat to rice ratio. Tasted very "melt in your mouth" fresh. I also had the unagi roll. It was ok. Next time, I will probably skip the unagi roll and get unagi sushi instead. Then came the shabu shabu. The quality of meat and size of slices made the price worth it!!
As the other reviewers mentioned, ambience isn't that great but the food is top notch!! -
Review from Liz S.
1/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
It was quick, the staff was nice, but there's virtually no atmosphere and the food was just ok.
We had a few sushi rolls and some nigiri. I'd stick with nigiri next time since the rolls had so much rice, they were hard to fit in your mouth and a lot for the 3 of us to finish.
One thing they had which was interesting were pan-roasted ginko nuts for an appetizer. Not for everyone's taste, but something different to try. -
Review from Carolyn P.
San Diego, CA
12/30/2011
This place is a hidden gem. I was very impressed with the quality of the fish, as I have only encountered such freshness in Japan. The cod and eggplant were out of this world, and lets not forget the tender delicious halibut sushi and my favorite the toro hand roll. As dessert came along, the actual red beans on the green tea ice cream was a wonderful surprise. I'm very pleased to know that we have such a restaurant right here in town.
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Review from Ix B.
La Jolla, CA
3/24/2011
Oh my, oh my.... This is the real thing, better even than sushi ota (which can be rather westernized). If you are here for the sushi, do the bar or get the deluxe chirashi. Toro, ikura, uni, all fresh and with larger portions. Shabu is also good, and as a side dish the chawan-mushi is great. The real secret is to ask for specials or off-the-menu items.
Cons: rolls are so-so, and the lighting/seats are rather sterile for a nice sushi place. People are mostly here for the quality of the food, not the ambience. -
Review from Kinga H.
11/22/2010
Clean, yet very sterile feeling environment.
Service was decent, friendly enough.
Food? Average. Nothing that stands out.Listed in: Su-Shee
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Review from Todd L.
San Diego, CA
9/8/2011
I am a sushi snob and will only eat at a few sushi restaurants in town. I personally like traditional sushi.
If you are looking for California roles, non-traditional sushi and loud music, this place isn't for you. Although, they will make you roles and they are still excellent. They just won't have a list of twenty-five roles you can get at the hip California style sushi restaurants around town. Many people don't realize this but you can't get a California roll or caterpillar role in Japan.
Toshi-San is a traditional Japanese sushi restaurant. They cater to the taste and style of Japanese people. There are only a handful of traditionally trained skilled sushi chefs in San Diego. Toshi-San is one of them. Japanese only go to a few sushi restaurants in San Diego and they will only be served by a few chefs. (Ota-san - Sushi Ota is another one.) The nice thing about Toshi-San is you don't have the long lines like you do at Sushi-Ota.
Toshi-san's uni is to die for. Also try the Spanish Mackerel sashimi. If you want to experience a sushi meal like you would in Japan, order omakase (chef's choice). Toshi-San will design a meal just for you. It is expensive but well worth the experience. --- I also recommend trying their specials.
Going for sushi can be a wonderful experience.
I definitely give this restaurant two thumbs up. -
Review from John M.
La Jolla, CA
10/1/2010
I have to say that I was a bit skeptical going to this place even though the Yelp reviews were good.
I cruised in with the wife and three kids the other night for dinner and I've got to say that I was thoroughly impressed. The restaurant was half-full on a Sunday night with a big table of Japanese at some sort of a business meeting/party. Vincent was our waiter and the only server that I saw besides some other female worker who RAN through the restaurant to get an order stopped that we had changed! Although Vincent was busy running around, he actually apologized for not spending enough time talking with us. Very nice guy with a great personality.
The Food: Excellent Protein Roll, amazing Black Cod baked with sake, fantastic Nina Roll (The Nina Roll is a "Marshall Roll" TM copy from Harney Sushi...someone should get a royalty check here). Everything we had here was fresh and tasty and nicely prepared. They have an OK beer and wine list and a good sake selection.
Most all of the tables in the restaurant have a heat-plate with a hood. I saw 3-4 tables with a broth and meat, veggies and tofu to bake with noodles. Those looked great and we plan on sharing a broth dish the next time we come in.
I would not put Toshi-San on the same level as Sushi Ota (The best sushi bar out there, period) but I would highly recommend them for any sushi-lover for the freshness, selection (some crazy things on the menu that I have NEVER seen before) and friendliness.
I'll update the review after I get to know them a bit better and make a return trip. -
Review from Henry M.
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA
2/17/2012
Excellent quality sushi and some interesting fusion dishes. Good service.
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Review from Nick T.
San Diego, CA
8/7/2009
This is Sushi Ota without all of the hype, the long lines and you dont need reservations.
Just dont order things like a rainbow / caterpillar / crunchy rolls. If you want stuff like that there are plenty of places in the area that will make that for you.
Of course this is my humble opinion. Go see for yourself.
Sit at the bar . Say " omakase onegaishimasu " to the chef and sit back.
Whatever you do, DO NOT ask the chef for sake, sodas, water or anything else thats not in front of him.
He is not your waiter.
Godspeed.
Ive already said too much. -
Review from Jared B.
San Diego, CA
3/28/2011
This is my favorite sushi restaurant in San Diego...hands down.
Growing up in a military family, I was blessed enough to spend my formative years in Japan. As such, I have a penchant for all things Japanese, food especially. I feel that I know what GOOD sushi is, and I prefer sushi restaurants that remind me of being in Japan as opposed to many of the Americanized Japanese restaurants that specialzie in crazy rolls or concoctions. Give me a great piece of nigiri with a friendly server and gregarious sushi chef, and I'm a fan.
And that's JUST what you'll get at Toshi-San.
The sushi itself is great. The quality of the fish is top notch, and Toshi-San actually serves Tamago! You'd be amazed how many "sushi" places don't serve such a basic dish!
I've had the shabu shabu before. Although, as a general rule, I am not a huge fan of shabu shabu to begin with, it was pretty good. But I go to Toshi-San for the sushi combo B.
Plus, the mochi ice cream is the best in town. I still don't know what brand they use for their mochi ice cream, but once I find out, I am totally going to stock my freezer with it because it's delicious (both the mango and the strawberry are equally good). -
Review from Hans M.
San Diego, CA
11/8/2007
Being from the East Coast, I miss NOT having any ShabuShabu here in SoCal. So when I heard that we do have a Japanese hot pot place here locally in San Diego, I was very excited to try out.
Clean place, can be busy sometimes, expect to wait during the weekend. (which I did) Good selection of Sushi, good quality too, fresh. Although they are good, I have had better 1s here in San Diego.
Plates for Shabu Shabu are good, according to west coast standard. They are a bit over priced, as expected. I don't like the fact that they charge almost everything --- even tofu, cabbage, kimchi, etc etc. Therefore, watch out on what you order so you won't be caught with your pants down once you got the bill.
Overall, good ShabuShabu, good Sushi, got parking, a bit pricey, don't over order, "pre-eatting" might be needed. -
Review from Louise A.
La Jolla, CA
10/20/2011
Whenever I want Sushi, this is where I go. Really fresh fish, beautiful rolls. I particularly like the spicy tuna. There were 3 of us last night, and the place was not very full. The hostess was delightful, took our orders quickly. We could not decide what to drink, so she went back for more/different drinks (water, tea, wine, coke) without any complaint at all. I keep meaning to order the shabu shabu, but then I think, love the sushi, and end up ordering that again.
I love the way they all greet us when we come, and say goodbye and thank you when we leave. Just like Japan. -
Review from Anh V.
4/27/2011
small lot which can fill up fast.
drank sake and chowed on:
seaweed salad
sashimi : the usual uni, yellowtail, toro
meh sushi rolls
double meh shabu shabu: meat slices were a bit thick and i wished that they had a tasty spicy miso broth instead of bland water...and lastly mochi icecream
*watch out for the extra charges like hot tea and extra sauce
*waiter forgot my chirashi so i had to eat off everyone's plate. :(Listed in: La "Joy" La
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Review from Joanna B.
Oakland, CA
4/30/2007
I first got turned on to Shabu Shabu at the Kodak, the new home of the Oscars. When I came home to San Diego I wanted to find the miracle again.
The only Shabu Shabu place I could find was in La Jolla. The sauces here were not quite as tangy. However, I was just jazzed to have found Shabu Shabu. I suspect I was a little too excited as I opted for the Kobe Beef. Kobe Beef should be reserved for fillets.
As far as Shabu Shabu restaurants go it's pretty decent and has lovely ambiance. However, it is the only game in town so I do encourage others to go try it.Listed in: Top Restaurants, Left Coast
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Review from sybril s.
1/19/2010
This place surprised me. I thought a cheesy restaurant name would constitute a bad japanese dinner experience... I was wrong.
It has a variety of offerings in terms of types of Japanese food. It has a sushi bar, shabu shabu and some but limited kappo items.
Let me tell you, their fish are really fresh. Something I wasn't expecting at all. The toro was soooo good it melts in your mouth. I wish we ordered more sashimi but since we didn't know what to expect, we ordered a bunch of cooked food... and it was too late, we had too much food and couldn't order more.
I'd definitely go again... and if you sit by the sushi bar, don't forget to ask to sit at Uchino-san's section :) -
Review from Jennifer T.
Castro Valley, CA
11/17/2008
Toshi-San is a block from my parents house so when I first came to visit it was naturally the first place I went to. And it was pretty good.
Fresh fish. Good quality rice. Traditional menu items that can't be found at most places are offered. The teriyaki wasn't the best but I rarely ever order it anyways. Service was okay but there have times that I've had to flag the waitress down for refills et cet. Could use some improvement.
The ambiance is very relaxing and quiet... perfect for a relaxing evening dinner after watching the sunset at the beach.
However, I thought the prices were a little high for what you actually get.
I suppose thats the La Jolla factor though?
Ever since trying Toshi-San I've been trying every other sushi place in the area and have sadly, very very sadly been disapointed. Most are white washed (Sushi on theRock), loud(anywhere in PB or OB), and overpriced(Zenbu).
So I keep comming back simply because I haven't found anything thats better... Nobu aside of course!
Which isn't too bad of a reason. Toshi-San is what I'd consider a good regular sushi place. Nice quiet ambiance and standard of service and food that remains consistantly good. Oh and they are open fairly late as well which is a plus! -
Review from Karim H.
Chicago, IL
10/8/2008
Shabu Shabu!
In San Diego!
Given, it's not the greatest I've ever had, but it's refreshing to find a good quality Shabu Shabu place I can take friends to here in town.
Has San Diego just not caught on to the wonders of hot pot cooking? I find it shocking that people aren't swarming here in droves. Fondue ain't got nothin' on Shabu Shabu!!!!
Beginning with a large family style pot of boiling water, Shabu Shabu is a gastronomic experience involving all five senses, and most of the food pyramid as well.
Beginning with fresh vegetables, and tofu, moving into excellent cuts of thinly sliced beef, continuing with glass noodles and finishing off with a bowl of udon, each element of the meal was fresh, pleasantly presented, and served with impeccable service. The dipping sauces were above-average, and the scallions and spicy radish added the perfect amount of kick to each part of the dish.
Honestly, if you haven't yet tried Shabu Shabu, you're long overdue for a visit to Toshi-San!!! -
Review from Andy L.
San Diego, CA
2/16/2009
Went to Toshi-San for the first time for Valentine's Day. It was my first experience with shabu-shabu, and I was not disappointed.
- Black Cod Miso Saikyo: Very good flavor, nice and tender. But the portion size was a little small.
- Salmon sashimi: Good, nicely marbled, decent size cut.
- Onion tempura: Very bad, the batter was heavy and soggy, yet somehow dry.
- Prime rib shabu shabu: Excellent, meat was very nicely marbled. Accompanying vegetables and noodles were okay.
I think I would give the place another try, when they weren't so busy from Valentine's Day. I would give the place four stars, but I had to knock the place down a star because of the awful tempura. -
Review from Jonathan W.
8/8/2010
If you're ever stuck needing to fix that sushi craving, this place is reasonable but certainly not high quality.
The sushi is passable but not the freshest. Perhaps the rice is a bit old? The hot foods, chicken teriyaki and tempura....all plain. Did I mention the averageness of this place?
Skip unless you really want some fish and can't walk elsewhere. -
Review from Patrick L.
San Diego, CA
2/19/2009
Food was decent. More expensive than I thought it should be.
Shabu shabu portion would've been better if they had an all you can eat option. -
Review from Maggie P.
1/23/2010
I came here the first time after being sworn to secrecy because lest the word get out that this is the best sushi place in town, it might get as packed as some of the half-as-good places on La Jolla's main drag. I've kept the secret until now.
I have never had a bad meal here. In fact, quite the opposite. I've always had a fantastic and satisfying meal here. The sushi is fresh and out of this world. I've been here maybe a dozen times and the crunchy shrimp roll (emphasis on the crunchies) is so very delicious. I'll admit I've never tried the shabu shabu but it looks very interesting.
The sushi chefs always smile and greet me when I come in. They don't know me nor do they probably recognize me, they're simply friendly and happy. I've been a few times just for takeout and the wait has never exceeded more than 15 minutes for a couple rolls, even when it's busy on a Saturday night.
I definitely recommend this place. Although you might write it off as being just another sushi place with standard decor, easily passable from the street, it is much more. -
Review from Steve R.
San Diego, CA
1/17/2008
Yelp has to implement the 1/2 star rating capability, because I just spent the last 10 minutes clicking between 3-stars and 4-stars for this review, ugh..
Ok, I really like Toshi-San and although you see 3 stars as my overall rating I'll describe why.
Pros: Great quality fish and wide selection. Almost the entire staff is Japanese which is really refreshing. Didn't try the Shabu-Shabu since I'm not a huge fan, but will next time. Was extremely impressed with their nigiri and how soft the toro was.
Cons: Ambiance isn't too great and it smells a little weird, not fishy but almost like chloroform smell. The menu isn't too exotic, but if you sit at the sushi bar you may get some cool stuff
So in summary, Toshi San is like a really ugly girl with a great personality. You love to sit down and chat, but you wouldn't show her off to your friends... -
Review from Roberta M.
Carlsbad, CA
6/13/2009
Last night, we had the incredibly good fortune of having a wonderful client treating us to dinner at Toshi San. I'm not sure if the client pre-ordered, or simply turned chef Toshi loose--but the results were astounding.
Sitting at the bar, we started off with a seasoned brown seaweed dish and large bottles of dry Asahi. This was followed by very fresh bluefin tuna. Before that was finished, Toshi held up several large and wiggly prawns and said they would be next on our plates.
Within a few minutes, raw and translucent sweet shrimp caught off Pt Loma were draped over their rolled rice beds. They were delicious--and I can't say that I have ever eaten shrimp that fresh--or that good.
The feast continued with plump and fatty toro, fried shrimp heads, delicate sea urchins, two types of eel, fresh mackerel, Fantasy Roll, and a raw quail egg creation. We completed with spicy radish greens roll, green tea ice cream and hot green tea.
It surely helped that our host is Japanese and dines at Toshi San frequently. But we noted other Asian diners enjoying the fare--and concluded independently that this is surely one of the best sushi restaurants in Southern California.
It was an experience to be remembered. -
Review from Marie S.
Tempe, AZ
7/11/2011
This place has refreshing iced green tea, delicate miso cod, flavorful cuts of meat, and EXPENSIVE PRICES! I'm not a stickler when it comes to paying for good food, but in this case, I don't think the food is really worth the price. You have to pay for extra sauces, which is really unfortunate because the sauces are so integral to complement the meats. They say that they give you vegetables with your meat orders, but in reality they give you a very small amount and just a single slice of carrot. When it comes down to it, I am still going to continue going here because the shabu shabu is as tasty as I've had in San Diego. Still, I feel that the prices could be lowered and they could be much more generous with their portions.
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Review from Carl L.
Orange, CA
8/26/2010 11 Check-ins Here
I have grown up at Toshi-San, I started going there the second day it was open, and have enjoyed it ever since. I love Toshi's because its excellent quality fish, amazing flavor, and of course Toshi-San. He is the man, always smiling, always happy, and always working hard for you!
Do yourself a favor and go here!!! -
Review from David W.
San Diego, CA
10/23/2006
This restaurant is probably the most pricy one I've reviewed since it's in La Jolla. The sushi is quite fresh, but definitely not on par with Sushi Ota in terms of creativity and style. But with that in mind, I didn't order the priciest dishes on the menu so I don't think I could say much more.
I did however order a bunch of the Shabu Shabu dishes, and they were as I expected. You pay a lot of money for really high quality meat to shabu shabu, and it doesn't really fill you up, at least I don't think it's supposed to. The sliced fatty beef is definitely a delicacy when your doing the hot pot, the rest of the other items however, were, for a lack of a better term, Unsatisfying. Lauren would probably say that it was WEAK. Tofu, cabbage, and a few vegetables when ordering the hot pot.
It cost 50$ to eat the beef, which I probably would have enjoyed it at Ruths Chris.
I know that quality is a large part of the restaurant, but my expectation is that I have to be somewhat filled after a meal, even when I'm not full, well, I ended up shelling out 80 bucks for my wife and I and I was still hungry...... -
Review from J B.
San Diego, CA
2/20/2010
This place is definitely NOT good for groups.
My friends and I were recently subjected to a keystone cops performance from the staff while we attempted ot enjoy a birthday dinner. We knew we had a large group, and we made it a point to help them out by putting our names on each sushi card and keeping our orders separated. Despite our efforts, each server aimlessly wandered from the kitchen with a sushi entree asking the masses who ordered the California roll they were carrying. From the time the first entreee was served, it took at least 30 minutes for everyone to get some portion of their order. I'm not asking for them to burst from the kitchen like Usain Bolt, but please give me some assurance you're not spending your tips on Valium.
I didn't expect perfection with a group this size, but they saved their worst work for the checks. Although we literally spelled it out for them, they still managed to screw up most of the checks after spending another half hour preparing and bringing them to us. Almost everyone was either charged twice or charged for rolls they ORDERED, but weren't served. LMAO.
And as far as the sushi, how can anyone compare this stuff to Sushi Ota???!!! LOL. Judas Priest! That's rich. The prices are insulting for the level of quality and freshness they deliver.
Do yourself a favor and avoid this place. -
Review from Christine D.
San Diego, CA
3/26/2010
I was in the mood for udon soup and unfortunately, Aloha Sushi down the street doesn't serve that. So to Toshi I went.
The place was dead when I arrived and I got there a little after 12 noon. One other guy walked in after me. This did not bode well.
I was promptly seated and ordered my standard water with lemon. Glanced over the meu and ordered a spicy tuna handroll and the nabeyaki udon. The handroll was small and tasted all right. I'm not a purist when it comes to sushi so I wish there was some cucumber or radish or something kind of veggie in the handroll.
The udon was tasty at first. The nicest part was that the egg was perfectly cooked. But as I drank the broth, it started tasting saltier and saltier.
Service was meh. I was not offered a refill on my water glass. The server never even checked with me after the food was served to see if I needed anything else.
$17.40 for lunch before tip. I should have just gone to Aloha Sushi and gotten some miso soup and a couple of handrolls instead. -
Review from Lauren B.
San Diego, CA
2/9/2011
Stopped in here on my lunch break to grab a California roll and a moment of peace and quiet. I sat at the sushi bar, and was impressed at how quickly I was greeted by the sushi chef. I liked the modern, not-too-trendy atmosphere, and the fact that it was very quiet. I ordered my California roll ($5.50), and the smiling chef made it in front of me in 2 minutes flat. It was eight very large pieces that were not as tightly rolled as I would have liked, but the ingredients tasted fresh, and I thoroughly enjoyed every last bite.
I quickly scanned the rest of the menu, and it looks like this place is meant for patrons who want 'legit' Japanese food (i.e. stuff I can't pronounce), and not trendy sushi. The wine list wasn't impressive, but if you like Sake', there's a lot to choose from. I loved that the guy at the counter was so smiley, but I did not appreciate how the waitress dropped my check in front of me the second I put down my chopsticks. I'll probably be back to grab quick lunches...after I try all the other California rolls in La Jolla! -
Review from Olin H.
San Diego, CA
5/1/2009
The staff and chef were really nice people and the service fantastic but (wow) the food was awful.
Salmon smelled like it was caught last year, the rolls had rice from last week, even the miso soup was bad.
Hyper expensive. -
Review from Peter E.
La Jolla, CA
1/4/2010
Stopped by tonight with my wife and daughter on the recommendation of my next-door neighbor (who is a regular here). My daughter was lobbying hard for Sushi on the Rock II, but I vetoed her suggestion and am glad I did. VERY pleased with my choice. WIDE selection of Japanese dishes -- many not found at typical Japanese restaurants -- and good quality food.
The sushi was excellent (fresh salmon and hamachi) -- very generous portions and great flavor -- and my nabeyaki udon was the best I have had since my much-beloved Noodle House of Otemoyan closed years ago. The fried baby octopi were a nice treat and kama (salmon) very flavorful, but a little dry. My wife LOVED her hand roll (spicy salmon?) and daughter dug her shumai and mochi ice cream dessert.
Can't wait to go back and explore the menu further!
