While visiting one of my favorite ramen spots in Orange County (check out the complete OC Ramen Guide here!), I spotted Ootoro Sushi in the same shopping complex. I didn’t know much about it but I decided I needed to give it a try on my next visit to Irvine.
Wow! I had no idea the treat I was in for; Ootoro is easily one of the best sushi experiences I’ve had. With locations in Los Angeles, Walnut and Irvine, this unassuming Orange County location has even been featured in the Michelin Guide. With highly skilled sushi chefs, incredible quality fish and premium ingredients, Ootoro needs to be on your sushi bucket list.
Here’s my experience dining at Ootoro Sushi in Irvine, California!
About Ootoro Sushi
Kun-Wu San opened his original sushi restaurant in Alhambra called “Toro” and later opened up two additional locations called “Ootoro” including the outpost in Irvine. Masa San heads up the team at the Irvine location and has more than 40 years of sushi chef experience and specializes in omakase.
Omakase translates to “I leave it up to you,” and is a chef’s choice tasting menu that usually consists of seasonal, fresh and creative dishes.
Ootoro Sushi not only offers a premium omakase experience but also offers a la carte options and lunch specials including bento style boxes. From the $24.95 lunch special to the omakase options ranging from $225 – $500 per person, there is truly a size and budget option for whatever experience you’re looking for at Ootoro Sushi.
Dining Experience at Ootoro Sushi
Lunch Experience
For my first experience, I dined at Ootoro Sushi for lunch with a group. The bustling restaurant had a casual ambience during the lunch hour and we were able to grab a comfortable booth. We all did a version of the lunch combo which allows you to pick two items from their list for $24.95. There are so many delicious options to choose from; sashimi combo, toro don, sashimi poke salad, toro hand roll, seared toro salad, BBQ don pork, uni chawanmushi, salmon skin salad, ramen, and grilled miso black cod just to name a few!
Our group opted for toro hand rolls, nigiri, sashimi and fried chicken. We were all impressed with the quality of the dishes and left full and happy. So much so that we were eager to visit again, but this time for dinner.
Dinner Experience
So for my second experience, my boyfriend and I did the omakase at the chef’s sushi bar for dinner. It didn’t feel quite like other omakase experiences I had been to; there was no set seating time and had an overall more relaxed feel.
After talking with our friendly sushi chef and telling him a bit about what we liked, he immediately got to work preparing our first dishes.
Our first few courses were made up of delectable nigiri and sashimi pieces of kinmedai (or golden eye snapper), salmon and yellowtail. After tasting the melt-in-your-mouth fish, I instantly knew we were in for a treat that evening.
Next up, we had amaebi (or sweet shrimp) and uni (or sea urchin) served on toast, both with exquisite presentations.
Then, abalone pieces served over a shiso leaf in its own shell. Followed by even more succulent nirigi pieces — both with several types of fish and miyazaki wagyu.
Perhaps the most surprising dish of the evening: uni pasta topped with fresh shaved truffle. Wow!
The final courses were rich and indulgent and certainly left us feeling full and satisfied! We had seared toro, a heaping portion of uni served over shiso leaf in it’s own shell on ice, and even more incredible wagyu beef — in such a large portion that I took some home and ate it for lunch the next day!
My Thoughts on Ootoro Sushi
Ootoro Sushi is unique in that, during the lunch experience, guests can expect high-quality ingredients at a very reasonable price point. But the restaurant also offers a premium omakase experience that allows guests to be guided by the highly skilled sushi chefs through a delicious sushi journey. So whatever sushi experience you’re looking for, Ootoro is absolutely worth a visit and remains one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Orange County!
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