While Laguna Beach has its fair share of delicious sushi restaurants, there has yet to be an omakase experience in town… until now!
Rebel Omakase is an incredible, fine dining restaurant located in downtown Laguna Beach, California where talented chefs prepare delectable sushi using top quality fish and premium ingredients.
Here’s my experience dining at Rebel Omakase in Laguna Beach!
About Rebel Omakase
Rebel Omakase is owned by Chef Jordan Nakasone and his wife, Deborah, and opened in August 2021. Both are wonderful, inviting hosts and eager to share their passion for sushi — and they made my experience dining at Rebel Omakase such a joy!
Chef Jordan Nakasone previously worked under Kimiyasu Enya at Sushi Enya in downtown L.A.’s Little Tokyo and still visits the city frequently to source fish from the L.A. Fish Market!
The clean, modern design of the restaurant is centered around a large sushi bar where up to 10 guests can enjoy watching the sushi chefs prepare dish after dish of mouthwatering sushi. The restaurant also boasts an outdoor patio for al fresco dining!
Omakase, which literally translates to “I leave it up to you,” is a chef’s choice tasting menu that typically consists of seasonal, fresh and artistic dishes. And Rebel Omakase offers just that! Their omakase experience runs about $200 per person but there is also an a la carte menu for those wanting to customize their meal.
Dining Experience at Rebel Omakase
After being seated at the sushi bar and seeing the chefs prepare fish, rice and other sushi ingredients, we felt the anticipation build and were thrilled to begin our omakase experience!
Our first course was a sashimi salad including fresh bluefin tuna; a simple yet delicious dish and the perfect start to our meal.
From there, we moved onto a savory soup, crab dish and seared albacore (all excellent) before cleansing our palates with a sorbet for the courses to follow.
Next up: one of my favorites, a melt-in-your-mouth wagyu beef hand roll.
Then we moved onto the nigiri portion of the meal and enjoyed fresh kanpachi, scallops, mackerel, snapper, bluefin tuna and otoro tuna belly. Some topped with shaved truffle, some with gold flakes and some with uni… but all equally incredible!
For the grand finale (of the savory dishes), another flavorful beef dish presented in a glass smoking cloche dome which was a total “wow” factor!
And for the actual finale: a fruit topped cake (I believe there was passion fruit in there… my favorite!) that perfectly ended the meal and satiated my post-savory sweet tooth.
My Thoughts on Rebel Omakase
From start to finish, our omakase experience was exceptional and each dish continued to delight us. Rebel Omakase is on par with some of the best omakases I’ve had in Orange County and Los Angeles and I can’t believe it’s so close to home in Laguna Beach. It is the perfect spot for a date night or special occasion like a birthday or anniversary!
Tips for Visiting Rebel Omakase
- Make a reservation in advance by texting (949) 664-3186 with your full name, phone number, size of your party and desired date and seating time.
- There are two seating times; the first is at 5:00pm and the second is at 7:30pm. The experience takes a few hours so allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy the many courses (oh, and come hungry!).
- Omakase is a set menu but of course let the restaurant know about preferences or allergies in advance.
- Come with an open mind and prepare to be delighted by the omakase style of dining!
Leave a Reply