Kaigen

I stumbled upon this spot after hitting up the local driving range. I always have a soft spot for small Japanese spots in unassuming strip malls or plazas. I took a spot at the sushi bar and it was a welcoming experience. I chose their sushi omakase with 9 nigiri pieces and 1 hand roll, miso soup and salad. For $42 this is a good deal for fresh fish and tasty twists in flavor for each piece. The sea bream was incredible, black cod melted in my mouth and anything paired with yuzu just makes me happy. I also got some fried squid which would have gone well with some beer. There is a help wanted sign and there is only one waiter, so hopefully they can get the help they deserve. I'll definitely be back to this spot when I'm in the area.

I dined at Kaigen last night and ordered the sashimi omakase and udon. Wow, what an unforgettable experience! The sashimi was incredibly fresh, beautifully presented, and each piece just melted in my mouth. The chef clearly knows their craft, balancing flavors and textures perfectly. The udon was equally impressive—comforting, perfectly cooked, and packed with flavor. The service was top-notch, attentive without being overbearing, and the staff made the whole evening feel special. Highly recommend Kaigen for anyone craving an exceptional sushi experience!

Such a cute little find! The lunch service was great and they were very helpful in recommending options. There are several choices straight from Japan (check the daily board); we had the Nigiri sushi (yellow tail, yellow fin, cherry salmon, sea bass, black cod & horse mackerel) with the yellow fin & black cod as our favorites. We also ordered the baked salmon roll and ruby roll, all were delicious.

Omakase, great value. Got to try a variety of fish otherwise would not have. Sushi n sashimi were fresh, tender n melt-in-ur-mouth. Sushi omakase had 9 single sushi including torro. Sashimi omakase had same fish as sushi omakase, 9 servings, 3 pieces/serving. As always, sitting at the bar is the best way to enjoy the omakase experience as the chef will timely serve each dish. Enjoys the journey...

One of my favorite spots for a low-priced (but delicious) omakase. It includes soup, salad, a handroll, and a of course a good amount of nigiri. Great value and good quality pieces. Husband and I both ordered the omakase, I ordered an additional order of Sea Bream, and two cokes. Came out to around $110 before tip.

Really one of the best deals in So Cal for an Omakase experience. We wanted to dine at the sushi bar, and originally telling us it was a half hour wait. This was Friday night, so we thought it wasn’t a big deal. It ended up being about 5 minutes. Between the two of us we had one sushi and one sashimi omakase. The fish and seafood were just lovely. The sushi omakase is a decent amount for the price which is soup, edamame, salad, 9 pieces nigiri and hand roll. The sashimi omakase is almost double the price and double the amount of seafood pieces with a bowl of rice. Decor is simple, and service is really friendly. We miss places like this. Will definitely come back next time we are in the area again.

Truly Amazing experience today for lunch 😋 Thank you everyone for such an impressive display of artistry and excellent quality seafood. Nice clean restroom available inside for customers and plenty of parking available here. Highly recommend you come here and try everything.

This is a hidden gem. The food is excellent. Highly recommend for sushi and sashimi. The fish selection is great. I got the sushi omakase it comes with miso soup and a salad. The chef selection was perfect. Too bad they don't serve yakitori during lunch. Will definitely come back when I'm back in the area and craving for japanese food.

It's a hole in wall sushi restaurant in Tustin that doesn't look appealing in the outside and could get more daunting as you walk inside and see a small, homey vibe, but the food is actually pretty good. Right off the bat, I got worried because the chopsticks are cheap ones where you have to take off the splinters but when they gave me the miso soup and salad, I was happy because they were very delicious. Then the omakase began. Eat with your hands to feel the freshness of the fish. A wet towel is provided to wipe your fingers and fresh wasabi and ginger is provided to cleanse your palate. Each nigiri was carefully curated by the chef in front of you and will patiently wait for you to enjoy your plate so do not feel rushed. Each bite was so flavorful, and different. Tuna melted in your mouth, cherry salmon was sweet and buttery, the yellowtail tasted like the ocean and the scallop was just plain amazing. No need to have soy sauce and wasabi on the side because each plate was already measured to perfection. Great taste and value. I came out feeling good and not too full.

I'm so glad my friend introduced me to this hidden gem. This restaurant is in a little row of shops and it doesn't have the best appeal from the outside but don't judge it by its exterior. Once you enter the restaurant, you'll be welcomed by the friendly staff. I had the omakase which was the perfect choice! Nine pieces of extremely fresh fish with a delicate flavor. My favorite was the toro. I wish I could have nine more pieces of just that! It was delicious. The ambiance is very casual and I thought the prices were reasonable.

Restroom is so dirty conditions and bed service.. Sushi was smelled too fishy. I never go back to this place again.

A hidden gem in Orange! I always order their omakase and it's a bang for your buck. It was formerly $39, but their prices raised slightly to $42. Definitely still worth it! The omakase comes with miso soup, salad, 9 pieces of nigiri, and either a blue crab or yellowtail hand roll (your pick). They give you a nice assortment of quality fish. My favorite piece would have to be the seared black cod nigiri. Yum! I recommend sitting at the sushi bar for the omakase to get the full experience!

Came here and had the omakase at the sushi bar. The fish was very fresh with the exception of the halibut that was tasted extremely fishy which is not normal. I nearly spit it out but didn't want to be rude to the other guests. We got a few extra pieces at the end as add ons and it was fairly good pricing. It also comes with a good size salad and a miso soup. Edamame was also already at our seats which was nice as many places charge for it these days. The service was a bit slow but they were extremely kind. It's a medium size restaurant and is very clean. All in all for an affordable omakase this is a great choice, highly recommend.

I was glad they had availability for bar seating as enjoy watching chefs create our meals. Originally ordered sashimi omakase but they chef ended up serving us the sushi. I was happy with the selection and one of the few places that are reasonably priced for the quality. Amaebi was very fresh where chef showed us when it was still alive. Market price so definitely added to the bill. Great service. Worth the trek and will come back

I have only been to this place 3 times in the past years because it's far from my house and I haven't been back in a long time since I moved away even further and honestly, it's a great omakase place. The fish are all very fresh with great quality and price and the server is very friendly and attentive. I do support any businesses that care about customers. I will continue to come here when I'm in the area. The ambiance is also nice and clean. Omakase is $42 with soup, salad, and edamame Nama tako and scallop are my favorite

I came here on a saturday afternoon with my sister for a quick lunch. Plenty of parking in the lot, so no issues there. I thought there would be a wait, but we were seated quickly at the bar. I agree with the other reviews, the omakase lunch menu is totally worth it. It is a little small though (if I remember correctly 8pc), so definitely order some extra add ons. In our case we got some more toro and monkfish liver. Our server was attentive and cool guy too - easily can hold a conversation when he over heard me talk about fitness lol! Bar seating does get full though, so it's better to make a reservation if you can. It's also a pretty quiet setting. Will come back whenever I get the chance!

I'd had Kaigen bookmarked in case I was ever in this area of Orange County. Kaigen is located in an unassuming strip center but inside is nice with plenty of booths and a large sushi bar. I ordered the Sushi lunch for my daughter which comes with 5 pieces of nigiri, a roll (CA, tuna), miso soup and salad. At $20 it's not great value but the quality of the sushi makes it worth it. I ordered myself the omakase which came with 9 pieces of premium nigiri, hand roll (I chose yellowtail), salad and miso soup. At $42 I felt this was a bit overpriced. Especially compared to the $20 sushi lunch. However, the quality of the nigiri was outstanding! The fish is super high quality and very fresh tasting. I also really appreciated all of the special toppings on the nigiri. Overall Kaigen is a solid 5 stars (due to the quality of the fish and delicious flavor combinations) and I'd return for sure if I'm in this area again. The service was also outstanding.

I can't say good enough things about this restaurant. At $42, the Omakase menu is an absolute steal. For the money, you get miso soup, salad, 9 pieces of nigiri, and a hand roll. Each piece of fish is perfectly crafted. I'd highly recommend sitting at the bar for the omakase. You can still order the omakase at a table, but the experience just isn't the same. The chef will serve you each piece as you eat, so the sushi is as fresh as possible. The restaurant itself is relatively small and unassuming in the middle of a little strip mall. Come here for some great sushi for any occasion!

This is a favorite of ours and we come here often. The sushi is always fresh and the staff is absolutely wonderful! It's a small restaurant but definitely has a wonderful vibe.

Went for my birthday dinner and ordered the omakase. Sat at the bar and for a weekday night the restaurant was busy. The service was great as well as the sushi chef. I believe the restaurant is Korean owned. The music was a weird mix and pretty loud. The experience would be better with softer music. I found it super distracting and hard to talk even though we were sitting next to each other. The fish itself was good. Some fish were seasoned perfectly and tasted fantastic. Others weren't as good quality as you can see the veins in the fish which I normally do not get at other omakase serving restaurants. Overall not bad for the price and what we got. We ordered extra pieces on top of the omakase as it wasn't enough to get us full. So one star off for annoying music and some ok quality fish.

We walked in on a Tuesday night at 6:30 and most of the restaurant still had open seating. We sat at the sushi bar for the 9 pc sushi omakase + handroll set and also ordered an appetizer and special roll. The omakase set was good and the highlights were the toro, jumbo scallop, black cod, and snow crab hand roll. There were a couple others with delicious seasoning and garnishes as well. Is it the best omakase quality out there? No. But it is good quality, delicious, and a fantastic value at $42. I would pass on the spicy tuna jalepeno poppers (1/5) and the kiss of fire roll (3/5) to try different rolls next time. Kaigen is located in a small plaza of a not so great area and I did see strange people in the parking lot so be careful walking around.

It's been on my list for years now but I finally tried the $42 Sushi Omakase at Kaigen and left very happy with the quality of the fish at such a good value. All of the sushi was delicious, with my favorites being the Toro, Black Cod and Cherry Salmon. In addition to the omakase we also ordered a Hamachi collar, which was also fantastic. According to the chef, the collars are usually gone during lunch time but definitely worth checking. Service was really good the entire meal from the whole staff. In terms of parking, Kaigen is located in a relatively small lot but most of the cars seemed like they were there for Kaigen so there were plenty of spaces available. Overall, really enjoyed the experience here and will definitely be back for more delicious fish. Fish: Bluefin Tuna Amberjack Sea Bream Scallop Cherry Salmon Raw Octopus Sea Bass Toro Black Cod Blue Crab Handroll Hamachi Collar

I've been wanting to try this place for awhile and finally got the opportunity to while being in the area. There was no wait time at 5pm on a Sunday. I ordered a baked salmon roll, halibut sushi, sea bream sushi, and their omakase nigiri sushi. The orders came one by one starting with the halibut and sea bream. All of their sushi was fresh and delicious. My favorite was the halibut sushi with its already slightly smoky taste. I loved the addition of blue crab rolls in the omakase nigiri sushi. The chef's choices for the omakase was very nice too, given most if not all were in season. The baked salmon roll wasn't anything special but was a nice hot plate filling for the meal. Overall, the sushi quality lived up to my expectations. The pricing was honestly cheaper than I was expecting. This is a place I'd recommend to my friends.

Ordered the sushi lunch set with tuna roll, sashimi lunch set, and the omakase with blue crab hand roll. They all come with miso soup and a salad. Overall the food was decent but felt the quality of fish can be better. The sushi rice lacked flavor as well. I came with high expectations with all the raving reviews but left a little underwhelmed. It might just be one of their off days. I will give it another chance but might stick to the simple sushi lunch set next time.

Came in on a Friday night with no reservation and waited for about 15 minutes. Our servers were great to talk to and very helpful! OMAKSASE -9 pieces for $42 -black cod was our favorite! -the octopus was a bit chewy -all the pieces were super fresh and had their own flavor For good quality omakase, this spot is definitely a steal for $42!

Kaigen Omakase is definitely worth trying. Chef was great but service was just okay. There weren't a lot of people when we dined during a weekday afternoon.

$42 Omakase! 9 pieces with a handroll + soup/salad + edamame. Came here for early dinner around opening on a weekday and did not have a wait. This is a random hole in the wall in Tustin in an older plaza. Excellent quality and service for a great price. Shout out to the staff for gracefully clearing out all our plates and making sure our needs were met! Would love to come here again. Quality omakase, not basic omakase that's just salmon nigiri. Crafted with pride. Each piece is handed to you on a small little dish.

A friend recommended this place to us to try it out. $42 for Omakase. We sat at the sushi bar. Very tight seating. After we ordered, the soup came but our salad didn't come until we were almost done. The place was busy and very hard to get the server attention. All the sushi pieces were fresh and delicious. For the price, it was definitely worth giving it a try Located in a small plaza. I would definitely come back again.

I showed up to try their omakase. They had just opened for the evening. The service was very fast and very friendly. I had the sashimi omakase, although they made a mistake and brought the sushi omakase for the first few dishes. They made it right, however. This place doesn't look like much from the outside - it's in a standard small strip mall. They tend to get busy on certain nights however, and you'll have a wait during certain times. The fish was very fresh. The presentation (see photos) was attractive, and the chef choices were delicious. They know their stuff here. No disappointments. I'd easily come back again. Omakase was a great tasting adventure for me.

YESSSS! PLEASE EAT HERE, YOU WILL LOVE IT! Nice and cozy ambiance! The chef is really friendly and everything was absolutely delicious, even the salad!

I will never stop raving about this amazing sushi restaurant and I always come to Kaigen for their omakase. I tried something new during my last visit which was uni since it's not included in their omakase and by far Kaigen's uni is one of the most fresh and most delicious uni I've ever indulged in. Everything else was tasty as usual and the sushi chef made us a secret complimentary dish which was grounded fish molded into a small ball with sauce on top and it was great!

Easy parking. Quick service. Quality sushi. Good prices. Will be back. The omakase high quality pieces, all of them tasted good. None of them felt like a filler piece. I really enjoyed the roll that was included. I thought that was a nice touch. Miso soup and a salad a delicious standard starters (however, it seems like more places do not include this anymore...) Ika karage was nicely fried. I noticed that it is fried, then cut into smaller pieces. I wish it was the other way around.

My girlfriend and I came here for Valentines Day. Originally I was going to bring her to a steak house but changed my mind since we had steak during the weekend. I called Monday and the server was gracious enough to have an opening for 530 for a small table so I took it (even though of course bar seating was full) They're strict on their 10 minute grace period but we made it. We ordered an Orion and Large Hot Sake Usually I don't order Fried Soft Shell crab but today I was feelin it. It was delicious! Nice and fluffy with a ponzu dipping sauce. 5/5 Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice 4/5. Rice was a little bit more crispy than I liked but still solid overall. Nigiri Omakase. 5/5 My gf was eating this one but half way we switched since it was too much rice for her. It was nice trying different types of fish. $48? Sashimi Omakase 5/5 - Presentation was beautiful. Slices were thick. $75? Overall, servers were all really nice! You can also take shots with them if you like! If you're looking for a cheap omakase in the Orange area I definitely recommend. I think for the price point it's amazing. The corner table on the right side ended up being perfect. Maybe since I served before so I always prebus and arrange everything nicely haha! Thank you Kaigen for the great experience!

$42 for 9 piece omakase consisting of 9 piece nigiri, miso soup, salad, AND hand roll sounds insane even if the food was mediocre, but it isn't mediocre--fish tastes fresh and not "fishy" at all. Sure some may come with frills such as plum sauce, or yuzu salt, but nothing overpowering. Honestly everything from that set is pretty damn good and for $42, it's a steal. Not much else needs to be said. Pro tip, for the hand roll, it asks for yellowtail or tuna but you can also request for blue crab which we opted for as we've had that in the past!

Had a wonderful experience ordering the Sushi Omakase $42. A great value! I believe our sushi chefs name was Chris and he did a fantastic job. Not very conversational but was efficient and accommodating for my apprehension with wasabi. Each roll was carefully crafted and plated beautifully. My personal favorites: cherry salmon, toro, and black cod. After your 9 sushi dishes you get the option of either: yellow tail, blue fin, or blue crab hand roll. I chose the blue crab hand roll and it was the perfect finisher. The restaurant itself has a chill ambiance. Customers came in casual attire. Plenty of seating options. Tables seemed to accommodate up to 8.

First time here and we shall return soon! Service and food was on par. Plus, $39 for an Omakase experience with great quality sushi is hard to beat! So tip well please so they can keep up the great prices! The highlight pieces I had were the blue fin tuna, cherry salmon, black cod aaaaaannnnd toro is my all time fave! It's a super chill spot so no need to feel like you need to dress up.

Came on a Saturday night around 8:10ish and the restaurant was not busy at all. There were maybe about less than 10 people dining before I got there. My party was seated immediately and they got us some waters while we looked at the menu. We ordered two omakase meals and it came with 9 pieces of chef's choice nigiri, a handroll, miso soup, and salad. The miso soup was your average miso soup you could find at any Japanese restaurant, the salad was just the same. Truthfully speaking, the omakase selection for the fish was really great! The quality and the freshness of the fish was delicious and for $39, I would say it's more than worth it. I feel that the rice to fish ratio was good because there was more fish to rice, but I think a little more rice would have been good. After the omakase I was intrigued to try other pieces that they had available and I will say that the uni and ankimo that they had tonight was spectacular! I also forgot to mention we did order some crispy rice with spicy tuna to begin with, which was just okay. The service was good and I always had my cup of water filled. The only issue I had with tonight was with the individual little plates they had on the table already. I'm not sure if it was just my table, but the plates they had in there were dirty with some type of residue, not sure if it was oil, water, or some sauce that wasn't washed off properly. I give this experience an 8/10 for the service and the quality of the food for such a low price. For two people I paid ~$150.

You won't find a better and cheaper omakase than here! Even with inflation and cost of good rising, I'm so thankful to find such an affordable omakase around. Not only is it affordable, it's delicious! I came here at opening for dinner without reservations. We were seated at the bar, which is the best experience for omakase. Throughout our entire dinner, the place never got too busy. This is a huge plus considering how crowded and difficult it is to get a reservation or seat at Ohshima next door. And yes, I have to compare it because everyone is asking the same thing. In my opinion, I'd choose Kaigen over Ohshima simply because it's a better atmosphere, less cramped and crowded, and no need to stress over reservations (although I hope they don't get so popular that this happens to Kaigen too). Anyways, we got the nigiri omakase ($39), which comes with 9 pieces of nigiri and a handroll. What a deal, right?! Oh, we also had miso soup, salad, and a cucumber side to start. Each piece of fish was perfectly served on a cute mini plate and flavored nicely. Make sure you ask for the real wasabi, which adds a nice flavor. I'm not a big wasabi fan, but this was so good. I finished the meal with my stomach and wallet happy.

Tried the omakase and and the Sea Bream and Black Cod were the best ones out of all of them! This isn't like the super expensive omakase but it was worth the experience for 45$ for a first time. If you do not sit at the bar where the chefs are you will get all the pieces on one plate instead of one by one. They also have other fish and rolls here besides omakase that I would recommend trying. The servers were very helpful in identifying the fish and provided great service.

Such a great hidden gem! I passed by the plaza this place is in so many times and had no idea it was here! Husband and I came here on a Friday night around 5:40 and beat the dinner rush as we were seated right away. It quickly filled up after that so if you're doing a walk in, I would try coming as soon as they open. If you care about sitting at the bar, I would definitely make a reservation. We got the $39 omakase and ordered the yuzu yellowtail, tuna on crispy rice, and monkfish liver on top of it. I think we could've done without the crispy rice. Neither of us liked the texture. It was too crispy on the outside and too soft on the inside. Everything else was excellent. The omakase is definitely worth the price. We enjoyed every piece and were pleasantly surprised by the tuna and salmon.

My friends made reservations for kaigen but when we got here, they realized they switched the restaurant that they originally wanted to go to, but because of the great reviews, we just decided to stick with our reservation. We got here right at opening and there was already a long line. Highly recommend you make a reservation! If you get the omakase, please know that you will have to wait a while as most likely the whole restaurant will order the omakase set as well. -Cleanliness - a little questionable. Our waters had black stuff floating in it so we asked for a new cup, still ended up having black stuff in it. So we ended up not even drinking our waters. We noticed other customers experience the same thing -food - it did end up taking a while because the whole restaurant ordered omakase. and then a fly flew in and landed on the sushi so they had to remake everyones sushi... guess we just came on a bad day. but we all loved the sushi, especially for the price of the omakase

I love that there's so many new sushi spots opening up here in Orange! This spot is such a hidden gem. I came here after seeing the tik toks and reviews for $39 omakase and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. As with all omakase experiences, I always recommend sitting at the bar. Staters: Simple and basic here. Nothing special. - Cucumber Salad - House Salad - Miso Soup - Garlic Edamame Fish: Tasted fresh, had great texture, and each piece was dressed very nicely. - Bluefin Tuna - Amberjack - Sea Bream - Scallops - Cherry Salmon - Sweet Lip - Shima Aji - Toro - Lastly, your choice fish for the personal handroll. We chose Yellowtail. Honestly, you cannot beat this pricing for the quality. Such friendly staff and great service. I can't believe all of these items came with the meal.

First omakase experience and I thought it was a good one! For $40 you get 9 sushi and a hand roll which was fantastic ! My favorite was the toro! My husband and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary here. I tried making a phone call to make a reservation but it was quite impossible to get a hold of them so we just went right when they opened on a Saturday. We both got the sushi omakase and we're still hungry after so we got a roll and that was the perfect ending. If you're a foodie and this is your first time here, just snap your picture and eat . Do not wait for things to come out because they will not start your next order unless you're done with it since they want it fresh in your mouth! I would definitely come here again !

$39 omakase?! How can you beat that?! This sushi omakase was 9 pieces of sushi, 1 Hand roll, miso soup and salad, a complete steal! Each piece of sushi was fresh and delicious. My favorite pieces were probably the seabream, black cod and bluefin tuna. We came here right when they opened so service was great and once you were done with one piece of sushi, the chef had another ready to go. The omakase special was perfect amount for lunch as my sister and I were stuffed. We ordered the spicy edamame and beer which topped us over the edge.

I was craving sushi, and a good friend of mine recommended coming here after seeing this place on Instagram. I came here on a Sunday about 15 minutes after they opened for dinner. Parking was a breeze as they have their own dedicated lot in a shopping plaza. However despite them being barely opened. There's already a group of 10 people waiting outside! This place is definitely popular! I put my name down for a party of 2 and it ended up being a 25 minute wait. As a new mother, I appreciate a place that seems kid friendly and this place is that. I saw two parties each with a toddler sitting in a highchair provided by the restaurant. Wait staff is friendly. Just be prepared to wait. They seem busy so it did take a while for them to take her order and a little bit of a wait for the food to come out as well. I do have to say, their 10 piece omakase is good! Not amazing quality, but good quality. And the $39 price point can't be beat. I would come here again, but come a little before they open to avoid a long wait again.

Another good find of sushi establishment in the city of Orange. Just down the street of Oshima is another standard strip mall, but here lies some hidden treasures and one of that is Kaigen. I remembered this used to be a really boring, typical 3-fish (tuna/salmon/yellow rail) with rolls smothered in mayo type of sushi house. But that is no more. It has been replaced with a legit sushi place with competent chef. There are more fish variety to choose from and the $50 omakase set is very decent and will get you full. It is definitely a wonderful option to the other ever busy sushi house up the street.

9 piece sushi omokase for $39? Sign me up!! Wait- There almost no wait after 9pm. My friend and I were seated immediately. Food - The sushi omokase features 9 pieces of nigiri sushi and blue fin tuna hand roll or yellowtail hand roll. It included pieces of cherry salmon, toro, sea bream, amberjack, etc. It also comes with a miso soup and side salad with house dressing. The house dressing had hints of carrots, ginger and soy. It was delicious! My only qualm was that certain nigiri pieces had more wasabi than I had liked. Felt like it took away the overall taste of the fish. Service - It was a miss for my friend that night. The staff forgot both of our appetizers and only served our omokase dinner. We had to have our server remove the appetizers off our bill when we were never served them. If I come back, I'd opt to dine at the bar for the overall omokase experience with the chefs. Happy eating!

Arguably one of the best omakases I've experienced. Kaigen is a well kept secret that I believe deserves all the hype. Located in a small plaza in Orange, this spot is easy to miss, but I'd definitely recommend trying it Came in on a Saturday a little after they opened and there was no wait. Few people filtered through during my time there, but it was never too busy The quality of the omakase was so good. All the cuts of nigiri tasted so fresh. The hand roll had so much different flavors and textures that complimented each other well and for only $39? It's a steal! Omakase at the table took a bit of time but if you're looking for a quicker omakase experience I'd recommend sitting at the bar Definitely need to come back!

You cannot beat the affordable omakase prices here, super competitive pricing for the quality fish. It's a small sushi spot in a plaza but sure have good food and the omakase is a must try. Fish to rice ratio was perfect and they seasoned each piece so no soy sauce needed. Definitely give this omakase place a try!

A small sushi restaurant with about ~10 bar seats. My boyfriend and I like to come here for their omakase when we're feeling spontaneous during the week! On the weekdays there's usually no wait! The $39 sushi omakase is pretty worth it - you get at least one piece of toro and you get to choose your hand roll! The omakase also comes with miso soup and salad with yummy dressing. They have pretty unique flavors for their sushi - some of them have sauces or toppings on it. Service is good! They're pretty attentive and make sure to refill your tea if you ordered hot tea. We prefer sitting by the bar for the omakase since they hand you each piece, but last time we went it was packed so we sat in the booth. If you're not sitting in the bar, you'll get all your omakase pieces at once on a nice plate! They still make sure to explain each one to you!

The sushi omakase here is probably one of the best affordable ones I've had so far. For $39, the omakase comes with 9 pieces of nigiri sushi, 1 hand roll (either blue fin or yellowtail), miso soup and salad. The dressing for the salad was surprisingly good. My favorites included the cod, scallop and yellowtail. The cod was charred and tasted like eel to me. I loved it so much I ordered another single piece of cod nigiri. We also ordered the Yuzu Ponzu Yellowtail Sashimi. It came with six thickly sliced pieces of yellowtail and the ponzu sauce complimented it well. My friend and I came here shortly after it opened for dinner on a Saturday so we got seated quickly. The two servers working the room were friendly and attentive. The interior space and aesthetic was clean and minimalist. I definitely would come back!

Found this spot from Instagram reels! The algorithm works 9-piece omakase, 1 hand roll, and miso soup + salad for $39?! I'm sold! We came right when they opened at 5PM on a Sunday and when we left around 6PM, there was a wait The price for the quality can't be beat. If you ordered individually, it would've been $80+. I honestly could've done without the hand roll. The seaweed was very soft and chewy. The nigiris were all good! My favorite piece was either the scallop or sea bream.

The omakase here is pretty good and I'd probably just stick to omakase in the future. The ika karaage was a little over cooked and chewy but the yuzu sauce was really good. Shishito peppers were coated in a sauce that was too heavy and sweet.

This place had been on my fiancés radar for some time due to the popular omakase. I called a week in advance to make a reservation for his birthday for 7pm at sushi bar (as he loves to watch chefs prepare/ambiance.) We arrived maybe 5 mins before 7 for the waiter to tell us he doesn't have two seats at the bar and offering us a booth instead. I had reiterated I had booked sushi bar for a reason as my fiancé enjoys watching/chatting with chefs. He apologized and offered to sit us in a booth, give us a free appetizer and get our drinks while we waited, to which we agreed to. He sat us down and pretty much COMPLETELY IGNORED US, no drink order, no appetizer, not even eye contact for 15 min. The waiter was pretty much narrow focused on getting this couple out of the bar, which I get he was trying to make it up to us but why over promise to begin with? We then ordered the Sashimi Omakase which is listed online and in the menu as 20 pieces but they should specify you aren't getting 20 different pieces of fish more 10 types of fish and it will be 20 pieces total. It was my first time getting omakase so assumed opting for it meant the chef chooses 20 different kinds of fish for you to try. All in all it was an okay experience, the waiter was completely overwhelmed and the only one on a packed night so getting any refills was difficult to say the least. The sushi itself wasn't anything to write home about either, good but not worth the 40 min drive we made as we have other local sushi spots with just as good quality fish.

Kaigen will hold a special place in my heart. Food was immaculate despite being a small hole in a wall. My boyfriend took me here on our first date. We share our mutual love for sushi. We ordered the omakase set. Let me tell you I really was impressed with this place. Maybe because my bar set for guys was so low ... that eating sushi on a first date was a green flag lol...or I'm just easily impressed. Anyways...I was really enjoyed the food and the omakase set. I was nervous ok... I didn't knew I would get so full until I ate the blue crab hand roll at the end. Lots of quality pieces. Wait was about 30 mins before going in. Service was good as we only waited another 20 mins after we ordered. It was a crowded Saturday evening. I would love to come back and enjoy our "first date" again

I loved this place. My wife and I came here for dinner and sat at the bar. We ordered one $42 sushi Omakase each and one roll. For the price I think this place is definitely worth trying and I think the fish quality and seasoning was perfect. They also have fresh wasabi if you ask (a lot more pungent) which was worth the additional cost. I think the portion for this omakase was great too and I did not leave feeling hungry and honestly did not even need the extra roll we ordered. Service was also great and I loved the pacing of the omakase. They would serve one piece at a time instead of delivering all 9 pieces at once like I have experienced at other more affordable omakases. The handroll that comes with the meal was also great. The dinner did not feel rushed or too long and I have nothing but positive feedback for this restaurant! The hostess/waitress also constantly came by to fill our water and pick up our used mini sushi plates. Looking forward to our next visit.

Drove 45 minutes to come here and I don't regret it. I would do it again. Their $39 omakase is such a great deal. It comes with soup and salad, 9 piece nigiri omakase and a hand roll of choice My favorites were the seabream and toro pieces. Great place!!

I came here on a Sunday for lunch at 11am and was surprised to see no wait. I saw on TikTok that this was the cheapest omakase in OC and had to try it for myself, along with other dishes. Nana Tako (Raw Octopus) nigiri (43/5): Never had raw octopus nigiri and saw this on the menu for $9, so I had to try it. It wasn't as tough as tako, but chewier and slimy, I think this is good a for a one time try , but nothing memorable. Baked Salmon Roll (3/5): This roll is pretty small and tasted like you would expect it to be. Salmon Skin Salad (5/5): This dish was massive and a great dish to share with your table. The salmon skin was crispy and paired well with the salad Sushi omakase (5/5): This exceeded expectations and is hands down the best value omakase for sure. For only $39, it comes with 9 pieces of nigiri, blue fin handroll, miso soup, and salad. The fish was incredible fresh and comes with different cuts with you can't really get anywhere else. I love have it was seasoned and brushed with great flavors. The fish that was part of my omakase was toro, blue fin, sea bass, cherry salmon, halibut, sea bream, scallop, black miso cod, and amber Jack. If you want great value omakase in OC, this is definitely the best place to go to. I'm even scared of sharing this with the public!