Makai Sushi

Went here for the first time on Sunday with my friends after Comic-Con ended. We arrived around the last hour, but Matthew was very kind to take on our orders nonetheless. I ordered the Godzilla poke bowl (ahi tuna, salmon, and blue crab) and it was delicious! One of my friends ordered a sushi burrito and that looked yummy too. Matthew was the only worker that day in the restaurant, but I was impressed by his friendliness and how quickly he worked. Not only did he take our orders, but he prepared all of our dishes and served them to us. I definitely will come back here the next time I’m in San Diego!

Really solid sushi spot. The menu’s small but classy. I got the Hapa Roll and a Salmon Burrito—both were super fresh and seriously tasty. The Hapa Roll was big, filling, and the wasabi? Surprisingly awesome. Felt like it was just made. The Salmon Burrito was the star though—salmon, avocado, cucumber—all came together perfectly. Just one of those bites where you’re like “yo, this is good.” It’s a bit on the pricier side (about $40 for both), but the quality’s there. Definitely coming back to try more. Almost forgot, top notch service and felt very welcoming, cool owners.

I first had an amazing plate back in September of 2019, in Kauai. I have been following Mathew’s business since then and I finally took another visit! It was great seeing his business up and running in Hillcrest! You can see and taste the hard work he’s placed on Makai Sushi - the plates themselves are beautiful and vibrant! Must try! You won’t be disappointed! If it’s your first time - I highly recommend the Ahi Bowl!!!!

This is a must-visit sushi restaurant for anyone who enjoys quality fish. It was absolutely what I was looking for and it lived up to their perfect rating, I cannot recommend Makai strongly enough, whether you’re a local or just visiting San Diego. I sincerely hope one day they also open a spot in Los Angeles. You can taste the quality with every bite, and I was excited to learn they use fresh crab instead of imitation, and every ingredient they use is fresh. Their menu is broken up into 4 sections: Poke Bowls, Sushi Rolls, Sushi Burritos, and Specials. The sushi rolls are on the larger side, and roll prices range from $14-$19. Some of their signature bowls are the Gorilla Poke Bowl (ahi tuna & salmon, $21) and the Godzilla Poke Bowl (ahi tuna, salmon, fresh blue crab, $23), both seem an amazing value. Poke Bowls are served on a bed of sushi rice & mixed greens, topped with avocado, cucumber, wasabi aioli, unagi sauce, sweet & green onion, roasted sesame seeds & tobiko. Since I’ve never had a Sushi Burrito but I’ve seen them on social media and was intrigued, that ended up earning my order. It’s rolled in soy paper instead of seaweed so it’s less chewy and it’s a perfect texture experience while you’re eating - and it’s also absolutely delicious. I went with the Hapa Sushi Burrito with ahi tuna and fresh crab, which also had rice, perfect avocado, and refreshing and crisp cucumber. Each bite was perfect, and it was served with a side of ginger, wasabi, and gluten free soy sauce. Not on the menu, but they also have a fresh fish of the day sashimi style, and today it was blue fin tuna for $20. He even gave us complimentary water bottles & banana pudding since we said it was our first time There’s plenty of metered street parking on Fifth Ave, and the meters are free on Sundays so we lucked out! He moved from Hawaii 2 years ago to start this business, and hospitality is everything to Matthew (chef & owner) and he really lives that. Incredibly nice and relatable, he went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a private dining room, with casual laid-back tropical vibes and very good energy. If I lived in San Diego, I know this would be a weekly spot for me, great for lunch or dinner! I let him know that I’m gluten free, and he said that could easily accommodate, and even had gluten free soy sauce for me! I love when restaurants make you feel welcome even with dietary restrictions and allergies, and I felt fantastic after I finished my food. Top notch service & top notch sushi!

What is a real five star dining experience? Now that the power of giving out stars is in the hands of the masses, I’ve seen a lot of very loose five star ratings given out like candy to the undeserving. With all due respect to those reviewers, I don’t know what their foundation of experience is, so what for me may be a two or three star experience may indeed feel like a five star experience for them. Frankly, if I set out to find a five star experience, I’m expecting it to be top-notch in every respect. As a result, I find many reviews and rankings to be somewhat misleading. That’s a long way of saying, that I have been very spoiled by the dining experiences in my life, and I maintain very high expectations! So back to my original question…. What is a real 5 star dining experience? Makai Sushi without question is a 5 star establishment. It’s a small space so prioritize getting in there before the rest of Southern California! They do have a small event space adjacent for overflow seating, which is convenient. When we went, there was a very small but amazing staff. Front of house was held down by Gracie, who was gracious, accommodating, and very passionate about the menu. We instantly felt welcomed to what seemed like a family dining room. The owner Matthew is also the head chef. This guy has James Beard or Michelin on his future roadmap if he stays the course. He managed to come out front occasionally to greet or thank people while at the same time turning out the most artistically creative and flavorful seafood dishes I have ever had. Typically, I am reluctant to give out a five star review until I have been to an establishment multiple times. In this case, I can wholeheartedly endorse Makai Sushi. It’s worth whatever kind of driving conditions California throws at you to make your way to this incredibly creative restaurant before they absolutely go viral!

Excellent is an understatement for this place. One of the best sushi I have ever had. Amazingly fresh. Incredible flavorful. Wow!! This place is owner operated. Exceptional guy, what a wonderful person he is. Very kind and knowledgeable. He makes wonderful Hawaiian sushi here. Very clean and well maintained place. Good portion size for the price. A must have. Definitely visit if you are in San Diego. This place is truly a 5 star experience overall.

Fresh, amazing food. Had the Godzilla bowl and a tempura roll and both were fantastic. Would give 10/5 if I could! Great service!!

My husband and I came here for dinner after I was craving sushi and googled "Sushi near me", and saw their 5 star rating, which is deserved! We got the Godzilla bowl (tuna, salmon, and blue crab on rice, with spinach and a special sauce) and salmon burrito (salmon, cucumber, avocado in soy paper roll). The service is great - Mika was a friendly server and chef Matthew came over, introduced himself and told us about his move from Hawaii to San Diego. They've been at this location for over a year now and we loved our meal. The ambiance could be better. Still, the location is good, on 5th next to India Palace and Los Panchos.

Every two weeks my boyfriend and I drive from Murrieta to Hillcrest to get our poke fix from Makai sushi. Boyfriend can't get enough of the seafood tostada. The Godzilla bowl is my go to every single time but we like to try either a roll and sashimi too cause why not. It's too good to not have it all. Chef Matt mixes up the way he prepares the sashimi, it's always served with a different sauce drizzled over it or topped with some fresh fruit or micro greens and it never disappoints. Literally melts in your mouth. The restaurant is a welcoming little spot and I love that you can always see what's going on in the kitchen. Service is amazing. I always joke that if I lived closer I'd want to work for chef Matt. He makes you feel like family and who wouldn't want a sushi chef like him in the family??? Nothing compares to Makai Sushi and if I can ever convince Chef to start serving breakfast poke bowls I might make it a weekly trip.

Amazing food!!!!! Our service was great ~ thanks gracie! Overall ambiance was amazing.

This is not your typical sushi place. Don't come here, Karen. This restaurant is equipped with an open kitchen, the outdoor patio shields you from the wind, the areas are clean and rapport with chef Matt is super rad!! Matt, the chef is from Hawaii. He is a ray of sunshine and so mahalo. This place is not your typical huge roles with 8 to 10 slices... the fried tortilla also referred to as a tostada was used as a vessel to serve fish. His fish is so fresh, colorful and lovely. We did the California Roll with Tempura shrimp and the Gorilla bowl Poke. Also we had Sapporo beer by can and ate the shit out of our food, truly blessed to have walked here from our home to see the new restaurant in our neighborhood.

Excellent food. Great ambiance with indoor/outdoor seating. There's street parking. Will come back!

This is a must-visit sushi restaurant for anyone who enjoys quality fish. It was absolutely what I was looking for and it lived up to their perfect rating, I cannot recommend Makai strongly enough, whether you're a local or just visiting San Diego. I sincerely hope one day they also open a spot in Los Angeles. You can taste the quality with every bite, and I was excited to learn they use fresh crab instead of imitation, and every ingredient they use is fresh. Their menu is broken up into 4 sections: Poke Bowls, Sushi Rolls, Sushi Burritos, and Specials. The sushi rolls are on the larger side, and roll prices range from $14-$19. Some of their signature bowls are the Gorilla Poke Bowl (ahi tuna & salmon, $21) and the Godzilla Poke Bowl (ahi tuna, salmon, fresh blue crab, $23), both seem an amazing value. Poke Bowls are served on a bed of sushi rice & mixed greens, topped with avocado, cucumber, wasabi aioli, unagi sauce, sweet & green onion, roasted sesame seeds & tobiko. Since I've never had a Sushi Burrito but I've seen them on social media and was intrigued, that ended up earning my order. It's rolled in soy paper instead of seaweed so it's less chewy and it's a perfect texture experience while you're eating - and it's also absolutely delicious. I went with the Hapa Sushi Burrito with ahi tuna and fresh crab, which also had rice, perfect avocado, and refreshing and crisp cucumber. Each bite was perfect, and it was served with a side of ginger, wasabi, and gluten free soy sauce. Not on the menu, but they also have a fresh fish of the day sashimi style, and today it was blue fin tuna for $20. He even gave us complimentary water bottles & banana pudding since we said it was our first time There's plenty of metered street parking on Fifth Ave, and the meters are free on Sundays so we lucked out! He moved from Hawaii 2 years ago to start this business, and hospitality is everything to Matthew (chef & owner) and he really lives that. Incredibly nice and relatable, he went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a private dining room, with casual laid-back tropical vibes and very good energy. If I lived in San Diego, I know this would be a weekly spot for me, great for lunch or dinner! I let him know that I'm gluten free, and he said that could easily accommodate, and even had gluten free soy sauce for me! I love when restaurants make you feel welcome even with dietary restrictions and allergies, and I felt fantastic after I finished my food. Top notch service & top notch sushi!

What is a real five star dining experience? Now that the power of giving out stars is in the hands of the masses, I've seen a lot of very loose five star ratings given out like candy to the undeserving. With all due respect to those reviewers, I don't know what their foundation of experience is, so what for me may be a two or three star experience may indeed feel like a five star experience for them. Frankly, if I set out to find a five star experience, I'm expecting it to be top-notch in every respect. As a result, I find many reviews and rankings to be somewhat misleading. That's a long way of saying, that I have been very spoiled by the dining experiences in my life, and I maintain very high expectations! So back to my original question.... What is a real 5 star dining experience? Makai Sushi without question is a 5 star establishment. It's a small space so prioritize getting in there before the rest of Southern California! They do have a small event space adjacent for overflow seating, which is convenient. When we went, there was a very small but amazing staff. Front of house was held down by Gracie, who was gracious, accommodating, and very passionate about the menu. We instantly felt welcomed to what seemed like a family dining room. The owner Matthew is also the head chef. This guy has James Beard or Michelin on his future roadmap if he stays the course. He managed to come out front occasionally to greet or thank people while at the same time turning out the most artistically creative and flavorful seafood dishes I have ever had. Typically, I am reluctant to give out a five star review until I have been to an establishment multiple times. In this case, I can wholeheartedly endorse Makai Sushi. It's worth whatever kind of driving conditions California throws at you to make your way to this incredibly creative restaurant before they absolutely go viral!

Best poke in the Uptown area! There was no line! I go the Godzilla bowl (blue crab, ahi tuna, salmon) and it was tasty. The options are limited, but solid. Tiny little poke place in Hillcrest, they also have sushi and sushi and sushi burritos. I love how this place uses local seafood. My favorite poke place in SD has been It's Raw Poke in OB but the line is brutal and it's a little far for a quick poke spot. The service here is amazing, staff is welcoming and there is seating inside and out on the patio. Parking is tough, street parking and a parking structure across the street. I want to try the tostada next.

To say Makai Sushi is incredible is an understatement! My boyfriend and I stumbled upon this gem after a weekend farmers market, and it's been love at first bite. The ambiance is delightful, with cute outdoor seating perfect for soaking up sun and indoor seating that's just as inviting. Matthew greeted us with a warm smile and made us feel right at home. The Hawaiian-style sushi is out of this world--every topping perfectly complements the fresh fish. Simple and perfect. Excellently paired with sake! The sushi burrito was outstanding, and the Godzilla bowl? Beyond tasty! We couldn't stop exchanging "wow" and "so good" with every bite. We're so grateful to have found this place and now order off UberEats at least two times a week. The ahi tuna roll is our current obsession. Thank you, Matthew, for your warm hospitality and next-level sushi! You'd be a fool not to try Makai Sushi, but be warned--it'll quickly become one of your top go-to restaurants!

My husband and I came here for dinner after I was craving sushi and googled "Sushi near me", and saw their 5 star rating, which is deserved! We got the Godzilla bowl (tuna, salmon, and blue crab on rice, with spinach and a special sauce) and salmon burrito (salmon, cucumber, avocado in soy paper roll). The service is great - Mika was a friendly server and chef Matthew came over, introduced himself and told us about his move from Hawaii to San Diego. They've been at this location for over a year now and we loved our meal. The ambiance could be better. Still, the location is good, on 5th next to India Palace and Los Panchos.

I hardly ever write reviews but I just had to for this hidden gem. If you're looking for legit poke in San Diego, run to Makai Sushi. The owner has great energy - very kind, friendly & welcoming and he clearly knows what he's doing!! (he's from Hawaii, so you already know it's legit). The fish is insanely fresh, the portions are generous, price is reasonable and the flavor combinations are on point. Honestly, it's the closest thing I've had to poke in Hawaii outside of the islands. You can taste the care that goes into every bowl and I would literally come here every week if I lived in SD. Highly recommend this spot!

Such a cute and yummy spot. The quality of the fish and ingredients are top tier 10/10 and would revisit! The customer service was spectacular and such a nice and fun owner. We got there at opening and was able to talk to the owner as he was preparing our meal and how the business came to be! The fish was fresh with great quality and taste, and the the presentation was beautiful!

They're known for their poke bowls. I ordered the Godzilla poke bowl because it also had blue crab. The fish tasted fresh and the flavors worked well. The quality was there but I felt like the portions were okay for $22. It's located in Hillcrest so parking usually sucks but I came during the middle of the week and got lucky with parking. Service was great. The staff were friendly and quick with making the order.

Food - OMG! We never knew poke bowls can be that good. The blue crab in the Godzilla Bowl (gluten free style) was insanely yummy. If they had nori sheets to make tiny rolls I would love that too. Service - So friendly and enthusiastic about the food! Such good vibes. Ambiance - The vibes were modern and island chill. We sat outside and their patio allowed us to enjoy the weather. 10/10 perfect vibes, will be back again

Found this place looking for new sushi spots--poke bowls are still a thing, and I have never really found them all that appetizing. However, McKenzie and Matthew recommended the Godzilla bowl, and it did not disappoint. It's a mix of fresh tuna, salmon, and blue crab over rice and spinach, with unagi and aioli. A bunch of crazy, simple stuff that just worked together. I was surprised to learn they close at 7 PM on a Saturday, but it is a pretty small operation, so it makes sense. They neighborhoods in San Diego aren't what they used to be with streams of people walking the streets at night anymore, and I'm not sure if it's a cultural shift or something else. Every time I go back to town and need a poke bowl, this is the spot I'll go to.

We got the gorilla bowl and the California Roll! Both amazing, staff was very friendly!

The outside is super quaint. The service was top notch. As of now, they're offering free drinks with your meal. I loved how small it is. Looks like they sell shirts too. The menu was super simple and basically a different combo of either tuna, salmon, and blue crab. No high chairs. Chairs are metal. Food was good but not extraordinary or nothing to blow your mind. Felt just like simple poke and I liked that I didn't have to think much with a simple menu. Plating was nice but overall I would say the service at the counter and the free drink was the highlight.

I decided to check them out because they were on a top 100 list. They did not disappoint. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner Mat and we chatted for a bit. Really upbeat dude with a great attitude. I got the Godzilla bowl and that thang was different. There were many ingredients incorporated in this bowl and was super refreshing. The bowl was almost too esthetically pleasing to eat.The sushi burrito was also good and wish I ordered more. Definitely will be back again!!!

The owners were nice and gave a brief rundown of their menu. Service is friendly, food is good. When I ordered a sushi burrito, I was expecting something bigger than a spring roll. However, with rising costs of SD living, for what we got, it was quite tasty. Would recommend for a light lunch or dinner.

Great little place my friend recommended in Hillcrest. Directly across the street from the movie theater. We ordered 3 rolls and a sushi burrito. Very friendly staff and owner who made all our food. Yum!

Five star service by a local-owned company! The owner brought his business from Hawaii and is truly passionate about poke. The poke and the sushi burritos are incredible! The taste is so fresh, and the presentation is so on point with the orchids! 10/10 would recommend.

Yum! Simple menu with BOMB food. Walked in and was instantly greeted by the owner, Matthew. He definitely brings the aloha spirit to the mainland and I love supporting a local boy bringing a taste of home to SD. I ordered the Godzilla bowl. The portion was large! Sushi rice topped with ahi and salmon poke and real crab. You can tell A LOT about a poke place based on the rice and this sushi was rice was cooked perfectly. The bowl was topped with all sorts of sauces that made it so flavorful and delicious. And the presentation was spot on! I wouldn't consider this poke to be traditional. It was more like a sushi rice, but it was so good and absolutely creating a craving that I need to fulfill again! Can't wait to go back soon!

First, Chef Matthew is such a lovely person. Completely embodies the aloha spirit. He was so nice and friendly to us when we first walked in and ordered. Cute little shop with good amount of seating. Smelled amazing when I walked in. I got a godzilla bowl and it was so freaking delicious. I had it to go, and it was about 30 mins before I got to eat, and it was still amazing. Everything is super fresh and just amazing flavors. There are daily specials so definitely ask about those! Transporting me back to Hawaii! Hillcrest so it is limited parking. Completely worth my drive from Poway. Will definitely be back!!!!! Highly recommend to anyone for good Hawaiian food!!! For the food and chef Matthew's vibes!!!!!! (PS he gave me a free soft shell crab to try since I just wanted to try that. So sweet of him!!!!!!!)

The meat was so clean and fresh. There was no fishy smell and the sauce/taste wasn't overbearing. Some other places we've been to overload on sauce to cover the old fish taste. We got the chef's daily special which was bluefin tuna from spain, godzilla bowl, and seafood tostada McKinley helped us with our order and chef Matthew was so welcoming. A now must-go-to spot for us. Love the vibes in SD

Phenomenal. Must try! The onions automatically reminded me of Hawaii, and the woman told me the chef is Hawaiian, and food represents Hawaii. I love the Godzilla bowl.

Okaaaaaayyyyyy....... This place!!!! As I was waiting for my husband to join me for lunch I was talking to the owner and found out he ran our favorite poke place in Kauai when we visited there in 2019! My friend sent me the article that the Kauai location closed down and we were so sad!!! But lo and behold..... the guy that owned the place on Kauai opened this location in San Diego! How lucky are we to have his amazing talent and flavors here in San Diego! We ordered the California roll, fresh crab btw, and it was delicious. We also ordered tgw tostada and the ahi tuna bowl- the tuna was SO FRESH! This may seem weird too, but the flower on top was such a surprise of fresh flavor added to the bowl as well! Highly recommend this place, not long until the line starts wrapping around the corner from this gem!

We grabbed a quick lunch from Makai Sushi and took it over to Balboa to enjoy picnic style. We both ended up trying the Godzilla bowl and it did not disappoint. The rice was delicious; the bowl wasn't overflowing with "filler toppings"; instead, it had generous portions of fresh fish and light sauce/toppings to accent the flavors of the fish without overpowering. I have a feeling it's going to be hard for me to try other things this restaurant offers, because I'm just going to want to get the Godzilla bowl again.

Food was delicious and the owner just seems to be a really cool sweet guy. Fair warning they might sell out of things but that's bc everything is fresh. Just a fun and yummy place to come get your poke bowl fix Always have to support local small businesses

Been there numerous times - love it!!! One man business and this man knows his business. Go for it!!

My husband and I both had the Godzilla bowl here and enjoyed it a lot! At the moment of writing, it is $22 for this bowl with ahi tuna, salmon, and real crab. The portion isn't super big (just enough), but there is actually a good amount of fish & crab. The quality is much better here compared to "build your own" style poke places. The sauces & rice are also done well and not just an afterthought or filler. The presentation is great with the flower on top. Service is friendly and there is patio seating available outside.

Found this place about a month ago, when I ran out of fish from my freezer. I would highly recommend this place for their poke bowl and sashimi specials. My girl loves their tools and you can find us adding this spot into our restaurant rotation. I have recommended this spot to a dozen friends and they all have nothing but great things to say as well. It's a great chill laid back spot with great food.

Greeted with a great smile and all the info I needed to know to make my decision on what to eat.... and the Godzilla bowl was the best choice Also some hot green tea,Perfect combination. No wonder they have a 5 review. Simply incredible food. Ambience is super nice with an island vibe makes me want to be in Kauaii real soon.

Wish I liked this place better because service was great, servers were so nice! However, overall unimpressed by the food. I could barely taste the fish (and very few pieces of it) in comparison to the crab. Insane amount of rice. Sauce was overpowering. I would only come back if nearby in the neighborhood, otherwise would not seek this place out.

Food was so tasty and so fresh The service was great and the owner was so accommodating with our large party! They gave us a warm welcome and will definitely be coming back! 10/10 highly recommend. The ambiance is very laid back and chill vibes :)

Makai Sushi is a newer poke spot in San Diego featuring delicious Hawaiian-style poke and friendly service. Best poke spot in San Diego, this restaurant is a MUST TRY!!! Nestled in a small little corner of Hillcrest is Makai Sushi. It's a smaller shop with some outdoor seating, indoor seats, and bar seating. The atmosphere is intimate and friendly. The owner, Matthew, was very gracious and welcoming as soon as we walked in. He ran us through the menu and gave us a little run down of what brought him here to San Diego. Makai Sushi was originally in Hawaii and he mentions how it was listed as a Top 100 restaurant for Yelp in either 2017 or 2018 but had to shut down and now made its way to San Diego. The menu features the usual poke bowls, sushi rolls, sashimi, and an infamous sushi burrito/sushirito. I am more of a poke person and went with the fully loaded Godzilla bowl. He offered us free complimentary drinks and brought the food straight to our seats. He was a great host checking in on us often and making sure we were doing well. The poke itself has to be some of the best poke I've had in a while. There are multiple aspects that I enjoyed about the dish but the first I want to talk about was the amazing sushi rice. It was perfect. Great texture, firmness, stickiness, sweet, and tartness. It was top-notch sushi rice and as the base for poke this is an essential feature that I feel gets missed out on often. The fish was fresh and well-marinated, not too salty or sweet. I enjoyed the flavor of the sauce and topping on top. It was the perfect mix of veggies and rice and fish giving a refreshing taste to the poke and allowing me to not feel heavy after. This is going to be my new go-to poke place and I still have a lot to try on the menu. Thanks to Matthew for bringing this to San Diego will be back soon to try everything on the menu.

Chef Matthew is so welcoming and knowledgeable in his craft! I had the Godzilla Bowl which was flavorful, fresh, and filling.

Fell off. I came to this place last year when it was still good. The sushi was made authentically and the owner was always seen talking to customers. Despite its small size, it had a great atmosphere to it. This place definitely deserved a 5-Star review then. However the sushi has progressively gotten worse, they weren't able to give me a sauce they were able to give me on my first visit. Here's a pic from my first visit. Now it's similar to store bought sushi just bigger.

Went in early on a Friday. The owner was immediately very welcoming and explained the menu. It is a smaller menu currently, but still plenty to choose from. They have poke bowls, sushi burritos, rolls, and sashimi. It's mostly tuna, but also salmon, whitefish, and crab. He moved from Hawaii and got his business going in SD through various markets. We ordered a hapa bowl and a hapa burrito, which had tuna and crab. He even brought us some complimentary sashimi to start. Everything was fresh and delicious. While there was some sauce on the dishes, it was not overwhelming and still let the seafood shine. They are a newly opened spot, and the owner explained he is slowly working to offer more items. He hopes to have a beer/wine license soon, and is working on getting nicer serving dishes for customers who chose to eat in. It's just a counter order, and you can also order ahead. Go support this new, delicious spot and help the super nice owner in growing his business. We look forward to returning!

Service and quality of the food here was on point! Mathew the owner was so sweet and shared his story of how he started up this shop in San Diego and I'm only rooting for him and wish him the best with his business! He just opened this place after closing his shop in Kauai in hopes of a better opportunity! Reason I give it a 4/5 was because for the large portion of the poke bowls that my friend and I got, it was a lot more rice than anything else. I was really full off this bowl, but for the price I wish there was a little less rice and more fish. The bowls come beautifully plated and I appreciate the art of plating, especially since Matt mentioned his experience in fine dining! However, when it comes to poke bowls I come for the fish. While the bowls tasted fresh, I just didn't think that the ratio was the best. Regardless, I would come back to try the other options on the menu! I'm eyeing those rolls for sure! The shop is pretty small but has a few tables where you can eat real quick during lunch or early dinner! 2 inside tables for 2 and 1-2 tables outside for 2 as well. Parking can be tough in this area. I parked in the plaza across the street where the theater and 24hr fitness is and just paid a few dollars for parking, especially since street parking is metered and can be a hit or miss...

Wandered into Makai Sushi yesterday looking for a couple of sushi rolls. It's a small spot, and the inside had a weird musty smell, like a dank basement. The guy at the counter said they were best known for their poke bowls and perhaps that's what we should have gotten, because it seems like they haven't quite figured out how to serve sushi. The rolls were served in large bowls, no side dish for wasabi + soy sauce. The pieces were very different sizes, see photos. Some of them were so large that we either had to take two bites or cram them in one go. Overall I think this place has a few kinks to work out before I'd return or recommend.

I can't say enough good things about this place! I got the Hapa roll and I would definitely get it again.

Back again for the Godzilla Bowl!! I can say that Matt and his staff make the BEST poke bowl in San Diego! I really do want to try some of the other items on the menu like the wraps, but the Godzilla Bowl is so delicious! Keep up the great work and making people like lovers.

The best poke in at least San Diego, possibly the entire west coast. Rice: amazing, amazing, amazing. Amazing is a word thats often overused and misunderstood. That is not the case here. Fish: perfect portion and seasoned so the fish is the start not the seasoning. Bring your friends

Happened across this rec from yelps top 100 sushi spots and it was incredible! As expected from the Yelp reviews. The owner is super friendly and the food was amazing. He recommended the house specialty the gorilla or Godzilla bowl depending on if you like crab. It was the best poke bowl I've ever had! It was surprisingly busy and in the time I was there he sold out for lunch (this was within an hour of opening). So I guess with the rave reviews it's becoming the spot to go to! Well deserved thanks for a delicious lunch.

I have been wanting to try the spot for a while, but sometimes it's hard to find parking in the area, so just plan to either look for parking or walk a bit. Met the owner of this local sushi spot and he was super nice, raised in Kauai, Hawaii, he has brought the aloha spirit and island style poke to San Diego. The poke was really fresh and the sauces on the side were tasty too. It was such a nice day so I went to enjoy it at a park close by. If you're in bankers Hill and Hillcrest area, I would definitely encourage to drop by for some fresh sushi.

The owner, Matthew and the host server, Gracey were amazing. Not to mention the food was fresh and absolutely perfect!

Food was fantastic and got a great recommendation from the owner. Cute location with plenty of seating. Staff was also very nice.

The food tastes so fresh, so delicious, and I normally am sensitive to tuna and the metallic taste but this did not have it. Staff was very friendly and service great too; they asked us periodically if we needed anything and made accommodations for my friend who had special requests. Delicious!

This place is awesome! My wife was craving sushi and I remembered seeing this place in Hillcrest! We got lucky with parking but it can be difficult to find a spot in this area. Nice spot outside and great decorations inside as well. The lady up front was super friendly and gave us a run down of the menu. We got the Godzilla bowl and Hapa roll and both were awesome! Sorry no picture of the hapa roll because we had already started eating it. The owner checked in on us as well and thanked us for coming in. Oh and they also have awesome island jams playing in the background which takes me back to my days in Hawai'i! We will definitely be coming back!

Where has this place been all my life?!? Finally got a chance to drop by and try the food here. Absolutely hands down the best poke I've ever had in my life. I've had a lot of poke and this place eeeeeasly takes the top spot. I had the Godzilla bowl and it was ridiculously good. No, seriously... ridiculously good! So much flavor without anything overpowering each other. Super fresh fish and that sushi rice... the perfect mattress for all of the amazingness on top. I'll be craving this place going forward and am definitely coming back. Oh, the owner and the other two employees were also amazing!