Omakase by Gino
Sushi restaurant · Santa Ana ·
Omakase sushi bar: expertly crafted dishes, fresh fish, intimate setting
Omakase sushi bar: expertly crafted dishes, fresh fish, intimate setting
"Omakase by Gino is nestled amid a sleepy section of downtown Santa Ana but inside, this sushi den is firing on all cylinders. Distressed wood and exposed brick lend a tavern feel while decorative touches are decidedly Japanese.Chef Gino Choi brings palpable joy to this spot with his friendly but focused manner, and the food is just as smile-inducing. Imagine the likes of yuzu cream tucked with a ribbon of crisp Asian pear filled with house-cured ikura or a beautiful fillet of tuna sliced, hit with a flame and set atop an elegant swoosh of garlic and shishito pepper miso. Thick udon noodles are tucked with lobes of creamy uni and a thatch of Italian black summer truffles for a supremely enjoyable (woodsy) bite." - Michelin Inspector
"Sushi chef Gino Choi prepares an intricate omakase for 10 diners at his namesake downtown Santa Ana restaurant. (Choi is also a self-taught carpenter who built the sushi counter, entryway, and partitions himself.) Standout dishes include a creamy Hokkaido uni udon garnished with winter black truffles from Spain; Gino’s version of tamago, flavored with shellfish; and a yuzu foam topped with slow-cooked black cod bedded alongside green plum marinated roasted tomatoes." - Jenn Tanaka
"A returning, ticketed high-concept dining series staged in the former Vegas Test Kitchen where celebrated chefs — including Jolene Manina, Mike Rubenstein, Oscar Amador, and Josh Smith — each host unexpected, elevated multi-course dinners not typically found at a music festival." - Janna Karel
"It’s difficult to take your eyes off the one-man-show from chef Choi Jinho when dining at his downtown Santa Ana sushi counter. One minute he’s torching bits of wagyu, then he’s slicing pieces of hotaruika (Japanese firefly squad), sayori (Japanese halfbeak that resembles mini swordfish), and buttery sawara (Japanese mackerel)." - Jenn Tanaka
"After his Santa Ana sushi restaurant was forced to close by the COVID-19 pandemic, owner Gino Choi used the downtime to reinvent an intimate 10-seat omakase-only space, redesigning the layout with plexiglass partitions and a large acrylic bar cover (the latter ordered from a manufacturer in New York) and sourcing materials from multiple Home Depot locations. The restaurant offers a meticulously assembled succession of 22 dishes — including fat-marbled otoro and other signature plates — for about $150, with fish sourced daily (which had made takeout impractical prior to reopening). To reassure guests he implemented temperature checks, sanitization between seatings of the bar, glass dividers and chairs, and staff use of masks, gloves and plastic face shields; these precautions helped reservations sell out quickly when Orange County allowed restaurants to reopen. Diners who returned praised the great food, the intimate omakase experience and the safety measures (one party celebrated a birthday and felt safe dining with the restaurant to themselves), though some patrons remain cautious about dining out. Choi says he is doing everything he can to make the environment comfortable and sustainable for his business." - Cynthia Rebolledo