Taka Restaurant

My wife and I had a really amazing dinner here. We went for the chefs menu, Omakase, which was really amazing and probably the best Japanese meal I have had outside of Japan. This was a mix of dishes that also had a real Japan feel such as jellyfish and sea urchin. An absolutely wonderful evening. Not cheap but well worth it

Good sushi place, good service, simple menu, excellent cold house sake. Overall portions are small and it is a bit pricey. If you sit outside be prepared to have people reading the street menu over your shoulder and looking in your plate.

If you come to SD, you must try. This place is the real deal. As a self declared foodie who has travelled the world looking for the best eats, I fully endorse Taka. Sat at the sushi bar and had a great experience! They even have a bottle of Habushi from Okinawa behind the counter. You must ask them to show you! Pretty cool!

Wonderful sushi menu. Great service and atmosphere. Food is high quality and artistically presented. Perfect for downtown evening walks and fun.

This place is a VIBE. Chefs are clearly knowledgeable about the craft of sushi construction and more exotic dishes to pair well with traditional sashimi and rolls. Fresh, fun and delicious. Stop in if you like sushi!

Food was amazing. Definitely do the omakase if possible. The seared tuna sashimi in particular was phenomenal only comparable to wagyu itself.

The quality of their sashimi is one of the freshest that I know. Presentation is also nice. There’s no doubt about their food. We were so pleased with this place the first time when we were there a few years ago, we made sure to come back here this time in San Diego. While the food quality remains excellent, the atmosphere was not the same. Although most of the sushi chefs were still Japanese, all waiters were different now. The decor and wait staff have lost the Japanese touch. Don’t get me wrong. The waiters were still doing a fine job, but just had different styles I suppose. Plus their prices seemed to have gone up as well. Price tag is too high even for excellent food quality like theirs.

Not a cheap sushi place for sure! Small place …. Love the bar seating directly where the prepare the food. I had very high expectations from this place (recommended by a friend) and it actually met the expectations as food quality, preparation, and taste. Why not 5 stars …. I have been in an even better one that it is still for me the #1. Bottom line … if you like shush and you can appreciate the taste of it and different qualities, tastes and experience…. This is a place to go.

Jasmine, our server, was the best. Friendly, attentive, and fun. My business dinner at Taka was fantastic! Everyone loved the food and the vibe. I would highly recommend it the next time you're in the mood for sushi.

I enjoyed my dining experience at Taka. Amazing quality nigiri with fun Easter egg. I ate mostly ikura. Loveeee how they marinate their ikura with dashi. I would eat a whole bowl of it if I can. Tried their sake oyster shooter and it was delicious. So the Easter egg I found there was this snake shochu from Okinawa. I've never seen one before. I was tempted to try but it feels way too intimidating for me to drink (im not badass enough lol) but it's such a cool presentation. Personally, I love when restaurant has unique item, and this one definitely got a "wow" from me! One can tell the chefs take pride in their work here. Quality is high at Taka.

Overall: An average sushi spot, not great or bad, in Gaslamp. The good: Friendly service who were very helpful with accommodating our 1 year old and outdoor seating. Relatively large menu with a lot of different options. Some outdoor seating. The not-so-good: Some of the flavors were lacking and the fish didn't taste particularly fresh. We were expecting more given the location and price. Food/drink: 6/10 Atmosphere: 7/10 Service: 8/10

Was in town for business and this spot was convenient walking distance from my hotel since it's in the gaslamp. Food - we sat at bar and started with salmon belly, sweet shrimp, bluefin tuna, followed by ankimo, kanpachi, red snapper. All was fresh and delicious. Service - sushi chef was amazing, waiters could be more attentive in refill of drinks. Ambiance - small, quaint and clean. If you're staying near gaslamp, super convenient location.

Really solid option for sushi in the gaslamp quarter. Service was prompt and friendly. We were there on the earlier side, so it was pretty quiet. The sushi bar had what appeared to be locals out for their post work sushi fix. Overall the sushi was good. Above average for sure but I've had better. I would definitely come here again if you're looking for a reliable place for sushi that won't totally break your bank.

What a great experience! We ended up sitting at the bar. I made a bad joke to our chef about his name being the same as the restaurant, he politely said it wasn't him I didn't think anything else of it. I was having trouble deciding what to get so I asked the chef to just make what he likes best. He said, so we could do sashimi style and I said sure let's do it. I saw there was abalone in the cooler and I used to dive for it so I got excited and asked him to add that as well. I was talking to the chef about eating and being in Japan when I was there for work, and was probably pretty annoying about it. Anyways, he worked on the plate and when it was done he went through everything that was on it. The toro was amazing, I've had it before it wasn't like this. The fat basically makes the fish melt in your mouth. We had a great time, went to a concert after, it was a great night. It wasn't till the morning after I started putting two and two together about chef and his name was Taka. I went on the website and saw it was his restaurant. To me it just made it more special. The way he treated us was amazing. Such a nice humble person. To have an experience like that where you're not aware that you are being served by the owner and how we were treated was special. I'd recommend this place to anyone.

I picked this place because my wife wanted sushi, and she rarely does. Taka had a reservation. This place is amazing. The fish is so fresh and had a number of things I never have had before. We sat at the sushi bar with Taka himself as our sushi chef. I ordered the things I like. My wife got what she likes. I chatted with Taka and learned a lot. The ankimo here is made here. Most places buy it made, Not here. It was excellent. I also had a bluefin sashimi sampler. which was 2 pieces of bluefin, 2 pieces of chutoro, 2 pieces of otoro. Delightful. The Japanese scallop sashimi was also excellent. The saba was the best i've ever had. it was so incredible. Sardine was suggested and it went well with the saba, with shizo leaf inside. Really good. I finished with comparing japanese and san diego uni. loved the contrast. both great. Then i had amago, also recommended, as dessert sushi. Great fish. Prepared very well. Great selection. Given the incredible quality, the prices are fine. It's not ayce or budget sushi. It's super high quality. The place is small, but it's comfortable. the design is simple, yet elegant. the chefs all wear ties under their outfits. the waiters all wear ties. this is a really great place,

Go with friends and sit at the bar! Be ready to pay a bit but the food is amazing and worth it! We didn't really order for the menu cause I never know what to order in sushi restaurants and I like trying new things. So we asked for recommendations and went for that, best decision ever! Food feels authentic and the place is pretty ok too.

Freshest sashimi/nigiri downtown! I prefer Taka to the other sushi places in the Gaslamp (Lumi, Nobu) because the fish is both fresh and the establishment is unassuming. They put their focus on the food and great service. Their prices are very reason for Gaslamp as well.

Saikō! (最高 / the best) Amazing presentation and precision I love sitting at the bar to talk with the chefs. What dedication and pride when you meet a true Itamae. Live Sweet Shrimp Live Lobster served sashimi style with the head cooked into your miso soup Raymond was my sushi chef talked with me about my selections as well as other items on the menu. This is in the top 5 sushi experiences I've had outside of Japan. Well done you. I'll certainly make this a regular when in SD. I mean after I've had some Mexican food of course.

This was was average, nothing special or spectacular. I found this place through social media so I decided to check it out, especially since it was located in the Gaslamp Quarter of downtown, which was where my friends and I were staying. At first glimpse, it was really polished and fancy. There was a chef's counter, indoor and outdoor seating. Since we had reservations, we opted to seat at a table indoors. Service was really slow. We waited a long time for someone to come take our order, and had to flag down several people to get a waiter's attention. Not sure why that was the case, especially because we saw other tables getting served. The food was also just okay, nothing remarkable.. We tried ordering a variety of sashimi and rolls to try but honestly none of them really stood out to me. I would say I liked the oysters and the yellowtail and blue fin tuna sashimi the most, but I wouldn't order either rolls again. They were pretty basic, and I felt like the rice was over powering. I would say for the price and quality of food, this place wouldn't be top of mind since my experience here was just average.

We made a reservation for three people on a Saturday night. My friend found the place so we decided to check it out. It is right in the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown. They offer indoor or outdoor seating but we opted for indoor since it was cold outside. Fresh oyster 1/2 shell (4/5): This was a good appetizer. Of course the oysters weren't the same size but one was noticeably smaller. It had a spicy daikon oroshi ponzu sauce topped green onions. The sauce was a little too salty for my liking though. Yellowtail sashimi (3.5/5): The fish tasted alright but wasn't the most tender. Nothing wrong with it but just wasn't as good as I have had. Blue fin tuna sashimi (3.5/5): Same thing with the tuna. It was good but felt like it wasn't the freshest. Salmon roll (4/5): A pretty basic roll so it was good. The rice however was a bit too mushy. No avocado which I feel usually comes with a salmon roll but that's ok. It came with 8 pieces. Soft shell crab roll (4/5): Again, another solid roll. Nothing to complain about but nothing amazing. The soft shell crab had a nice crunch. I will say the service was slow. I saw many servers assisting other tables but it took a while for anyone to take our order. The hostess said she'd send someone over to us but that didn't happen. We had to flag someone down. Overall it was an okay try. I probably wouldn't come back since it was average and there are other spots to check out.

We had both ordered the Omakase and it was absolutely fabulous experience. The presentations were as beautiful as they were delicious. It made for a fabulous dinner to celebrate my 50th birthday. Thank you all for wonderful experiences!

Wish I could take this place back home with me! Good vibes and very friendly sushi chefs & servers. My meal (2 specialty sashimi plates and Japanese cheesecake) was perfect. They use fresh grated wasabi!

My friend and I haven't been back since 2017. So glad we resurrected this restaurant from our archives. New ownership, new renovations... it was about time, hence the reason why we stopped dining there. It was nice to see Martin still working there. I made 6:30 Yelp dinner reservations. When we arrived, it was nice to see the restaurant new layout, very open, a clean crisp look, we chose to sit at the sushi bar where Reimon our sushi chef took excellent care of us. We ordered Reimon's Perch Sushi recommendation, then moved on to ordering Sea Urchin, Yellowtail, Smelt Roe with Quail Eggs Sushi. In addition a Spicy Tuna and Salmon Skin Hand Roll along with a Soft Shell Crab appetizer, all while indulging on Sake Bombers. Everything was excellent! Fish was fresh. The Soft Shell Crab was big. Thank you for making me a lover of Taka again! Atmosphere: open, clean crisp look, nice vibe. Service: excellent. Food: excellent.

It's the best traditional sushi spot in downtown hands down. Service is top notch, specially from Mario, everybody is very friendly and all the sushi chefs are masters in their craft. Get there around 7-8 PM for the best vibe.

New favorite place in SD for prix fixe omakase. Excellent variety of fish prepared by veteran Japanese chefs. We had the sushi omakase, which was comprised of appetizer sashimi, ~14 pieces of sushi and desert. Rice was perfectly seasoned. Large variety of less common fish normally found in the US. ~$130pp

We passed by and decided to give it a try. Our server seemed unfamiliar with the menu. Despite ordering three items, she forgot our yellowtail roll, and it was never served because they are out of it. This disappointed my companion. The sashimi was good, especially the bluefin tuna, and overall, the service was decent with a tranquil ambiance.

I love sushi, so it was a no brainer when my boyfriend surprised me with a reservation here for my birthday dinner. From the outside the place looks upscale and modern. I thought this would be a place to get authentic sushi with good cuts of fish. A treat to my usual sushi stop. And while the sashimi was incredible, the service and atmosphere was subpar. I honestly have no idea who our server was. One person sat us, another took our order, a different person brought the food and someone else brought the check. No one came to check on us during the meal. See if we needed anything. I had to wave someone down twice just to get a water refill. It felt like the business just opened and none of the staff knew their rolls. On top of that, it felt pretty dirty. Our table cloth was heavily stained. The restroom was nasty. For the price I expected nice chopsticks and cloth napkins. We got wood and paper. Even my chair was torn up. Unfortunately, the good food only isn't enough to bring me back to this place.

Rude waitress. Food wasn't great. Overpriced. Messed up our order. Sushi wasn't great, portions tiny. Subpar. Won't go back.

I've never done the Omakase at a sushi spot and this was the perfect first time. I got exactly what I wanted, some old favorites and some new exciting and unexpected delicious selections. The appetizer was fantastic, oyster and uni with marinated salmon roe, monk fish liver, jellyfish (1st time), and octopus and squid. The main dish pictured had halibut, Spanish mackerel, red snapper, amber jack, ahi, toro, clam, giant clam, scallops, and for a tasty treat the deep fried the Spanish mackerel bones! So good! Highly recommend. We shared 1 Omakase and also got some edamame and miso soup. And if you're a saki fan or not, definitely try the nigori unfiltered saki. It's so good and refreshing! 10/10. Really glad I walked into this place. Reservations are recommended since it's not very large, but there's plenty of bar space so if it's just 1 or 2 you shouldn't have a problem

Great sushi. I will say that the spicy tuna was the spiciest I've ever had so if that's your thing, try it lol

Was desperately craving sushi while visiting San Diego and remembered passing by this place while walking around the Gaslamp area so decided to give it a shot. The ambience is super cute, especially if you are seated at the sushi bar where you can order directly from the sushi chefs and watched them make your sushi! I ordered a few different pieces of nigiri as well as a dragon roll and eel roll. Everything was fresh, delicious, and presented well. The staff was also top notch. Enjoyed this place so much I actually came back a second time two days later with some colleagues. Highly recommend this spot and would definitely come back if I'm ever in San Diego again!

The very best sushi in San Diego. We have been going there for years. It is consistently delicious and excellent. The food is authentic and the service is great.

Absolute BEST sushi restaurant in San Diego!! The most fresh sashimi/nigiri offerings, my entire family prefers Taka over any other sushi restaurant option. Their miso soup is to die for and their house salad with wasabi dressing...chefs kiss the service is on point and feels clean every time we go, you can tell they take pride in their establishment. Would highly recommend if you're looking for the freshest seafood in town.

Great place for amazing fresh sushi! The salmon belly was so good we ordered a so amazing we ordered a 2nd one. We enjoyed the starters shishoto peppers abd edamame. Even their fried rice was good. The fresh Uni was soooo good! Yellow tail sashimi was really good. Great service. Only bad was the smoke nearby cigar next door as they kept the door open Great service No dress code. Would definitely go back for Great sushi and fresh sashimi. Great friendly service! Cucumber Melon Martini was amazung.

Excellent neighborhood sushi in the gaslamp district. Not to be confused with top tier priced, omakase restaurants, but they offer very solid pieces with some less common choices at a reasonable price point. Super glad to see engawa on the menu. Food looked less appetizing than it actually tasted. Excellent anago preparation and amaebi presentation was visually striking. First time getting one with roe so that was a new experience. Service was efficient. Solid 4 stars and a recommendation to return if I were in the area looking for sushi with easy to snag reservations. At this price point, I would prefer dinking at Azuki (sister restaurant and predecessor to the Kinme omakase next door to it) but even with a large convention in town getting reservations was not overly difficult.

How there are anything but 5 star reviews for this place is slightly astounding. I guess off-nights are possible, but every time I have eaten there it's been top notch. This is not a sushi restaurant with lots of baked rolls and rich sauces. The freshness and taste of the fish is what they specialize in. 5 stars.

I'm an avid Yelper (even found this place on Yelp) but this is my first review and I wanted to make my first one for a special place. This is... by and far... the best sushi I have EVER had. It is so fresh and the absolute perfect ratios. Masa, is the sushi chef and he knows what he's doing! To put it in perspective for how good this place is, I was in San Diego on a five day trip and went here three times. Highly recommend sitting at the sushi bar and watching them make your sushi, that's fun :) Love this place and can't wait to come back!

Came here for a quick bite to eat before hitting some bars downtown. First time I have been able to sit at a sushi bar and it was so much fun. I had the shrimp tempura roll and it was one of the best I've had. We also tried the cucumber martini with our rolls, very strong but good! The staff here is amazing and so charismatic. We were able to chat with some of the waiters and chefs throughout the night. Made the experience very memorable.

I entrusted my Valentine's Day dinner here and want to thank you guys for the incredible white glove service and delicious meal I came in early in the week with a heart shaped plate, dropped it off with the manager/chef and reserved a specific table. Day of... everything went PERFECTLY without me having to remind and of the staff when I came in. The head/main chef gave me a nod and remembered me Ate $300 worth of fresh sashimi and it was the perfect choice. Thanks again

We walked in about ten minutes till closing so we could only order one round of sushi . Mario was very polite. Sushi was very good. Service was great presentation was nice . Ambiance is very calm and I would definitely come back here .

I like the sushi there. I've eaten at Taka on several occasions and I have yet to be disappointed.

I've said all that can be said about this place. If you love sushi you must visit. Sit at the bar and enjoy a unique experience. I love the salmon, but every so often I get adventurous and try something new and I've yet to be disappointed. I am unable to add any more picture, but I can assure you they are .

A little piece of heaven in crazy Gaslamp. The sushi is beautiful, delicious cuts, always fresh and full of flavor. The chefs are a delight to watch. I love how small and intimate the restaurant itself is. Service is friendly but not overbearing like other restaurants. I always eat here when having a bad day, and come out feeling happy again. 10/10.

Came in for a quick bite after attending a conference at the convention center. The interior/vibe of the restaurant was a little mysterious to me. The sushi bar side looks like an authentic Japanese restaurant, but the table side looks odd with the white tablecloth... Kind of steakhouse-like...? I had an order of the salmon nigiri, which was thick, juicy, and delicious. The yellowtail roll was also tasty - their cut rolls are pricy but the pieces are definitely larger than typical yellowtail maki rolls. The rice is on the outside and it is 8 pieces - the size of a tempura roll or California roll. The menu is a little expensive but not too bad for Gaslamp.

Very authentic Japanese restaurant at the gaslamp. We parked about a block away not bad Service ia very good Sushi chef very knowledgeable We got the omakase with both sushi and sashimi They have 3 kinds of omakase My man and I tried and shared one and we are definitely full Food so authentic and very fresh And the sushi chefs are actually Japanese so that was very much appreciated We sat on the bar so we got to chat with our chef throughout Love it so much and we will be back frequently

Good food kind servers, but slow maybe they are understaffed. Second time here. Try to seat inside.

Excellent Authentic Japanese Cuisine. From the freshest fish to the best sake, Taka won't disappoint. Start out with the sushido peppers, then dive right in for the spicy tuna. Fantastic fresh tuna and just the right amount of kick. Then on to the sashimi. We had a custom selection of nigiri and sashimi that was incredible. Pair it with a nice sake,cans a cold Sapporo, and your night will be memorable. Be prepared to pony up when the bill comes, as it will be a shocker Your date will appreciate it.

I saw Taka online and it had an amazing website and reviews so we made our way over on our trip to San Diego. The restaurant atmosphere was disappointing compared to the website and photos. It's on the busy streets of the gas lamp quarter and was fairly small, i think this location is a disadvantage being right on the street it's hard to block out the outside and be immersed in the quiet japanese vibe the place was going for. The service however was incredible and very fast. The rolls were pricey compared to the usual sushi places I've been to. We ordered the dragon roll, Philadelphia roll and the soft shell crab roll. The dragon roll and Philadelphia roll were incredible, super fresh and soft, high quality sushi. Unfortunately the soft shell crab roll was super disappointing, it was small and dry and barley had any meat, i'm not sure if the crabs on this coast just aren't very big or it wasn't in season but I wouldn't recommend. Over all the other rolls were great if you're in the area for a conference and looking for a good place within walking distance of the gas lamp quarter but beware it's in the middle of the night life.

Came here for a late night dinner with friends. I wasn't sure what to expect. The ambiance is nice and I love the minimalistic decor. You can see the chefs preparing your food at the sushi bar too. My friends and I ordered a variety of items, but I'll just list for what I ordered. Spicy tuna tartar- it's good. I mean it's raw tuna but they make it tartarish with the quail egg and seasoning. I really liked their take on tartar. I'd order again. Halibut nigiri- can't go wrong with nigiri and it's not breaking the bank for two pieces. Pretty good and fish tasted fresh. We also ordered a bottle of sake. It was good. Service was also pretty good. Our waitress was friendly and chatted with us a bit. Overall a pretty good experience. I wouldn't hesitate coming back here when I'm in SD again.

For offering sushi right on the Gas Lamp, Taka deserves some credit, but holistically as a sushi restaurant this place is mid asf. I have had better quality fish at all you can eat sushi restaurants and for how pricy Taka is, definitely not worth. The restaurant design is minimalistic with white table cloth, but whatever class and refinement Taka was going for was completely foiled by the unprofessional staff and rowdy customers. The creepy old guys at the sushi bar were getting the chefs drunk while hitting on younger women. They seemed to be regulars so the servers let them do as they please. I understand that people can get loud especially on a Saturday night, but it was only 7:30 pm so a little restraint or effort on the part of the chefs to stay sober would have been nice. Unsurprisingly, the restaurant was mostly empty. I thought it was too good to be true when all the other sushi restaurants nearby had hour long waits. I now know why.

I will be honest, this wasn't my first choice or my second choice but the other options didn't pan out. Lumi's AC blew out unfortunately so we ended up coming to Taka. We didn't have reservations but they were able to seat us inside which we appreciated. Our server came and asked what we wanted to drink and I said just water because we had plans to go out for drinks after dinner so I didn't really appreciate when she asked "that's all you're going to drink?" The tone of it made it sound like we were obligated to order drinks.... After they brought us water, we had to wait quite a bit for her to come back and take our order. While we placed our order after each item she would say "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. " and honestly it was such a tone that it didn't quite sit well with me on top of the drink comment. The amaebi came out first (sweet shrimp is one of my faves) and was surprised to see the shrimp head on the plate too. It was still live & kickin so when it twitched it definitely scared me a bit lol. After you finish the sweet shrimp they ask you if you want the shrimp head fried or miso. We both opted for miso soup which was delicious especially because I was craving for some miso soup. The scallop, uni & salmon belly were all pretty fresh. I wish we asked to sit at the bar instead so we could've interacted with the sushi chef and possibly have a better experience with the staff. I appreciated the ambience and the restaurant setting overall besides the service. I'm unsure if I'd come back tho.

We went last weekend for my son's 21st birthday and he want to get drink experience and Japanese food. It was awesome except they didn't have grilled yellow tail cheak It was my family's favorite. We had Kubota manjyu for his first sake and It was awesom and smooth and lil sweet. Foods are great. Fancy price so good for Date or anniversary. hostess and server are nice and kind.

Excellent service and recommendations by the chef. The fresh shrimp was to die for. I wish the bar was a little more extensive but the food was great.

Best sushi I've ever had! Fresh and tender. I recommend sitting at the bar and watching the sushi masters at work, it's like watching an artist. They don't do the over sauced or special rolls. It's all about the fish. Some of the items are pricey though.

Sushi was fireeeeeee! All our orders tasted fresh, and the nigiri's fish:rice ratio was perfect! service was amazing, and ambiance was classy but not snobbish.

Taka was festive and friendly, a great place you would go with friends and a better place if you have deeper pockets to pay for your dinner. Must get: spanish and japanese mackerel, yellowtail, bass Meh: toro (fatty tuna), special roll, urchin/roe/quail egg shooter Missed out: main entrees, omakase Taka is one of those restaurants that is amazing if price was never an option. The fish, especially the higher end is very fresh, the presentation is par with similarly priced sushi restaurants, and the staff very friendly and attentive. As a larger group, we were pleasantly surprised by the ease in which we were accomodated via brief phone calls and verbal promises. My biggest disappointment was that the omakase was limited to sashimi only, and with a price of $84pp, we opted out with a 10+ group of hungry friends. Food: 4 stars Service: 4 stars Ambiance: 3 stars Price: 3 stars

Came here for dinner, service was great. We are more of the specialty rolls people, they do not have many rolls like most places but what was available was absolutely fantastic. But worth it for sure! Sushi was slight warmer than sushi we are used to, but again it was good.

I wanted sushi in San Diego that was within walking distance of the hotel and remembered I enjoyed my previous visit to Taka years ago. I made a Yelp reservation but it wasn't needed as I was the first customer at opening time. I sat at the sushi bar in front of the Japanese chef. I chose the sashimi omakase. Four small dishes started things off with jellyfish, octopus, oyster with fish eggs, and ankimo. The main course appeared shortly after I finished the appetizers. All really fresh and delicious with the crowning glory being the aji with the fish head and skeleton on the platter. I finished the sashimi and requested a negihama temaki. The sushi chefs slice all the fish themselves for each order. The aji head and skeleton came back from the kitchen deep fried. A classic old school Japanese dish that was a perfect ending. The restaurant has a sushi bar that holds less than 20 guests and some two and four top tables inside and more tables outside. When I left the restaurant was busy. The seafood restaurant next door had just one customer. So others have found out that Taka is a great dining experience.