Quick Summary
Excellent customer service and very solid and creative omakase. Disappointed that I wasn't able to make it for their foie gras and A5 wagyu, but still a great experience, nonetheless. Reservations are a must, as there is very limited seating.
Food- 5 stars
I commend Ikko for adding plenty of variety in their dishes. My only knock was for the scallop course, but everything else was wonderful. The amberjack, mackerel and the trout were my favorite pieces
Service- 5 stars
The service is fantastic. It's an up-scale Japanese style where a waiter is basically staring you down from the side, to make sure your water is always full and your dishes are always clear. You're well taken care of here
Parking- there's plenty of parking available in the strip mall
Bottom Line
Very solid experience and great value as well. The diverse and creative menu along with the customer service were the best draws of the restaurant. Will be coming back!
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My first omakase in OC!
Entrance is a simple, wooden door. It's very low key and feels like a hidden room. Counter seats 8-10?? Very clean and sanitary interior. The lighting of the space highlights the Master in the room on stage. His space was organized; nothing unused was left on the table top, and everything is lined up/cleaned. Loved this aspect of the place, feels very Ginza.
Servers/Master are welcoming, alert and attentive to detail throughout. Your cup of water is always full and unneeded items removed from your space/table swiftly. Careful explanation about every dish. Master is Japanese, so he can provide an explanation Bilingually. From our conversation, I admired his detail to his craft, and passion to express his procedure to his customer. Thank you!
Every dish was amazing; Each tasting distinct and celebrates the fresh quality of the seafood in your mouth. Master pairs each fish well with unique condiments/sauces, and unwraps flavors of even unfamiliar fish. The omakase is colorful, flavorful and leaves you full. I don't drink, but I enjoyed my meal with hot green tea. The dessert was a highlight for my matcha-loving friend.
I enjoyed a course/set for Valentines Day 4 stars for variety, but I am picky: Uni-Chutoro can be served separately???, limited grilled/fried option in set. However, I am from Tokyo, so I may seek a more traditional angle to omakase.
I'd love to return in a different season, perhaps in the fall :)
My go to spot when I'm in the Costa Mesa area. Sushi is always on point. Highly recommend if you love sushi. Best thing about IKKO is that there is NO American Rolls. Will try the Omakase option next time.
Fantastic omakase, if you like trying different types of Japanese cuisine, in addition to sushi. Great service, too.
Got the omakase. The reason why I made it 4/5 its because I though their starter plate is a little too salty. However, their fish selections were very fresh and the rice were well made with the perfect amount of vinegar, soy sauce and wasabi. I like how they each plate were a selection of fishes with similar flavor profiles. They started off with light flavors and then ending it with more umami and fatty fishes like otoro. The chawanmushi is unique. It had little bits of uni and had a more umami flavor in it.
im a huge fan of omakase and honestly havent really had the chance to enjoy omakase since covid. ikko was the perfect place to remind me of how much i missed omakase. it was at an amazing price point and came with several starters, nigiris with fish from japan, and dessert! every dish was super impressive and delicious.
omakase is a super intimate experience and directly translates to "ill leave it up to you" in japanese. this allows the chef to serve you their best and freshest of the day. currently ikko is reservation only and only does omakase at the $100 price point. would DEFINITELY recommend.
and you already know we HAD to add that premium santa barbara uni at the end...
Absolutely amazing ambience, customer service, and above all else, brilliant fish. If you're in the area and wanting some good sashimi and/or sushi, this is the place to be.
I can post pics all day of the amazing sushi here but you have to experience it in person.
Top notch service, amazing quality of food. Worth every penny in my opinion - you can't get that quality fish and ingredients anywhere.
Go for a celebration, get take out and eat IMMEDIATELY in the car. Whatever you have to do. They're a small restaurant so only a few people can dine in at once. They make sure to sanitize between parties and really distance each table. Support small businesses and this one is worth supporting.
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A great lunch omakase experience! It was difficult to find an omakase spot open during lunchtime (most open at 5) so I am glad we found Ikko. To start, this place was awarded a Michelin star in 2018 so that should tell you something. The waiter was attentive and the restaurant was mostly empty when they opened at 12 making it so easy to chat and really get into the experience. Privacy during your meal is so underrated these days so that was a plus for me! We sat at the bar and it was much more traditional, the sushi chef was in his element and left us to our own devices, leaning in only to answer questions when we had any.
Each serving of sushi came with a history of where the fish came from (many from Japan), tasted unique even though I've tried some of the fish before and were literally edible art. This has been one of my favorite omakase experiences because each bite was so artfully created and delightful tasting. Taking all of these things into consideration I think this is a special experience to be shared with loved ones! Highly recommend, thanks Ikko!
Wow the sushi take out they have during the quarantine is amazing. A+ quality def will come back.
Just had Omakase there today. Highly recommend if it’s your first time as they serve 1 piece per fish type so you get to taste different types. The appetizer was ok; but once they serve the sushi it’s very interesting and different so it’s worth it. For uni sushi it’s a whole big uni on top of a tiny piece of rice and very rich and sweet tasting. Highly recommend! It was so good I forgot take picture!
Best sushi restaurant in this area: selection of fresh fish is amazing. I am a Japanese, and I highly recommend this small but comfortable restaurant. Must also mentioned is an excellent selection of good sakes.
I live in Phoenix, AZ, and I rather come here to eat sushi than any other restraints in Phoenix. It is really worth driving for 6 hours. I have sent many Arizonans to this restaurant in past years.
何時もとても美味しい寿司を有難う御座います。青井
This is very interesting restaurant, won't notice it unless you know about it. Their food is amazingly good and fresh, one of the best sushi I've had, but the size is very small, we ordered so many but I didn't leave satisfied. and the service is a little slow between the plates so the whole time I guess you are excited on the edge of your seat for the next plate ;) But the service other than that is very good, very nice and polite. SO I guess I will definitely come back here, but not when I'm starving :)
This was a great experience for me. A friend took me here and he grew up with one of the sushi chefs. My Favorite Sushi dinner yet. We tried so many items. Id come back for sure. Thank you for a great dinner evening.
OMG... This place is a BOMB. We had smaller Omacase and it was fricken awesome. I guess sorts of menu changes every time but very similar dishes. When we are about to walk in we saw "No American sushi roles here" sign, then I knew this place was genuine. Unlikely other sushi places, if you cam handle raw fish this place is definitely not for you. If you don't like perfect rice under pieces of sliced fish, this place not for you either. Just appreciate. It's perfect balance of rice and fish as a piece of sushi. Waitresses are awesome. Such great service. Very small place but a lots of sushi and price is unbelievably cheap compare to LA. I will definitely recommend this place to everyone, especially if you are picky about sushi. I will come here again and again.
This place is a real gem. During lunch, you can order most a la carte items in the dinner menu. The fish is really fresh and they have daily specials on the chalk board. The ambience is cozy, chic, and romantic. Perfect location for a date or a client meeting. Expansive sake selection too.
I was looking for a sushi joint on the Michelin guide and found Ikko in Costa Mesa. I saw that they don’t serve rolls and quickly found that the reason behind it was to serve authentic Japanese sushi. Most places that I had gone to have soy sauce on the table, fortunately Ikko’s sushi is pre-seasoned without overpowering the natural taste of fresh sashimi. One of my favorite dishes to order is uni. If you love sushi, Ikko’s is hard to beat.
Traditional sushi at a very very good price for the quality you are getting. One of the only places I've ever found real wasabi at and goes great with every nigiri you order. I recommend the sweet lip and the Miyazaki Wagyu nigiri.
Fun foodie experience!! The sushi is fresh and perfectly seasoned! Tamago is amazing! Carpaccios are great! Japanese green tea beer is smooth! Friendly & helpful service :)
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