A Hidden Japanese Gem Near Irvine 🍣 | Traditional Kappo-Style Eatery

After shopping at South Coast Plaza with friends, we dropped by a cozy Japanese restaurant nearby—Kappo Sui. This spot offers homestyle dishes and sushi, run by a sweet elderly couple who’ve been serving the community for years. 🧓👵💖 It’s a favorite among regulars, and dinner hours get busy—reservations are recommended! They also serve affordable bento boxes 🍱 and set meals for lunch. We started with pickled daikon radish marinated with yuzu juice. It was just okay—skip it if you’re not big on tangy appetizers. The pear sake 🍹 was lovely though—lightly sweet with low alcohol, perfect for those who prefer milder drinks. The real star here was the fried dishes! We got a portion of fried fish 🐟—five thin, crispy, perfectly seasoned pieces. So tasty! The chicken karaage 🍗 was also delicious, and the grilled chicken wings were fragrant and well-marinated. They offer a variety of grilled fish options, and the duck and steak are popular too. Since there were only two of us, we kept it simple: unagi don (grilled eel rice bowl)—the portion was generous with two pieces of eel, just right for sharing. We also tried sweet shrimp 🦐, and you can tell their sushi skills are solid! Finally, we had their signature kappo-style whole fish. It was tender and flavorful but leaned sweet—not totally my thing, but worth a try. Their hidden gem? A seafood hotpot that requires two days' advance notice! 🍲 It’s huge, loaded with ingredients, and costs $100 per person (min. two people). You can even upgrade with king crab for a luxe experience! 🦀✨ After all that food, we walked it off at Irvine Lake Park—where, ironically, we saw a bunch of ducks 🦆 that made me hungry all over again! 😂 📍 20070 Santa Ana Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Have you been to Kappo Sui or another low-key Japanese spot in Irvine? What’s your favorite homestyle Japanese dish? Share your recommendations below—I’m always looking for new places to try! 🗺️🍴 #IrvineLife #Irvine #IrvineFoodExplore #IrvineEats #AroundIrvine #LALife #LAFood #LADining #USLife #KappoStyle #JapaneseComfortFood #HiddenGems #CozyEatery #SushiLovers #FoodWalk