Kappo Sui / Sazu Sushi — Restaurant in Costa Mesa

Hands down this is the best Japanese restaurant stateside! Highly recommend going here, you won't regret it!

They have the best homemade Japanese food and sushi! The flavors here are so authentic and umami! Having lived in Japan for more than two years, this is one of the few spots in the US that truly does have that delicious, homemade Japanese taste.

Let's start with the sushi, which is super fresh and amazing. The menu has a huge selection and we loved everything we had (which was most of the menu). Our absolute favorite was the Uni Hand-roll. The freshness of the uni combined with the shiso leaf delicately wrapped with seaweed was orgasmic! We literally had to order another round because they were just that scrumptious.

The cooked food is amazing as welll! We usually start with a Spinach Salad. While the salad looks deceptively simple it packs huge, umami flavor. The dressing combined with the bits of bacon and the greens themselves make the perfect combination of light and dark flavors.

Next is the Crab Croquet. So deliciously creamy with lots of crab inside. You won't regret ordering this appetizer for sure!

The Agedashi Tofu is also very yummy if you're looking for a light and refreshing appetizer.

For the entrees, they have the #1 eel box I've had in the US. It is super, delicious! The eel is perfectly grilled and the sauce is divine. The portion size is substantial as well, if you're looking for something heavier.

The Duck Nanban Soba's broth is so savory and addicting. The Duck itself was tender and delicious. This soba was so good, the bowl was literally empty before I knew it!

The Simmered Black Cod was phenomenal as well. Tender, savory and mind-blowing good. Even if you're not into fish, you'll probably love this dish!

The Fire-Grilled Mackerel was also an explosion of deliciousness and one to add to the must-try list!

For dessert, the Cheesecake was bomb, but the Matcha Panna Cotta was the winner for us. It was so creamy, smooth, and tasty. The matcha flavor was perfectly sweet and not bitter at all. The perfect way to end a perfect meal!

Honestly, you can't go wrong ordering anything from the menu. Everything is so fresh and delicious and you can tell they put a lot of effort into making each bite something to remember.

Not to mention, the staff is so friendly and attentive. The owner, Zuke, is awesome and definitely cares about running a welcoming and top-notch establishment.

Overall: 10 Stars!! Go here if you want amazing Japanese food. You...

I don’t even know where to begin. I was in town on business and met with an associate. We had no idea where we were going to go. Just started in Costa Mesa and took off driving. Finally, I randomly picked this place off Yelp. We pulled in and admittedly I was reticent. It’s very nondescript. At the end of a strip mall, I thought it would probably be one of those places that really good or really bad. The best way I can describe the color scheme inside is 1990s Taco Bell light blue and pink. We walked in, and the place is about half full. Immediately we noticed that every customer (at that time) was Japanese. Taking that as a good sign, we stayed.

Suffice it to say, this establishment was a revelation. My associate is a foodie who has traveled the world and has sushi at least a couple of times a week. He lives in SoCal and he’s had hundreds of styles from restaurants in the area. We were there for 2 1/2 hours. I think we ordered five courses. I’m not as educated in the cuisine as he, but everything we put in our mouth was absolutely exquisite. He stated that it was some of the best food he had ever had in any of his travels. I am 53 and encountered some flavors I had never experienced. The two of us spent hundreds of dollars, mostly because we (and my associate especially) couldn’t believe the quality, freshness, and deliciousness. We could not stop trying things! Zuke, our server, was amazing too. I think he was amused by us and it might’ve crossed his mind an hour in that he should probably get a form of payment considering the amount we were ordering :-)

Do yourself a favor and visit this place. My associate is already making plans to drive an hour and a half with his wife to visit again, get a hotel room and make a night of it. I will never go to the Irvine area again without visiting Kappo Sui. I can’t wait to take more friends and associates, and hopefully this review allows you to make the same...

Fantastic, authentic Japanese food. Completely unassuming looking place that I decided to try while staying nearby. Really glad I did and will be back.

I was feeling pretty hungry so decided to try a range of items. I ended up taking up a couple of spots on the counter when all my food came out. Probably that’s my only quibble since it literally all came out at once so felt a bit rushed to sample everything quickly.

Sushi and seafood is incredibly fresh and delicious. The yellowtail felt like it melted in my mouth and the other sushi and the shrimp in the tempura was equally good. Presentation of everything looked great.

The beef teriyaki was grilled to perfection and their teriyaki sauce is the lighter type (less thick and sweet) that I love. Miso soup and the side salad were very good.

I also tried the Garlic clam soup, which if you like garlic, is chock full of sliced cloves. I may go for the sake clam soup next time but garlic is hard to pass up.

Looks like a family owned place and the entire staff and many of the customers were speaking in Japanese. Highly recommend a visit.

** Edit - been several times over the years and their menu has changed over time. They stopped sushi for awhile but now it's back in full force. I went there most recently with my mom and cousin and we ordered quite a mix of items again. The teriyaki steak is still fantastic (although now it's billed as Ribeye with a choice of sauce), Sushi is good, tried the sake version of the clams and like the garlic better, tempura is decent, and overall the service there remains friendly and quick. ...