Shunka Sushi & Japanese Cuisine — Restaurant in Costa Mesa

The restaurant is small, with sushi bar seating, booth seating, and a few small tables. They sat the 6 of us in a booth, which was a bit tight. As the meal progressed, the booth got pretty hot as 6 of us were crammed into a booth that was probably meant for only 4 people.

The sushi was quite expensive given the quality was not A grade. Most of the fish lacked the sweetness that fresh fish usually has. I had the chirashi which only came with about 8 slices of fish, a scoop of salmon roe, and 2 big pieces of egg (tamago). The best part of the chirashi was the egg, which I'm not even quite a fan of. And this was for $26.

The Chef's Choice omakase was $40 and came with a miso soup, poke appetizer which was too salty, a steamed egg (chawanmushi) which was pretty good, 8 pieces of not so great sushi, a poke handroll which was way too spicy and salty, and ice cream. For the price and the amount of food you get, its a pretty good deal. But I'd rather get better quality.

Overall, I'd rather get the omakase at Sushi Murasaki in Santa Ana as they have way better quality of fish for about the same price.

Service: Not sure if it was because they were packed or what, but service was a bit slow. Someone in our party ordered the combination dinner. She ended up finishing her entire combination before my chirashi even arrived. And the omakase diners waited at least 20 minutes between each sushi's course. Overall, it was a lot of waiting by everyone for their food.

Parking: Parking lot shared with the...

Shunka is hands down one of the most authentic Japanese restaurants I’ve ever had the pleasure of dining at. From the moment you step inside, you're greeted with warmth and genuine hospitality that instantly makes you feel at home.

The service is absolutely perfect—attentive, respectful, and welcoming without being intrusive. Every detail is thoughtfully executed, and it’s clear the team takes great pride in their work.

The food? Exceptional. Fresh, high-quality ingredients prepared with true craftsmanship. Every bite speaks to the tradition and artistry of authentic Japanese cuisine. The sushi melts in your mouth, the flavors are beautifully balanced, and the presentation is flawless.

A special shoutout to Tomo and Nubo, whose energy and kindness elevate the entire experience. Their interaction is not just service—it's connection. They make you feel like part of the Shunka family, remembering your name, your favorite orders, and always sharing a smile or a laugh.

This isn’t just a meal—it’s a true Japanese dining experience that leaves you feeling satisfied, appreciated, and eager to return.

Whether you're a sushi connoisseur or new to Japanese cuisine, Shunka is a must-visit. It’s rare to find such consistency in both food and hospitality.

Thank you to the entire team for making every visit so special. Can’t wait...

Today my hubby and I were planning to get pizza but we changed our mind when we arrived. Being sushiolics, we cannot resist the temptation to stop at shunka after reading some nice reviews about it.

I liked the restaurant’s Japanese ambience. The chefs and servers spoke Japanese! Finally a sushi place Japanese owned!!!

We weren’t sure how great the sushi was and so we started with 2 orders. Saba and Hirame. This has been our strategy; if it’s good, we will order more. And we did!

Hirame was okay. Saba was wow! A very traditional Japanese way of preparation that we haven’t seen in most Sushi places here in Orange County!

Then we ordered albacore belly, salmon belly and yellowtail belly. Salmon belly and yellowtail belly were okay. Albacore belly melted in my mouth with the exception of a big bone left in the fish in my husband’s piece... which is really unacceptable. The chef apologised in manner that it’s not a big deal.

Oh well, we still enjoyed our lunch anyhow. Then we ordered the bluefin and Unagi. Both were very outstanding. The bluefin, you can tell it’s very fresh and of high quality from its colour tone and shininess. Unagi was a bit crispy outside and then melted in my mouth. Yummy!

All in all, it’s a great restaurant. Prices were reasonable for the quality of sushi we had. We will be back for...