Kawamata Seafood — Restaurant in Dana Point

Tiny storefront - you don't go inside, you order at the front and wait/eat outside. The line gets pretty long. Expect a 20 minute wait to order and 10 more to get your food.

Limited parking - two parking spaces. The third is taken up by a line of people. Street parking is relatively easy to find, but you may have to walk a bit.

Tiny portions - not sure why some reviews say the portions are big. The "small" is about the right size for children. The "large" is on the smaller side for an adult. The fish to rice ratio is good, but that's because they give you a very small portion of rice, not because they give you a lot of fish.

Expensive - Upcharges on everything. There are no default toppings. Everything is an add-on, so you start with a base price that's pretty expensive and then add stuff on to make it unreasonably expensive.

Unremarkable taste - fish roughly chopped into unequal pieces. Sauces are on the blander side. No unique sauces. Rice is cooked. Nothing special.

Uncomfortable service - you pay at the front and wait around the vicinity for the food. The girl who announces your order is ready is behind a pane of glass and she's barely audible. I'm sure she tries her best, but this place needs a megaphone system.

Overall, not sure why this place is highly rated. Seems like it should be a 3...

Okay so I searched this place out looking for some simple seafood. I arrived and there's a huge line out front. Oftentimes that turns me away because I don't have patience to wait in long lines. But there wasn't much else around, so I decided to venture as I drove here from Santa Ana. The menu is sparse serving just poke bowls. I was pleased to find a spam musubi on the menu once it was my turn and saw the menu.

Anyway I love poke bowls so no harm there. The service is polite, but very quick, if not a little bit curt. I think they've got takeaway food down to the manufacturing line like art. They spell out on a board exactly what to do, you walk the four steps to order your poke bowl, to which I added a spam musubi, and added a few more extra toppings. I got ahi, with avocado and fried garlic chips. It was actually divine. Because it's takeout, you can go wherever you'd like. And right nearby is the beach, so that's where I landed on the picnic table with this incredibly fresh bowl of poke, listening to the waves. There's really not but much better, especially for the price.

This reminds me of the simple Hawaiian joints we visit when I go back to see family on the island. Quick, clean, simple to the point. My final test is what I go back again, and the answer is...

So good! This is the best poke spot in Orange County. I’ve tried many, and most of them disappoint with low quality ingredients and fish that is clearly not fresh and looks/tastes chunky and nasty. I’m confused how there are so many mediocre poke spots, but I guess we’re very lucky to have a great spot like Kawamata in San Clemente/Capo. It’s still hard to explain until you’ve tried a few good spots and have the perspective to compare the bad ones, but nothing even comes close to the freshness and quality of Kawamata. It’s a must try for everyone who enjoys a quality poke bowl in the OC. My dad always gets poke on Mondays, so I can’t usually introduce him to Kawamata as a regular but I’ve got my fingers crossed that they decide to open on Mon/Tues at some point. It’s expensive, be aware, but you’re paying for top tier quality in terms of local poke spots.

Edit: Never done this before but I want to return to this review and reiterate how important Kawamata is for the San Clemente community. If you’re intending on supporting our local businesses who offer genuine quality and excellent service, I implore you to check out Kawamata regularly. They never disappoint if you like seafood...