Kiyo Sushi & Sake — Restaurant in Irvine

During the last 6 months this place has gone from one of the best to mediocre. Every dish used to be almost perfection, and I would leave here extremely satisfied, every time, without question. However, the last two times I have visited (May, 2022), the quality has gone down quite a bit. The appetizers were not prepared quite correctly (sunomoto salad not marinated long enough, soft shell crab batter too thick, takoyaki served with not enough sauce and with spinach for some reason), the sashimi were of lower quality and cut rather poorly (especially the tuna belly and salmon), the wait staff being slightly less trained, and the tables being way too close together. My friend (who is not fat) had issues getting out without bumping into the next table, and we had actual worries about knocking over the soy sauce in the adjacent tables when leaving.

I don't know if its new management, or a new head chef or the pandemic, but Kiyo has gotten worse. There are a lot of minor issues that cumulate into a noticeable change. A good example is that if you ordered an amaebi shrimp, they would ask every time without fail, if you would prefer the shrimp head fried or in soup. The last 2-3 times I went, they automatically fried the shrimp head. I don't actually eat the shrimp head or care about how they prepare it, but it is a very good example of the minor changes and lack of detail that are now present in this restaurant. A bit disappointing considering this was one of the best places for the...

Worst experience ever!!!! I will never go here again. I placed my order online and paid. I was given a time of 20 minutes to pick it up. This place is 4 minutes from my house. First off- the staff was incredibly rude. When I asked about a pick ups- she continued to look at her phone and told me to “hold on, she’ll be with me in a minute”. From there it got worse. The guy host was chaotic and very confused. Couldn’t find my order by name or #. I had to pull up my online confirmation. From there he panicked, and told me it would be 10 minutes. I came back 15 minutes later to the exact same scenario. I waited well over an hour, saw him and heard him speaking with 3 other staff members about my order. Finally- he basically runs over a bag to me and said “ here you go” and ran off again. So 4 minutes later when I got home- completely wrong order. Not one even semi- similar item was in the bag. I called the restaurant, conveniently it went to voicemail and the mailbox was full. I called back probably 20 times with no answer and no way to leave a message. Here is a pic of my online order, and then pics of the food I actually got. Oh ya- bag was stapled closed and no itemized receipt was anywhere to be found…. I would not recommend my worst enemy to go eat...

Fresh sushi with thoughtful touches in Irvine. A friend recommended this spot, so came here for lunch after a walk in the nearby Hicks Canyon trail (it’s an 8 minute walk from the park). There’s plenty of parking, as it’s located in a plaza.

You can call ahead or place an order there. They’re currently closed for dine-in due to covid, and there were a few outdoor chairs where people ate/sat. It took about 20 minutes for the food to come out. The attention to detail was on point - from the ice pack they included, to the nearly packaged utensils with a takeout menu, to the mini snickers they included with the food, everything was thoughtfully designed. Credit cards are accepted and there’s even free WiFi in the plaza.

The lunch specials were still available on the weekends, and I ordered the chirashi bowl. The rice was just the right amount of sticky and soft, and the fish was high quality - no fishy smell that sometimes comes with older fish. It was so soft and they gave a good variety. A free miso soup was included too. You best believe I ate every single bite!

Overall, a great spot for fresh, tasty sushi for a reasonable price. I’d highly recommend coming here if you’re...