Dong Hae Sushi — Restaurant in Lompoc

I want to like Dong Hae as I've eaten there many times starting from first month it opened. Fish was fresh, flavorful and well presented. Sushi bar varied from ultimate professional friendly sushi chef to snotty wanna-be hipster-type sushi chef (who I would avoid as I could not relax and felt rushed even if I never spent less than $90/person). Back then, and today chefs tend toward the less professional yet friendly in a used car salesman way.

Table service was and still is friendly and, ummm, interesting. Just younger folk enjoying their job to varying degrees... its fine and not an issue.

Now the food... sashimi is hard to screw-up and they don't. Fresh is what is needed and it's very fresh.

The sushi rice is supposed to enhance the flavor of the item. It should have a bit of tang from vinegar followed by the hint of mellow/sweet aftertaste to allow the fish and any sauce shine. sadly their sushi rice is way too sugary. All I can taste is sugar or whatever they use to over sweeten their rice. Even worse most of their sauces are either from a bottle or bag with even more sugary flavor. This was not how it was in the first year or two. I've eaten at Dong Hae dozens of times with the last 4 yrs of visits leaving me with nothing but sugar aftertaste everytime I ordered anything other that sashimi.

I have a difficult time recommending Dong Hae anymore due to the increased sweetness of their rice & sauces, to the point if McDonald's like feeling after a meal.

Oh yes, one final dish that was the last straw for me. One of my favorite side dishes at a Japanese restaurant is seaweed salad. Fresh, crunchy and light. Last visit I ordered it...limp soggy and, again, pure sugary badness. Flat out the most vile item I've even eaten in a Japanese restaurant. Maybe it was the bottom of a week old batch? Maybe the buy it pre-made from some warehouse.? No matter that dish seed the deal for me.

If you're a sushi lover stick with sashimi and try the rice to see how it suits your pallette. I see younger guests flocking to the rolls with the excessively sweet sauces so maybe it's a business decision to get their business. No clue but they have lost my business for a while.

Otherwise see about other Japanese options in town...

I am adding a update to the previous review they no longer are withholding drinks like they used to and i have nothing negitave to say about them any longer but feel it would not be right to just completely remove the previous review. So all i say at this point is currently theyhave excellent food, service, and i can not recommend them highly enough. Thank you

Great sushi. Decent prices. I would give them a higher rating but they have one problem, whenever anyone orders a drink they will not bring it out until you ask the wait staff, if you don't ask they will not bring it but it will still appear on your bill. I have talked to many people about this issue with everyone experienced the same thing (most people didn't realize until i brought it up and think the wait staff forget because it's busy most of the time), including other customers, and former/current employees. The wait staff is instructed by management/owners to don't bring customers beverages they order, other until they ask during their meal. They are also instructed to leave it on the bill, unless customers say something. According to wait staff i have spoken to 75% ask for their beverages, or notice it on the bill thinking It's a simple mistake, but 25% never recieved a beverage and still pay for it. It's fraud, and wrong!!! If this was not a practice for this resturant I would give them 5 stars because everything else is excellent. I would stop patronizing them completely, but it's really...

No customer greeting when first walked in( i was only customer) . Music sucked while i had to wait. Was charged for a wrong order,had to correct my own order and also had to go back and get the "extras"i ordered with the meal...not cool. The wasabi paste(not wasabi) was as flat as a nickle and same small size,plus 5 small tiny pieces of ginger,almost overlooked on plate.

Not a great experience for first time plus people smoking weed outside in parking lot while i waited...Not cool for business while another older customer pulled into lot to be exposed to that experience.

I will NEVER support this business from my experience today...we have too many other choices for better service and food quality to help this town.

To the owner... PAY ATTENTION to how workers greet customers and what the food experience should be for patrons that would like to support family...