Cafe Sakana — Restaurant in Newport Beach

Went here because a friend of mine recommended it. I love sushi and this place seemed really good.

I think one of the people who served us was named Jay. He was super helpful and explained the menu to us. We ended up getting the Ocean and the Ocean Blessing sets, as well as the Salmon Fresca.

The fish was very fresh and high quality. Our server also took the time to explain each of the pieces of fish. Presentation was amazing, you can tell that the chefs not only care about the quality of food, but also the way it looks, which I think adds to the experience. Honestly it was one of the best omakase sets I've had in the OC. I've had sushi in Japan as well and this place is definitely comparable.

We also had hot green tea, which our servers were kind enough to keep our mugs filled throughout our meal. For dessert we got the green tea ice cream as well as the green tea mochi.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience. Food quality and service were on point. It wasn't too busy but even if it were, you can tell that they emphasize service here.

My friend and I even stayed late chatting and they didn't bother us even after they started closing. We were so appreciative that they were very thoughtful and didn't kick us out.

Highly recommend this place for any...

Tried this place with some friends on opening night. Cafe Sakana is located in between a couple business and is a little hidden at first (at least from the parking lot) but once you make your way through you’ll see that the restaurant has plenty of room. There is a nice patio area to sit in, which would be great for the summer, and a nice modern interior which provides a very calming atmosphere. Overall I thought the ambiance was set up very nicely. Food wise, I took advantage of their happy hour special and order a cut roll as well. I found their portions to be very good and the quality of the fish was honestly a lot better than I was anticipating. Finally, the service. I think they got more customers than they anticipated opening night so there was a slight delay however the staff was in constant communication with us about our orders and made sure to check in on us to make sure we were catered to anything we needed. Overall I had a great experience and I’m sure this place will attract many...

First time dining here. Ordered the “ocean” set which came with edamame, tuna sashimi, two hand rolls and 6 pieces of nigiri sushi. I also ordered takoyaki as a starter. First off, the takoyaki was crispy on the outside, flavor was good but the inside was mostly dough and very little octopus (tako). For the sushi set, the salmon was the most disappointing, a bit dry and was not fatty or moist like others I’ve had. The sea bream had yuzu chili on top which was tasty. Albacore and yellowtail was good. Nothing really wowed us. For the price of $27 for the set, I thought it was okay. It looked similar to Sugarfish in photos but in reality, it doesn’t compare. I wanted it to melt in my mouth. We did enjoy the ambiance and outdoor seating. Sadly hot tea was not powdered green tea but in a tea bag. Such a shame that the sushi was mediocre. With so many sushi spots around, not sure if I...