SHOKUNIN — Restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga

Great sushi bar in a food hall with potential. Modern omakase experience at a fair price point. Management is trying but service could use some improvements. (September 2021)

SHOKUNIN is one of the best omakase in Rancho Cucamonga if not the Inland Empire. It is located in a food hall (Haven City Market) which makes it difficult to create an imitate and persona experience. Due to COVID, the restaurant is reservation only and has a limited staff (a manager, a sushi chef, and a waiter).

The style is a mixed of traditional and modern. Staples such as akami (lean red tuna), toro (fatty tuna), and ika (squid) were included in the tasting. However, many sushi what some would consider essential were not included. For example, tamago (egg) and shrimp were not included in our tasting. Modern dishes included the addition of chili crisp on top of the fish, cheese with eel, and table-side smoking of fish. The chef was efficient, but could left the customers felt rushed. The 13 pieces of sushi were presented in quick succession without clear progression and cadence. While one might expect appetizer (small cold dishes) and a desert to mark the beginning and end of an omakase experience, they were not included in SHOKUNIN's iteration. The diners were left with a handroll and awkward silence until we asked for the check.

The restaurant aimed high and tried hard, but failed to impress at times. The pace felt rushed. The service could be slow. The sushi bar height seemed awkward (the sushi were placed at a platform that's above your eye level). Still, SHOKUNIN strived to satisfy their customers and largely succeed in placing itself as one of the best Sushi restaurant...

Place with small took a little while for me to find because it was my first time at Haven city market. I came for the five year where it was 13 courses for $55 Omakase. I'm coming from Orange County so I didn't realize how far this was and how much traffic there would be. I was about 10 to 15 minutes late, but I called and they said that was fine. The chef prepared all the pieces that I was behind when I got there so I could have them at once as he continued to prep prepare throughout.

The quality and flavors were good. The portions were small. I don't know if it was because of the anniversary special and pricing or if that's what their regular portions are like. The size of the fish felt like you were going to all you can eat place where they give you smaller portions. I understand why they do that at all you can eat I can expect it but here I was surprised that it was so small. I've never been to a restaurant. The portion is the small again maybe due to the reduced cost for the anniversary. The service was good. I did not like that. There were fly traps in front of my face at high-level to where I was sitting. I understand the purpose. I understand why they have it as empty as it was I shouldn't have been sat in front of very appetizing.

I might go again if I'm ever in the area to see if that really is the portion size but this is way too far of a drive for me to drive close to 50 miles. I'm glad I experienced it though. I try a bunch of other places inside the market and this...

Super disappointed with my visit to Shokunin. I was really looking forward to trying the sushi bombs I saw all over their Instagram and TikTok—they looked amazing online. But in person, it just didn’t live up to the hype. I placed my order at 8:00 PM for three sushi bombs/inari and didn’t get my food until 8:50 PM. Nearly an hour wait for something that should’ve been quick. I didn’t even complain—I just went up to ask for a water refill since it was really hot inside. That’s when they finally apologized for the delay. I mentioned that I saw two people who ordered after me get their food before me, and the guy said it was because another customer had a big order. That didn’t really make sense—why would that delay mine if I ordered first? He apologized again and offered an extra sauce for free, which honestly didn’t make up for the wait. What made it worse was that it wasn’t even busy. Just one person waiting and two people inside. Meanwhile, the cashier and one of the staff were just chatting and laughing while I sat there waiting. At one point, someone sitting near me actually asked if the food was good and mentioned they noticed how long I had been waiting—especially since my friend, who ordered at the same time, had already gotten their food way earlier. By the time my food finally came out, I honestly wasn’t even hungry anymore. I still gave it a try, but the presentation looked rushed. Overall, not...