OOTORO WALNUT — Restaurant in Rowland Heights

Oo Toro Sushi is unquestionably the single best thing to happen to Irvine, California's food scene in distant memory.

Admit it - Irvine has done a complete 180 turn in terms of quality culinary offerings in the last seven years and there are no signs of the trend reversing course anytime soon. The big box corporate chains serving bland and boring renditions of cliché "favorites" of American fare are packing up shop in droves thanks to the diversification of the populace and a more open-mindedness of the OC palette at large. The Elephant Bar is now EMC Raw Bar. Denny's will soon be a Korean Barbecue joint. The Spectrum... well, the Spectrum actually has many great options that do not include Burgers - and that alone is miraculous.

That said, none of this is more indicative to the fact than the arrival of Oo Toro Sushi in Irvine's Financial District.

Ootoro made a name for itself as an Omakase specialist in Walnut, California, and the goal here is the same. They do make several very straightforward Hand Rolls and Nigiri sets using Soft-shell Crab, Uni, Toro, live Lobster or even Spicy Tuna with freshness on par with powerhouses such as Sushi Noguchi, Shunka and nearby Nana San. Also, the chefs create a number of innovative new-style Sashimi and Tataki. But ultimately I get the feeling that they would much prefer everyone order Omakase, and to that end they offer several different tiers, the opening gambit of which is a gnarly $130.00 per person. It only goes up from there and the sky is the limit in price.

A $300.00 dinner was not on the agenda but will be for my next special celebration dinner.

With that in mind our table decided to share the Premium Chirasi along with a la carte orders of Nigiri and I promise you dear reader, this was no compromise in quality or flavor. The Chirasi consists of gargantuan slices of Toro, Salmon, Yellowtail, a raw fresh Shrimp (come on - try it - trust me), along with pools of hand prepared Octopus, Crab, and Spicy Tuna all served on top of the best Sushi Rice I have had outside of Japan (the stickiness and tang of the Vinegar is absolutely perfect). At $34.99 I declare this single dish the best Chriasi value in America. You simply cannot beat it.

Oo Toro's Nigiri game is also world class boasting little pillows of that same sublime rice with generous chunks of Sashimi draped over the top. Be certain to listen to your server or Chef's instructions, particularly when they advise you to forgo any Soy - the Nigiri is often prepared specifically to eat as is and you will blow the flavor profile away with any additions.

The variety of fish here isn't quite as extensive as Shunka, and the service isn't nearly as graceful as Sushi Noguchi, but Ootoro is very, very special in it's own right. They serve flights of certain fish families, like a trio of three different types of Salmon, Snapper, and Jacks or even three different grades of Toro, side by side, to be eaten in specific progression to better appreciate the subtle nuances in flavor and texture of fish of a certain stripe reminiscent to my visit to Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi Hills last year.

I could easily gush for another 4 paragraphs about Ootoro but I think the point has been made. Irvine is now in the conversation for Orange County's best Sushi Den and you are crazy to not visit...

If you don't want to read all below: Warning. If you want to go, call them first to see if they are done serving the old fish and when they will sell the fresher inventory. I guess our 3 people lunch which cost $175.92 (w/ tip) isn't enough money for them to serve the good stuff.

I'm from SGV and met two friends who work out of Brea so Walnut is a middle-ish area for us to meet for lunch. The 3 of us decide to meet at Ootoro yesterday, Friday 10/4 around 11:30 am as they open. One of the people suggested this place as he has been to the Irvine location but all of us were first timers here. I had this place bookmarked in my Yelp app for some time now so I was excited. Other than coffee I didn't eat breakfast.

When I got there at 11:15ish am to park since I was early, there was groups waiting. I was already 12th to put my name down. Once again excited since it's a good sign to be crowded before doors even open. Finally sat down closer to 12 pm. They even had no problem seating when entire group wasn't there so that is nice. The 3 of us all ordered the Premium Chirashi along with 1 order of Salmon belly sashimi and 2 orders of Unagi.

Great service, great meal, I had a great meal. We even commented on how good the fish was in taste and texture. We parted ways and I went straight home and the two other went back to work. I can't speak for the others but I was home all afternoon and even ate dinner at home. Around the 3rd inning of the Dodgers NLDS game (#2), I began to fell sick. But before that I also received texts from the friends I had lunch with and they said all afternoon they have been in the toilet multiple times and asked how I was. I said I was fine at the time of the text. Then about 30 minutes later I started to feel nauseated and then massive body chills. I suddenly got flu lick symptoms.

I didn't have to go to the bathroom last night but I was shaking with a fever from around 7 pm to about 3 am when I finally feel asleep. Wrote this today because woke up at 11 am feeling much better and since my hands aren't shaking from a fever anymore, I could write this review. I rather have been on the toilet all night instead of fever for 8 hours. I weigh about 70 lbs more than the other two guys so maybe it's kicked in later for me. We are all in our 30s and in good health. I haven't been sick this whole year other than a runny nose. My two young kids are healthy as of the time of me writing this review so it isn't them.

I know it's the internet but found 10 signs and symptoms of food poisoning: Abdominal Pain and Cramps (not for me), Diarrhea (for sure my two friends), Headaches (yup), Vomiting(not for me), Generally Feeling Sick(oh ya), Fever (I hit almost 100), Chills (like I was in a frozen lake), Weakness and Fatigue (got dirty looks from wife and kids last night when I couldn't play with them), Nausea (surprised I didn't vomit because of this), Muscle Aches (this and the shaking is why I couldn't sleep until 3am and after taking a handful of Advil). 7 of 10. I'm almost sure I got food poisoning.

I liked my food when I ate it and would've given this place a great family and friend referral for anyone who would be OK with spending the money.

Yes I know I don't write many reviews at all but I mostly do when I feel as a customer,...

Customers for over 15 years. i don’t come as often especially for the past 7-8 years but I have seen the changes of the restaurant throughout the years. Most importantly, I’m a big OMAKASE person and ai travel to tons of places in the country, Hong Kong and in Japan for Japanese food so my feedback is based on my experience and part comparison to other places.

📍 Location & Parking Ootoro Sushi is located inside the Hing Wah Lee Plaza, right next to Hing Wah Lee Jewelry. There are two ways to enter the parking lot: • East side (from Fairway Dr.) – standard open entrance • West side (from Brea Canyon Cut Off Rd.) – gated automatic entry that opens as your car approaches

Parking can be tricky. The ground level has about 20 spots, but they fill up quickly since it’s shared with other tenants. There’s also an underground garage with another 20–25 spots—less crowded since not many people realize it’s there.

🪑 Seating & Atmosphere There’s a small waiting area outside with about 8–10 chairs. Inside, you’ll find a sushi bar straight ahead and counter seating to the left. The atmosphere feels more casual than truly “upscale.” At peak hours (lunch & dinner), it can get loud, so don’t expect a serene fine-dining vibe.

🤵 Service Service was great—servers were attentive, friendly, and welcoming.

🍣 Food Ootoro offers omakase and a wide selection of sushi. The fish used to be fresh and melts in your mouth--definitely the highlight here before. However, compared to 15 years ago, the restaurant feels less refined. The quality of the food has dipped slightly over the past 7-8 years, while the prices have stayed on the "upscale" side.

⭐ Overall I’d call Ootoro a semi-upscale sushi spot. The food is still enjoyable and the service is great, but the ambiance and consistency don’t fully match the higher price point. Still, worth visiting if you’re craving fresh sushi in the...