Sushi Tadokoro — Restaurant in San Diego

Ok, there's a lot to say about Sushi Tadakoro. So, they just got their first Michelin Star. They were literally just a small mom 'n' pop shop in a strip mall. They had a barely functional website and the only way you could make reservations was over the phone. As I was planning my trip to San Diego, that's when they were dealing with the repercussions of their new Star.

The flood of new business and attention really caught them off guard. They had to make a change, so they upgraded their website and made online reservations possible through Tock. All good stuff. I made my reservation a month out, like in the morning, and some of the options were already sold out. So plan ahead.

It's a small place, which I love. There was space for maybe 20 people in the whole restaurant. I did the omakase, so I was seated at the sushi bar face-to-face with the sushi chefs. They have a nice selection of sashimi, nigiri, rolls, and a few simple apps. You can order everything a-la-carte, which is nice.

But their main event is their omakase. You pay a lump sum and let the sushi chefs guide you through a culinary journey of the purest fish tasting you will ever have. I assume. The key difference between Tadakoro's omakase and other omakases I have experienced has to be the simplicity of the offering. Some folks won't like that, I'm sure, but they're wrong.

By simplicity, I mean that they let the ingredients present their own flavor and don't flood anything with too many sauces or crunchy things on top for pizzaz or photogenicity. The first course was a raw oyster with a simple sauce, a block of tofu, and tempura shishito peppers. Very simple, very delicious.

This was followed by six cuts of fresh sashimi, all were recommended to just down by themselves. One, he told us to lightly dip in the soy sauce. All of these were very good, and so different from one another. Then, a small slice of broiled Chilean sea bass. I don't have to tell you that this was truly exquisite. Dear Lord.

Thennn, we got through at least a half-dozen nigiri with a single brush of soy sauce. All so lovely. We ended with a bowl of rice and roe and a very simple, perfectly sweetened custard of some sort for dessert.

I don't remember exactly what all the fish were, but they were all so very good.

And the thing is, for several days after my meal, I remembered what each one tasted like, the texture of each one, the way they felt in my mouth, etc. I think it was because Tadakoro didn't try to have some sort of grand finale like a saucy scallop dish or a Wagyu beef dish or a crazy chocolate cake.

Nothing extraneous was there to distract us and our taste buds from the purity and the freshness of the seafood. I can see exactly why the Michelin people showed up and had this experience and thought, yea, these guys deserve a Star for this.

Overall, I really enjoyed this experience. It was truly unique, it was obviously quality, and I will be making reservations here again if I ever find myself back...

An exquisite dining experience at the sushi bar with Chef Soichi serving omakase for myself, my husband, and our friends. For those who are unfamiliar, it essentially means chef’s choice. It’s a great option if you want to try a variety of the day’s fresh catches. They have a set price but you can also tell them how much you’re willing to spend per person. At the end of your meal, the chef will ask if you are still hungry and he can go from there. You have the option of telling the chef your preferences so that he can tailor your experience.

Each nigiri is delicately made and served. Chef Soichi took care to explain the origin of each fish. The sweet shrimp is served two ways: raw and then the shrimp head is taken back to the kitchen to be prepared as you wish (fried, grilled, or in miso soup). I chose the miso soup while my party chose the fried shrimp head. The miso soup was probably the best miso soup I’ll eat. I stole a bite from my husband’s shrimp head and it was perfectly fried so that you can eat the entire thing. They make all their dressings and soy sauce in house so a lot of the nigiri will be dressed for you by the chef. Please don’t ruin the fish by dunking it in more soy sauce.

We have experienced the omakase at Sushi Ota as well. Although each chef and restaurant has something unique to offer, both my husband and I preferred Tadokoro. Ota offered more variety in a bustling and busy ambiance. We preferred the relaxed, quiet atmosphere (despite it being quite busy, it didn’t feel hurried or rushed) of Tadokoro along with the full attention and care of Chef Soichi. Waitresses were attentive and polite. Each dish was so perfectly made with love, it was a truly special dining experience. I can’t rave enough about the quality and freshness of each piece of fish. My favorite fish is salmon and on the car ride home, my husband had to remind me that we weren’t served salmon the whole night. Apparently I was so distracted by how delicious everything was that I didn’t even miss it!

Tips: Make a reservation at the sushi bar to get the full experience of omakase. When I made the reservation, they did ask me if two hours would suffice for our group. They also called me the day of to confirm the reservation. Parking is very limited as this is tucked in a tiny corner next to a liquor store. There is plenty of street parking though.

I was so distracted by the preparation and beauty of the first dish that I devoured it without taking a picture. It was one of my favorite dishes and included: plump, large, and sweet oyster from Vancouver, monkfish liver with housemade ponzu, and a small fried fish (which I cannot remember the name of). Other favorites are the grilled sea bass and goldeneye red snapper kissed with the blow torch (served...

The debate for best sushi restaurant in San Diego is serious, you truly judge a person by the sushi spots they frequent, as it's a fairly clear judge of character. Friendships will be lost as you pick sides. It's no joke.

I'm not going to mention other places in this review, in fact I barely want to mention THIS place in this review, as I'd prefer to keep the crowds away.

Sushi Tadokoro is the best sushi bar I've been to in San Diego - admittedly I do need to try others, but Tadokoro gives me no reason to leave! Make a reservation, sit at the bar, order Omakase.

Omakase is the chefs special, the chef asks you what you don't want to eat (perhaps you're allergic to something, or prefer certain tastes over others). You are then served various items, I believe this is 10 items, though if you'd like more you can stay seated and signal for more. We had at least the 10 items on the list, as well as some seabass and little fried fish on the side. The sushi was a perfect orchestra, leading in with oysters, scallops and monk fish liver, we transitioned to sashimi of various types, and nigiri, hand-served/hand-eaten. The toro was delicious and fatty, the mackerel was buttery and steaky. After eating the mackerel, filleted meat served on the fish, the bones are taken back, fried, and returned. Everything is edible, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

As we were eating, they delivered the cooked items separately, first came the small fried fish in a basket to sop up excess oil, lemon to taste. These are eaten whole, essentially becoming fish crackers - perfect bar food, really. After a few rounds of the omakase, the waitress brought out the chilean seabass.. it just melts in your mouth.

We complimented our meal with drinks and dessert, these are just added bonuses.

If you haven't tried this place, and swear allegiance to your usual haunts - try it, you won't be disappointed. Tadokoro was recently nominated as one of the top 10 sushi bars in America, since then reservations are required about a week in...