Buddha's Favorite

First time here and it was amazing! From the moment we walked in, the experience was top-notch. Katie was our server, and she was absolutely wonderful--super sweet, gave great recommendations, and was refreshingly honest about what she personally liked (and didn't like), which I really appreciated. All the servers were friendly and made us feel so welcome. The food was fantastic, and the ambiance was adorable--such a cute spot! I had such a great time, and I'll definitely be coming back. Highly recommend!

5/5 Location 3.5/5 Food - very heavy on the sauces. Couldn't tell quality or freshness if fish 3/5 Service - mostly high school or early college kids serving Overall, you pay for the location. The rest is nothing special.

Came here on a Tuesday evening with my honorary dad, who's a vegetarian. Thankfully was able to get a reservation online same day and were seated quickly in their outdoor space, which is fitted with heaters so we weren't too cold. We started off with their garlic spicy edamame and a miso soup - both pretty standard and yummy. We also got the black cod "saikyo style," which was a fairly small portion but honestly quite delicious! Roll-wise, we ordered the Buddha's favorite alongside the vegetable and veggie crunchy rolls. I did really enjoy the cream cheese and salmon combo of the Buddha's favorite, but I think the size of the roll was a bit too small. The veggie options were surprisingly robust and quite fresh and yummy, especially the veggie crunchy! Overall, a good experience. I wouldn't say the strongest in terms of sushi options and amount for the price, but a fun place to drop by for the lovely ocean view and good service. And, of course, if one of your party is vegetarian and can't eat fish, it's great that this place had other options.

I wanted to love this place! But it just didn't blow me away. The location is cute and right on the water, but I was disappointed a bit with the food and staff. There were only a couple vegetarian rolls on the menu, but at least the appetizers had a decent amount of vegetarian options. I liked the flavor of the garlic edamame, they just weren't spicy, and I liked the tempura green beans and shishito peppers. I ordered a mojito and it barely had any mint and wasn't sweet/felt watered down. This restaurant is loud and very busy, so staff checked on our table pretty infrequently. Parking for this restaurant is valet ($7) so if you don't want to valet, you have to park on the street or somewhere else.

Brought my brother in law here who was visiting from out of state. He enjoyed the view! I personally appreciated their Sunday kids meal! Dining with a toddler is never easy but knowing I could order a steak teriyaki bowl with mushroom and onion for $6 was a god send! I definitely had to take a few bites because it was so mouth watering good! The staff was so patient and kind. The waiter recommended the 3 amigos roll and it was perfect!

Maybe Buddha likes it but we didn't think it was worth mentioning, let alone a favorite. Cramped inside. They seat 3 people at 2 tops so plan on feeling like a lobster that has been caught in a trap. Service is rushed and not authentic. Drinks came in large glasses which usually means size over flavor and this is not an exception here. My margarita was too sweet and the Moscow mule was the same. As for food- the firecracker and the lobster roll were pretty good. But they fell apart with the crispy rice spicy tuna which was a soggy disappointment and the poke nachos that were are a mixture of whatever they had left in the kitchen- no thank you. I thought they would be assembled as nachos with a sauce over them but no such luck. Prices are high for what you get.

I've only been to this impeccably-located gem a handful of times, but have yet to be disappointed.Location is definitely Buddha's biggest draw, making its romantic right-by-the-water setting ideal for dates and celebrations. Perhaps even more exciting than the view itself is the feeling of being PART of the view. Solid service and tasty food. Quality-wise, Sugarfish might be the slightest bit better, but Buddha's still holds its own.Must-order items include:-Black Cod "Saikyo Style"-Salmon Candy -Yellowtail Jalapeño roll -I Like It Raw roll -Lollipop roll Bonus points accommodating my dairy allergy without fuss; pescavegan-friendly.

Newport Beach. In a previous life, you'd find me on the peninsula almost every weekend and some weekdays. Skip to 2024, prior to visiting Buddha's Favorite, I couldn't tell you the last time I was anywhere near here. So, parking hasn't changed. Can be challenging. However, valet is offered and though I don't remember the exact price. I know it beats driving around, hoping and praying you find a spot. I pulled right into the valet lot and handed over my key. Service was great! The team from the get go was awesome. I arrived early and was offered the opportunity to be seated and wait. Since adult beverages are available, didn't take much arm twisting. The team still checked in on me even while I waited for my friend to finally arrive. The server, don't remember his name, was attentive, friendly and informative. Knew the menu and offered suggestions that all panned out. I'd say see pics but Yelp for some reason doesn't do well with posted videos. Go find me on IG if you wanna see. I enjoyed everything I ordered and ate and didn't share. I had Sushi and a two Rolls. And there wasn't an item that I wouldn't order again. If ya know me, I normally do Sashimi but this time I went for Sushi and Rolls. And I'd do it again. The vibe was fun. Learned that I could drive my boat up to the docks and be served on the water. There's some indoor seating along with the Sushi bar but you should dine outside. Especially when the sun is setting. Was a nice setting for a great Sushi experience.

This place always gives me the warm home-y vibe of local people! I very enjoyed the casual vibe near the port with an incredible yatch view!The food is standard in a fusion way! I love their decorations in every dishes! Very unique and beautifully well-crafted! We arrived on the weekend so it's very hard to get an outdoor seat and the valet parking could be a challenge since this is the local-fave! However, the warm welcoming from the staff immediately takes away the negative thoughts from us! I would prefer get a table here for the sunset catch rather than Nobu for an affordable meal and way better service! By the way, as a Buddhist/sushi-lover, I freaking love the name of this restaurant!

Great food, good location and atmosphere on the water. Crispy tuna and garlic edamame are great starters. Baked salmon, yellow tail carapaccio Service varies on hours but seating Good place in Newport besides sugarfish