Kuramoto

My partner and I made this reservation months in advance to celebrate Valentine's Day together. There is a $50 deposit for each person, but it's returned after you check in with the host. Upon arrival, the host showed us our seats which are centered around the counter where the chef prepares the food. It is a very intimate setting and depending on the dining group, it can get quiet so just be aware of that. The Jousen course includes a total of 15 courses including starters, the sushi, and dessert. We loved the freshness of the fish and how carefully crafted each dish was! Your appetite will be satiated after this meal.

Made a reservation for a mid week lunch since I had business in the area. It's located in a large-ish shopping center with a decent amount of parking. The space is clean, somewhat minimal, and intimate with only bar seating. I feel like the bar top is a little high which obscures the view of the chefs working, but NBD.Lunch moves at your pace of choosing unless you linger. Service is nice enough, pretty typical. The lunch Omakase starts with a sashimi salad which was just average. Chawanmushi was solid with a mild flavored stock, smooth egg and pieces of seafood. Sushi followed and though it was pleasant, there was nothing memorable, out of the ordinary, or hyper seasonal. The Tamago was really light and ate almost like a cake. The cup of dashi before dessert was a treat.A solid lunch for the price point, but nothing really stood out. I'm sure dinner service will offer more highpoints but of course comes the equivalence in price. I'd come back for lunch if I was in the area, but it's not worth a special trip.

Kuramoto is located at the corner of a strip mall. It had a very unassuming front signage which made it difficult to find at night. Once inside, we were greeted by the hostess and shown our seats on the bar that wrapped around the restaurant. The restaurant's dining area wasn't very big which provided an intimate dining experience. From looking around the bar, there were many other couples who also wanted to share the evening together. Throughout the evening we were served various nigiri's, soups, and other well thought out dishes. The fish was fresh and each dish was carefully assembled and crafted. The whole dining experience lasted about 90 minutes and we were thoroughly satisfied at the end of the meal. Overall it was a great experience and definitely a keeper.

Probably the best omakase experience in OC. This place was tucked away in a tustin plaza on edinger and red hill. We made a reservation way beforehand for our one year anniversary dinner. Just to note, they do require a $50 deposit pp when you reserve online. However, they remove it once you show up. We came here right on time and dinner started immediately. The two chefs were wonderful as they cracked jokes, kept everyone engaged, while explaining every dish. Just letting you guys know, you actually end up getting full from this omakase. It was pretty substantial. We would definitely recommend the tokusen menu, which was $215 pp. The only difference compared to the jousen menu ($190) was that you will get a featured dish, in our case, was the korokke stuffed with A5 wagu. Every dish was delicious and wonderful. The ambiance was very simple and clean. I love the lighting inside. Also, the server was super attentive, though I wish there was one more server to help since one server seemed overwhelming. If you have been to other omakase places like hana re or rebel omakase, this was 100% better. I wouldn't even be surprised if they get a michelin star in the coming years.

i made a reservation for their lunch omakase on a saturday afternoon. i was really excited since i haven't had omakase in a while. when we arrived at the restaurant, no hostess greeted us. instead, one of the chef's told us to wait outside. although the staff was very welcoming and kind, i do wish there was more organization and instructions on what to do upon arrival. there was a wide selection in their omakase menu. i wasn't a big fan of their salad and a few other nigiri pieces but my partner had a wonderful experience. every piece was fresh and of good quality. i'm not sure i would come back but the price was fairly affordable.

Kuramoto in Tustin is an incredible omakase experience! I've been here for both the lunch and dinner omakase, and while there are some variations between the two, both are exceptional. Chef Taiki is reserved yet personable, creating a welcoming and intimate atmosphere. The chef's table-style space is modern and sleek, with all seating at the bar, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the artistry of the meal.At my most recent dinner omakase, every course seemed to outdo the last. My party kept declaring each dish our favorite, only to be amazed by the next one. Standouts for me included the smoked scallops, Wagyu foie gras nigiri, crab uni rice hand roll, uni caviar, and several nigiri (sadly, I can't remember all the dishes correctly, but they were phenomenal).Every course was thoughtfully crafted and spectacular in flavor and presentation. I highly recommend Kuramoto for a special occasion or an indulgent, unforgettable meal.

If you are looking for a Michelin level Omakase dining experience for a special occasion or just enjoy delicious food Kuramoto is what you're looking for! This is a concept from renown Executive Chef Taiki, yes the winner from Hulu's Best in Dough show, Michelin guide ranked 2022-2023 from Momoyama. Kuramoto is located literally in a random strip mall on the corner of Red Hill/Edinger without a sign. But the door is at end of the building and look for the blacked out window with the small Kuramoto sign on the door. Yes, this place is my RSVP only for your dining time for dinner with prepaid RSVP on tock. The entire omakase dining experience is a journey through the creative mind of Chef Taiki. You can see his personality through the design of the course and his entertaining presentation manner throughout the 2 hour service. You can see his passion to his craft with the freshest and premium ingredient with technical and inspirations from modern Japanese dining. You will taste the depth of the flavor profiles as Chef explains his dishes. This was absolutely a memorable experience that we would recommend to anyone! The omakase was exactly what a real authentic omakase is suppose to be. Not these Westernized/lookalike versions but a genuine throughout journey from begin to end. The staff and Chef Taiki were both excellent in service and entertainment value too! He'll even respond to your social media tags if you tag him personally thanking you! It's great seeing how passionate Chef Taiki is and we will absolutely be coming back again when new menus release. Not to mention Chef is just super funny and charming!

$68 Lunch omakase. Trust me. It's worth every penny.The reservation experience was seamless on tock. Excellent communication on Yelp messages and 200% accommodating. The ambiance, amazingly Zen. I thought I was fine dining at a Michelin star restaurant. The food, every piece was delicious. See pictures. Go try the lunch omakase. We are planning our dinner omakase already!

Amazing new sushi omakase in OC!!!I was looking for michelin worthy sushi omakase when I found the sushi spot. They have two seatings a night 6 &8pm, you can reserve it on tock. They literally just opened a couple months ago and the Chef really knows what he's doing.Sushi omakase has two different types, I tried the Tokusen. Every single dish was amazing. They just started the new winter menu today and added his cherry wood smoked scallops with a whole fried crab!!! See pics :) I have high hopes for this one!

We were fans of Chef Taiki since Hamamori and the other restaurant that shall not be named (starts with Momo, and ends with Yama). So when we found out he finally opened his own restaurant, fittingly named after him, we had to go. Of course we opted for the premium omakase, which is a hefty $215 pp. But hey, YOLO. ALL the dishes were heavenly, but there were a few favorites including the Wagyu with foie gras, crab handroll, uni, and otoro. Loved the finishing touches of gold flakes (24 karat magic in the airrrr) and black truffle shavings on top. I'd say the food was perfect although I always wish the cut of fish would be thicker.The service was friendly and the flow was smooth and well paced, to allow time for guests to enjoy the food as it's meant to be an experience of the palate. Decor was simple, minimal but elevated, reminiscent of the traditional architecture in Kyoto that I've seen on my recent trip. It's a 14 seater restaurant so ambiance is intimate. Plenty of parking and it's super close to the freeway. Definitely a solid 5 star experience.