242 Cafe Fusion Sushi

Reopened with same amazing sushi by the great Miki Izumisawa! Better service and ambiance than ever before. Can reserve on OpenTable

I am SO happy 242 Cafe Fusion Sushi is still thriving after all these years! I don't get to Laguna Beach around dinner time often, but when I have the chance, I always want to come here. Chef Miki Izumisawa is the only female sushi chef I know of to this day, and still consider her one of my heroes. She is an artist at heart, getting inspiration from nature to create unique nigiri, cut rolls and hand rolls. She has trained more female sushi chefs to execute her masterpieces, and it's really awesome to see these bad ass women challenging Japanese gender norms!Traditional nigiri run about $7, whereas, fusion nigiri are priced around $8, so I suggest trying fusion pieces, which are thoughtfully crafted with house-made sauces and flavorful garnishes.I recently came with four friends around 5pm and was graciously seated outside. We each ordered the Sexy Hand Roll and a cut roll to share and that seemed to be enough. We also tried the Toro Fusion nigiri, Tuna Fusion nigiri with spicy miso and chili paste as well as a recommended appetizer of seared albacore and a delicious gingery, garlicky sauce. Each bite of everything had umami, texture, fragrance, and beauty, playing with all our senses. The restaurant is teeny tiny, and only open from 4:30-8:30pm, so I recommend arriving when they open or make a reservation 24 hours in advance. Note that they only take reservations at 5pm though. Street parking is metered and a bit pricey and challenging being close to Main Laguna, but so worth the hassle!

Yuuuuuuuuuum! We finally made it here after years of saying " we need to try this little hole in the wall sushi place"So so happy we did. The fish is fresh, everything was delicious , butterfly rolls, yellowtail, eel, the crispy rice tuna squares you will flip your lid over! Just remember this is a tiny place . 3 tables in and a 10 person bar. 3 or 4 small tables outside. On PCH. You catch my drift.... This little gem of a spot was packed and for good reason yuuuuuuum! They take no Rez. Just go!

We stopped in to 242 for lunch during a day trip to Laguna Beach. It is a cozy spot with just three tables and a bar area. The service was great - the menu was pretty large and our server made suggestions and was attentive to special requests. The sushi itself was just okay - it's a fusion spot with contemporary takes on sushi. We ordered the pink moss sashimi which was delightful. It had a unique blend of flavors and was a large portion. We also ordered four additional rolls for our party of three. We chose the Prairie, Dessert Desert, and the Chelly. I know this is a fusion spot, but the sauce and toppings tended to overwhelm the (excellent) fish inside the rolls. A solid choice for sure, and would definitely be back, but would order more carefully.

This is a small local sushi restaurant. Thanks to Yelp I knew to stop in. We started with the give you energy appetizer. Fresh yellowtail, Serrano chili, garlic, cilantro sauce. The hot spicy bay roll is fully cooked yellowtail, shrimp, salmon, whitefish, eel inside, crabmeat, avocado sauce, creamy miso, spicy soy garlic sauce. We will be back

DO THE OMAKASE. TRUST ME. I have dined here at least 20 times. It's a wonderful experience. Tonight, my friend, Dana, and I dined here and opted for the omakase for the first time. We are in tears---of joy. You're welcome in advance.Do ask for the truffle beet scallop and albacore chia seed soy and koji. Crème brûlée was also stellar.

Mom/daughter time for 27th birthday and this was her choice... and it was a good one. My first Time and It was yummy. Our server (?Dana?) was awesome....Knowledgeable, pleasant with suggestions when we needed them. I loved the skim board tables, and casual atmosphere. The fish perfect... butter-like and beautifully presented. Dessert, which was my daughter's choice, was brought compliments of the server and was the icing on the cake. Lovely celebration for us!

Amazing sushi spot in Laguna Beach. The fish was so fresh and delicious. The menu is unique and one of a kind. The restaurant is very small and we walked in around 4pm to get a table. Glad we got to finally try this place out!

In town visiting friends, I made a reservation for the five o'clock timeslot to ensure our dinner at this bustling but tiny sushi joint would come off, and I'm very glad we did since it became quite busy as the early evening dining crowd got going.The fundamentals here are all spot on:- Excellent fish quality- Inventive and delicious flavor and ingredient combinations- Beautiful platingOur server, Taylor, provided detailed tasting notes for the various dishes we were considering, and her excellent suggestions helped us round out our selections. As the evening picked up and all the tables and tiny bar filled, service slowed a little but that was fine with us as it gave us time to chat, and imbibe a bit more Sake and Brew between rounds of delicious fish.I loved that on the night we dined there both FOH and BOH were composed of an all-women crew. The place is small, it gets busy, and they have limited reservation options online, though one can always walk in and wait. Good food takes time, so either reserve or come patient.This is casual dining, Laguna style, and ordinarily I'd reserve 5-stars for experiences that confound expectations across the board, but here the quality of fish and plating demands more than 4-stars.If you're in the mood for sushi, and crave something more eclectic, fun, and funky than a traditional Omakase experience, AND you appreciate quality fish and ingredients, this is a great spot to eat.

So glad that 242 Cafe Fusion Sushi has now reopened as Miki Sushi. The sushi is absolutely amazing and it is obvious that they use only the freshest ingredients. It has a great atmosphere and is an absolute gem in the heart of Laguna Beach. So glad that they are still using many of the recipes, sauces, etc.