Seabutter - Laguna Beach

I had another great dining experience at Seabutter this weekend. We decided not to fight the Valentines crowds and go a week later.We started with miso soup and the shishito peppers followed by the Hamachi. The shishito peppers were a great way to begin and were very light and flavorful. The miso soup is always excellent, creamy and comforting. And the hamachi quality was fresh yet smaller portion than I'd prefer. Next time I'd skip the hamachi and get more sashimi and sushi that I ordered below.Onto the stars! We started with the salmon trio - if you're a salmon lover I'd recommend getting one of these and then deciding your favorite bites. Seabutter has many truffle sushi options that melt in your mouth but they can all be slightly different. Left to right we enjoyed the salmon, king salmon and salmon truffle. The salmon truffle used to be my favorite but I'd never ordered the king salmon here before. I have to say the obvious winner is the king salmon. While truffle is not in the name, I'm pretty sure they use a small amount of truffle oil and sea salt to top it. The salmon truffle is delicious but it also has citrus on it so I didn't love it as much. I'm not against citrus flavors on my sushi but I don't prefer it. So, you can guess what we did from there....ordered more kinds salmon of course! All of them were equally as delicious as the first.We also ordered a YTJ roll. It was satisfying and delicious, not as mind blowing as the king salmon. Additional sushi orders:Emma: I'd skip this - minced and seared toro is not for me. I like it raw.Hye: I wish I'd placed an additional order of this earlier when I wasn't so stuffed. The yellowtail belly was so flavorful - another order with the amazing flavors of sesame oil, truffle and sea salt!Snapper: order one and see what you think - it's fresh and flavorful for a unique bite.I hope to visit again very soon. I had an excellent night here with fantastic service. My only complaint is that the past two times I've been here I requested a seat for special occasion - my birthday in the summer and tried again on the reservation this visit to sit by the window to enjoy the sunset. They were not honored either time. That was disappointing. They put a lot of 4 person tables by the window and no 2 person. I'm not sure if it can be done or if it was just me but if Seabutter is listening I'd really like to come back and dine at a window seat and see those beautiful orange and red hues over the pacific!

Laguna Beach, CAThe Japanese owned restaurant we normally go to was closed so we decided to try this one. We found out after sitting down this is not Japanese owned rather a Russian owned Japanese fusion restaurant with several locations in So Cal. Definitely on trend with the LB hipster to middle aged crowd. To be honest, I prefer a more traditional experience.While our meal was satisfactory, service was outstanding.My favorite taste of the night was the miso mushroom soup. I would return just for that delicious soup.I ordered a low carb no rice marylin roll wrapped in daikon. I was so excited to try this but quite surprised at the miniscule size and the cloying sweetness of the roll and the sauce drizzled over it...not a fan at all. I even tried to save this with chili oil to no avail. We ordered salmon collar and pin bones were not removed and I did not realize this until I may have accidentally consumed some. We let the sushi chef know and he said they should have been removed by the kitchen cook...I found at least 5 or 6, possibly ate a few as well. Collar was overcooked as well.Tried a salmon skin salad with beets, the beets are very thin strands versus pieces of beet. This was OK.We were curious and tried a pressed roll, which is like a sushi roll but no seaweed, rather items are pressed together in layers. Honestly it was mostly rice, so not a fan of this at all. I picked off albacore sashimi and mushrooms from the top, spicy albacore was negligible.I am sure there are better items, but not overly impressed with fish portions of the sushi items we tried, especially at the menu price.Parking validated 2 hours in garage.

Blue crab roll? Super dope.Surprisingly inexpensive, quality sushi. Fairly small menu, but everything we tried was fantastic

We are here for every holiday apparently! We love Jacob and Peter. The sushi is continuously flowing, and I ate so much tonight. My friend sent me a gift card for $200 so it was nice to use that towards the purchase. My hat is off to SeaButler! I can't wait to try their new locations in Glendale and El Segundo!!

I loved this place! It's tucked away in a small complex with other businesses and restaurants. The ambiance is so cute and allows for a close knit vibe. Dishes were well made, beautifully plated, and delicious! Our favorite was the salmon medley, specifically the seared salmon and crispy rice :). I wouldn't recommend the yellowtail carpaccio as that one has a very very strong truffle flavor. Their rolls were amazing and really worth the price point. Service was kind and so helpful, we initially had a reservation at 8pm and they managed to seat us an hour early!

We ordered take out - it took a little longer to come than estimated but everything was tasty and fresh. We did the tempura veggies, tuna crispy rice (good portion size), and daddy long legs. That was a good roll- I liked that it was wrapped in daikon radish. Would return.

Seabutter is a hidden Japanese sushi/sashimi type food place. It is a hidden gem but is definitely a must visit! They have inside, bar seating, and outside seating if weather is well.The place is small and quaint on the second floor of the plaza. Parking is validated in a garage below it or on the metered street parking.The service was good but the food was better.Verdict - certainly try it and come back.

Good food and good service. I've been here a few times in the last couple years, and food is consistently great. The only thing that has changed is the size of the food. I mean shrinkflation, right?! (See photo for comparison) Overall, we liked all the nigiri and rolls we've ordered. I was not a fan of the pressed sushi- the fish and rice ratio is off for my taste. Service has always been good and attentive. Patio seating was not large but cozy.

Super delicious & fresh sushi in Laguna Beach. Really cozy vibes upstairs with a modern layout inside. Jacob was a great help to go through the menu & find out what's best to eat. Very quick service. Each roll or item came out fresh in lightspeed fashion

Heard this place few years ago and finally tried this place last weekend. We went on a Saturday at 6:30 PM, and the place was almost full, so having a reservation is advisable to avoid waiting. The atmosphere is quite traditional, with typical sushi bar decor and a cozy, authentic vibe. The service was decent, with friendly staff, but perhaps due to the busyness, they almost forgot one of our hand rolls. The wait time between each course was a bit long, which was slightly frustrating. However, the servers were attentive and apologized for the delays.The menu had a good variety of options, from classic nigiri and sashimi to creative specialty rolls. The ingredients were fairly fresh, but the presentation of the dishes was mediocre. You can also ask them for fresh wasabi, which adds a nice touch to the food. Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience with room for improvement in service efficiency.Parking is very convenient as you can park directly in downstairs structure, and the restaurant will valid it.