SUGARFISH | Corona del Mar

My favorite sushi spot in the OC! Omakase is the way to go. All dishes are fresh and melt in your mouth. Also so reasonable priced! Service is great! The place is small so you might have to wait an hour or so especially for dinner but it's worth it!

Easily 5 Stars. Firstly, if you order any of the treat boxes you will be more than happy with your meal. Every sushi, nigiri, & hand roll was extraordinary. The fish is remarkably fresh & cold, laid on a tasty slab of sticky & flavorful rice. I honestly couldn't help but have an expressive euphoric reaction to every single bite I took. Also, you will surprisingly get full off these small portions.This franchise is clearly very popular as there will always be an hour long wait for a table. Yet, they give their locations this hole-in-the-wall type of feeling by keeping the restaurant very small & dimly lit. This made the whole experience much more personal. All waiters were sweet & didn't give off that stressed out vibe despite the busy & loud environment. Everything worked so well together. I'll be back soon Sugarfish.

As with all the Sugarfish locations (in LA county) this place has it all. The sushi is melt in your mouth - perfect. I always get the Nozawa omakase and a green tea. Sometime I decide for sake too. The service is great and the minimalist ambience is just right. Living in OC, I am so glad I don't have to drive to LA locations anymore. The downside - They don't take reservations so you have to get here before they open if you want to be seated quickly for lunch.

I always come here when I'm in CDM but I have so many complaints!! I hate the music they play so loudly and they don't have gluten free tamari because they don't care about people with food allergies. Plus they charge $10 more for dinner after 3:30 pm!! Today the fish was not great and the cuts were smaller. The staff actually doesn't care. They don't get tips so why should they? Maybe because they have good jobs and this is a beautiful area to live in. They need to be more positive and happy!!!

Sugarfish is really good at what they do, which is to provide high quality nigiri at an extremely fair price. Their "Trust Me" omakase offerings are one of the best values you will find in the realm of upper tier sushi restaurants. But with that said, their style of using warm sushi rice for all of their dishes is not for everyone, and that is certainly the case for me. First things first, the space is small and they do not take reservations. We arrived on a Friday at 5pm and waited about an hour. Not too bad as it gives you time to enjoy a drink at a nearby restaurant before they text you, and they are very efficient with getting people seated. The efficiency continues with the service, which was fine, but a tad mechanical and rushed for my liking. But what's really hard for me to get over, is using the same warm rice for their hand rolls. Each of their omakase offerings finish with a crab or toro handroll, which is usually a highlight for me. But when served with warm rice, the nori instantly gets soggy and loses all texture, even when eaten immediately. Sure, the warm rice might work for nigiri, but nori plays a big role in the texture of a good handroll. I cannot for the life of me, understand why anyone would want their handroll served this way. If that's you, I don't think we can be friends.But in all seriousness, Sugarfish is a rare breed in a sea of overpriced sushi restaurants in the OC. If you are a fan of good fish and good prices, this place is entirely worth it.

My wife and I really enjoyed the "Nozawa" experience. We both ordered: THE NOZAWA TRUST ME - $46.00- Edamame- Tuna Sashimi - ponzu and chives- Albacore Sushi - ponzu and chives, 2-pc- Salmon Sushi - toasted sesame, 2-pc- New Zealand Sea Bream* Sushi - citrus salt, 2-pc- Toro Hand Roll- Japanese Yellowtail* Sushi - lemon, 2-pc- Bluefin Otoro Sushi, 2-pc- Hirame* Sushi - yuzu ponzu, 2-pcBlue & Dungeness Crab Hand RollWhy list this all...cause it was all fresh and good and honestly she said the names so fast I can't remember each. Fav was the Tuna Sashimi. We also sat next to a huge S-Fish fan who told us the owners story - which made it extra, extra cool - tip - read menu "rules and see below. Wikipedia...Sushi Nozawa, who operated until his retirement in 2012, helped popularise omakase-style sushi in SoCal. Nozawa's gruff demeanour and reputation for adhering strictly to omakase principles earned him both fans and critics, with customers nicknaming him the "Sushi Nazi", in reference to Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi" character. His strict list of rules (no mobile phones, text messaging, loud talking or switching seats with patrons) did not dissuade customers, who could expect waits of hours for a seat at table.PS - I heard he's still picking the dish in the LA Fish market every day. (?) Lastly: fixed tip at 16% but good service. Chef kiss!

First timer!This is one of those places that you go to for a special occasion or get together. My party and I (4) walked up on Thursday evening to request for a table and it was about an hour and a half wait. With us joining the queue to be the 27th party in line. This was expected to be a minor inconvenience, but not docking it off for this reason at all. After all this place is like the real life version of the sushi place from the monster's inc! Expect to walk in to put your name down with a decent wait.The experience. We ordered the Nozawa Trust me, a Prix Mixe style meal that comes with different Nigiri, Hand rolls, Edamame, and Sashimi. I recommend to maybe not come here on an empty stomach. If you eat a decent amount like I do, ordering A la Carte will rack you up a heavy tab. My party and I were quite pleased with most the selection presented within the menu. Fish and seafood quality was pretty top notch, with the Blue fin Nigiri being my favorite (rich, buttery fish). Service was good, just wish our server was a bit more lively seemed like he was a little too nonchalant. Everyone else was great though, the host, food runners and all.Overall- 7.8/10 Food is definitely worth a try, high grade sushi. Small venue, so limited seating. Service is attentive and on par. Nozawa Trust Me Prix Fixe- $46 + 16% (automatic charge, with it being a "no tipping establishment).

After a 1.5 hour wait, I desperately wanted to hate Sugarfish - what with the internet acclaim and Star-studded celebrity guests, I imagined it to be overhyped. Yet, I'm writing this rave review now with only positive things to say. Of course, if you dine in or do a takeout box, you have to order one of their set menu options. The Nozawa Trust Me is one of their more popular offerings and comes with a hefty amount of sushi but you won't be remiss if you settle for the regular degular Trust Me. The portion is more than sufficient to keep you satiated. I opted for the Trust Me, the opener was a small mound of unshelled edamame which was fine. The main attraction, the nigiri and hand rolls, were an absolute steal for the price point. Omakase generally runs for 100+ and for a fraction of the price, Sugarfish's quality is virtually the same as those found at higher price points. The nigiri is a bit atypical, taking on a rounder, stouter shape, but the bed of rice nestled under the fish is delicately and wonderfully seasoned with vinegar and soy sauce. Rarely are 1+ hour waits worth it, but Sugarfish is. 1.5 hours, 2, maybe 2.5? I'd definitely wait the duration for their food.

I had to try this spot out because like 4 friends from the bay recommend me to check out SUGARFISH. The nigiri met up to my liking. I love how fresh the sushi was, the hand rolls tasted great, and appreciate the consistency of my courses coming out in a timely manner. It was my first time here so one of the servers gave me a brief overview of the menu which was very helpful. The ambiance was cool, I came here around 7:30pm and the interior was dim and gentle on the eyes. It was pretty romantic ngl, but it could have been a little brighter so I can take pictures of the food lol.My favorite from the course were the Japanese yellowtail sushi and the blue and Dungeness crab hand roll! Tbh I forgot the name of everything I ordered, but if I had to change one thing, it would be to give less rice, but that's just my preference.I would come back if I was around the area, you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Best sushi for the price...especially love crab hand roll and their warm sweet sushi rice! Love the location, too! Close to Fashion Island and Crystal Cove.