Sushi Gaga

Everything is absolute perfection here! It is so worth the experience and the quality of all the ingredients and dishes The ambiance was just lovely and the service was amazing! They were so attentive and considerate!The chefs were super friendly and did a great job of preparing each dish in front of us.

Phenomenal 18 course omakase secretly located behind an amazing Japanese bakery.Our chef Shin was the absolute best! So friendly & nice to talk to, and most importantly sushi master.I loved all the sashimi, sushi, gluten free ramen, & dessert It was very nice that they had gluten free soy sauce & ramen. The set up is straight out of Japan! So clean & simple. Don't miss out on the craft cocktails & wines either. Must must must try in San Diego!

Secretly Tucked away inside the ASA Bakery, SUSHI GAGA quietly awaits ten patrons per night. Clean and chic interior, accompanied with traditional decor. Very intimate yet inviting. Service. Phenomenal. Very hands on. The sushi chefs extremely professional and authentic. Food. Impeccable. One of the best omakase dinners I've ever experienced. 18 courses. Each well thought out and well executed. Absolutely amazing. Would definitely return to this gem speakeasy omakase. Sushi connoisseurs need to run here. Thank me later.

This intimate Omakase experience is a wonderful experience. With a space for only ten diners, you will be served multiple courses of fresh seafood from many countries but mostly imported from Japan. Watch the sushi chef's prepare your next course. Everything was delicious and service top notch. Well worth the investment.

I've been hearing about a secret sushi omakase place hidden behind a Japanese bakery in Easy Village for quite some time, and finally, I got a chance to visit for the first time for a friend's birthday dinner. I was a little bit skeptical at first since it was on the pricier side compared to other San Diego omakase spots, but I was absolutely blown away by the whole experience, from the impeccable décor, attentive services, to the exquisite menu offering. Sushi Gaga is definitely worth a visit for any special occasion.I think Sushi Gaga really stands out on:1. The fish selection follows closely to the seasonality of Japan. I was indulging in a spring omakase menu in Japan in April, and less than a one month later, I have the same high-quality seasonal sushi like Japanese Tiger Prawn, Bigfin Reef Squid, Halfbeak Sayori and Young Sea Bream right here in San Diego. These items may not be hard to find in high-end sushi restaurants in bigger cities, but they are definitely rare find in San Diego.2. The Sake pairing is truly exceptional. Even in Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in Japan and in the U.S., you would be lucky if they could explain their sake menu in a few sentences. The sommeliers at Sushi Gaga are incredibly knowledgeable. Instead of recommending common brands sake among omakase restaurants in California, the sake pairing guides you through different regions of Japan and showcases their distinctive style throughout the courses. They also carry some incredibly rare luxury sake brands that I only hope that I can afford for a taste one day.3. One seating per night, so the dinner is LONG! But you do get to fully relax with your group in this intimate space and even make new friends at the sushi counter. Come hungry and come with a rideshare! It is an 18-course dinner with good portions. The same goes for the sake pour, and you will have 7 glasses to drink.After almost 3 hours of incredible feast, I finished my meal with a Hibiki Old Fashioned and creamy Hokkaido Soft Serve. What a great way to end the night!

Sushi Gaga is aesthetically astounding. Make no doubt about it. The refined stone wall with clean wood paneling gives no confusion that Gaga is refined. Nestled almost in speakeasy fashion inside Asa Bakery, this omakase only sushi dining experience has been making BIG splashes in the East Village Pool.We started off the evening waiting outside the secret door to the sushi backroom. Offered a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, the service and attention to detail came out swinging.The counter only service was incredibly personal. The fish was fresh and the ingredients (which were proudly placed on display to us) were immaculate. My two gripes (and truly there were only two) was the level of knowledge/attention to detail of the waitresses and the value.Numerous times, the waitresses just seemed out of their element. Not as knowledgeable about the sake pairing that they were serving. Additionally, my girlfriend doesn't eat beef so had to get the wagyu course swapped out with an uni nigiri (no complaints. the uni was incredible) however, the sake pairing was late (after she got already got and ate the uni) and during the explanation the waitress kept reminding her about the quality of the wagyu and how the sake would pair perfectly. This ties into the second point. At $250 a seat, the price point is competitive if not more than the local Michelin star sushi restaurants. With the errors and lapses of service, I don't think Gaga warrants the price tag it demands. Does it have the potential? ABSOLUTELY. I'll be eager to come try again once Gaga has had more time under it's belt. If you crave an elevated dining experience. Go to Gaga--at least once.

Sushi Gaga has 1 seating at 6:00 limited to 10 seats. It's sort of a speakeasy since its located inside ASA bakery. The entrance is hidden but if you look closely you'll see a sign that's in an area that you wouldn't normally look.First course, appetizers; Hokkaido tako (octopus), blue fin maguro, saba (mackerel) sashimi, and roasted duck with fig and honey tofu. The tako I think was raw or just flash boiled, still very chewy but also soft and tasty. The blue fin tuna was also very tender and soft. The mackerel was charred on one side and came with a tiny fried river crab which you can eat whole. The roasted duck, fig and honey tofu was my favorite of the appetizers, as the fig was perfectly ripe and very soft and sweet and the honey tofu was very silky, if you didn't tell me it was tofu, I'd probably say it was mascarpone cheese.The sakura smoked shima aji (striped jack) came marinated in a roasted sesame shoyu. It came presented with the smoke contained within a wine glass. This was my favorite item of the evening. The roasted sesame added a nutty flavor and also a slight oiliness which balanced out the shoyu. I think they should put this sauce on the Wagyu sushi.Next was a lobster with a oyster confit. Id best describe this as a upscale seafood chowder. It came with a piece of bread from the made in house ASA bakery, it was so good and perfect to soak up all the soup and eat as a soaked crouton.Nigiri was served in 3 separate courses. The first round was my favorite. Nodoguro (black throat sea perch) was served in hand with nori, I had not been served nodoguro this way before. Hokkaido hotatte (scallop) was konbu marinated and was very tender. The Kanpachi (amber jack) with foie gras was also very tender and the foie gras added a very light texture and flavor. I think I'd prefer just the foie gras alone as sushi as I think the kanpachi distracted from it.The braised abalone was very good, I think braised in butter because it was tender and had a good flavor. Usually when I get abalone its tough maybe also because its raw. It still had some bite to it like a good al dente pasta, so it wasn't totally soft, but as far as abalone, it was tender still kept its texture. It came topped with a sauce made from foiegras, abalone innards and egg yolk which gave it a nice taste and smooth texture!The second round of nigiri; Shima aji (striped jack), Kinmedai (golden eye snapper), Mirugai (geoduck clam). Shima aji came topped with shoyu, the kinmedai skin was torched as usual. I had not been served mirugai this way before, normally its sliced thin horizontally. This was cut vertically with vertical score marks, this gave it more crunch, it was still sweet, soft and tender but had more meatier texture and flavor.The Chawanmushi was topped with uni ankake there was a clam and maybe abalone inside which was nice. The egg custard was very light and jiggly.Third round of sushi; Konbu cured red snapper topped with sturgeon caviar, torched A5 wagyu with black truffle and lava salt. The wagyu was very tender and soft and the lava salt added a much needed yet subtle salt component to it. The gaga roll was tuna and green onions rolled inside, sliced and ikura and uni placed on top. Very decadent and more of the new school type of sushi.They asked if anyone wanted to order any more sushi ala cart, they could choose from any thing they were served to anago (sea eel) which was roasted on site.Then a small bowl of ramen was served made with seafood broth yuzu and green onions with a roasted piece of tai (sea bream) The noodles were thin but perfectly al dente and the broth flavorful and you could taste the yuzu which gave it the perfect amount of brightness and cut thru the fat.For dessert, the made in house Hokkaido milk soft serve. It was DELICIOUS! im gonna have to come back to ASA bakery to get more! it came with a thin cracker embossed with the name sushi gaga on it.The last course was green tea, it was the perfect end to the meal, it was very smooth and not bitter. Service was spot on from start to finish, all the food was fresh and delicious. When we left, there were gift bags with our names on it, which had a melon pan from ASA bakery.It was a bit pricy but you do get a bunch of high end items, abalone, lobster, nodoguro, kinmedai, wagyu and has some of the new school sushi items like foie gras, caviar and truffle.Notes:Reservations can be made on Tock, $100 per person to reserve a spot. This is deducted from your bill when you dine there, but be sure to tip on the entire amount.Sushi gaga is located inside ASA bakery and only holds 10 people per night, everyone is served the same omakase menu. You may order more ala cart if you wish before dessert.Sushi Gaga has their own bathroom inside, it has a sophisticated toto toilet with a bidet and heated seat. I took a pic and added instructions.

San Diego has a lot of work to do to catch up with the world's food scene. Sushi Gaga puts San Diego on that roadmap.The restaurant's decor is set in a classical Japanese setting, but from the speakeasy like entrance to the beautiful display of rocks behind the sushi bar, the restaurant passes the eye test from the interior.The vibe is intimate, yet relaxed. The drinks and conversations will flow with the rest of the crowd, for those who desire. The chefs, mainly concentrating on the food seeking perfection, are true professionals at their craft.The course menu at GAGA delivered big time. From the start to the finish, the items hit home visually and the palettes fulfilled. The daring combinations of classical dishes and untraditional add ons. Risks taken, textures and flavors fully delivered.Thank you team Gaga, will be back very soon.

It's still solid. They significantly expanded their drink menu and it's impressive. The sake pairing was popular, but I opted for a beer and The Stache from Bar Kamon. They are now open six days a week and seem to be doing well. It was a full house this evening. The warm toilet seat in the bathroom was an added bonus.

My second visit to Sushi Gaga and the winter menu and experience beat out the first time which was amazing to begin with. Loved the snow crab, abalone and Uni! The Uni bisque was mouth watering and they should seriously consider making that a mainstay signature dish to be experienced and admired by all who dine at this fine establishment! Service was great and the intimate bar experience was wonderful!