Sushi Tadokoro

We recently had the pleasure of dining with Chef Take Tadokoro for Omakase. The restaurant is charming and reflects the Chef's bootstrapping history. This is Chef Take's first restaurant, one he started 12 years ago with his wife. Over time, and without any formal training, he has diligently and humbly sought nothing but to provide the best sushi that he can prepare, and he did not disappoint.Throughout our experience, Chef Take took the time to educate us about all of the ingredients that he served us. He described the water conditions of all of the various seafood that he served us. He told us about where each item came from, why it was ideal for the season, and why it was the superior choice. Chef Take accounted for every ingredient, from the made in-house ponzu sauce, to the nori he used for our hand rolls, to the various seafood items on the menu. The pride Chef Take takes in learning and continuously improving was apparent. As the night went on, each dish served to us was the absolute best version of that dish that we have ever had. Each dish was our favorite of the evening, that is until the next dish arrived. Not only was the food outstanding, but the conversation was great, too. Chef Take is warm and gracious host, who chatted and joked with us throughout the entire experience. He even provided a delicious, fresh-baked cupcake with amazing green tea ice cream to celebrate my birthday!Overall, we had a wonderful evening. The staff was attentive, the restaurant was accessible and unpretentious, and the food was outstanding. We can't wait to go back.

In we walk to what we are expecting to be a Michelin Star Meal. Not only does the hostess welcome us in, but even though we are early, she seats us at a table by the front door, that is like its' own separate room. A very unexpected treat. Otherwise you are in the main room with the sushi bar. The overview is: when you do their Omakase you can expect some amazing surprises in terms of flavor and presentation. And that's what makes this a Michelin Star Restaurant. And although we all agree the portions seem a little on the small side, no one leaves hungry.Oysters, tofu and smelt. This is a memorable presentation. Soraya says: "This is very fresh." "I think the tofu to me is most impressive" says Madhu "and the oysters are very fresh". Sherry says" "I like the flavor and I also notice the dish has added soy sauce but it doesn't overpower the rest of the other flavors". We are served a dish with red peppers, and we all take a step backward and laugh. Anya says: "The pepper is not very spicy." Soraya agrees. "I think it depends on which pepper you get because some can be spicy" says our waitress. "So yummy" says Sheri as we continue to be served, dish after dish. Steve says they do a really nice job with the vegetable salad. You know they're using authentic peanuts from Asia and the shrimp is authentic ... also imported". Steve travels a lot and knows food. So that's a big thumbs up for authenticity of the flavor profiles! My favorite is the Toro with the caviar and rice. I can eat bowl fulls .... If only they will let me! LolThe Seabass is a real winner. Great flavor and so soft and gentle in your mouth. Have you ever eaten a FISH FACE? Complete with eyeballs? Makes me want to go vegan again.... but I must say this is another delicious but unexpected dish. Everyone is happy with the Sashimi and Sushi. They end the meal with a mango ball of ice cream. This is certainly an entertaining experience. Enjoy!Chef MarianSan Diego FoodiesCarlsbad Foodies Chef Marian Kichen Confident

I finally made the splurge to visit my first michelin starred restaurant to enjoy my first omakase experience! I had some pretty high expectations due to the many accolades bestowed upon this restaurant and though my experience was overall pretty good, it wasn't spectacular. There were a few small things that added up that detracted from what was one of the most expensive meals I've ever paid for.My friend and I arrived for our reservation right on the dot and had to wait a few minutes for our table to be cleared which wasn't a huge deal. There's no waiting area so we just stood outside of the restaurant, which is located in a small strip mall with pretty limited parking. The hostess was very nice, and set a good tone to the start of our meal. After being seated, our server came over within a few minutes to greet us and take our order. One thing that surprised me was the tableware; they only have medium quality disposable chopsticks and paper napkins. At a restaurant where people are easily spending $200 pp, I expected higher quality place settings.The food came out pretty quickly, with each dish being replaced with the next course less than 5 minutes after finishing the previous dish, until it didn't. Somehow at the tail end of the meal before our last 2 courses, our server forgot about us. We sat there for a good 15-20 minutes waiting for our food while we watched 2-3 tables around us who had been seated after us and were 1-2 courses behind us catch up, surpass, and finish the experience while we waited. Eventually my friend brought it to the servers attention and she apologized and brought out our final courses quickly after that but considering how small the seating is I don't see how she could have served the tables to the left and right of us without noticing that our table was empty. It wasn't enough to negate the good parts of the meal, but again I expect more when paying for a premium experience. We just got a rushed apology, but I feel like she could have offered an extra bite/amuse bouche type thing that would have turned that interaction around instead of brushing it under the rug.Overall I enjoyed the courses that came out. The appetizer was comprised of 3 bites (oyster on the shell, homemade tofu, and fried mackerel). The tofu was really savory & flavorful and one of my favorite bites of the whole meal! Next we received our sashimi plate with 5 different types of fish (snapper, kanpachi, mackerel, scallops, ahi otoro). The otoro was absolutely divine, I've never had one with so much fat marbling to the point where it was 90% fat). Next came a slice of warm chilean sea bass in some kind of delicious soy-miso glaze with a fresh ginger root. Next we got a deep fried shrimp head & tail, and the serve explained we'd get to eat the body prepared in the nigiri round. This was better than expected, kind of like eating a shrimp chip, and would be tasty for those who appreciate soft shell crab (which I'm not a fan of). Following this came a plate of 4 pieces of nigiri (snapper, ahi, shrimp, and mackerel). Each bite was already dressed with sauce/wasabi and made for delicious, fresh bites. At this point in the meal, we started to get a bit concerned that we were still going to be hungry at the end of the meal because on the menu it said there was only soup & dessert left, but luckily we got a few additional plates for the "nigiri" course. Our next dish was a teacup full of sushi rice with roe and uni, which was very fresh, tasty, and seemed a bit more substantial than our previous bites. Then we got another dish which was seared/smoked ahi in a soy glaze with additional spicy seasoning on the side. The smoked flavor of this was really yummy! Then we received our final two pieces of nigiri (halibut & triggerfish I think?).Then we sat for a long time gazing longingly at the tables around us as they got their next courses and kept trying to make eye contact with the serves.Finally after a long pause, we got our fish soup which in all honesty I think I could have done without. It was more fishy than I was expecting and I found it a bit odd that it was served at the end of the meal instead of the beginning because it ended the meal on a heavy note.For dessert, we were offered ice cream or panna cotta, and we chose the latter. It was coffee flavored and really refreshing! At this point, we were thankfully quite satisfied, though my companion and I are petite women and I'd assume the same might not be said for men with larger appetites. As we were paying, we heard the two guys seated next to us planning to go to an ice cream shop afterwards so I guess that answered our question haha.While I had a good meal, Sushi Tadokoro didn't quite live up to my expectations nor do I necessarily think it's worth the price point. I'm glad I got to try it but I would go elsewhere for a high quality sushi experience.

Really wish Yelp allowed half stars on individual reviews, as my experience here was between full ratings. Regardless of the unassuming entrance and interior, a Michelin star rightly carries with it high food-specific expectations, and for the most part Sushi Tadokoro hit the mark with its fantastically fresh omakase served by Takeaki Tadokoro himself.The entire course was premium quality and delectable, no question. However, some inconsistently sized cuts of fish left me confused (not to mention jealous when other sushi bar patrons received greater portions)! :P Again, given the Michelin standard to bear, I feel I have to round down in this case.

I have so much to say about this place because I truly enjoyed my experience here. This was probably my first Michelin star and omakase experience, and I can say it was certainly worthwhile. The location is unexpected. I think it was next to a liquor store in an unassuming plaza, and the inside is very small and intimate. We were a group of four so we sat at a table, but definitely try to get bar seating if you can!There's so much food to go through, and I definitely wouldn't want to ruin the omakase experience by going through EVERYTHING, so I'll just say to open your tastebuds (you might get the chance to eat a fried shrimp head!). Food is delicious and rather filling, you're there for two hours and there are many sushi courses. Definitely tried things that I haven't tried before. My favorite bite of the night was either the Chilean sea bass with the pickled baby ginger, which was very sweet and not overpowering in ginger, or this piece of nigiri I had where the fish was melting in my mouth; it was so savory and delightful, I wish I had more bites. Service is wonderful. They go through and explain each dish in detail for you. They kept coming for refills on our green tea. Price is not too bad either, considering the quality of the food and service you get.

Michelin star 3 years in a row says it all about this place. We made rsvps for the Omakase and very much worth it. It's the first thing you should try if it's your first time there to get a taste of the menu. You'll definitely look forward to coming back and trying the ala carte. The full course meal is filling and you're receiving a variety of fish and seafood. The dishes were so unique and flavorful it'll have your eyes roll back like foodie guru mark Weins on YouTube. You have to try it for yourself, words cannot express the deliciousness of this Tadokoro. After having a taste of the best sushi... other sushi spots will never be the same.

Small intimate sushi spot - the outside is nothing to write home. I actually thought I was in the wrong place at first because there wasn't a sign really. Service is attentive and the omakase is Tried a lot of things I never had before like barracuda and triggerfish.The Chilean sea bass was delicious and the uni hand roll and so.much.uni!The oyster on the appetizer was one of the biggest and best oysters ever and it's super cool how in the sashimi plate they use the shrimp head for a later course. Great experience for my first Michelin star place!11/10 would recommend - and do the omakase!

There are currently two 1 Michelin star sushi restaurants in San Diego. I thought the other one, which I won't name in this review out of courtesy, was slightly better. In fact, both chefs have worked together in the past so some of the dishes were quite similar or the same. Overall though it is still quite a treat to try the Omakasa here and you will likely not be disappointed with your experience. Everything was very fresh and high-quality. Homemade desserts were a nice touch and underrated.

Sushi Tadokoro is located in Old Town and boasts 3 straights years of being awarded a Michelin Star from 2021-2023! We celebrated my husband's birthday dinner here and we had a great Omakase experience. Parking:We got lucky that we found a spot within the very small parking lot. However, it seems that lots of people have to park on the street. When you check in for the reservation, the host will show a map of where you should park. Ambiance:The inside is very clean and bright. We sat the bar and there were tables that seated 2-4 people, though some tables can probably be pushed together to accommodate for a slightly larger party. Service:Our chef, Takahisa, was skilled, personable, and fun to talk to while dining. He really made our whole experience pleasurable! The servers were very quick and attentive, my water cup never reached the bottom! Food:The price for the Omakase is pretty reasonable. I forgot how many dishes were served but we were pretty full at the end. For the appetizer, you can choose between the Grilled Chilean Sea Bass or the Golden eye snapper head and we both opted for the Sea Bass-- this is one of our favorite dishes actually. One of my other favorites was the Uni hand roll. At the end of the meal before dessert, they served a refreshing cup of soup. For dessert, they served my husband matcha ice cream with cupcake, and we also ordered the coffee pudding and Sesame ice cream-- they were all tasty and not too sweet. For drinks, my husband couldn't decide which Sake to order, so the server gave him 3 tasting samples of what she recommended. When he chose the one he liked, they had him choose from one of the unique cups lined up behind the chefs. Overall:We had a wonderful experience here and were so glad we were able to find a reservation 2 weeks in advance. Highly recommend this place for its great service, skilled chefs, and delicious food!

I was shocked to find this Michelin-starred restaurant tucked away in a strip mall next to the 5 freeway with a nearly unmarked door. This is definitely not a tourist trap. Authentic is hard to find - and this is probably as close as you can get to it. There is a small bar area and a few tables, so a reservation is definitely recommended. With most Michelin restaurants, you have to do the tasting. Well, you don't have to, but you'd be missing out on the experience. I did this and ended up adding two additional dishes to round out the experience. Each course was unique and the selections were fresh. From the high grade sashimi to the unique soup and flavors. This is definitely worth star. Free street parking. Fast service with friendly staff. Casual ambience.