Discovered sushi ota for the first time after some recommendations from a colleague. Making a reservation is helpful to save time, as it was already packed at 5:30pm. Although we were initially told there would be an hour wait, we got a table within 30minutes, which was a pleasant. The staff were kind and sweet, adding to the overall positive experience. Every piece of sushi was fresh and absolutely delicious though rice was a little dry. The turnaround time was quick. I would return if I ever find myself in SD again.

Sushi Ota's Omakase ($120 pre-tax) is San Diego's finest. Yes, sushi can be pricey, but believe me, this one earns every penny. When you get served a variety of sushi, sashimi, and nigiri, you usually drown them in soy sauce and fake wasabi because they're typically not that fresh. Despite their different appearances, they all end up tasting the same. Not in this case. Every single piece of seafood was an experience, with subtle flavors you could actually distinguish. The wasabi was freshly made, and you barely needed the soy sauce because you wanted to savor every delicate nuance. I've had my share of sushi places outside of Japan, and this omakase experience easily tops my list. The one thing it could improve on is the dessert. I had the black sesame ice cream, and it was, well, whelming (I know it's not a word, shush!). But I went to Sushi Ota for the sushi, and after experiencing the omakase, I can confidently say I'll be back for more. Next time, I might try the matcha ice cream, which my dining companion said was delicious.

I've had Sushi Ota bookmarked for a while now because of the amazing reviews and let me just say it didn't disappoint. Now it's not the best sushi I've ever had but for San Diego and for the price point ($$$) it was worth it. The service was a solid 10/10, and the ambiance I'd probably give 8/10 but still a very nice space. Now onto the food, I highly recommend getting the Tokusen Nigiri plate. It comes with 9 pieces of nigiri and 4 tuna rolls (see pic below) and it's only $37! Also ordered uni nigiri & chicken karaage on the side with a nice bottle of sake. Total bill came out to $220 which isn't the worst. Would I go again? Absolutely!

My husband and I recently celebrated our anniversary at Sushi Ota, and it was an unforgettable experience. We secured reservations for the opening time, and despite it being busy, the service was impeccable. We started with some nigiri, and the quality of the fish was the best we've ever had. The miso soup was delightful, and the seaweed salad was fresh and flavorful. To top it all off, we enjoyed Wagyu nigiri, which was an extraordinary end to our meal. It was a great night out, and we're already thinking of making this a yearly tradition. I had visited once before with my dad, so it was special to introduce my husband, who spent some time growing up in Japan with his military family, to such exquisite sushi. Highly recommend Sushi Ota for any special occasion or if you simply want to enjoy top-notch sushi in San Diego!

I really enjoyed my birthday dinner here! It's also a great date night spot. You will need to make a reservation in order to get a table, because this place gets busy. If the parking in front is full, you can find an additional lot in the back. The restaurant is a cute hole in the wall with a modern vibe. Their sashimi cuts are some of the best I've had in San Diego. I highly recommend the 7 pieces nigiri combo because it's a really good deal. It comes with miso soup and we also substituted real snow crab into the california roll for +$5, which was delicious. My favorites were the eel, whitefish, and salmon. The octopus and shrimp were a bit chewy, but I didn't mind since it came with the whole combo. We also ordered salmon belly nigiri. When you order 2 pc nigiri, the pieces they give you are huge! It felt like I was eating 2 pieces of nigiri with 2 sashimi on the side. Although the specialty rolls were tasty, I think you'd be better off ordering more sashimi and nigiri here. I've had better and cheaper rolls elsewhere. We told our server it was my birthday and they were nice enough to bring out a small scoop of matcha ice cream on the house. Overall, I would come here again for a cute date night.

Wow! it's been 10 years since the last time we visited Sushi Ota. This hole-in-the-wall place is still excellent. We had a reservation for when they opened for dinner. Parking in the lot is narrow, so we parked our big rental minivan around the corner on the street. Service was attentive and friendly. We ordered udon soups ($8.50) for the kids which they devoured. Mushroom salad ($9) was really tasty. 2 pieces of amaebi (sweet shrimp, $26) was perfectly fresh and served with the heads still twitching. You've been warned! They'll deep fry them for you later. We got 5 pieces of salmon belly sashimi ($47.50). Pieces were generously sized and extremely fresh. We ordered two pieces of yellowtail belly nigiri ($9.50) and 5 pieces of regular salmon ($20). Fresh wasabi ($3.50) is a must! We also got a California roll with real snow crab ($15) and a Rainbow roll ($21). The Rainbow roll had some items you don't normally see, such as octopus. All wonderfully fresh and delicious. We finished the meal with Yuzu ice cream ($5). It was a small portion, seemed more like sorbet than ice cream, but was quite tasty. We loved it!

one of the best sushi i've had in san diego, all of the fish was insanely fresh and tasty! agedashi tofu - one of the best i've tried ever! tofu is soft, outside part is not super crispy & not too sticky either (usually i feel like it's too crispy or too sticky). perfectly balanced! it was the perfect lil appetizer. chawanmushi (steamed egg) - nothing super special about this and i wouldn't get again, but i just love trying chawanmushi any time i can since not that many japanese restaurants have it. there were some mushroom, chicken, seafood, and scallop pieces inside. all the sashimi and nigiri was insanely good. the chutoro and otoro were my favorites. unagi don was absolutely incredible. the eel was perfectly seasoned and sooo yummy. my only gripe is that there was way too much rice and the ratio was a bit off, but overall still an amazing dish. negitoro hand roll - perfect, not too much rice and the negitoro was awesome. eel hand roll - not sure if it was just the day, but the avocado in my roll was not ripe and it overpowered the eel. was not very good, but i think it could have just been a one off. the servers are all very attentive and nice. the restaurant is very modest and unassuming from the outside, but once you get inside, the vibe is completely different. i would highly recommend!

This is a small restaurant and you need to make reservations in advance. The service was very quick. The sushi was a good quality with good prices. I will be back for sure They do have a parking lot in front so it was easy to park