Kaga-Sushi

this is the real deal
to all the nay sayers, you don’t understand not only the cultural difference but, the age difference in who you judge.
This couple are wonderful. I am 3^rd generation, my wife is Caucasian, as are the friends I go with. I don’t speak Japanese, I do try to be polite and understand that their english is not up to par. This couple are engaging when you try to talk to them and they are respectful back. If you understand that only nigiri or sashimi is served, you will be fine.
The quality is terrific. The hamachi to die for. The bite size portions are larger than other places. Sushi ota is great, Tadokoro is good. This place is my favorite. It is expensive but, it is a step above everyone else.
I bow when I come in, I bow when I leave and thank them for the delicious meal. They always remember my wife and I when we come back no matter if it has been 6 months or more.
If you expect to be treated like the ugly american stereotype, this is the wrong place for you. Go elsewhere where you will be happy, come here if you want the best sushi in town.

I finally returned to this restaurant after being encouraged to do so by the senior itamae of sushi tadokoro. In order to make sure I would experience the full selection, I made my visit on a Tuesday. As expected, Hiro-​san had a much broader range of neta available, all of which were professionally prepared and extremely fresh. Unfortunately, because of the freshness and therefore lack of aging, the amount of taste was not optimal, though he compensated with application of nikiri sauces. I want to compliment his shari once again, as it was perfectly firm, brilliant to the eye and well-​balanced in vinegar. Overall, it was a better experience than my first visit.

This is one of the few restaurants that serve traditional sushi. From a sushi chef’s point of view, their nigiri is prepared excellently in all aspects: size, shari, freshness and shape. And here are few tips for those who wish to dine here.
Making a reservation is definitely recommended here, and, also, do not ask what «rolls» they have. They serve traditional nigiri, and rolls are something they don’t make. You could get tekka maki or temaki but please don’t ask for a California roll… And I recommend this place for those who really know how to enjoy various kinds of nigiri. This place is not for beginners.
I did notice a lot of negative reviews on Unilocal surprisingly. But if you come here for nigiri and make reservations, you will have a great time.

Had the pleasure of being invited here with the help of a friend of a friend that spoke fluent Japanese from Tokyo (thank you!!!). Even then, she cautioned us to arrive in a group to avoid ‘difficulties.‘
To be sure, the issues with getting a seat here are a combination of the size of the place (two tables, plus sushi bar), the language barrier, and the need to be respectful in the proprietors’ restaurant and eat the kind of food in which they specialize (e.g., no California rolls).
We chose «omakase onegaishimasu,» which basically means «please do us the favor of choosing for us» and lets the chef serve us whatever he likes or has fresh that day.
In my photos, you’ll see Uni (sea urchin roe)… when we made our reservations, they asked us if we wanted it since it spoils so quickly. It had a remarkably subtle flavor, tasting like the ocean. Would have it again…
For sashimi we had amazing o-​toro tuna, yellowtail, perfectly soft Octopus (which is usually chewy at other places), and squid. For sushi we had amaebi (raw shrimp — first time for me but fantastic!), crab, yellowtail and mackerel. As a closer the Tomago was sweet and salty — great. A final treat was unagi broiled to order. Never had it like that (not on sushi rice).
Bottom line — this was an amazing experience… It’s some of the best sashimi/​sushi I’ve ever had.
Thanks to help with translation, I was able to ask for a nice cold sake and some marvelous green tea.
I’m not sure I could get a reservation here on my own, but I was honored to visit. They bowed deeply to all of us when we left — it was very charming. I bowed back, but I’m not sure I did it right :)

Today I decided to try this place as well and the same thing happened… The old lady came around the corner and we asked her for a 2-​top… Then the chef said out loud that they only had raw fish and I was ok by it but the chef replied with a no and with a hand gesture asked us to leave… Never again !!! Oh btw I’m Mexican… By it didn’t surprise me since I saw reviews about this happening before…

1. Realize that the biggest issue is that while the chef speaks some English, the wife speaks very little. Don’t make complicated demands and be respectful.
2. ***MAKE A RESERVATION*** in slow, simple English. The wife usually seems to take the calls and mostly after 6pm. If you drop in and they don’t already know you, expect a high chance of being turned away.
3. The chef’s main issue is that he doesn’t make maki rolls; he likes serving traditional sushi with high-​quality ingredients. (Ironically, the only thing I wasn’t a fan of was his version of tamago.)
4. The chef likes making omakase, but he seems good with serving any full meal with some adventurous requests. They may be opening up just to serve you, so it’s not really a place for a quick bite.
5. If you don’t want awkward silence, figure out how to strike up conversation with an older couple with limited language skills. He seems to enjoy chatting about world travel, among other things. Compliment the food you really enjoy.
6. Eating here requires more rules than elsewhere, but if that seems like a lot of hassle, you won’t enjoy the experience anyway.

Best sushi stateside! I highly recommend the uni. Used to hate it but if its as fresh as Kaga, it’s the most amazing stuff. Get it sashimi style so you can savor the pure flavor. Portions are generous as well. Although a bit out of the way well worth it!

I am frequent visitor to San Diego and sushi lover. I usually go to Sushi Ota for good quality sushi. As I reviewed other sushi places on Unilocal,I was curious about Kaga Sushi. As a matter fact, I was curious about the quality of the sushi if I actually can get a seat in the bar. Well, my good friend insisted that we crash the place and see the mamas an let us in.
We were respectful and greet the mamasan with few of Japanese words that we learned from google translator and mentioned the word omekase. We were also greeted by the chef behind the counter and showed us where to sit. The experience began with slightly awkward moment .But as the night went, we were enjoying good bottles of premium sake and excellent sushi. Well, I may have to say sayonara to Sushi Ota and get to know Kaga sushi.

If you have been to Japan and are looking for REAL sushi (by which I mean: please do not even bother if you’re thinking flaming roll of crunchy eel-​sauce delight), there is simply no better place than Kaga Sushi. I save my pennies and assiduously go here as often as possible. There is simply nothing more heavenly than order omakase here.
If, however, you’re hoping for a hipster new-​wave roll sensation, both you and the owners will be sorely disappointed.

Beautiful family and atmosphere. I was a bit intimidated after reading the reviews for this sushi restaurant. After sharing the delicacies presented to me by the older Japanese chef, I have decided to come by more often.
Clearly, the husband and wife duo who own this restaurant take enormous pride in the meals they prepare. The tuna belly was amazing!
This restaurant may not be a good fit for everyone. However, a curious and respectful person shouldn’t have a problem getting a table.
Please note, I am not Japanese nor do I speak Japanese. I am brown dude and my family is from El Salvador. i have no connection to the owner and simply called to make a reservation. However, when i was greeted, i did notice that the gentle women who greeted me quickly indicated that they did not serve rolls, only «raw fish.»
I could tell she was respectfully «gatekeeping»
Out of respect i bowed and let her know i wanted to try the «sushi.» Then her husband came out from the back and told me there were no «rolls.» I confirmed that i was looking for sushi or sashimi. Mind you, I bowed when I spoke to both restaurant owners.
I took copious notes from the previous post and asked for «omakase» and «oshinko»
I have tried a plethora of different fish in the past, so i was prepared for whatever was presented to me. Each carefully selected sushi was delicious and fresh.
The chef was pleasant and was making conversation, he asked where i worked and if i was a local. We spoke for a few minutes despite my difficulty understanding him.
This is not your typical sushi restaurant. I didn’t even bring my girlfriend, since i knew this would require a delicate approach.
I left with a interesting feeling, I just ate in very special place.

Sorry for the length. Kinda got carried away.
I’ll talk about my experience first. Compared to other reviews, everything went smoothly because my brother placed a reservation and my dad knew the owner. To me, this place is nothing but amazing with pure Japanese atmosphere, taste, and sense of respect. The latter, I will later explain further.
I did not know that this place was difficult to get in. I had not read the reviews, and pretty much expected Ichiro, Ota, or Surfside level sushi and atmosphere. The moment I stepped in the restaurant, I knew I was completely wrong and felt like I was knocked into another country (Japan).
First thing I noticed was the smell. This place smells like Japan to me. This may sound a bit weird and It is difficult to explain, but I smelled some traditional Japanese setting, like a house filled with tatami, fusuma, and wooden pillars. In reality, it was a simple small room with a counter for eight and maybe two or three large tables.
We were seated shortly at one of the large tables and handed our oshibori. Conversations started immediately and things were pretty light throughout our meal. First dish served was the pickled eggplant. The taste and the color of the eggplant were equally impressive. I think he mentioned that it was from Yamagata, but not completely sure.
The owner asked us if we had any dislikes and we told them that we liked everything. He prepared us with a ridiculous combo of large shrimp, o-​toro, yellow tail, and a few others. The fish was fresh and seemed to be picked out very selectively. The portions were massive, especially the large shrimp and the eel. The shrimp was easily twice the size of a normal and eel was pretty much a 3″ x 3″ slab. Drink wise, there are several types of beer and sake. All Japanese brand. Out of the three types of miso soup, we got the sweet-​shrimp-​head miso soup. Shrimp head is usually popular in a fried form, so I was surprised to see it inside of the soup. For desert, we each got a pretty sweet peach. The total came close to $ 400 for the four of us.
Everything tasted good. It’s up there with your favorite hidden sushi caves and I highly recommend going there. The price was steep as expected, so it may be a once in a life time event.
Now onto several tips and comments.
I respect the opinion of those who are angry from being turned away and honestly, I probably would be pissed as well. I did get extremely lucky with my family being Japanese and having a connection with the owner.
After reading these polar opposite reviews and still want to see what the hell this place is about, probably the easiest way to get into this place is by having a Japanese friend place a reservation and going with him. If you’re not so fortunate, make a reservation, go there by yourself or with one other person, and be extremely RESPECTFUL. When you enter, give a bow or look like you’ve entered the holy grail of sushi. The owner and his wife is all about the customers respecting Japanese sushi. If you weren’t born and raised as Japanese, they will assume you’ve been eating your california rolls and will shoo you away. This is not fair, and they may be wrong about their actions, but I could see their motives as to why they think normal customers have American taste buds and they want to provide service to only those that can truly appreciate it.
Pro-​tips:
— Place a reservation for early times (when you know all the «reserved» tags are fake).
— «omakase» means letting the owner choose all of the sushi. However, don’t be afraid to ask for certain sushi that you haven’t had. There is no menu, so you better know your sushi neta.
— Ask for «oshinko». You’ll get some pretty awesome pickled eggplants.
— This place is closed Sunday-​Monday. They receive their fish on Tuesday so the selection is the largest on Tuesday/​Wednesday. This is crucial if you are looking for the best variety of sushi. By Saturday, much of the tuna, sea urchin, etc. would be gone.
— The owner loves golf and gambling. His wife loves dogs.
— Be respectful.
Good luck!

I was a little disappointed with this place. With all the hype within non-​Japanese and Japanese communities, I had to go try it myself.
It’s widely said that this place is not friendly towards non-​Japanese and I’ve heard that Japanese person had stated on a website that this place is not friendly towards women (including Japanese). Hmmm…
We made a reservation. We got there on time and we walked in.
No other customers were around, library quiet inside. «Reserved» sign was placed on all the tables including the sushi counter. Interior looked old and nothing fancy.
Owner’s wife asked us if we wanted any drinks after we were seated.
We ordered a large beer to share. Owner’s wife brought out the beer and tsumami (pickled appetizer). The entire time, the owner had his back towards us watching the TV. The TV’s volume was turned all the way down. At this point, I was pissed and was getting ready to walk out. But we kept on talking in Japanese amongst ourselves so that we can eat his sushi. After 10~15 minutes or so the owner chef
finally turned around to face us.
He asked about our likes and dislikes. We went with «Omakase» meaning chef decided what we eat.
Fish and shell fish he served were fresh but I was not impressed at all. I though Sushi Ota was much better in terms of taste and friendliness of the staff.
Executives from local Japanese electronics manufacturers frequent this place so I was a little curious. Why? My guess is that they come here for privacy because basically they can have the entire restaurant to themselves, no competitors or other guests sitting next to them in the restaurant listening in on their business conversations. The owner and his wife are like little guard dogs, they pretty much chase everyone away.
Towards the end, we won the owner’s trust and he kept on talking to us about lots of things. He turned out to be a good guy who loves to talk. He’ll perk up if you start talking about Vegas or gambling. This was something I was told by someone that has been here before.
Watching his ears perk up when we began talking about our thanksgiving holiday in Vegas, it is true. I think he ended up liking me because I found out he knows someone that I work with.
Will I go back? Probably not. Fresh sushi can be had here but too expensive! The entire experience turned out just A-​OK. For dessert they served us grapes that were about to go bad.
One last thing, this place is no Sushi Boy, don’t expect to eat lots of sushi for 10 ~ 20 bucks. There is no menu, and if you have to ask how much, you probably can’t afford the sushi here. Expect to spend 100 bucks or more per person.
My other suggestions are, go with a Japanese (who speaks the language). Also dress the part, don’t go with T-​shirt, shorts, and sandals. Remember this place dedicates to local Japanese businessmen, definitely not a family friendly restaurant! Don’t even bother asking for california rolls because you’ll be shown the door. And make a reservation (in Japanese) before you go, no walk-​ins!
If you get kicked out from this place, don’t feel so bad. Just go to Ota, you can eat sushi of similar or better quality there.

THE SUSHI HERE IS AWESOME!!!
With that said, the other reviews are correct, they don’t let people in…
…unless you go with someone who is a regular. Which is how I got in, I also speak fluent Japanese which helps also.
It’s not that he hates Americans, they don’t even let Japanese people in either sometimes…
Anyways if you don’t have an «in», than it is best to make reservations ahead of time… and you need to do it in Japanese. The people who work here aren’t very good English speakers.
It’s funny, the owner came here in the 70’s with the Sushi association to make Sushi popular here in the states. After dealing with stupid Americans (when he first came here, people told him they didn’t want soy sauce ’cause they were afraid they were going to turn green), he decided to only serve Japanese people who could appreciate quality sushi.
After hearing about all the B.S. he had to deal with (stupid comments like «raw fish, ewww nasty» from people who never ate Sushi before) It’s understandable why they run the restaurant the way they do.
If you can’t get in here, go to Sushi Ota. Be sure to sit at the counter though.

A Japanese friend of mine went to eat here last night.
It is her first time to America and her Japanese business partners took her here. She will go back to Japan in a couple days, so she wasn’t planning on eating sushi in America.
After she ate here, she said the food was AMAZING.
However, from what she described about the atmosphere, it deserves zero stars.
She spoke with the owners who told her that they have a policy of not serving people unless they speak Japanese and understand Japanese culture. In a country of 127 million, Japan’s culture is diverse, so people have a very wide range of opinions on what the culture is. I wonder if they would serve Ainu people from Hokkaido, or if they have the same mindset as Prime Minister Aso…
What I heard from her (when the owners spoke freely to her) and what I am reading here sounds like something from before the Civil Rights Act! Martin Luther King Jr. would roll over in his grave! «You guys should go eat somewhere else.» Really? Is this Alabama in 1955 in a «white only» restaurant? This behavior makes me sick.
How do they stay in business with attitudes like this?
I appreciate when people try to promote language and culture, but there is a big difference between that and discrimination, and Kaga Sushi crossed the line — BIG TIME.
I speak basic Japanese and I have been to Japan a dozen times. I have lots of Japanese friends and even a Japanese god-​daughter. But, I am afraid I wouldn’t feel welcome here. They would judge me based on the color of my skin.
I hope this place goes out of business — even if their sushi is the best around.

5 stars on the food.
1 star for how «hard» to go to this place.
I still give a 5 stars overall, just because of the food, truely something memorable. (I am all for the food, no matter how difficult it is, I will suck it up.) Some of the best sushi I have ever had, and I «know» my sushi. I have been to some of the best place in Japan, and outside Japan.
«Omakase» is the only way to go unless you speak Japanese, oh, you have to at least learn this word «Omakase» :)
And it is not gonna be cheap neither.

Ok so i read all the reviews, good and bad, thought I’d give it a shot and see if it was as good as people said, provided I could get in the door. Figured I’m half Japanese and just to be sure, I enlisted of my friend who is also half japanese and speaks the language.
Ok, usually when you enter a Japanese restaurant you get the «irasahimase» welcome, come and eat, kind of greeting. Not here! you get the evil eye and then pointed to the sign «reserved». Didn’t even get the chance to use the Japanese. And like everyone else says it was empty, not a person in there even on a friday night.
I understand that its presumably very good, but why support people who are going to treat you like that? or anyone for that matter? I feel ashamed for even trying to go there now.
The only comparison I can make is that it’s like smoking crack! If you tried it, you’d swear it’s so good, but you probably shouldn’t do it or support such a habit.
If you DO go here. maybe you need an intervention.
We as consumers have a choice, make your voice heard.
there are other places that serve all the things that i have read in the reviews and picture and are very good! try Sushi Ota or Kaito sushi, you’ll get the whole sushi experience. Awesome traditional sushi AND kind, friendly conversation.

Food: mmmnn
Atmosphere: sssshhh
«I am full but I will eat as much as he (the sushi chef) serves»
«I feel like eating a sushi @ library»…my friends.
I do not know how they can maintain a business; while we were there, only one couple came/​leave on Friday.
We had «omakase»: a sashimi combo (yellow tail, tuna, halibut and snapper), miru-​shellfish, kohada, sweet shrimp from Main, uni (sea urchin), saba (mackerel), a huge shrimp, unagi (eel). A miso soup, on house, was so good: daikon (japanese radish) + aburaage (deep fried bean curd). Sure, we were so full with such a great course.
A sake we had was… I do not recall the name but it was so smooth. $ 350 a bottle!
I would go back to this sushi restaurant, if I had a big check; it costed $ 700 for 4 of us.

First off, let me say that I feel like a real sushi elite (or leet, l33t, 1337, etc.) because I am white and got into this place! I don’t usually go to new restaurants based on the range of reviews for Kaga so far (one review saying it’s sushi nirvana, the next that it’s full of discriminatory Japanese ex-​pats), but because this place is so close and I’ve been yearning for good sushi ever since I moved to the South Bay, I was willing to roll the proverbial dice and accept whatever the result. I… okay…I admit it, there was a small «cheap thrill» quality presented by the challenge of getting into Kaga. There, I said it… now my conscience is clean ;-)
We arrived right after they opened at 6pm on a Friday night. The limo tint on the outside windows doesn’t exactly scream «inviting,» let me assure you. But there was a small neon «Open» sign on, so the flame of hope was kept alive. We walked in and an older Japanese women stood to greet us. We could sense her hesitation from the start: she tried to dissuade us with «We only have raw fish» (duh!) and «No California rolls» (hehe), but we assured he we were fine with these conditions, but I could still see her reluctance – mind you, the place was ENTIRELY EMPTY, so it totally amazes me any business owner would turn away a customer from what could be a profitless evening. Anyway, I could still see she wasn’t convinced so I used the «magic word» with Japanese sushi chefs: «Omakase.» Learn it well, sushi connoisseurs ;) That did it, she was convinced we were okay. She sat us at the bar and began a very pleasant meal of deliciously fresh fish and awkward near silence. We felt we still had to be on our best behavior, so our conversation barely broke the 40 decibel mark. Needless to say the food was excellent! I am actually only deducting 1 star because of A) the ceremony to get into this place and B) the unagi (freshwater eel) was probably the worst I’ve ever had — it had bones! That aside, this is a close alternative to my favorite San Diego sushi spot, Sushi Ota in PB.
DISCLAIMER: Don’t take this review as a challenge (like I took some of the others’ here), because unless you want raw fish and not much else and some weird sh*t, it isn’t worth going here. It’s true 75% of American sushi eaters wouldn’t want to eat here. No California rolls, no fancy foo-​foo rolls with chocolate sauce and jalapenos. This is the real deal! We ate baby squid! Whole baby squid (see photo posted)! So… unless this sounds like your kind of meal, don’t even attempt patronizing Kaga ;-)

I wish I spoke Japanese. And had more money. Cuz then I’d eat here more. DEFINITELY the freshest sushi I’ve ever had.
They weren’t the friendliest people here, but the level of unfriendliness wasn’t so bad as to make me not want to go back. Three of us got there first, none of which were of the Japanese speaking variety. We went in, said we had a reservation for 6 people in English. They continued to look at us like we (or they) were insane. Then we mention my friend’s name (one of the other three who called and has a Japanese last name) and they acknowledged they knew what we were talking about. So we waited for the other 3 people and when they arrived our Japanese friend was promptly told «make sure they know we don’t serve California Rolls.» He told them it wasn’t a problem, we went with the omakase option, and we proceeded to have what is for me the best sushi I’ve ever had.

Since Unilocal does not give zero stars, I HAVE to give this place 1 star. But if I could, it would be ZERO. I DID NOT eat there but read on and you will understand why I can give this place ZERO Stars.
Here’s the problem and we can all get into debates over this restaurant regarding discrimination and whatnot.
To be honest, I cannot recall ever being discriminated against. If I was, then it wasnt obvious and I just didnt notice because I believe that all people have some kind of good in them. So they deserve the benefit of doubt.
So since I gave this place ZERO stars means that Kaga-​Sushi obviously discriminates against their customers AND wont think twice about it!!!
I am Japanese and they even discriminated against me! So everyone else saying that they discriminate against Non-​Japanese is not true. They will pick and choose who they want to serve and if they dont like you on first glance, then they tell you to leave. No joke.. .. . And I’m not scary and look like a f’ing bum.
Here are the facts:
– I am Japanese
– I speak Japanese @ a decent level and understand very well.
– I flippin look Japanese cuz I am
– I am proud to be a Japanese-​American. This restaurant makes me boil that there are still people out there that do this, especially people of my decent. They are a DISCRACE to ALL Japanese people.
I walked in with my wife and we were dressed actually pretty nice since we just came from church and the Obon Festival @ the San Diego Buddhist Temple. So We figure we would try this place.
We walk in and I wanted to try this place since I havent been there before. there’s the sushi bar right in front of us and there’s 5 seats open with about 4 people eating. There’s of course «reserved» signs on only two of the seats. This old lady comes out from around the corner and looks at me. I look @ her and say «Futari» (meaning two people in Japanese), and put up two fingers.. .. It should’ve been just one finger and the middle one after what she pulls.…She kinda just looked at me, looked @ the sushi chef, back @ me and points to the sign and says «Reserved» and disappears around the corner like some hermit crab.
I just say «f*** it» and it’s not worth it to eat here because I was in so much shock how poorly they treated me. I’ve never been treated this way and they TOTALLY discrace the WHOLE Japanese culture and people (nationals and Japanese-​americans).
They are NOT Japanese in my opinion because Japanese people and our culture does not have room for that behaviour. I dont care how «good» their sushi is because food does not come before your roots /​culture.
What a discrace.. .. .. After coming from the Obon Festival @ the San Diego Buddhist Temple and Celebrating Japanese culture and our ancestors AND being proud of it, Kaga-​sushi just TOTALLY blew that out of the water.
They are a Discrace to ALL Japanese people and to Human Nature itself!!!
It’s one thing being a Traditional Japanese Restaurant, but it’s another issue when you discriminate (even against your «own people»)
HK’s take home: Dont bother with this place. I’m sure they have NOT followed «american» regulations on food & health. They are above that. So lets all look for reasons to call in to the city and state to shut this discraceful restaurant down!