San Kai Japanese Restaurant, Santa Ana

A great place for sushi and sashimi - we have been going there for years and the seafood is always fresh and irresistible. Our favorites include salmon and yellowtail sashimi, Super California roll, and spicy scallop roll (you have to ask for it). Our daughter (of 4.5) loves its udon noodle with the delicious and crispy tampura shrimp!

What a pleasant surprise in the South Coast Metro area. This little unassuming restaurant could be easily missed by those who don't notice details. With its diminutive exterior one might assume it was just another Asian fast food restaurant, but once inside the ambiance will take you to another place. One feels like they are in a modern sushi restaurant in Tokyo. The music, the lighting and the staff provide for a delightful dining experience. The artistry involved in the presentation of each menu item in superb. The Tuna tartare which is the house specialty is a must order item. It is just splendid. The volcano roll is delicately flavored but a taste explosion to the pallet. The Alaska roll is the most flavorful I have ever experienced with a touch of raw onion which compliment the delicate flavor of the salmon. Even the miso soup, which is a basic staple, was one of the best I have ever had at any restaurant and rivals those in Beverly Hills. This restaurant seems out of place in Santa Ana as it would hold it own in Beverly Hills or West LA. A definite must visit when shopping at South Coast Plaza. Michael Graeser of Santa Ana.

Have been going here for years and they are always friendly, prompt, fresh, and delicious!!! The new interior is very nice and adds a serene feel to the normally busy restaurant. Try the Crunchy Roll, Salt Water Eel sushi, anything tempura, Salmon Sushi or Sashimi, Tyeriaki Beef Bowl (cooked to your liking), and, of course, their California Roll. Don't be afraid to try new things there, they will explain everything to you!! Have fun eating!!!

Overall: Excellent I have eaten at San Kai for years. They have remodeled the interior of the place a few months ago and it looks great. It's the only store in the outside mall with the most people inside. Service is fast. steak teriyaki doesn't have fat chunks and isn't chewy, it's hard to find any chopped steak without fat chunks at low prices. Prices seem to be average or a little better than competing Japanese restaurants. I don't remember anything going wrong with my visits there. To sum it up, everything was great for the price from the soup, salad sauce, and sushi.

The sushi was great, the prices were reasonable... And they just renovated the place a couple of months ago so its a lot spacier and the ambiance and atmosphere feels like a quaint little tea house... =]

This is a smaller restaurant making for a slightly constricted feel, but the food was good and the staff was very friendly. I thought the california rolls were particularly good. There was also some nice outside seating.