$40 Omakase at Gen Kai in Irvine

The best sushi hand roll I ever had was made by Katsu Aoyagi, the sushi master behind Tustin's venerable Sushi Wasabi. I haven't been back since he retired last summer and sold his shop to a younger chef, but I still remember that blue crab...

Not too long ago, Fins Poke Fusion was an all-you-can-eat sushi bar called Sushi Zone. Even if you didn't know this, it's going to be obvious. The bar counter is still there, as are the stools, the old furniture and the waist-high cold display...

SOCIAL (its CAPS, not ours) is not unlike every other new American restaurant I've seen open around these parts. Dish cloths are used as napkins. The burger is in the $10-to-$15 range. Fries are turned into poutine, and all of it is washed down by...

When I first went to Sushi Nozawa near the end of 1987, I was mostly impressed with its rigor. The fish was good enough, the usual parade of tuna, yellowtail and mackerel, but there was a sign that read, “Today’s special: Trust me,” and the chef,...

At a tiny sushi counter in this boundless capital's southwest suburbs, nine of us sat silent and alert waiting for Koji Kimura to finish readying his lunchtime service. We whispered our drink orders to the restaurant’s lone server while listening...