| Let's face it-sushi or sashimi can be either the | | | | favorites before we even got into our chairs, |
| most delicious thing you have ever put in your | | | | while another time we had nary a bite after the |
| mouth or horrible. People either love the idea of | | | | one hour limit, at which point they served |
| eating out of the sea raw fish or shutter and | | | | everything on our personalized menu to our table |
| grimace at the thought. | | | | within 15 minutes! |
| As a fan of this cuisine, I have tried several | | | | Osaka's Japanese Restaurant in Laguna Niguel. This |
| places within Orange County, California. Let's face | | | | is quite the hopping place! Beside offering a sushi |
| it you stay where you are most comfortable and | | | | bar with a very helpful master of the art, there is |
| for me, the "OC" has been home for all but the | | | | also a teppan area. We've done both. The food is |
| first 5 years of my life. My entire family-even the | | | | excellent, great for celebrating a special |
| newly teenaged niece and nephew have an | | | | occasion-especially the teppan side where the |
| affinity for the freshest and best of japanese | | | | show is deftly performed by very talented chefs. |
| "good eats". | | | | Because it's located right outside the popular Nellie |
| These were some of our favorites: | | | | Gail area, you have a very upscale crowd |
| O-nami's Seafood Buffet located in the Laguna | | | | populating this restaurant. |
| Hills Mall. It is a buffet, but the restaurant has an | | | | California Beach Sushi in Newport Beach has been |
| attentive wait staff, so you never have a table | | | | around since 1985. It's a rather typical glitzy spot |
| full of dirty, empty dishes hanging around. Drinks | | | | for this part of the county. |
| are forever being re-filled without looking around. | | | | I Love Sushi Japanese Restaurant in Costa Mesa |
| At any given time there are over 40 types of | | | | has been around and considered to be one of the |
| sushi being freshly prepared right in front of you. | | | | county's most beloved institutions for this cuisine. |
| They also have an extensive hot food section, | | | | Nothing too fancy, but just plain good. |
| salad section and even a dessert bar. This enables | | | | Osu's in Westminster is another stalwart of the |
| everyone-non raw fish lovers included-to go home | | | | county's-I remember my father loving their miso |
| more than satisfied. Thankfully the mall is there | | | | soup and sushi back when I was in college-in the |
| for before and after exercising! | | | | mid-'70's. It's a bit dark for my taste, but the |
| You and I Sushi in Laguna Hills. While not a buffet, | | | | decor and the good food, as well as the service, |
| this small strip mall family-run venue has a version | | | | has never waned. |
| of it by giving you one hour and a check off | | | | Again, sushi and sashimi is a love it or hate it type |
| menu. We all have but one thing to say however, | | | | of cuisine, but the great thing about all of the |
| while the food has always been quite good, the | | | | above mentioned is that they all serve the |
| service here is quite spotty. One visit had them | | | | traditional cooked Japanese fare as well. |
| second guessing us by serving us some of our | | | | |