The fish was incredibly fresh, and I agree with other reviewers, you get the quality you pay for with sushi.  Well worth the price.  We tried miso soup which was incredible, nigiri, regular sushi rolls and two of the fusion rolls.  Everything was amazing.  We asked for soy sauce and wasabi (first time there) not realizing how it worked there, but they gave us some anyway.  The chef came  out to explain too, so it was a new experience.  I have to say it really didn't need it, but my husband loves his wasabi!  Not the standard sushi for purists, but absolutely great fish, presentation, and quality.  My new favorite spot in town.
Review Source:A few of our foodie, sushi loving friends recommended this place so we finally tried it and it did not disappoint! The yellowtail was so fresh it just melted in my mouth - the yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno "salsa" was just my favorite. We did not have any rolls - all sashimi (and oysters with quail egg) and everything was delicious. The fish was all so fresh, the service was friendly and quick. Give it a try! We will be back.
Review Source:I was in a sushi mood one late evening. Instead of driving to 20mins away to my fav sushi hot spot (Minato), my boyfriend and I decided to try this San Clemente sushi bar on Del Mar. The ambience is fused w/ surfing decor. The menu outline was very confusing. It's not your traditional sushi restaurant. Its sushi fusion between East & West. No nigiri, just OVERPRiCED! sashimi and specialty rolls. Some of their rolls were too vinegary.
Review Source:Whenever I'm in Newport, I always make it a priority to eat at Ango Tei, but for my last trip I decided to grow some balls and try a new place. Â And with the amount of stars I gave, I'm glad I did.
The first thing that I noticed about this place (and I'm sure a few people have noted) there is no soy sauce/wasabi on hand.  At first, I was a bit hesitant. How on earth am  I going to eat without drowning my nigiri pieces in wasabi and soy sauce?
But rest assure, Â everything worked out. The way the fish is served is not only deliberate but well thought out. There is a reason the chef is making the fish and you're not. He's making the calls cause he wants you to taste the fish for what it is, and not hidden behind some "spicy mayo" or "diluted wasabi soy sauce." Â
I say give this place a try, and if you like to have complexed american-ized sushi, by all means "good for you." but if you can ejoy the simple things in life and apply it to your sushi, then come on by!
First visit.
Not a place for big fish, big rice, rock n' roll sushi lovers, though the surfboard tables might indicate otherwise to passers by (though there is an extensive menu of interesting rolls and unconventional nigiri preparations).
We went with the simple stuff - nigiri yellowtail, salmon, hotate, uni, amaebi, aoyagi, and amberjack among a few others - and all of the proteins were not only super fresh and high quality, but their preparations were delicate and masterful, really allowing their flavors and textures to sing. And the house made soy sauce sparingly brushed on some of the preparations was delicious. House pickled ginger - also delicious.
All washed down with some ice cold Sapporo on draft, it made for one of the best sushi meals I've had in a long time.
Service was friendly, polite, and very accommodating.
We'll be returning soon. :)
This is my all time favorite sushi place in Orange County. I felt the sushi was very authentic!
It seemed to be a couple running the restaurant and that means the service was superb. Each roll was presented with its own look and seasoning. I could tell the chef really knows what he is doing. Everything was beautiful.
And it tasted beautiful too!
It was a bit pricey but I say it was worth every bite! I wouldn't bring a family here, it is a little to small. Luckily I only had two other friends with me or I would feel a little uncomfy.
Very nice little sushi restaurant with exceptional food. Has an extensive menu with unique rolls that you'll have never tried before. The chef really knows what he's doing and the servers are incredibly friendly. I always enjoy my experience when I eat here. Every time I get one of the fusion rolls there I have to take a minute to observe at how beautiful and well-made it is
Review Source:We tried Sushi Gallery Miki tonight.We were pleased with the food and service. I would say that we now have a new #2 sushi restaurant in San Clemente. The food was good. There were menu items that we haven't seen before, so that was nice to see and try. The waitress was friendly and attentive, perhaps a bit over the top at times, but that's really ok with me. I prefer sushi chefs who have enough personality to interact with the customers. There was none of that. They were skilled chefs, but I like to have a rapport with them throughout the meal. For a Saturday night, I felt there were very few customers, although that could be because we arrived just after they opened for dinner, about 4:40.
They have a large selection of cut rolls that are pretty unique to their menu and they have a great menu with photos and detailed explanations for each roll. We liked that very much. These rolls, however, were all in the $15 range, compared to $5 to $7 for more standard items like a California Roll or Spicy Tuna Roll.
So, bottom line, we will be back. I'd like to explore the menu some more.
SMALLEST PORTIONS IMAGINABLE AT THE HIGHEST PRICES EVER. Â I have never felt RIPPED OFF by a restaurant until now... UPDATE: When this review posted, I got a call from the manager offering me a credit and apologizing for the mistakes. She informed me that they have added a new partner who is trying to improve the issues of the restaurant. I appreciate that effort and will watch for good things to come.
Review Source:Awful. The place was deserted on a Friday evening save for one other couple, yet it took at least 45 minutes to get any food from the dazed-looking servers (yes - two servers - two parties being served - 45 minutes.) The sushi was unpleasant and the fish didn't taste fresh. To top it all, the place seemed dirty. Although we live close by, I wouldn't go back.
Review Source:This is our second time going to the Sushi Gallery. Â The chef has a unique way of preparing the sushi; no need for soy sauce here. Â The wait staff is pretty good. Â Not sure why we never see anyone inside although it might be due to the price (rolls are an average of $15.00). Â The fish is fresh and the vegetables used for the dishes are tasty. Â There is Sapporo on tap, but due to the pricey sushi we had green tea and water.
Review Source:Still great! Â Check out my last review! Recently re visited for our 5 year anniversary,...had not been able to enjoy sushi throughout my pregnancy so being back at Sushi Gallery Miki was a real treat!! Â Splurged on a variety of rolls and all I can say is "Man!! This place is awesome; the sushi is fantastic!" Â The sushi chef presents you with the most creative 'melt in your mouth' dishes that you forget how expensive this mouth watering bite is!! And again,....DO NOT, I repeat,...DO NOT request soy sauce or wasabi on the side,....not only will you be scolded by the sushi master behind the counter, but you just won't miss these condiments!
Review Source:Still loving sushi at Miki's...  it's our go-to place and now I find it difficult to eat sushi anywhere else.  Some new favorites to try, if you haven't had them:  Hawaiian Open Sea, Tomato Balloon, Orange Lily Hand Roll, and The Whole Hole.  If you want to know what's in everything, take a look on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffusionart.us%2Fsushigallery%2FHTML%2Flist1.html&s=0761194465475f881cdaf71867055cbdceb785256127e0d5f4ce30b610558376" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://fusionart.us/sush…</a>
Review Source:Sushi is good, fresh and tasty but this place is way over priced. Â We had 4 rolls and 1 small bottle of sake........ Â $68 ??????? Â The rolls are small in portion for the price. Â You get a lot more for ur money at the Ritz, yes the Ritz believe it or not. Â We paid $16 for just one of the rolls here and it's like a small app. Â We won't be going back to simply waste our money. Â We were set to go to 9 Style for the first time but there was an hour wait........... I suppose there is a reason for the long wait and the lack thereof at Miki.
Review Source:This place is a gem of a find. BEST SUSHI EVER! I eat sushi almost everday. My wife never eats raw fish but, she did here and loved it! No soy sauce....this was first time I ate sushi without wasabi or soy sauce and did not miss it! This place is a cut above the rest. FUSION SUSHI is incredible!
Review Source:I really love the creativity of the rolls here. High quality fish every time. There a a few good Sushi joints in SC and I like Miki for the Whimsy. Check out the menu to see what I mean. Yes you can get your standard straight up Sushi but the chefs here have some creative license and I love that. But...Please get some decent wine, my beef with most Sushi bars. I'll drink the beer but I like a good Chardonnay with my Sushi.
Review Source:Best sushi in town... It's very disturbing that 9Style is rated so high, which has to be my least favorite.
My one knock on Sushi Gallery is the prices but with sushi I do believe you get what you pay for and raw fish isn't something to skimp on.
Glad they are in town and I hope to eat here more often!
No WASABI and No SOY SAUCE!! Â This is definitely not for the traditionalist (would never take my father there), BUT, OMG this is the BEST Sushi in all of OC as far as I am concerned. Â We have been here countless times and keep coming back.
Don't go here expecting to order spicy tuna roll, and Maguro, go here for out of the ordinary, and expect the unexpected.
It used to be DelMar Sushi, and has been revamped since. Â The place is a hole in the wall literally (3-4 tables and 4 chairs at the bar), so be prepared. Â I have seen it busy a few times, usually in the summer on Friday or Saturday nights. Â
Atmosphere is very SC beachy, the tables are wakeboards, not unusual to see boardshorts and flip flops, and the waitress has this zen-like approach; a little strange, but it works with the place.
I have been here countless times and will go countless more.
Decided to try this restaurant based on fellow Yelpers in the area. Â We had guests from out-of-town who are sushi connoisseurs, and sadly, we were all disappointed with everything we had ordered. Â The sauces were overly rich for the fresh fish. Â We will bring our Japanese guests to 9-Style sushi instead.
Review Source:This place is truly a gem! it's tucked in the corner in quaint downtown san clemente... the best part is the tables are wake boards. Â The toro was amazing. Â The peppered salmon was amazing. Â The sexy roll was amazing. Â The albacore was amazing. Â The beer and sake was amazing. Â The waitress was amazing. Â Everything was amazing.
Review Source:I recently moved to the area and was very pleased to discover this neighborhood gem.  I've experienced many Sushi restaurants and enjoy Sushi in it's traditional form, but I have to say this place is quite unique.  I would dare say that it is most likely the best sushi  in this area and unlike anything I have tasted anywhere. Fusion Sushi serves no soy sauce, but it does not matter because you will experience an amazing blend of flavors that will highly please the taste buds!  Each roll is visually creative and oh so delectable! If you love food, I highly recommend it!  You will not be disappointed.
Review Source:It was nice to find a place with tables open on a saturday night in June, in San Clemente.
The vibes were a little weird in there, nobody greeted us.
Eventually the waitress came over and took our orders. When she brought us our food she forgot the chopsticks so I waved to get her attention.
Then she flipped out because she thought I called her "ma'am". I don't remember saying that, but even if I did- who freakn cares?? So that was really upsetting.
Then- the no soy sauce thing. Yeah i get you have special sauces- again, who cares. Give me my soy sauce- I'll decide what I have it on thank you very much.
The chefs special roll we had was delicious! The spicy tuna was standard, and the spicy jewelry roll looked really unappetizing visually and didn't taste that great. Thank goodness I had soy sauce!!
Had creme brule for dessert, which was just ok. But I won't fault them too hard for that, its a sushi place after all.
Overall- not coming back. Had a weird energy to the place as soon as we walked in, a waitress full of self importance of how dare I call her "ma'am", a roll that looked like someone got ill on top of it before it came out, SIGNS telling us we can't have soy sauce (oh please!) and for that we got to shell out a bunch of money.
Also, the music I felt was really inappropriate. It was practically gangster rap! Its not as if it was just one song- that was all they played. I don't get the connection between gangster rap and sushi. Perhaps the music is subconsciously affecting the staffs dispositions.
No thanks- and those might be some reasons that there's so much room on a saturday night.
Sushi was excellent. My family and I shared a lot of dishes. Be adventurous, they have a lot of specialty rolls and hand rolls. Will be pricier than other sushi restaurants, but completely worth it.
Only gave four stars because the service wasn't great, and was pretty slow- only one waitress for the whole restaurant- poor thing!
I didn't order just asked for the chefs specials. Â One after another the most amazing dishes started coming out. Â My first bite I think a little tear drop from my eye. Â It was so good!! Â Her sauce combination with the fish is just, YUM! Â My recommendation is to just go. Â If you love food your going to love this place. Â Plus they have beer on tap, gotta love that. Â Tip you waitress big she rocks!!
Review Source:New to San Clemente, thought I'd try this place out due to it's high reviews here on Yelp.
The best thing I can say about it is that it wasn't terrible. The fish was fresh, the sauces weren't overpowering and the menu is varied.
That said, the service was lacking - I asked for my order to be free of smelt egg because I don't care for the texture and the waitress questioned me as if I don't know my likings. We were pretty much ignored after finishing our meals and beers and likely would have had another round of beers had she asked in a timely manner.
As far as the "gallery" portion, the photos on the wall were well done, the paintings looked like something you'd see at a high school art show.
Not bad but we're too close to too many other better places for me to consider going back here.
I consider myself a pretty experienced, discerning sushi eater. Â This place is great. Â The female chef trained under Nobu and uses the same fusion style that made him famous, but at the same time her rolls, sauces, etc., are incredibly unique and different than anywhere else I've been. Â If you like great sushi you'll love this place. Â The only type of sushi eater I would not recommend this for is the "purist" who prefers traditional Japanese preparation and not the fusion style that incorporates sauces and other yummy ingredients. Â If you like fusion style sushi...this restaurant (in addition to its sister restaurant 242 in Laguna) and Bluefin in Newport Coast are the gold standard in Orange County.
By the way - we let the waitress surprise us - we ordered nothing - and she nailed it. Â Everything was great.
Let's start with this: I am a huge fan of good sushi. There are a number of places in San Clemente, and this new joint just gained the top position in my book.
I happened by Miki's and tonight and decided to check it out for my first time. The server (Colleen) greeted me quickly and with a welcoming smile. I just let her and the chefs prepare whatever they felt like making for me, and it was among the best sushi I've had to date.
A new mixture of flavors and textures, backed up by high-quality proteins. The service was quick, but the food was awesome! A bit pricy, but sushi has always been a 'you get what you pay for' meal, so it didn't surprise me.
Tip: ask for the Silver Plate specials. They prepare a short, custom menu each day listing specials for the day, based on the fish they have. They will bring this menu to you on, well, a silver plate! Nice...
It is a small location with maybe 6 seats at the sushi bar, so if there is one available, grab it! It's just down from Billy's, you can't miss it.
They also feature an extensive Sake menu if that's your thing. They even had one with gold flakes in it!
Miki's just bumped 9-Style from my top local sushi joint spot. If you enjoy quality sushi in a friendly environment, I highly recommend that you check this place out.
Don't let the location, size or interior fool you. This is a first rate, world class sushi restaurant. Â Closer to Nobu than your typical sushi joint, be prepared to have your taste buds blown away. Â The service was first rate (though we were there early on a weekday so it was not crowded). Â The Sexy Handroll was wrapped in Soy Paper instead of seaweed for a much better texture and softer flavor. Â All in all, we were very impressed. Â Kind of pricy, but you get what you pay for.
Review Source:I like Taka-O,  but nothing on the Taka-O menu (except perhaps the  the "oh no roll") comes close to the stuff at Sush Gallery Miki.  It's really quite amazing how good their sushi is.
It sounds a little pretentious when you hear that the chef considers his dishes "works of art"... until you actually eat one of them. Â After having visited twice, I'd rather eat a "Volcano Sizzle" or a "Prairie Roll" than gawk at the Mona Lisa anytime.
As another review mentioned, as of November 2009, this place is brand new (although it's in the same place as another sushi restaurant used to be). Â It's tiny and cramped (it can seat perhaps 30 people at full capacity) but since it's relatively unknown here in SC it's pretty easy to get a table even on a Saturday night. Â Given the quality of their food, this will change.
One cautionary note: this is pricey food. Â For two persons, a full dinner with drinks cost us about $120 including tax and tip. Â During our second visit we ate lighter and paid about $70 total. Â You can get away with less, of course, but I would recommend hitting this place when you are willing to spend a little extra. Â It's quite an experience.
Final note: Â the service was great. Â The chefs all greet you loudly when you walk in (pretty common for sushi places) and the servers somehow know the crazy menu like the back of their hand. Â Our first server, Jurgita, was particularly competent. The place is so small that you're never waiting for a server to pass by so you can flag them down; they're right there at all times. Â If you ask for something, you get it almost immediately.
All in all, this is easily the best sushi restaurant in San Clemente and well worth the price.
Sushi Gallery Miki opened this week in downtown San Clemente, joining its existing cult-followed Cafe Fusion 242 in Laguna Beach, and the Manhattan Beach sushi bar with the same name.
Owner Miki blends art with food creating unique, mouthwatering sushi. Â The menu is extensive & similar to the 242 menu. You can enjoy your basic standard items under the "Nostalgic" section like crunchy, rainbow rolls, etc., all under $10 each.
OR, be adventurous and be prepared to be blown away. Â The specialty rolls all come with a different sauce, many feature uncommon ingredients & run $13-$16. Sushi is super fresh at about $4-$6 per order, so this place doesn't have to cost you a fortune. Â It's just really hard to order a lot of basic stuff and only one specialty roll, so splurge once in a while if you can.
Our faves are the lollipop, yellowtail sashimi with miso sauce, and sexy handroll. Â How can you go wrong with a name like that?
The decor is perfect for San Clemente...colorful, filled with art, and the tables are made out of skimboards from a Laguna shaper. Â It's an intimate spot, but oh so worth it. Â I highly encourage you to try some new items, you won't be disappointed.
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