Where to get your Sushi Fix in Huntington Beach

This Surf City USA institution tucked in a shopping plaza off Beach and Talbert transports guests to Japan for an authentic dining experience. While its wooden boats laden with platters of teriyaki and tempura are a draw for first-time visitors, the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth fish converts casual diners into lifelong fans. Don’t skip Matsu's selection of sushi rolls ranging from cut spicy tuna and salmon rolls to the more complex Volcano roll, a popular cooked option filled with crab meat and avocado and topped with a scallop and smelt egg. For the indecisive, a sushi dinner comes beautifully plated with a selection of tuna, yellowtail, halibut, and shrimp nigiri, a six-piece tuna roll, and a four-piece California roll.

This downtown restaurant brings the heat with a fiery menu of sashimi, hand rolls, cut rolls, and specialty sushi. Creativity is the name of the game as Sushi on Fire's chefs pair fresh fish with savory sauces to create more than five dozen specialty rolls. Try a popular pick like the Refreshing roll — a dynamic combo of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and avocado wrapped in soy paper, finished with a spicy cilantro sauce and thinly sliced jalapeno. The vibe here is lively and fun, making it a favorite spot before hitting the beach or bars. If the line is long, head a few doors up Main Street to Shabu on Fire, a sister restaurant that offers the same sushi dishes along with shabu.

A contemporary, well-appointed space in Five Points Plaza welcomes visitors with an array of hand rolls, cut rolls, and specialty rolls prepared with fresh fish sourced daily. Sauces are house-made from original recipes, paired with a menu with options that will suit all palates. Hashigo diners can swap out nori for soy paper, go vegetarian with the crunchy tempura vegetable roll, and even order rice-free offerings like the paradise roll, a popular pick that wraps an array of seafood (salmon, tuna, crab meat, white fish, and yellowtail) inside a paper-thin slice of cucumber. A must-try is the namesake Hashigo845, a deep-fried riceless roll served warm, filled with tender blue crab, avocado, white fish, and asparagus, and topped with a spicy scallop and eel sauce.

This cozy restaurant is a hidden gem in Huntington Beach, located at Warner and Springdale. The small dining room also features a sushi bar where diners can sit at the counter to enjoy a 10-piece omakase meal with a chef’s choice of nigiri such as salmon belly, bluefin, and jumbo scallop. A standout feature of Niya is its simple menu that even novice sushi diners can order from with ease. Choose from prix-fixe plates with 8, 11, or 18 pieces, or from a selection of regular, baked, and tempura a la carte options that indicate if a roll is cooked, raw or riceless. If you’re a fan of citrus, don’t skip the HB roll. It features shrimp tempura, crab meat, and cilantro, topped by spicy tuna, salmon, and avocado, all enhanced by a lemon rind to draw out the bold and spicy flavors.

This intimate spot off Adams and Magnolia flies under the radar, but it’s a neighborhood favorite among locals who line up for over an hour to grab a table at lunch or dinner. Irassae’s secret is in its simplicity, offering well-priced dishes like flavorful nigiri ranging from sweet shrimp to classic salmon, tuna, and yellowtail. You can make a meal off these two-piece delicacies, best enjoyed at the sushi bar, but there’s also an extensive menu of cut rolls (like spicy tuna) as well as creatively named specialties like the signature Irassae (shrimp tempura, crab salad, eel, shrimp, avocado).

Located in Bella Terra, Kabuki is a sleek sushi bar and robata grill that approaches dining as a work of art. Everything from the hand-painted Japanese murals adorning the walls to elegantly plated sushi is treated with painstaking detail. In addition to nigiri and cut rolls with fresh seafood, there are vegetarian options including the vegetable roll (avocado, cucumber, carrots), vegetable tempura (lightly battered onion, sweet potato, avocado) and green roll (asparagus, avocado, kale sauce). The specialty sushi menu is where diners will find edible works of art, like the artfully arranged albacore crunch roll with krab and shrimp tempura atop a bed of fiery ponzu sauce. It’s a great spot for weekday happy hour, with discounted rolls all under $10 that pair well with signature cocktails and sake.

Visitors looking for a fast, affordable way to get their sushi fix can visit the only Japanese eatery in the Seacliff Village Shopping Center at Goldenwest and Yorktown. Order at the counter from an expansive menu of hand rolls and cut rolls, including traditional options like futomaki that can be enjoyed with soy paper and brown rice for an additional fee. Sango Sushi's combo boxes are popular here, offering favorites including tuna, salmon, shrimp, albacore, and yellowtail nigiri, as well as inari sushi and California rolls.

Authentic Japanese flavors make Sea Salt at Bolsa Chica and Heil an irresistible choice for family dinners or date nights. If you can score a coveted seat, dine at the counter to watch your fresh, generous portions of sushi being prepared by talented chefs. Many of the restaurant’s signature rolls are priceless, like the guest-favorite Pink Lady roll. This colorful roll is light and refreshing, with thinly sliced avocado, jalapeno, and salmon atop shrimp, crab, and spicy tuna.

At this trendy hand roll bar off Warner and Beach Boulevard, every guest receives a chef-to-table experience. Rolls are prepared and served fresh to order — one at a time — so guests can enjoy them immediately. ROL's set menus are offered with five, six, or seven pieces of the most popular items such as salmon, spicy tuna crunch, scallop, and yellowtail, but a la carte options are also available. Upgrade to a premium roll for mouthwatering pairings like lobster and truffle. The best seat in the house, of course, is the expansive chef’s counter where diners can watch their rolls being made and enjoy them within seconds.

With over 30 years of history, Daimon Japanese Restaurant in Sunset Beach is a high-energy hub for sushi specials, plus a full bar and popular happy hour. This secret hot spot promises an evening of excellent food, fine drinks, and great fun. Start off with a scrumptious tempura appetizer or one of their deliciously unique sushi rolls. Even beyond sushi, guests can indulge in teppan-yaki or Japanese fusion-style cooking with steaks prepared at the table and sizzling fish platters.