Koki's Teppan and Sushi

01/25/2008 Posted by Bottomless

I remember going here last year. This place is good for entertainment and food that is edible. For the most part, the "rainbow rolls" and any other rolls with such names actually do not exist in Japan. They do now since many Japanese tourists came to visit and had this here in the States. So, if you don't really know true sushi and think this american made/invented rubish is sushi, then good for you. Enjoy. Yes, service is slow or bad, but then again, this place is not a true Japanese establishment. They do need more servers. If you are someone that knows what sushi really is, don't bother. Try the teppan instead. It's great entertainment. Not authentic though.

01/24/2007 Posted by smcmurray

You have to go to Koki's if not just for the best sushi, then for Endo, their sushi chef. You may run into a slight wait on Friday and Saturday nights, but it's worth it. Endo will make rolls that aren't on any menu anywhere, and they get better each visit. You have to try the Koki roll which is a cross between a rainbow roll and crunchy roll... incredible. I have been going there every week for three years and have never once been dissapointed!

12/18/2006 Posted by papac

What are you talking about! Do you think I'm an idiot that I don't know the difference between a Japanese and a Chinese!! Who cares if Endo is not Japanese. He is still a wonderful sushi chef. Yes it is slow, but they have one guy to a bar load of people plus the Teppanyaki guest. Will always rave about Endo. Endo if you ever read this, when we fly down to the SoCal we will always visit you. We heard how these people hurt your feelings when you read the rants. But remember, it's not you. It must be their own character. We have never had a bad time with you. Thanks Endo.. P.S. Koki owners*maybe you should consider getting an assistant for Endo. Just a thought. PFC

Pros: Endo

Cons: Too Busy

09/03/2006 Posted by mp516

My wife and I decided to go out for some sushi this evening. We are originally from J-Town in LA so we did not expect too much when it came to Sushi in OC. I was beyond disappointed when we tried this place especially after some good reviews from the readers. So many things were wrong with this place. Where do I begin. First off this "Japanese" restaurant is FAR from authentic! It is owned and run by Chinese owners and the sushi Chef is also Chinese. I say this because the Sushi preparation is terrible! There is a certain art in the way a fish is cut and prepared. This was stressed by my wife and her uncle who is a sushi chef. The tempura was very unappetizing as a result of the over-used oil! The Fish was far from fresh, it had a rather fishy aroma. fresh fish should have no odor. We cancelled the rest of our order after trying a couple of pieces. My wife and I decided that it is definitely worth while to drive to downtown J-Town next time we are craving FRESH and AUTHENTIC sushi the way it should be prepared and served. Also, it took FOREVER for us to get our sushi order even when we were sitting at the sushi bar! Terrible, If you are a true sushi Connoiseur AVOID this place at all cost, unless your are like the MANY GAIJINs in OC that don't know or care how real fresh sushi should be prepared and served. This is our opinion and just wanted to share our experience with the true sushi lovers out there. Remember you have been warned. BTW...PapaC...Since you mention it I DO think your an idiot for thinking this place is great. Why don't you try REAL sushi from an authentic restaurant first before opening your big mouth. Typical Pathetic "Gaijin".

Pros: Nothing good about this place

Cons: Terrible Sushi, Sushi took forever to get served

03/04/2006 Posted by chipper111

SO every time i've been to this restaurant, it's been at least a 45 minute wait for sushi, and then another 30-40 minute wait to get the sushi. they have one sushi chef, and that's it. It's very unfortunate too because the sushi is excellent and a great value, but i do not recommend it for the unpredictable wait time (or i should say, predictably long wait).

12/08/2005 Posted by rateitnow

I read the reviews and decided to check out Koki's. I did not have a very good experience. The service was slow and the sushi didn't stand out like many of the other reviews suggested. I could not handle waiting 20 minutes to get my next piece of sushi. I understand that the sushi chef is a perfectionist, but wouldn't it make sense to have an apprentice? One of the reviews says, "the sushi chef is Japanese and has been doing this since his childhood. They receive a fresh shipment of fish every other day... " I'm not sure how any customer would know how often a restaurant gets a fresh shipment of fish. In my opinion, the sushi was comparable to the many other sushi bars I've been to, but the wait was just ridiculous.

09/01/2005 Posted by princessturandot

Endo was wonderful as always. We took our family of 11. Some sat at the bar(the sushi eaters) and the non sushi eaters sat behind us. Again, as always Endo was a crowd pleaser we pictures to prove it...however, we do have a rant this time. The food ordered for the non sushi eaters came from the Teppan side. Okay so when they finally got their food which took a very long time( I think they forgot about them) we the sushi eaters were almost finished...and the people on here state that Endo is slow...well he was not slow this time...this time it was the Teppan people or at least the servers. Their food was cold, and when I went to complain the head gy stated we could put it in the microwave!!! What the heck...okay so the others did not argue they just ate their cold food because they were so hungry. Needless to say that side of the family were very unhappy. But what cheered them up was the entertainment of Endo. Yes, he made all our night! Good sushi..good time! So next time we fly down...we'll be back in to visit only Endo... Thanks Endo! p.s. to the MP15 or whatever you are...stop with the racial comments...how would you like it if people called you a Nip or a Jap(remember you're not the only one who knows what a Gaijin is)....as an Asian American I am very offended by your comments. Talk about Sushi, not about how people don't know real sushi because you don't know where we all come from.

Pros: Endo, Family Fun, Fresh Seafood

Cons: The Teppan side servers, and cold food for the non sushi eaters

08/26/2005 Posted by piaa2000

Yes, there may be a long wait at Koki's BUT take a good look around! There is one sushi chef for the entire restaurant. If you pay any attention, Endo is non-stop serving customers at both at the sushi bar and teppan side. That is the price you pay for the excellent sushi that Endo prepares/serves. This sushi bar is definately the place for sushi lovers to go. If you want fast food, then go to KFC or any other fastfood places & don't bother coming here - you'll only be making a fool of yourself in front of the regulars who appreciate the good quality of sushi at a friendly, clean atmosphere of Koki's sushi bar.

Pros: Fresh Sushi, Endo, Pricing

Cons: Not enough Endos

08/24/2005 Posted by goot002

After visiting Japan, I thought I would never find a real good sushi place in town. This restaurant is THE best that I have found here in the US.

Pros: great service, chefs very friendly, great parking

08/19/2005 Posted by leeja

upon entering the restaurant, i noticed there was a citysearch rating of 10...i thought to myself that this could not be possible and checked online and sure enough it has a rating of 8.9, still really high if you ask me. why the sleeping bags in my title? well if you plan on eating there, plan on being there all night. in the 2 hours we were there, we got 2 pieces of fish...oh yeah and a bowl of edamame! the sushi chef is definately friendly, but i think he needs some serious help. i suggest, DO NOT GO FOR THE SUSHI...the fish tasted a bit funny...i would give the KFC we had after this crazy experience a 10. thanks for reading!

Pros: KFC a few steps away

Cons: short handed