Vanilla Fish

Yikes! They raised the prices so I am not too happy about that. Also portions seemed to have gotten smaller. The Dynamite and Baked Salmon roll used to be much larger. The rolls and restaurant are still visually appealing though, but I can’t justify the value for the quality and quantity you get.

Vanilla Fish has been open for several months and I finally had the opportunity to give it a try. All of the pictures and great reviews caught my interest. Greg F., my Unilocal confidant had recently posted some great pics and that pushed me to try this place out. The place is very cozy inside. I would not invite a large dinner party here. I would max out maybe at 6 but you will be sitting very close to others. The restaurant is located near Rita’s and Subway. If you have any idea of the size of the stores, then you could imagine the size.
The setup is really nice inside. Brick walls, dark wood, sushi bar, and a large TV. The menu is easy to understand and they have plenty of options. Appetizers, sushi, sashimi, rolls, bento boxes, udon, ramen, and a variety of entrees. They have a good selection of beer as well. Kirin is on draft for $ 5. They also have Orion in the large bottle for $ 9.
I started with a seaweed salad and ordered some monkey balls. The monkey balls were okay. I went with my classic go to sushi order that includes Uni and Sweet shrimp. They sell the uni and sweet shrimp by the piece. Usually sushi comes in orders of 2, so make sure you clarify. I also went with the Donkatsu Ramen for $ 11. Very flavorful with plenty of noodles. Wife went with the 3 item combo. She loved it. The presentation is key here. There was an art to the way all the items were presented.
They do have a happy hour menu for M-​Th. Also, if you pay cash for your meal you will receive a 10% discount. Not sure if the discount applies to happy hour or daily. Check the business hours before you come because they close in the afternoon.
I recommend getting here early if you come on a Saturday night. We showed up at 5 pm and there was a small gathering of people waiting. By the time we left about an hour later there was a line out the door. I did notice a group of 7 people that were accommodated but they looked cramped. I am glad this place opened up. They have great food and service. I will be back in full force to sit at the sushi bar next time. Happy eating!

It is so nice to have a good local sushi restaurant. Service is always impeccable and the food is always super fresh. Thanks for taking care of my daughter… She loves your rice roll (lol).

After 16 days of great fun Family experience. Comes to end. my nephew last request is to eat at this restaurant. I was blown up with the ambiance. Classy yet very Clean. Greeted sat and the sushi chefs acknowledged us. A far cry from the city of SF. Don’t get me wrong. It’s just this place is a home family style where people take their time. I’d loved this place a lot… I’ll visit again soon as come back

I’ve had a lot of sushi in my lifetime, but Vanilla Fish wins the front runner for Best Sushi in Southern California.
This restaurant is not your typical hip sushi place. You won’t find the latest EDM track playing or even a loud atmosphere. The inside of this restaurant is reminiscent of an Irish pub, but with a Japanese finesse. It’s an extremely clean place and I found the darker lighting and ambience inviting; a perfect romantic date destination.
So what sets Vanilla Fish’s sushi and rolls apart from the next place? First, the fish is some of the freshest I’ve had in Southern California. The rolls are the perfect size, not to big and not to small. They’re not over sauced or over salted, just perfectly flavored.
What made the experience complete was the service. Our hostess and servers were top notch professional and attended to us without stifling or abandoning us. All and all a great place to dine and I’ve had no issue telling everyone I know to go try Vanilla Fish.

Great food! It’s such a short wait time! They have such friendly service, I usually judge a place by their sushi and it does not disappoint. The sale was alright but they had Orion beer which is usually hard to find since its brewed in only a certain part of Japan.

Vanilla Fish is hit or miss. Visited here yesterday and ordered a 3 item lunch combo. I specifically choose salmon, pork cutlet, and shrimp shumi.
The Good: The presentation was fantastic. The rice had sesame seeds on the top which looks great and tastes even better. The salmon was much tastier then I expected and the pork cutlet was also better then I have had elsewhere.
The Bad: So all that is left was the shrimp shumi which was a huge fail. I don’t think they make them there as you can buy the same exact shumi at Trader Joes. It was so inconsistent with everything else I tried, it really should be an embarrassment to them.
The sushi was good, nothing too different about that here.

Super cute place! The restaurant itself feels fusion in décor, which was different, but not in a bad way. Had the butterfield, red mango, crunch dragon, and spicy tail rolls with a friend.
Spicy tail: BEST ROLL IN MY LIFE. It hit my tastebuds in so many ways, it was amazingly delightful. Creaminess from the spicy tuna and avocado. Salty crunch from the gobo. Fatty flavor from yellowtail. Spiciness from jalapeño and sriracha. And the salty citrus splash of ponzu… WOW. This roll seriously made me come back two days later for more.
Red Mango was our second favorite. But making this review about a week later, all I remember was spicy tuna and mango. And if you’re into a more fresh, sweet flavor, I’d highly recommend this one.
Butterfield was also incredible! But I could do without the salty crunch of sea salt on the top. But it was definitely an interesting touch.
Crunch dragon was kind of disappointing after eating the first three that just blew us away. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t have the surprising kick in flavor the others had.
Not a big fan of how the nigiris were made. The sushi rice was a bit sweeter compared to other restaurants I’ve been to in Cali and in Japan. Albacore was on point, but the salmon had a different taste to it, maybe they used an oil to top it? I’m not sure, it was different and it didn’t tickle my fancy.
I’d rate their rolls at 6 stars if it was possible and nigiris at 3.5 stars.
I wish there was one closer to my college, I’d be eating here twice a week if it was a chain! But then I’d be broke. so maybe it’s for the best. Haha.

The food, design, and ambiance of the restaurant is great. The thought that was put into the look and feel of the place is a welcome change to the fast food joints nearby.
However their service needs some work. The servers are very nice people, but I can’t help but feel they’re just winging it. It’s strange that the hot plate comes out 15 minutes before the sushi. The food was getting cold so he just ate ahead of the rest of us. It was also strange that the appetizers came last. I felt bad for asking «Where’s the food?» to the waitress, but it wasn’t the food I was concerned about, it was the lack of communication.
Overall a decent restaurant, but I wouldn’t recommend going there if you’re short on patience.

Great food but it is a bit overpriced. Portions were too small. After spending $ 50 per person, we left still feeling like we could’ve eaten more but our wallets stopped us. :P but that could be because we’re piggies.
Oink oink baby.
Great date night spot. Very small gem hidden away. Please forgive their service, they’re still getting situated.
Food is truly amaze balls.

It hasn’t been long since my husband and i moved to the Chino Hills area from Irvine. We’re both big fans of sushi and we haven’t found «theeee» sushi spot around Chino Hills until today!
From the presentation to the quality and flavor of their dishes, everything is exceptional at Vanilla Fish. The service level is on point as well.
Now we have a sushi spot we will be coming back too! And we don’t have to make the drive out to Irvine for our sushi cravings anymore!
Two thumbs up Vanilla Fish!!!

FROTY. First Review Of The Year!
Decided to go with a local review of this recently established Sushi & Sake Bar. We went on a Thursday night @6pm which was full but not crowded. We were greeted by the Chefs with a boisterous welcome and seated at the Sushi bar. Ordered the Garlic Edamame but don’t think we’ll order it again. The Tuna Tataki was delicious, but the signature dish has to be the Yellowtail Sashimi with Freshly Chopped Wasabi, what an explosion of taste and flavor. The Albacado is a good appetizer for 2 even 4 people.
Staff was friendly, ambiance is intimate, jazz/​blues background music and prices are reasonable. We met one of the Chefs (Chin) who mentioned that in February they will introduce a new menu with some creative dishes which we’re excited to try. Nice addition to the neighborhood and hope they have what it takes to stand the test of time.

Cute sushi place but it was expensive with only a limited number of choices. We got the albacado. It looked huge in the picture but it was so tiny when we got it! Super expensive too, but it very tasty. Service was ok. Not sure if I would be back

Wow! Amazing!!! First time visiting this place (only 5 mins from home), I just wished I had tried it sooner.
I’ve had my share of sushi but this place made it on my top list. I had the lunch special $ 10.95 for 3 items (4 pcs sashimi, 4 sushi, & salmon teriyaki) so much food and the quality is amazing!

Vanilla fish is in a great little spot, in the same plaza as Rita’s and Subway. They have a major advantage as it is the only sushi restaurant within a 3 mile radius. Their service was disappointing. We had walked in, with only a few other tables occupied, waiting to be seated. I made eye contact with one of the guys behind the sushi bar but he didn’t think to alert one of the waitresses. We waited for a good few minutes, exchanging awkward glances with seated diners, until someone decided to seat us.
Salmon Collar — Originally ordered the Yellowtail Collar but they ran out. Nothing special, your typical baked salmon garnished with onions and masago. The salmon was a little overcooked as it was seemingly dry. Good thing it came with some light ponzu sauce.
Albacore Sashimi — Seared Albacore sprinkled with pepper, onions and ponzu sauce. A lot better than the Salmon sashimi my nephew had in terms of texture, taste and temperature.
Las Vegas Roll — This is your typical cut roll with tuna and cucumber, topped with masago. Another mediocre dish which looked to focus more on quantity than quality.
I was less than impressed with this place and advised my family not to bother. I’d rather make the 3 mile drive to Ojiya AND wait!

Walk into a Korean owned sushi restaurant and walk out smelling like a typical Korean bbq place! This place needed ventilation and smelled a bit like fried food but it’s pretty good!
Menu:
Abacado: albacore tuna salad covered in avocado. So delicious! The fish is really fresh and it looks likes it’s super covered in sauce but you can definitely taste the fish and it’s not too saucey at all. In fact, the outer sauce is great too — a little sweet to balance the savory of the other flavors.
Red mango roll: very fresh! Salmon, tuna, shrimp and mango in the roll. This had an interesting feature that I couldn’t pinpoint but something was a tiny bit chewy (different!) and it was great!
Fresh Las Vegas roll: super fresh! It has tuna, albacore, salmon, and yellowtail with scallions and masago. The fish is really fresh and was quite tasty.
I would definitely go back to this place! And next time, Rita’s which is next door! (Custard)

Awesome little spot that I never would’ve known about if not for a recommendation from a friend of mine that lived in the area. Cozy little spot just south of the 71, where I never drove by until today. Came a little early to avoid the rush, but turns out that that wasn’t necessary at all. One of the best things about this place is that it’s location makes it a hidden gem of a place that enough people frequent but prob more so in the evenings, which leads this place to be a perfect candidate for a lunch sushi craving.
FYI — this is a Korean-​owned sushi restaurant, which doesn’t really mean anything to me personally, but to some, there is a distinction.
Anyway, on to the food. Appetizer… the Albacado is awesome. There’s a picture of it in the wall; basically it’s a thinly sliced avocado that is wrapped around albacore tuna, served with a semi-​sweet glaze. I don’t know how they prepare that thing cuz it’s so precisely cut, but it sure was as good as it looked.
My friends and I ordered the mango roll, the the salmon roll, and the special roll of the day, the baked longostino roll. Oh and a spicy something roll which I can’t remember. Rolls are typically $ 7 – 10, which is normal, and the special roll was $ 13. Other colleagues had the lunch specials, which were typical as well. The rolls were very good. The fish was fresh enough and everything sat well with us.
Soda is canned, but they bring you the whole can so you don’t get jipped.
Service was good; it took a little long to get the check at the end, but they were all working, I could see them, so it was only a matter of getting their attention.
Overall, good food, decent prices, and good ambiance. Definitely bookmarking this spot for the future!

My sisters took me here for my birthday lunch recently. It was located about midway to where we all live and when looking for a Sushi restaurant in the area they were enticed by the positive Unilocal reviews for this fairly new restaurant.
Vanilla is right off the 71 fwy in the Rite Aid/​Wells Fargo center. Parking was good although being shared with many other adjoining businesses.
Now for the good stuff:
1. Ambience– décor is like hip industrial maybe ??? You see exposed ceilings, concrete floors, half brick walls with black matte painted walls. Pretty cool. A little on the small side though so I can see how it might be hard to seat a larger crowd when they are busy
2. Service– friendly and efficient. There was only 1 waitress when we went and they kind of got busy. She always checked up on us making sure we were OK
3. Food– we ordered rolls and bento boxes while the kids ordered Udon. Everything was really good. I had the Salmon teriyaki and it was cooked perfectly… not overdone like most places. Rolls had a good rice to fish ratio too
4. Prices– pretty darn good and probably less than a lot of the other Sushi places out in Chino Hills. There was a local guy there picking up an order and telling them how fantastic he thought their food and prices were.
Will definitely be back when in the area.

Everyone here is really nice. The décor is clean and modern. I like the name of the place.
Since having a newborn baby girl it has been difficult for me and my wife to go out and have dinner so we generally get everything to go.
With that being said we were not happy with the food we ordered. We ordered the calamari, langostino roll, beef curry, and cold soba with tempura. Everything that was fried was soggy by the time I got home, which is only 5 minutes away. Calamari is just rings and they are breaded in some weird batter. The langostino roll has a lot of dynamite sauce, which is a little too heavy on the mayo. The beef curry was ok, portion was a little small and the beef is sliced thinly instead of cubed like most other places.
I will try this place again one day because it so close to the house.

Great addition to Chino Hills!
Got the dynamite appetizer $ 7.95; the combo lunch special $ 8.95 with shrimp shumai and salmon teriyaki; the albacado $ 9.95; and, the salmon collar $ 7.95 with a side of rice.
The albacado was the bomb, as advertised. It’s thin slices of avocado wrapped around a ball of spicy albacore. Yum! The dynamite was fresh and delicious! The salmon collar was deceivingly meaty and had a great blend of textures from the crispy skin to the soft fish fat, the salmon meat, and the roe topping. I particularly enjoyed the vinegar based sauce it was sitting on.
Wow!
The name of the place is part of the draw. If you ask, they might tell you about any number of stories and legends about how it was borne from traditional use of Vanilla fish in Japan that gave the Samurai its mystical powers or to supplement the Ninja in its practice just to tickle your fancy. In the end, they’ll tell you… well you’ll have to visit to find out.
The place is really cool.
The furniture and the color of the walls said, relax. The cool music playing in the background added to the overall pleasant experience. Vanilla is owned and run by a husband and wife team and it’s been open for about a week as of June 12, 2015. They were still waiting for their alcohol license to be approved, fingers-​crossed it will happen soon!
At the end of the meal they also gave us a free scoop of vanilla ice cream and a scoop of green tea. Score! Not sure if they’ll continue to do that so pay them a visit to find out the origins of their name, to get the ice cream, or try their delicious food!