Ototo Sushi Co.

One of my new favorite sushi restaurants! I’ve been here three times in the past few weeks and love how friendly the staff are, how reasonably priced it is, and how fresh the sushi is. TO make the restaurant even more interesting, they have chipotle? fries (see pictures — delish!), which keeps the BF coming back here and happy. Just the two of us can usually eat an entire meal with alcohol for $ 20-​$ 30, which is phenomenal for sushi. Will most definitely be coming back and is worth the drive from UTC to Balboa/​Genesse for a rather casual dinner.

Great lil sushi spot near Balboa/​Genesee where the old fish n chips use to be. Sample from their list of beers, get a roll or two and try their sashimi or poke salad! I like their baked scallop roll as well and have ordered it every time.
Service is always friendly and the environment is a lil loud and relatively spacious. A place I would go to any time of the day and not worry about parking or getting my food fast.

I came here today with my friend for a late night dinner. She lives in the area and recommended this sushi place. The Cabo sushi without the salmon is so yummy. The environment is fun and really cool. The restaurant is really clean and our waiter was so sweet. It was overall a good and fun experience. We even became friends with the group sitting next to us. all good vibes! PS: it is VERY affordable for a Saturday night. Our entire bill came out to $ 40 for 4 people and we had take out.

Best Sushi you will get in San Diego.
Everything is served fresh.
It is Delicious
Juan is one of the best chief here
Really recommend this place.

Found this place on Unilocal!I was hungry so here we go! I sat at the Sushi Bar so I could be babysat constantly :) They had a good selection of local craft beer so i got that out of the way. The menu was nicely organized. The kamakazi fries were a perfect start. The Ramen was the only item i got from the kitchen. I need to come back and try the entrees like the miso salmon. The sashimi and Uni tasted very nice and cold. For a fast paced restaurant, they were very attentive. I could also tell there were many regulars around me. The décor was clean and contemporary. Very rare do I give 5 stars. I was just so satisfied and pleased.

Since moving to Bay Ho last year, Ototo has become my go-​to sushi spot (and occasionally ramen). I have been known to eat here multiple times a week. :) The prices are unbelievably low, which is awesome. The rolls are not huge, but they are so affordable you can just order more and try more things! The appetizers are all good, and very reasonably priced, too. We’ve had several rolls there, and they have all been good. The ramen is good, too (although this is not my go-​to ramen place). They have good craft beers, too. (YEAH Cali Creamin’!)
The place is small, so there is usually a wait if you want to dine in during peak hours. The service is quick and friendly, and they do offer takeout which is helpful if you don’t want to wait. The ambiance is very nice — trendy and cool.
I also like that the food always tastes fresh — the low price does not reflect the quality of the food! It is just a great deal.
Parking is a breeze, as this place is (surprisingly) located in a large strip mall with a Vons, Kohls, and several other businesses. When you turn into the plaza, Ototo is near the back left corner by the Blarney Stone and Mr. Fish and Chips.

Dumplings were pretty generic. But the sushi rolls are outstanding. The Baja rolls are delicious. Rolls are stuffed full but tightly rolled. Got carry out so can’t comment on service.

Great happy hour 7 days a week 3 – 6 pm
My girls took me today for a late lunch such good food and service

Most excellent. This is becoming a recurring theme with me but this place is a gem tucked away in a strip mall. We came in late on a Tuesday night and the place was packed, for good reason. We also drove about 30 minutes to get here, on the recommendation of regulars who live as far away as we do. They’re regulars for good reason.
We got the Kamikaze fries, Grazie chicken, avo tempura small plates and fireball roll. The small plates all came with spicy aioli. Everything was so good and came out fast.
To top it all off, the prices are reasonable, the service is spot on and the vibe is casual and hip. Will definitely keep coming back.

Prices are a 5, food might be a 3 – 4 for me. I was about to give Ototo a 3, but so far it’s the cheapest decent sushi we’ve found in San Diego, since we haven’t been too fond of Sushi Deli since our college days. Ototo has more fusion food going on than some of the Japanese restaurants around San Diego. A lot of it is not very authentic and it doesn’t seem like the restaurant is Japanese owned, since the workers and sushi chefs are not Japanese here.
We ordered Kamikaze fries, agadeshi tofu, a crunch roll, and a balboa roll. It all came out to about $ 24 and we were both pretty stuffed. Sushi fish seemed pretty fresh, but the rolls weren’t as good as our favorites around town. Everyone raved about the crunchy roll on Unilocal and there was nothing super special about it, just your standard crunchy roll which is usually a crowd pleaser anyhow. The balboa roll had more fresh fish on and in it and I would definitely get it again. The texture of the Kamikaze fries were perfectly crispy and tasted like a better version of the the cajun fries at Arby’s. The spicy mayo aioli on top goes well with the fries. The Agadeshi tofu was the biggest let down. They put the sauce on the bottom. There wasn’t much flavor to this dish, but the tofu was perfectly crispy and fried.
The atmosphere is nice and modern here and service was pretty quick and attentive. They have a large variety of rolls here which is a plus. Overall, we’d definitely come back here for our cheap sushi fix and to try more things on the menu, but we can’t say Ototo Sushi is a substitute for the more authentic places around San Diego.

This place is pretty busy! Came on a weekend and had to wait about 20 – 25 minutes. Moderately sized with outdoor seating and heating.
The service was very nice. We were checked up upon quite a bit.
FOOD:
I ordered a shrimp tempura roll with shrimp tempura, crab, avocado, cucumber, radish, soy paper with seaweed and eel sauce (LOL literally just copied the menu). For the price (I hate saying this), it was good. Came with six large pieces and presented nicely on a pretty plate. It tasted okay, not wow. I would recommend trying their more special rolls. I just opted on getting something small: P
Also got the matcha Scotch pudding for dessert. It was served in a shot glass, so it’s pretty small. Was brûlée and then topped with whipped cream. I actually really enjoyed it. It wasnt overly sweet and the pudding was very creamy.

Pleasantly really surprised with this spot. My boyfriend and I have passed this spot for awhile and wanted to try it for the longest time. The outside of it already looks really nice and pretty eye-​catching sooo I was like, today is the day. WE GOING
The place is a lot larger than I initially imagined. There’s a lot of outside patio seating in front and there’s enough seating inside too — high tables, low tables, and tables at the sushi bar located in the back of the restaurant. The interior is very clean, modern, and nice. It’s nicely decorated and has a very simplistic, but hip feel to it which I really liked. There are already napkins, chopsticks, soy sauce dishes, and mini plates all assembled for you at your table too and it’s nice and presentable.
Service is super quick and attentive too. To start off, we got the Garlic Edamame which was awesome. We usually like to get Garlic Edamama at spots and this place had really good seasoning. Additionally, we got the Combo Sashimi which came with 2 pieces of Tuna, Salmon, Albacore, and Yellow tail each. Omgggg, every single one was so fresh and so meaty! They aren’t stingy at all with the amount they give you. We enjoyed that a lot and probably was one of our favorites actually. We also got the Poke Salad which is a tad bit small, but just the right amount if you want to just try it as an appetizer. If this is the ONLY thing you’re getting though, it won’t be enough and you’ll be hungry for sure still. We got the Poke Salad as a Tuna/​Salmon combination and that along with the seaweed and sauces provided in the dish were great. Not overly saucy or anything.
For sushi, we decided on the Crunchy Dragon Roll, the Rainbow Roll, the Philadelphia Roll, and the California Roll. Okay seriously, first bite into the Crunchy Dragon Roll, I was wow’d. I looooooved it! I love my sushi with a little bit of crunch and omg, the sauces and crunch and everything were of great quality. I’m seriously salivating as I’m thinking about it. The other sushi we got was super good too and very fresh, but the Crunchy Dragon Roll wins hands down, at least to me.
We got so much food I felt like, but total was around $ 45 (without tip). Not too shabby at all and the food quality was great. I loved the ambience of the place, the quickness of service, and the quality of taste of all the food we got.
I think I’ve found my new go-​to sushi spot.

My first time here but without a doubt I will be back. It’s located in a moderate sized strip mall and was actually on my way to the grocery store when I saw the «sushi» sign. It was dinner time (hence the trip to the grocery store) so I took a quick look on Unilocal and based upon the reviews I decided to give them a try. I’m glad I did!
It was early evening so they weren’t very busy but they have indoor and outdoor seating. I decided not to take up a table and just sat at the sushi bar. I was given a menu and a traditional slip to order my sushi. I ordered up some Tuna and Yellowtail sushi, a Philly Roll and one of their signature rolls, the «Sunset Roll». For a starter I got a seaweed salad. The chefs at the sushi bar were quick to take my order slip and someone else came and took my drink order.
The sushi bar is a sort of help yourself place with everything you could need right in front of you. There is a box with nice chopsticks, napkins, soy sauce (regular and low sodium) and plates. You just help yourself to what you need and I actually liked that. It wasn’t long before my seaweed salad arrived in a nice bowl in a somewhat decorative appearance. My first bite into the salad was just as good as any other seaweed salad I have had. It did come with some thicker dark strips of seaweed which took away from the traditional flavor of a seaweed salad so I didn’t eat anymore of that. And as I got to the bottom of the bowl the salad seemed to be drier than the first few bites I had. Overall good, but average.
They handed me the Yellowtail and Tuna sushi and the cuts of fish were beautiful! The tuna looked like a red marble and the first bite told me how fresh their fish was. Simply amazing! Again, generous cuts of fresh fish that almost melts in your mouth. Definitely try their sushi!
It was time to try the rolls. I’m a big Philly Roll lover and tend to base a lot on just this roll. I mean it’s pretty simple so if you can’t make a good Philly Roll, why would I think any of the other menu items would be any better. I wasn’t disappointed. The Philly Roll was amazing. Like the sushi I had before this, the fish was incredibly fresh and the roll was just the right size. Very satisfying and I look forward to coming back here for another Philly Roll. Last up was one of their signature rolls, the Sunset Roll. I saw a picture and it looked great and that’s what sold me. It was crab and cucumber on the inside and seared tuna, avocado and a garlic sauce on top. I have to say it was definitely the picture that got me to order it but I can’t say I would get it again. It wasn’t bad at all, but just a case of it looking better than it tasted. It was fresh as all the other sushi I had but it just didn’t do anything for me taste wise. But that’s okay because I was so pleased with all the other sushi and I will for sure be back to try some of their other rolls.
The restaurant looks small from the outside but is very nice inside and the outdoor patio looked very nice. I might have given 5 stars but the seaweed salad turned out to be too dry and most importantly, the iced tea. They use instant. I’m always so shocked that any restaurant, particularly one as nice as this, would use instant iced tea. McDonalds, Panera, Chipotle and so many others brew their iced tea and serve it fresh. Now if they can do it, certainly a place such as this could stop serving instant tea (which is revolting by the way).
If you haven’t been here already or you are looking to try a new place out for sushi, I highly recommend this one. They also offer a number of ramen dishes as well.

Coming from a perspective from the Bay Area, this place is really great!
The prices are amazing! Rolls between $ 6 – 12
and sashimi combo (8 pieces) for only $ 9
WOW! normally I end up spending a fortune eating sushi.
The fish was very fresh, and melted in your mouth. Ordered the sashimi combo and another roll, completely forgot the name. $ 7, miso soup $ 2, and a hot green tea, $ 2. (served in a cute mason jar!)
There was a wait, however it was worth it. (only around 10 – 15 min)
When a placed is packed it’s usually a good sign.
The only downside I can really think of was the darn chair kept moving around you know what I mean when either the floor is uneven, or the chair is all wobbly.
This didn’t really effect the meal, but it was quite annoying to the point where I had to put a napkin under one of the legs…
Regardless, when I go to San Diego, I will be back!

This place is tucked in the corner of the main plaza on genesee near CVS Pharmacy. Its not great but its not horrible so I gave it a solid 3 stars.
The food was okay, my friends and I ordered different sushi rolls to share. For the priceyness, I expected to be kind of mind blown but was a bit disappointed. We also ordered a couple beers and the waiter was pretty nice about us being able to taste different beers they had to offer before we ordered which ones we wanted. He was very patient and helpful in describing the different kinds they had. Overall, wouldn’t come here for the sushi but would possibly come back for the kind service and beers.

Cool spot, great for a happy hour get together after work. It’s a pretty good size restaurant with plenty of extra outdoor seating. Place was packed by 5:30 but we snagged a corner seat for two in the back corner booth. Dinner date with my girlfriend. The waitress was friendly and very attentive. She took our drink and food orders right away.
The garlic edamame came out first and was amazing! My girlfriend ordered a baked roll which usually takes the longest to make but her order came out first. It took what felt like forever to get my raw roll. Maybe 15 minutes or so after her roll came out I received my order. I’ll give them a break because it was a full house that night. I really enjoyed the ototo roll it doesn’t have rice, it was wrapped in cucumber on the outside.
Overall really chill place I like the décor and atmosphere. The rolls are great and prices are decent. I’ll be back for another try hopefully with faster service.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Clean, modern, lively little sushi stop with a number of easy ways to order (ChowNow, Amazon Restaurant, phone, web, the list goes on).
THE EATS
Albacore nigiri — A classic staple at every sushi restaurant I’ve eaten at with as many interpretations. This happy little pair of nigiri rolls certainly hit the tasty mark, though they were definitely missing the punch of wasabi between the rice and albacore. It would’ve also helped maintain the roll’s integrity on the 50 yard stroll to the Blarney Stone Pub for trivia. (See my photo.) Unfortunately, sushi is equally about presentation as flavor, so I feel compelled to dock a point. :/​
Ninja roll — This roll is composed of Crab, avocado, and cucumber inside, with spicy tuna, green onion, and ponzu sauce on top. Not only did this roll make the trip 5 stores down the sidewalk, it actually looks as appetizing as it tastes. Creamy avocado, succulent crab, and cool cucumber help to balance the happy sting from the spicy tuna, which is surely where the ninja roll gets its name. I’ll happily recommend this roll to anyone coming here!
THE VERDICT
«Have sushi; will NOT travel.» Perhaps my experience was the exception, but as I mentioned above: sushi is equally a visual AND taste experience. That aside, this is a great little California sushi joint and I will definitely order some different rolls from here again. Give them a try!

THIS SPOT IS A HIDDEN GEM, literally because you can barely see it until you actually drive up into the plaza and head towards the southeast corner (right of CVS). It’s a modern looking sushi restaurant with a kick because they offer a lot of different beers on tap– you can even get a beer flight. A lot of traditional sushi restaurants serve Kirin and sake etc but I think this place did a good job with combining sushi and drinks! Not to mention the appetizers are great snack pairings for beer! (Try the kamikaze fries and ask for extra sauce if needed).
OTHER FOOD: I was so into the other dishes that I barely finished the roll I ordered. I go nuts over the kamikaze fries, which were served super warm and crispy. I’m happy to say I found a new place for my favorite oysters on the half shell. I used to like the ones at bluefin best but that location closed. TRY THEIR OYSTERS AND DO NOT HESITATE PAYING $ 6 FOR 3 Because they are HUGE oysters, flavored with sriracha, lemon and black caviar. This is the first time I’ve been served oysters with black caviar… Can’t tell if it’s dyed masago or actually black though!
SUSHI ROLLS: I don’t think they’re overpriced at all (see photo). I love how tightly rolled they are and that the rolls don’t fall apart. The garnish and aesthetics of the rolls are on point too, if you’re into food plating presentation. Their masago isn’t the typical little orange ones but they have red and black too. Very intense presentation of the food.
RAMEN: There are three types of ramen, all in different broths: red/​spicy miso, white/​chicken, and a regular ramen. I didn’t see most people ordering ramen but it’s great variety when you’re taking a big group of people.
SERVICE: Our server was very sincere. It did take a while for her to keep checking on us but she frequently came back and forth to update us and apologize for the wait. There was no wait time on a Sunday night but the servers are very busy!
They bring your check in a cute little journal full of customer notes and thank-​yous

I was surprisingly impressed with this place and glad I finally tried it! Directly across from the Vons in my hood, I had written it off forever as I don’t typically eat out so close to home (Guilt — might as well be cooking at home). However, last Friday evening I wanted to hang out with a friend and sushi, followed by darts at Blarney Stone sounded like a fantastic evening. Well, sushi here on a Friday evening is apparently a fantastic evening for lots of people as it was completely packed when we walked up around 7pm. There was a 20 min wait, so we grabbed a drink at Blarney Stone for a bit.
Our very enthusiastic server was happy-​go-​lucky and kept stating that here, you «go big or go home» as all they carry are large sake, and large beer. Not a problem for parties of 2 or more, but for a solo dinner it could be a bit much to handle.
We ordered garlic edamame (is there any other if given the option?!?), gyoza, shrimp tempura roll and a rainbow row. I admit, i don’t have high expectations for places within Clairemont, shopping malls in general, or anything that (technically) doesn’t have to try hard because its the only option nearby. However, all of the food really delivered and was satisfying. It’s a very common, «sushi rolls» place with all the quikly names and creative ingredients. My favorite on the menu is the «Merrica roll.» First time I’ve seen that and it made me giggle.
it’s nice to finally discover that there is a good cheap and decent quality sushi place right up the road for me.

Decided to try Ototo Sushi for the 1^st time for lunch because they of the ramen and their sushi selection. The restaurant is very modern and set up really nicely.
A big group came in after us and the host asked us very politely if we would move to the window table in order to accommodate the larger party. We didn’t mind so we moved. They did offer to give us appetizers and since we ordered so many appetizers, I wish they would have just credited us a plate or two of the ones we already ordered instead of giving us garlic edamame which we didn’t really touch.
We ordered a ramen, several appetizers and several rolls. The ramen was decent per my husband and daughter. I’m not fond of the corn so I didn’t try it. Lol! For appetizers, we had soft shell crab tempura which was good and decently priced! I would have preferred it with ponzu sauce instead of teriyaki like sauce. We had the calamari and chicken karaage which were also good. The kamikaze fries were ok. Oh and I had the sunomona salad which I love! Not too sour, not too sweet and was a great palate cleanser.
As for the sushi, everything we tried were delicious. We had the tuna tatake, uncle phil’s and shrimp tempura. My faves from our order were the Albacore Delight and Murica. I underestimated the Murica because it didn’t look appetizing at all but it was really good. Lol
Will definitely go back for more!