Ayame Sushi

Liked it a lot before the shabu shabu, loved it when they had shabu and still love it now with the new menu. It’s really a good value for high quality, real deal Japanese food. And come on folks, it’s in a high rent center so they can’t charge any less. I know a lot of people like the ramen at Mitsuwa but I just lose my appetite when I sit in a cafeteria type atmosphere and see people going in and out of the restroom! I’d rather pay a tiny bit more and sit in a nice proper restaurant. You get what you pay for. and the chef is very skilled at the right flavors in the broths and marinated fish. Also noticed that the service has improved. My current favorite Japanese place.

It’s been a long while since I wrote a review on Unilocal.Having said that, I am motivated enough to write this review in hope that the owner will take a few points from a royal customer (like me) & improve their menu.
Ayame’s an authentic Japanese restaurant with a modern twist to it. We like going there because it’s the place’s usually not crowded and it’s close by. We were excited to hear that they added on ShabuShabu. Yesterday, I took hubby, the kid and my mom there for ShabuShabu the first time. Here are the thoughts:
Pros:
— No wait line. In fact we were the only table the entire time we dine there.
— Soup broth are actually delicious! They are NOT powered by heavy MSG. We had Basic Konbu (Kelp) broth, Tomato Herb and Tom Yum. All three met my expectation.
— Dipping sauce’s perfect. I am picky about dipping sauce at a Shabu Shabu place. Some places I go to have either too citrusy ponzu or overly sweet sesame sauce. Ayame’s blend is just right!
Cons:
— The meat portion is TOO little. I enjoyed the thin cut texture of the meat. But it’s just not enough for the buck you are paying.
— A La Carte items are too PRICY! We would have ordered more extra items if the price level is not as high as on the menu. $ 2.25 for 3 slices of corn? $ 1.50 for 3 small piece of Tofu? $ 1.50 for 1 bok choy?
— Only rice’s included in the combination. I’d recommend to include noodles as one of the option since not everyone likes rice with Shabu Shabu! Noodle just tastes better with soupy broth in my opinion. I ordered Udon just because my kid likes Udon, however they came overly cooked.
I really hope that this place would stay open for a long while since it’s one of our favs around the neighborhood. But by the look of the empty seats each time I was there doesn’t seem too promising.

Couldn’t decide what to eat and decided to check out Ayame.
Decided to order cooked food and went with the Salmon Teriyaki, and Chicken Teriyaki. Yes, very generic and very… not good. The Salmon Teriyaki was ok, but did not leave me the impression of wanting to come back for seconds. Sadly to say, the Chicken Teriyaki was worse. Honestly, I thought I was eating overcooked baked chicken with water tasting Teriyaki Sauce. Sounds like something I can make at home for ¹⁄₅ of the cost.
After reading other reviews, it appears that I ordered the wrong dishes/​food. I will have to give this place another shot and order Sushi next time. However, I do not recommend gettingTeriyaki anything at this place. It will leave you with an impression that Teriyaki tastes like Crystal Geyser bottled water.

Sometimes, you just want the authentic stuff!
Friend’s dad heard I like Japanese Sushi… and he had to clarify «REAL Sushi? None of that California Roll/​california fushion/​Todai junk, right??»
Well, him being a Japanese business frequent-​er, he promised to take me for some very good Japanese sushi, and we ended up here in Irvine? Who woulda thunk? and owned by Japanese people? even better.
Renkodai, Honmaguro, Hamachi Sushi! Those were AMAZING pieces of sushi that I was able to taste that I’ve never tasted before.
Tip
If you want cheap sushi, this is NOT the place. Came’on people, you get what you pay for sometimes, and this place is exactly that. That being said, this place is not cheap, and is a nice restaurant for a small, quiet birthday dinner
Be willing to try out the specials on their menu because they are absolutely that; special! If you want the typical stuff, go hit up «to-​go» sushi somewhere else like Niko Niko or something.
For the real stuff, for the REAL good stuff, I recommend Ayame as one of the best places I’ve gone to for real sushi.

I’ll start with my complaint (singular) first– Ayame is pricy. That aside, go here. Seriously. Everything always looks both beautiful and appetizing; and everything always tastes delicious and fresh. I highly recommend the chirashi; it is the best I’ve ever had.
Additionally, the service is incredible. The last time I was here (ordering for take-​out no less) the chef personalized my chirashi with my favorite fish and roe. Sweet!

I just went in for lunch today and for $ 14 they have a lunch special, salad, udon, and a sashimi bowl that included 1 piece each of tuna, yellowtail, mackeral, abalone, salmon roe, albacore, shrimp, and Uni. It was incredible and an incredible price. I posted a pic so check it out. Lunch is from 11:30 to 2 and they have several killer deals.

When I was growing up my cousin would tell me a joke that a girl is a «butter face». What’s a «butter face» you ask? A girl is nice looking all over but her face. Okies, I really got to stop with these gay and girl jokes… it screams singlehood but I digress.
I have to note that the presentation of the food here is pretty nice. It’s better then a lot of places I’ve gone too but there is something lacking…
Although is a Japanese restaurant I don’t think this place has great sushi. The several times I’ve come here I’ve always ordered non-​raw items which turned out to be pretty good.
They always start you off with a small salad and miso soup, which I always find refreshing even if it’s just mostly salt:
The rib eye steak I ordered:
Tender, evenly seasoned, and cooked the way I wanted it (med. rare). This ain’t some Denny’s so don’t put your feet on the table.
I’ve also ordered this fish dish (I forgot the name). It sits on top of some mashed potatoes, nicely presented.
Anyways, I think this place is alright. It’s never crowded too. Just avoid the sushi.
Ayame’s Score — 78 Points

It’s a little pricey but their lunch menu is decent. I didn’t like their spicy tuna at all. Very fishy. The sashimi ironically were much better than any of the rolls, which is usually never the case.
It’s a nice place, but not the best sushi by far.

Expensive, expensive, expensive. Prices here are pretty damn sky high (to me that is) and they have a right to be.
The food was great. Not a single disappointment for the night, except for maybe the fact that the staff was short handed, which delayed some dishes. But overall, the food was good without a doubt: the shrimp boat was nice and sweet; the salmon seemed very fresh; the tuna seemed to still have a pulse; the ayume special (or at least that’s what I think this dish was called) was ridiculously good with a cheesy layer blanketing the juicy meat and crunchy onions and garlic.
The staff had Japanese accents, a good sign of authenticity. The atmosphere was great; the place was nicely lit, not too bright, not too dark.

***
UPDATE: This is no longer a sushi bar! My review below is moot!
***
This was my first visit to Ayame and I wasn’t sure what to expect based on the other mixed reviews here.
First, I ordered hamachi sushi. They had run out of yellowtail so I got to watch the chef cut a new fish. His cuts were a bit sloppy, but the yellowtail was of decent quality. Not close to the best I’ve ever had, but good enough.
Next was a spicy tuna hand roll. I’m always amazed when someone can screw up a simple hand roll. The spicy tuna was very finely chopped and was prepared too quickly; it had obviously been pre-​prepared. I personally like my spicy tuna a bit chunky and cut/​mixed when ordered. The roll should also include a little more than just tuna, cucumber and rice; some yamagobo would be nice.
I was surprised to see Spanish Mackerel on the menu as it’s not very popular and hard to come by. Alas, they were out of it so I settled for regular Mackerel. Just a note for those that don’t know: regular Mackerel is not remotely close in texture or flavor to Spanish Mackerel. I already knew this and actually like regular Mackerel. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the least bit fishy, which is quite common.
Last, I ordered the ultimate test of a good sushi bar: Uni (sea urchin). I watched the chef as he prepared it. I was dismayed to see that it wasn’t stored very well (typically in a sealed, wooden box). The quality was so-​so. It was moist, but not runny, like it can be at lower quality sushi bars.
The chef was extremely friendly and complimented me on eating «like a Japanese person». When another customer at the bar made a special order for baby abalone, the chef prepared two orders and gave me one for free.
Overall, I was pleased with the place but the prices were a bit high. I would have liked to try one of the fusion cut rolls that other reviewers have mentioned, but they were simple too expensive. I will never spend $ 16 on a cut roll that is based mostly on rice, crab and shrimp.
My total bill came to $ 38 with tip (included 1 small Sapporo beer).

I really enjoyed their Ayame Jalepeno Roll – spicy tuna roll with albacore, tuna, and smelt eggs on top. It has a great lemon zest to it… mmm this is definitely one of the better rolls I’ve had in a while.
I also ordered their homemade crepes w/​strawberries and bananas. This was quite delicious as well, I just wish I got more than just 4 bites – which is literally the serving size of this dessert.
This place is great, my only complaint is that I wish I got more food for the enormous amount of money they charge, their serving sizes are a little too small. But hey, what do you expect… great Japanese food in Irvine isn’t easy to come by.
Oh, AND… expect to be here for a good hour if you’re going to be coming with a party of 5 or more. Their service is extremely slow.

The sashimi is always fresh and the place is a very authentic sushi restaurant. This place is the best inIrvine if you are not into americanized sushi rolls.
The only bad thing is that they no longer serves Omakase, but they still have very good bento box for lunch.

For an Asian fusion restaurant — this is a place you need to experience — take a date there for sure! As was mentioned by quite a few Unilocalers prior, the location of this high-​end restaurant is in a bit of an awkward location — in a typical neighborhood supermarket shopping center. Next door you have your Peet’s Coffee & Tea and a Zov’s Bistro.
When you walk in, however, you notice that the ambiance of the restaurant is fresh and upscale. Beautiful interior that resonates «fancy Japanese», but with attitudes that focus on giving you the best dining experience. The food is quality and service is first-​class.
Must have ROLLS when you go to Ayame:
Zipangu Roll — Spicy Tuna, Shrimp Tempura, Crab meat and a few vegetables wrapped in a gold rice wrap. Sweet and highly enjoyable!
Caterpillar Roll — Same ingredients as every other sushi place. However, this place makes the roll into a work of art. You will notice visually how beautiful they make it and how fresh the eel tastes!
Sashimi Roll — I suggest you eat this one last! A bunch of sashimi (tuna, albacore, salmon, halibut) with crab meat and wrapped in cucumber skin. This makes you feel goooooood after eating it — nice and cool going down.
Any of their desserts — Even try their Mochi. It’s homemade!
Huge list of Sake and high end wines. Highly suggest you try their Sake list. Also a great list of fresh sushi straight from Japan!
As far as fushion foods — you will find your innovative sashimi mixed with risotto (very good), pumpkin tiger prawn ravioli, Orange Roughy mixed with truffle sauce and potatoes — AMAZING.
Again, great service where they make sure your tea is never cold and constantly asking if you need anything. However, it is also true that you will wait a while to receive your food. They just make sure that everything they do is quality.
Expect to pay a great deal, but if you are in the mood for DIFFERENT and classy dining, check-​out Ayame!

Great sushi/​fusion place.
The quality is good but the service can be really slow. Every time I’ve been here for dinner, I end up spending over two hours here. Most of those two hours are spent waiting for food. Another problem with their service is that when you order a bunch of sushi, rather than bring a few plates out to your table at a time, all your of your sushi arrives at once. If they would just send my sushi to my table a few plates at a time, then at least I wouldn’t feel like fainting by the time my food arrives.
This restaurant is in Irvine, so expect to pay Irvine prices.

After coming to Ayame few times a month, still this is my favorite Japanese fusion restaurant in Orange County. They have continued to revise their menu offerings, creating new special meals every few weeks.
Today I had white salmon special set. The fish is fresh and tasted juicy and perfectly flavored with some kind of sauce. Of course, presentation of the food is always awesome (look at the photo I uploaded). The sashimi salad was fresh and tasty. Green tea brulee had green tea mouse with burnt sugar on top — very well done.
I especially have to recommend their tamago sashimi (actually it’s a egg cake), their tamago is probably the best tasting tamago I ever tasted.
My friend had a crab croquette, also very tasty and unique. Never seen croquette done this way. (See photos)
Service is always pleasant and for the quality of food they offer, price is very reasonable.
I highly recommend this restaurant for your next romantic dinner or birthday parties!

We came again on a Saturday night, and this time we were prepared and made a reservation. For whatever reason, this time it wasn’t crowded at all. We sat at a table, but ended up only ordering sushi.
My favorites of the night were the halibut sushi and the salmon sushi. The halibut was light and tender, and the salmon was smooth like buttah. Oishii!

Came here again and it’s a solid 3 stars for me this time around. I got a great deal off
and paid $ 4 for a coupon worth $ 50 (use the promo code SANTA when you checkout)!! So that’s basically $ 50 off our dinner tab. If you don’t already know about
, you should hurry and click on that link NOW! Lot’s of great restaurant deals floating around out there. New potential Unilocal opportunities too, hee hee!
Sat at the sushi bar and ordered mostly sushi… Toro, yellowtail, salmon, jumbo scallops, sweet shrimp, albacore… you name it, we ate it. The toro was the most disappointing item — it did not melt in my mouth like it should and had a lot of stringiness to it. :Shaking head in despair:… this was bad. Good sushi restaurants shouldn’t run into this issue. Everything else was okay, but nothing spectacular.
Also got their Zipangu Roll — beautiful presentation, but it’s lacking in substance. They give you 4 BIG rolls (but it’s mostly just a lot of rice) and inside the roll is shrimp tempura, cucumbers, avocado, and masago. They drizzle it with a buttload of spicy aioli sauce.
I’d come here again mostly because I live really close by and because I have a few more of those coupons up my sleeve. It’s good enough to satisfy my random sushi cravings.

Pros: Pretty good quality sushi, quick service
Cons: Kinda small, a little on the pricey side
Unilocal is the cure for those times whenever you’re like «Where should I eat dinner tonight?» Kristin C. and I saw that this place got good ratings on Unilocal so we decided to give it a try.
Ayame is located in a new shopping center in north Irvine. The restaurant itself is actually not that big. At 8pm on a Saturday, there was still a crowd so try to get here early to avoid a wait.
Anyway, for our appetizers, we got the soft shell crab ($ 8.50) and the calamari ($ 6.50). The soft shell crab was great. Nice and crunchy. The same goes for the calamari. It had a tempura batter so it was nice and fluffy.
For my main entrée, I got the sushi «omakase» (around $ 40). They had another omakase dish ($ 65 and up) that included several plates ranging from sushi, a meat dish, desert, etc., but when I go to a Japanese restaurant, I really just want the sushi :)
The sushi omakase came on one plate with 15 pieces of nigiri, ranging from mackerel, squid, yellowtail, albacore etc. I was definitely surprised because I was thinking the quality wasn’t going to be that great. The quality was actually pretty awesome. The rice wasn’t too hard and the fish was pretty fresh. I don’t think its Tabento or Sushi Murasaki status, but it’s definitely up there in my opinion.
The service here was also very attentive. I don’t think my drink was ever empty. Our dishes also came out pretty quickly. Anyway, I’m definitely coming back to this place to get my sushi fix since its just down the street :)

Definitely worth a visit!
We went yesterday for lunch and sat at the Sushi Bar and ordered the Omakase Nigri ($ 38– pp) and it was very good.
Chef Atsushi (partner also) prepared everything himself and it was all high quality and very fresh.
I noticed some of the reviews from months ago questioned the freshness and that may have been then but certainly not now.
Portion size was also a concern to some pre-​posters. The Japanese Traditional way is to use small perfect pieces of fish and not these California Sized slabs of fish the other generic places use.
We felt the Prices were in line with the quanity and quality.
Our other favorite place is Sushi Wasabi in Tustin which is more expensive.
We both left full and happy.

I can’t help it ever since I was a little kid I have always loved sitting at the sushi bar. Only on special occasions would my mother let us sit there, so as an adult I always get excited sitting at the bar.
We ordered mostly sushi however other dishes that I saw being served around us looked tasty and very luxuriant from Japanese eggplant with Foie Gras to lobster miso. I stuck to the sushi. All the fish was very fresh, petite but fresh. It is a solid place for good sushi.
p. s. It is actually Japanese owned. (my mother would be happy!)
3 ½ Stars