“ WOW, just WOW. I was craving omakase, and my boyfriend brought me here for date night. Kaigen us tucked away in a unassuming location but it is absolutely fantastic. I throughly enjoyed their omakase, which comes at a great price for the quality. Each bite was buttery, melt-in-your-mouth and honestly UNREAL. We sat at the bar which was so much fun as we got to know the sushi chef and the friendly staff. Truly a hidden gem for sushi lovers, we had such an amazing experience and will be back as soon as we can! ”

“ This was a delightful experience. The fish quality was immaculate and the service was beyond. We sat at the bar and it was such a fun and pleasant time. We will definitely be back. We ordered the sushi omakase and we 10/10 recommend! ”

“ Every bite in the omakase was melt in your mouth buttery deliciousness. Also loved the screaming O. ”

“ 2nd time here. Like the chef choice Nigiri Omaskase. Always great selection of fish I like and new ones I haven't Had to add a few more to the list of items I haven't heard of before as well ”

“ A true Hidden Gem for Sushi Lovers The affordability, hospitality, and attention to detail at this spot are truly unmatched. I've only been here twice so far, but it's been on my mind daily (only because I live far) -- I keep finding reasons to plan my next visit. If you can, sit at the sushi bar and ask for Danny. He's an incredible sushi chef and host who goes above and beyond to make your experience unforgettable. Every time I've sat at the bar with him, I've left with a full stomach and an even fuller appreciation for quality sushi. The fish here is some of the best I've ever had, and in my opinion, it beats Sugarfish hands down for both quality and price. I've tried the sashimi omakase and the sushi omakase, and every piece was phenomenal. Each omakase will come with a miso and a citrus vinegarette salad. My personal favorites were the toro, bluefin, scallop, seabream, yellowtail, yellow jack and the blackened cod. The sushi sushi omakase comes with either a blue crab hand-roll or yellowtail hand-roll (pictured)The fish is sourced from around the world and delivered fresh daily -- you can taste the difference with every bite. I've also had the Ika Geso karaage (deep-fried squid tentacles) wish tasted freshly battered and fried and crispy rice with spicy tuna which was phenomenal and perfectly spicy. While the restaurant itself might not look like much, the moment you step inside, you're greeted warmly and surrounded by the comforting aroma of Japanese fried dishes and fresh sushi. It feels like eating at a friend's house -- if that friend happened to be a master at Japanese comfort food. And don't forget to pair your meal with a chilled Orion premium draft beer! It's the perfect complement to an already amazing dining experience. ”

“ Hidden sushi spot in Orange with ~$40 omakase? let's try it! comes with 11 pieces that all taste fresh and are of high-quality. Attentive and friendly servers with a chill ambiance. While it doesn't scream family environment, we took my 2 year old nephew and everything was fine. They offered his water in a to-go cup and provided extra dinnerware for him. They also have pitchers of beer! ”

“ Kaigen has delicious and fresh nigiri! I went twice, once ordering a la carte, and once ordering the nigiri omakase while sitting at the sushi bar. I would definitely recommend the nigiri omakase at the bar, as the fish is high quality and the chef prepares each piece with lots of care... all for just $60! The omakase was a great experience, as the chef would prepare the pieces in front of us and hand us the nigiri one at a time. I appreciated that the wasabi was already inside the sushi so I didn't have to add more on top. The only thing for improvement was maybe the pacing. I felt that it was a bit fast, and I felt rushed to finish the sushi before the chef would hand me the next piece. Overall, this spot is great value for the quality and quantity of fish and the great service. Would return with no hesitation! ”

“ Probably the best omakase experience in terms of cost and quality in Orange County. They also have the sashimi omakase that looks amazing. Same fish, just looked like you get two pieces each. ”

“ Just stopped by for omakase for lunch and the fish was absolutely delicious! We normally go to Sugarfish in Newport/CDM but we didn't want to wait today so we drove north to visit this place on a whim and absolutely enjoyed our food! The service was nice and we loved everything we ate! Highly recommend! We will be back! ”

“ We came for dinner on a weekday. The RSVP was pretty straight forward but they only accept them over the phone. The restaurant is located in a random strip mall with plenty of parking in the lot. The restaurant itself is not very big so it does fill up fast especially during peak hours. The menu itself is pretty straight forward with classic Japanese cuisine choices. You are presented with a sheet to mark off your nigiri, roll and sashimi choices from the sushi bar. The other apps, yakitori you have to order with the waiter. They do have Orion on tap so if you wanna taste some authentic Okinawa beer this is super refreshing on those hot summer days. The best value is absolutely the omakase sets with either the 9 piece or 20 piece sets. The sets come with miso soup, salad and rice. But these are also great for sharing if you want to order other items like we did. The 20 piece set is perfect for two people with a variety of super fresh and thickly cut sashimi. It's served at the perfect chilled temperature too! Note if you eat at a table they serve it on this beautiful platter, but if you eat at the bar they will serve you per course. For apps, the soft shell crab was super tasty but was just enough for two people with exactly one whole crab cut in two. So if you have more than 2 people you may need more orders since there's literally only 2 pieces. The yakitori was also grilled perfectly and super tasty. We got the scallop which was grilled super tender and well seasoned. It comes with 3 pieces. The best of our two was the chicken breast with green onion. The added green onion gave a very nice herbal flavor with the super moist and tender chicken. Overall a great dining experience was excellent service. Yes this is a small family owned business and yes it is Korean owned but they do serve delish Japanese food for the price point and for the area for casual dining. We'll be back again for sure. ”