Gami Sushi
3870 Valley Centre Dr,Ste 302, San Diego, CA, 92130
Gami Sushi Menu
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Address :
3870 Valley Centre Dr,Ste 302
San Diego, CA, 92130 - Phone (858) 792-5509
- Website https://gamisushisd.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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MaryAnn W.
I love the spicy noodles.
(4)Dustin S.
Pleasantly surprised by the quality of sushi. I heard that it was good but did not expect everything I ordered to be so delightful. Presentation was also very good. I especially enjoyed the protein menu and the lettuce roll with peanut sauce.
(4)Jill B.
This place was horrible. I got violently sick afterwards. I thought the fish smelled a little fishy and was hesitant to eat it, but based upon all the good reviews I thought it would be ok. Even the free ice cream didn't help...
(1)TianChee S.
Not quite sure what makes this a 4 star establishment. They are just like any other sushi restaurant. Ordered the Chicken bento box ($8.95), it was decent and as Yelp classifies 3 stars as A-OK. The chicken was served in very small chunks slightly less than what I was expecting. I was expecting some good chunks of chicken pieces but they were very thin, gave me the impression of eating chips. Had to keep picking a tiny piece of chicken meat multiple times to eat my meal. Definitely the bento boxes seem to be of decent value. My other friend sadly ordered the Unagi bowl (Eel and rice) and it was pretty steep $12.95 and for what he got was rather sad. They gave a ton of rice with very little Eel to eat with ( take a look at the pictures I took); pretty funny. My other friend loves rice and he even felt that they went overboard on the rice. I wouldn't say I'm a fan as there's nothing in particular that makes me want to come here say compared to another similar restaurant. Tried it once and moving on to trying other places.
(3)Jace P.
Possibly some of the best sushi in San Diego that I have had so far. This is a must try place. Order the authentic crab rolls, it will knock your socks off! Yum :)
(4)Sumi A.
Maybe 3 stars was a little harsh! The food is always good and so is the service. I like the lunch bentos and still crave the salmon dinner at times. I haven't tried too many of the really expensive dishes or specials, but maybe they are worth it!
(4)Jeff S.
Can't really vouch for the food here since I only came here to meet a friend for drinks. We did get to sample a "monkey ball" which wasn't bad, but that was all we had. So a food review will have to come at a later date. The place is nicely situated in the shopping center. Nice outdoor seating, not a huge area but it works well for small groups. The waitress helping us out was excellent. She was very friendly, very helpful, very nice. Drinks got out to us quickly and were great. The menu was decently priced, nothing too expensive and had a decent selection of food items. When we asked for the bill, we received it right away. We paid and we were on our way. Overall I am pretty pleased with the service of this place. I'll have to give it another try in order to rate it on the food and see whether or not it is worthy of 4-5 stars, but as of now it is a nice little place in the area as far as getting a drink is concerned.
(3)Ron Q.
Sushi quality was good, when we ordered nigiri, they gave us an extra sashimi piece which was nice. Good miso & seaweed salad. Spicy tuna hand roll was excellent. It was really busy when we got there but, they managed to seat us right away and provide excellent service.
(4)Julie D.
Found this place thru Yelp. Ate here for dinner. Had the 50 piece sashimi plate and their protein rolls. The sashimi was very good and fresh! They made a great fresh wasabi sauce to put on the sashimi. Good service and atmosphere. Will definitely come back when I am in town.
(5)Daron D.
Fabulous. Now in my top five sushi if all time. Everything fresh and delicious. Saki bomb for $8.95 was great value and saki was the good stuff not the bitter crap. When they did the goofy hats and neon lights for the kids birthday they completely put the bow on the night. I'll be back!
(5)Gonzalo S.
Very friendly and always a couple of rolls on special that make this place a great deal.
(4)Calvin H.
Our company got some chicken teriyaki and sushi catering a couple days ago. We really weren't expecting much since our previous sushi cater experiences from other restaurants were just okay. But Gami sushi definitely gave us new impression. Their chicken was flavorful and juicy. Rolls had thick cuts of fish and were very fresh. Everyone was satisfied and we will order again for sure!
(5)Jordan R.
This is one of me and my girls go-to spots. When we go we know what we are getting: great service and fresh sushi! All their rolls are tasty and well priced. I can't say enough good things about this place. Just a little jem in north county.
(5)Jim L.
Have been here a few times now but the first encounter was definitely the most memorable. Stopped by during the lunch hour and while I was in the restroom, this pounding bass started to reverberate through the walls. Since there was no place to run or hide, I reluctantly opened the door. To my surprise, the lights had been turned off, strobe lights in full force, music blasting and the staff singing birthday wishes to some unsuspecting patron. At most places, the staff just crowds the table and sings Happy Birthday. Gami, apparently is not most places as they basically shut the place down and get the entire staff involved. I would have died if that were me but being just another face in the crowd, it was kind of a fun and cool experience. Unfortunately, the food isn't as memorable as the entertainment but that is not to say that the food isn't good. We've ordered different rolls each time and have never had any complaints. I would recommend either the: samurai (albacore), protein (tuna, yellowtail and salmon) or fire roll (spicy tuna). The sushi is served over a bed of rice. Not sure that is needed but the fish was fresh so who am I to complain about some additional carbs? Prices were a little on the higher side compared to some other places but definitely not outrageous by any means. Staff is friendly (see above) and when they aren't partying it up with a birthday table, have been very attentive and to the point. For me, Gami is definitely a place I will continue to return to.
(4)Claudia D.
Gami sauce deliciously perfectly paired, rice cooked to perfection, excellent sushi.. My permanent must stop when in SanDiego. Torrey Pines roll with real crab is phenomenal!
(5)Adam B.
The spicy scallop rolls were fine, the tuna rolls had a bizarre neon red color to them... I've heard of tuna being dyed before and after over a hundred japanese restaurants, this might be my first experience with this. Totally fake color and no flavor. Would give 2 stars but they comped part of the entree. Nice people but wouldnt return.
(3)Candace P.
Great quality sushi! Great prices! Absolutely loved it! Will come back again when in town
(5)Akeel N.
So this has been my dad's and my favorite sushi place for about 6 years now, but today was different. We walk in and choose to sit at the bar. One of the waitresses asks what we would like to drink and that was the last time anyone ever even LOOKED AT US. We waited 30 mins without anyone taking notice there were 2 chefs right infront of us barely even looking up and when they did they did it was just a glance I literally stared at one of them for 10 minutes and still no attention and the place wasn't even busy!!! I mean c'mon at least ONE of the waitresses should've taken notice. I'm giving you guys one more chance since Ive been a customer for a long time but another incident like this and I'll be spending my money else where.
(1)Usha D.
First time here and sushi was great. We ordered Deluxe Eel with brown rice and Baja Crunch. Both great choice.
(5)Brenda S.
Sushi is very pretty and super yummy. Service was okay. Servers were very nice, but my drink was empty for a long time. Kids were happy with the beef bulgolgi choice. It came with rice, fried, and a drink.
(4)Baciula L.
Great service! Food was fresh and perfect. We tried the Hawaian, the Chargers and the Marine boy. We also got sashimi- blue fin, salmon and yellow tail. Very generous size of fish. Will be back here for sure! PS. They have a daily saki bomb special for $8.95 and you can choose your beer'
(5)Veronica S.
Gami Sushi is the perfect sushi place for me. I have came here over 5 times now and every single time the staff greets me with a smile. It's a place where I feel comfortable surrounded by always friendly staff and sushi chefs that you can have a lovely conversation with. The sushi here is great, the quality cannot get better and the staff becomes friends after a while.
(5)Stephen H.
Very good fish, the albacore (shiro maguro) was especially delicious. The Salmon (Sake) was also quite good. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and size of fish that you get. Also nice to get the complementary green tea ice cream cone. I'd definitely come back if I'm in the area again!
(4)Michelle A.
Would you be curious to see what dyed spicy tuna look and taste like? If your answer is "no" then DON'T EAT HERE!!! I ordered a simple spicy tuna roll and it came out an unnatural blood red color!! Which means that their tuna is NOT fresh. I asked the server and she confirmed that they do dye all their tuna.. gross!!! After that the servers avoided our entire table :(.. would not eat here EVER again.
(1)Rachel K.
My friend and I chose here due to the reviews and after looking up the menu. We've always passed by but decided to try the small sushi restaurant in the plaza. Boy, they have great service! 5 minutes after being seated the server comes and gives us complimentary fried mushrooms! We ordered the volcano roll, the dragon roll, and something else (lol everything was so good), but literally everything we ordered was SO GOOD. We, two small Asian girls, killed all three plates like our lives depended on it. The volcano roll actually came on fire! They didn't rush us as we took our sweet time talking and catching up and always came to refill our water. The restaurant became pretty busy but even then everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. In the middle of it, they did this crazy birthday thing for someone at the bar. Even though the place is small, you'll come out with a very happy belly, and also happy with the service. While we waited for the card to come back, they also gave us each a cone of complimentary green tea ice cream which was so perfect after the meal. Honestly I see people complaining but I see they ordered meat and maybe its cause I'm Korean but I'm like dude, I order sushi at a sushi restaurant, and I'll order beef at a Korean BBQ. This place is Sushi and they've aced the presentation and service no matter how small. Thanks for the great meal, Gami!
(5)Roberto F.
Just ok sushi. It wasn't bad, just not great. I like that they didn't put a lot of that mayo sauce that some places use. The service was ok. The tempura had a strange consistency. The seaweed salad was very good. The dumpling sushi roll without rice was awesome. The other rolls had too much rice for my taste. The green tea ice cream they give you on a generic cone is sad.
(2)David K.
This is an excellent sushi restaurant especially for the price. The hamachi sashimi was premier quality- some of the best I have had in San Diego. We tried a few rolls which were excellent with really fresh ingredients and interesting flavor combinations. The nigiri and sashimi selection was extensive and based on the quality of the hamachi I look forward to trying more. However, like at most sushi restaurants you pay for the best quality fish and I look forward to splurging and trying some of their several varieties of Toro. Overall an excellent sushi restaurant with great quality for the price in a fun atmosphere.
(4)Thanh T.
They have a pretty good lunch special between 11:30a-3p. The food is pretty good although it depends on what you get and your personal preferences I guess. The salmon is awesome. I really like it. I've been here a couple times and have gotten their bento boxes. I've tried the bugolgi, spicy chicken, salmon and I think the salmon wins. I also really like fried stuff and their geisha roll is also pretty good. Perfect crunch. Interesting texture. We came here for lunch today and they also gave us a free plate of salmon collar on the house so that was really nice. Extra points. The service was pretty good. They were really nice and friendly. Always refilled our water. Overall a nice place to have lunch at .
(4)Laura T.
We went here on a Friday night with another couple and ordered the Del Mar, Hot Lips, Ocean, Salmon Shrimp and another roll. All of them were delicious, rather large portions and the best thing is, they were 50 % off at a regular dinner time (not regular happy hour). The place looks ok, nothing super nice but nothing bad either. Definitely a great place to enjoy some fresh delicious and inexpensive sushi. The service was super friendly and the presentation of the rolls was nice. They created a tealight out of a cucumber, kind of cool. They give you a free desert - green tea ice-cream in a cone. That was pretty good and nice gesture as well. I will definitely become a regular of this place.
(4)Chris W.
Came in for lunch. I ordered 2 rolls, fantasy roll and crunchy lobster. Service was fast and food was fresh. I will be coming back. Plus nice outside seating in sunny San Diego weather.
(5)A S.
Consistently good sushi and other dishes, very nice service and good value. A perfect relaxed neighborhood sushi place.
(4)David N.
Just ate here with the wife and had to write a review immediately! Some of the freshest best tasting fish I've ever had! These guys take quality serious. Some of the highlights- bluefin tuna that absolutely melts in your mouth. Golden California sea urchin, Spanish mackerel and monkfish liver all must tries for the serious sushi lovers. This has become our go to spot from now on.
(5)J.D. R.
Very small sushi place in a shopping center, but once inside it has a nice atmosphere and very good sushi.
(5)Jesse C.
This place is basically in my back yard, and I'm glad for that. Best sushi I've had in San Diego so far. The price was a little high by Indiana standards, but I'm finding them to be pretty close to other, less awesome sushi places in the area. I had one of the "protien" selections and it was quite good. Nice fresh fish. Attentive wait staff. Skilled chefs.
(4)G L.
Yuk! Don't bother. Flavor combos on specialty rolls lack flavor balance and are generally just heavy tasting and most have mayo. Skip the bulgogi which is overcooked and tough. Cheap cuts of meat used - lots of gristle and fat. Fresh grilled asparagus aren't prepped properly - 2" woody stems are not removed before cooking and serving. Low quality ingredients and poor execution. Not fit for foodies.
(1)Derek B.
Nice place for lunch or dinner, sushi is very fresh, nice intimate setting.
(4)Chris R.
This place is the best sushi restaurant in San Diego hands down. I came here for my birthday and it was worth it. The food came out relatively fast and the staff were super friendly. The quality of the fish was great and I loved their albacore! Even though I'm not a big fan of rolls, the rolls here are unbelievable. The taste was unparalleled. Near the end of the meal, the whole staff started to sing happy birthday while wearing these funny masks and gave us free tempura ice cream on the house! It was a surprising treat and I look forward to going here more often!
(5)Rachael A.
Love this place. Hard to go to any other sushi joint after going here. Affordable and delicious.
(5)Kim P.
I love this place! It is across the street from my work so I've been here countless times. They have good bento lunch specials and really good 50% off (1/2 price) sushi rolls. I've tried all of the 50% off rolls and my faves are the Alaskan, Del Mar, Hawaiian, and Fantasy. Service is always very friendly and their presentation for the sushi is really pretty. Also, if you come on your birthday they sing and bring you tempura ice cream. Highly recommended if you're in the area.
(5)Jackey K.
Best quality and freshest sushi, sashimi I have ever tried!!! I like to think I'm pretty picky when it comes to giving out 5 stars (especially when it comes to a sushi restaurant) so I'm trying really hard to think of a reason to not give Gami Sushi 5 stars and I just can't think of anything! We came here for dinner and ordered several rolls and sushi. They took awesome care of us! The service was stupendous - our server was on top of everything - bringing out more drinks and food right on time. Right as we were done with one roll the next one was ready for us. And the tasty was so fabulous and awesome itself! So fresh!!!!! All of the special house rolls were unreal and price is decent - but even for non-happy hour sushi, prices are an amazing value, comparatively. I'll happily come back here anytime someone suggests it!
(5)F G.
We were around this area and yelped a sushi place. Based on the reviews we decided to give them a try. The service was good and presentation was ok, but the sushi was terrible. The fish they had used was old and smelled very bad. We called the waitress and gave them feedback about the meat. She talked to chef and came to our table and told us we are sorry, we throw the fish away. Really!?!?? so they just used old fish as simple as that! I don't recommend this place at all.
(1)Karina G.
Fresh sushi- been here twice for lunch. The spicy tuna has a little kick - in a good way. Staff is super friendly- good amount of food. Only complaint is they play bad music over their speakers, maybe try a different station or playlist.
(4)Steve K.
We are staying at the Marriott Del Mar and wanted sushi. Gami Sushi was less than a mile away. Great food, friendly service, and good prices for the value! Tell them it's your Birthday, and enjoy the "show!" Fun place!
(5)Alex A.
I had saw there were acouple of bad reviews about 1 or 2 people gave. They couldn't have been more wrong. The food was great, presentation was really nice, and the service was wonderful as well. Unless your a booshy, rich person that needs 10 star service and prestine perfection, this is a great place to come!!!
(5)Tara B.
The food is amazing !!! Loved the volcano roll. And they did the best happy birthday song I've ever seen. :) definitely coming back.
(4)Sue L.
Great little neighborhood place! Glad we tried it! The sushi is very good... try the Del Mar roll... it was super yummy! The salmon pieces were so buttery... melts in your mouth! Love that they give you an ice cream cone as an after dinner treat! A fun way to end a great meal! Definitely a must try if you are looking for a good sushi place in Carmel Valley. The place is small so it does get crowded during peak hours.
(5)Jay C.
We've been looking for our local sushi joint and low and behold we've found it! Everything we had was wonderful, they even made a few things custom to order. Great friendly staff and ambiance make this place a must for the hood!
(5)Mark K.
We recently found this gem in Carmel Valley. What more can you ask for?: The food is great: the sushi rice has a touch of a sweet flavor, and every sushi we've ever ordered is delicious and plated nicely. There's plenty of selection in terms of sushi, as well as the usual standbys for folks that prefer cooked food (e.g. teriyaki dishes). The green tea ice cream is sweetened so that it doesn't have the usual strong flavor of traditional green tea ice cream (I view that as a bit of a detriment, but the rest of the family loves it). The service is always excellent, with very friendly wait staff. The prices are a really good value for the money. For kicks, there's a lovely little section outdoors in front of the restaurant with a few tables that have a view of a cool fountain and large sculpture nearby. All this and less than a 10 minute drive home for us makes this our favorite sushi place!
(5)Ward A.
Great sushi spot for the area. I went to lunch with co workers and I ordered the lava roll and miso soup. It was great!! Will def go back during non work hours and try the other rolls on the menu.
(4)Elliot S.
I came here with my friends a couple days ago. This is my go to sushi place in san diego. I always have a great experience eating here and the fish tastes very fresh compared to the other sushi restaraunts around here. I usually order sushi combo B and it is very delicious. The last time i came here the food came out pretty fast even though it was very busy. Overall, this is my favorite sushi restraunt and i recomend it for any occasion.
(5)Kelsey W.
I always come here on lunch breaks but always forget to Yelp about it! The lunch specials are a good deal. My personal favorite is the chicken bowl for 7.95 on Fridays. It comes with miso soup and a big bowl of chicken with rice on the side and a salad underneath the chicken. Super yummy and filling. I've also tried the bulgogi, which is okay - a little tough and stringy, but with good flavors. One time I came and they gave us free green tea ice cream in little cones because they messed up our order. Their customer service is really good. Also, this is a GREAT place to bring coworkers to for their birthdays. The staff at Gami have a nice little surprise planned for the birthday guy/gal. I can't spoil it, but bring them here on their special day!
(4)Chris D.
not really able to review the food...yet. stopped in here for a quick drink before attending a Yelp event. happen to be on a Tuesday night and low and behold, drink specials!!!! buy 1 large beer and get a small (3 shots) sake for 25c. comes out to roughly $6.50 for a beer and sake. cant beat this deal. Plus, once I sat at the bar, I was served free edemama and some sort of mushroom tempura appetizer. The ambiance is what you expect from any decent sushi spot. Staff are very polite and tentative. Prices are right. I will definitely be back.
(4)Rob K.
Delicious place for sushi!! Great lunch specials too, 7.99 bento box thursdays with 2 California rolls, teriyaki chicken, salad, miso soup, tempura shrimp and some other fried veggies. The sushi is great and I definitely love coming here for lunch.
(5)Doug L.
This place is terrific! We were in the area and didn't know what we wanted to eat, are big sushi fans, and went entirely off the yelp reviews...and they were right! The yellowtail, salmon, and tuna were fresh, cut perfectly, and delicious! The rolls were large, fresh, and well prepared. All in all, this is a solid, 5 star sushi place. To top it off, they even give you green tea ice cream at the end of your meal. Terrific sushi...we will be back.
(5)Talar P.
Honestly not sure what all the poor reviews are about - this place was wonderful! Went a little early for lunch (11:30) and they had only 2-3 other tables full, but by 12:15pm they were pretty packed (plenty of open seats outside, though). The waiters and waitresses were all very attentive and came to check on us several times. They were all helpful and friendly. There were 4 sushi chefs working behind the sushi bar, and the plates we kept seeing being served had the most beautiful decorations on them. Their presentation was lovely! We had: -Miso Soup (very good - not fishy, very flavorful) -Edamame (huge bowl - very good) -Crispy Baja Roll (this was our favorite - crunchy & spicy) -Spicy Scallop Roll (very fresh, very delicious) They even have a Protein Roll (no rice + cucumber wrap instead of seaweed). I would have given 5-stars, but I'm not so sure about the 50% off prices on their menu. Like other Yelpers mentioned, it looks like they jacked the price of the specialty roll up, and then 'slashed' it 50% (e.g. the special rolls claimed to be over $20-30 each, so after the "50%" off deal, it brings it down to 10-15 per roll). Our order above (plus 1 Iced Tea) only set us back $22. Not bad for a sushi lunch outing for two. DEFINITELY give them a shot!
(4)Oksana H.
Great place, amazing & large portions of sashimi. Friendly service. Great value and a great experience overall. Would always want to come back once I am in San Diego.
(5)Angela C.
Layton is da bomb. Friendly, fast, great sushi. He makes the experience nice and easy. Enjoyable!!!
(5)Nolando T.
Came here the other night with some relatives who were visiting from out of town. First thing I notice, not Japanese owned. That already made me skeptical. I have had ok sushi at Korean owned restaurants so I wasn't too disappointed. But at that point, I already knew it was't going to be great food. Boy was I right...it wasn't great nor was it good. It was...edible, I guess. For example, the Volcano Roll came out arranged in a circle on the plate with something on fire in the middle. (I get the whole presentation thing, but this was just stupid to me.) Anyhow, each slice of the roll was laid flat on the plate and had a mound of some sort of cooked flesh on top. The best word to describe that roll is...strange. Seriously, just odd. We couldn't even identify what kind of meat it was. And it did taste like meat...not fish. That was pretty indicative of all the sushi here. Everything was just a bit off. I was worried that since there aren't a whole lot of sushi places in the area that this place was just deemed "4 star" worthy because it lacked any serious competition. That was precisely the case. If you work nearby and have a sushi craving...then maybe I'd recommend this place. "Maybe". Otherwise, there are so many REAL sushi restaurants in SD that are owned by *GASP* Japanese people who know how to make delicious sushi. Not weird rolls set on fire with unidentified lumps of meat on them.
(2)Lana R.
Pleasant lunch specials with decent prices.
(4)Dean L.
Despite other people's recommendations, I had avoided this place for at least a year because it looked like the type of place where you just order medicore rolls and call it a day. I forget what finally prompted me to go here, but I'm very happy that I did! Their Aloha, Samurai, Charger and Tempura Vegetable rolls are fantastic. To me, what really makes a sushi place is the sashimi and nigiri, and I have always been pleasantly surprised by how amazingly fresh their fish is. I've even gotten comfortable enough that I frequently call in take-out orders, which I had always thought was a no-no for sushi. This place is a must try!
(5)Aggiegrl A.
Fantastic sushi place close to home! The ambiance is laid back. Portions are large and fresh! Give it a try... You'll be pleasantly surprised!
(4)Tra N.
Went here with my hubby last night. It definitely hit the spot in curving our sushi craving. It was not the best sushi ever but for the cost & convenience of not having to deal with reservation or long waits gave it a high rating. They brought out a complimentary fried mushroom appetizer to start our dinner.We ordered fried calamari ($5--good but not great; would be better if they had season it with sea salt immediately after frying; the spicy aioli complemented it perfectly withe the right amount of heat.), spicy seafood salad($9.95-great dish to share- there were an abundance of sashimi in the dish-we will order again when we return, and 3 cut rolls from their special menu---can't remember the names but were good. I highly recommend going to Gami for sushi if you are within 10 minutes drive. For the price & freshness of the fish in this cost category, Gami is the best! Yes, I 've eaten at better joint like Hamamori in OC but for a small local joint, it's perfect! The complimentary green tea ice cream at the end was a nice touch in winning this first time patron. Don't hesitate to go if you're nearby!
(4)Seung L.
I was pleasantly surprised by this sushi restaurant. The quality of the sushi and the value was quiet good. I ordered the sushi special lunch and a salmon roll. At $12 for 5 sushi pieces and 1 spicy tuna roll, it was a good bargain. And the sushi pieces had generous sized fish pieces in fresh condition. The salmon roll was $11 and it was sizeable as well as it was delicious. The sauce on the salmon roll was especially good. I saw others eating the bento boxes and I thought I'd give it a try next time I'm here. At $8, they are cheap and the size of those things were huge. The decor is clean and upscale. Definitely not bad for being in a mini-mall. I would come again.
(5)hanna l.
This review is based on my take out experience. I was told the food would be ready in 30 minutes and once I got there I had to wait longer. They didn't even tell me how much longer I had to wait so I had to ask. Once I got my food I was trying to run through everything I ordered and the waitress interrupted with "yea it's all there and it's labeled." Uh okay, thanks I'm leaving, note taken...I get home and first of all, it was NOT labeled and I was missing an order. As for the sushi, it was average at best. The highest note would be that they gave us a lot of ginger, which I like with my rolls. But seriously, it's pretty sad if the best thing was the fact they were generous with their ginger.
(2)Tina L.
You will be in for a pleasant surprise if you come here for a birthday. I wish I could say more, but you should come and find out for yourself. Warning: do not come if prone to seizures
(4)Drake G.
Great prices, good sushi, big portions, its hard to find better. I recommend sitting at the sushi bar, you will randomly get free things to try out.
(5)Michael N.
I stopped at this place to grab lunch. It was awesome. The $11.95 sushi lunch special included a salad, miso soup, a good sized spicy tuna roll and 5 fresh pieces of fish. Everything exceeded my expectations. If you come during lunch, parking is a b*tch. Oh well, it was definitely worth the wait. I will be coming back for sure.
(5)Naenae S.
It's my family's fav sushi spot in Del Mar! Great service, great quality sushi and we love Hector! I understand the 50% off "sham," but I think they menu has been updated recently. They've changed owners several times, but the quality has remained the same. The prices may be higher but this is Del Mar and it shoudl be expected. I mean, a bean and cheese burrito from Nico's across the way is more than $5!
(5)Harshavardhan S.
The memories and the food I've got at this place along with my intern crew was just awesome. Their way of celebrating the birthdays of people who visit Gami on their birthday is super special and memorable.
(5)Matthew C.
Real fresh sushi. At first, thought the place was pricey. The waitress assured us that was due to the quality. And sure enough that was true. We will come back again.
(5)leah h.
If I could pick negative amount of stars I would have. This place is the worst sushi place ever!!! The grossest fish I have ever had. The worst quality rolls and nasty rice. Really gross seaweed to. POOR QUALITY EVERYTHING!!! I came here after reading the reviews and decided to do "take-out" maybe thats why everything was horrible quality. Everything was nasty and I didn't even finish. I got the combo special A... came with miso soup, salad, 5 nigiri which is a variety, and a small roll of choice. Well when I got home and was very excited to have sushi for dinner I soon became very disappointed. I started with the miso soup because the salad was slimy... (you know when lettuce gets old and looks like algae... Yeah that was my salad---YUCKK). Opened up the miso soup and there was literally a half cup of broth with one slice of a mushroom and one little cube of tofo. Disappointed with that I decided to move on to my FAVORITE... the sushi! I love sushi and have been to many sushi place, this place is BY FAR THE WORST PLACE EVER!!! okay back to my favorite part... the sushi..... it was nasty as well! By now I am very disappointed and would rather of gone hungry and saved my 20 bucks plus my time. Okay the 5 piece of Nigiri was really four piece of random fish and 1 shrimp. Im not even sure if the shrimp was cooked all the way or maybe it was old, it was so chewy and nasty tasting, I couldn't finish it, I had to spit it out. (good thing I was home alone!) The other thing about the nigiri was it was covered in some kind of really spicy sauce. Maybe to cover up the horrible tasting fish... Im not sure, but it was really gross. I wiped it off before eating the fish. Also the rice was so nasty tasting that I didn't even eat the rice. It wasn't "normal" sushi rice. It was very sweet and mushy. Gross but easy fix, just don't eat the rice. But the fish was still gross!! And the small roll of choice, I asked for salmon because its my FAVORITE and I some how ended up with tuna. the size of the rolls were no bigger the a nickel... they were kidding when they said small roll! Again the rice was so gross along with the seaweed that I only ate the fish. And to top it off..... the soy sauce was the cheapest/grossest soy sauce I have ever had. So after being very disappoint and quickly deciding I will never go back and never recommend that place I wasn't going to write a review until my stomach started "killing" me. OMG worst stomach pains 30 minutes after eating.
(1)Veronica Z.
absolutely the best sushi ever! i love the rainbow and the baja crispy!!! oh and fantasy! but everything is amazing here!
(5)Emily I.
I'm very picky about sushi (not really a fish person) but this place is Delish! Everything taste so fresh. The Gami roll is by far my favorite!
(5)Jane L.
Gami is a sushi joint that offers fresh tasting sushi at a reasonable price. The 50% off roll special is amazing! The half-off special doesn't include a skimpy list of mediocre sushi..it actually has quite a selection of great tasting sushi rolls. Besides the sushi, the appetizers are FABULOUS. Go during happy hour (5-7) and order all of their appetizers at a great discount. The best are probably the black cod, ahi napolean, dynamite, and lobster stack. If you come here, DON'T MISS OUT ON THEIR GREEN TEA CREME BRULEE!!! I doubt you have ever tried creme brulee that has a hint of green tea flavor, so its a must try!
(4)Q. M. Z.
Been here three times now. Sat at the bar every time. Philip was the sushi chef twice and someone else was there once. Between the three times we've tried about 10 different rolls. All pretty decent. Sitting at the bar is great so you can chat with the chef and see them making the rolls. Two out of the three times we were kind of short on time. The staff is quick and efficient. The specials they have are pretty good prices too. There's really nothing negative to say about this place. Tastes good, friendly, efficient, good prices. I can't say this is the most authentic restaurant in SD, but it tastes very good, so that's not an issue with me.
(5)Melissa I.
We LOVED our dinner here. It is a cozy location, small, with some outdoor seating and a nice ambiance. The sushi was our favorite we have found since moving to SD, and we have tried a bunch in the area. The rolls are large. My husband and I ordered four rolls and a seaweed salad. We would have been fine with two or three. We had a bunch to take home! Prices are reasonable for sushi and the service was awesome. I HIGHLY recommend!!
(5)Natasha A.
I will definitely be back! I honestly did not know this place existed and probably would never have found it if I wasn't craving sushi in the area and yelped it. The food was good! The miso soup had mushrooms in it which I thought was delicious. After our first bite of a roll my mom and I looked at each other and did the "MMMMMMM SUSHI" face. The rolls had a pretty presentation as well which I loved and the extra touch added to the experience. Some had flowers and seaweed on the plates and the protein roll came with seaweed salad which was a nice surprise. We finished with some green tea ice cream (in a cone!) which really hit the spot. The staff was AWESOME. Our waitress was the nicest person and was extremely attentative and answered all of our questions. She took her time explaining the menu and sake choices to us. Her and one of the sushi chefs also came out and did sake bombs with us! I recommend this and will definitely do another one when I go back! All in all it was a great experience. I eat sushi often, and would go back just for the food. But when you throw in a friendly staff and good prices then you know I'm going to become a regular!
(5)David C.
Great sushi, great rolls. I've only been here twice so I can't say too much. I would work a little bit to improve that salad though, it's just dumped with sauce (small appetizer but it still has its effect on people)
(4)Anna C.
I wasn't expecting too much out of a strip mall sushi joint, but I was reeally pleased here! We got a free fried musroom ball appetizer, free ice cream at the end, and the rolls were pretty standard, but really good. I spend around $30 for 3 rolls, and drinks for two. The service was stellar and they did a hilarious / weird light show for some kid who had a birthday. A nice night out !
(4)Maria A.
Although this place is extremely convenient and close to where we live, we will NEVER go back here! We were drawn in by the "50% off happy hour" which sounded like a great deal, right? Wrong. They just double the price of what a sushi roll should cost, and with the 50% discount it makes the price comparable to other sushi restaurants in the area. A tiny philadelphia roll was $10.00! The service was absolutely horrible. They were extremely under staffed; it took about 25 minutes for them to take our order (we tried numerous times to flag someone down). We ordered edamame as an appetizer, and it took another 20 minutes for that to arrive. Also, they brought us 1 of our sushi rolls before the edamame, then brought the edamame, and then it took another 15 minutes for the rest of our sushi order to arrive. Doesn't the edamame usually come out as an appetizer? The quality of the food was not great either. The sushi was mediocre, none of the 3 rolls we ordered (voodoo roll, volcano roll and philadelphia roll) were worth ordering again. Overall I would not recommend this place, go elsewhere!
(2)Theresa C.
I came here with my husband and 2 boys while staying at a nearby hotel, and I must say we were all pleasantly surprised at how good it was! They seated us right away and gave us a free appetizer too. We ordered 3 different rolls (Can't remember which ones) I think the Volcano roll was one of them and a beef entree and a chicken entree. We devoured everything...it was delicious...everything! They even gave us all free green tea ice cream cones to complete our meal! I would most definitely eat at Gami Sushi again and I'm sure my family would come right along with me!!
(5)Sandra C.
For appetizer menus, the cod is delicious and the seared ahi tuna is tasty but do not order the agedashi tofu-- very chewy glue like crust on the outside. Sushi was good--we had some "custom made" for us. The sushi maker had a wierd sense of humor and kept us entertained!
(3)Em A.
try the Hawaii Roll, it is delicious! It is very clean, and the workers there are very attentive. No problems whatsoever, and received the complimentary green tea ice cream which was DELICIOUS!
(5)Ron A.
Very nice place. I sat at the sushi bar. The sushi chef was very friendly. I ordered two rolls and they were delicious. I will come again if I am in the area.
(5)Felicia F.
Great sushi! Beautiful plate presentation and good quality food. Not from the area but glad we picked this one.
(5)Julia S.
What a great dinner I've had tonight here. While sitting outside and relaxing with my friends, we had a great food and outstanding service. I am sure I will come back pretty soon.
(5)Douglas L.
chefs do great job ! but service is at snail pace. hope they can improve.
(4)Jason G.
Worst sushi I can ever remember having. The tuna had a fluorescent glow that could not have been natural and it smelled and tasted like it was rotting. Will not be back. Go to Shimbashi, Eda-mami, or even Katana instead...you'll thank me.
(1)Amy Y.
It was 9:15 when I strolled up to this place and was taking a look at their menu on a stand outside. One of the servers (young, male) was very friendly and welcoming me in, even though I mentioned that I knew they were almost closing (@9:30) and I didn't want to keep them (I don't like when restaurant employees huff and puff b/c I'm keeping them from going home..). So because of this friendly face I decided to go in. He was very patient and good at explaining to me the different beers and salads. Tuna Tataki Salad(?) was ho-hum. Fresh, but I didn't like how the seared part was tough and leathery. Toro was good. Salmon Skin Hand Roll was jsut alright. I always expect to see an cylinder instead of a cone shape so I was disappointed. The beer and the miso soup were the best parts. The other servers and employees weren't as friendly, unfortunately. The girl servers didn't seem happy. Some guy kept walking by to see if I was done with my meal. But he wasn't the busser b/c even though my plate was empty he didn't take it away. The girl servers did the same thing. I just got so annoyed that I told them to bring me the bill so I can close them out and they can go home. Then I just left. I was a one-seater, the last table of the night. It was sad they couldn't be more friendly. I would've enjoyed my dinner more. Next time I'll just trust my initial instinct more than my gut.
(2)Eric T.
We have walked by Gami numerous times but never gave them a shot because we love Shimbashi Izakaya. I was surprised by the high quality fish and spectacular service. It looks like we'll be splitting time between both. Nice work Gami.
(5)M. F.
This place was an unexpected surprise. Food was delicious, presentation was superb, and the restaurant's patron birthday celebrations are... let's just say you won't believe it until you live it.
(5)Alissa B.
I spent a very lovely evening here while traveling solo for business. The waitstaff was very friendly and attentive, making me feel at home. There were 2 TVs playing some sports, but I had my book & some tasty food to pass the time. Sushi seemed pretty fresh and standard, no complaints. The hot sake (50% off during happy hour) wasn't that great, but hey it was cheap right? Definitely try the green tea creme brulee-- it was pretty unique! It's basically a green tea custard with strawberry sauce, served in a martini glass. Note: the happy hour runs later than is listed on Yelp. I think until 8:30, but don't quote me on that. Also, it was a bit hard to find this place-- don't trust the Yelp map directions-- it's in a big strip mall so just follow the signs.
(4)L P.
Absolutely the best sushi. I love the staff & the fish is always so fresh and delicious. The owner is always so friendly. Doesn't hurt that it is right down the street either.
(5)Jenna B.
I love my sushi and I love this place! They have a fantastic happy hour on sushi and drinks. There are quite a few places in Del Mar to have sushi and I think this is the absolute nest. This is a must if you are in the area.
(5)Serhat P.
We love Gami. Great Sushi, Great Service, Great Location.
(5)Jessica H.
Such a great sushi spot. It is our new go to for sushi. Everything is so fresh and tasty. The best part is the presentation. All the rolls are presented beautifully. Aslo on your birthday you get a great show!! The baja, fuji, and hawaiian are great. Also the hot lips if you like it spicy.
(5)Randy k.
Was at Ace Hardware and thought Mmmm sushiiiii So we went to Gami to give it another try When we arrived it was pretty crowded but grabbed a table outside Within a few minutes there was a line out the door.. The big question is why? Well it's sushi and it's just ok. Pretty mediocre sake (salmon) and the rolls were just ok. Service was fine but they totally hosed the tabled next to us by forgetting a bunch of food There are several places for sushi in Carmel Valley and most are a better choice. Katana has 50% off rolls to and it's better..
(3)Connie B.
Love, love, love this place. I've been coming here for the past year and a half and I honestly love it. The service is great and they treat me like family every time I go there. The food is delicious and very well priced as well. My favorite rolls are the Baja Crispy, Aloha, Hawaiian, Fiji, and The Fantasy. The fish is fresh, the restaurant is clean and has a nice atmosphere, and the price is right...pretty much everything I could ask for in a sushi place.
(5)Brittney M.
Good food and super quick. Awesome little spot.
(4)Chris C.
i eat so much sushi, and they give me almost too much. this place is great, i go with my roommate a lot. my favorite part is the green tea ice cream for desert, it comes in a cone and makes me feel like a kid again.
(5)Lyudmila M.
I tried this place last week and I really liked it. It's small and cozy. Their sushi taste good and their presentation is beautiful.
(5)Taylor E.
The prices are reasonable, especially if you order from their "50% off" section. I waited a really long time for my order, though the waitress was friendly and apologized multiple times. The food was good. Nothing amazing, but good. Gami Sushi isn't in my list of favorite sushi joints, but I would go back again if I was in the area.
(3)Rhan K.
Their happy hour is still expensive but I guess that's because I'm comparing it to PB 70% off sushi and everything is expensive in comparison. I got the volcano roll and it came out ON FIRE. So COOL! However, I must say I was a little disappointed that the rolls came out at differnt times. I reccomend the cod appetizer or the ahi appetizer! They are both good, and at only $7, they aren't expensive, especially considering that you only get dishes like that at the really over priced places.
(4)Emily T.
The sushi rolls are pretty good and deserve a 4-star rating, but the rest of the menu lets them down a bit. The rolls are well made, prettily presented, and very tasty - the sunrise roll was particularly delicious. They also have a lunch special bento box every weekday which is well priced, but the cooked dishes (like sesame chicken, teriaki beef/chicken, etc) tend to be a bit greasy. The tempura is definitely on the greasy side and not as good as it should be, and this carries over to any of the sushi rolls that have the "crunch" coating. The service is fine if the place is quiet but can be abysmally slow if it's busy. It's convenient to my work and I'll probably keep coming here now and then, but on the whole I recommend avoiding the hot cooked meals and sticking with the sushi rolls. And if it looks busy and you're in a hurry, you might want to think twice.
(3)Julie Z.
My new fave! Super delish, great menu, beautiful presentation, and... they party! Literally. The sushi chefs turn the lights off, put on funny hats and glasses, make tons of noise, and celebrate your b-day. Strobe light included. What a hoot. Super fun.
(5)P D.
While the service staff is very friendly I have only been disappointed with my experience. Their "50% off rolls" are listed at their 50% off price. A roll for $10 is already marked at 50% off? So that means normally the roll would be $20? Come on, I know marketing gimmicks when I see one and this is a bit offensive considering how many signs are up promoting this "sale." The place is pricey and the food is not worth it in my opinion. I have only gone because of the location but there are better places nearby if you are looking for sushi in the area.
(2)Dave B.
Excellent sushi at a great price!
(5)Louise G.
During our dinner here on a Sunday night we found the people to be really friendly. The items on the menu do seem expensive for the type of restaurant it is, being right next to a supermarket and all. I wouldn't say an restaurant with two TV's should have menu items at $22. However, we found they have a special which is 50% off certain rolls If you get these rolls they are pretty decent and filling. We had 5 rolls, plus a small tuna roll, one dessert, two green teas for $46. Not that bad I think. For the real authentic sushi at a real Japanese restaurant, this is not the place, but you should know anyhow the sushi rolls are a fusion thing anyway.
(3)Rob C.
Found this place by accident and now have eaten here two nights in a row. The food is great! Excellent quality and reasonably priced. Their presentation is very good too. Lots of little touches. If you are embarrassed easily, don't tell them its your birthday.
(5)Russell L.
Great service. Average sushi overall... Ordered two specialty rolls 50% off.... Only comment is that there was Way too much drizzle/sauce for my taste. Monkey ball appetizer (free), tempura, and miso soup were tasty... And with a large beer the total price was $31... Which is cheap.
(3)Cindy Asako M.
Gami sushi... Not the best quality... Not the best food. However, their service is very friendly, so two stars.
(2)Irene B.
Not bad, Ive had better. You can't beat 1/2 price rolls however! They had more choices for 1/2 price rolls than I've come across from other places. We decided to go here instead of our usual Station Sushi in SB. We went on a Saturday night around 7pm and there wasn't a wait. The place was about 3/4 full. There are 2 sushi chefs and it took a little while to get our rolls. We ordered 5 for the 3 of us, 4 1/2 price ones. We had the Ninja, Caterpiller, Rainbow, Jalapeno Crab, and Ebi Crunchy (shrimp). The Ninja was the only specialty roll we ordered and it was pretty good. It was spicy crab inside with tuna and avo on top. The Ninja and Crunchy shrimp roll ended up being my favs. Our bill just for the 5 rolls was $45! Can't beat that! Service was pretty good too.
(3)Vanessa M.
How have I been working so close to this place for over a year and not gone once until today? Having walked by this place almost every day, I was always curious, but I never wanted to go alone (sushi is one of the few meals I won't eat by myself). But today, since I was already in the area, my friend and I decided to try this place, and with no regrets. Although this place is a bit pricey, it is totally worth it; A-plus service for A-plus sushi. We tried almost one roll from each section, and it was just as wonderful as the last. To top things off, we finished with a Green Tea Crème Brulée, and it was excellent. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves sushi.
(5)Ting L.
I love the happy hour deal!
(4)Jimmy L.
Four words: Green Tea Creme Brulee! Awesome location (close to where I live), great staff, great food. Many of the dishes are Japanese-fusion, and all very delicious. I always get a bowl of rice, the black cod appetizer, a roll of sushi, and the green tea creme brulee to finish it off.
(5)Ryan S.
Still great food and good service. Ama Ebi and Uni is great here! We love their happy hour specials. Dinner entrees are a little pricey but the sushi/sashimi is reasonable. I never order the dinner entrees, so it's great for me.
(5)Janal C.
While the food here is very good, their menu is very deceiving. They have a 50% off portion of their menu and the prices seem high. We all assumed that it was 50% off the price listed. It wasn't until we received the bill did we realize that the listed price WAS the price after 50%. Other than that, Gami is a nice place to go for sushi but I think I'll stick to my usual haunts
(4)Clarissa A.
I stopped in today after work for a quick Happy Hour bite. Adam, our sushi chef, was helpful and served us a Volcano roll. Inside Yellowtail, Salmon, Crab; Outside Dynamite and Eel sauce . . . served with a fire-y garnish and a few chopped green onions sprinkled on top. Each portion of the 6-piece roll was sitting on a thinly sliced lemon bed. Please see pictures. The Volcano roll was delicious and very pretty to look at. Regular price of the specialty rolls are around $13 but during happy hour you get $3 off. We also ordered the 5-piece pork gyoza for $5. While my dining companion enjoyed the gyoza, I did not. They were cooked in the steamed fashion but ended up on the plate, watery and a little mushy. I prefer my gyoza to be steamed and then browned on the underside in a frying pan. The gyoza sauce was good and a bit different than traditional gyoza sauce in that it had a bit of a spicy kick to finish. I recommend coming here for some great quality sushi and rolls. The wait staff are helpful and attentative. The restaurant is modernly decorated but only offers a few limited sushi bar seats and dining tables. Lunch and dinner rush keep the place packed. Happy Hour also includes discounted beer and both hot/cold sake. Gami Sushi is located in the Piazza Carmel shopping center sandwiched between Villa Capri and Chicago's Finest Cuisine. Too bad we're moving from the area because we have yet to discover more of what Gami Sushi has to offer.
(4)Fadi H.
let me start by saying that this is our family's favorite sushi place. The service is excellent. The place is small but warm and cozy. The food is excellent and consistent. Our favorite sushi is baja and california rolls. We go there once a month and the owner greets us like family. I recommend with our reservations.
(5)Matthew Y.
BEST SUSHI IN THE AREA! It's def. better for lunch than anything else around the area. The prices for the best rolls are right for the quality as the quality is clearly better than most. They should get a 5 for the difference in them vs. the others in the area. I'm a sushi snob so a 5 globally would be insane. Globally I'd give it a 2 or 3. ;) which still is great.
(4)Rob C.
First, the sushi is actually pretty decent. But it's way too expensive if you pay full price for rolls. We basically only go here because we live close by and are too lazy to drive out anywhere else. But we just had their bento lunch and it was awful. Their chicken teriyaki was just okay, and the bulgogi was REALLY stringy with a lot of stretchy fatty bits. You could pick up the entire thing and stretch it around like a koosh ball. I thought it was funny because it wasn't my meal, but of course it totally grossed out my wife. The bento does come with a lot of food, but they seemed to be aiming for quantity rather than quality: for example, some of the veggie tempura pieces were sliced too thick and undercooked. It was also more expensive (at $9.95+) than the lunch deals across the parking lot at Thai Spices. We wish we had gone there instead, actually. Hence the two stars: I would give one star for the lunch, but I would be more generous about the sushi, so all in all, it averages out to be a two.
(2)J C.
As I was walking into Gami, I saw an older lady running after what looked like family members and she took a tissue and wiped the puppy's butt. The same women came back into Gami and seated us. As I was looking through the menu, I kept watching this lady to see if she was going to go wash her hands. She walked behind the register and I thought to myself, OK she will be handling money that is dirty anyways. Then she walked over and took our order and I told her I needed a few minutes. The young sushi chef had an order of rolls ready at the bar, she walked over and pointed at it where she touched it and told the chef there was supposed to be avocado on that roll. What was that all about, a chef in training...no thanks. He finished off the top with avocado and she picked up the plate and set it down on the table next to us. OK, fine so this lady was the hostess, cashier and waitress...possibly the owner. I looked at my hubby and without explanation I told him we have to leave right now. He obliged and we told the lady that we had to leave and she looked so shocked and offended. I explained to my hubby why we left and he was glad that I took action. I get it that some ppl think their dogs are their children, but for safe food handling practices...wash your freaking hands! Disgusted for always what else goes unnoticed here. Yes, some ppl are watching.
(1)Doug S.
Great place, always visit when Im in San Diego! specifically Del Mar...
(5)Rebecca H.
We live around the corner from this restaurant and like to walk over once or twice a month for some decent tempura and donburi dishes. The prices are a little high for what you get, but the food is consistently good and the service, while a bit slow, is invariably friendly and helpful. I recommend the chirashi lunch special - you get a lot of sashimi over a generous portion of rice for less than $20. The unagidon is excellent, and the rolls are tasty. I also like their udon soups. I would avoid the seaweed salad, however, as it tastes... odd.
(3)Matt P.
One of the better sushi places in Del Mar/Carmel Valley...unfortunately, that's not saying much. They offer 50% off a selection of their rolls, apparently all the time...I don't know why they just don't make those their "official" prices..but whatever. The rolls aren't bad. They aren't great. I have come back here multiple times, so it can't be THAT bad. The 50% off rolls aside, this place is completely overpriced. They offer Harney Sushi prices for about half the quality. Service is also pretty hit or miss as well. If you're in the area, sure, eat here....I wouldn't drive more than 10 minutes for this place though...too many better options in San Diego.
(3)Eleonora R.
We live nearby and go to this place pretty much once in 2-3 weeks. We discovered Gami Sushi almost 2 years ago and it became one of our favorite sushi place since then. Roll prices are pretty reasonable. Service is super friendly and fast. We tried pretty much all menu items. Our favorites are Lobster Baked roll and Del Mar roll. Their spicy rolls are very good too. Fish is fresh and flavorful. This place has a wonderful selection of beers, sake and house wines. I usually go with their plum wine. When you are done they treat all guests with the green tea ice-cream cones on the house. Gami sushi is a tiny place but it's usually pretty busy around 7 pm every day. This place is very popular around locals. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who live in Carmel Valley or visiting this area.
(5)MillieDiane J.
Place is pretty decent. They need to make sure that their lunch menus match what they actually serve. Over all, i would come back only if i had a mad sushi craving
(3)David S.
I didn't have to much food from here and it was takeout so this is an abbreviated review, but i did enjoy what i had very much. The half price rolls are an excellent deal, well worth a visit during happy hour. We ordered a few rolls that were deep fried, not the kind of thing i would recommend on a regular basis, but shared among a few people as an appetizer they were excellent. Even eaten 15 minutes latter via takeout they were still very crunchy and not too oily. Great flavors in each roll. We also had Salmon hand rolls, very tasty and interestingly the salmon was cut into small cubes, which was different then how i usually have it. Good fresh fish, nice service, i'll likely try them again.
(4)Bobby G.
Let me start by saying that I'm no sushi expert, so don't rip my head off. I know how people can be passionate about sushi places, especially if they consider themselves to be sushi experts. I love sushi, but passionate about it I am not. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here. I went for lunch on a Thursday, and I got my food to-go, so I didn't experience the poor service that the other reviewers say they received. I got some sort of lunch special that had a bunch of different slices of fresh fish on top of a big heap of rice. They weren't each on a separate bed of rice like sashimi, it was just a bunch of fish on a pile of rice. I thought it was all really good. There was no fishy unfresh taste to any of it. I really wish I knew what fish one of them was, cause it was delicious. My meal came with soup and salad. They both left something to be desired, but I can honestly say I've never been wowed by a side salad at a sushi place. The price wasn't too bad considering you normally pay an arm and a leg for sushi. Of course, I wasn't paying for them to roll anything, so I'm sure that saved them some labor. I will probably be back here at some point, but not until I try out some of the other sushi places in the area, since there are so many of them.
(4)Ono H.
Their 50%-Off promotion is a sham! ...because they've also trimmed the portion size effectively by the same amount for several of the dishes we used to order. Gami used to be our go-to place for good quality sashimi and certain baked dishes. Three different managers/owners later, the portion size of the sashimi we were served in our latest visit was simply insulting; three pieces of the 5-piece order were less than half the size of the rest!!! And the miso-glazed black cod was obviously trimmed down to half the size since our last visit a month ealier. It is no wonder that their rating has been going down hill. It's sad that after more than 8 years of dining at this neighborhood Japanese restaurant, we have decided NOT to go back to Gami. Period.
(1)abe t.
Had lunch here today. Service is friendly and pretty prompt. Had 3 rolls, the spicy tuna, red lips and a shrimp tempura. The rolls were just OK. The fish on top of the rolls looked chopped up like ground beef, which was a little turn off for me. I like poway sushi lunge way better, they (PSL) have a nice piece of fish wrapped around the roll as opposed to the ground fish (or what looks like it) here.
(3)Pearl T.
This was our "go-to" sushi take-out place while we lived in Carmel Valley, and came here at least once a week. The Happy Hour menu pricing is also available as take-out which is great. We usually order 3-4 rolls off the happy hour menu as well as seaweed salad and the bill comes to around $30+ ... they are all tasty! It's not phenomenal sushi but it's good sushi and their portions aren't teeny-tiny. Good bang for the buck. Sarah is always so sweet and quick! Now we've moved to Solana Beach and haven't been impressed with the couple sushi places we've tried on the corner of the PCH and Lomas Santa Fe so we will continue to come back.
(4)Mike T.
Pretty good sushi. The atmosphere is nice and the service isn't too shabby.
(4)Karen G.
I have lived in Carmel Valley for many years and can't imagine how I missed going to this delicious sushi restaurant. The staff is delightful and the food and presentation are exceptional. The food was so incredibly fresh and it is all priced so well. The entire dining experience, food, staff and ambience has definitely made this restaurant a favorite of mine.
(5)Amanda S.
Gami is good. Not great, but pretty darn good. They have fresh fish, good decor, and it can be really cheap if you do their happy hour prices. It's walking distance from my house so that is a nice bonus too.
(3)Jessica M.
Foods and prices can't be beat! Great service, always giving little apps and deserts on the house. Sometimes the service can be a little slow but they always make up for it with kindness. Sushi rolls are very unique and delicious, we always start off with their house salad which is made with their incredible citrus ginger dressing. Head in for your birthday... They put on a great "happy birthday" show! We have lived all over the country and have eaten sushi at countless places, now that we are living in San Diego we always choose Gami when we are craving sushi. Great place!
(5)Rachel P.
I was excited to visit this sushi place since I love to eat sushi. My finance and I ate there for dinner. A sushi chef named Kim was incredibly rude to us. When we asked for a custom order he yelled that it was impossible. It was a simple substituion. When we offered to pay more he said yes, apparently money talks with him . Basic customer service is not to be found at Gami Sushi. Most employees are Korean and do not understand english well especially the sushi chef, Kim. The staff seems unhappy and unmotivated probably because of the manager which seemed to be the rude sushi chef Kim that barked orders out to them. There were arguments between the cashier and waitresses. We heard the cashier tell the waitresses not to stand anywhere near the cash register. It seemed as if the cashier would interfere with the waitresses doing their jobs. This was very distracting which added to the lack of customer service and rude to the customers and waitresses. If I had to work in this type of work environment I would quit. Plus the dining room is quite small and we felt restricted. Gami Sushi offers 50% off their sushi rolls but even at that price they are not worth it. I can make better rolls at home. Order hand rolls or sashmi if you go there. I think they make the rolls bad on purpose to get you to order the more expensive stuff. A very weird business model. I recommend you do not sit at the sushi bar that was our mistake. The sushi chef Kim does not know what customer service is. If you do not care about customer service then why work as a sushi chef. The only good thing I can say about this place is they had excellent miso soup. UPDATE: I found out that the review written by Ryan S. review is actually done by one of the employees at Gami Sushi. This is why there the 7 reviews are so short and the one on Gami is so long and they mention that nasty and mean Kim as a blast. Also there is not a real picture and they have no friends. Nice try but it's very transparent. Gami Sushi will be out of business if they do not discover what customer service is and improve their food quality.
(1)Lee Ann K.
I went here for the first time to meet a friend for a business lunch. We sat at the sushi bar, and was pleasantly surprised that we were being served by the executive chef, who was not only a sweet guy, but is an extremely talented food artist. I asked for an extra spicy tuna roll without rice, and he made it with sliced cucumber on the outside. It was delicious! The seaweed salad was amazing, and the yakitori was great - had a nice burnt, pan fried flavor to it instead of a instant powder packaging. But THE BEST part was the most amazing dessert, which was a green tea creme bruele. OMG, that was worth the WHOLE trip!
(5)Andy S.
Well just let me start of by saying that some of these reviews are whack! I have to 100% agree with Alisa Z. What they lack in customer service they def. make up with their Sushi! The sushi is bomb! I live right around the block from this place and have been coming here for a few years now since I discovered it. The sushi is fresh and right now they have most of their rolls %50 off. Even so the service isn't TOO bad. The staff could be a bit more friendly but we always had good service from the chef's. I have eaten at other Sushi places in San Diego: Ra, Sushi On the Rock, Nobu, Harney's, Zen 5, Sushi Otta, Kiki Sushi, Zenbu, and I would say based only on the sushi Gami is a really good value.
(4)Joon H.
i was there for an sdaff event and so hopefully we saw their best foot forward but also that the quality is the same throughout their normal business days. they had so many awesome specials for their happy hour that you definitely should hit it up if you're in the area. i think i had every single one of the specialty roll, dishes and soups and didn't have anything of questionable quality although my crab dish wasn't nearly as flavorful as i had hoped. the owner was a great guy and the staff were very, very helpful. i did have to ask about five different people for some more water and to track down my last remaining crab dish but it was pretty full that night. seems like it's pretty chill in the evenings but it might be a little too crowded during the lunch rush? all in all, check it out and hit up if you're nearby but i wouldn't necessarily drive up even for the specialty stuff.
(3)Louise L.
So VERY VERY delicious!!! And so reasonably priced, for California. I'm from Nevada and used to all you can eat for $22.00. Exec Chef is friendly and accommodating. He is eager to mix things up and introduce his own signature dishes and drinks. I am so glad this is my local sushi spot. I'll be there at least once a week!!!
(5)Ella G.
this place is right across the street from work and i've hiked up the street just to pick up our to go orders...the food is SO good, just a little expensive so even though i'd love to get sushi from them every day for lunch i just can't do it. the manager knows my coworkers and i now so when we sit outside to wait for our food she brings it out to us. i'm a fan!
(3)Vikram G.
the food was really bad. My udon soup was sweet, )really sweet). The teriyaki salmon took more than 40 minutes to prepare (the place wasn't crowded)... I think their rolls are ok... but not sure what's going on in their kitchen...
(2)Christy B.
I would give a 4.5 if I could but I'll bump it to 5 because I believe they've had a change of management like someone else mentioned and they need a boost! I've gone to Gami Sushi 3 or 4 times now and am waiting for my take-out as I type. Everything is always fresh; when you eat in the restaurant the waitstaff are very friendly. I would say it's a little pricey but every time I've gone they're doing a "50% off select rolls" deal and I got used to Sushi Deli prices anyway, so who am I kidding??
(5)k s.
this place had a huge banner outside saying 50% off rolls/sushi for happy hour. we went inside and asked what's your happy hour menu and when it is ....and they tell us that essentially it's happy hour all the time.... when you look at the menu closely and the prices.....the so called happy hour is basically prices that they wanted to charge from the getgo...meaning, they artificially designated what supposedly would be regular prices and then discounted to prices that were high still... for example...one roll was stated to be 20 bucks for a roll.....i've been to nobu and some really expensive places, but most rolls aren't 20 bucks and they had quite a few of those.....and with happy hour pricing it was still 10 bucks.... kindy shady in my opinion as far as pricing.... this is what made me dislike this place..... plus, on a friday evening..and we were there farily early.....they ran out of various things....the simplest being brown rice. they apparently sold out of it at 6pm....huh? sushi quality was average to good..... chicken teriyaki was rubbery.... mochi ice cream serving was meager..... there are better places out there....so go check them out instead....
(2)sara s.
i was a regular here when i lived in san diego.. alot of the rolls are 50% off all the time. doesnt make much sense, but im not complaining =) best rolls were the spicy tuna and the crunchy spicy tuna roll. Update: They just made it so that you only get 50% off when you sit-in... therefore, Gami has lost its appeal because no one wants to sit in an ugly shopping center to eat sushi when you're 5 min from the ocean...
(4)Derek L.
This place seemed to have recently attemped to be more upscale. The dishes came out looking more Frenchy than Japanese. The Chicken Teriyaki was dry, but my Hamachi was generous and delicious. The prices were a bit high, although we did get a break with some half-off specials on the menu. This is our emergency sushi place and will likely remain so. Sometimes we'd rather drive 20 minutes all the way to Clairemont and eat at Niban than drive 7 minutes to here.
(3)Elizabeth D.
BEST SUSHI IN THE AREA! Such great service, great prices, nice people and they basically let you customize your own roll and really accomodate you!
(4)Allison J.
Just got back from this place and it didn't thrill me. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. And service was rather slow. Granted we went during the lunch rush hour, it was not fully packed and it took some time to get my water filled and for our food to arrive. The hubby and i both opted for the bento lunch special which was reasonably priced at $7.95 for the Tuesday Beef Bulgogi Special. There was a good amount of food, but the hubby was disappointed it only came with 1 piece of CA roll and 1 piece of spicy tuna roll. The tempura was well battered and not to greasy. But the bulgogi was probably one of the worst I have had in a long time. It was almost unedible with the amount of salt on it. It was so salty; without rice, i wouldn't have touched it. And if i wasn't hungry, I wouldn't have wanted it either. We also noticed their 20% and 50% off rolls were standard prices as compared to other sushi spots close by so it didn't seem like much of a savings.
(3)Alisa Z.
I give 5 stars for the sushi and 3-4 for the service. I've been to Gami Sushi more than a dozen times and the only problem with the service is they are a little slow on the refills or bringing your check over if they are busy. They always have the rolls out within 10-15 mins and most of their rolls are 50% off, and have been this way for some time. The sushi is a good quality, you can tell it is fresh and does not have that fishy smell that some cheap sushi places have. I have brought several friends to try their sushi and they also prefer it over other similar restaurants. I read some of the other reviews and I cannot speak for what has happened in the past, but I've been going there for several months and never been disappointed. Its no Nobu, but for a casual sushi evening, its a great place to go. Btw, their website is gamisushisd.com
(4)Junie D.
Semi decent....expensive for a la carte items such as nigiri and specialty rolls, but the lunch meals are a good bargain. Apparently service is bad here, but I've been for lunch a couple times and haven't experienced it. The kalbi short ribs are tasty and so is their bulgolgi. It comes with miso soup, salad, and mix tempura which is all pretty tasty. I would never come here just for the sushi though b/c i don't think the turn around on their fish is good enough to provide the freshness necessary. In other words i don't think its busy enough for them to keep churning out fresh product, which is a kiss of death for any self respecting sushi restaurant. All in all if your if you're in the mood for a bento box meal come here....if you want sushi ur better bet is the Von's next door where i know for sure they make it fresh everyday!
(3)Jacob S.
Very very good sushi! The quality of the fish is amazing, it literally melts. I've eaten at the best sushi restaurants in SF and while this isn't up there with the best of the best, this is still some damn good sushi. The lunch special prices are really good too and the servers are all very friendly and attentive. I'm not a big fan of strip mall restaurants, but don't let the fact that this place is next to a post office fool you, it's very good.
(5)Sydney T.
We were greeted and seated right away. Fast and friendly service. Clean and nice ambience. We ordered chicken katsu bento box that came with miso soup. Chicken was fresh and crispy and juicy. Also ordered 3 sushi rolls. They were fresh and delicious.
(4)Diana A.
This is my Friday night spot with my kids! Service is quick and friendly. I eat low carb so my favorite roll here is the Spring Salmon roll....it's so delicious you don't even know the rice is missing! My kids love the free green tea ice cream cones they give you for dessert...YUM! Parking is easy and it has never been too crowded. I am a fan!
(5)Gracia N.
I love this place! The food is tasty and fresh. Great atmosphere and chef jimmy is the best.
(5)Kacee B.
I stayed in the area while I was in town for business. I wanted sushi and it was close to the hotel, so I tried. I didn't research on Yelp before going; I was tired and just wanted to have sushi after a long day in the office and since I am not familiar with the area, I gave this place a shot. This review is based on this one time visit. I ordered a Haiwan roll (has cilantro, which I have never seen in any special rolls before outside of Gami) and their Gami Special roll with the water eel and parmesan cheese (which I also have never noticed before with other places). The negatives: 1. The place was noisy and dark. 2. It is expensive: a. They charged me $2 for a cup of tea, where other places normally would just give you tea as part of the service. On top of that, the waitress never refilled it for me, come to think of it. (I wondered if she would have charged me $2 more if I had asked for a refill...??!) b. $2 for a small bowl of miso soup c. $15 per roll 3. I ordered green tea ice cream for dessert. They gave you 2 scoops, which is quite generous since most places give you 1 scoop, I wished I enjoyed it but I didn't because a. It came with chocolate sauce drizzled on top of it with whipped cream---contrary to what I am more used to, which is served plainly by itself (and that's how I prefer my green tea ice cream!) b. After I scraped off the whipped cream and chocolate sauce onto my then empty tea cup (grumble grumble), the ice cream tasted more "rosy" than green tea. phhtth... As tasty as the special rolls were, since they were new to me, I wouldn't want to try this place again based on the negatives I've listed above (seems my feedback aligned with the majority of the reviews here, now that I have had a chance to read them). Wished I checked out Yelp first before I checked this place out.
(2)A M.
The sushi was fresh and a decent size. They currently have a deal until the end of September (?) for half off certain rolls. They offer lunch combos that are delish and decently priced. The service has always been great, nothing special. It's been a good dining experience everytime I eat there, so nothing to complain about.
(4)Jereld W.
Probably one of the few decent places to eat in this chain populated area. This place took over Sushi A La Kaz and opened in April. They have decent lunch specials for $7 or a nice sashimi special for $10. I would recommend ordering the sashimi or sushi. They often have 50% off rolls and the fish is very fresh.
(4)Amy H.
Hands down one of the best sushi places in the San Diego area. We have eaten at several sushi places and Gami has the best, freshest sushi and very reasonable prices. The ambiance is nice, staff is very friendly, attentive and the sushi staff are great. We have always had the up most service and best sushi. Try the jalapeno bomb if you like something spicy and tasty.
(5)reid m.
This is our favorite sushi place- period. Their food is incredible and the sushi chefs are very friendly. They just hired a new master chef who is amazing. He is changing up the menu and adding new sakes and incredibly tasty rolls. I have been a fan for years but now with their new chef, the place is absolutely incredible. I highly, highly recommend it. Incredible sushi at a great price.
(5)Heather P.
I am so pissed!!!!!! I gave this place 2 chances, that's it!!! NO MORE!!! I was having a severe sushi craving so my wonderful hubby went by 2 places in Del Mar after checking the surf. Both closed. (It was 6:30 on Sunday). He went to Gami as a last resort, and came back with 2 rolls and 2 miso's for $32!!! WTFudge?! Since when is a dragon roll $15?! my crunchy roll was $10 and our miso's were $2 each, which is fine, except they gave us the bottom of the pot crap miso with 2 pieces of seaweed and 5 micro tofu chunks...and on top of that they filled the cups only 1/2 full! come on!!!! Gami needs a wake-up call. This is Carmel Valley, it's not freaking La Jolla, even there I would be skeptical of these prices. Gami's sushi is good. It's fine, but it's not f*ing amazing, and NOT worth $15 for a stupid dragon roll. Save your money and go somewhere that appreciates your business, and doesn't want to rip you a new one with their prices.
(2)Sophie H.
This place is awesome. I'm glad I took the chance and tried it out. The fish was really fresh and the roll combinations were delicious. For the area, the prices are really reasonable. We had a great server who was really attentive and on her game. I HIGHLy recommend the Torrey Pines roll. I'm definitely going to be a regular at this place!
(5)Pudgy Panda ..
Really 3 1/2 stars. But, since that's not an option, I rounded up :) Gami Sushi is consistently delicious. I eat here often for lunch since my office is close by. I've tried several other sushi places in the area and my choice is Gami Sushi. Sushi lunch specials come with a salad and miso soup.
(4)Tannaz D.
I would give this place a 3 1/2. I've been here two other times and had a good experience, but this last time I went for lunch, and the server didn't check on us one time. The sushi didn't taste the same as the last time. I ordered the Aloha roll and the spicy tuna kind of grossed me out. We asked for green tea ice cream (cuz they usually give it to you) and she said they only do that for dinner. Well why can't we order green tea ice cream if we want some? The servers were too busy talking to each other rather than assisting there customers.... Which was just our table! I can't stand bad customer service and inconsistency.
(3)E K.
Gami Sushi is worth trying. They have a good selection of sushi, entrees, noodles and appetizers. Despite the restaurant being on the smaller side, they are able to seat people pretty fast and the food comes out at a reasonable time. Their presentation is always beautiful and clean and the food portions are decent. Their prices are fair (bonus: look for their coupon in the Carmel Valley coupon book). Ask for your free scoop of ice cream at the end :) The best part is when someone celebrates their birthday here. They turn on their disco lights, all the waiters and sushi makers start to dance while they blast an upbeat version of the "Happy Birthday" song. Come check it out!
(4)Christine K.
I love sushi but most importantly I like udon at sushi restaurants. The sushi here is very delicious wether if is their specialty rolls or a raw item. My friends and I ordered the crunchy roll, fresh shrimp, seared salmon and a couple other raw items that I don't know. I don't eat raw. But my friends do and I decided to go outside my comfort zone. They have fresh live shrimp. I tried the shrimp and it was sooo juicy. I wouldn't mine coming back just to try it again. I got the gama udon and it was hot and flavorful what more could I ask for? For being udon at a sushi joint it was better than I expected. I live 40-45 minutes away but I wouldn't not mind driving back for sushi here. Everything came out in a timely manner. Sushi chef even gave us free appetizers and desert at the bar. All the workers seemed happy and all the customers did as well.
(4)Lynnie A.
First time here! We have a new Favorite sushi place. Sushi chef was excellent. He served us a "special" wasabi dish to go with our sashimi platter. It puts soy sauce/wasabi sauce to shame. Everything tasted good! Especially with cold unfiltered saki
(5)Ian L.
Service much better tonight! Complimentary edamame much appreciated. Sake bomb special a no brainier! Hot lips my new favorite. Reasonable prices in a typically expensive area. My new favorite sushi joint.
(4)Trish S.
So this is like two seconds from our house and we always walked by and just kinda... kept walking by. Mistake! As it turns out, its adorable, run by really cool owners and pretty delicious. They brought is some complimentary edamame to begin, so nice! We ordered the seaweed salad (yum) the Gyoza (yum) then moved on and got the Crispy Philly Roll (deep fried, yum!) the Aloha roll (just okay) and a couple hand rolls. Everything was fresh and we liked it all except the combo of the Aloha Roll. Something about the flavor was slightly off and I wouldn't order it again. The service was pretty good considering the were slammed busy, like super busy with a line out the door. They were a bit behind with refilling waters but our food came out really fast and with gorgeous presentation. I enjoyed my giant mug of hot tea too. At the end of the meal they brought out green tea ice cream cones in an adorable holder - a complimentary dessert they hand out with dinner purchases. Wow, I mean, for me it is little touches like this that set local businesses apart. They ice cream was tasty and totally left us wanting to return. Nice touch!
(4)Tracy L.
The rice they used for my nigiri was mushy, over cooked, and without flavor. The seaweed was very chewy. The ikura was also just salty but texture and flavor wise just bleh. Service was very nice, however!
(2)Shalayna A.
As the one of the only sushi places around, and minutes from my house I hate that I'm rating Gami a three. I want it to be a four-five star place, and I think it has the potential to be. The location is in a shopping center near Vons, and there is always plenty of parking. I have tried many of the rolls. They are very good, I've never had one that blew my socks off. Prices are pretty high for the rolls quality, I typically get two and find myself spending ~$22. If they were amazing it would be worth it. I mostly pick up food and take it home and find that take out is not as good as when I eat in the restaurant. I wonder if they make the roles slightly differently if you are not eating in the restaurant?
(3)Daniel H.
No, it's not Sukiyabashi Jiro but it is consistently good. I've eaten here quite a few times, always gotten their speciality or crunch rolls, and always enjoyed it. They typically give you edamame on the house which is good for you (and sometimes green tea ice cream... don't tell anyone). The rolls are large and all the ingredients have the texture and consistency they should. All the rolls taste somewhat similar to me, though. My go-to order is the bachata crunch roll, a seaweed salad with cucumbers, and an iced green tea. It's always been good. The staff is friendly all the time and attentive most of the time. They have a small, somewhat enclosed patio where you can sit and watch shoppers walk by. I gave this place 4 stars because the staff is nice and I can walk there. As far as the food itself, 3 1/2.
(4)Cecilia M.
Not even a little impressed with the food. I had salmon sushi and the Torrey Pines roll. The roll was under my expectations. Service was ok, but we were rushed to leave.
(3)Sccott S.
I am so glad I decided to stop here. Probably has to be the best Sushi I have had. The Spanish Mackerel sashimi was soooo good!
(5)Steve B.
Went to Gami Sushi two weeks ago and it was excellent. Great sushi, reasonably priced and friendly, skilled, welcoming, responsive staff. It is so good we are going there today even though there is a half priced offer Groupon nearer to us. That should say it all.
(5)Jonalie I.
Came here for lunch and tried their Spring Roll with salmon. It is a protein roll; no rice and SO GOOD. I regret ordering just one. It comes with a sauce that tastes like peanut sauce mixed with some fresh squeezed lemon juice. The salmon melted in my mouth while the asparagus, carrots, and cabbage gave some crunch. Crab salad is in place of the missing rice. I have been here several times, and it's tough to get in and out in less than a lunch hour--especially if you have company. I have tried a few other rolls, and they were all tasty; however, this Spring Roll has quickly shot up to the top of my faves list. The sushi is top-notch at a few notches down price. All their food rake in serious presentation points. Most rolls are accompanied by a pretty flower or some other colorful accessory. This is probably why the sushi doesn't come out quick. If you want to take a leisurely lunch and have some beautifully delicious sushi, check this place out.
(4)Meri D.
3.5 Stars.. Gami is a decent sushi restaurant located in Carmel Valley near Ace Hardware and Vons. The inside is clean and modern, there was no wait when I came, however by the time I left it felt packed as there was a small line out the door. After my coworker warned me not to go here, I still went in in to try it for myself. They served free ediname from the beginning which is nice. As for appetizer we ordered calamari. However the Yellowtail Fashion roll came out first, this roll was good at a reasonable price. After that they brought out the calamari, which seemed super small, not worth it, but tasted good it had a nice crunch and flavor.. they don't serve it with a lemon which I normally like to drizzle on top, as it only came with the dipping sauce. And the next roll is the Godzilla (in-crab, avocado, cream cheese, cucumber/out-salmon, tempura fried w/spicy aioli, sweet soy glaze sauce), which I absolutely LOVED. It love how it had a variety of flavors as it melts in my mouth with every bite. The only thing that I didn't like about the roll how the majority of the middle 70% of the roll's tempura had gotten moist because of what they place underneath it (some type of decorative seaweed grass that had moisture above the bottom leaf) which took away from the deep fried crunch, except the ends still had it which had a nice crisp. Last., but not least they offered their green tea ice cream which I noticed was being delivered to each table when I was waiting for my food. The green tea ice cream had good flavor and was a sweet way to end the dinner,a bonus was it also complimentary like the ediname. The service didn't impress me here. A server checked up and we requested extra napkins and they totally forgot as we were waiting awhile for and it never came. Then another person happened to walk by so we were able to ask a second time and they brought it. Also they never once offered to refill the water which was low to almost empty by the time I left. I wanted to ask, but they never really checked up on us so no opportunity ask. Maybe it's because of the drought, who knows?
(3)Julie K.
Good sushi joint in Carmel Valley, and a great quick stop shop for lunch during work! The main draw here is their roll combo deals. My coworkers usually get 3 rolls from a limited list for $22. The only problem I have with this is that most the rolls offered in this deal have crab mix, which I'm not too fond of. However, you really can't beat that combo price! I usually get the sushi lunch combo (nigiri with california roll, a house salad and miso soup which for $~16). Their seaweed salad is MASSIVE and a great deal, but I think their hand rolls are overpriced (I got an eel handroll for $5... meh). I've also ordered the Del Mar roll (in: shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado topped with salmon) and while it was good, it was WARM. Overall: Fast service and decent prices makes this a good spot if you're in the area and wanting a quick lunch.
(4)PaulSEGAL ..
Del Mar Roll & YellowTail Mania. Both very good but lacking all spice?? Hmmm. We added CRUNCHY FLAKES as they were both a bit mushy but yummy! They have a lunch special 11-3pm, but we ordered off the regular menu. Very excellent assortment of rolls AND prices from $8-$20. I have been here for years, but we shall return. They do NOT advertise they accept AMEX but they do....
(4)Jamie Y.
Another great sushi place! Decided to try this place out after we find out most of the good sushi places were either closed or the line would be too long. We were seated outside since it was full inside, but they have the heating lamps which wasn't too bad. I ordered the Chirashi Bowl, mixed sashimi on rice. They have complementary Edamame while we wait for food. The Chirashi Bowl was HUGE, it had four types of fish - Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, and Albacore. You get 3 big fat pieces of each fish, they were all really fresh. The sushi rice was perfect for the fresh fish. I always have a big appetite for sashimi, and the bowl really filled me up. Great deal! At the end of our meal, we even got complementary green tea ice cream that came on those handroll handles, how cute is that! Will definitely be back.
(4)Britta G.
My boyfriend and I were craving sushi and chose this place after reading the Yelp reviews. We had to sit at the bar because all the tables were reserved. Kind of a bummer but it was fine. We were given complimentary edamame while we waited for our sushi. We ordered the: Rainbow Roll, CA Beach Roll, Fantasy Roll, & the Crunchy Salmon Roll. I would say the Fantasy Roll was my favorite, but the CA Beach Roll was the most unique. I've never had a baked roll before. We were also given complimentary ice cream that I really enjoyed! I assume it was some sort of macha green tea flavor. The service is my only complaint. It was impossible to get someone to come over to us. We had to ask the sushi chefs behind the bar for everything, even though there were employees serving the floor. I understand they were busy, but we felt s little neglected. I assume it's better during the week.
(4)Doris W.
Found this place via Yelp. My girlfriend and I had met up at Torrey Pines to watch the sunset before we grabbed dinner at Gami. It's about a 10 minute drive from the beach. We were feeling sushi and something warm like a bowl of noodles, so we picked this spot. We ordered: - 2 sushi rolls (both under $12.00/roll), I don't remember which ones, they both had spicy tuna in them, and one had scallop. They were both delicious. - bowl of ramen, we got it with seafood (shrimp, scallop, mussel) no extra charge either! - bill came out to under $50.00 The sushi was tasty, and the ramen was a good portion, we had split it. We were so full we didn't finish 3 pieces of the sushi rolls!
(5)Heather C.
Love the variety of sushi rolls and customizable options that come with them. I ordered the spring protein roll and it was the coolest blend of vietnamese spring rolls + salmon roll that I had ever had! Loved the peanut sauce it came with. There was no wait time when I went in at 6:30 on a Saturday. Friendly staff and nice ambience. Free green tea ice cream at the end was a sweet touch. Overall I'd say I would take out of town friends here, or as a celebration treat with friends.
(5)Silvia M.
My bf and I came in about one hr. before close, it's a small little place but they accommodated us right away. The service was great, our waitress was very attentive. Food was delicious and fresh. We got the Philadelphia roll, it was simple but yummy. We also got the crunchy salmon and the deluxe roll. All rolls were amazing, perfect amount of sauce. We will definitely be back.
(5)Alex S.
For a casual lunch or dinner, I would definitely be happy with Gami sushi. Their lunch menu also looked like it had some great specials, and if I'm in the area, I would come back! Basically, this is a super family-friendly, group-friendly restaurant, with the option of sushi bar or tables. The service is good, the waiters are friendly, and I was really happy with the fish and rolls that we got. Some of the specials were stellar (the tuna belly, although cut weirdly, and the uni were both amazing). I would also recommend the uni shooter for any adventurous eaters out there and the summer roll (salmon, yellowtail, spicy tuna, and avocado wrapped in cucumber with a sweet and tangy sauce) for everyone. At the same time, only 1 in 4 of our group thought the mackerel was something that should have been ordered. There were also a few additional touches that were really nice- they gave us edamame when we sat down, the cucumber salad that comes with the ginger and the wasabi was perfect, and there is complimentary green tea ice cream for dessert. There was also a birthday celebration while we were there, and the staff went full out, with lights, music, and hats!
(4)James K.
I've been going to this place ever since it opened and have always been disappointed. That is until today. They have had different sushi chefs but it was never very good and I've come back over and over to see if was getting any better and finally it has. Actually, I noticed their reviews were improving so I decided to give them one final try. I started off with the seaweed salad which was quite good. I think it's probably hard to go wrong with this dish but I've been to other places that give rather small services and I'm happy this place gives a generous portion; you could even split if there are two eating. I tried a generic roll... Philadelphia roll. If they can't make a good Philly roll the rest won't be any better. But again, I was very pleased with the freshness. Could have used a bit more on the cream cheese though. Then I had a Lemon "Krab" roll with real crab, shrimp tempura, yellow tail and "Gami sauce". This was quite flavorful although given the freshness of the roll, it didn't make sense to put the shrimp tempura in. It would have been much better to leave out the shrimp tempura. The gami sauce was nice, but came in a container that you would typically get hot sauce in from a Mexican restaurant. Basically, way too little for the big roll that it was. And I'm not talking about drowning the roll in the sauce, but just to put a little drizzle; and it still wasn't enough. I was very happy that they use recyclable containers. The restaurant is located in a small strip mall that generally has plenty of parking. There are spaces marked 20 minute parking right by the restaurant that makes it convenient to for to-go orders. They have a small but nice indoor seating. Overall, good place and glad to know it has improved from their earlier days. I look forward to trying more of their rolls because they have some interesting ones. Also, they have a nice website with very clear pictures of the rolls they serve which was helpful in deciding what I wanted to order.
(4)Kristine G.
I have to bump this place to 5 stars after tonight! I've been here about 4 times in the last 2 months and every single time has been consistently good with solid service. Ive tried more items on the menu including the spicy sashimi salad which is huge and great for sharing, and the baked mussels. Both amazing. We still go back to the Torrey pines roll which I can't get enough of. Overall, make sure you check this place out. You can't go wrong!
(5)James H.
Since I moved to San Diego over 3 years ago I have tried out many Sushi Restaurants only to be disappointed by the caliber of the fish and the rolls. I obviously tried out the highly expensive sushi joints, as Ota and Taka, which are extraordinary. But no luck on a reasonable priced sushi spot that proved great quality rolls and sashimi, until now. Sitting at the sushi bar we were presented with "on-house" edamame, which isn't always customary in San Diego. With my food restrictions and my desire to taste many things, the sushi chef was willing and able to customize dishes to my desire, without the extra charges usually associated with. The two major highlights of the night was fresh (a live tank) shrimp that was put into sashimi with tempura heads and then fresh caught yellowtail collar grilled. If you have never tried the collar of a fish, it is a must! Soft, tender, flavorful, and melt in your mouth! I will definitely be returning to this establishment due to the amazing customer service provided along with the quality of the fish. Also, let's not forget about the wallet. With the specialty live shrimp preparation, fresh yellowtail collar, a fresh real spicy crab roll the price was extremely less than expected!
(5)Jennifer V.
I already love this sushi bar and I haven't even tried the sushi yet! Last week, my boyfriend and I stumbled across this joint as we were killing time before our reservation at Royal India. We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather, along with a few drinks. I got a large Hot Sake and my boyfriend got the Mimosa Cocktail. Unexpectedly, we were served complimentary edamame. Our waitress checked up on us several times and didn't pressure us to order any food. When our drinks were finished, we were offered complimentary green tea ice cream. I knew we were about to eat dinner, but I couldn't resist. This place definitely knows how to win people over!
(5)Paul S.
Came here for a change and tried this place out for once for their sushi one day with my friends and wasn't disappointed. The sushi is crafted very well here and the price is something you can't beat. They have a wide selection of sushi along with bentos. Wouldn't mind coming back again after my visit.
(4)Natacha S.
Booya! Finally found my local sushi joint. Just down the street distance, and the perfect take-out choice. Ordered from Gami Sushi a couple weeks ago and I was surprised at how soon our food was ready. Not 15 minutes later, our full order consisting of 4 rolls, seaweed salad and gyosas were ready to go! I personally had the Sunset Roll from their baked selections, and I could not have been happier. Gotta love that burst of flavor and sauce! The gyosas were great, and I especially liked the seaweed salad. I have not seen the actually restaurant interior as my husband was the one to pick up our order, but I'm sure I'll popping be in myself soon.
(4)Jeff K.
Food was excellent. Good ambiance. TV with sports is always a plus. The only reason why I didn't give 5 stars is because it took a little bit longer than usual to get food to the table once we ordered but I think it is because they were prepping take out orders
(4)Chad V.
Quality sushi, quick service, friendly staff. We've eaten here twice and love it. They have lunch specials and happy hour specials as well. Highly recommend!!!
(4)Cony L.
Hmmm.. So I totally forgot why I bookmarked this place.. Probably saw pics of yummy looking food:)~. Maybe yelp can add a function when people bookmark the restaurants or places, we can add a lil note for ourselves to look at them later :) Anyhow! So glad that I bookmarked this place- I got to see another neat side of SD! The plaza where the restaurant was located was very nice n cozy area- looks like a nice neighborhood nearby- Ok, so for the food- if u r looking for authentic n fresh Japanese sashimi type of food, this is not a place for you- but this place is more for Americanized food so u will see rolls n such in the menu- The restaurant is cute, small, n casual- chefs welcome you in Japanese as u enter the door- the restaurant also has nice outside sitting n u can bring you puppies there if u like:) So, our waitress gave us complementary edamame which was already salted- the chefs gave a side dish with pickled cucumbers, seaweed, n ginger- I really enjoyed pickled cumbers n seaweed mix with the rolls- def added flavors n increased my appetite :P First kiss was like a nigiri type, except there was no rice, but substituted with crabs n other things inside and albacore on the top! it was really yummy!! Really enjoyed that one- del mar roll was aightz- has salmon outside n tuna inside.. Eh-- it was ok- But, charger roll was delish! It has crunch n superb flavorful spider crab n avocado outside n some goodies inside- I forgot what was inside, but it was so crispy and flavorful! Really enjoyed it! Oh, btw, their portion sizes is pretty big! one roll will def fill u up! At the end, the waitress asked if you would like to have a green tea ice cream on the house- man! This place makes sure u leave the restaurant with full happy stomach! :)
(5)Cameron C.
Came here after reading some reviews. After being disappointed with Harney Sushi, I thought this place would be another option. What I Had: Torrey Pines Roll, Blue Fin Roll The Good: Absolutely delicious sushi Chefs were nice and staff was attentive They offer rolls with real crab (Real Krab Rolls), huge plus! Very clean bar area Free edamame Decent lunch specials Nice plate design Served cucumbers, wasabi, and ginger on a plate - sets itself a part from many other sushi restaurants Plenty of parking Immediately was seated on a 6pm Monday Sushi rice was on par The Bad: No happy hour specials during the week I wish the fish cuts were just a tad thicker Can be pricey for the better fish types (blue fin, yellowtail, etc) This is not a bad place at all. I like the fact that they do some things different and offer rolls that do not have imitation crab. I did take away one star since the fish cuts could be thicker; however, do not let this deter you. Granted this is not the best sushi restaurant out in San Diego but this restaurant comes at a good price for the quality that you get.
(4)Sandesh K.
Chicken katsu is not that great :/ (Suggestion: if you wanna eat chicken katsu "curry house" is the place) Crispy shrimp roll is ok. Music, ambience is nice and good service.
(3)valerie m.
Love it here and now Tanaka fRom sushi Mori is here! Fresh fish and amazing uni, blue fun that melts in your mouth and Toro too. Had a great bday Dinner here. Love the flashing lights, wigs and Singing and the mountain of tempura ice cream n they serve you with a candle is the bomb! Yum. Nice people and great service too!!
(4)Aaron S.
I came here during lunch time, and it was empty. We were seated by a very nice waitress who was very attentive and helpful. After glancing through the extensive menu, I ordered the Spicy Chicken Bento and brown rice. Spicy Chicken Bento w/ Brown Rice: it came with miso soup, a small salad, tempura, 2 pieces of California Rolls, and the chicken. I'm not sure if my order was taken incorrectly, but the chicken was not spicy at all. It looked like it was chicken teriyaki. The chicken was tough and stringy. It was like I was eating a moist chicken jerky. The tempura was really soggy. There was no crunch. The worst part of the dish was the brown rice. They looked like hockey pucks! The soggy, disk-like rice were stacked on top of each other. All that for $10.95...what a rip-off. It was a wreck. Overall, their food is bad...really bad. There's a $1 charge for substituting brown rice for white rice. You can also change the white rice on the rolls to brown rice, which sounds weird. I left the restaurant full, but unsatisfied.
(1)Henry L.
Mediocre. Took fifteen minutes to cash out. Rolls bland and spicy tuna not spicy or flavorful at all. If you have no other options, this is the place to go. The food comes out quickly but after that they forget about you. We never got any free ice cream either so don't know that that's all about.
(2)Natalie L.
Love love love gami sushi! Just moved to Carmel valley and have been here 3 times now and every time has been soooo good! The fish is always fresh and the rolls are super tasty! Sushi chef Phillip is super cool and nice too :) definately my new go to sushi spot!
(5)Shane F.
After being seated in the small restaurant, my parents and I waited for quite some time before our orders were taken. However, we were given some edamame to snack on, and that helped take the edge off of our hunger. Each of the rolls that we ordered were delicious, and while the spicy versions were not as spicy as others I've had, the flavor and freshness more than made up for it. Price-wise dinner for three was reasonable, plus we all had a scoop of matcha green tea ice cream in cones as a complimentary dessert! A great way to end a lovely japanese dinner.
(4)Tricia C.
The only reason I ate here is because my friend was craving sushi and I did not have very much time for lunch so I could not drive anywhere else. The staff here is friendly, but the food was ok, not bad, just ok. I have definitely have had better and for a significantly cheaper price. I do like that they make a very big deal when it is ur birthday though. Honestly, I would eat here again but it would not be my first choice.
(2)Jay D.
I had the spicy chicken teriyaki bento box lunch special. The chicken was good, but wasn't spicy at all. The box also came with 4 pieces of tempura, rice, salad, miso soup, and 2 California rolls. Not a bad deal for $10. The worst part was trying to find a place to park!
(4)Marielle V.
I'm a frequent sushi restaurant goer and I was quite puzzled by this restaurant. First off, this is the first Japanese restaurant where I had to flag down a waiter and ask for wasabi and ginger for my tables' sushi. I found that a little odd considering we were all eating sushi with raw fish. Secondly, their sushi was fresh and the fish eggs were great- but my roll kept falling apart... I didn't mind this all that much, but my recommendation is that it's best to come here when it is not very busy, for this area is highly frequented by tourists. (Also, we were given free matcha green tea ice-cream! Great finisher after a hot day.)
(3)Carolan Y.
Still a big fan for the restaurant but not a big fan for the new seafood noodle- it's basically cooked cup noodles with two not-so-fresh shrimps. :( But the free green tea ice cream removed all the bad memories. lol
(5)Bao T.
Sushi is usually above par from here and the service is usually very good. So far this is my favorite sushi place in Carmel Valley. Prices are reasonable and there usually isn't a line at lunch. Make sure you tell the server it's your birthday and watch the magical show that they put on, just for you. Ready to be amazed.
(4)Jo-jo H.
This place could've received 4 stars but there were just too many mistakes. Pros: charger roll is really amazing, daughter's shrimp tempura roll was good per my daughter. You also get free green tea ice cream for free. Cons: my son ordered chicken teriyaki off of the kids menu and he said it tasted like cantaloupe. So I tasted it and it tasted like it was bad chicken. Not sure if they were trying to poison him but that was a definite no no! I also ordered a seaweed salad which was good but was kind of expensive for the amount. Mind you I asked the waitress how big it was before I ordered it because it was pretty pricey compared to other sushi places and she said it was big but it wasn't. Lastly, when the bill came I was given someone else's bill which was almost $80!! I didn't realize I ordered so many rolls and wine! Lol. So I brought this up with the waitress and she looked at me like "didn't you guys eat that much?" She finally went to fix it then another waitress came and asked "didn't you order a chicken teriyaki bowl?" At this point I felt like saying out loud that the chicken tasted bad so I returned it but I didn't and calmly told her the incident again. Obviously the waitresses were not communicating with one another. They finally got the bill corrected and I received an apology but please please...be careful with your chicken!
(3)Hylary L.
My sister recently moved to the area and on our first visit we decided to give Gami Sushi a try. Everything was good, although we did have a little confusion with our rolls. We ordered probably five different rolls which arrived on a large plate all together and the waitress when explaining what each roll was seemed to get a bit mixed-up...upon eating them we discovered they seemed to be all the same roll. We didn't really care though, because they were good and we ate them all anyway! The restaurant is a little small and we had two small children so we sat outside which, with the heater on, was very comfortable. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant if you're in the area.
(4)Allen S.
Sushi was pretty good value for price, not exceptional, but pretty good Dining area was a little cramped. Ambience, unsurprisingly, is pure Carmel Valley. Put it this way, you have no illusions you are in Japan. It is not an exotic sushi experience. Very much a Carmel Valley restaurant experience. Hot Lips and Hawaiian roles fairly inventive. I would got here again, but not enthusiastically
(3)Justin M.
Gami Sushi is a little pricier than I'd like it to be, particularly for the daily specials. However, all of their sushi is very fresh, and the rolls are as creative and varied as one can expect. There isn't a lot of strong competition for Gami in the immediate area, but I still wouldn't hesitate to call it the "best sushi shop around."Besides the sushi options I also particularly enjoy the citrus salad, the gyoza, and the udon bowls. However, beware the birthday celebrations. Hard to describe they are a little over the top, intense, and honestly downright scary. Lastly, one can't complain about the free green tea ice cream cones that are offered as a complimentary after dinner treat.
(4)Moonyoung P.
Wow!!! Sooooo good!! The pieces are more than what you pay for!! Why didn't I know about this place! Definitely coming back here!!
(4)Dave E.
Salad dressing was too sweet. Sushi combo was on point. Seafood miso ramen was great too. This would be 5 stars if they used an Angelo Pietro style salad dressing.
(4)Anastasia K.
This is our go-to sushi place right around the corner from our house. We always get take-out so this review is for the food only, though it's always busy when we go to pick up, so it must be pretty great for dine-in too. Good quality, good portions, always tasty. The French Kiss is out of this world!
(4)Samantha M.
Not a fan, and I don't understand all the high ratings. Rolls are small, uncreative, and bland. We ordered about 8 different rolls with some friends and a couple were good, but the rest weren't that great...a couple even tasty pretty fishy which is a complete turnoff for me b/c that usually means the fish isn't super fresh! I only ate here once, and would not return...Ralph's sushi is better if you just need a quick fix.
(2)Randy W.
The place was closely located to our seminar location and had 4 stars on Yelp, so we decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, other seminar attendees decided to do the same and they were not properly staffed for us. The food tasted good and the service was okay considering the staff to guest ratio. I feel that this place deserves 3.5 stars but will round up to 4 as they did manage the rush well despite being short staffed.
(4)Diana N.
This place reminds me of our old neighborhood sushi joint we used to frequent. The mister discovered this place on a whim one night while we were heading back to the hotel. It's located in a nice shopping center near Vons and Ace Hardware. Pretty easy to find except our GPS kept telling us it was located on the left when it was really on the right hand side. We had dinner a bit early that night so we were seated right away, but as the night went by the place got pretty full. We ordered the lobster tower app, three rolls (Torrey Pines, Del Mar, and another one that I can't seem to remember), and the sushi/sashimi combo. We also got a free mushroom app and green tea ice-creamon cones for dessert. The combo came with a salad and miso soup. Everything was VERY good. We kept saying to each other that we were amazed at how good the sushi was here. We totally didn't expect for the food to be this good. The fish was very, very fresh. The salmon was buttery with a slight hint of sweetness. I really wanted to order the amaebi shrimp because they had it fresh however the mister isn't too fond of shrimp. Now I am thinking I should've ordered it along with the uni. I'm sure I wouldn't have been disappointed. The prices here are very affordable for the quality of sushi you get. We did not think it was expensive at all. The rolls were about ~$9-$13, each, the lobster app was ~$15, and the sushi/sashimi combo was about $20 something. We would be happy to pay for those prices again for this good food. In fact, the mister asked to go here again on a different night... that's how much he liked it.
(5)Norita C.
The selection was nice and service was good. We tried the samurai roll and didn't enjoy it very much (it was a little soft) but the other 3 rolls were delicious especially the marine boy and bachata crunch. Seaweed salad was also great! My brother loved sitting at the bar and watching all the rolls being made!
(4)Marwan A.
Great quality sushi. Fish tasted great and complimentary green tea ice cream was a great treat.
(4)Karina G.
Great fresh sushi. One of the best in SD plus free green tea ice cream. If you sit at the bar you can watch them make it for you :)
(5)Sinni L.
Go for the sushi and not for the ramen. FYI the ramen is instant noodle and not the stuff you get at Santouka. If you want ramen go to Santouka or other ramen shops in San Diego. But the sushi is on point tho.
(4)Enjella L.
Korean owned Japanese/sushi place. 4 stars for presentation, polite and attentive service, and the special touches that most casual sushi spots won't extend, such as free "amuse bouche" if you will - which was mushroom tempura bites. And at the end of our meal, we received free green tea ice cream, which was surprisingly good. It is a little pricey but if you come during happy hour times - you can choose from a selection of about 9+ rolls that are 50% off. So for 3 decent size rolls and a miso soup , it will cost ~$30. The portion of the rolls is indeed perfect. Optional seating: indoor or outdoor. If you choose outdoors, you can enjoy listening to 90s alternative music and soft easy rock. :D Parking: free parking lot, ample spaces
(4)Jade P.
Delicious, fresh, yum. Great quality sushi and good variety of rolls. My new north county sushi spot!
(5)Yasmin K.
The best sushi in San Diego. Everything from food to customer service is top notch! Highly recommend.
(5)Lawrence Y.
the verdict: Worth the visit and money to satisfy sushi cravings! Food: Impressive! The pieces of fish on each piece are impressively large. The quality of the fish is impressively good. My table ordered four extremely varied rolls, and they were all consistently delicious and filling. Those two words are hard to come by at a two dollar sign Japanese restaurant. Cost: Affordable! You never hear this about Japanese restaurants, and yet I felt like I got value out of my order here. This is one of the few sushi places where I don't feel ripped off ordering sushi rolls. Gami Sushi has found a good balance of cost and quality in their rolls. Service: Friendly! The waitresses are attentive and informative. Their menu is extensive and varied, and their guidance was much appreciated in ordering their best dishes. Would I come back: Definitely. Bonus tip: They offer complimentary green tea ice cream in a cone at the end of your meal. To make it even better, it's yummy!
(5)Lahnna M.
We just moved to Torrey Hills and I was in need of a new sushi spot. This is it!! Excellent sushi... very fresh! Prices are excellent for the size of the rolls. Plus they give you complimentary edamame and green tea ice cream.
(5)Michael A.
This is the first time I've been to a sushi restaurant where the ramen is instant ramen. Then again, this is not a real Japanese sushi restaurant. A Japanese owner will commit harikiri before he serves instant ramen to his customers. I'm putting 5 star because 1 star gets hidden, but it is really -5 star
(5)Nicolas D.
They have really good rolls at a good price. It's a good place so it's crowded at lunch time expect some delays but still friendly service. If coming early it's a very efficient and friendly service. There's also a chance to sit in the small outdoor area.
(4)Natalya C.
I was looking for inexpensive and casual sushi joint in Del Mar and thanks to Yelp i found Gami Sushi ! Came here for a late dinner on Saturday night (the restaurant closes at 10 pm). Was greeted by sushi chefs, got sited right away. The place is pretty small but cute, tucked in the shopping plaza next to Ace hardware and Villa Capri Italian restaurant. I really like menus that have pictures of all the rolls, this way i know what i order and how it looks, and this place has that type of the menu.. maybe it cheesy but oh well. We ordered from 50% off menu and the 2 rolls we tried were awesome, fresh and great value. Large sake for $4 .. Yes please! Overall great sushi place in Carmel Valley (Del Mar), I'm pretty sure i will be a regular here very soon, since i just move to this hood.
(4)Asaf S.
My favorite sushi spot in Del Mar!!! Gotta get the Hot Lips and order the Orion beer.
(5)Dan E.
This restaurant has prompt friendly service with good sashimi (larger pieces than normal!). The rolls were decent but nothing spectacular; the specialty rolls fell apart too easily and the regular rolls were very tiny for their price. Overall, the lunchtime pricing was reasonable but I wouldn't feel the same way for dinner.
(3)R T.
The Special Eel, Fantasy and Caterpillar Rolls were very good. Love it when the sushi rice is moist and the fish is fresh. Great service and attentive sushi chefs. We'll be back!
(5)Bruce K.
Good sushi and MASSIVE portions. I usually order a seaweed or squid salad and two rolls at a sushi restaurant and that's plenty. So on my first visit to Gami, I did the same. I won't say it was a mistake, but it was certainly a whole mess of food. Delicious food. So much of it that I ended up taking most of the seaweed salad and half of a roll with me for lunch the next day! Tip: Sit at the sushi bar. It's neat to see your food and others being put together before your eyes! Winning.
(4)Lee M.
This is our go to place for sushi with family and friends. They have a huge menu with so many different types of rolls there is something for everyone. The sushi is always really fresh and great quality. Complimentary edemami to start and green tea ice cream to finish just adds to thie great food and service. They also do something fun if it's your birthday.!!!
(5)Stephanie Y.
Came on Friday night and entered during the strobe lights, a celebration of birth. Sushi was decent and four rolls ordered disappeared down three esophaguses. Ahjumma offered complimentary green tea ice cream.
(4)Martin L.
I had a pleasure to dine here couple of years ago and had enjoyed their fresh sushi and big rolls. Now I'm back in town for a conference and suggested using Gami Sushi for lunch catering. The verdict was that they have prepared us the best sushi platter and rolls ever. We all enjoyed it so much that we ended up going back to the store in the evening for more sashimi and sake. I recommend all sushi lovers to try them out. The quality of their food is exceptional.
(5)Wil J.
Yum yum! Free edamame and green tea icecream only exemplify the good spirit of this place. The sushi is good and reasonably priced. They have a heated outdoor patio so you can bring your dog. Also I won't ruin the surprise but the birthday celebration they do is worth going just for that reason! This is a great sushi staple.
(4)Ria F.
I've been here 4 times in the last few months or so and I really like this place because it's probably the best sushi I've had around this area. The fish tastes fresh and the rice is also prepared just right, not hard and not too sticky and the rolls are bigger than your average sushi place. I've taken 4 different people here and they all enjoyed it as well. We always leave satisfied. And the prices are great! They bring out your food pretty fast which is great but it's kind of hard to get the severs attention sometimes when you need anything else and it's a small place. The only reason I give it a 4 is because of cleanliness. They get a lot of business so there's always lots of people and that probably affects it.
(4)Grant H.
The fish here is always fresh and good. The place is small and always busy, and sometime they give away your reservation but the fish is really high quality. The price is reasonable given the quality of the fish and the location. Good rolls and good sushi, we eat sushi a few times a month these guys do it right.
(4)Catherine D.
Ate there for lunch today. Very casual atmosphere, good customer service and super fresh sushi that was delicious! The seaweed was soft and non chewy which is how it should be! Some places uses non fresh seaweed in their rolls which gives them a very chewy feel. The only issue was the iced tea appeared to have a stale, old taste and both of us noticed it. Overall great, fresh lunch!Will go back soon!
(4)Evan K.
Happy with the price and quality if sushi. Great little place. I like the sashimi. Nice size and a good quality. Decently priced for area too.
(4)Ellen D.
Been here three times now. Used to frequent Edamame but they have since closed their doors. The food here is acceptable, nothing super terrible or super special, but what is remarkably different is the service; it's lacking, tremendously. Seated promptly, served promptly, but pleasant and polite customer service would be nice. Putting on a smile seems to be a painful thing for the servers. I miss the genuine hospitality of my usual sushi spot. But maybe management will read this review and take it into consideration.
(3)Hayley B.
Best sushi I've ever tasted in my life! They have great real crab sushi rolls. The lemon roll is my favorite!!
(5)Christina H.
Excellent sushi. Specialty rolls are around $10-12. The sushi is fresh and they have some creative rolls. For the area, this is our #1 choice for sushi. Our daughter loves the complimentary green tea ice cream as well!
(5)Robert B.
Sushi is about a B level but the prices are a lil too high for what I'm used to. Its not that upscale but the menu prices beg to differ
(3)A B.
I came here with my dad this past Monday and again last night. The sushi is delicious. The wait staff are wonderful. The place is small but can fit maybe 20 people inside and about 16 more in the outside seating. There are heaters outside if you decide to eat outside on a chilly evening, as we did last night. On Monday, my dad ordered the chirashi and said the fish tastes really fresh and that he liked the thick cut of the it. My taste buds don't take well to raw fish, but I do love cooked/baked sushi. I had the CA beach roll and lobster crunch roll. Both very delicious and the presentation was so pretty! If you enjoy baked sushi rolls, I recommend the CA beach roll. Last night, I forgot what my dad had but I had the deluxe eel roll (I really like eel as long as it doesn't have a super fishy taste) and the salmon crunch roll. I wasn't a big fan of the salmon crunch roll because of the cream cheese in it, but I just wanted to try it. However, every time I ate a piece, I kept thinking "Man, I should've ordered the CA beach roll instead!" Hahaha! The deluxe eel roll was delicious! BUT there was a lack of presentation for these rolls and my dad's roll, so it was not at the same level as Monday night. AND AND AND! There is a complimentary single scoop of green tea ice cream in a cone! I was so full from eating both rolls on both nights, but I always have room for ice cream, especially green tea ice cream.
(4)Horhay H.
Amazing roll creations, fresh, great prices. My wife said the Baja Crispy Crunch roll was the best roll she ever had! We also had the Fantasy Roll and veggie rolls. If you are in the area eat here!
(5)Theresa L.
We came on a Saturday night at 6 and were seated right away. It wasnt too busy, guess we beat the rush. Portions are big. The sushi is really good. The sushi chefs are really nice. They give you complimentary edamame and green tea ice cream. The only thing is they never refilled our waters and we had to stack our plates. They didn't clear our plates until the very end. Other than that this place is great. Picture of Torrey Pines roll and the Bachata roll.
(4)Citizen J.
Fried tofu and soba noodles were both excellent (particularly the fried tofu). I would have liked a small bit of salt on the tofu but none was on any table. So, channeling my inner MacGuyver I poured a bit of full-on sodium soy sauce into the broth it was served in. Bingo! Also had the pork gyoza but thought that was kinda mediocre. Still, a great meal with great service.
(4)Sydney D.
The sushi quality was pretty good but the service was a bit slow and the rolls were very sloppy. I had to send one back because it was falling apart to the point that I couldn't even pick up a piece with my chopsticks. They remade the roll and it was a little bit better, but still not as good as it could have been. Perhaps it was this particular sushi chef. All the pictures I've seen on yelp seem amazing, so I'm guessing it was just an off night. Although, I can't see myself going out of my way to go back.
(3)J R.
One of my favorite sushi spot. Rice is on point always soft and moist, fish is always fresh, and the service is always fast and friendly. They have really good deals on sushi decent price and good quality sushi.
(5)Shing C.
The food: 3.5 star / 5 stars It's a good japanese place. The food taste good but it's not anything special. The rolls were well made and good but not exceptional. I had the yakisoba and 2 rolls. The sushi was fresh and sliced perfectly and had good portions. The chicken katsu & yakisoba were okay. The service: 5 / 5 Perfect service. The waitress did a great job making sure everything was going as best as possible without being overwhelming. All the chefs were very nice and made us feel welcome.
(4)Matt G.
I am always skeptical about sushi in strip malls and rarely find one in SD that competes with the quality of sushi in SF or LA. After two visits, these guys are forcing me to take a better look into SD's sushi scene. First point is the portions, specifically for non-rolled sushi. They serve HUGE cuts of fish. The price is fine, but when you consider the amount of fish you are actually receiving, price is pretty darn good. Other/roll-based dishes are more average and consistent with what you see elsewhere. Second point is the quality. We had some of the more expensive items when we went there last, and they were all very good. It is hard to screw up a roll covered in dynamite mayo, but it is even harder to get plain raw fish to make you saw "WOW" when you pop it in your mouth. Third (and last) point is the service. These guys work hard. Friendly, attentive, and please god tell them it is your friend's birthday when you go.
(4)Tony S.
I normally hate surprises. It gives the notion that I'm not in tune with surrounding environments or processes, which I perceive as a form of failure of observation and intelligence (so sue me I'm a control freak). In rare, RARE cases do I like surprises. Gami Sushi was one of those instances. I was expecting a very average non-authentic sushi meal. What I got was an awesome Korean-Japanese fusion luncheon experience that even my picky, traditional Korean mom loved. Now keep in mind that this is not a comparison to top-shelf sushi places or gastro snobs. This is a category-relative review for economical, lunch-time food for those that want an alternative to sandwiches or simple Italian. We had the baked lobster roll, deluxe eel roll, and beef bowl. All were delish, and far from my low expectations. Total bill came to $44, and worth every penny. Definitely coming back!
(4)Andrew K.
Good local sushi for those who live in Carmel Valley. Is it worth coming out of your way to eat at Gami? No. But if you're a local, it's not bad at all. As expected for Carmel Valley, this place has great service. They're attentive and friendly consistently every time. And I love the freebies!! They give you free green tea ice cream after the meal and some appetizers as well. I recommend getting the rolls here. It doesn't have the best quality sushi or sashimi, sticking to rolls are a good way to go. They have a ton of variety and also discounts on about 5-10 different rolls that make them very reasonably priced. Gami also has good drink specials. Parking is also plentiful and you won't have to wait in lines to get in.
(4)Kristyn B.
Gami's green tea creme brûlée is .. How can I say NUMBAH 1!! Lol. I usually rush through my meal just so I can get to desserts. And creme brûlée Everytime. You get complimentary green tea ice cream afterwards but I pass cause the Brûlée is all I need in my life. Also when they have fresh uni in, I recommend getting it because it's delicious!!
(4)Ran M.
Been here at the Carmel Valley location a few times, never disappointed. The specials are always good. Today I tried Uni sushi and Toro roll, very good. Service is good, many times, I got an extra piece of sashimi thrown in, on the house. Prices are not cheap, but not outrageous either, in line with other sushi joints in San Diego.
(5)Tommi U.
Went back today for lunch. The place was packed but they still manaed to seat two in the sushibar section. Food and service were great today.
(4)Lori S.
Fun atmosphere. Very friendly staff. Had the yellow tail sashimi with jalapeño and ponzu off the menu. It was delicious! Also had the real wasabi root instead of the wasabi paste. The miso soup was also great. They have saki bombs for $8 something. We'll definitely be back!
(5)Lindsay H.
The sushi was good, although a bit too spicy for my tastes. The presentation was even better. I felt a little sad at eating the rolls, because they were so beautifully made. For the price, this place was solid.
(4)Maggie L.
mmm. Pretty good pricing as far as sushi goes, especially for their rolls. Go for their lunch special and take the combo sushi or rolls because it is a much better deal than if you just go for dinner. Not that long of a wait--typically 10-20 minutes on a busy night. Waiters were nice and accommodating. Good ambiance for chilling and laughing with friends.
(4)Jon V.
What a find! Have eaten at a number of sushi restaurants on the West coast and this rates in top 5. The presentation was excellent and quality of sushi was great. Had a spider roll that nicely presented and with the requested real crab. Mackerel choices were excellent. Also had a tempura shrimp as appetizer that came out so very light. Price a bit high but worth it. Service was very attentive. Whenever in SD area will definitely return.
(5)