Kabuki Japanese Restaurant

Food was bland and had no taste. Rice tastes old, not fresh. Not impressed at all! Sushi was also not very fresh, the service was slow even though place was empty. I live in the area and will not return here again.

Terrible customer service. Walked in and had to sit myself down at the bar because the wait was like 30 minutes. So they shoo me away to the bar with my wife. We sat for like 15 minutes and not a soul checked on us or even offered us anything. I had to get up and go back to the front to get menus.
Definitely not coming back to this place. We left and decided to eat at Yard House instead.

I ordered here through postmates and ok honestly the quality of food here is AMAZING.
my friend and i decided to order from this place after looking thru the Unilocal pictures and reviews. i don’t think either of us expected to love the food from here, but I am so glad we ended up choosing kabuki. we ordered 2 specialty rolls and a firecracker appetizer and were soooo full and happy afterwards. they even threw in a free cup of edamame with our order!
our favorites in order of preference:
CILANTRO ALBACORE ROLL:
ok we both agreed that the sauce that they put on this comes from HEAVEN. what is this sauce? the menu says it’s cilantro vinaigrette, but it must’ve been some type of house-​made special sauce. it was a spicy, tangy, ponzu-​y type sauce that paired perfectly with the fish and cilantro and i definitely recommend that you try this!!!
FIRECRACKER:
we weren’t sure about this one at first, but decided to get this because we were both craving a lot of spicy tuna. surprisingly, it was so delicious! it comes with huge globs of this spicy tuna and diced tomato mix and wonton chips. i was super psyched that the wonton chips weren’t thick, greasy, or oversalted but were instead light and crispy. i could totally eat this appetizer as a main course.
SUNKISSED ROLL:
this was a rave favorite on Unilocal so we decided to go for it and were definitely not disappointed. it’s topped with salmon and avocado and filled with spicy tuna, and the freshness of the salmon and avocado reaaaally shines through. the salmon and the portion of avocado was very generous!
we both are DEFINITELY coming back to kabuki!!! stay tuned for another review for when i come and sit in the restaurant. seriously looking forward to the next saucey cilantro albacore roll!!!

Sushi was great, but this place was so dirty it was atrocious. Terribly sticky floors, crumbs everywhere and behind the sushi bar looked like a literal disaster. You have to keep your work station clean.
If I would’ve saw this before I got my sushi, I would’ve left, without a doubt. The hosts were seating people before the table was clear. I don’t understand that. Just clean it before! It’s not hard! I worked at a restaurant before. I know how things work.
2 stars since the overpriced food was good.

After trying this place for the second time i decided to write a review. First let me just say that this place is definitely not a sushi restaurant, they have a large menu with other food but this is not the point. i tried this place about a year ago and i didn’t like it that much so i decided to come in and give their happy hour a shot. However, i was very disappointed with the quality of food and freshness! I ordered salmon asparagus which was ok and other salmon roll, it was baked and very greasy. the only thing that i actually enjoyed was the seaweed salad and it was mixed with lettuce which is not the typical seaweed salad you see at a sushi restaurant. Moreover, the service was ok but not the best, the server didn’t bring us soy sauce so i had to ask for a soy sauce!
Im definitely not going back to this place!

Kabuki Japanese Restaurant has the Japanese-​influenced corporate franchise chain game on lock down.
I found myself at Kabuki on a Sunday at 11am thanks to nearby Wasa Izakaya being closed and frankly I was unaware that this restaurant even existed at The Spectrum. The interior is clean, large, modern, spacious and basically looks like P.F. Chang’s Japanese cousin. The menu is vast; venturing from Sushi to Ramen and just about everything in-​between. The service is polished and the prices are quite reasonable as far as Sushi goes, particularly the specials.
I started with an order of Tuna, Salmon and Shrimp Sushi (2 pieces each at $ 5.00 per order) and the seafood was undeniably fresh. Furthermore, the Chef wasn’t stingy with the goods as the meat to rice ratio was equal. A fast splash of soy makes the cipher complete.
Their brand of Miso Soup was deep, rich and flavorful. Oozing wth that umami soy paste flavor I adore. In fact, I am certain I liked the Miso more than I expected. Another win was the Tuna Rolls that were not overly loaded with Mayo sauce which is so often the case. The Sriracha provided a spicy zip sans overpowering the flavor profile. Rolls really are not my thing but I must admit that Kabuki puts on some decent ones.
For the main entrée I elected to go with the Sushi Moriawase which features Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, Halibut, Shrimp, and Albacore varieties at an unbelievable value during lunch ($ 13.00!). Again, all of the seafood was perfectly fresh and although there were no surprises, the preparation was admirable.
As far as cliché corporate Sushi goes Kabuki did a fine job and maybe even exceeded my expectations. That said, I would suggest next-​door Wasa Izakaya if you want a more traditional Sushi experience at The Spectrum.

Love the sushi here! Great service and great atmosphere. I come here at least twice a month with my wife.

kabuki has many different locations but this particular one is located in the Irvine Spectrum adjacent to Starbucks and the Improv.
My favorites are the combination bento boxes which include miso soup, salad and your choice of main entrées such as chicken or beef teriyaki, short ribs and shrimp & vegetable tempura just to name a few.
The kabuki deluxe is what I typically order which has most of my favorites. Lunch specials are also a great value and the portions are generous.
Service is always consistent in all my experiences and everyone is super friendly.
Happy hour starts at 3pm and they have great selections of many menu items such as small bites, sushi and cocktails.
I personally like the sake sangria. So refreshing and delicious just need more alcohol in my opinion but overall a great cocktail.
For dessert, you must try the Freddo with green tea ice cream. Shaved ice with raspberry and condensed milk drizzled generously all over. Soooo good!
Overall this restaurant is a family favorite and my kids always look forward to eating here. It is not as authentic as other Japanese restaurants but this place is delicious and always hits the spot.

I have been craving Japanese or Asian inspired food! And boy, am I super glad I came here!
I stopped in with a friend for dinner and we got to sit on the heated patio overlooking the plaza. I ordered the grilled teriyaki asparagus as an appetizer which was delish and ordered miso and the BSCR roll-​Baked Scallop Cali Roll.
Everything was great. The food, presentation and flavor was absolutely a ten, and the prices were not bad! About $ 12 for a roll, $ 2 for the soup, and about $ 6 for the appetizer!
I will definitely be back. Cheesecake Factory has some competition!

A lot of people turn their noses on this place, just because it’s a chain and not super dingy and authentic. But I can’t turn down their happy hour Alaskan roll with brown rice. I crave it — it has a creaminess that goes down easily. I wish I could come here every week… maybe I will. It’s perfect before a yoga class and episodes of «The Bachelor» with the girls. What’s better? Nothing, and the service at this location is great!

Thumbs up for Kabuki’s lunch menu! Cheap, filling and even cuter Togo!
I ordered the chicken teriyaki lunch special and it came with miso soup, salad, rice and hella chicken teriyaki. The salad dressing was delicious! Huge plus! Chicken teriyaki was okay, nothing too crazy.
I also added California rolls just because I was craving something «rolly», but not something so overpowering that everybody in the office leaves the room. California rolls were of course delicious, but who can mess up on a simple California roll :)

My family and I frequent this location 4 – 5 times a month during different times of the day. Generally, the service is decent — never bad but not always excellent. I’ve previously submitted feedback to commend Christine at this location, and am pleased to say that another server has earned a another compliment: Janice Oh.
We’ve been fortunate enough to have Janice as our server a couple of times before and she has always provided us with amazing service. She is courteous, attentive and extremely responsive. Her kind disposition even helped ease our 5 year-​old daughter (who accidentally spilled a drink all over the floor by sharing her own accidental spills.) With numerous customers present, she didn’t have to take her time to do that; and truly appreciated it. My kiddo felt so much better. (You’re amazing, Janice!)
Janice exemplifies what amazing service is all about. It also speaks volumes on the management team at the Irvine location, and the standards held by this chain. Kudos to all. Please make sure that you let Janice know that she is a valued member of your team; and should be shadowed by new employees when training.
Thank you and great job!

Tasty and Pretty Sushi!
Dined on a Saturday evening with no reservation so we sat at the sushi bar. Sashimi Omakase special served in a large bowl over ice tasted fresh and looked ama ing. Their presentation is stellar and every roll we ordered tasted fresh and melted in your mouth. Only downside to evening was waiter took the drink order and never came back. Chef had to call him over when we were ready to leave. Plus, waiters have to reach over guests at sushi bar in order to grab sushi for table guests. That got annoying every few minutes. Otherwise this would have bee a five star review.

I forgot to meal prep and was badly craving salmon. Luckily, Kabuki was nearby my work so I called for a to-​go order. I had a couple of bad experiences at their HB location, but have never tried the Irvine location so I decided to test my luck. I placed my to-​go order and loved that they have curb side pick up! It was a rainy day and I felt so bad for the girl that came out to give me my order!!! She came out with my order, got my credit card, went back to the restaurant to process it and came back out LOL (I gave her a good tip). I was surprised how fast my order came out too.
I got the salmon terriyaki lunch special which was the best deal ever! I think it’s cheaper than their HB location. For $ 10 I got a nice little bento box of a big piece of salmon, salad, brown rice, and miso soup. I LOVE the terriyaki sauce ’cause there’s a hint of mirin/​alcohol in it. Their salad dressing is bomb as well, but I noticed it was a little more thicker here and tasted a little different than the HB location (just very slightly). The salmon was a MUCH BETTER portion than the HB location so props to you Irvine! Salmon was cooked perfect, nice and pink/​moist center with a crunchy skin. I was so stuffed and had enough leftover brown rice for the next day. I hope to try their happy hour and dine-​in when I’m shopping at the spectrum next time!

Overall, pretty good. Ramen was decent, but the broth needs a richer flavor & the pork belly needs a bit more oomph. It would be better if the noodles were fresher & made in house. By at the end of the day I understand this restaurant has other dishes & isn’t just a ramen place so it gets a pass.
A lot of the sushi has fake crab in it, which if you like that, great, but if not, definitely avoid those items because the crab is a bit overwhelming.

I have been to this one multiple times and every time I have gone I have yet to have any complaints. The sushi I have tried has tasted very good and fresh, I have never really had to wait too long to get seated even when I have gone during busy hours.
During times I know I will be going out with a large group or with my GF on peak hours I call in advance and they are always really friendly and helpful here.
When I am in the Irvine area and craving sushi I will return here
TIP: The Dragon roll and Kabuki roll are always really good!

Kabuki satisfied my family’s craving for sushi. We got brussels sprouts, sweet potato fries, shrimp and veggie tempura, dragon roll, vegas roll, and salmon onigiri. I was surprised how big the portions were! The dragon roll had basically the full eel. And I loved the cream cheese in the vegas roll.
Service was fast and friendly. We sat at the patio, so we ordered hot tea since it was cold. It was nice to have a meal and people watch.
If you’re craving Japanese food, I recommend eating here.

I picked up a Togo order earlier today, for my sushi cravings.
Food —
* Spicy Tuna Tower
* Sashimi Salad
* Lotus On Fire Roll
I always order spicy tuna tower! It’s sooo good. I really enjoy this because of their spicy tuna. It’s actually spicy unlike other restaurants where the spicy tuna is bland.
Sashimi salad never disappoints either. Loaded with lots of fresh sashimi and ponzu sauce dressing (:
Lotus on fire is delicious. Kabuki is actually the first sushi restaurant I’ve been to that has spicy crunch and I really enjoyed that. Spicy mayo gives it an extra kick.
Every sushi order comes with complimentary edamame. Can’t complain!
I’ll definitely be coming back. I highly recommend.

As a Sushi lover, I know the feeling of satisfaction after eating fresh sushi! Well, I am sorry to say that after eating the sushi tonight, that feeling of satisfaction, turned to the feeling of wondering whether or not I would get sick tonight from the food…
We ordered the Dynamite roll, rainbow roll and the Kabuki roll. I just felt like the fish were not as fresh as they should be. Our waiter was good and I the hostess who directed us to our table was very nice.
The 2 stars are strickly for the service and not the food. Will I be back. No, never. And we will just leave it as that!

Kabuki at Irvine Spectrum has some solid lunch specials. The prices are well under what they charge at dinner time and you get a similar portion size. I ordered one of the deluxe combo items and it came with beef and chicken teriyaki, California rolls, salad, tempura vegetables with shrimp, and miso soup. It was a hefty portion and they even asked me how done I liked my beef. I ordered brown rice and they even made my California rolls with brown rice! That was unexpected but a nice touch.
It’s hardly the best Japanese food I’ve had but it’s not the worst either. The service was good and we had a large party celebrating a birthday during lunch. We sat inside since it was warm out. We shared a calamari appetizer and ordered entrees. Everyone seemed to like their food so no complaints. They have new menu items for you to try as well. The staff was friendly.