Sushi Ai

Granted this review’s rating is to spite the whining man child who left a second ago and didn’t pay for his food, but I say it also has been earned. More on both in a moment.
First, I’m a sucker for good music. I know there will be some awesome tunes when Rachel is here so that’s worth noting. The chefs and waitresses were polite and likable. It was a tad busy, but that’s a sign of good business and the level of care they gave for the customers I’ve seen so far has been worth waiting for. Call me overly optimistic but I love it here. It’s comfortable. The décor is charmingly cheesy and traditionally Japanese. The food doesn’t even need mention because it’s fantastic. But each dish is worth trying. I prefer the crazy roll, and a bottle of Asahi. I can say these things about a few places, but the return ability is contagiously high. That is why I give it 5 stars, cause I will be back.
Now the man child who stormed out like mommy wouldn’t buy you a brand new set of Legos, your attitude was pathetically despicable. There were way better ways of handling your issues and you threw a hissy fit in front of the whole restaurant. They don’t need your service, and I hope you see this and grow up.
Sorry. But as I was saying. This place is totally rad. There are plenty of places I can go in long beach for sushi, but this place stands out in quality and customer care. It’s a place that makes you feel like you can hang here for several hours and not even notice… Trust me ;) Also, shouts to Tiffany for helping me out. Thanks for being awesome. =)

There is no reason to go here — people in America have no clue what real sushi is. There is a place called sushi on fire — just 2 blocks away — you want real sushi T with real flavor go there. Never again — we live 2 blocks away from both places and decided to try this place after going to sushi on fire over 30 times — big mistake!!! We threw $ 75 out the window — I took all the food back and dropped it off — worst sushi we have ever had

I’ve been coming to this sushi location for years, (when it was called Sushisaurus). The food is pretty much the same. The quality of fish may be a little better. The service for the most part is good. The one thing I don’t like about this place is that the tables are always sticky! Other than that the place is decent for sushi and beers.

Amazing sushi! Always fresh and always great service! Try the tuna BBQ roll. You’ll be addicted. Say hi to Blue the sushi chef behind the bar for me

I absolutely love Sushi Ai. I am not huge on rolls with the exception of the HAWAIIAN GARLIC ROLL — my mouth is watering just thinking about it. So ono!

This is my number one go-​to sushi place! I definitely recommend the Salmon Lovers roll (They’re spicy but you can ask them if you don’t want them spicy, also they put thick salmon which is so good!) & the Shrimp Crunch roll (Sweet and really good). If you’re into eel then try their eel roll individuals, they’re the best! The waitresses are so nice & offer a complimentary miso soup and a dessert!

I went here the night before my marathon to load up on carbs. They have happy hour between 11 AM and 7 PM, I think. There are a few rolls that are 20% during this time. I ended up getting one of the rolls from the HH menu — I forget the name but it had salmon, crab, and cucumber. The fish to rice ratio was on point and the fish was fresh enough (not the best that I ever had, but still pretty good), but it was topped with some sweet and sour sauce. I’ve never had that sauce anywhere else before, so I’m not exactly sure what it was. I think the roll would have tasted much better without it. I also got an unagi and avocado roll which was pretty tasty for only $ 6. There was a little too much sauce on it as well though.
All in all, I think that Sushi Ai is the best sushi place on 2^nd St. It’s not the best sushi ever, but it’s still tasty and will satisfy your sushi craving. I think the rolls would benefit from less sauce. Maybe I will try just sashimi or nigiri the next time that I come by.
The employees are friendly and the service is great. P. S. the women’s bathroom is Hello Kitty themed, so be sure to check that out. Lol

Friendliest manager/​owner always remembers my girlfriend and I and their sushi is always on point. I’ve been here at least 20 times and walked away happy every one of them.

I had high expectations for this restaurant after reading the other reviews on Unilocal.The food looks great but the fish is just ok. Fresh yes but for 13.99 a roll I expect top quality fish and this isn’t it. I ordered a roll that came with a lot of salad dressing on it and that’s all I could taste the dressing. My husband got a bento box and it was ok but plain. I also ordered a salmon hand roll (I judge most sushi places by the salmon skin hand roll if they can make that well then everything else is usually great.) and it was a soggy greasy mess and I sent it back. The sushi chef agreed with me that it wasn’t made right!!! Then why send it out??? 50 dollars later and we won’t be going here again, too bad.

Okay friends… it pains me to write this review as I absolutely LOVE sushi and supporting businesses, but this has got to be the WEIRDEST dining experience I’ve ever had. My friend and I went there for lunch and there were exactly three tables occupied in the whole restaurant, yet the food took absolutely FOREVER and a DAY to arrive. The reason? The cook fell asleep. Yes, my friends, that’s what the waitress told me. Her exact words were, «Yeah…our cook fell asleep. But it’s okay he’s awake now! So your food should come soon…» I’m thankful that the cook woke up in time to give me my baked scallop roll when my friend already finished his meal. On top of that, we ordered appetizers and we got that last .
The only redeeming quality was that the food (when it finally arrived) was good, and that the two waiters helping us were attentive and apologetic, which is why this review has two stars and not one. I don’t know if the «sleeping cook syndrome» is something that strikes this place often, but if it does… you’ve been warned.

Like this place so much that I went back the following day! Since it is at 2^nd st, it’s no surprise that the seating capacity is not all that much. Nonetheless, I love the vibe in there. I read a review someone wrote for this place and saw that they didn’t like the hip hop songs playing but when I was there, all they played were 80s songs! That just made me love the restaurant even more. Though they don’t have a wide selection for actual meals (not sushi), the taste of the appetizers and sushi were still amazing!

I love, love, love Sushi Ai. The food has always been delicious, the beer cold, the waitstaff is very friendly and attentive, and sitting outside is a must! My favorite sushi place in Long Beach.

Fantastic!
Great happy hour with 20% off some amazing rolls, beer and sake.
We really liked the shrimp lover’s roll… A great crab free option, as well as the splash role which is rice free (cucumber instead).
The spicy tiger roll had a nice hint of mustard seed and the garlic edamame had a delicious kick.
We thought the proportions and price were very fair.
The ambience is super cute with a lot of seats at the sushi bar and a long narrow, well-​themed and decorated restaurant.
I was amazed they actually had real wasabi! I always ask for it at sushi restaurants and they always tell me they don’t have it. I was so surprised they brought it and it was delicious.
Our server was Vincent, he was chill.

Catalina roll omg!!! Fresh fish melts in ur mouth. Chubby lobster so crunchy and delicious. Hot sake!!! Yes please. Servers are so friendly and nice. Service is a bit slow but worth the wait… hawaiian Garlic sl delisious and fresh… Really impressive fish quality!!! Lance roll is to die for!!! This is the best sushi spot in Long beach and the best i have tried in years. Will come back soon!!! For sure

My boyfriend and I have been coming here for a long time now. All the workers are great because everytime we go there they greet us by name and already know what we want to get. There service is awesome and the food is amazing! Spicy garlic edamame, shrimp tempura, snow mountain roll, rich rich roll, crunchy roll, tiger roll, the fish tastes fresh and so many other things on their menu tastes bomb! My boyfriend loves their iced tea too. Another favorite thing we like to do here is take shots of nigori! They really take of us here. Thank you sean, angie, sia, tom, rachel, luis, chris, oscar, and everyone else (sorry if I forgot to mention your names) for always making us feel welcomed. This is definitely not just our favorite sushi spot but also one of our favorite restaurants. We are glad we found this place because it’s the best and we love everything about it!

I love this place! Reasonably affordable. GREAT food! Love the atmosphere also!
Chubby Lobster is my favorite here.

We went in for Lunch on Sunday. The music was so loud with Rap style music. We ask if they could turn it down. They said no that there was an other table listening. They were out side and not hearing anything but the street traffic and the loud TV with the game on.
We also ordered Tea. It came and tasted like the cups were rinsed in Salty soup, as for the correct tasting Tea and it never came.
Manager told us he could not change anything. What a JOKE this place turned out to be.
To bad the food is good. I will miss them, NOT.

I think all the workers here are Korean — from the sushi chef to the servers. They would talk about stuff in Korean but say Japanese statements when people leave. I mad caught you guys! Don’t underestimate such a covert Korean like myself! Luckily most of their patrons probably can’t tell the difference which I find is kind of entertaining in itself. Oh, and don’t mind the Caucasian folks doing sake bomb shots — out of the four parties there two of them were getting a little rowdy and having a cultural-​immersion experience. #what?
Food:
— Hawaiian Garlic Roll (~$ 10.50): Recommended! Wow, I never ever like butter, but this concoction works! You get that strong flavor of butter alongside the cooked slice garlic. When they put that all together, you become instantly a fan of it! It’s such a smooth but distinct flavor that had us ordering another one just because of how enjoyable the roll was. Highly recommended if you don’t need to kiss someone after.because. Well we all know why. You’ll appreciate the roll, however!
— Crunchy Shrimp Roll: Nothing actually special for this roll. There’s plenty of crunch, but there’s just too many safe creatures that makes the roll a little less desirable. But the sweet sauce they use really brings in the flavor of the roll and packs the glucose punch one really does look for. I guess this kind of roll fits the all-​American type audience.
— Garlic Edamame: Just put garlic everywhere — this plays its own game of warm sauteed chopped and crispy garlic massaged into these edamame pieces. It’s a light appetizer and fun to munch on while you await the other entrée options. Great texture!
Pros:
— This is a newer establishment so you probably wont get as busy of a gathering, which is a great thing if you’re coming hungry!
— Dim lit, kind of rustic Japanese-​ambiance feel.
— Employees are helpful and nice — pretty accommodating too.
Cons:
— Tables are a lil’ sticky. No one really likes that.
— If you’re not used to yelling and hollering that the employees do, you may end up kind of startled.
— No dedicated parking, so good luck finding something along Belmont!
Sushi Ai is one of those places you may overlook, but if you’re finding yourself craving these creatures but not able to trek to another «hot» location, you wont be disappointed. Again, prepare to not kiss anyone and go garlic, Hawaiian Garlic.

I’ve got no idea what the sushi tastes like but the Sapporo beer tastes great!
Also although Sushi AI is in the middle of 2^nd Street, it took my girlfriend and I 20mins to find the place. It looks like it is part of the place next door, but it isn’t!

I love sushi, Yes I do
I love sushi, how bout you?
I came here to meet an out of town Unilocaler who was here visiting family. We tried to go to yoga but do to some hectic traffic issues that didn’t happen. So this was the backup plan. They were going and I asked to tag along because I REALLY wanted to meet Dawn! We seem to have many of the same likes and go to the same places so we were set.
This place is located in Belmont Shore near the beach so it goes without saying that it is even LOOKS like the sun will be out shinning then parking is a pain. Also be prepared to pay the meter or pay stations, and hunt for a place to park. I never pay because I know where to park where I don’t need to hike in. Haha! If I told you I’d have to kill you. Saw-​weeee Charlie you’ll have to pay!
I walk up and text Dawn to let her know I’m there and they have saved seats inside already! COOL! They had already order because this place has a GOOD HAPPY HOUR! THe rule is if you get there even 1 MINUTE before happy is over they will let you order off the Happy Hour menu! How cool is that? SCORE! I had 30 mins but felt safe that I didn’t need to rush and order!
Dawn and here sister were SUPER NICE and GOOD eaters! Always a Unilocal MUST! Dawn was cool and gave me the low down and told me what was good! Dawn had order a iced green tea so I got one too. I also needed a hot sake because well my day was a bit hectic. Dawn got a fruity sake which was also GOOD! It had a little kick at the end. Mine was the typical hot sake I don’t know the name or kind. I’m not too picky or really know the difference.
I perused the menu and decided what I wanted and because this was a new place I went with my old standby and got the baked scallops and shrimp crunch roll. Dawn and her sister ordered the stinky roll, Hawaiian roll and splash roll.
The food started to filter out in a reasonable time. Dawn had me try the splash roll so GOOD! It is the perfect roll for a hot day because it is so REFRESHING and it has NO RICE in case your on carb watch.
Both my rolls were DELISH! Very GOOD, FRESH hot and TASTY! VERY GOOD and DID NOT DISAPPOINT! YUMMY and FILLING! I also tried the stinky roll… OMG SOOO FRICKEN GOOD! BOMB-​A-​LICIOUS! DIFFERENT but SUPER DUPER YUMMY! I would go back for that roll alone!
We laughed talked and had a good time! We found out that we actually lived rather close and still over the years but never met! Small world! It was a GOOD TIME! Our server was REALLY NICE and didn’t hover but took good care of us.
I would totally come back here especially for Happy hour! Woohoo 20% off special selected item including beer, sake and sushi rolls!