Candy Fish

I don’t do sushi and I am not into seafood so I likely would never visit. But a good friend of mine used to frequent and raved about the food UNTIL the guy got rude with him… and dare complain? The owner bad mouthed my friend and where his wife works… this sort of attitude might work where this guy is from… but not on the central coast of California!!! Treat customers with respect and stay friendly or loose business!

Best sushi I’ve had in the Central Coast. Bring a sweater for the outdoor seating. #Chirashi Bowl

I’ve tried the bento box and a couple of sushi rolls here the other day, it was unique and very good. The owner was very nice and courteous.
I will come and try other food in the future.
I was getting tired of the same menus in other Japanese restaurants.

Food is so so. They are always out of in ingredients. Wait time for food is super long whether it’s busy or you’re the only one there. Owner is so rude and just generally an unkind human being. He’s been rude to my husband, my mom and my dad, all on separate occasions. Plus, he still uses Styrofoam even though it’s illegal here. And it looks like he might be living in the place.
Also, he had a sign up that he’d give you a free roll in exchange for a five star review on Unilocal.Kinda makes you question if his good reviews are real.

AMAZING!!! Love Candy Fish. Such a cool little gem of a place here in Morro bay! Food is great. And location is perfect! Enjoy friends.

I’ve eaten here three times now an the food was amazing every time! Yeah it’s small and there’s only limited outdoor seating but that won’t stop me from going back again and again!

Try the Fried Rice Cakes, seriously!!! I’m never disappointed when I go here, I always love his food. It’s a one man show so expect to wait about 10 minutes. It’s worth it!

It’s a cute restaurant, but food is mostly meh.
Ordered 4 things from here.
The baked lobster roll is probably the only one that tasted pretty good.
Service was slow, but friendly.

I totally agree with the last review from William A. The only reason me and my gf came to this place was because the Unilocal reviews were «good». customer service was horrible. I ordered salmon sushi. after waiting 10 min for my sushi the cook told me there was no salmon. I was like wtf? Why didnt he tell me when i ordered there was no salmon… after i asked what i can substitue it with he went back and told me let me know when u make a decision and walked back disgrunteled. I will absolutely never come here again.

very cheap! subsitutes things on the menu for somthing you did not order! VERY RUDE guy if you asks him why somthings different from before! very rude!

Quality and quantity are great. He’s surprisingly fast considering he’s the only one in the kitchen, too! Never disappointed by the bento boxes I get here.

Great quality sushi for the right price! Did a take out for my best friend’s birthday and we totally enjoyed the fresh sushi watching a movie. By the way, just ask Hiro, the owner and chef what his favorite is off the menu and he gave great recommendations! I picked two out of three and also chose the sashimi bento. Was awesome! So much food, it fed both of us the next day for lunch as well!

Wow. I’m surprised Candy Fish doesn’t have more reviews. This cute little restaurant located in the heart of downtown is one of the better sushi joints in the central coast.
I recommend the SASHIMI COMBO or CHIRASHI BOWL. Comes with side salad & miso soup. Portions are large so come hungry!
Definitely stop by if you’re from SLO and craving authentic Japanese sashimi and sushi rolls!

I had a good time at Candy fish while having lunch on the patio chatting with the charming Owner/​Chef Hiro enjoying his sushi and rolls. I’ll be back again. Great prices too!

All I can say is WOW.
I feel like I have found sushi gold.
First of all, the pricing is excellent. Finally affordable sushi in morro bay. I almost don’t want to tell people because I’m afraid they will get too popular and raise their prices.
The menu has many traditional options. Having lived in Japan I know good sushi when I see it. I love their bento box options!!! The food is fresh, plentiful, and delicious. It’s very authentic Japanese food.
What else can I say? This is the perfect lunch place and I will be there often. Yummmmmmmy. I’m still thinking about my lunch yesterday it was that good.

We walked up to the counter and he walked away. Then we tried to order chicken. He said he didn’t have any chicken; if we wanted to order chicken we should go to another place. Then he charged my friend’s credit card… gives her money back and said he didn’t have any fish. It was probably the weirdest situation I’ve been in a long time.
update:
my friend asked this:
can you take off your comment on Unilocal for candy sushi? The owner is actually really sweet really sweet. Just had a bad day and a cut in his hand and was about to close
So, I’ll up his rating from 1 to 3 stars just because we all have bad days.

Was in town for the night, was looking for sushi and found this little gem on Unilocal.I’m from LA and I was very happy with this place! I got there and after 10 minutes of figuring out what I wanted I decided to go with a 5pc chirashi bowl, creamy popcorn shrimp roll, salmon skin roll, spicy scallop roll. EVERYTHING WAS SO DELECTABLE The fish in the chirashi was so fresh, popcorn shrimp on the roll was cooked to perfection glazed with a little sauce that was so good. The salad dressing for the salads were all so delicious and the sushi was just so tasty I didn’t even have to use any soy sauce! I can’t wait to be back in Morro Bay so I can come back to Candy Fish! The man that was there that night was super nice and friendly. I give this whole experience a A+!

One of the best sushi places in the San Luis Obispo area! Many people have mentioned the attitude of the owner/​manager but the last few times I have been here he has been nothing but courteous. Because this is a one man operation, I let him know if I need more time to decide what I want to order so he can keep up with orders in the kitchen.
This is the place I go to for fresh and affordable sushi. There is a nice outdoor seating area where there is a self serve tea and there are blankets if it is cold outside. I recommend the chirashi or the popcorn shrimp roll!

I visited Morro Bay in the holidays. There were not many restaurants open, so I really appreciate that Candy Fish was available that day.
I ordered quite some food, and enjoyed the grilled salmon, California rolls, and the miso soup.

Wah?! This place is so good! Amen for the yellow tail! All the fish is of great quality. This is about the quality of Herrada but for way less the price and of course without the beautiful setting. So I recommend picking this up and taking it home, but it is so good! I can’t wait to go back for more! What a great addition to Morro Bay’s culinary scene!

Well. I live in Morro Bay and frequent Candy Fish. He is always out of something and never tells you until after you’ve paid. Today, my birthday lunch, my best friend came to visit. All she wanted was spicy tuna. After we ordered and waited 20min the server came out to tell us there was no spicy tuna and wanted to up charge us 5 $ to replace the albacore with salmon. When we asked for a refund he waved us away. As the server tried to refund us the chef called my friend fat. So rude! Terrible customer service. So sad because I wanted a local sushi place.
Now he sends me two private msgs the first apologizing and then immediately after a threat to take me to court because of my bad review.
I wanted to say he had gotten better but I can’t!

Probably one of the worst experiences I have ever had at a restaurant. First of all, the man who identified himself as the owner told me that he would not make me and my wife two chicken teriyaki bowls, that «I’m the owner, I have other people for that and they won’t be here for a couple of days.» So I tried to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and tried to order a roll in addition to the bowls. I was again shot down, his reply was «either order or tell me when you are ready.» At this point, I had no clue what this guy’s problem was, but wasn’t going to argue with someone so so that I could pay them. So we left and sought other means of sustenance.
This guy (the owner) was the most rude and off putting restaurant proprietor I have ever experienced. As there were two other people eating at the time, I can only assume that this was definitely racially motivated (I am a black guy)…stay FAR away from this place.
*UPDATE*
I just received this from the owner:
Hi Nick, Hidefumi T. sent you a message on Unilocal:
Subject: Candy fish
«To Unilocal
Thank you for stopping by at my shop few days ago. FIRST of all, I just wanted to tell you that my policy for the customers are first come first service. So you can’t mad me for no reason. Second, have you ever been to sushi restaurant in your life? You have to know the secret rules and regulations in their culture, also you have to know how to talk to big guys well (
). You are here for only a chicken, please don’t make me laugh at you guys in bad way. Yes you can write anything you like but remember I got lawyers and law enforcements behind us. You better watch out what you write at my account. Everything was recorded by the security camera. If you don’t fix your review in few days we will sue you for that for sure .
We will
Owner at candy fish»
Update!
Yet more harassment from the owner of candy fish… see my latest photo.

We made a trip to Morro Bay just for Candy Fish because the Unilocal photos were so pretty, although we were a bit hesitant to after reading some of the reviews. HOWEVER! It was a pleasant experience for my first time at this establishment. I didn’t catch the cashier/server’s name, but she was a very friendly local with dirty blonde (?) hair and a pretty voice. I couldn’t get over how cute she was! My new credit card didn’t go through the first time, but it did the second time – I hope it won’t show up twice in my payments.
My main concern was how there wasn’t much variety among dishes, like everything was centered around the go-​to salmon, tuna, yellowtail, etc., but boyfriend liked it because those are his favorites. I asked how much the ootoro was, but it wasn’t available (didn’t really need to get it, but was disappointed because I love getting it whenever I can).
I ordered Chirashi A (9 kinds of fish) and the boyfriend ordered the Sashimi Sampler, and they came out after a 20-​minute wait (which isn’t very long in my opinion). My family owned a sushi restaurant so I’m usually pretty good at recognizing fish! But I couldn’t really tell what other fish were in the bowl after I identified salmon, bluefin tuna, yellowtail, shrimp, and snow crab, and the server couldn’t tell me either when I asked beforehand so I just ate it trusting that it would be good. I wish there was some ikura and uni thrown in there, but I understand every restaurant is different. The fish itself was very fresh and good quality, but the rice underneath was soaking in some brownish sauce that made it extremely sweet and soggy, but tolerable. Boyfriend said his meal was good, but he also didn’t like the sushi rice that he ordered on the side.
Overall, we decided that it was a good experience, and that we would give it another shot in the future when we visit Morro Bay again! The fish was good and the rolls (I peaked over at the other tables) seemed to be generous in size. I very much appreciate the comfortable and peaceful atmosphere of Candy Fish and the service we were provided.

Both times eating here have been a pleasure, but they were also on lazy Sundays (yeah, i got sushi on a Sunday. …) and I was the only one here. The man working now was very courteous and the food prepared reasonably quick. English is not his first language, but you can understand him.
The prices are great for what you get. With the specials, you’re full for less than $ 20.
My first time here the fish was a little flavorless, but it was much better the second time around.

I’m in love with this place. Everything I have ordered, and that’s been quite a bit, has been absolutely wonderful. For a one man show, the chef is amazing. Sometimes the wait can be a bit long since it’s only the one chef, but it is well worth the wait. Free green tea and lobster rolls to die for. The prices are amazing as well. I wish I lived closer so I could eat here every day.
Once again, there is only one guy working here. If you walk up with an arm full of screaming children, stare at the menu for all of 5 seconds, then proceed to ask a bunch of stupid questions that could be answered if you had looked at the menu and waste his time only to order a $ 4 rice bowl, then yes, expect to be turned away. He is a business owner and he is in his full right to refuse service to anyone for any reason and that includes being a self important moron.

Their food is pretty good, BUT I cannot believe the owner/​manager refused to serve us! My girlfriend and I walked down with our kids to get a couple rolls, a bento box or two, and some miso soup and the guy would not even serve us. IT WAS DISGUSTING HOW AWFUL WE WERE TREATED.
We asked if the chicken was teriyaki, or whatnot– we waited (without a line) about 15 mins to order, and then the guy (in sort of broken English) essentially told us that he would not cook the food for us because it wasn’t worth his time!!! Then a guy who drove a Range Rover drove up and ordered ONE roll and they guy made it for him. Talk about discrimination! He would have made at least 3x as much money on us, but because we were women with children on a nice walk, he turned us down. I have never been in a situation like this before and it was just AWFUL… I have always supported local businesses, but I will no longer be patronized here!

Considering this is the central coast and everything is overpriced, Candy Fish is a pretty sweet deal. They have a chirashi bowl with 5 types of fish. It truly doesn’t look that big when you get it, but I was content after. It also comes with miso soup which is nice.
There’s not much seating and it’s basically serve yourself. You order at a window and the man that takes the orders is very nice and friendly. There’s tea and water available on the side. There aren’t many tables to sit at, but I was only with two other friends so it was fine. Definitely want to come back when I crave chirashi.

Ugh I’m so glad Candy Fish opened up in Morro Bay. It’s literally a tiny stand with 2 chefs who basically do everything so if there are only a couple people in front of you, the wait might be longer than you think.
Seat yourself, help yourself to some room temperature tea or hot tea (if the hot water isn’t dispensing, press the Unlock button first and try again) and if you’re still cold, there are some blankets there for you. The first time I visited, the Japanese man called out our order but the second time, him and his sous chef lady brought the food out to us so I guess it kind of depends how busy it is. I’ve been able to try the chirashi bowl with 5 types of fish, sushi combo, garlic albacore roll, and tomodachi roll. Everything here is a steal. The chirashi bowl was only $ 9.50 and I believe the sushi combo and rolls were priced similarly. For the price, the fish is great quality. The only issue I have with Candy Fish is that both times I’ve come, the rice was kind of mushy like it was cooked with too much water but overall, I still thought everything was great.
I’d say if possible, stop by for lunch. It seems like he only gets a limited quantity of fish every day so around dinner time, he pretty much runs out of everything. A friend and I stopped by dinner around 7 – 7:30 and our choices were super limited even though he was supposed to be open til 9 or 10. I think the next party after us was flat out turned away because there was literally no fish left.
Overall, Candy Fish is a great addition to the Central Coast. Personally, I think Goshi has better quality fish but it is also priced much higher so Candy Fish is the way to treat yourself without breaking the bank.

Fantastic, small hole-​in-​the-​wall sushi spot in Morro Bay! Keep in mind y’all, he’s a one man show so don’t go expecting to be catered to like you’re eatin’ crab out in Malibu at Nobu!
Ordered the Sushi bento box. Contrary to popular belief, there is no chicken teriyaki in the bento box. It’s all handmade sushi rolls rolled by the gentleman running the entire business. Seat yourself, serve yourself chilled /​hot water w/​green tea bags, clean up after yourself. Leave a nice Unilocal review for the definition of a small business.
Bottom line: For the price you pay, you get really tasty, quality sushi. The culture of sushi and these types of businesses in general is basically, don’t ask for a California roll then request no avocado, less mayo, more crab, with the seaweed on the side. If you want decent sushi by a man who genuinely knows how to dish out sushi, come here. If you want to modify your order, go to starbucks.
Support the locals!