Ken Sushi Workshop Reviews

Apparently the chef, Ken, came from one of the top sushi restaurants in town, Sushi Ota. Ken is kicking butt with innovative rolls and sushi combinations. Not to be missed is the Hula roll and be sure and get the salmon appetizer! Everything we had was wonderful. My only concern is does Ken have enough table space for when everyone else in town finds this great new sushi destination?

I'm in town visiting some family and they took me to what they described as the best sushi place around. They weren't kidding the food was absolutely fantastic. Must visit if you like sushi.

This small, clean, well-lighted restaurant in a busy Carmel Valley business area offers an imaginative array of appetizers, Asian-styled tapas, small plates and full dinners, in addition to a standard sushi and sashimi menu. We enjoyed the clam Miso soup, made fresh with tiny tender clams; the fried beef and pork dumplings (Gyoza); a Korobuta sausage plate with mustard and soy sauce; tuna sushi; and their Hapa roll, a spicy scallop cucumber roll, with each cut slice topped with a different color roe (black like caviar, red, peach, etc.). We had never enjoyed a roll with scallops prepared and rolled this way. Very tasty. Service was excellent. Our server provided details on the different rolls, which helped our decisions. Tables are a bit tight together inside. The outside patio has more room, with space heaters for cold nights, which can even occur in summer with ocean breezes coming through gap from Torrey Pines beach. As noted by others, it is expensive, but the style of preparation and quality ingredients lifts it above most standard sushi bars.

I've been to this restaurant a couple times, and it never fails to impress. In my opinion this is the best sushi in all of San Diego. It has a very nice modern atmosphere. The service is amazing, and we have found Ken to be a very kind man. While this restaurant certainly has many traditional options (which are amazing) their newer adaptations are not to be missed. My one warning about this place is that it is very pricey, however I would say that it is definitely worth it.

We were very impressed with this restaurant. Excellent quality nigiri and sashimi. The rolls (which I usually skip) was quite innovative. Service was top notch, from the sushi chef to the waiter. Seating is a little on the tight side and it can get quite noisy inside. A little on the expensive side, but the quality more than makes up for it. Plenty of parking. It does get quite busy on Friday and Saturday for dinner, so call ahead for reservation. Next time, I might want to try the omakase dinner ($120 and up). I was told it was good, but boy, that is quite pricey.

Great for sushi lovers ! Don’t read the menu just ask Ken to keep sushi conning Open from 1130-2 pm 530 to 10 pm Take your time is always busy

We went there last night for dinner after hearing great things about it.The atmosphere was good and so was the service .The menu is very innovative with good presentation , the Chilean seabass tapas was excellent but the sushi rolls did not blow us away .The sizes of the rolls we had were very small for the amounts ranging from 22-24$ We left there hungry after spending $100 for sushi and two drafts. They seriously need to improve on portions otherwise they won't be seeing us anytime soon

My relatives recommended this restaurant. The sushi quality is good but far from very good. We did not have time to wait and ask for takeout. It took 15 min and a reminder to bring us a cup of tea. They were not busy at all. One of the ordered items was simply forgotten ( not even recorded). The price is very high. Everything tasted good but definitely far from five stars.

First class quality. Black cod sashimi was outstanding. A native to Del Mar turned me on to it. Locals feel for sure.

This is definitely not your “half price” sushi in terms of price and food quality experience, so if you’re looking for reduced price 80% rice content sushi, Ken sushi is not the place for you. Their food is amazing and worth every penny. My husband and I had California roll with real crab, teriyaki chicken, garlic spiced edamame, and spicy tuna roll with salsa sauce. Every item had an exquisite taste. To top it off I had their home made truffle ice cream which was an experience in itself. All I can say it’s WOW.... This place deserves 5+ stars for their rating

We ended up here after checking online and saw it got great reviews, and were pretty happy with it. It's pricey! But that is what you expect in California and the sushi was very good. Everyone seemed to know the owner/host, who I am guessing was Ken (though we didn't talk to him.) There is a full bar and wine list.

Tucked in an unassuming business park location, take a venture to Ken's Sushi Workshop, you will be delighted with the innovation menu.

I was in town for a work conference for the week. Found this little gem online. I was seated right away at the sushi bar. Service was great. Food was very good. Very friendly staff. Prices were reasonable as well. I had the shumai and the unagi bonsai roll. You should call for a reservation with a big party. The dining room didn't look very big, but there might be another room that I didn't see. Parking is plentiful.

Very good quality very good service and the menu is different and creative. The small tapas are amazing and Ken is so nice!! Congratulations :) greetings from Mexico

I don't live in the area (not even close) but when I'm here, I wish I could eat here every day. I think even someone who didn't think they liked sushi would like this place. The lunch combo is fabulous and I highly recommend the twister roll. The service is quite attentive but not pushy.

Love this place. The food is like art. And it’s delicious! Ken is the consummate host. Everyone that works there is great. There are lots of regulars and the fist bumps are, ok, a little creepy, but you can overlook them when your are served amazing food. There isn’t anything I have ever ordered I didn’t really enjoy. Everything is extremely fresh and delicious. It’s not inexpensive, but worth every penny.

Unbelievably good sushi. Excellent service and a low key vibe. So thrilled to find this neighborhood gem. It is not cheap but well worth every penny!

Ken’s is an experience! If you let Ken create unique dishes for you, you won’t be disappointed. The ingredients are as good as you can get and they are expertly prepared by Ken personally and his staff. The service staff is excellent. The place is simple and not as exotic as the food - but the Sushi the star!

Worst place ever. We had reservations for 4 at 645 pm for a bubble. I was made to wait until 715 pm and then their staff quickly put an adhoc table in the open for 4. It was cold and freezing outside. We could not sit outside in the open and then we requested if we could go into a bubble. Obviously bubbles were all taken and also the people who came after us were seated in the bubble while we were watching. Mind out prior to getting to the place I got call from Ken sushi asking if we could sit inside or near sushi bar and I was clear enough to only ask for a bubble. We came to Ken to celebrate an important milestone. And they completely ruined it for us. They have completely untrained staff with no empathy. Please be careful before going there.

Recently a colleague of mine suggested that we have sushi at Kens. I found the culinary work of Ken awesome and he provided a great dinning experience. The sushi was not your every day sushi. With such expertly prepared food which covered the globe, expect to pay more than you would normally pay at a sushi bar. You won't be disappointed!

I ventured to Ken Sushi Workshop one evening for dinner. From the outside it is an average looking strip mall location. When I arrive about 7 o’clock the place was doing well for a Tuesday night. I sat at the sushi bar and asked for a recommendation. My server was very pleasant and accommodating. I had a sashimi selection along with two other menu items. All were expertly prepared and presented. The quality of the sushi was very high and tasted delicious. The prices for the menu items are also quite high, although I have not experienced enough San Diego sushi restaurants to make a fair comparison. I recommend Ken Sushi Workshop although I would also caution visitors that your bill is likely to be quite substantial.

This is a small restaurant in an office park so if we weren't taken there we would have missed a great meal. It was our second visit. The sushi was top notch, reasonably priced for the quality. The sake list offered a decent selection at fair prices.

Let me start off by explaining that I have eaten at tons of different sushi restaurants around the country and world and nothing compares to the quality and service at Kens. This hidden gem is one restaurant you cannot miss whether you're a local or a visitor to San Diego. Tips: sit at the sushi bar. Ask to sit in front of Ken, but both chefs are awesome and unique. Order the Goldeneye. Trust me. Order it as an appetizer, then as desert to finish the meal. You'll understand once you try it. Let Ken do his work. Don't order; let Ken choose your sushi destiny for the night. And buy him a shot. Things to note: this place is about quality and the service. Don't come and waste your appetite on big rolls. Try the sushi for what it is. I used to only order roles, but now it's all nigiri. Indulge with Ken. I can't express this anymore. Whether you are coming from downtown, north county, pb, or out of town: make the trip. It's well worth it. I could continue, but I'll let you decide after you try Kens.

This sushi bar in Carmel Valley (just south of Del Mar) serves very high quality sushi. The 2 photos show wild caught Sockeye Salmon and Otoro/Uni/Truffle.

Ken's sushi is phenomenal! His plates are really a work of art. Plan on staying a while and paying accordingly! It's very expensive, but worth it!

Showed up at 5:50 due to traffic, reservation at 5:30 and while we were late they rudely turned us away. So disappointed because I was looking forward to trying Ken Sushi after driving 30 miles. Will not ever get the chance to try the food now because I will not return with how we were treated. Go elsewhere!

If you are a sushi lover like my friend Angel, you gonna love this place, the sushi is great and the waitresses are very helpful, any of the rolls will be good for you, the mango agogo or something like that was very delicius.

You can´t find this place if you don´t know about it. It´s situated in an anonymous business complex next to a highway. But it´s worthwhile to go there. They have one of the best sushi and sashimi I´v ever had. It´s absolutely fresh. Imported fish mainly if not only from Japan. Every plate is a piece of art. Top quality food. There is absolutely nothing to criticise. The place can fill up very quickly and it is unfortunately quite noisy in the evenings. Service is good but not perfect, but there was a lot of people when we visited. The setting could be better. It is quite pricey but looking only at the food well worth the money.

Great food, a bit loud, expensive, good selection of dishes and service is good. Top quality place. make reservations or you could wait a long time. I would highly recommend it.

I have been at this restaurant many times with my wife and the in-laws too. It's not a fancy restaurant but nice enough and clean. The reason to visit is the food - great taste and freshest ingredients. I had the tuna sashimi sampler and it was incredible. It can get busy at lunch times so it's worth going early. Enjoy!

The quality and freshness was tip top, BUT the portions were very small for the prices. This was especially true for traditional cut rolls (Rainbow, Philly, etc). We tried the cooked Chilean Sea Bass appetizer and the unique rice-less Cherry Blossom Roll (salmon, tuna wrapped in cucumber both of which were excellent. Probably not the best place if you're craving the traditional sushi experience and looking to fill up. But if you appreciate high quality, don't mind paying a premium, and looking to try new things you'll enjoy it.

I have been here several times. I have not had a bad experience. The fish is top notch. Uni, fresh octopus, ama ebi, aji and scallops are my barometer for a place that understands their fish and each of those have been perfect without a hit of "its been here too long flavor" that I don't appreciate. All the standard fare, toro, sake, hamachi, maguro, and so on, were all wonderful. If you appreciate fine sushi I believe you will enjoy this place.

Great sushi! Excellent service! The shrimp dumplings and the soft shell crab roll were delicious! The house made fruit sorbet was a very tiny small portion but really good....

I always believe that sushi shouldn't be that expensive for what it is. I can understand if you order a full plate of shrimp, or an 8 oz steak, but small pieces of meat or fish mix with rice? I order a crunchy shrimp roll. Nothing spectacular or particularly great about it. Service was good.

This is the only place to eat sushi when visiting the San Diego area. The fish is so fresh and creatively is out of this world. I live in San Diego and have eaten at all the top places and no body comes close, yes even better than Nobo and Sushi Ota. Try the twister roll or the crispy rice and be prepared for your taste buds to be blown away. Ken is the best host and the staff are great.

You're not going to find crazy, edgy types of maki at Ken Sushi Workshop, or flashy fusion dishes coming out of the kitchen; heck, you're not even going to find a website. Ken is all about nailing the basics. Straight-ahead, old school nigiri, maki, and a bit of kitchen fare, all about as good as I've ever tried. Two highlights were the scallop nigiri topped with yuzu and a lightly torched golden eye snapper, the latter of which was just about the only nod to a newer school of sushi making. The restaurant is weirdly located in a generic corporate office park, which made us a little skeptical as we walked in, but from top to bottom, the food was absolutely inspired. Impressively understated, professional service. Quite expensive, but it's hard to overstate just how high the quality was across the board.

The itamae was excellent. His actions with the knife, his courtesy and the presentation made dinner for an old white haired man dining alone feel right at home. Favorite sashimi, salmon and tuna, were fresh and delicious.

Went here after a quick "sorry, this smells funky" experience at a dive sushi bar the previous night. Good sushi, friendly skilled chefs manning the bar while The Open reran on a TV behind them. Small, intimate and crowded but without imparting that crushing feeling some joints ooze. Expensive though. My friend said the chef had trained\worked at Sushi Ota, and also esteems this place above Sushi Ota (food is presented in more aesthetic ways here, this is patently obvious). He is a sushi connoisseur and I take him at his word.

out of dozens of sushi places, only few can truly stand out. Ken's is the one standing out, and by a wide margin. His daily selection of the highest quality fish, combined with organic produce from local farms, pleasing aesthetic, experience, and creativity make his workshop an elevated dining experience. Top-notch, clean, elegant, precise, and yet the atmosphere still manages to be so friendly, unpretentious, welcoming, and just fun. Great vibe here, and lots of locals. Excellent.

I'm not a big fan of sushi, but I came here with some colleagues from work and really enjoyed the variety of rolls that were offered. All were very tasty and beautifully prepared. Service was impeccable. I'm sure the more traditional sushi is good too, but I highly recommend the "Surf's Up" and "Manga a go go" rolls.

Love this place - excellent food creatively and brilliantly prepared. Excellent service and always under the eye of Ken himself. You can tell that there is enormous attention to detail and tremendous skill at preparing authentic and delicious dishes.

While some of the sushi was outstanding, the eel was overcooked and, because they had run out (!), they cut the two pieces into four for the three of us dining. One of our party made a reservation by leaving a voicemail at the restaurant and we were initially directed to the sushi bar (our request in the reservation) but the Japanese hostess came up and said we could not sit there because we did not have a reservation. When we said we had left a voicemail reservation that afternoon, her response was that we could not leave a voicemail reservation. We then said that the voicemail should make that clear or the restaurant should return the call. Finally, service was very spotty. When we ordered we suggested that each plate be brought out when it was prepared and several times we had to ask where our order was. We had been seated at a table for four and -- until we suggested otherwise -- the server would lean between us to set a plate down rather than go around to the open side of the table where there was plenty of room. Not sure I would go back. They opened in August 2014 and have a ways to go to be a desired, must-go place.

I couldn't be bother to travel to the downtown for the japanese food so I looked Yelps, the U.S. Restaurant guide app and found this with lots of v positive review. I ordered the Chef's choice sashimi ($42) the fish wash fresh and Uni was awesome fresh out of the shell!! The crispy tuna rice came with avacado which is unconventional way of combination turned out v nice and the rice is super crispy! I love all the dishes and my favourite is the green tea cream brûlée which is again a mix of japanese and western fusion. It however won't be too sweet but a flavour of green tea that I liked v much! The lady who served me kept getting me green tea and asking me how I liked the food. Excellent service even all the tables were full. Would recommend everyone to make a reservation ahead of time as the restaurant only fit roughly 50 ppl. There are lots of rolls that looks fantastic too!

I'm a local, and Ken Sushi Workshop is my favorite sushi restaurant. I've dined here numerous times over the past couple years, and each time take away a new favorite. Last time it was the scallop dish that was on special. Sushi is fresh, and for the locals who know the Sushi Ota restaurant - I heard that the chef at Ken Sushi used to be the sous-chef at Sushi Ota back in the day. Come here for lunch, and then drive a couple miles down the street to check out Torrey Pines State Beach. Both are gems of SD.

We had a quick dinner here on a Wednesday night. The sushi was delicious, fresh and beautifully plated. It’s on the expensive side but worthwhile! Service was also excellent. We sat outside and it was most pleasant.

This restaurant is a gem - outstanding in every way -- food, service, and atmosphere. The sushi is the very best - as good as any spot in LA, NYC, or anywhere, Ken is always at his corner in the bar and makes sure every piece of fish is perfect. Ken and many other servers, who have been there for years, create a friendly neighborhood gem.

The most incredible, high quality, freshest sushi in San Diego. No one can beat the amazing flavors Ken creates in each of his sushi, sushi rolls, & cooked dishes. If you want top of the line sushi in a welcoming atmosphere, look no further than Ken's Sushi Workshop.

When we first walked up we noticed how busy it was on a Wed night. Full of locals that new the chefs & staff by name. We were still able to slide into two seats at the sushi bar. Every dish we ordered was fresh!! Favorites were the salmon belly, tuna and definitely save room for the smoked black cod!! Comes out in a covered glass dish filled with smoke. Only regret that we didn't end with the smoked black cod. That would have been the perfect grand finale! We ordered tons of sushi and sake there wasn't anything we didn't like. I really think the locals don't talk about this place more online because they don't want it to become too packed!

Treat yourself to this upscale fresh Sushi wonderland that serves up the Freshest fish every day in every way. Order up your favorites and you will not be disappointed. Ken is a master sushi chef having learned from San Diego's best Mr Ota from sushi Ota. Ken is also the nicest and friendliest gentleman who will make your dining experience a true Pleasure. It's great it's all good and deliciously Fresh! Gotta go and Enjoy! A favorite ,with Ice cold beer on tap, and a great vibe. Sake paradise ,Excellent!!!

The place is very nice and clean. Service is slow and to my experience they always make a mistake with my order. Is ridiculously expensive but really good.

We have been to eat here with Ken multiple times. There is nothing better! The fish is always fresh! The best way to go is to just let Ken serve you.

Modern setup. No house sake. Good service. Expensive. The food ranged from ok to excellent depending on what we ordered. Nigori was ok, rolls were very good. Sushi Otta is cheaper and at least as good.

Ken's is tucked in a business complex. The inside dining area does not hold a lot of tables so make sure you make reservation. Usually, by 7PM this gets packed. The patio seating is usually available though. Since this is next to the road, I prefer to sit inside. Definitely try the omakase. Completely worth it. The preparation is more fusion sushi than traditional. The sashimi is always excellent. The uni is my favorite hands down. In other occasions, we've selected items from the menu. It's a hit or a miss sometimes. Not completely fond of the specialty rolls but I would still recommend to try different ones each time. Specialty rolls are about 25% more expensive than your usual sushi joint. Service is fast and friendly. Great for casual date night and family night outs.