Had dinner here last night with my coworkers to celebrate a work anniversary - it was an enjoyable experience! Some omakase standouts included the braised sea eel, toro takuan, and bluefin tuna. There were some real creative options interspersed throughout, and I always enjoyed hearing the context for each piece from Chef Maru. The service was exceptional, and the ambiance was upscale, but with room for laughs and banter with the chefs. Come visit and experience this spot for yourself!

If I could give more stars, I would! I had such an amazing dining experience with Chef Maru and Chef Marcus - I cannot recommend this omakase enough. We had a 20-course omakase and every single fish and dish we had was amazing. Chef Maru explained the care and preparation that went into each dish, which allowed me to appreciate each one all the more. The fish truly melted in my mouth and I loved everything! The restaurant interior is very elegant, modern, and extremely clean and neat. The staff were all very kind and attentive. They have an eye for detail, right down to them noticing that I am left-handed! The staff started placing items (e.g., sauces, spoons, napkins) on my left side for me, which I truly appreciated. And this was all based on their observation after I placed my chopsticks on my left side! This was my first omakase experience, so I was a bit nervous and wasn't really sure what were the correct social cues (do I eat the dishes right away, or wait for Chef Maru's explanation)? But Chef Marcus made us feel comfortable, and explained that we can do whatever we feel is comfortable for us. He took care in explaining the best way to enjoy each dish. Both Chef Maru and Chef Marcus were extremely personable, and I loved speaking with them during my time at the restaurant. Special thank you to Chef Marcus for taking care of us the entire time (we were seated on his side of the bar). You're amazing! I highly recommend this place!

Where do I start? Probably one of the top dining experiences my husband and I have ever had. We lived in Japan for three years so for us the bar for excellent sushi is high. Chef Maru exceeded and lifted the bar. His omakase was perfect in every way. The fish was fresh. The flavors delicate and exquisite. The service was perfect. The sake recommendations paired with our meal complementing the taste of the food and the sake.

This was such a unique and fantastic experience. Extremely intimate since it is only the sushi counter and the staff were very attentive and social with every guest. This was a ten course omakase experience with a wide variety of fish and sea life. I would not recommend if you are not an adventurous eater but it is worth it if you are. Reservations go quickly since it's a small space and they only do two seatings per night.

One of my favorite omakase sushi joints in San Diego that makes me keep going back over and over again. The restaurant has a simple intimate decor and the service is awesome! The seafood is always fresh and Chef Maru is definitely able to show his mastery of the knife! Sushi Maru is a must for any sushi lover out there!

What an experience! This was our first time trying Omakase and I didn't know what to expect. Let me tell you from the moment you walk in you feel welcomed and as if you're home! The service is amazing, there were 3 servers and they were all equally attentive and so sweet! Inside is a very small intimate space which makes the expexperience even better! The food no words! Chef Maru is an artist! He is so careful with the food and you can tell how much he cares for the food he presents to us. Every single dish was flavorful and had a story. He explained where everything came from and what to expect when you eat it. If you have never tried Omakase please go here, the staff is amazing, the place is intimate and the food is out of this world! I did not take any pictures because I wanted to be in the moment but trust me please go and try it for yourself you won't be disappointed.

Just a note, my wife and I will be going monthly to this place! Here is why, elevated experience but not pretentious. Extremely satisfying experience of quality and tasteful art. Our omakase experience was paired with an amazing bottle of recommended Saki, which is now a favorite - thank you Andrew! :) From the moment we arrived, you feel like a VIP. We came to the early dinner but will opt for the later next time, so we can sit and enjoy a drink afterwards. This place easily rose to the top as our favorite.

Impressive experience dining at Sushi Maru. Chef Maru and team are so hospitable and they make the dining interactive. We both walked away impressed everything. Chef does a wonderful job of explaining each dish. We had 2 courses of Bluefin Tuna prepared completely different (one marinated and the other from the belly). I also haven't had Seabass as a nigiri before. All the fishes are from Japan and the highest quality. We loved how chef brought out a scalesless fish for us to see and also the hairy crab. Chef also uses local ingredients such as Chino Farms. We loved how there's mostly nigiri courses, but there's other dishes as well like soup and rice dish with crab. Ending with a soup (before dessert) is a tradition in Japan, and it was the same with our meal. For dessert there is a panda cotta with fruit. At the end, you have a chance to reorder any courses. There were several I would have wanted but 20 courses is filling. It's an intimate setting with 12 seats. The other guests were also really friendly and it was great meeting them. Definitely 5 stars! I can't think of anything they could have done to make it better. Quality of fishes, preparation, menu, ambiance, staff - everything was perfect.

I have enjoyed the proliferation of omakase exclusive Japanese restaurants that have popped up over the past year in the SD area. Surfing Chef Maruyama has branched out from his roots at Taka Sushi to open Sushi MARU on the ground level of the Stanza Little Italy building in the Cortez Hill neighborhood. The sushi bar could seat 10 diners and had two dinner seatings each night from Wednesday to Sunday. Reservations can be made using Tock. Twenty courses plus dessert were served over two plus hours at a cost of $180 per person which was on par with the local competition. My visit occurred within the first week of the grand opening. The bar setup was simple yet elegant like each of the SD omakase experiences I have tried so far. One diner on the opposite end had a few food allergies which made me wonder why he chose omakase for a meal. Nonetheless, Chef Maru-san and his staff made modifications to the offerings that met the customer's dietary restrictions. For the rest of us, the May seasonal menu was presented in this order... * Starter - Japanese cucumber, seaweed, hairy crab, nasturtium * Appetizer - Hokkaido scallop with myoga ginger, firefly squid, Pacific oysters, otoro from behind the gill and chutoro -- Nigiri, part one * Halibut (Hirame) * Bluefin Tuna Belly (Chutoro) * Striped Jack (Shima-aji) * Giant Clam (Mirugai) * Rosy Seabass (Nodoguro) * Bluefin Tuna Back, marinated (Zuke) * Warm Dish - Steamed halibut with hairy crab stock (dashi) -- Nigiri, part two * Flounder Fin (Engawa) * Scallop, konbu-wrapped (Hotate) * Hairy Crab, chopped including the head and brain (Kegani) * Sea Urchin, Hokkaido (Uni) * Spanish Mackerel (Aji) * Seasonal Simmered Dish - Saki and salt stock, carrot, yellow zucchini, turnip, brussels sprouts -- Nigiri, part three * Abalone (Awabi) with liver and saki sauce * Salmon Egg (Ikura) * Red Bream (Kinmedai) * Sea Eel (Anago) * Soup - Hairy crab with red and white miso * Dessert - Panna cotta with blackberry and strawberry The chef noted that hairy crab was in season so he made it a point to present the item in three different preparations. This was my first encounter with Kegani which I appreciated. Nothing on the menu was fried and even the use of a blowtorch to sear some fish was judicious. The other highlights for me were the giant sea clam and konbu-wrapped scallop which each had a clean, simple taste. There was plenty of interaction with the chef as he explained each course as it was presented. I peppered him with some questions like where a particular fish was sourced. All of the vegetables came from Chino Farms as the supplier. At the end of the session, you could re-order any item a la carte if it was still in stock. WIth the quality of the seafood used and the excellent presentation of each course, dinner at Sushi MARU was no doubt a five star experience.