Oku in Santa Barbara

I got this recommendation from locals in Santa Barbara and I’m not from this area. They were spot on and this is an excellent beachfront sushi spot.I ordered the soft shell crab appetizer, “everybody loves Raymond roll”, sunrise roll and uni sushi. The soft shell crab was delicious but wished they had more of a hot tempura sauce. It was nice, crispy and seasoned perfectly. The everybody loves Raymond roll was pretty good overall and the sunrise roll was also delicious. High quality fish, seaweed and rice. The uni was by far my favorite. Solid flavor and fresh tasting. An overall excellent dining experience and solid customer service.I’d definitely come back here again and try their other menu items. A solid sushi spot overall.

Love love love OKU! Dont have a picture of their Korean cauliflower wings but that is one of my favorite dishes there. Went for a friends graduation party and had a great selection of items ranging from their salmon to the fried rice and steak and a whole bunch of sushi. Loved everything from start to finish and it was a great experience. Their desserts were phenomenal too!

This place gets busy. Lively atmosphere and good vibes. Service was great. Sushi and items we picked not so awesome. I mean it wasnt bad or anything, just not great!! I think we expected more from the food. Presentation was good and food was fresh but flavors were somewhat lacking. I thought their mixed drinks were real good.

So damn good I came back a few times!Oku is the epitome of fine Japanese cuisine: the most fresh raw fish selections with generous cuts, killer drinks with a dazzling sake selection, elegant sides with both traditional and modern takes on the classics, and a stylish feel to both to the service and seating. Great for anyone who loves sushi but so many other options to go with in case raw fish isn’t your forte. Loved this place so much!One of the best sushi spots in the city! Check it out!

Awesome food! I really enjoyed the A5 wagyu and truffle oil gyoza. We ended up ordering 2 since it was so tasty. The spicy fried cauliflower appetizer was pretty good. The uni spoons are phenomenal, some of the freshest weve ever had. And the rolls we tried were tasty as well. Location is nice, very close to the beach and the pier. Overall great experience and will likely come back.

My only qualm with this place was it was a STEEP price for sushi I could get anywhere else in Sacramento. I would only get the nigiri if you want to try the sb uni. But even then you can get cheaper santa Barbara uni from the warf.Did everything taste delicious? Yes! But would I go back? Hmmm, probably not, the food wasnt good enough in my opinion for that steep of a price.

Always an excellent experience. Food and service are consistently great and is one of the better spots in town. Can be a little on the pricey side but worth it. Highly recommend the way of the dragon roll, crazy rich Asian roll, any carpaccio, and their toro if they have it in-stock. Their edamame also has a very nice/flavorful char on it.

Amazing time at Oku, pleasantly surprised since its in a touristy area. Service was attentive and friendly, the vibe was hip and the food was incredible! We are definitely coming back.

Loved it here. We wanted somewhere nice for the last night of our California trip and asked a local for recommendations. This was a great suggestion.Food was lovely, well prepared and we enjoyed all of it. The drinks were good too, some nice cocktail variations which we sampled happily.Staff were really helpful with the menu and ideas about what we may like.After our dinner we went and sat at the top of the building for a couple more drinks and a chat with the very lovely owner and some staff that stopped by as they were passing.Definitely on my list to go back to if Im in the neighborhood again.

First of all, this is an Asian fusion restaurant so do not compare with authentic Japanese restaurant. Nevertheless the Miso Cod and the Tuna Sashimi were spot on! The cod was cooked to perfection, very soft and flakey and the miso sauce was very well seasoned, simply delicious. Tuna were very fresh and sashimi grade, very good. Had the Red Lily cocktail, was very refreshing and pretty looking!