Tag Archives: shunka costa mesa

Shunka in Costa Mesa

I have been hearing lots of good things about Shunka in Costa Mesa for a long time now.  I am an avid sushi fan, however I am very particular about where I get my sushi (see: Kitayama).  But after reading countless reviews and hearing how I “needed to try Shunka in Costa Mesa” I finally decided to go for it.  And boy am I glad I did.

Shunka is located in a small strip mall off 17th street near Plums Cafe.  The actual restaurant itself isn’t that big with a sushi bar, a few booths and some small tables.  Since this was my first Shunka experience, the Englishman and I decided to sit a booth and just order off the menu instead of Omakase style.

I started the meal with a cucumber salad which was cucumbers in vinegar and topped with sesame seeds.  Very simple, but quite refreshing.

SushiShunka_CucumberSaladWe decided to order a few rolls and some sushi and share amongst the two of us.  First up was the mackarel, squid and shrimp sushi.

SushiShunka_SamplerI personally did not taste the squid (I prefer it in calamari form) but the shrimp was nice and fresh and the mackrel had a nice oily taste to it.  The Englishman loved the squid and happily ate both pieces. We also ordered a spicy yellowtail roll that had just the right amount of heat.

SushiShunka_spicyyellowtailI loved this roll because it wasn’t coated in mayonnaise and other sauces so the yellowtail flavor could shine through.  The added spice was a nice component as well. We also ordered a soft-shell crab roll sans the imitation crab mixture (I couldn’t have it due to my food allergies).

SushiShunka_crabrollI actually preferred the soft shell crab without the imitation crab mixture.  Just like the yellowtail roll, the flavor of the crab shined through instead of being smothered in sauce.

Last but not least we got a veggie roll.  Just because I like them.

SushiShunka_VeggieRollI was very impressed with Shunka – I’ll definitely be making a return trip and will be more adventurous in my ordering as well.  If you are looking for quality, decently priced sushi in the Orange County area, then this is your spot.