I had done some legwork trying to find the best, most authentic, freshest, and all around most incredible sushi place in San Diego for Ashton's birthday. Overwhelmingly the response I got from friends and reviews was Sushi Ota in Pacific Beach. Reservations highly recommended, and listed with $$ I knew I wouldn't necessarily be wasting money on ambiance. Anything comfortable with a focus on the food is A-OK in my book. It's nestled next to a 7-11 and behind another restaurant, so it's barely visible from Mission Bay Drive. Definitely a "destination", not just a wander in kind of place. The majority of the people there were Asian, which is ALWAYS a good sign, and even with a reservation we had to wait for a half hour (very willingly, by the looks of contentment on the patrons).
Let me just tell you this. I've eaten a lot of sushi. I've eaten it in many varieties in many places, and while I still have a long way to go to become a true connoisseur, I feel as though I know what okay sushi tastes like, what good sushi tastes like, what great sushi tastes like, and what out of this world sushi tastes like. This was out of this world. While eating truly amazing sushi, cost cannot be a factor. You just have to go balls out and go for the gold. I don't even like to waste valuable tummy space with drinking. Water is the only liquid to touch my lips in these kinds of situations.
We started with the calamari, which was golden, crispy, with a tangy plum sauce that was divine. Next was the seafood dynamite, with their "secret" dynamite sauce baked over a bed of mixed seafood that was basically heaven in our mouths. Then, the main spread. I got a veritable fiesta of sashimi over a bed of sushi rice, all of which was possibly the best and freshest fish I've ever come across. Ashton got a "sampler" which included a giant baked scallop and clam (both seared in their own juices to plump goodness), shrimp tempura (which came with it, but in my opinion don't waste time with tempura when there is real sushi to be had! Wonderful nonetheless), and a tiny seaweed salad that could have been pulled out of the ocean and prepared to order as far as my tastebuds were concerned. He also got an absolutely stellar platter of sashimi as well, so the mixing and matching was out of control. We lost ourselves in this magnificent feast the likes of which I had dared to hope for but could have not imagined in all its glory.
For as full as we were, we were still tempted by the plum wine and red bean ice cream, which together was an excellent way to calm our full tummies into a final submission. As we tottered away, I think we both knew that words couldn't describe or duplicate this experience. It was something beyond that. I can just say that we will absolutely patronize this place until the day it either burns down or we die, because I can say it certainly won't go out of business.
