A sushi restaurant in Southern California’s Inland Empire ranked No. 2 on Yelp’s Top 100 list of sushi restaurants nationwide.
Imari Sashimi Sushi has more than 250 five-star reviews, with the takeout-only restaurant serving a special rice that most American sushi restaurants don’t use and a soy sauce and vinegar imported from Japan, according to co-owner Kazumi Ikaba. He said the restaurant’s focus on freshness, quality and authenticity is the secret behind the rave reviews on its Yelp page.
“It’s like each sandwich has been personally approved by the gods of the kitchen,” reads a review from user Justin H.
Another review notes that the quality of the fish is the restaurant’s real standout, with offerings like “premium cuts of chutoro (fatty tuna) and otoro (tuna belly).” Ikaba said serving fresh fish from Japan is a major priority for the restaurant.
A Yelp community manager who helped compile the list, TD Tran, said the review site looks at the sheer number of positive reviews a given restaurant receives and what the reviews themselves actually say about the restaurant.
“It’s a testament to their quality,” Tran said of the more than 250 5-star reviews Imari has received.
According to Yelp, the most popular and photographed dishes at Imari are the Shrimp Tempura Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll and Chirashi Bowl, with salmon, yellowtail, octopus and shrimp.
“I love this place so much. Everything from the service to the food,” writes Yelp user Susan C. “The people here are so friendly every time you walk in… I literally can’t get sushi anywhere else these days because the quality here is top notch!”
The sushi restaurant ranked No. 1 on Yelp’s Top 100 list is Kauai Sushi Station, a food truck in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii.
