Taira is one of Orange County’s hidden gems for amazing sushi. It’s a very small restaurant that can fit a few parties, to the point where it’s reservation-only… By phone. There’s no OpenTable, Tock, or Resy. Just a traditional phone call and hope for the best.
That said, I got to enjoy a dinner at Tiara for my birthday!
The omakase experience at Taira was phenomenal. For less than $100, you get 12 pieces, which is a great price point. The vibes of the restaurant are so chill, and it’s run by a husband-and-wife team. The nigiri itself was high-quality, fresh, and perfectly paired.
Overall, I had an amazing dining experience at Taira! It is located in a random small plaza in Garden Grove. Once you get to the parking lot, you can’t miss the restaurant. This restaurant is also featured in the Michelin Guide.
If you’re not interested in the 12-piece omakase, they also have an 8-piece or 10-piece omakase, as well as a fairly large appetizer and à la carte section, so you can also enjoy some jellyfish with octopus tempura… Or maybe Halibut on its own too.
The First Course at Taira
The first course comes with four sets of nigiri (one per person). Top to bottom: Seared Fatty Tuna, Amberjack, Red Snapper, and Hokkaido Scallop.
The Second Course at Taira
I’ll be honest, I was totally lost on what these were, but they were delicious nonetheless! I could maybe guess the bottom one is the golden eye snapper. At this point, I was here for the vibes. There is only one chef serving the restaurant, so with the few parties in attendance, you’re just chilling with a glass of wine, beer, or sake at this point. The chef takes extra steps to season the nigiri, so you don’t really have to add additional soy sauce or wasabi, but totally optional at that point.
The Final Course
You can easily judge the quality of the restaurant by how they prep the most basic nigiri, the salmon. If it’s low quality, you can’t really have hope for the rest of the fish. If it’s high-quality like this one, everything else was deliberately chosen to maximize the dining experience. The Hokkaido Uni is chef’s kiss as always. The best way to end the meal is with a seared wagyu nigiri.
Taira Sushi & Sake
8851 Garden Grove Blvd #113
Garden Grove, CA 92844