Sushi Ota

Sushi Ota was founded in 1990 by Chef Yukito Ota, a native of Kumamoto, Japan, who trained in Kobe, Tokyo, and Osaka before emigrating to the United States in 1982 and settling in San Diego after discovering what he called the best sea urchin in the world. Located at 4529 Mission Bay Drive in Pacific Beach, the restaurant became a training ground for the next generation of San Diego sushi chefs, with protégés going on to open celebrated restaurants of their own. Sushi Ota is widely regarded as one of the most influential and authentic sushi restaurants in America.