3 days ago
Cult-Favorite Sushi Restaurant Sugarfish Is Expanding to San Diego
is an editor of the Southern California/Southwest region, who covers the evolving landscape of LA's food scene.
Cult-favorite sushi restaurant Sugarfish will finally expand to San Diego, with plans to open in the Little Italy neighborhood in spring 2026. This will be the first San Diego location for Sugarfish, which operates outposts across Los Angeles, Orange County, and New York.
Sugarfish comes from Nozawa Group, which is also behind Nozawa Bar and KazuNori. The first Sugarfish opened in Marina Del Rey in 2008 as a joint venture from acclaimed sushi chef Kazunori Nozawa of the now-closed Sushi Nozawa and his son Tom Nozawa, along with partners Jerry Greenberg, Lele Massimini, Clement Mok, and Cameron Broumand. The restaurant concept was simple: fresh fish and well-cooked rice available as sushi, sashimi, nigiri, and hand rolls. Shying away from the full multi-hour omakase, Sugarfish instead debuted set price boxes, all coming in under $60. Sugarfish may be best known for its 'Don't Think. Just Eat. Trust Me.' set, which comprises what Nozawa would usually serve at Sushi Nozawa with sashimi, seven orders of nigiri, and two hand rolls.
Rendering of Sugarfish in San Diego. Sugarfish
San Diego's Sugarfish will offer all the fan favorites, including four set meals, plus hand rolls, cut rolls, nigiri, sashimi, and edamame. The limited availability menu will be on offer in San Diego as well, with rotating options like a toro tasting, uni, albacore belly, and more.
Building designer Cliff May's California ranch houses influenced the look and feel of San Diego's Sugarfish. The restaurant, designed by architect Robert Tsurimoto Kirsten of A-RTK, will seat 40 in its dining room with concrete floors and large windows looking toward the harbor.
While San Diego has plenty of outstanding sushi restaurants like Sushi Tadokoro and Soichi Sushi, Sugarfish will bring a more casual (and quick) option for the area for great sushi without a daunting price tag.
Sugarfish by Sushi Nozawa will be located at 2100 Kettner Boulevard, Suite 1100, San Diego, CA 92101.
Eater San Diego
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