Ayu Sushi & Noodles

Pleasantly surprised by the sushi! It was actually very good and fresh sushi. 8/10 crispy rice: Definitely get the crispy rice because it was so innovative and fun to eat and obviously very delicious. 9/10 hatsukoi roll 10/10 any nigiri (especially the halibut) 9/10 blue fin tuno crudo What also made our experience was our waiter Jaden. I hardly write reviews about waiters, but Jaden was one of the best waiters I’ve had in a very, very long time. He brought such a great atmosphere to the restaurant and made our night. Definitely coming back for the food and for the service as well. There needs to be more Jadens in the world for sure.

Loverly night with yummy sushi tonight. I really love sashimi at this restaurant. They were so fresh.

Zana Switzer

Ayu Sushi & Noodles delivered some of the best sushi we’ve ever had—fresh, flavorful, and absolutely delicious! Every bite was a perfect balance of freshness and quality, making it clear that this place takes great pride in their ingredients and preparation.

Hesam Abedini

Great sushi place with several hot dish options and a wonderful bar! Their happy hours is great! Definitely try their yellowtail jalapeno! All of the roles we ordered were delicious and the fish was fresh. Their Gyozas are freshly made and grilled, so definitely try them out! The cocktails are also very delicately made and served. Check out this place!

Wandering in Paradise

Amazing sushi and noodles at Ayu Sushi & Noodles in Pacific Highlands Ranch in Carmel Valley. We loved everything, the tempura udon, the yume, sachi, and anata rolls, the bluefin crudo, and the salmon hand rolls. Great selection of species on the menu, next time will need to get more nigiri and sashimi. Great service, friendly and quick. We sat on the dog friendly patio. Recommend!

Christine Lee

Wow, I had the most incredible sushi experience ever! I am not a huge fan of sashimi, but this was a nice surprise. The highlight of the menu for me was the cold dishes and Omakase sashimi combo! You should try them even if you are hesitant about sashimi. It offers a five-star fine dining quality at your local sushi place price. I think the secret lies in the Chef's skill to cure the sashimi fish, making it buttery and melting in your mouth without any fishy smell. The sauce is refreshing and subtle, complementing the fish perfectly without overpowering it. We had Yellowtail Jalapeño, Tuna Takaki, Ayu Style Sashimi Salmon, and Carpaccio Octopus – all of which were awesome. I was so busy eating that I forgot to take pictures of each dish, but the presentation was also elegant. I don't usually enjoy cooked salmon that much, but the lightly seared technique brought out the best in the Ayu Style Sashimi Salmon. I believe it's a huge mistake to only order hot food or rolls there. Their specialty lies in the cold dishes and fresh ingredient sashimi! When I complimented the manager about the cold dishes, he mentioned that a Hyatt Chef came to train their chef there – no wonder! Each cold dish comes with only six pieces, but it is definitely worth it. Of course, we had to order rolls because you don't want to go home hungry after a meal. Their creative and filling rolls perfectly complemented the cold dishes. Overall, it was the best sushi experience!

Brandon Keaton

We recently visited this awesome place for some sushi and I must say, it was an exceptional experience. The quality and freshness of the fish were outstanding, and the chefs really know how to prepare them perfectly. I especially enjoyed the soft shell crab appetizer, salmon collar which was bursting with flavor and had the perfect balance of textures. The ambiance of the restaurant was also top-notch, with a cozy and intimate setting that made for a great dining experience. The service was exceptional from “ Tanner ” who was attentive and friendly. The staff made sure that everything was just right. They all played like team players and had each others back. Overall, I highly recommend for anyone looking for some delicious and authentic sushi. It's definitely worth a visit, and I can't wait to go back and try some more of their amazing dishes!" Thank you again “ Tanner “ sorry if I spelled it wrong. #blessed

Joe_H

What an amazing gem in Carmel Valley. The food was extremely fresh and delicious. The staff are so friendly and truly embody the mom and pop shop vibe. We saw regulars come in and out during our visit and they were treated like family. We’ll have to come back again because we didn’t document half the things we ate. I got the mai tai and it was such a great balanced drink. Would highly recommend.

Dan

Great place for Japanese food. The fish for the sashimi and rolls is incredibly fresh and high quality. I loved all the food I had, especially the handrolls and spicy tuna. The handrolls had a great fish ratio! I also highly recommend their matcha mojito!

L D

I recently suffered an injury where I’m unable to cook for myself, and after alternating between restaurants I’ve grown tired of the options nearby. You know when you eat out too much and your stomach just craves something more safe and comforting? This is my spot for that kind of meal. The grilled salmon plate is my go to. The portion size is big and I usually have leftovers. I might be kind of a snob when it comes to rice, but it's just wrong when full service restaurants serve the cheap stuff. I’ll sometimes order sides of rice here to take home and eat throughout the week, and always order an extra miso soup. I was wondering why I like it so much compared to other places and found out it’s because they make it in house (according to the manager, a lot of places don't). I haven’t ventured out of my comfort zone and tried the fancy menu items yet, but I can safely say this place has got the basics down.

Cici

In town visiting family. A friend recommended this place to us bc my husband's old favorite sushi place closed down. Anyway, hands down best sushi I've had. I've lived in Tennessee, Virginia, and now im in Key West. I thought Key Wests sushi was good but this place beats it. I'm pregnant but still crave sushi so the wait staff took good care of me and recommended the baked salmon roll. Amazing. I also had the edamame and asked for a custom mocktail. Both were also amazing. Our server was kind, attentive, funny, and helpful. The atmosphere is lovely in there and the service is outstanding. My husband ordered the old fashioned and rainbow roll and he said he was impressed. Thanks, Ayu, for the top notch food and drinks. Will be back!

Wesley Royal

My wife and I came here for the first time and are totally excited to have such a good restaurant nearby! We started with calamari and edamame. The calamari was crispy and delicious, with a very unique crispy & crunchy batter. It was served with sweet chili sauce. The edamame was excellent, tasted like it was cooked in a vegetable broth and was more flavorful than other similar restaurants nearby. My wife had the chicken teriyaki. It was breast meat, cook exceptionally well. It was moist, had a nice grilled char to it... and wasn't cooked to death. It also wasn't overly salty. The teriyaki sauce was delightful... not overly salty, a good taste of soy sauce with a back note of pineapple and a hint of ginger, like a good teriyaki should. I had the salmon kalma and a cucumber wrapped salmon skin roll. The salmon kalma was the best I have had locally... but the salmon skin roll was INSANELY good! By far the best thing I had tonight. One of the best sushi rolls I have had in years. I am going to be a regular here for this roll!!! Dessert was assorted mochi. 😊

Cosmo F.

Pleasantly surprised by the sushi! It was actually very good and fresh sushi. 8/10 crispy rice: Definitely get the crispy rice because it was so innovative and fun to eat and obviously very delicious. 9/10 hatsukoi roll 10/10 any nigiri (especially the halibut) 9/10 blue fin tuno crudo What also made our experience was our waiter Jaden. I hardly write reviews about waiters, but Jaden was one of the best waiters I’ve had in a very, very long time. He brought such a great atmosphere to the restaurant and made our night. Definitely coming back for the food and for the service as well. There needs to be more Jadens in the world for sure.

yesuk song

Loverly night with yummy sushi tonight. I really love sashimi at this restaurant. They were so fresh.

We went there last night- our server gave us the perfect amount of attention. The bartender recommended the perfect sake. The food was amazing. Highly recommend!

Ayu Sushi & Noodles offers fresh, flavorful sushi and delicious noodle dishes in a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. The staff is friendly, service is quick, and presentation is excellent. Perfect spot for casual dining or takeout.

If you are looking for a great neighborhood, sushi place, this is it. We live in the area and come here all the time. We always have an enjoyable experience. We love the sushi and rock shrimp My wife and I decided to have this place cater her birthday coming up so I called them today to get everything arranged and talked to a girl named Mina. She was awesome to work with and can't wait to see the beautiful platters their fantastic chefs put together for my wife.

Good food, great service! Carlos was attentive and even pre-set our check for easy calculation for us to split for our big company. Exceeded expectations! Thank you, we had great pleasant time!

Colleen Noviello

We went there last night- our server gave us the perfect amount of attention. The bartender recommended the perfect sake. The food was amazing. Highly recommend!

Susan Brown

Ayu Sushi & Noodles offers fresh, flavorful sushi and delicious noodle dishes in a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. The staff is friendly, service is quick, and presentation is excellent. Perfect spot for casual dining or takeout.

Marta Rudat

Good food, great service! Carlos was attentive and even pre-set our check for easy calculation for us to split for our big company. Exceeded expectations! Thank you, we had great pleasant time!

Bobby Martins

If you are looking for a great neighborhood, sushi place, this is it. We live in the area and come here all the time. We always have an enjoyable experience. We love the sushi and rock shrimp My wife and I decided to have this place cater her birthday coming up so I called them today to get everything arranged and talked to a girl named Mina. She was awesome to work with and can't wait to see the beautiful platters their fantastic chefs put together for my wife.

Food was great and nice ambience. Good selection of drinks as well. Veg options are limited but marked so you have a few options. Veg ramen 🍜 is a must try along with avocado roll

First time trying this place while visiting relatives in the area. Located in the shopping center right next to the parking garage. The food and service were both great. I would gladly come again when in the area. Katsu Curry is one of my comfort meals and I enjoyed theirs. Serving size for the entrees was generous. We ordered a couple sushi rolls as well.

Shiv

Food was great and nice ambience. Good selection of drinks as well. Veg options are limited but marked so you have a few options. Veg ramen 🍜 is a must try along with avocado roll

J C

First time trying this place while visiting relatives in the area. Located in the shopping center right next to the parking garage. The food and service were both great. I would gladly come again when in the area. Katsu Curry is one of my comfort meals and I enjoyed theirs. Serving size for the entrees was generous. We ordered a couple sushi rolls as well.

I'm really torn because the service was friendly and the place is nice (refreshed but largely keeping to the setup from the previous restaurant that was there). However the food was overpriced for what they give you. The ramen might as well have been from package considering how generic and unexciting it was. Our tuna cut roll was only ok. Given the size of their menu, they're trying to do a lot but none of it very well.

Leon Chang

I'm really torn because the service was friendly and the place is nice (refreshed but largely keeping to the setup from the previous restaurant that was there). However the food was overpriced for what they give you. The ramen might as well have been from package considering how generic and unexciting it was. Our tuna cut roll was only ok. Given the size of their menu, they're trying to do a lot but none of it very well.

First of all this is the first time my family go there.The miso tasted off, and I could actually smell a fishy odor coming from the water or the cup. To make things worse, at the table next to us, a woman found a fly that had been in her food! I can’t believe it. The waitress offered to bring her a new one, but the woman refused since she had already lost her appetite. I honestly can’t believe I took my kid there! For respect, I still give the waitress 17% tip for his services.However, I won’t go there anymore.

Jannifer K

First of all this is the first time my family go there.The miso tasted off, and I could actually smell a fishy odor coming from the water or the cup. To make things worse, at the table next to us, a woman found a fly that had been in her food! I can’t believe it. The waitress offered to bring her a new one, but the woman refused since she had already lost her appetite. I honestly can’t believe I took my kid there! For respect, I still give the waitress 17% tip for his services.However, I won’t go there anymore.