Azabu Restaurant

A Must-Visit Sushi Spot! I recently revisited one of my favorite sushi places from when I was younger, and I was thrilled to see it had undergone a complete remodel. I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical at first—could it still capture the magic I remembered? But once I sat down and took my first bite, all doubts melted away. The sushi here is absolutely amazing! Every piece is fresh, authentic, and bursting with flavor. The attention to detail in each roll and the variety offered truly stand out. On top of that, the staff is incredible—friendly, attentive, and so knowledgeable about the menu. They helped make the experience even better by recommending dishes and sharing insights about the flavors and preparation. The updated atmosphere complements the incredible food, creating a dining experience that feels both modern and welcoming. I highly recommend giving this place a try. If you’re a sushi lover, you won’t be disappointed. Next time I visit, I’m definitely ordering their impressive sushi boat—it looks like a feast worth every bite!

By far this was the greatest dining experience we’ve ever had, from the elegant ambience, to the welcoming environment, to the engaging staff, to the epic birthday surprise at the end this has got to be the greatest restaurant in all of California. Thank you so much for the hospitality and the experience, you have us as forever customers now🫶🏽🌹

Beautiful restaurant that has an upscale vibe. The food is delicious and the service has always been great. My favorites are the Wagyu Dumplings and Salmon Carpaccio.

I’ve been here a few times and the flavors created by the wise chef are pure deliciousness. The cocktails are just as great. Great vive, great food and drinks. Best sushi and Sashimi in Whittier in my opinion

Pleasantly surprised with this great sushi spot! We went in the evening and I have to say it has a very sexy vibe, looks modern great for a group setting or for a date with friends or lovers ☺️. Rashad took care of us all evening and was very attentive to us throughout our entire visit. His customer service was on point! Sushi, appetizers and cocktails were delicious. There was a very robust menu along sushi rolls, hand rolls, vegan options and an incredible cocktail selection!

First off this is a fancy decadent sushi restaurant. All food is obviously made fresh. We didn't get much this trip: tuna& California roll, the medley fish tacos, which may be an acquired taste very fresh but bland, the shrimp chunks I did add wasabi & some soy sauce, but I felt needed something more, wish I could some of my salsa on it, lol. The shell was maybe a small flour tortilla? Or maybe a egg roll wrap? Then clasped w/a small seaweed square, Then ordered 2 crab teriyaki rolls which were quite delicious, my drink was a pretty Ricky which was perfect to make you relax, then a small bottle of saki, which hit the spot. Service was good, beautiful art.

Good food, atmosphere. Service is OK. Too many employees for too little attention. It seems to me that they assign tables to one person, and you become invisible to the others. But the server was good when rarely she came by.

I loved this place, the sushi was so good. I didn’t like the ceviche, there was hardly any seafood in it , mostly onion and cucumber. Their wagyu roll was really good. They give fresh wasabi with the sashimi which was cool. It’s a very nice looking restaurant too, but unfortunately the surrounding area isn’t that nice. I would definitely come back here for the food though and all the servers were excellent.

The sushi was immaculate! Fresh and flavorful. My favorite was the Smoked Azabu. The A-5 Wagu was on point and the smoke flovor just took it to another level. My husband loved the nigiri sampler. It is definitely a "must try." Our server, John, was the bomb! He was friendly, had great recommendations, and hooked my husband up with this awesome ube desert for his bday! Will definitely be back!

Amazing sushi in Whittier came all the way from LONG BEACH just to try this restaurant and it was amazing. I will definitely be back. We ordered the tuna tartar, Denver Wagyu, fuego specialty roll, and sashimi tacos 🌮 Sashimi tacos weren’t as great as we thought it would be but everything else exceeded our expectations. The drinks here are amazing. Recommend ordering the Geisha Umbrella’ Great service from the bar.

Absolutely amazing! Took my granddaughters for a first experience of sushi! They were very happy with the experience

Wagyu dumplings were 🔥🔥 as well as the salmon roll and spicy tuna roll. The salmon entree was phenomenal as well. Looking forward to retuning and trying more sushi and wagyu dishes.

Very fun. Good times with friends

Drinks were amazing and sushi was even better. Have to say the service was really good, just made for a great night. Highly recommend!

My wife thought this was the best sushi she’s ever had, and it was very good. The shishito peppers were delicious and so was the Abazu crunch roll and wagyu dumplings. The baked crab roll I could have done without, but otherwise an amazing dinner and great service. If you’re in the area, it really is worth a stop.

great vegan menu. got the crispy black rice with spicy "tuna," edamame, and the tokyo drift drink. delicious!

Good food good drinks good atmosphere!

The food was incredible and beautifully presented. The wagyu steak was on point. Everyone at our table was very pleased with their food.

What a GREAT dinner! Met friends here on a late Friday night and they fit us in. The sushi was fresh and so tasty, definitely the best I’ve had in a LONG time. The drinks were amazing, try a version of their old fashioned but so many different drinks to choose from. Our server Christine was so attentive & sweet. We felt the service was 10/10! I recommend the wagyu dumplings and Geisha roll!

Azabu in Whittier was 🔥! Food was fresh and delicious, service was amazing—shoutout to Yuli for taking such great care of us. The ube cheesecake was absolute gas. Only heartbreak? No chocolate cake… guess I’ll have to come back for it. 😉

Me and my wife came here for the first time for our birthdays. Azabu you did not disappoint the food was amazing and staff gave us phenomenal service. The grilled octopus was tender, flavorful which is hard to get me and my wife loved it. Blue fin tuna is absolutely delicious. Sushi is good you can taste the quality ingredients you really don’t need the ginger and soy it was great by itself. We found a hidden gem in Whittier can’t wait to go back .

Everything about this place was great except the chairs felt to low tothe table. Had to sit forward the hole time. Food an drinks were fire !! Definitely will try to make it a monthly visit

Christine is amazing. She is fun and very attentive. Food is great and drinks were made perfectly. Our waitress always checked in on us and made sure we were doing great.

this place is a hidden gem. The food is amazing and the drinks are not far behind. The hostess was friendly and knew what to recommend. This is a great place to go out on date night or go out with your friends. The sashimi and sushi rolls are an excuse to go again.

Really nice ambience and friendly welcome. The host opened the door for us and sat us at a nice table and then our waitress gave us a nice but lengthy introduction since it was our first time. We were here for happy hour and the drinks were great. The crunchy roll was good and fried rice was awesome but we had to try their specialty rolls (not on happy hour). I forgot the name of the roll but it just tasted like avocado and rice. It had yellowtail and not forgot what else but it was all bland. Got another cocktail which was great again but wanted to try some nigiri (bluefin tuna and rice) to give them one last shot. And it was grocery store quality. Still had fishy after taste in my mouth after I left too. The presentations were nice and I think we will come back for drinks and some other appetizers but not for sushi. You can get better sushi for half the price at other local spots.

Food is delicious, service is great. A few items on the menu were sold out, our choices were limited. We had a reservation and still waited about 20 min to be seated. Parking was $10, if you look around you will find parking.

Great environment, great customer service, and awesome place for a date night. Sashimi pizza is amazing! My only recommendation is that they add more options in the menu and maybe provide some simple economical sushi/Sashimi options. It would be nice to drop by for any random occasion and not just special occasions.

Nice spot in Whittier. Great food, good drinks and service was fast. Definitely recommend for a dinner date or special occasion .

Azabu Sushi – Whittier, CA ★ ★ ★ ★ ½ (I docked half a star purely out of spite because I can’t afford to eat here every day) I walked into Azabu expecting the usual Whittier sushi experience: decent fish, questionable rice, and a lingering fear that the “spicy tuna” might just be yesterday’s salmon wearing hot sauce as war paint. Instead I was immediately hit with a vibe that says, “Yes, we know we’re in a strip mall next to a boba place, but we’re about to ruin you for grocery-store California rolls forever.” Let’s start with the Salmon Carpaccio (the flat pizza-looking thing in the photo). Imagine if salmon had a glow-up, went to Coachella, and came back wearing citrus ponzu as body glitter and microgreens as a flower crown. It’s so pretty I almost felt bad eating it. Almost. Then I inhaled the entire plate in 45 seconds like a savage who’d never seen raw fish before. Zero regrets. The texture is silkier than my ex’s lies. Next up: the Shrimp Gyoza in that dark, mysterious broth. These dumplings show up swimming in what I can only describe as “umami bathwater.” One bite and I involuntarily whispered “oh daddy” — which was awkward because I was on a date with my actual father. The wrappers have that perfect pan-seared crisp before collapsing into the sauce like they owe it money. I’d bathe in that broth if it weren’t socially unacceptable (and if the staff weren’t watching me like I’m one impulse away from grabbing a straw). Portions are annoyingly civilized — translation: you’ll want to order three of everything and then lie about being full so you look refined. Pro tip: don’t. Just commit to the food coma. Your jeans will forgive you eventually. Service is ninja-level attentive without being obnoxious. Our server knew the menu like he personally caught the fish at 4 a.m. while doing CrossFit. When I asked what was good he just smirked and said “everything,” which should’ve been arrogant but was 100% correct. Rude. Ambiance? It’s dark, moody, and sexy in a way that makes you want to use chopsticks seductively even though you still hold them like a toddler with crayons. Only complaint: the bill. It arrives looking innocent, then you realize you just paid Beverly Hills prices in a city where the biggest landmark is a 24-hour donut shop. Worth it? Absolutely. Will I be eating cup noodles for the next week? Also yes. Verdict: Azabu is the sushi spot Whittier doesn’t deserve but desperately needed. If you’re still going to the conveyor-belt place down the street after eating here, I’m afraid we can no longer be friends. 9.5/10 — would sell a minor organ to come back tomorrow.

I was a bit skeptical of eating here based on reviews I see at another review site. We did not have to wait long to be seated. The place was almost full. I have to say that I like the sushi rolls. They do taste good overall, but what I don’t like is that the sushi would break apart easily. At one point while I was grabbing a roll, the shrimp fell off and landed on my shirt versus going into my mouth. The other thing, the sushi chefs were fast making their rolls, but the wait staff service was slow overall. Even on two occasions each sushi chef had to wait or call on the wait staff to do something like serve food they made or pick up a check. Chances are slim if I want to eat here again.

It was a busy Friday night. The place was full, with crowds waiting outside (which is usually a good sign of a great restaurant). We forgot to make a reservation so we waited at the bar for our table, which isn't a problem. While at the bar, we ordered some drinks and oyster shooters. Both were good, as expected. We finally got our table but it took another 20 min for our waitress to take our orders. Unfortunately, our food took even longer. It took about 30 min for the first dish, Yellowtail carpaccio, and about 15-20min between each dish to come out. We ordered 4 dishes so the last one didn't come out until almost an hour later. 4 🌟 for the quality of the food. 4 🌟 for the ambience. 2 🌟 for the service.

Complete mismanagement, misleading menu, and overwhelmed staff. My boyfriend made a reservation here for Valentine’s Day at 8:45, we showed up 10 minutes early thinking we could grab a drink before our dinner and we realized there were at least 10 couples waiting outside. We were told a 30 minute wait because they were backed up. We ended up not being sat until 9:55pm. We didn’t leave the restaurant until 12:20am. Our food took over an hour to come and it was just okay. We HAD to order off the prefixed menu, we picked the cheaper option because we didn’t trust the more expensive one to be worth it at the time and thank goodness we did. It wasn’t until we sat down and were about to order were we told that everything was shared even the entree. My boyfriend and I had to share ONE steak. The manager (or owner?) was on the floor helping but made no effort to rectify the situation for anyone. This was a huge oversight and even offering a free drink or something would’ve softened the blow while people waited outside in the cold for over an hour. You could also tell the entire waitstaff was in over their heads. So disappointed with this because we were so excited to come here. Patrick was our server and he was kind and did his best.

I arrived at the restaurant to find a large crowd and thought, “I’m glad I made a reservation.” My reservation was for 8:15 p.m, but I was told there was a 25 minute wait. No problem, it’s Valentine’s Day, I understand. After 25 minutes, I asked how much longer, and I was told six more groups were ahead of me. An hour later, I was finally seated at 9:15 p.m. There was no waiter in sight, so after 15 minutes, we asked the busser to bring someone over. By this point, we knew exactly what we wanted to order, yet it still took another hour to get our sushi. After an hour and a half, we still hadn’t received the second half of our prefixed menu (a total scam). By 11:30 p.m, I told the waiter to take down my number, and I’d pay over the phone after asking for my check multiple times. They discounted all my food, and I paid for my drinks. The total time spent from start to finish was 3 and a half hours. The only reason I’m giving this place two stars is because of the discount. I had heard great things about it, but I was really disappointed.

The food and drinks were good. Beautiful restaurant. But beware of getting large party service charge of 20%. This happened to me and we only had 2 ppl in our party. When the menu clearly specifies 6 or more for large party service charge. Very unethical.

We have been here before. Arrived on Valentines expecting a busy night. No problem waiting. I understand. Reservation for 8:45 and they walk us in at 9:45. They gave our table to someone else. No problem. They tell us 10 min. No problem. We get to waiting 25 minutes for our table. We sit down and we get told it is only Prix Fixe. No where in our reservation. Did it say that. 1.5 Hours after reservation time and they are forcing us to a $125 menu that was not communicated at all. Absolutely ridiculous. I understand it’s probably the busiest night for you guys. But what the heck.

Due to being a holiday they should’ve prepared better. Despite having a reservation, the wait time was an hour to be seated. Once seated, it was an additional wait time for our waiter and service continued to worsen. Regardless whether entering our food options early the wait time was always long. Total time spent at the restaurant was 4 hours and to only receive drinks and one portion of their fixed menu. Multiple customers around our table were complaining and upset because of the service. Definitely not returning.

The hostess had a bad attitude and could not give us a bigger table and told us that we should’ve just made a reservation. That is actually insanity because you should be able to get accommodation as the customer. I was basically treated as a thug and probably won’t ever return here in the future. The food is great but the service is terrible and I wish the service was as great as the food. Will not be returning!

Juan Jose was the worst waiter ever. He was not very attentive and dismissed our request for better seating arrangement due to my disability. He was very rude and never came to refill our drinks either I ended up having to ask another worker to find our server so that we could get help. I really like this restaurant and I was a regular until now these new staff member seem very rude and don’t make you feel welcomed anymore.

I went yesterday and to my surprise I found the new staff very rude as it feels like you’re paying for the food and not for the service. I felt disappointed once I left as I think this place has so much potential but it is not how I remembered it something has changed here. I see others saying similar things as I am so I know I’m not the only one but I hope this place can recover from the rude attitude situation and Whittier could enjoy this place once again.

This place is not for anyone who wants fresh and traditional Japanese sushi. When I sat down at the bar I noticed the limited selection of fish had already been precut. I real sushi bar will cut the meat fresh in front of you. Furthermore the fish looked dry. The Hamachi was tough and tasted off. I ordered Spanish Mackeral and never got it. Some items I asked for they could not even make. Then they charged for refills of hot green tea. That is never done in a Japanese restaurant. Service was just terrible.