Bistro Anju - Aliso Viejo

I wanted to support a local Asian business this past weekend during the stay-at-home order and went with Bistro Anju because I was craving sushi. I went with their Sushi Omakase which is about $30. You can order through Doordash or directly with them for pick-up. Since I just live around the corner, I opted to go to the restaurant and order takeout. The restaurant is closed for dine-in customers but you can still order for takeout. The sushi omakase comes with salad and miso soup. It was really filling and hit the spot for me. If you have a hankering for sushi, do yourself a favor and go order from them. The sushi is made to order and fresh. Cheers!

I highly recommend Bistro Anju to anyone who loves sushi. Located in a strip mall in the Aliso Viejo shopping center, the restaurant has limited seating at the sushi bar but plenty of tables available. Chef Hideki is a respectful and reserved individual dedicated to achieving the perfect balance in his dishes, serving authentic sushi with generous portions of top-quality fish. He communicates with his staff in Japanese, which some may misinterpret as harsh yelling, but I’m just there to enjoy the food rather than speculate on his conversations with the female servers. Most patrons at the sushi bar are regulars, which is a reassuring sign. Chef Hideki occasionally prepares off-menu dishes, and I always look forward to those, as they are consistently delicious.

I was a bit surprised by some complaints, such as the inability to order a steak or pork belly. Such grievances seem rather petty to me. This is a dedicated sushi restaurant, after all. I wouldn’t go to a Brazilian steakhouse and get upset if they don’t have dim sum, just as I wouldn’t expect a kickboxing gym to offer ballroom dance classes. All in all, I highly recommend this place. It’s the real deal.

The sushi menu felt a bit limited, but that wasn’t a major issue. It seemed to play it safe, omitting some of my favorite more adventurous options. I was amused when they asked if I really wanted the uni. As for the fish quality, I was pleasantly surprised. The uni tasted fresh and local, and I ended up ordering two servings. Good uni has been hard to find this past year, so I was thrilled to have decent quality here. The Japanese scallops were delicious as well, though I wished the chef would provide more explanations, as it seems that’s not common practice with customers. The salmon didn’t stand out to me. I was hoping to find salmon belly on the menu, but it wasn’t available. The toro was good, and I enjoyed the sweet shrimp. At other restaurants, I’m usually asked how I’d like the shrimp head prepared—baked, fried, or in miso soup. Here, it was fried, and it was quite tasty. As I continue to explore sushi restaurants to recommend, I would suggest Bistro Anju if you’re looking for sushi in the area. I would certainly return.

Favorite sushi in the area, with a french twist! Talented chef, fresh fish and friendly service. Can't wait to go back.