Had dinner late 8:45 with my daughter last Tuesday night here. She's vegan and they do have a few things she can order that are fresh and tasty. Frankly there aren't a great number of restaurants open late in Laguna Niguel/ Dana Point. Used to go here once a week as my son away in college LOVES sushi. I ordered salmon sashimi, and yellow tail and they were yummy - tender buttery and fresh. Daughter's vegetable roll was too small for the price. Sushi in general is expensive and Dana Kai is higher priced. Service from this family run restaurant is friendly but - had to ask for more water, more ginger ...

  This is my favorite sushi place in town.  It's in a small strip store area off Del Avion.  
I go here 2-3 times a week for their lunch special.  You get soup, salad, and a choice of 3 rolls off the luncheon menu all for only $14.00.  
We also always add the lemon salmon roll which is amazing and so delicious.  
The waitresses are wonderful and the sushi chefs shout out a welcome when you come thru the door.  
If you're celebrating a birthday at dinner be sure to let them know.  I won't spoil the surprise but it was priceless.

  My favorite sushi place in south Orange County. The food is fresh, they do an awesome job! I have moved and still make sure to stop here at least once every time I visit!

  Ended up here by accident when we forgot to make reservations on a busy Saturday night. I am a sushi snob, and was delighted by the quality of the food. The fish was fresh and very tasty. Had the yellowtail and salmon sashimi which was delish. The seared tuna carpaccio was a wonderful surprise.  Service was spot on. She was extremely polite and attentive.  The chef was a bit quiet but kept his eye on us and kept the order spaced appropriately.  Will definitely go back again.

  I don't eat seafood so I can not comment on the Sushi but perhaps my review could be of use to people like vegetarians or picky eaters. There are other options on the menu which is a good thing.

I like the vegetable Udon noodle soup the best and it is probably the healthiest option anyway. Udon, veggies and broth. Simple yet yummy.

The meat dishes I tried were mediocre and a bit artificial tasting, probably due to the sauces. I don't think there was MSG in the food but the sauces seem suspect as they taste highly processed and from a jar/bottle. Unfortunately without them the food was way too bland as it is perhaps the opposite of Thai food, lacking natural spices or flavors to really excite you. While the food is not low quality and not nearly as artificial tasting as in Chinese restaurants, I do think there is room for improvement.

  We are sushi lovers and this is by far the best sushi we've ever had! The presentation is amazing and unbelievable and the quality of the food is great. I love the colorful flower pedals used in their presentation. It also has a beautiful and open atmosphere as well. We have been to over 50 sushi places but this one tops them all.

  I have been here now 3 times and I enjoy it! The atmosphere is relaxing and pleasant. Although the sushi is pricey it's a nice place to dine once in awhile. I can say sushi is my favorite food, meaning I have tried many sushi places and this place has great quality sushi! It's not the best I've tried but it is on the list of good sushi joints for sure!

  Our favorite spot! My husband and I take our two year old here every week and it is so yummy!!! Jin usually serves us and loves her as much as we love the sushi!
Try the seared salmon sushi special. It's heaven!!!

  Hands down the best sushi restaurant in the area, in my opinion. Its prices have recently gone up (my wife and I can easily spend near $100when we go) but you get what you pay for. If you like cheep sushi then don't bother. Go to Ralph's or something. But if you're looking for high quality, fresh fish then you've found your sushi home!

Note: I care way more about the food than the service/ambiance etc. If the food is top of the line, I'll usually give the establishment I'm reviewing high marks, even in spite of its other failings, if any, unless it's extreme.

  Great Restaurant. Food drink, service, ownership. Great chefs , great people, great crowd.

  I think this is my new favorite sushi place for all the following reasons:

-Sushi was fresh and tasty.
-Generous portion sizes.
-Decent prices.
-Clean restaurant with pleasant decor and warm ambience.
-Wonderful service from a very kind staff. I was also very touched at how sweet they were to our baby who was with us.

My only complaint is that I wish we would've gone there sooner! Will definitely be frequenting this place now that we've been there.

  I love great customer service!  They accidentally brought out a chicken dish instead of the delicious Yaki Niku dish I ordered. The staff quickly fixed my order and brought out extra dishes on the house! I wasn't upset or mad.. everyone makes mistakes once in a while but this caught me off guard. Such a blessing!

The food was really delicious and definitely much more quality quality than your usual japanese restaurant. We both came in for lunch and ordered bento boxes. He got the pork Katsu and liked that it wasn't drowned in gravy/sauce. The seared salmon roll sample they comped us with was a mouthful of flavors! I also liked the freshness of my veggies and the light ginger dressing.

Give it a try!

  This is hands down, the best sushi I have ever eaten! They are consistently delicious and fresh. All the menu items I've tried I've been very pleased with, but it's their off menu specials that are to die for! Try the Jeff, Daniel, or Adam rolls. I don't know who these guys are, but I love them

  This place is amazing as soon as you walk in they give a warm welcome. They are very attentive, the food was delicious. I would definitely recommended.

  The place can be casual and fancy with a very Asian feeling. Dark features inside and clean. No outdoor seating. Super clean bathrooms! Nice service! Fresh food with bold flavors! Bubbly, sweet soda with Japanese soda. I'd come here again.

  Very friendly customer service. Pricey but worth the price. Very presentable staff constantly checked up on us. Seafood Udon Noodles was a little bland so we mixed it with salmon and pork katsu, it was delicious 🙂

  Chris our sushi chef was awesome!!! He recommended the Dana yellowtail roll to us and it was amazing especially for 14$ we will definitely return

  Great choice for sushi! The service was excellent, the food was great, the drinks were flowing and everything was well priced. Not the cheapest sushi joint out there, but I generally avoid those places anyways. You get what you pay for.

My girlfriend and I went last night and got 2 specialty rolls, one cut roll, 2 miso soups, spicy edamame (which was excellent btw), sake, large beer, and 2 oyster shooters. Total came out to $84 after tax.

Yes, I would recommend DanaKai Sushi. Get the spicy edamame and some sake to start.

  I like the authenticity of Dana kai compared to many of the fusion restaurants around. I am purely a sashimi water, and more of the exotic types are my preference. The uni is fresh and amazing, and the bluefin with uni sushi special is to die for. The prices are pretty high, but you get what you pay for.

  This place was great.  The service was great and we really felt welcomed there.  It was just myself and my 2 year old daughter.  They lay paper out across the table and provide them with crayons, so my daughter loved drawling all over the table.  We ordered edamame and it came out piping hot and was fresh.  The miso soup came out right away as well and it was delicious they brought a bowl for myself and my daughter and we ate the whole thing.  My daughter got the teriyaki chicken plate with rice, a salad and fruit with a little umbrella.  My daughter loved this.  I got the California roll and the tiger roll both with spicy mayo.  They were rolled very nicely and didn't fall apart and the texture was great.  Most of all I loved the service.

  One of the best sushi places in SOC!  The Jeff Roll is amazing and Daniel roll!  Too many rolls to name but delish!   So happy this place is close to home and In Laguna Niguel and Dana Point!

  Stopped in here to place a to-go order. Staff was very accommodating.  Ordered 2 sushi-(Philly roll with asparagus and a fancy roll - tuna with special chili sauce). and 1 edamame ($25 total).  Kind of expensive for a few items, but they were of good fresh quality and delicious.  The dining atmosphere is appealing.  I will definitely return.

  Read the reviews and had to give them a visit. Easy access, lots of parking and very nice interior. We thought the menu was excellent, serving size and presentation great. Our waitress was wonderful, explained menu choices, made friendly conversation as this was our first visit.
Finally found the quality sushi we've been searching for!
AC was not up to par this day but can't blame staff for that. We'll be back!

  This is my favorite sushi place in Orange County. Service is incredible, always can get a reservation, and the food is great! There is literally something for everyone on the menu. Even if you don't like raw fish, there is something there you will find which will work for you. Such a good place!

  Good prices and decent sushi, very clean and nice place. We not super impressed with the sushi chef that helped us at the bar. We asked what he recommended and he had no suggestions. Prefer a more interactive sushi bar, but maybe that isn't their style? If we go again it will just be a normal table, the table service looked great. Had to ask for more beer then wait for the tab...

  The sushi is amazing! It is always really fresh! The restaurant is very clean and the service is great:) I highly recommend Dana Kai!!

  My husband, little girl and I came here when we visited CA last week! One of the best Japanese restaurants we've been to and we've been to quite a bit! The sushi is so fresh and the food is delicious! The staff is so friendly and very welcoming! The servers kept coming over and playing with our daughter! They're so nice and the restaurant is very clean! Wish we had this restaurant in Chicago, but we will definitely be back when we visit! Thanks for such a wonderful experience!!!!

  Best sushi restaurant in the area. Great food and service. The owners are always so nice and welcoming. Favorite rolls are Daniels Special and Jeff's Special. The fish is really fresh and the chefs are great at just whipping up a surprise.

  Best Sushi.  Popcorn Lobster Roll is the best.  Visited 3 years ago and loved it.  Came back a few days ago and its still great
Friendly service Good Food and Nice Restaurant

  Went there first time last night. I loved it. Decor was great and made me feel like like I was in Japan .  Sushi rolls were delicious and  I can't wait to go back in there and taste more from their menu.