Sushi Murasaki

Reviews

• Robert M.

  star star star star star 17 June 2026

  Came here for their omakase lunch and was really blown away by the presentation and the quality of freshness of the fish.
  
  They only do one menu per day and everything is very fresh, well prepared and presented. The sake selections are awesome also. Very highly recommended place.
  
  You may find it difficult to find as its unassuming in a business park with a small sigh. But it's worth the search.

• Mei Z.

  star star star star star_border 16 June 2026

  The ambiance here is so lovely. The place is tucked away in a discreet and questionable location - the surrounding environment was pretty industrial and office like. I was a bit hesitant with coming here for a date, but upon entering the place, I realized I was silly for scrutinizing. The interior was beautiful and intimate, and pretty empty for a weekday night.
  
  In regards to the meal...Pretty sure the monkfish liver was fried with starch flour. This was okay, probably cause I don't really care for liver. The shishito pepper was standard and enjoyable.  I think the chicken heart on the skewers (can't recall) was my favorite part of the meal. The blue crab avocado salad was alright, nothing about it jumped out at me. Really mild flavors. The baked dynamite dish we got was really heavy, but as expected. You can tell quality seafood was used but it was just too rich for me. The kanpachi sashimi with the yuzo was also also of quality grade fish. The duck dish we got was fatty and flavorful - I also enjoyed this quite a bit.  The beet salad it came with complemented the duck well.
  
  Would love to come back here to try more of their seafood and lunch specials.

• Gary I.

  star star star star star 7 June 2026

  Murasaki means the color purple in Japanese as well as referring to Shōyu/soy sauce in the rarified specialized language of Sushi jargon. 
  
  Murasaki's exterior is discreet with only the name in black block lettering. Interior is tastefully austere with touches of elegantly muted purple and theatrical drapery looking as though it were a stage setting from La Boheme. Quiet, relaxing.
  
  The Sushi Omakasè here could be considered Shin Nigiri Sushi. Shin meaning "new wave" in that it incorporates some ingredients & flavours found more typically in French & Italian cuisine.
  
  The chef/owner is very sophisticated in his tastes & knowledge of cuisine to create subtle new complexities to traditional Èdomaè Sushi without formulating flavours that clash.  
  
  0) Kyūri no Shio Zukè: Shio Kōji/salty Sakè lees  pickled crunchy Japanese cucumber to remind us of summer's bounty and to restore salt lost in the torrid heat.
  
  Omakasè:
  
  1) Hiramè/Halibut: Soft, white flesh dressed w/ Shōyu & Yukari, salted, dried, ground red Shiso/Japanese basil leaf & salted plum. 
  
  2)  Kurodai/black snapper: slippery white meat w/ a bit of resistance topped w/ Dashi Shōyu & oil braised Shishitō chiffonade.
  
  3) Madai/red snapper: Like Hiramè w/ earthy summer black truffle augmented by truffle oil. 
  
  4) Nodo Guro/black throat perch: Scales blow torched for rough textured smokiness. Tiny dollop of large, sweet Italian Calvisius caviar from white sturgeon. 
  
  5) Kin Me Dai/golden eye snapper: Lightly seared flourescent, lush pink meat. Finely grated pickled Daikon radish infused w/ piquant red chile. 
  
  6) Shima Aji/striped jack: Silver scaled, meaty, fatty,  smooth w/ touch of al dente. Brushed w/ Shōyu. 
  
  7) Aji/Japanese horse mackerel: pinkish flesh, dark grey scales. Bit "fishy", fatty topped w/ puréed refreshing, "hot" ginger & funky green onion. 
  
  8) Umami rich, clear soup made from bones of white meat fish. Enriched by Tenkasu/Tempura flakes & Ao Nori/powdered green seaweed. 
  
  9) Taraba Gani/king crab: sweet, sea gamy from Alaska
  
  10) Toro: Rose pink, extra fatty tuna scored to catch more of the Shōyu. Kizami Wasabi/spicy pickled Wasabi stem was a good counter to the meaty fattiness.
  
  11) Santa Barbara Uni: Sea fragrant mousse intensified by the funky ocean minerality of Nori/dark seaweed.  
  
  Extra orders: 
  
  12) Engawa/Halibut ventral or dorsal fin muscle: fibrous yet sweet fatty
  
  13) Awabi/abalone: Sta. Barbara farm raised, band of Nori. Interesting tough texture that breaks up in the mouth. 
  
  14)  Kampachi/amber jack: Meatier cousin to Hamachi/yellowtail 
  
  15) Mīru Gai/geoduck clam: Rubbery, crunchy w/ sweet ocean minerality. 
  
  16) Anago/sea eel: Incredibly fluffy, puffy, eel Umami braised in light Dashi Shōyu.
  
  1-16a) Kagua Blanc: Belgian style white, yeasty ale. Faint scent of Yama Yuri/ Mt. lily. Complex mixture of sweet sour, bergamot like bitter orange, Yuzu/Japanese citrus, toasty, sandal wood incense.
  
  17) Crème Caramel: Deep, sweet, thick caramel sauce. Grassy fragrant butter scented, yolky cream pudding. Candied walnuts, Crème Chantilly.
  
  17a) Kona Cha: Astringent, bracing, green grassy Japanese green tea.
  
  Owner chef and rest of the staff were understatedly welcoming. Watchful, kind service. Definitely candidate for Guide Michelin grade   restaurant in Orange County.

• Loc N.

  star star star star star 5 June 2026

  We haven't been back to Sushi Murasaki for a while now and forgot how good it is. This place is located in an area you wouldn't find a restaurant as it looks like an office/industrial area of Santa Ana.
  
  We called in and got a late reservation and was able to get sushi counter.  The sushi counter completely full the night we went. Now I always prefer sitting at the counter as it's a better dining experience when having sushi.
  
  Sitting at the counter at Sushi Murasaki requires you to do Omakase "chef's choice" which is my preference for good sushi.  Murasaki served a variety of fishes that included some of my favorites such as Uni, Red Snapper, Otoro and many more. The quality was on point and left me wanting more which is why I ordered a few more pieces a la carte...
  
  I did notice the prices have gone up a bit since the last time I've been here but I can understand as the quality was up to par for the prices.
  
  The sake prices are very fair here. We were recommended a good bottle of dry sake and it was very good for the price.
  
  I'll definitely be coming back again.

• Diane C.

  star star star star star 27 May 2026

  ERMAGAWDDDD!
  
  Came here on a Friday night around 630 and the place wasn't crazy busy so we got seated right away. Upon walking in the hostess greeted us and the waitress sat us right away. The one thing I did notice about the place is that the restaurant layout was a bit tight. Tables were way too close together. They can definitely rearrange the place to be more roomy and less cluttered.
  
  Aside from the layout, service and sushi was amazing! Fish was super fresh and everything was presented nicely! I did the omakase, set A which was $78 and was worth every penny! It had 10 pieces of sushi and for one of the fish options you got to pick between uni or cod milt (fish sperm?), I went with the cod milt. I'm not a huge fan of uni so decided I'll try something different, plus the waitress slightly convinced me to be adventurous! So I did it and it was pretty darn good, no regrets! If you are wondering how the consistency is, it was stringy, slimy and soft (sounds strange, I know) BUT if you want to try something different, try the cod milt!
  
  Next time I want to sit at the bar for a different omakase experience!