Sagami

Completely off the local social media radar yet more authentically old school Japanese than pretty much any of its Irvine neighbors, Sagami looks and feels exactly like dining in a Tokyo izakaya, minus any sign of noisy drunks (at least, on our visits). Originally established in 1989, remodeled in 2007, and under new ownership (Gindako) as of late 2019, the gastropub focuses on sakes, shochus, beers, and numerous small plates. Guests can assemble a meal from soft shell crabs, sake steamed clams, fried oysters, and black pork sausages, or opt for more common sushi, salad, and noodle options.

The traditionally decorated space offers items that aren’t found at just any Japanese restaurant here, including uni tempura, Nagoya-style tebasaki wings, yellowtail collar, Spanish mackerel sushi, and black miso cod. While some of these dishes may sound familiar to fans of Tustin and Fountain Valley mainstays Honda-Ya and Kappo Honda, there aren’t wild lines at Sagami, perhaps because it also serves lunch every day of the week – or maybe because it’s practically hidden at Crossroads, a Culver and Barranca strip mall better known for Target and LA Fitness locations than anything else.