Sushi Murasaki (Santa Ana, CA)

Sushi Murasaki
2901 W MacArthur Blvd
Santa Ana, CA 92704
Dining date: 2/18/17

I really enjoy the Orange County sushi scene, especially when comparing the price point to comparable sushi in Los Angeles. I haven’t tried too many places in the area (I really enjoy Ohshima in Orange), but a friend recommending trying this spot in Santa Ana. Sushi Murasaki has been one of the highly regarded sushi spots in the area for the past decade.

We took a seat at the omakase-only counter for a procession of sushi.

Cucumbers and Seaweed

Halibut Fin

Japanese Snapper

Golden Eye Snapper

Horsemackerel

Amberjack

Black Cod

Grunt Fish

Blackthroat Seaperch

Fatty Tuna

Sea Urchin (Santa Barbara)

Sea Bass

Japanese Beef

Live Shrimp

Scallop

Shrimp Heads

Giant Clam

Sea Eel

Sea Urchin (Hokkaido)

Egg

I didn’t know a lot about Murasaki going in, and what surprised me most were the amount of flavor accents paired with the fish. A couple of the ones that worked best were the sea bass with shishito pepper oil and eel with yuzokosho. Less successful was a spicy chili oil atop the black cod – it just really overshadowed the fish. Many of the ‘premium’ cuts were left simply adorned with soy; the toro and uni were excellent.

Murasaki may not be the ideal spot for a sushi purist, but it presented some very good sushi in a reasonable price range.