My wife, being a foodie and an excellent “cooker” (according to the first-hand testimonial of our four-year old daughter), always knows about great places to eat. For my birthday, she took us to a place called Sushi Wasabi in Tustin. It reminded me of eating at Nozawa in Studio City — it’s all about the sushi. Both places are located in nondescript strip malls with pleasant, but forgettable, interiors. But man, oh man, was the fish good!

While some have referred these two chefs as “Sushi Nazis,” my experience at both restaurants was fantastic. Our family tried one of those fancy-pants sushi fusion places in LA once — designer decor, hip neighborhood, lovely presentation (not to mention crazy expensive), but I definitely prefer eating at these places.

Actually, my favorite sushi restaurant is Ojiya, way out in the sticks of Chino Hills (where, incidentally, my wife and I saw Snoop Dogg once at the McDonald’s drive-thru). Before we ate there, we used to crack up because they had a sign outside that said “Best Sushi In Town,” to which one of us would always say, “More like only sushi in town!” Seriously, though, the sushi there is amazing. If, for some reason, you find yourself waaay inside the Inland Empire — and you love sushi — go eat there.

This sign is from Sushi Wasabi. (Apologies for the low quality — it’s from my cell phone again. Anyone wanna buy me a 2 mp iPhone? Anyone? You can find some higher quality images of the Wasabi signs here and here.) I’m guessing that this is what has earned the chef there the “Sushi Nazi” label — which is totally off-base, because he and his wife were friendly and attentive throughout our entire experience. This, despite having a tired, hungry and cranky four-year old in tow. And the sushi was amazing. The giant clam almost had me in tears.

Actually, I think it’s pretty nice of them to put these signs on the door. That way, people know what they are getting into. In other words, if California rolls are your thing, then you would probably be better off finding another place to eat. However, I highly recommend eating omakase here. Try ordering that way at your local favorite sushi joint sometime — usually, the chef there will send the best & freshest fish your way.