You can find more expensive competitors to Maki Zushi (particularly the closer you get to the beach), but what sets this place apart is the consistent, superior freshness of its sushi. Opened a little more than two years ago in a small Tustin strip mall, chef Yoshio Sakamoto's Maki Zushi wins accolades from a diverse cross section of folks. During our last lunch visit, we found Irvine businessmen, Santa Ana government employees, Japanese students from UC Irvine, two surfers, a couple of housewives and a lone but blissful Orange County Register employee. This place, which has a patio, can delight the most hardcore sushi enthusiast or tepid novice. (Maki also offers multiple teriyaki dishes, as well as steaks, curry chicken and charbroiled sea bass in a citrus-butter sauce.) On our last visit, two of us shared the 14-piece sashimi platter and couldn't have been more pleased. Another favorite is chef Yoshi's mini-feast: Japanese Spanish Mackerel.
