Food Review: One Japanese Sushi & Grill - Murrieta, CA

You might not expect a restaurant located in a strip mall & across from a fast food spot to be particularly special. But dismiss this one, and you’ll miss out on great food, great service and great prices.

This one is One, a Japanese sushi and grill restaurant located in Southern California’s Inland Empire. Located just off the 215 freeway at Murrieta Hot Springs Road in Murrieta, One is consistently rated by locals as serving the best sushi in the area. It’s good enough to consistently lure discerning diners from distant towns, as many San Diegans and Angelenos will attest.

Crisp, Clean, Contemporary

This is not one of those sushi restaurants cluttered with clashing colors or dissonant design elements fighting for attention. The walls are painted the color of soothing green tea and the open dining room is designed with understated contemporary simplicity. The atmosphere at One is crisp, clean and cool, and its hip business casual look mirrors this fusion restaurant’s modern approach to Japanese food.

Have a seat at the curving sushi bar where skilled chefs delight their diners with masterful creations. Or ask to be seated in the open dining room. The friendly waitstaff members are attentive and polite, and their excellent service complements the delicious food.

The gentle calm of the day can turn to more raucous cheer in the evenings, particularly on weekends. Sound does reverberate throughout the open floor plan, so if it’s a quiet dining experience you’re after, plan your visit for lunch or an early weeknight dinner. Later or weekend diners will likely enjoy a more lively and upbeat atmosphere.

Tease Your Appetite

Start off with a smoked salmon and cream cheese wonton appetizer, or order sticks of jumbo shrimp coated in a coconut batter, served with wasabi. Relax with some tea over your starters while considering the rest of the menu.

As dishes arrive at the table, the attention to color and design devoted to every plate is evident. Small gestures, such as a garnish of fresh blackberries nestled within a twist of orange, or dipping sauces swirled on plates as culinary expressions of joy, are just as artfully prepared as larger sushi boat productions.

Surf or Turf Selections

Traditional Japanese compartmentalized bento boxes are filled with One’s house salad, steamed rice and chicken, beef or salmon teriyaki. Served with your choice of mixed tempura and vegetables, sushi and a chef’s choice roll, or sashimi and tempura, all bento boxes are accompanied by a savory miso soup to round out the meal.

The exquisite quality of One’s fish shines best through simple sashimi or their sushi nigiri, thick with tender cuts of fish upon pats of rice. The salmon is firm but yielding, and melts like butter in the mouth. The same can be said for the tuna, yellowtail and other selections. Each slice of One’s high-quality fish is perfection in flavor and consistency. The quality of One’s sashimi competes handily with items served in lauded sushi restaurants in upscale cities.

Sushi rolls of every stripe are represented here. Order a wooden sushi boat for the table and delight your companions with a vibrant green Caterpillar roll winding around bright slices of Mandarin orange and fluffy stacks of shredded daikon. Check out the Caribbean roll or the America’s Most Wanted roll. If you’re feeling brave, try the Heart Attack roll! There’s plenty of creativity on the menu, and you can always ask the chef to surprise you with something different.

While any pick from the menu is a winner, the standout star of One is, far and away, its AYCE special.

Outstanding AYCE

At most Japanese restaurants, an AYCE (All You Can Eat) menu signals lower quality ingredients in smaller portions, served with less care than entrées receive. Not so at One. The AYCE menu is big on taste and quality, and just as big with portion sizes. And you can eat your fill of the freshest fish for just $25.00.

One’s AYCE meal includes your choice of baked mussels, edamame, fried calamari or other starters. These are enticing, but don’t fill up too much before the main event!

Ordering takes place in three rounds, and most people find themselves filled up by the second round. Try to order just what you’ll eat, as diners who leave too much uneaten food on their plate may be charged for those leftovers, a prudent policy in place at many AYCE restaurants to avoid wastefulness.

Rolls offered on the AYCE menu include the fried Golden Tiger roll, Crazy roll, Shooting Star, Crunch roll, the creamy Sapporo roll, the Seared Salmon roll, the Spicy Yellowtail handroll, and many others. Salmon, halibut, snapper and all the popular nigiri favorites are also on the AYCE menu, in top-quality, full-sized servings.

Save a little bit of room near the end of your feast to enjoy the beautifully presented caramel apple dessert served with the AYCE meal. An apple dipped in chocolate, caramel and cinnamon, sliced and pleasingly arranged on a plate laced with drizzles of chocolate syrup, this delicious decadence closes your Japanese banquet with a sweet finish.

Pair that AYCE deal with specials like buy-one-get-one-free drinks Mondays through Thursdays, and it’s easy to see that One offers a high quality dining experience at a very good price. It’s a bargain that’s hard to match.

Not Just for Sushi Lovers

Although One is famous for its fresh sushi and celebrated AYCE deal, those who prefer the grill won’t be disappointed. Order a charbroiled breast of chicken, marinated in a mango chipotle sauce, or sink your teeth into a grilled NY strip steak glazed with a balsamic finish. One’s Mahi Mahi encrusted with Hawaiian macadamia nuts and topped with wasabi butter is particularly good.

Other offerings from the grill give non-sushi eaters plenty of delicious options. All beef, chicken, pork and seafood entrées are served with steamed rice, wasabi mashed potatoes or French fries.

Salads, Noodles and Other Dishes

1 One’s Blackened Ahi Salad is ahi tuna encrusted in Cajun spices resting atop a bed of spring lettuce, shredded daikon, tomatoes and fried wonton strips, and drizzled with a wasabi vinaigrette. Vegetarians might choose the tofu salad, tossed with Mandarin orange sections and One’s own house dressing.

Stir-fried Japanese noodle plates combine beef, chicken, pork or seafood with vegetables, and are paired with a side of miso soup. Udon noodle soups are also available, as are sides of edamame, cucumber salad or fresh oysters. The cooked vegetables served at One are never mushy or too hard, but fresh and crisp.

Special meals are offered for kids, and beverages include soft drinks and tea. Adults can order from the plentiful wine list, enjoy a beer or sample a taste from One’s wide variety of sake selections.

The restaurant is wired with free WiFi for its customers, and there’s plenty of free parking in the shopping center’s large lot.

At the end of your meal, you might receive a long-stemmed, jewel-like lollipop as a parting gift, or some other fun favor as a farewell, offered with a wish to see you back at One soon. The gesture is thoughtful, but unnecessary: one visit to One, and you’ll be sure to return.