Restaurant Review World

A little over six years ago, when I was still very new to LA, I met the man who would later become “the husband”.  Of course, I wasn’t aware of this back then.  Neither was he.  But, we both shared of a mutual love of sushi, and so he took me to his favorite sushi restauarant, Momo, on one of our very first dates.  Little did he know what an impression he made on me by doing so.  I felt that, if he liked sushi, then he probably had an open mind, and was willing to try new things.  I meet too many people who are afraid to try anything, and I knew that I didn’t want to date someone like that.

Back then, Momo followed one of the premiere rules of a good sushi restuarant - being located in a strip mall.  It has since moved to a much more upscale location in downtown Fullerton, but it’s still the same, delicious Momo.  Not only is the quality of the fish excellent, but the prices and portions are very reasonable.  It should be mentioned that the portion size has decreased since they moved to their new location, but you still get more than you would expect, and it costs a lot less than at the average amazing sushi restuarant.

The last time I was there, I was with the husband’s family.  It’s always beneficial to go with a large party, because then you can order more dishes and share them all.  We definitely took advantage of this, and perhaps went a little overboard.

First up was the crunch roll.  Stuffed with shrimp and avocado, and covered in delcious crispiness, this roll was the perfect combo of sweet, savory, and crunch.  And, you can see how big it is!  It was enough for five to share.

One of my husband’s favorites at Momo is the lettuce roll.  At Momo, lettuce can be substituted for seaweed in any roll.  In fact, back when most sushi restaurants had never even heard of soy paper, Momo was offering up both soy paper and lettuce as options to seaweed.  Because my husband is not fond of seaweed, he has always been a big fan of using lettuce.  And, while he asks for this at every sushi restaurant we go to, none other than Momo has ever been known to serve it.  This one was probably stuffed with spicy tuna - or was it spicy shrimp tempura with avocado?  Either way, the husband says, it was delicious.

Of course, we had to order some regular sushi pieces.  The quality at Momo is pretty difficult to beat.  Look at that bluefin!  It literally melted in our mouths. And, the salmon was delicate and mild.

As if that wasn’t enough, we ordered the chef’s special.  You can see a large array of fish here, all on ice, including more salmon and a pile of their spicy tuna, which is amazing.  The blue dish has Momo’s fabulous scallop, in a baked egg sauce.  Definitely, do not skip that, whether you go for the chef’s special or not.  However, I do suggest getting this, especially if you are in a group of people.  This offers a great assortment of what Momo has to offer.

Another dish to share with a group is one of Momo’s “pizzas”.  This is another dish that showcases the pure quality of the fish, on top of a bed of sushi rice.  There is a great assortment, as you can see, of multiple types of fish, shrimp, and avocado.  The sauce on the side is spicy sauce, in case you need to kick it up a notch.

Last, but certainly not least, is the albacore “boat”.  Okay, so it’s not really a boat anymore.  Back when Momo was in a strip mall, this used to come piled high in a boat-shaped dish.  Now, the serving size is a little bit smaller, and it comes on this cool wave plate, as if to pay homage to its past.  Yet, because Momo still has all of the same chefs and waitstaff as before, if you order the “boat”, they will know exactly what you are talking about.  This barely-seared albacore is piled high with onions and garlic, and bathed in an amazing sauce.  One word of advice - if you are with a loved one, both of you need to eat this, because there ain’t no amount of breath mints or gum that will cover this up!  You just have to follow the general rule of two garlic/onion breaths cancel each other out.

I am very grateful to Fun Sushi Momo for being there for my husband back when we first started dating - it really helped him make a good impression on me!  Not only did he take me to a wonderful and creative sushi restaurant, but he took me to what felt like a real family establishment.  Because he went there often with his family, the sushi chefs and waitstaff all knew him and were very welcoming.  They still remember us every time we go in.  And, since they’re in Orange County, and we’re in LA, that really means something.  We don’t get to go too often, but they always know who we are as soon as we walk in.

Momo really is a great restaurant, and I highly suggest a trip to the O.C. just to check it out.

Momo is located at 208 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92832
Phone: (714) 525-8974

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