Kopan Sushi & Ramen

"KOPAN SUSHI & RAMEN is an intimate, izakaya* eatery that's part of a twelve restaurant, southern California chain. Named "Kopan" to honor the flavorful meals of KObe JaPAN. The restaurant contains an enclosed patio, sushi bar seating, and intimate booths. Kopan does not accept reservations. You may request seating on their website or on the computer tablet located at the eatery's entrance. We requested seating on the Internet from home, and were seated about 30 minutes later. (Home is 15 minutes away.) The app reported there were four groups ahead of us. You are notified on your cellphone when a table is available and must be at the restaurant when called. The colorful menu contains beautiful thumbnails of artistically created sushi. Our server, Jose, made helpful suggestions. Kopan's chefs elegantly re-create the thumbnails. I ordered the Vegan Ramen Bowl. The large, delicious stew is a mix of lightly cooked vegetables (cabbage, red cabbage, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, cherry tomatoes, corn, bean sprouts, seaweed, Ramen noodles, and tofu, served in a rich, slow cooked vegetable broth. Offered at three levels of spice, I choose the mild flavor. It was warm, flavorful, and lightly spicy. My wife ordered the Bento Box: miso soup, teriyaki chicken, brown rice, garden salad, and her choice of a sushi roll. She choose an avocado roll and found the combination delicious. (She shared a couple of pieces of the vegan roll with me. It was really good.) Kopan's unique, aesthetically pleasing eatery provides a comfortable environment in which to enjoy their excellent sushi, ramen, and caring service. (Yeah, we liked it.) A Word Of Caution: In the evening, park in the free ADA compatible lot directly behind the building. Reached by driving down the entrance ramp into the lower garage, stay straight, turn right at the wall, and make a quick left turn into the narrow up ramp to the ground level lot. The path to the restaurant's entrance is ADA compatible. Exit by reversing. STUFF: We came for dinner and parked in the ADA compatible garage, located under the restaurant. Leaving, I discovered the elevator was turned off and could not find a staircase. The ramp into the garage was too steep to walk. I returned to the restaurant to ask for help and was first told there was nothing they could do. A few minutes later the restaurant manager, Joshua, saved the day by offering to drive my car to street level. * The Japanese word izakaya (居酒屋) is made up of three kanji with the meaning, “stay-drink-place.” A spot to grab a drink, settle in, and get comfortable. (Google)"

"Everything about our experience was 5 stars - amazing wait staff and hosts, chefs. Our food was incredible and fresh."

"The atmosphere was pleasant, and the staff were friendly. While some sushi items like the truffle salmon blue crab were a bit overpriced for the portion size, the overall pricing was decent. The ramen was had good flavor, the sushi was fresh and delicious, and the cheesy chicken katsu was a delightful surprise. I would definitely recommend this place for a tasty meal!"