Yelp ranks Inland Empire sushi restaurant No. 2 in the nation

A sushi restaurant in Southern California's Inland Empire landed the No. 2  in Yelp's Top 100 list ranking sushi spots across the nation.

Imari Sashimi Sushi has more than 250 5-star reviews, with the take-out-only restaurant serving a special rice most American sushi spots don't use and a soy sauce and vinegar that's shipped in from Japan, according to co-owner Kazumi Ikaba. He said the restaurant's focus on freshness, quality and authenticity is the secret behind the glowing reviews on its Yelp page.

"It's like each roll was personally approved by the food gods," reads one review from user Justin H. 

Another review notes the quality of fish is the real stand-out feature of the restaurant, with offerings like "premium cuts of chutoro (fatty tuna) and otoro (tuna belly)." Ikaba said serving fresh fish from Japan is a major priority for the restaurant.

A community manager for Yelp who helped compile the list, TD Tran, said the review site looks at the sheer volume of positive reviews a given restaurant receives as well as what the reviews themselves actually say about the restaurant. 

"It's a testament to their quality," Tran said of the more than 250 5-star reviews given to Imari.

Yelp reports the most popular and most photographed dishes at Imari are the Shrimp Tempura Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll and Chirashi Bowl, which comes with salmon, yellowtail, octopus and shrimp.

"I love this place so much. Everything from the service to the food," writes Yelp user Susan C. "The people here are so friendly every time you walk in... I honestly can't get sushi elsewhere nowadays, because the quality here is top-tier!"   

The sushi restaurant that landed the No. 1 spot in Yelp's Top 100 list is Kauai Sushi Station, a food truck in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii.