Sakura Japanese Restaurant
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
192 reviews
West Los Angeles, CA
"A couple of yelpers were disappointed with the warm rice served with the sushi. Funnily enough, that's actually the traditional way to…" read more »
108 Reviews for Sakura Japanese Restaurant
This place is always crowded, and the parking situating is really not ideal, but I still agrees with other reviewers--- You can't beat the Japanese food made by real Japanese. They are GOOD.
And frankly, com'on, wouldn't I rather eat in a busy restaurant, they exhaust their fish often, so I know what I are getting is at least fresh?
What is it with this place? Someone please clue me in on what to order. I've gone there several times in the 10 years i lived in this neighborhood and each time it was absolutely sub-par. Yes it is on the cheaper side and portions are big but the quality of the sushi is...... I had the worst uni EVER there (i was gagging).
and now even some of my trusted friends find this place acceptable!! Am i just having bad luck every time i eat there???
i rather go to Hide for same priced sushi that tastes a million times fresher.
Oh my, i guess I'm just wrong.......
Apparently the boy was suffering from lack of sushi rolls in his life. He wanted one of those... very Americanized rolls that is covered in sweet sauce, or smothered in crunchy tempura crumbs, or possibly even having some antennas and eyes to resemble some green bugs. Ummmm ok.
So we decided to meet up at Sakura Restaurant, his all time favorite sushi joint that he used to frequent. At 5:20pm, 10 minutes before it opened up for the night, there were plenty of people already standing around in front of the door. ...Seriously? I wasn't gonna sit at the table, so I elbowed and kicked... I mean, I used my agility to get ahead of everybody and grabbed the counter seating as soon as the waitress opened the door. Small people can move fast!
We had:
Philadelphia Roll
Ok. Maybe the ratio issue, but I mostly only tasted the cream cheese, not the salmon. I like cream cheese, so I'm fine with that.
Hamachi Kama
Gigantic. I got full just eating this appetizer.
Amaebi
The chef asked us if we wanted to split one amaebi into two nigiri as what they got was gigantic! Greedy us asked for one shrimp each, and it was indeed gigantic. I couldn't fit it all in my mouth, so I had to bite it in half... Very good.
Aji
Drenched in Ponzu sauce. Sad.
Hamachi
Somewhat fatty and good.
Uni
Slightly watery. Not too good.
Grilled Ono & Hamachi & Langoustine Roll
Meh.
Unagi
Gigantic!!! See the picture below and see how small the rice looks, compared to the fish on top!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Overall, I got mixed feelings about this place. I remember when he first took me here, I didn't like it. Not sure why as I barely remember what happened yesterday, let alone months ago. One thing that I didn't care for from last night's visit was the rice and fish ratio. The fish was way to big compared to the size of rice. Yes, you might think it's a great deal, but harmony and balance are very important. "Bigger the better" doesn't apply in my opinion. Edamame that came with beer was sad. No salt, no freshness, just right out of bad frozen bag. Hamachi Kama was way too big to be an appetizer.
On the contrary, what I was pleasantly surprised with was the chef's attention and consideration. One of the reasons that I absolutely hate ordering sushi using the check mark sheet is because everything comes all together and some end up sitting and drying up on the plate for quite a bit. Though we did order using the check mark sheet here, the chef did watch out for how fast we were eating. He didn't give us everything at once, instead, gave one, or at most two at a time to make sure we won't end up with bunch of sushi on our plate.
Also, he did give us fish in somewhat "correct" order. Though loosely determined, there is such thing as the rule of what should be served first and what should be served in the end. Plain, less flavorful fish such as white meat fish should be served first and the stronger flavored fish such as Unagi and Toro should be served at the end. This is to avoid ruining your palette with strong flavored items at the beginning and not being able to taste the less flavorful fish right after it.
I wasn't expecting either one from a restaurant that uses check mark sheet, so it was definitely a great plus for me. Still in the end, nothing was "wow" level and I have to say it's only an OK 3 star joint that has ridiculously and unnecessary long line to get in.
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A few of my friends mentioned that Sushi Sakura on Centinela was good, so good in fact, as my friend Marnie from New Zealand said, "It really is the best, you have to try it!" I'll admit, I was dubious. From the outside, it looked hokie. The sign is faded and it is located in a run down strip mall in Mar Vista-- not exactly an area of LA where foodies flock to try the latest and greatest.
However, I wanted to keep an open mind and after reading the many glowing reviews on yelp.com, I decided to give it a go, so I met my friend Michelle there for lunch today.
I was really impressed because the sushi was only really great, but the prices were very reasonable too. I think the most comparable place to Sakura would be Hide Sushi on Sawtelle, but to be frank, I'm not really THAT crazy about Hide (their sushi seems a little catered to white people in my opinion), but I LOVED the sushi here.
I ordered a 12 piece sushi lunch combination, which included one of the following: Octopus, Shrimp, Yellowtail, Halibut, Salmon and Tuna, and a 6 piece spicy tuna cut roll. It also came with miso. It was reasonably priced at about $12.00.
To begin with, I am very picky about my miso soup. I had a friend in college who was Japanese and schooled me on what makes "good" vs. "bad" miso, and how to tell the difference between higher and lower quality bean paste. I think Sakura's miso was really delicious, it was light and flavorful and not too salty. They used soft tofu diced into small pieces, and the fresh scallions added a nice additional layer of flavor.
Their sushi was also very good. It was obviously very fresh, served at room temperature, and some of the pieces of fish melted on my tongue. I'm not the biggest fan of salmon because I think it has to be extra fresh to be good, but the salmon was perfect, as was the yellowtail. I also really liked the flavor of their spicy tuna roll, it was the perfect ratio of mayonaise, sriacha to fish.
The entire experience, I thought was reminscent of authentic, delicious fresh sushi without too much emphasis on the superficial (like decor and fancy fusion plates).
All in all, I would DEFINITELY return to Sakura!
Sakura Japanese Restaurant
4545 S Centinela Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 822-7790.
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I know no better place to have sushi than here.
this place still get's a 5 dispite:
1) parking sucks
2) long lines
3) has those weird japanese hours.
that means they are that good!
I love it! I felt like I was back home in Hawaii at a local Japanese restaurant. That said, very good sized portions, great prices, and all the popular Japanese favorites in a casual atmosphere. Note: Go early or pre-order if you want hamachi kama. It runs out fast.
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I heard about this place from my coworker whose dad owns this restaurant. This restaurant is owned by Japanese (not Korean/Chinese/other Asians), so its VERY authentic.
What I love about this place is the freshness and quality of the sushi. The portion is generous, and price is reasonable.
It's not just ordinary sushi, this place is just like a local joint you can find in Japan.
Must try: langostino lobster roll & spicy scallop roll (my fave)
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This is my favorite restaurant in the whole world. We've been coming here for the past 8 years. Japanese owned sushi restaurant, not the Korean owned ones (not so good). It's a hole in the wall mom pop place owned by Janice and Sam. When we lived in LA, we used to go here weekly. The owners know many customers by name. Harry the sushi chef is hillarious. When Sam or Harry are working we like to sit by the sushi bar.
Their sushi pieces are huge. Prices are reasonable. Don't expect fancy rolls, you go here to eat sushi. My absolute favorite is the albacore sashimi........drooooool. It's topped with ponzu sauce, garlic and scallions and it melts in your mouth like butter.....
Be prepared to wait a long time if you come here on a week end night. It's a really small restaurant so it gets really crowded. Get there right when it opens, I believe either 5pm or 5:30pm. They are closed Mondays.
We have converted many of our friends. People drive from all over LA/OC for this place. I heart Sakura!
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A friend of mine took me here one day claiming it to be her favorite local sushi bar. What she didn't tell me was that she was basically part of the extended family there too...well, not literally but u get the point. The place is Japanese owned and run and is really laid back...super friendly peeps, especially Sam who my friend introduced me to. Speaking of intros, my friend also introduced me to my very first piece of ono sushi here and it's become one of my favorites ever since. Everything is really fresh and the slices are very generous. The sushi counter is pretty small so there's usually a wait but I've never seen it more than a few ppl. I'd come here more often if it wasn't located so out of the way for us OC folk...
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This is a small sushi place that I use to live by and go to quite often during my early 20's. It's a very small, hidden place along Centinela and Culver Blvd and the food and service are very good. The few negatives however are the parking and most of all, it gets so busy there that you can't sit down or have to wait awhile to get seated. Sometimes when it gets too busy, you just order the food as take out, but even then it takes awhile to get the order.
It's not their fault that they get busy, their food and service is that good which is why they have alot of loyal customers. If you are in the area, give them a try, hopefully they are not that busy, but they are worth the wait. They have one of the biggest unagi sushi's I've ever eaten, the eel is long that you can wrap it under the rice and make it like a sandwich, LOL. One of my favorite restaurants in LA.
I miss this place, it is hands down the best bang for the buck, now that usually means crappy sushi but not in this case. So bring your friends and/or book cause you will wait unless you get there right when they open.
We used to go to Tsujino Hana but since they changed ownership in 02 we haven't been back. This place stands out from the rest in the area.
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Awesome, high quality sushi. Very reasonably priced.
It says something when you have to wait for a table 9 out of 10 times you come here - lunch or dinner.
The only downside about this place is the lackluster atmosphere but WHATEVER - if they made it any nicer, they could easily get away with charging twice as much.
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A cute little hole in the wall place that does get pretty busy. Every sushi place we go to, we order spicy tuna roll, philly roll, and spider roll. The spider roll tasted funny here but everything else was great. We also ordered sashimi and ankimo which were both nice thick slices. We ordered the dragon roll too, which was not on the menu but was great! We will be back again!
i love this place for the delicious sushi. at first, i was getting the rolls, which are good, definitely. but then one day i decided to get only the nigiri sushi, and it just blew me away. no more rolls for me! the rice comes warm, and the cut of fish is generous. yummmmmm
only problem is i don't have enough money to go here every day!
Yummie Japanese food prepared and served by actual Japanese People! What a concept. FIVE PLUS STAR RATING!!! Oh, by the way - Sakura is in L.A. (near Mar Vista and Del Mar areas) NOT Culver City - come on it's zip code is so L.A. - 90066!
This is my sushi shrangri-la. I've been going for over 6 years and now it's crowded all the time (I blame the internet for that one). I guess it's the price you pay.
Best bang for the yen.
Harry is the best!
Boy am I glad my special lady-friend has better vision than me. I had driven by this place dozens of times and never noticed it was there. The other night, however, as we were diving down that stretch of Centinela, Thuy exclaimed next to me, "Look baby, a sushi place with lots of people waiting! Maybe it's goood! Pull over! Pull over!"
So over I pulled, parked and went inside to put our name down. We ended up only waiting about 25 minutes for a table and they sat us down next to the neat-o, large fish-tank. Pretty standard sushi menu in general, but we noticed the chef's specials, which were chef-selected sushi assortments, with varying combinations of nigiri, sashimi and california/spicy tuna rolls.
We ended up splitting the 16 piece combination, which was 10 pieces of nigiri and 6 california rolls(with REAL crab meat), as well as the fresh water eel, the salmon, and an order of spicy yellowtail rolls.
Excellent quality sushi, tasty and succulent, and effing ginormous cuts to boot! The yellowtail was probably my favorite, but everything was really good. I'm usually not a big fan of california rolls, as I find them to be generally unexciting and somewhat pedestrian, but these ones were uber-scrump. Honorable mention to the unagi for being the length of a human foot. Jesus Christ, these mofo's don't mess around with the fish - it's been awhile since I left a sushi joint that stuffed. And the best part? The prices are extremely reasonable. For all the food I mentioned, out bill came out, with tax, to just below $40! Rad!
So yeah, fantastic sushi the size of a baby at reasonable prices. Yes, please! And boo-hoo, so you have to wait for greatness. If the human race was able to wait thousands of years for french fries, you can wait 40+ minutes for aquatic ecstasy. There, I've said my piece. You may leave.
Don't let neighborhood or outer decor fool you, this place is legit. I was skeptical when I saw the red leather booths you find in diners but the place was packed.
I went on a Tuesday for dinner and had to wait about 10 mins for a table. The place is small, which is safe to say that weekends are crazy.
We sat at the bar and I was suprised to see that the chefs were Japanese?? You don't find a lot of Japanese sushi chefs anymore, and even more shocking, the owners are Japanese! The menu is short and sweet, nothing fancy. We tried the recommended blue fin tuna and yellowtail, we were told it was from Japan. The sushi pieces are very generous and literally melt in your mouth. My boyfriend has a super picky palate and even he couldn't deny the tenderness of the fish.
We ordered the traditional rainbow roll, softshell crab, and the Sakura roll! It's the house special and its delish. The fish aren't buried in rice so you can really taste the freshness of the fish. And they don't overdo it with all the sauces. And most importantly they use real crab, no imitations here! The prices aren't crazy either, they're totally affordable for the quality.
I'm glad I found something nearby that serves fresh sushi! Check them out!
My mom's old college friend recommended we try this place and now it is our regular spot for sushi. My mom likes it because the restaurant smells just like her obachan's. It looks pretty bad from the front, like a run down strip mall joint, but don't let the looks detract you from trying this place.
The sushi is fresh, the portions large, the prices reasonable, and the service quick and friendly. My mom and I usually split the sushi combination dinner of mixed chef's choice nigiri and either six pieces spicy tuna or California roll (yummm spicy tuna) which comes with miso. Then we pick either a couple more appetizers and rolls, or a dinner entree. I'd recommend the spider roll, unagi, dynamite roll, or senbei (spicy tuna over crispy rice), and the tenkatsu (panko pork), sukiyaki (beef), or tempura entrees.
The downsides are parking and the wait. Look for spaces on Centinela or their small lot in back (which is almost always full) and be weary street parking signs. They don't take reservations for small parties and the best time to get there is when it opens or about 45 minutes after, when the seating rotates. Tables are a bit close together, so be prepared for a crowded fit, but once the food comes out you won't notice.
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So first off I have to agree with Hels Bels and say I do not understand how people can think the sushi at this restaurant is not fresh. If you look back in my earlier reviews I have a sister who is a sushi maniac and who will only eat sashimi if it is super fresh. If not she won't even poke at it with the chopstick! Anyways, she brought my family and I here for a meal one day and ever since we've been loyal Sakura fans.
Yes..this place is TINY, yes...parking sucks...yes...you'll probably have to wait for a long time outside on the little chairs...but man oh man when you have your first bite of that fresh yellowtail, wow you'll forget all about it in an instant. Our favorites here are the yellowtail and the albacore, but everything we've had here has been good.
Parking can sometimes be a problem but hey if you're dining with people just send one person out to put your name on the list while you circle the street and/or the lot in the back for an available space. Sakura is located across the street from Angel Maid Bakery so although the restaurant is small, just look for the bakery and directly across it you'll find the restaurant. Just a tip in finding the place in case you don't see the throngs of people gathered in front waiting for a table.
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Boobs!
They were the very first things I saw upon entering Sakura Japanese restaurant. Now, I don't quite understand the nature of this fixation we men have with large breasts, but they command attention. And these were HUGE!
I mention this because, as it turns out, this lady ended up sitting at the sushi bar in a place such that those very large breasts were in my field of view for my entire dinner; like Alex from A Clockwork Orange, no matter where I moved my eyes, I couldn't help but "viddey" them. It's hard to concentrate on the atmosphere, the energy and the decor of a place when a woman is dropping sushi rice down her cleavage and then reaching in there to remove it.
So I'll focus on the sushi. All other things being equal, these were pretty decent cuts of sushi. I ordered the yellowtail, the tuna (I know, mercury), the salmon, a special sushi piece (I think it was blue tuna), and some unagi. My friend ordered the sakura roll and the fatty tuna. If you're into rolls, I would definitely recommend the sakura roll. The pieces of fish were large and flavorful - not the best sushi I've had in L.A., but certainly on of the better places I've been thus far. The unagi came out last, and took a while; by the time it came, I was already full.
Given its proximity, I'm definitely going to have to come back here soon.
Maybe I'll be able to concentrate on the restaurant next time.
But I hope not...
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I have never had a bad meal here. The best thing on the menu isn't actually on the menu: Spicy Tuna Senbei. It was a special one day and I've ordered it every time since, it takes a while but is delish. The chefs are excellent, the fish is always fresh and the real crab california rolls are amazing. The wait is worth it; just order a beer while you wait and enjoy the company.
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I have lived in the area for years and always saw the long lines for this place. On the outside the appearance of the restaurant is so-so, and the fact that I didn't enjoy sushi until about 6 months ago deterred me from entering this little piece of heaven on Centinela.
My friend and I took my mom, who was a non-believer that sushi is one of the marvels of the world. We ordered, and my friend and I just stared at mom to see her reaction. She took the first bite of the Salmon, and what do we see ....a nod a smile, a thumbs up... by George she likes it. OK, perhaps it wasn't that dramatic but that's how it felt. To my mom's defense she thought that the California roll was what encompassed the world of sushi.
After eating some Nigiri, which my mom still thinks is a type of fish (sorry mom, but you will get the lingo soon) she became a fan. So much of a fan that she now craves sushi. I have to give my mom props because she even tried the octopus.
The sushi is amazing! It's fresh and delicious.
If your obsessed with albacore and have dreams about the perfect piece, then this is the place for you. Just imagine this, large thick pieces of your favorite fish on small clouds of rice.
Take a good amount of cash with you, not because the restaurant is extremely expensive but because you might just end up ordering the whole menu.
Try to arrive about 10 minutes before the restaurant opens, to avoid waiting an hour. We arrived at around 4:45 and people where already waiting outside.
The parking situation can be a little difficult, but you can find parking on Culver and some of the surrounding streets.
Happy Eating:)
I used to live by this place and tried it when my work friend recommended me as "the best sushi in Los Angeles." This place is very popular and has no valet parking. Parking and a long waiting line is a pain but if you avoid the peak hours it would not be a big problem. Their sushi is not a high-end best-quality type of snobby sushi but it is fresh, generous portion, and affordable. Ideal neighborhood sushi....just eat and go home. It is similar to Hide in Sawtelle to me but people are not watching you eating while waiting right behind you.
After enjoying a drive in the crazy rain last night, my friend and I found ourselves in Santa Monica with no dinner plans. Remembering a recommendation for a sushi joint in Culver City, we hopped on the 405 and arrived at Sakura a short drive later. Their back lot was full, so thankfully we found street parking relatively easily and walked a short distance to the shop.
The small store had seats out front, but everyone was packed in the skinny walkway squished between booths and a large pristine koi tank. The friendly and polite hostess took our name and we found a space to wait out the time until our name was called 25 minutes later. During our time waiting, we observed the massive quantities of rolls customers were eating at the sushi bar and at the tables with only a few nigiri orders.
The sushi menu is mostly standard, with a few specialties that are altogether average and expected when eating sushi. That night they had blue fin tuna, yellowtail belly, and spanish mackerel. We settled on a sashimi combo, which the server clarified was only sashimi, not a combo with rice and miso. Perfect! The more fish, the better.
Aside from ordering about a half a dozen nigiri sushi, we went out on a limb and tried the California roll. Normally, we wouldn't touch a Cali roll with a 10 foot pole, but Sakura advertises theirs is made with real crab meat. Sakura's roll selection is small, but they offered a few interesting selections including an ume(plum) roll and a langostino lobster roll. We were disappointed to be told a short time later that the Spanish mackerel was sold out while we awaited our fish.
The sushi arrived mostly all at once, and quickly claimed our small table space. What first caught my eye was the sad state of the uni. It was a pathetic mushed mess on top of a huge portion of rice. The taste was as expected, sour and fishy from sitting around too long, no doubt scraped from the bottom of the wooden pallet. The masago was fine but again, the rice ball underneath it was enormous and overwhelming.
The California roll was also a bulky mess. The roll was hastily prepared and sloppy. The "real crab" was mixed in with so much mayo that the flavor was drowned. The look and texture was that of ashen tuna fish.
The sashimi plate came with an assortment of octopus, red snapper(looked like tilapia), salmon, tuna, and yellowtail. The pieces were small and seemingly precut for use in rolls! The salmon was translucently thin, a trait shared by the red snapper and yellowtail. The tuna was cut a bit thicker as expected, but still in small short blocks that appeared to be leftovers more than beautifully carved slabs of flesh. The somewhat slimy fish tasted almost icey and lacked texture and size to satisfy the palate.
The halibut and the unagi were the saviours of the evening. Excessive soy and rice vinegar covered up the true taste of the halibut, and the size was far too big to eat in one bite. Aside from the sauce overkill, the halibut was tender and light. Slabs of unagi lay prisoner to their rice balls wrapped with seaweed bondage. They were excellent-barely warm, tender and flavorful with just a splash of thick sauce adornment.
For curiosities sake, we subjected ourselves to another order of uni just to see if it would be as bad as it was the first time. It arrived in much the same fashion as the first plate. Quickly prepared, loose huge rice mounds were topped with horribly stale mushy uni. One of the sushi had one nice strip of uni surrounded by a bunch of bottom scraped uni mush.
The verdict? Sakura offers average selection and average sushi in a comfortable environment, catering to those who prefer rolls and ordinary fish. The store was very well kept and clean and our service was very consistent. The prices are pretty much on par with the sushi restaurants on Ventura. I might go again for lunch to try their non-sushi items, but waiting any longer than 10 minutes for this restaurant is overkill.
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one word: Dynamite Roll!
They might as well call it the CRACK Roll because every time I much one of these tasty morsels I want more and more until my belly is stuffed. But stuffed with a Dynamite Roll is Dyn-O-Mite!!
(Oh, in case you want to know, it's a spicy tuna with avocado roll topped with scallops and mushrooms in a spicy, creamy sauce. You have to order it special..wink wink)
The unagi here is the best. Sure, it's twice as big as any other unagi out there. But it's SOOO yummy. I like the carmelized burnt bits and crunchy skin. Wait, did I just say I suck on BBQ eel skin...!? Can't lie!
Third of all, the wait staff are wonderful women all of them. Friendly and bubbly, they make you feel like a regular (I'm not, but there seem to be many but you know how everyone wants to be a "regular" at a sushi bar).
OK, parking is tough and the wait can be long, but just grab a Sapporo in like and quit your belly aching. It's about to be very happy very soon.
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A pleasant surprise in Culver City (except for the parking). I had dinner out here a couple of weeks ago and was quite impressed with the quality of food. Most of the other people in my party ordered dinner plates or combinations, but I stuck with the sushi just to gauge the fish quality and presentation. Overall, it was pretty darned good.
I started with the spicy salad which was basically shredded green leaf lettuce tossed in a spicy vinaigrette (similar to ponzu sauce) and some assorted seafood (octopus, scallops, shrimp, etc.). I thought it was a bit too much dressing for my tastes as it sogged up the lettuce. It was okay, but I think I'll skip it next time and dig right in to the sushi.
The toro was melt-in-your-mouth good. I think that was my favorite of the night. A close second was the saba which was, though fishy, very good. Saba is one of my favorites and it's usually very vinegary. However, this the cuts here were more fresh and light. If you like saba, I'd recommend you try it here. The maguro, hamachi, and sake were all pretty good, but fairly standard (not sinewy or chewy). If you order the unagi sushi, don't be surprised if it looks like an entire eel is laying on your small mound of rice. It is ginormous! You can make three regular unagi nigiri with the slab of eel on each piece. Wow.
An interesting roll which intrigued me was the ume shiso roll. I usually avoid rolls because I think they're like sushi gone 'Hollywood.' but this seemed worth trying. A simple roll with simple ingredients, this roll was surprisingly good. The salty sourness of the ume coupled with the fragrant shiso leaf is a unique experience that is not for everyone. If you know what you're getting into when you order this, then you'll probably enjoy it. Otherwise, don't risk it. Don't complain if you spit it out because I've warned you already.
One thing that really impressed us, though, was the speedy turnaround on our sushi orders (on a Saturday night, too!). We ordered enough sushi to feed a small village and it came out to our table relatively quickly. It felt like the waitress left our table only to come back with more plates.
As I mentioned earlier, parking is pretty crappy. The parking lot behind the restaurant is small and hard to navigate if you have a large car. It fills up quickly and may force you to park on Centinela or on one of the adjacent residential streets. Good luck.
This place seems to be very popular (just look at all the reviews). Several parties were grouped outside (and even inside along the walls!). I'm sure several fire codes are being broken here nightly. If you're seated near the front windows, prepare to get the stare-down from people waiting for tables inside. As we were finishing up our meal, a large group of weirdos kept taking turns checking on our progress. WTF?! Can't I eat my meal without losers ogling me? Wait your turn, freaks! I ate my green tea ice cream extra slowly just to spite them...heh, heh, heh.
If you're looking for better than average (but not the best) sushi, Sakura might be what you're looking for. I highly recommend making reservations. Don't waste your time waiting over an hour for the sushi bar. You can get the same food at your table.
ps - As Kerry "Tempura Assassin" K. mentions, the tempura is pretty good. I sampled some of my wife's and it was better than most. Oishii desu ne!
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I still can't figure this place out.
On a recent visit to Los Angeles, my friend said we had to go here, it was the best sushi in Los Angeles, and be prepared to wait. That was partly true. We did wait, an hour and a half for a table, and maybe it is the best sushi in Los Angeles, but I've had much better sushi without the wait.
The best things about this restaurant are the huge portions, the short time between ordering and receiving our food, and the cheap prices. That I will give them.
What I still can't figure out is why they insisted on covering every piece of nigiri with this strange garlic lemon sauce. Were they trying to hide something? The fish seemed fresh but who ruins sushi by covering it with sauce? Apparently, they do.
The rolls were huge but also a little odd. Again, the ones we had were covered in this odd white sauce that masked and overpowered the flavor of the fish and rice.
I'd say find some other place to go because while they do have some things going for them, this place is really not worth the wait.
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AMAZING
I don't know what some of these people are thinking when they say that the fish isn't fresh. Just because the gills aren't moving, doesn't mean it ain't fresh!
Seriously though, friends who live within walking distance of this place have been raving about it forever. Everytime I have driven by in the evening, people are outside waiting. Finally, FINALLY, a few nights ago, I found out what all the fuss was about. The cut rolls are HUGE, the unagi was perfect, the California rolls had real crab?!?! Am I dreaming?? Great service, my boyfriend and I met a very nice couple sitting next to us, the prices are beyond reasonable. I will never venture to another sushi joint on the "westside" ever again.
P.S. The sushi chefs LOVE the ladies.
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I'm amazed that so many people recommend this place. I've been multiple times, because friends have raved about it and I felt I needed to give it a fair chance. Well, Sakura, your chances are over! The fish is just...less than fresh. Not bad, but not all that appetizing either. Maybe people love you because of the huge portions. And i'm willing to forget the diner atmosphere for good food (like at Terried Sake) - but here, it just adds to unappetizing feeling.
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I've been eating here since i was a kid since my grandmother's is just around the corner. Before it switched owners some years ago it wasn't as popular as it is now. (the latest owner actually worked at the restaurant before she bought it). I'm happy to see how the latest owner has turned it into a very successful place (thanks a lot to the fact that the fish and sea food is very fresh and of higher quality).
i do notice the lines outside, but kudos to them for putting patio heaters outside (I don't know many tiny places that do that, or even big places for that matter). I don't do the waits here though. I always go in a group (family affair) and make a reservation (i've heard them say that they don't take reservations for groups less than 6 or something) or we go at lunchtime. i'd def bring a date here if i had a date.
The menu is no nonsense without being minimal. There are a lot of strong basic entrees (teriyaka, etc) but also some new things to try. And they do not forget any of the comfort foods like a big bowl of tempura udon.
Oh and yay for japanese owned japanese restaurants!
My absolute favorite sushi place! Beats any sushi place I have been too and I've been to a lot. The pieces are huge and fresh. The only let down is the constant wait - be prepared to wait unless you arrive at 8pm.
One bit of warning - I came here today for the first time for lunch. Usually sushi is about $5 for two pieces. However, the lunch special had 10 pieces with spicy tuna roll for $14.95. WOW! Call me naive but I ordered it and it sucked - sushi was chewy and tons of wasabi (no doubt to hide the unfreshness of the sushi). The roll was fresh but the pieces were not. I had to order four more pieces from the bar - which were of completely different caliber - to get my fix.
I still give this place five stars but only order sushi straight from the sushi menu. Don't, I repeat, Don't order the lunch sushi specials.
YUM
My fatty tuna was so good that I wanted to die. I also ate some decent salmon, spicy tuna roll and shrimp tempura roll. The shrimp tempura roll had lots of other vegetables in it, which my dining companion had an issue with, but I like vegetables to sneak their way in with my deep-fried items.
We had to wait a while for a table, but that was our dumb fault for going at 7:30 on a Saturday night. I like that the place was small, and we got street parking without a problem. My companion was pleased that they had the football game (on mute, thankfully) on in the corner.
I plan to go back here soon. Like tomorrow.
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I love this restaurant. The waitresses and chefs are incredibly nice; the food is excellent and not too pricy for the quality. Only two things make Sakura less than perfect. One: There is always a long hour+ line for dinner. And two: it can be somewhat noisy if you sit at the tables. Otherwise, delicious. (Salmon skin salad, best i've had)
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I almost hesitate writing this review because I don't want the place to get any more crowded than it already is. The bad stuff: Hate that it's a "no res" place. It's madness on a Friday or Sat. nite - you have to wait for 2 hours sometimes. Inside is crowded and sitting outside on Centinela isn't super appetizing. That being said, it's the best, freshest sushi I've ever had (and I'm a sushi fanatic). Huge portions, lots to choose from, and the best sushi chefs ever. The waitstaff is sometimes a tad snotty, but always so busy, that it's *almost* understandable. Always a favorite!
It's just, so, regular.
My friend had a vegetarian roll and the vegetable tempura. I had the saba dinner. Her stuff was, as I have said, just regular. Not worth a repeat. My saba, on the other hand, was cooked the way I like it, so no complaints from me on that end. It was seasoned ever so lightly with salt, crispy on a few edges and tender throughout. Yum. Like your mom would make it. Or, like my mom would anyway. The soup, salad, and rice [below par] that came with were commercial, like fast food Japanese or something. No love in the ingredient choices.
It is Japanese. It's just, not so many things that simple Japanese is great for.
*Caveat: I did not try any sashimi, so maybe it is as excellent as everyone has yelped.
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Sakura is a hidden gem of a restaurant. It reminds me of my Mom's cooking.....Good Homestyle Japanese and the Sushi is some of the best in town with out the pretension and high prices. The service is friendly and the owner makes you always feel welcome. The interior could use a facelift....but I don't mind it due to the fact that I know I'm always going to get a taste of home.
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