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    Akebono

    3.9 (1.3k reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Akebono Photos

    Business Info

    AKEBONO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Akebono

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    Reviews With Photos

    Hah!
    Daniel C.

    Akebono is a huge Japanese eatery that's brightly lit with tons of framed pictures and tapestries of geishas, samurai, and sumo wrestlers. They even have a second dining room just past the kitchen. We came here for lunch after a really hot day checking out Sac Zoo. We always love Japanese food when needing low fat but high protein and moderate carb meals. The food was excellent, and with generous portions: 1. Plain Sunomono - Is nothing but plain. Sliced cold cucumbers in a sweet vinegary sauce served in a huge martini glass. Super refreshing on a hot day and excellent shareable appetizer. (5 stars) 2. Kid's teriyaki meal are designed for under-7 kids but could have easily fed a teen. Generous amount of moist, juicy chicken breast slices, cup of crunchy salad with Asian sesame creamy dressing, huge bowl of rice, and lots of tempura (2 shrimp, one brocolli, and a sweet potato). (5 stars) 3. Sushi Moriwase B was 10 pieces of chef-selected nigiri. Not bad - rice was well seasoned and soft, generally very fresh fish. I'm less a fan of imitation crab and was surprised to see tamago - but hey, protein is protein. (4 stars) 4. Some dishes were on the saltier however, such as the free miso soup and soba noodles - the large comb one with chicken, mushrooms, veggies, and a separate dipping sauce. Definitely recommend Akebono. It was pretty empty when we arrived but during our meal more families and customers began filling in. Guess they need all the space after all!

    Menu 9/11/26
    Cassi U.

    Nice staff. Wasn't too crowded for a Friday night. Food is good as always. Happy to see there is a kids menu, I want sure when I decided to come here.

    Vegetarian - Jungle Roll / add a tempura and a teriyaki spicy mayo drizzle for $2 / I'd order it again
    Ron R.

    *** Vegetarian Review *** Would I come back? Yes, friendly service. They can accommodate their broths for vegetarians. If you can handle it, always ask for a medium spice level. Tips for first-timers: 1) Plenty of free parking 2) They accept reservations The Food: Vegetable Tempura ($18.95, Grade A): I like how they cut the vegetables--not too chunky. There is nothing worse than a chunky carrot that isn't cooked to its core. The tempura batter doesn't pull off when you bite into it, and it isn't oily at all. Yasai Ramen ($17.95, Grade A): Asked for a water broth to make this safe and vegetarian-friendly. You would think it would be tasteless, but it was surprisingly packed with flavor. The medium spice level definitely helped, but even for people sensitive to heat, this would be a tasty dish. It says water-based, but it still has a deep, eye-appealing dark color. The noodles have a great bite. Not overly mushy. And they stay that way for the entire meal. Broccoli, zucchini, bean sprouts, wood ear mushrooms, and cabbage. The cubed tofu is fresh and wasn't spoiled which often happens with tofu in restaurants that a lot of people don't order daily. Jungle Roll ($14.95, Grade A): Avocado and cucumber, topped with a seaweed salad. Most Japanese restaurants fail to understand that vegetarians also want a fun roll! We asked if they could include a vegetable tempura inside the roll so there would be a good textural component, and added a drizzle of teriyaki and spicy mayo. Good news--they were able to do it, though having to check with the sushi bar is always an adventure ($1 extra for each request). Sidenote: Why do all Japanese restaurants need to ask the sushi bar? One-hundred percent of the time, we eagerly have to wait for the sushi court to give a "rolling." (Ruling if that was too vague). The rolls are made fresh and many meat-based rolls include a tempura element rolled inside. I could understand if we're asking to deep fry the roll, but just adding a tempura and a drizzled sauce? Ok, hopping off my soapbox. Bottom Line We've been coming to this place on and off for over ten years. It's been at least 2 years since our last visit, and there are some noticeable changes. Portions are smaller; the ramen bowls used to be the size of a food challenge. The restaurant itself is looking older and not quite as cared for, but the flavors remain excellent and the friendly, attentive service is completely unchanged.

    Jace C.

    Akebono is one of those spots I keep in rotation because the portions actually match the price. I've had their sushi rolls, ramen, and curry, and out of everything on the menu, I keep coming back for the sushi rolls and the curry. It's just good value for what you're paying. The restaurant is clean and has ample room, which makes it a great option when you're going with a group. We usually have no problem getting seated together, but I'd still recommend calling ahead during peak hours just to be safe. Parking usually isn't an issue either, at least at night. Overall, it's a dependable spot when you want a comforting meal, solid portions, and prices that still feel reasonable.

    Creamy albacore
    Reener B.

    They couldn't have chosen a better name for the Dream Come True roll, because it truly is such a dream come true to taste this delicious roll. It has all the cuts of fish, which makes it so worth it. Feels like getting sashimi inside the roll!! Every bite felt like a dream and couldn't stop talking about it after getting home! Also, I enjoyed the other dish we got such as the creamy albacore for appetizers and the soba tempura noodles. The tempura was perfectly fried! Overall, Akebono remains at the top of the list for best sushi spots in the Sacramento area!

    Black garlic ramen
    KC C.

    Ive been coming here forever and i have had recent check in but this last time i wanted to update my review. I love all sushi rolls here but my go to is the dream come true roll. It's one of those rolls that's twice the size of a regular roll for $22.95. I feel like the sushi wasn't as fresh as it once was and the roll which I thought was gigantic shrank in size. While there we also ordered the steak lunch box and the steak was not hot and small portions. The service is so and so and feel like the place has changed, for me anyhow.

    Katsu chicken
    Tamara P.

    Celebrated a birthday here! It has been a long standing tradition for them but was new to me. I was excited to see what all the excitement was about. We had a triple roll (devoured before picture)! We also had the katsu chicken and shrimp and veggie tempura. The servings were generous and the everything was delicious! We had leftovers and were able to enjoy some tempura and chicken for lunch rhetorical next day. They have seating around the sushi bar, in the front and a buffer room in the back. The staff were attentive and the service was quick.

    Lili M.

    A very popular sushi restaurant! Came here with my cousin for dinner to try and branch out from our usual spots. The sushi was tasty and they have tons of options. It was very busy the day we went but they have a lot of seating to accommodate. The staff were nice and the restaurant definitely has a high busy kind of energy to it from the decor to how many people were there. Have only been here the one time, so I want to come back to try some other options. The roll I got (sorry can't remember the name) had fresh sliced lemon on top which I love. We did get one roll that had cream cheese in it and it honestly was too much cream cheese that we poked it out. Would come back!

    Udon
    Julia T.

    Came here for udon. Will come back for the sushi. Ordered the udon, bento box, and a spicy tuna roll. Udon was ..... very underwhelming. The chicken is straight up boiled breast. Tough. Dry. Flavorless. Broth was lacking in flavor. Noodles were good but can you really mess up noodles? Safe to say I will NOT order this again. Bento box was good. Nothing crazy. Wish the meat portions were a bit bigger but then again it is a bento box. Chicken katsu was juicy unlike the chicken in the udon. Spicy tuna roll was DELICIOUS. Fresh fish everything wow. Will definitely be back to try the sushi. Bill was about 65$ so average dinner price. Service was quick but nothing outstanding as they were very busy. Lots of extra seating the back. I'll be back to try more of the rolls but will be avoiding the udon.

    Never can go wrong with a rainbow roll.
    Melissa Y.

    Sushi craving? Ramen craving? Or how about a bento box? Come here for your Japanese fix. They have an abundance of options and none disappoint.

    Katsu curry
    Pammy C.

    Our go-to for Japanese food! Love their sushi, particularly their awesome rolls. The kids are fans of their katsu curry and katsu don. Service was ok on a Saturday night. It definitely wasn't busy at all; however, for some reason the sushi rolls took forever. Practically arrived when the kids were almost done with their dinner. The restaurant is always clean and pretty spacious. The service is usually good. Maybe it was an off night for them?

    Tonkatsu Ramen
    Lily N.

    I'm not overly impressed, but the food is okay. I think the sushi might be better than the ramen. You can tell how "precious" their broth is when they overfill your bowl with soup. Based on the high ratings I was expecting more, but the few times I've been here it's been average. Nice sized parking lot for Freeport area. Inside is big enough to accommodate large groups.

    Sherril S.

    This restaurant is our family favorite and have dined here for many special occasion. Service is always great, staff are always pleasant. My Go To: Dream Come True - this doubles the usual sushi roll and my favorite roll! It has everything which maybe a turn off for some but not for me. You can't go wrong with any of their dishes. Portion is above average! Photos were from our latest visit: 4/12/25

    Akebono roll

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    9 months ago

    Cheap alternatives for sushi and rolls were very unwell. Wouldn't come here to dine at all!

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    Page 2 of 32

    Akebono Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Akebono

    Do they still do the sushi boats?

    Yes, we do still sushi boat

    Did they recently switch new owners or managers?

    Yes they did. I wrote a review about it, the food clearly lost quality.

    Could someone post a menu picture? The online site lists names of rolls, but no details.

    I posted several shots of the menu for you.

    Are they doing to go only now with the COVID-19 situation?

    Yes

    Is the owner Japanese?

    It was, since it changed I'm not sure anymore.

    Is there takeout or is it dine-in only?

    Yes, there is takeout here.

    Do you have keto friendly selections in your menu?

    Seriously? It's Japanese food.

    All you can eat?

    No. It isn't a buffet or all you can eat.

    View All 10 Questions

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    Rice Theory - Unagi musubi

    Rice Theory

    4.4(201 reviews)
    0.1 miHollywood Park, South Land Park
    $$

    How is nobody talking about this place ?!…read more Such amazing food. All the selections are packed with fish and they will heat up the onigiri if you ask! I got three different inari - a corn cheese, spicy mayo salmon, and a garlic ponzu tuna. All were so filling I didn't need a onigiri (but I ate it anyway). They have a combo selection of the inari or just pick each of your own. The Thai tea i got didn't have ice since they kept it cold in the fridge but when I asked for a cup of ice they said no problem. You honestly get more bang for your buck since the one Thai tea gave me two full drinks with the ice! Also saw they had sushi roll options. Everything looked so appetizing and made with love. Service was great and it's very cute inside with plushie mystery bags and cute branding all over. Amazing and I am officially HOOKED! Texting everyone I know to check this place out! MUST TRY !

    It was my sister's and my first time at Rice Theory! The space is quite small, but super cute and…read morelovely inside. We tried their spam musubi, spicy salmon, and corn. The spicy salmon was definitely our favorite! The spam musubi was alright to us, but still good. The corn was on the sweeter side, which I loved because I do love my sweetness! The workers were also very kind and welcoming when we walked in. They have sauces and utensils available on the side too, which was convenient! Overall, a cute spot to check out!

    Photos
    Rice Theory - Interior

    Interior

    Rice Theory - Unagi musubi  Rice balls

    Unagi musubi Rice balls

    Rice Theory - Sukiyaki Beef Roll

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    Sukiyaki Beef Roll

    Tokyo Table

    Tokyo Table

    4.6(387 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    Food was good fresh and amazing service. Will go back again, clean restaurant nice environmentsread more

    Such a good sushi spot!…read more We had such a great dinner at Tokyo Table! Everything was so flavorful, portions were generous, and the service was great. Our server Zephyr was awesome and took great care of us. We went ALL IN on the sushi and ordered the Kings, Power of E, Salmon Lovers, Change Up, and Very Messi rolls and honestly, every single one was delicious! My favorite had to be the salmon lovers. I loved that the rolls were packed with flavor, had generous amounts of fish on top, and you could actually taste all the different components instead of everything just blending together. The toppings were definitely not skimpy! The Toro Don with black tobiko and gold flakes, served with seaweed on the side, was probably the fanciest looking dish we ordered. Comes with rice & basically a build your own hand roll style dish. It was beautiful and felt like such a treat!! Pair your diy hand roll with some pickled wasabi and YUM! The Deluxe Sashimi Nigiri Combo was another standout. The pieces of fish were HUGE and very generous, which I always appreciate when ordering sashimi/nigiri. The Zig Zag Hand Roll was also SO good, I'm drooling thinking of it, had great flavor and definitely one I'd order again. The Calamari was delicious! Crispy on the outside, perfectly cooked, and not chewy at all. Definitely worth ordering. The Karaage Chicken, one of my favorites because not all karaage chicken is made equal! This was super flavorful, perfectly cooked, juicy/moist, and had that crispy outside you want from karaage. The Truffle Hamachi Crudo was probably the only dish that didn't really wow me. I wish it had been served with more of the sauce because I think that would have made a big difference. It just wasn't my favorite compared to everything else we tried. The presentation was also lacking. We also ordered the Ribeye Steak, which comes with rice, salad, and miso soup. The steak was cooked perfectly at a medium rare, exactly how we asked, but it was lacking in flavor/seasoning for me. The salad and miso soup were pretty standard as well. Would not get this again. Overall, the sushi was definitely the star of the show! The fish portions, flavors, presentation, and variety were all on point. There were several things I'd happily order again. Great food + great service = definitely a spot I'd come back to! If you haven't tried it, what are you waiting for?

    Photos
    Tokyo Table - Inside

    Inside

    Tokyo Table - Salmon Lover (left) and Power of E (right)

    Salmon Lover (left) and Power of E (right)

    Tokyo Table - 04.24.25 Scallop special plate Sooo melt-in-your-mouth good!!!

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    04.24.25 Scallop special plate Sooo melt-in-your-mouth good!!!

    Kado Asian Fusion - Delicious teriyaki bowl.

    Kado Asian Fusion

    4.8(60 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Really solid affordable spot with good portions and food. Service was quick but that was probably…read morebecause we stopped by 30 minutes before closing. The interior was nice and featured a cute Studio Ghibli theme. Stopped by for the first time and tried the umami udon and a BYOB with bacon spam fried rice. Can you tell that I like katsu chicken? The katsu chicken along with the bacon spam fried rice is what you'd expect, It was delicious. The umami udon was also good, but it did get a bit heavy the more I ate. Overall I think it's a good affordable spot. I may be generous giving this place a 5/5, but I can definitely see myself coming back for some more katsu if i'm in the area. The food isn't like mind blowing, but definitely a great choice if you want something kinda quick, good, and affordable.

    My husband had driven by Kado Asian Fusion a few times since it's close to his work so we decided…read moreto check it out for dinner last week. Kado Asian Fusion is located on Broadway and cater to the lunch/dinner crowds. They are open from 12-8pm every day except Sundays. The inside was clean and had a decent amount of tables. We ordered at the counter and then sat at a table while we waited for our food to go. They offer bowls, tacos, nachos, rolls and sandwiches! I don't always know what to order at new places - so I liked that they had signs for specials as well as "favorites." We ordered the Rice with Teriyaki Chicken, Oliver's Favorite which was Spam Musubi and Spam and Bacon Fried Rice and Mom and Dad's Forbidden Feast. Everything looked and tasted really good! Obviously, it would have been much better had we actually eaten in the restaurant, but still no complaints once we got it home. Spam Musubi is one of my favorite things to eat so I could have downed like 5 of them! Portions were huge too - they even have a 100 year old teriyaki recipe! Overall, I would definitely come back and try other items! Staff were also very friendly, personable and gave great recommendations! Check them out!

    Photos
    Kado Asian Fusion - The inside walk up counter before any of the patrons came in

    The inside walk up counter before any of the patrons came in

    Kado Asian Fusion
    Kado Asian Fusion - BYOB is amazing

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    BYOB is amazing

    Karai Sushi Spicy Noodle Teriyaki - Spicy Lobster Roll-1

    Karai Sushi Spicy Noodle Teriyaki

    4.8(169 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    I've had Karai bookmarked for a while and although I didn't dine in, I still had a really good…read moreexperience with their sushi takeout! I ordered the citrus salmon roll and sacto roll. I love a lemon salmon roll, so I was happy to see the citrus salmon roll on the menu. I appreciate that the salmon was on the thicker side. I do wish there was a more citrus added versus just having some lemon shavings. The sacto roll is more on the unique side since I never had a roll that had chili crunch on it. It was a nice contrast while complimenting the fish. I liked how this roll had shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, salmon, and hamachi. Two rolls was plenty for me to feel full! I definitely will be ordering from here again and hope I get to dine in soon.

    Saturday, 7/11/2026 - We tried Karai Sushi Spicy Noodle Teriyaki restaurant for lunch today. First…read moretime here. Address is 5691 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95824. This is a cute lithe restaurant. Simple. Upon arrival.... Pros 1) we got parking right away. 2) restaurant looked clean. Our table, chairs, plates, cups looked clean. We were the only one there at first. 3) waitress was very nice and smiling. I love warm welcomes. She seated us right away, gave us menus and brought water for us pretty quick. 4) water tasted good. No funky taste. 5) Mixed tempura, Miso soup, New York Steak teriyaki, Zig zag roll were all very good. 6) our waitress checked in on us and ensure we had water refill. I appreciate that. We all did. It was hot today. 7) bathroom was clean. 8) wall decors are cute. 9) there's music, but low enough that we could talk and hear each other, but loud enough that we can hear the music. Cons 1) none Conclusion We liked this little restaurant. We gotta try the soups next time we go there. We only encounter our waitress and she was very nice. Didn't get to talk to the sushi chef. Foods good, water good, restaurant clean, bathroom clean, plenty of parking. Menu have dessert, but we didn't get any. Was pretty full. Go try this place if you're in this area.

    Photos
    Karai Sushi Spicy Noodle Teriyaki - Seating

    Seating

    Karai Sushi Spicy Noodle Teriyaki - Small sashimi

    Small sashimi

    Karai Sushi Spicy Noodle Teriyaki - Chefs pick

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    Chefs pick

    Fuji Sacramento - rainbow maki

    Fuji Sacramento

    4.4(255 reviews)
    2.3 miLand Park, Downtown

    Just had the best banquet for our family reunion! The food was delicious and the service was…read moreoutstanding. The upstairs banquet room was perfect for our event of 60 people. Fuji's was very accommodating and flexible in meeting our needs. Beef Teriyaki, Miso Salmon, Sesame Chicken, green beans, salad, gyoza, lumpia and various sushi rolls were provided in our buffet. Would definitely recommend this location for any banquet gathering. We are already regular customers for breakfast lunch and dinner.

    Most everyone loves a piece of good chocolate cake and I am no exception…read more Surprisingly, I found the as close to perfect chocolate cake at a restaurant I did not expect to find it. Fuji on Broadway. There is a young baker trained by the earlier baker who retired. Jonas has turned his art into perfection. His chocolate cake is excellent and his Vanilla Bean Cream Brulee is outstanding too! Fuji is a contemporary Japanese restaurant that serves delicious plates of wonderful food. They can cater special occasions at the restaurant or make party trays to take out. Happy Hour is every day fro 3-6 pm and on Wednesdays Happy Hour is all day. The restaurant is well appointed in the Japanese style, clean and the staff are welcoming, know the menu, can make suggestions and are very friendly. There is a huge parking lot in back of the restaurant.

    Photos
    Fuji Sacramento - Love the interior design

    Love the interior design

    Fuji Sacramento - Macadamia shrimp

    Macadamia shrimp

    Fuji Sacramento - Poke Tacos

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    Poke Tacos

    Akebono - japanese - Updated September 2026

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