What a great local find! We tried this place out while looking for a new teriyaki place and so glad we did. The food was delicious and the folks who run this place couldn't have been nicer in my experience. While we did get a couple of teriyaki options, I definitely recommend trying the sushi options too. The sushi was fresh and well crafted. Perfect for looking for something with a bit of variety. Called and ordered directly from the restaurant and didn't have any problems in the exchange. Maybe we're one of the lucky ones but couldn't have been more pleased with our selection and service. Definitely adding this store to the regular rotation. Next, we will need to try the dine in experience. Can't wait to come back! read more

Happy Express - Signage outside - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

This place is now a Indian restaurant. I had the goat curry and it was good. I ordered 3 * spicy and it was kind of mild. The garlic Naan was average. I didn't like the India chai tea. It's a very friendly family that runs it. read more

Happy Express - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

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When I say this is a hidden gem, it doesn't get more hidden than this. Happy Express is extremely underrated and it's not your average sushi restaurant. Matter of fact, I'm not sure if it even classifies as a sushi restaurant. Whether if you're craving Japanese food, Chinese food, or even Indian food, this place has you covered and will have your cravings more than satisfied. Although I am not sure what this restaurant specializes in, the sushi was top notch! I have hated wasabi all my life, but I have developed a love for it at Happy Express. The Unagi Nigiri was sweet and flavorful, the Smoked Salmon Nigiri was rich and savory, the rolls were addictively delicious. Sad they did not have the Hamachi Nigiri and Spicy Salmon Nigiri, but I will be back. Hopefully those will be available by then. Anyways, the prices were hard to beat and the staff were very friendly. Happy Express deserves all of the love and praise so I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

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It's an interesting restaurant with a wide variety of food on the menu. I specifically came here for the sushi but I was sadly disappointed, the rice to protein ratio was horrible. The rice was plain and tasteless. They didn't even put any rice vinegar or seasoning to the rice and the protein was very little to barely taste and top it all off, even after ordering almost eight different types of sushis, they only gave me two packs of soy sauce with no chopsticks or cutlery. I don't know about any other thing on the menu, but I would not recommend the sushi here read more

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Dinner time!!! It seemed a little quiet because there were no one else is dining in but us . However, we noticed most people do take outs . I deducted one star because they were mopping near where we were eating and the smell of the chemical is pretty strong and we have a baby and a kid with us. It still burning through my nostrils even when we left and gave a slight headache. We had to put the kids inside the car , as soon as we were done eating. Although, the lady that helped us was pretty nice and helped us with our to go bag. Also, make sure to double check what you order before paying because, they ended up adding up another sushi order that I didn't want they probably misheard but other than that I just hope they won't start mopping when there is still customer nearby, because the place isn't the biggest so the smell can be trapped in for awhile. read more

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Happy Express: This use to be a good spot for teriyaki. But the last two times I've gotten the chicken teriyaki it was so bland and not good. There was no sauce on the chicken except at the bottom of the container. Normally the chicken is glazed with sauce. The rice was dry and salad container was half full. The prices have gone up which is fine, but to skimp out on quality and normal portioning is not good for business. Anyways, I forgot to take a picture right away since I thought my meal would be fine. It definitely wasn't. I wish the business luck as I don't want anyone to fail. But, I will be going to other teriyaki spots in south Auburn. The prices are higher, but the food and quantity is excellent. EDIT: Pic of my teriyaki wit barely any sauce on it. Only ate some of it. I've never seen such lack of sauce. In some cases they give you a small container of extra sauce. read more

Happy Express - Barely any teriyaki sauce. Rice was very dry and salad container only filled half way. New standards I guess. - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

I stopped in for lunch, wanted to try something different, something Korean, maybe a "soon" (tofu soup). It was a hunch - they feature Chinese and Japanese (but not Korean). But I believe the new owners (as of 2 years ago) are Korean... so I asked. They didn't have "soon", but they have "Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup" for $16.95. I gambled and WON - the best kimchee based soup I've had in a long time, and twice the size of any "soon" I've ever had. It was served with the typical Chinese plastic spoon and chop sticks. The waitress immediately apologized and offered a fork - recognizing most Americans can't use chop sticks, and especially with noodles! I fooled her, "no fork!", I said. After 10-15 spoonfuls of soup, and many pieces of cabbage, the seafood and noodles appeared - oyster, octopus, shrimp, imitation crab (which is fish), and a huge mussel. And beneath, a generous bed of stringed noodles! Oh My God was this a delicious meal! (see the pics below). I reviewed the previous owners and this was an equal 5-Star experience. Try the soup if you have any Korean food memories on your palate! read more

Happy Express - I think this was a 10" diameter bowl of "Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup" - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

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As of 4/14/23, it is under new management with a drastically changed menu. They no longer offer sushi (in fact the sushi bar is completely gone) and they have no more beef, only lamb. You can see two business trucks parked outside that show you what the new owners previously specialized in. Prices have also changed. read more

Happy Express - Under new management, new menu (4/14/23) - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

Great place!! Love going here with the family. Food is always excellent and fresh!! Highly recommended

We love an update!! Happy to report that Happy Express is still doing a phenomenal job of providing fresh, delicious food. I ordered via Yelp today and went with an Ahi Tuna Poké Bowl rather than sushi rolls. So. Satisfied. My order was delivered quickly and easily, can't complain there. You're given the option of greens or rice as the bed of the bowl - I went with rice. Greens, avocado, cucumber, shoyu, and ahi tuna complete the bowl, and then I asked for a side of their spicy mayo to put on top. I can't resist the stuff. Delicious. The whole bowl tasted fresh and was the perfect lunch for a warm Friday afternoon. Run, don't walk, to try out Happy Express! Can't speak highly enough about their delicious food. read more

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I don't live in the area so it's been a little while since I've been back. We were in town and just had to stop in. Was a little taken back to see new owners but decided to give it a try anyway. Boy was I happy we did. Don't be fooled! The new owners learned from the previous owners and can make all the delicious food the previous owners did but have also added new items (Indian) that are incredibly delicious! I'm drooling just thinking about it! We didn't try the sushi so I can't speak on how the new owners are doing there but we tried the mango chicken, yakisoba, and the sesame chicken. All were so delicious and crave worthy! The service was great and they keep the restaurant super clean! If you're in the area, you won't be disappointed stopping and giving this hidden gem of a place a try. read more

I came by here for a quick lunch in the Auburn area and we ordered two of their teriyaki specials - teriyaki chicken & chicken katsu and teriyaki chicken & Mongolian beef. The chicken katsu was very crispy and juicy and was better than their teriyaki chicken, which was a little dry. The Mongolian beef was good but on the sweeter side. At first I was a little upset that even though we were dining in, they served our food in takeout containers and disposable utensils, but it was really convenient when we packed the leftovers to go. We didn't notice their extensive selection of sushi options until after we ordered and noticed an entire separate menu for Japanese options, so we might come back to try those a different time. read more

Happy Express - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

I ordered the fish rice biryani and it was wonderful. Lots of moist mahi mahi fish, perfectly cooked rice, and well seasoned. I ate it all! Husband ordered teriyaki chicken and vegetable chow mein combo. He loved it. read more

The service was quick, food was full of flavor, the location is low key and was not busy, very clean! Leave satisfied EVERY SINGLE TIME read more

Happy Express - Butter Chicken and Garlic Chicken - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

We took the wrong exit as we were on our way to basketball game. We have some time to kill and so we decided to have a lunch from here. At first, this place serve international dishes. Japanese, Chinese, and Indian foods etc. We ordered chicken and lamb teriyaki with sauce on the side. Oh boy, it was so blanch. Also, my son also order fried calamari. Both dishes have no flavors. I will order something else on my future order. So many choices to offer and wondering the naan bread and curry sauce is the safer route. I will give them a 2nd chance for business. read more

Called twice to order and no answer believe it or not they called me back to take my order they initially said they couldn't deliver due to the icy weather. So I decided to pick up and placed my order. When I went to leave I couldn't get out due to the ice in the parking lot of the apartment where I was staying, I called them back and told them that I wasn't able to get out and had slipped up on the ice. They then volunteered to bring it to me since I was unable to get out. That in an of itself earns 5 stars. The food as you can see from the pictures is quite a lot of food and it was very tasty. The sesame chicken was flavorful and the fried rice had a good taste, not salty. The steamed broccoli was perfectly steamed. Would definitely recommend this establishment the food was great and the customer service exceptional. read more

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Had to knock it down the 3 stars for completely removing beef from the menu and replacing it with lamb. Very odd for a Teriyaki spot. Indian cuisine sure, but the beef short ribs were why I came here often. read more

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The service was ok but the food did not taste good at all. The lady did not write down what I wanted correctly and when she bought it to me I asked them to fix it. The beef is gross, it was old and they coated it with flour but that just makes it mushy... I could go on, but the bottom line is-they don't make good food and are not sorry about that. They just take your money. I do not recommend this place. You will be wasting your money. read more

My family used to love this place, however under new management the food has changed. Our favorite dish was honey garlic chicken, it was tender with a crispy outer coating and a sticky sweet honey garlic sauce. Now it is over cooked, not crispy, not sweet and underwhelming flavored. When i told the new owner, he said it was because the previous owner was using dark meat. I told him that i never had it with darkmeat amd he told me that I could believe it or not. He did not offer to remake it, return my money or do anything to "fix" it. So I paid $16 for a dish the was left on the table with only one bite missing. We will NEVER be back. That doesn't even cover the mediocre teriyaki and egg drop soup. Don't waste your money, there are much better choices in Auburn. read more

Happy Express - Honey garlic chicken. Used to be amazing, now it's overcooked, not crispy, and underwhelming flavored. A waste of money. - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

My husband is not a fan of Asian food but sometimes I win. After he ate he said, I'd go there again, high praise from him. We ordered two sushi rolls, a pork dish and stir fried veggies and tofu. We ate all the sushi since it doesn't keep and have enough veggies and tofu and pork to have another meal. We did delivery rather than take out and it was quick and painless. Its only a few miles from our home and came on a Saturday night in less than an hour. Great choice. read more

Service was great. The lady taking orders was very thorough and straightforward with additional charges (chicken breast + spicy etc) I had the Fuji sushi roll. It was good and very well priced. Huge portion. Mongolian beef and spicy chicken combo was just okay. The beef was kinda chewy but the chicken is worth coming back for. Will be back but not for the Mongolian beef. read more

Service was great and place was clean. Food was mediocre though, ordered chicken teriyaki, spicy chicken teriyaki and a California roll. Spent quite a bit for the quality of the food. read more

Happy Express - Chicken Teriyaki Chicken - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

My party arrived an hour before closing. No one else was in the place. It took over 30 minutes to get our food, and each person's plate came out at different times. I had to send mine back twice because it wasn't warm. Even the rice was cold. The female employee was rude at BEST. The orange chicken, which another person in the party ordered, was nasty. It was gummy and hard. The teriyaki beef was tough and chewy. The only thing from the whole order that everybody was comfortable with was the gyoza. Poor Service, sub par food, and an employee with an attitude. Why in the world would I return? read more

AMAZING quality, service, and selection. The prices are on par with most other sushi restaurants, but the portions are quite large (especially the nigiri). The nigiri was is fresh, creamy, and high quality. The rolls are super tasty as well. My parents always rave about how much they love the sushi here, and now I understand why. There is a large selection of choices besides sushi, so even those who do not like fish will be satisfied. :) read more

Happy Express - White tuna & salmon nigiri in the front. Yellowtail and sweet shrimp in the back. - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

they didn't let us dine in and the chef wasn't there so we could only order off of half of the menu, also isn't very nice.

Ordered off Door Dash- I always find it hard to find a good place that sells Mongolian Beef. I don't like super huge or thick cut meat, I don't like it too soft and chewy, I don't like an overwhelming amount sauce. With that being said please take my review of Mongolian Beef with a grain of salt. I rate it at 4/5 because it still taste good and I would definitely order it again. You have your beef, green onion, white onion, and some garlic which is all you really need. I was a little disappointed to not find any of those white straw noodles to soak up some of the juices but not a dealbreaker. read more

Happy Express - Mongolian Beef - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

Ordered spicy salmon poke because I read someone's review saying "best poke in town". Fish is fresh! Seaweed salad is good. But that's about it. No chopsticks with my order and the sauce is a very generic sweet and sour. No sesame seeds or other garnishes except cucumber and avocado. I've had better poke before. read more

Ordered take out and it was ready in 12 minutes! I got the katsu which was really good, sad to see they don't have many people in the parking lot. I don't think they're open fully for dine in yet, but I ate my food in the car and it was great! read more

Happy Express - Chicken Katsu with Fried Rice - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

When I last reviewed Happy Express I raved about the nigiri and friendly atmosphere and gave them 5 stars, but the quality is not the same as when Hyung and Eun owned the place. I love the new owners and the folks that work there as well, and hate to write a bad review, but the nigiri we had tonight was only ok. The rice was a bit "mushy" and the hamachi was not as fresh as it could be. If this was the first time the food was subpar, I would not have written a review. We have had a similar experience a couple times over the last two months. Looking at other reviews, I see others have also seen a change. I will try again in a bit and hope I can update this review. For now - 3 stars is the best I can do. : ( read more

Best Sushi in the Seattle area! I left the PNW a few years ago but every time I visit this is a must have when I arrive!! Owners are very accommodating to any request and the food is delicious!! read more

Happy Express - six takeout containers of food on a kitchen counter - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

My first time ordering from Happy Express was for pick up order, where I had the orange chicken, Schezuan chicken and 2 orders of sweet and sour chicken. The latter was pictured as a soup on the app, and I thought it was ( I erred thinking of hot and sour soup , I should be more cautious next time). Overall, the food was delicious, and the owner/ staff was very pleasant, and reminded me of my aunts. The place was quiet , surprisingly, on a Saturday evening, and no diners were present when I went in. It looked well-kept, nice and clean. The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because I do want to come back and explore more items on their menu, in a dine-in experience. read more

Absolutely wonderful restaurant! I come here at minimum once a week, the staff are kind, considerate, and simply amazing. They have the absolute best sushi in town. All of their food is so good and mouthwatering. I always feel welcome when I come in and love the sense of community the staff provide. They always welcome me in with a smile, and have wonderful conversations with me. This is my favorite sushi place of all time and a must have whenever my boyfriend is in town. read more

The good things about Happy Express are excellent service, early opening hours, and some pretty good not-so-sour hot and sour soup. The not-so-good things about Happy Express are the sticky bathroom floor and the not-quite-ripe avocado in the avocado roll. The only thing I really have left to say is that the hot and sour soup is not your typical Chinese hot and sour soup. It's more of a really spicy Thai soup. I enjoyed it, but if you are looking for the sour component, you won't find it. read more

I'd been looking forward to trying this place, since it's such a short walk from my apartment, but I hate to say that I was extremely disappointed and more than likely wouldn't return. For starters, the menu is huge, which was my first red flag. They have a full teriyaki, sushi, Chinese, and Indian menu. Way too many things, which made me worried they'd all be uniformly average, or worse. I decided to get the teriyaki & honey garlic combo meal, and it was expensive for how subpar it ended up being. The honey garlic chicken wasn't crispy. The sauce was goopy and the chicken was bland. Likewise, the teriyaki chicken was lacking flavor, and the fried rice was cold, and tasted like it was from a bag. I ordered over the phone, picked it up and walked back home, and to be fair, the server was kind during our brief interaction, and I didn't have to wait at all. The restaurant itself seemed like a cozy family-owned place, but the quality of the food is so poor that I doubt I'll ever return. read more

Happy Express - Teriyaki Chicken and Honey Garlic Chicken Combo with Fried Rice - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

The food is good, the people are great, what else can I San. I would definitely recommend them

Ordered egg drop soup. It clearly had miso soup as the broth. Absolutely disgusting. I've been nauseous all night. The teriyaki and California roll were fine. read more

Does this look appetizing? You be the judge. A lot better places in federal way area. I ended up throwing it away. The ingredients are not fresh and the spicy tuna was a bright red color which looks odd and tastes even worse. read more

Happy Express - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

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Ever since this place had opened we have come back as regularly as we can! We love the garlic chicken, the teriyaki (of course) and the sushi amongst other dishes! The service is so sweet and attentive and they love kids! No judgement with the mess the kids might make and always willing to help when we bring the kiddos! Great place to come for a quick bite or to bring the family! read more

Happy Express - Loves the shrimp yakisoba! - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington

Did not disappoint! We love sushi places especially those with good service good food and good prices. We stubbed upon this place and went for dinner. Inviting even though we went close to closing time! They did not make a face or got rude. Very friendly. Will be back since it's close to home and I need to try the rest of the menu! read more

Wow!!!! I've had a lot of sushi and This place is some of the best sushi I've ever had And the service is incredible too!!! Do not miss this place read more

Happy Express - Japanese Near Me - Auburn, Washington