Jenny T.

Uh still my fav, if anything I have grown to love this place even more. If you like authentic real Japanese food aka you have been to Japan more than a handful of times and do not care for tourist traps, you will LOVE it here. If you enjoy mikuni and the likes and enjoy your rolls, this might not be the place for ya. You want it at fast food speed, yeah unlikely. Nothing wrong with that but stick to mikuni and other random "sushi" spots and skip writing that bad review due to your personal expectations and experiences, or lack thereof. I love food. I travel for food. I use the Michelin stars as a guide and will never call myself a foodie. If I had to explain it, I'm a food connoisseur. I know when I'm here I want the sushi bar so there's no lag time for the nigiri (many steps to eating nigiri but I'll spare ya and timing is crucial) to touch my tongue. The special dishes are always amazing. I have never tried a roll lol. I travel for food and we all know sushi rolls is an American made concept of fast food "sushi". Very mom and pop and possibly understaffed at times but customer flow can also be extremely inconsistent. Let's all have a bit of compassion and be slightly understanding and come for the best real Japanese food in North America (yes I would know I'm a star chaser without a budget) and an authentic experience akin to Japan. It's incredibly reasonably priced and I would easily pay 3x. But at 3x I might need mood lighting haha. Sit at the sushi bar, talk to the chefs, try new things, be open minded and patient, and maybe then you can learn to love this place too.

Tyler S.

Went here with a friend on a whim because we were out golfing in Carmichael and man am I glad we stumbled into this place. Hands down the best sushi I've had in a long time. They even serve fresh wasabi from half moon bay! My only complaint is that my stomach wasn't able to handle more food than what I ordered! 10/10 will come back

Darren C.

I've driven by this place probably a thousand times, and in our ongoing mission to try as many sushi spots as we can, we finally decided to check it out. It's tucked away at the end of one of the many strip malls along Madison Avenue, and after reading some solid reviews, we figured it was worth a shot. First impression? The place actually smelled new -- almost like fresh wood and recent construction -- so I'm wondering if it recently opened or was remodeled. Either way, it had a really nice feel to it. Clean, bright, modern, and a little more "high end" than the average everyday sushi spot around town. You could tell they put a little more thought into the menu than most places do. The food was really good, fresh, and flavorful. Prices were maybe a touch higher than the typical local sushi restaurant, but the quality and overall experience backed it up. Service was friendly and attentive too. Like a lot of great restaurants in the Sacramento area, the outside doesn't really tell you what the inside is like. Being in a strip mall has absolutely nothing to do with how good a restaurant is around here -- it's just where restaurants end up opening. And honestly, one bonus of the strip mall life: there's always plenty of parking. Definitely worth checking out.

Lon H.

Early celebration for my brother's birthday and we wanted a good Japanese place that's not too far. Found this new place and read several good reviews from Yelp elites. We decided to try it. We had the okonomiyaki and it was okay. Think my brother could almost make it just as good lol. The premium sashimi was not cheap - 15 pieces for $55, but it was worth it. My mom loved the quality and taste. It seemed that the Dream Fish was popular so we ordered that one, but I did not think it was special. I liked the Red & White roll much better with blue fin tuna. We were still a bit hungry so we got the mixed tempura. It was perfectly fried. I also got a Hokkaido uni and Hokkaido scallop. They were delicious. I must say - their nigiri is on point. That's what I normally would focus on, but my mom likes rolls and other items. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality and taste at this place. Think the sushi chef and one of the servers were Japanese. Not very affordable and not a lot in quantity, but the taste was excellent. I will certainly be back to taste other items.

Zin M.

We had: - chicken teriyaki bento box $20 which came w miso soup, potato salad, salad. Delicious chk terkyaki w thigh meat. - okonomiyaki $9- Delicious and nostalgic. Hard to find in sac! Had green onions in it though so hubby couldn't eat even though waitress told me no green onions. - Nigiri mix 10pc $45- Delicious fresh fish. Again 1 or 2 had green onions and we were promised none. - white yuzu sake $9- not bad - red & white roll special $20- was ok. Probably wouldn't get it again. - echigo sake $9- not bad. Service was super slow once more people came in. Small restaurant but our last roll took forever to come and toddler got restless. Tried to cancel order but supposedly was coming out soon. Overall good for fresh fish sashimi and nigiri. Wouldn't get the rolls again. Would try other bento boxes.

Regina L.

This was my friends' and my second time here and as usual, even on a weeknight, the tables and sushi bar seats were full! We made reservations just in case, so good thing we did! The first time we dined in this Japanese gem of a restaurant, we were blown away by the flavors and presentation of their soft shell crab appetizer roll and salmon teriyaki dinner. Service is excellent and the ambiance and decor make us feel as though we are in a home in Japan. This 2nd diving visit,, I decided to try one of their specials posted on their wall chalkboard. Wow, that lobster-mas roll did not disappoint! I am sometimes weary of ordering something that is not what I already enjoyed from past dining experiences, which is salmon teriyaki from Hito Yatai for me. Every bite of this roll had the perfect amount of garlic and mayo flavoring and the lobster and tuna were very fresh! If they have this special roll on the menu next time, I want to devour it again! What's more is the sake we tried was so smooth and with its hint of sweetness, it paired well with this roll, as it enhanced all of the roll ingredients, as the flavors danced on my tongue. Last time, they ran out of the mango mochi I wanted to try, so I was excited to order both the ube and mango mochi this time. What a perfectly sweet, grand finale to our dinner!

Connie C.

Took myself on a solo date for omakase here. Brought a little sudoku to pass the time between courses. IT WAS PERFECT. I loved everything. It restored my sanity and health. Especially when a loud bass playing music enthusiast almost ruined the night and a fellow diner stepped out to save the day and politely ask them to drop a few thousand decibels. Amazing omakase and saved from tinnitus. 500/5 stars!

Ron G.

My wife and I tried Hito Yatai for the first time last night and enjoyed every bite. From the exquisite sunomono to the rolls and the amazing nigiri every bite was perfect. The service was attentive and the ambiance was cozy and classy. We have tried many sushi shops in the area and in other Northern California towns and this was our favorite. If you enjoy sushi please give Hito Yatai a visit. You won't regret it.

Desirée K. H.

Hidden gem unlocked! We kept seeing this sushi spot pop up on Yelp and finally gave it a try for date night--and we should've come sooner. The menu is refreshingly unique, focusing on nigiri & sashimi with a strong lineup of Japanese staple apps. Fresh inventory, clean flavors, and attention to detail all the way through. We started with uni and flounder nigiri--super fresh. The mixed tempura wasn't your usual veggie lineup either; creative, crunchy, and so good I didn't even get a photo. Probably my favorite dish of the night. Rolls are a make-or-break for me and these were handled beautifully--fluffy, not smashed, exactly how they should be. The Hokkaido roll (spicy tuna, Kani Kama, tempura scallop in soy paper) was the winning combo of the night. Tucked away on Madison & Fair Oaks with easy parking, this spot feels like one of those under-the-radar gems that get you excited about "finding it first." Already planning our next visit to keep working through the menu.

Lynette B.

My daughter's favorite fresh sushi restaurant. I ordered to pick up for us and the coziness, cleanliness, sushi bar and friendliness of the owners was very welcoming. The food is first rate & sooo fresh. We had chicken teriyaki, rainbow roll, California roll, yatai roll and miso soup. The owners said they will be on vacation soon. So I told pics to share. Will be returning again! Highly recommend!

Adam H.

We could not recommend this business more! The service was stellar. The interior was very cozy and cute, considering the building space itself. If this restaurant was located in EDH, Folsom, Rocklin or Roseville, they would sell out every night. The food was incredibly fresh and melt in your mouth delicious. We had the blue fin sampler, ribeye skewers, gyoza, two special rolls, and a miso black cod. The food was exquisite! Our new favorite sushi spot. We wish it was a better location, but we will gladly continue to support this business

Ante A.

Love this place based on our first visit! We got a spicy tuna roll (our favorite) and the Veggie Tempura which was beautifully lightly battered and super crispy (must order) Beef skewers were also good but next time i'm ordering more sushi!