We used to frequent Sagami before they remodeled and turned into a "sit down restaurant" and we used to love it! We visited them this past weekend for dinner and were gravely disappointed. Their mixed tempura was BEYOND greasy and the few pieces of veggies were a JOKE. They are no longer than two inches in length...to give you an idea. It was mainly zuccini and broccoli. No potato, no squash, no onion ring...nothing! Ohhh, but they DO serve tempura CILANTRO (or some kind of weed) as one of their veggies. Are you kidding me??? The tempura dipping sauce was room temerature, which is not acceptable. Their sesame chicken was leathery and had lots of chewy skin and cartilage still on it. Also very greasy. Didn't even swallow my only bite. The California roll was mainly all rice. And they only give you like 4 tiny pieces in the bento box. Also not up to par. The salad was mixed greens (like the one from Costco that comes in a box) with an obviously store bought THICK ginger dressing. Not light and fresh at all, but rather overpowering and just not good. And this is usually my favorite part of the meal... The service was HORRIFIC. He took our order and NEVER came back. No joke. No quality check on our dinner, no refills, no dessert, nothing. We had to get up and go pay the tab because we never saw him again. And they weren't even that busy! The food price was a bit on the higher end, but had it been good, I would have happily paid for it. The place was clean, but unfortunatley, they still smell like fish when you walk in the door. I was hoping this smell would go away after they remodeled, but I was wrong. Oh, I almost forgot. Their rice is good...but we are for sure not coming back for some sticky white rice! read more

I've drived past this place for years w/out trying. Figured any Japanese restaurant in the middle of a strip mall just isn't authentic. BUT, a family member who had lived in Japan x 7+ years referred us to the place. Emphasized that the owners are from Nagoya, so order what they do best: the miso. i.e. anyone basing their take off a spicy tuna bowl, CA roll, & other off the wall sushi that doesn't exist in Japan needs to get a clue, he furthered. So, we try the place. Was virtually a throwback from my last JP trip. Japanese-speaking personnel (hostess, sushi chef, more) & customers from Japan. The service could've been faster, but the food was GREAT. I was wary that this might be too sweet, but the miso udon was absolutely delicious. & the nigiri sushi was fresh & delicious! We returned the following week & loved it again. Many more visits to come! read more

After a long day at the office with hardly any energy to satisfy my craving for Japanese comfort food, I wandered over to Sagami around 8:00, located conveniently between the now-closed Mervyn's and Target along with La Salsa and Pasta Bravo. Sagami used to be this super-small, hole-in-the-wall walk-in counter that served rolls, hand rolls, and sushi to order, packed away in plastic and taken to-go. It has changed since then, now a legitimate sit-down restaurant serving tempura, curry, ramen, udon, and other Japanese traditional fare. I ordered the Potato and Beef Sukiyaki and took a ready-made Spicy Tuna Roll to-go. The total came to $25 including a $1.50 tip, definitely had to do a double-take on the receipt for that. The sukiyaki was $13.99 and the Spicy Tuna Roll took the rest of the bill. Yowzas! That's an expensive night in. Too bad I wasn't all that impressed. The sukiyaki broth was a little sweeter than I expected it to be, the beef was nicely sliced super thin and melted in my mouth, the carrots were al dente - wish they would have cooked them a little longer, and unfortunately the same with the potato. They gave a nice pint sized amount, but I wasn't about to eat all 100 grams worth of sugar in soy sauce broth with a mediocre amount meat and undercooked veggies. What can I say about the Spicy Tuna Roll that can make it exciting? I can't do that without any material to work with. The sushi rice was underseasoned, the seaweed was soft and soggy, and the tuna was loaded with spicy mayo so that all I had was the squishy texture of the chopped up tuna mixed with gloshy, siriacha mayo. The roll just had the tuna in it; no cucumber, no avocado, no sprouts. Can you believe a roll like that for $11 bucks? OUCH. My overtime hours spent at the office for food like this... quite disappointing. End verdict: wouldn't go here again! read more

Small comfy Japanese joint I have been going to for years. Food's legit, atmosphere's great, and everything is as close to an authentic Japanese izakaya as you are going to get in the USA. read more

OVERALL RATING = 9 / 10 The EATS: [NEW] Sukiyaki Bowl = 10 Kitsune Don (w/soba noodles) = 8 Aburi Salmon Roll = 8 Yakiniku Bowl = 8 [NEW] Miso Soup = 7 Chicken Teriyaki Bowl = 7 Crunch Roll = 6 The DRINKS: Tap Water = 5 The ATMOSPHERE = 7 The SERVICE = 7 ---COMMENTS--- I've been coming here since I was in high school (15 years) and the teriyaki and other bowls have been very consistent and satisfies me every time. The sukiyaki bowl is the best! The APPEAL = 10 I will be back for more rice & udon bowls. Sukiyaki! read more

Authentic Japanese owned and operated. Delicious sushi and authentic Japanese dishes. Always busy which is a sign of good food. No substituting menu. What you see is what you get. And for all you cheap people who don't know authentic Japanese food stay home. read more

This place gets real busy during lunchtime. I had a poki salmon bowl, pretty good large portion cept that the avocado was a bit dark and i found a eyebrow or nose hair...in it...I didn't want to waste the salmon so I just ate around it. Yeah, some may say gross but I say not wasteful! Got the sesame chicken, it was okay. A little hard though I did take this one to go. read more

Great lunch at a good price. I was looking for a place to get an inexpensive bento box for lunch and Sagami delivered. The layout of Sagami is a little odd. You have the sushi bar and a couple of 2-seater tables and on the other side of the place, you have the rest of the tables. Two distinct sections to the place. We got seated at one of the tables near the sushi bar... I would definitely rather be sitting there rather on the other side. Ordered the bento box with dark meat teriyaki chicken and the spicy tuna rolls. The bento comes with rice, salad, miso soup (which doubles as my drink), couple of pieces of broccoli, edamame, and a slice of orange. The chicken was pretty good and the teriyaki sauce wasn't overly thick which is a common mistake other places make. The spicy tuna rolls weren't bad but definitely very average. It would give me some doubts about coming to this place strictly for sushi, but I can't knock it until I have tried it. If you are thinking about sushi only and of course sitting at the bar, the bar is quite small seating only about 6-8. All things considered, I was quite satisfied with the food and definitely for the price ($10 for the bento box). I think this would make a great lunch spot for work for up to 4 coworkers as it looks like that is the largest table size. A solid 4 star. read more

First time trying this place. Ordered a Togo at the restaurant, messed up my order, waited for 30 minutes, did not give me anything extra to compensate, not even a cup of water for the wait. Finally got my food, there was hair in my food. Just bad. Tsk tsk tsk. Never go there, waste of your money foreals read more

Don't get takeout. I haven't even gotten my food yet but I'm already pissed. I ordered take out thirty minutes ago and I haven't even gotten my foo yet. It's not even that busy but the waitress's excuse is that they're making it but they have to serve everyone else first. Well don't people get take out so it can be more convenient and faster? It would've been faster for me to dine in rather than wait outside for over thirty minutes waiting for my food. This is ridiculous I've been to plenty of sushi places and it definitely does not take this long to make a crunchy roll and four pieces of yellowtail. Wtf is going on I just went in after waiting 45 minutes and she tells me they forgot my order after I walked in several times asking for my order. I just got my money back and left. They obviously don't care about their customers. read more

Two of my wonderful friends took me here for my birthday and it was a really good experience! Unfortunately I am not a Japanese food expert but here is my humble opinion... We ordered a TON of dishes but these are the ones i remember the best... seaweed salad- tasty and fresh! I don't have much to compare it to but I really enjoyed it. chicken wings- AWSOME/TODIEFOR/TASTIEST WINGS EVER. Crispy, sweet and salty! More on the sweet side but well worth trying. It was suggested by our server as one of his favorites/one of the most popular dishes MYSTERY ROLL- the mystery roll was on the menu for that day and it ended up being a combination of a ton of different things...basically it was really good and i enjoyed it a lot. great thing to get if you are feeling dangeroussss...ly cool. The atmosphere was nice but extremely small- I imagine it can get quite crowded during the lunch/dinner rush hours. Service was really good when we came and pricing was moderate...like a standard Japanese restaurant. Overall it was not bad.. i woudl definitely come back again for the chicken wings! read more

This is a great place for lunch. My favorite dish is the Yakiniku Bowl. It's blend of thin, tender and flavorful beef with mixed vegetables really sets off my taste buds! They give a good portion when ordering out but you seem to get a smaller portion when you dine in. So wierd!! I also like to pick up their sushi package that is on a side counter. Four piece sushi with some small cucumber and tuna rolls. It's a good combination to satify that quick sushi fix. Another great dish to pick up is their Sesame Chicken Bowl. Very filling, great portion and absolutely flavorful. The only thing that urks me about this place is the wait when I do a last minute decision to walk in and order. I just absolutely hate waiting!! My solution: Call in before I leave the office and order ahead. I'm in and out in less than a minute. Love it! read more

surrounded by empty restaurants Sagami was full of customers - good sign. i walked into this Japanese restaurant, and it was full of Japanese - a very good sign the menu had lots of authentic japanese dishes. this is no cheap-chicken-teriyaki-combo place. - very relieved. sushi tasted very fresh. rolls were good. my husband swears that the sweet shrimp on his sushi was alive, and its tail moved. - yes, i'm also skeptical! =) but even the oysters we ordered on the side ($2) were very fresh. will definitely come back here. * tip: bring the coupons to get $10 off! www.shopneighborhoodcenters.com read more

Came here for lunch last week, I didn't want to eat too much so I ordered a crunchy roll- BLAH. Bland, small and not very good. I ate it all, but really only because I didn't have time to grab something else before going back to work. I am sure they have plenty of other items on their menu that are great but the crunchy roll just broke my heart. My friend had a California roll and teriyaki beef bowl and that looked pretty good. Service was nice and attentive. I won't be back for sushi- you ruin a crunchy roll for me, you ruin my day (slight exageration, slight.) read more

By far one of my favorite places to go for Izakaya (drinking and eating). They have a huge tapas/shusai menu with tons of things to choose from, I think their menu says its over 150 choices. They have pork (yum!), fish, vegetable, chicken, and beef dishes all prepared in different ways, from hot to cold, to fried, saute, and baked... I never know what I'm gonna get each time. I like this place because it's a small hole in the wall that's been there for over 25 years, so you know they have to be doing something right. Plus, I'm not Japanese but I see lots of other patrons who are Japanese, so I think its safe to say it's authentic enough. If you're a fan of chicken, I'd say try the Nagoya Tebasaki; if you're a fan of pork, try their Buta no Kakuni; if you're a fan of fish, try their Gindara (Black Cod Miso); and if you're a fan of beef, their Japanese Ginger Steak is to die for! They also have a weekly/monthly menu that changes from week to week, month to month, along with seasonal items that come and go. This winter I'm excited to see their Miso Chanko Nabe return, it's a big family style hot pot with fish, chicken, and vegetables that is cooked right at the table. The broth is flavorful and savory, then at the end, you can add udon noodles or make it into a risoto with rice and scrambled egg, both are amazing! I also tend to close my festivities of drinking and eating with a bowl of udon soup, my favorite is the sukiyaki curry udon, I've always loved the curry here so when that same curry flavor is in a soup, talk about perfect ending! I gave this place 5 stars because it's one of the few places I regularly eat, after all, if you're craving a place week after week, it should be a 5 star in your book. Not only that, every time it's consistently good. I don't think I've ever walked out of there disappointed in what I ordered, even when it was something new on the weekly menu. I would highly recommend this place if you want to try authentic Japanese food, but I would NOT suggest it if you're looking for Americanized Japanese cuisine, there's other places for that. read more

I do NOT recommend this place at all because I was basically chased out of their establishment after I told the female waitress that I was waiting for my family members to arrive! That woman basically could care less and told me it was a first come, first serve and told me to leave because other customers were waiting to be seated! I also learned that place has become americanized and are walking around with their noses up in the air! Their food is supposedly good, but their treatment of customers is completely the pits! It's like, eh, you people have lost a customer and I sure will never, ever, step foot into your establishment again and that's a promise! read more

My husband and I come here when I crave sushi, but we don't want to bust our wallet open going to an expensive place. i get the aburi salmon roll each time and love it, because it's under 10 bucks and you get a good amount. the salmons is cooked on the top side, but raw on the bottom. the roll is big, of course you don't get too much salmon at this kind of a japanese restaurant, but that's what you get for 10 bucks. and i really like the fresh thinly sliced lime on top, adds to the salmon flavor. we've also had the sukiyaki bowl, the yakinuku bowl, and chicken terriyaki bowl. all very good. they have this cool combo where you can get a bowl and soba, udon, or a roll, for under 10 bucks. you really get your money's worth here in my opinion, and for pretty good food. read more

3.5 stars This place is alot better since it's remodeling. More variety of food, better quality, and now you can sit-down and eat! The sushi is pretty good for its price, and it's nice to know that a real Japanese chef is preparing it. I also like how they added a menu of small plates like how they do at Honda Ya. My bf and I love the broiled mackarel, yellow tail cheek, and the salmon skin salad. I come here pretty often since its only 3 minutes away from our house and it's somewhat affordable . Plus, there's never a wait. The only negative thing I can say is that the service is really on and off- just depends who your server is. read more

Tradtional look and traditional taste! How I like my japanese food! When you walk inside, despite it having a fast food atmosphere, it does seem like this restaurant could be in japan... the sushi counter, hanging drapes, a tight space... yeah, it reminds me of Japan. The food here is just solid quality food. Spicy tuna rolls are a great mix of rice, cucumbers and spicy tuna... for a to go price, they were of above average taste. I also got seasame chicken with rice and pour on a little srichacha and it really is a nice comfort meal. So Sagami is a nice little place to get your fix in the Culver/Barranca area... cause really I don't think there is another Japanese restaurant for a while unless you go to the Taiko area. read more

I came in to order take out 10 minutes prior to closing. I was told by the staff that they were closed. I asked at what time they closed and they said 10 PM. I looked at my watch and they realized it was 10 minutes til', and they quickly added "our last call is at 9:45 but we close at 10." I had just worked a long 10 hour shift and had made my way over there quickly- thinking they would honor their business hours and I would be able to get some dinner, so it was disappointing. read more

I'm totally surprised by the lukewarm reviews here. As many others obviously have, I, too, ordered the "hitsumabushi" (chopped-up grilled eel on rice), which I guess this place is known for. Well, it sure did not disappoint. I have lived in this town for 15 years, and I didn't even know this place existed! Who would've thunk it that you can find a truly authentic Japanese restaurant between -- Subway and Flame Broiler??? I plan to go back soon and order soba next time. I'll write a review again then. read more

I used to eat at Sagami very frequently. I went yesterday to order take out after a long hiatus of not eating there. Well as you can tell by my rating, I was extremely disappointed after I got the take out. First of all, their prices are absolutely ridiculous considering the fish/food quality; what angered me even more is the fact that their take-out menu is priced differently from the online menu. Why in the world would I look at their online menu without the intention of getting take out? On to the next and more important thing: the food. First of all, the udon was pretty bad, and contained nothing but noodles, broth, and the tempura on the side....okay where are all the other ingredients? I also ordered a rainbow roll that was surprisingly decent, but it was still overpriced (12$+ take-out) and it still left me with a weird low-quality fish digestion. Lastly, I had the sukiyaki bowl as well as the baked scallop roll (extremely overpriced... you literally get five pieces of shitty scallop and some rice for $11 take-out) that did NOT fail to disappoint me. Please do yourself a favor and do not eat here, unless you enjoy eating low quality over priced sushi. read more

I really like this place. Doesnt have extremely long lines but does get fairly busy. Food selection and quality is great. Service is good and friendly staff. read more

I like the restaurant. People are friendly and atmaspher is just like Japan. When I go to Sagami, I can feel at home in japan. And the taste is good. EspecialIy I like TEBASAKI and HITSUMABUSHI. I can not make thease,so I order thease at there. If raw fish is better,I give 5 stares the restaurant. read more

Sagami is your place if you're in the mood for poke or noodles. If I were to review this place on the poke or noodles alone, I would've given them 4 or 5 stars. The poke salad with the avocado is diiiiiiiiiiivine and just melts in your mouth. The poke bowls are probably the better deal though and you'll leave feeling more full. The soba noodles are also cooked well with just the right amount of chew factor. The sushi rolls, on the other hand, are horrible. My brother and I are fatties and always order sushi rolls in addition to our own dishes. We ordered 4 sushi rolls and each of them were tiny and poorly made. Two of the rolls were drenched in a mayo sauce and there goes $40+ bucks down the drain. Lesson learned: don't order rolls at Sagami. read more

Tucked away in the corner of the target plaza on Culver & Barranca, Sagami Japanese Restaurant is a hidden sushi gem in the Irvine area. They have plenty of weekly specials, from different rolls to appetizers to sashimi pieces. Happy hour is Monday-Friday, 5p-630p. Their HH menu consists of 4 happy rolls and 4 happy tapas, all around $5 each and half off beer and hot sake. Order one or each and that will satisfy you and your party. MUST EATS: poke bowl (rice, salmon, tuna, cucumbers, ponzu sauce): comes in regular and large size. regular is enough to satisfy one person, large to share. big chucks of fish and just amount of avocado and rice. snowcrab and corn crochette: mixture of snowcrab, corn, and potatoes, fried outer shell. the creamy inside with the crunchy shell makes it an explosion of texture and flavor in your mouth! monkfish liver: something i've never tried before until tonight, but its different and interesting. creamy in texutre (almost like pate) but not pungeant in taste. not always served, so definitely get it if they have it. read more

5 stars all around. Been going here since it was a hole in the wall. They bought out the cell phone store next door and expanded. Great service and great food - definitely a top contender for Japanese cuisine in Irvine. There will most likely be a wait on the weekends, but it's not too bad since you get to stare at the water fountain out front while you're sushi dreamin'! read more

Like Darren I., I am also disappointed with the new Sagami's. I used to work nearby and Sagami was a great little to-go place with pretty good prices. Granted, it's not like a place for uber-fresh sashimi or exotic sushi, but it was a good solid neighborhood staple. If you were in a huge rush, then you can get the premade sushi. But then they remodeled and judging from the menu, they added a lot of dishes but they raised the prices quite a bit (presumably to pay for the new space and decor). The prices went up anywhere from $1 to double the original price. To make up for it, some of the orders have more food in it now. They also offer brown rice. I got the 6 pieces sashimi combo to go. Before, it was $2 or $3 less but it didn't come with salad. Personally, I could live without the salad and pay less. I get really full from the bowl of rice, sashimi and miso soup that was in the original order. They decorated my sashimi with a lemon garnish but by the time I got home, the lemon had cooked the salmon it was accenting. Oops. I also think that the sashimi was thicker back in the day. I think they tried too hard to be a sit-down Japanese restaurant but the new layout isn't that pleasing to the eye (since they just bought the space next door and then expanded) and for how much they charge now, I think there are more interesting or traditional places elsewhere. read more

3.5 Your typical run-of-the-mill sushi joint where the sushi is good and hits the spot. Now, it's not the most mind blowing sushi but if you're craving Japanese food, this place does the trick. Also, it's relatively small so it fills up really quick. I came here 5 min after they opened and almost half the restaurant was already filled. read more

Authentic (so my Jap friend says) and well-priced. You can get traditional stuff here that you won't find at most Japanese restaurants, most likely because most Japanese restaurants aren't associated with actual Japanese people. Mostly Japanese patrons in here if that tells you anything (it does). read more

I eat here by myself very often. In fact I am almost always alone, and have come to know most of the servers. They are all really helpful and fun to chat with. They have a good jyu chirashi, Tako wasa, grilled cartilage, gizzard, and uni. I also like the nasu miso. They get really busy at lunch but even if you come at 2, they'll let you order something before they close at 230. Sitting at the bar is fun. read more

LOTTA WAITING... And WAITING... Unless you have all the time in the World, don't plan on have lunch here and return to work on time! Quality of the food maybe good but im not coming back here for lunch! read more

I have been ordering take out from this place for the last 6 years so I can only review the take out portion. I usually call 15 minutes ahead for my usual, a Large Tuna Poki Bowl, about $8.95 if my memory serves me correct. My food has always been on time and they have low sodium soy sauce upon request. This place started out small, but have since remodeled and expanded into a sit down restaurant. (I think they bought the next door place that went out of business?) I remember when this place only had 3 or 4 tables with outside patio seating. Since I only eat their tuna poki bowls and various rolls they have on display for the last several years when I want something quick, this place does not disappoint in quality and quantity. read more

Just found this spot yesterday. It is really awesome, chefs are all Japanese, the food is very authentic and great Japanese style serves. Affordable price, a good spot for both Lunch and Dinner read more

Sagami - 味噌カツ定食 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Am i too generous with my ratings. This place has a great Unagi Set for those out there that like eel. The food is reasonable price. Real Japanese food, many dishes you will not find normally in other Non Authentic Japanese Restaurant. Merry Christmas to Everyone read more

My friends who come here for the sushi would probably rate it much higher. This place is walking distance away from me so I wish it was better for what I like to eat - Japanese Chicken Curry. I've tried it a couple of times and found it to be a bad value, bland and meh. They offer an 'upgrade' for a few bucks to chicken breast on their curry dish so I thought maybe I ordered wrong and tried that a couple of times. Barely got any meat and same thing - bland, bad value and more meh. I've also tried to order rice to go and they won't sell you steamed rice to go. If you're coming here for Sushi - disregard my review and give a higher precedence to other reviews. If you're curry connoisseur like myself, skip this place. read more

it's a really bad. Food come very slow. We are almost wait one hour. Then told us. Food was cancel. Also waiter attiture is very scurviness.

Good authentic sushi in central Irvine. I usually buy the sush chef premium nigiri and teba chicken wings. Sushi is always fresh and service is great. read more

I've been to Sagami a number of times and this place is great! I've been here on a date, birthday dinners, and even large group dinners and this place doesn't disappoint. One word of advice: TRY THE HOUSE'S CHICKEN WINGS. They're on a level of their own and are good enough by themselves to bring people back over and over. read more

Always one of my go-to for Japanese! Authentic and delicious and it has a very cozy inside atmosphere, love the sushi bar. Can't wait to dine " in" when we are able. read more