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    Sakura Bistro Tapas & Sake Bar

    4.1 (350 reviews)
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    SAKURA BISTRO TAPAS & SAKE BAR ATMOSPHERE

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    Benton box
    Frances C.

    Came here with coworkers for admin day and it turned out very nice Although they were understaffed but service is ok with food coming slowly The rolls were good and filling with freshness. The Benton box was above averages and decent. Great lunch spot

    Edamame
    Marilyn G.

    came here for a dinner with friends and enjoyed sharing a few dishes with the table. Our server was Joey who was so kind, patient, and answered all our questions including offering us sake recommendations. the food was delicious, I ordered spicy salmon roll and spicy tuna roll-both fresh, protein heavy, perfect for a post workout meal. the fries were also delicious, crispy & went well with the sauce. I loved the inside vibe of the restaurant, it was my first time here and I definitely want to come back and try some more dishes. another delicious sushi spot in the Bay Area added to my collection.

    Dianna H.

    Good spot for Japanese food in Oakland Chinatown! Sakura Bistro is located on the second floor of the Franklin Plaza. It was much bigger inside than I was expecting, with a good number of table and booth seating. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it feels like there are two restaurants combined into one here. One is the Japanese side (Sakura Bistro), but there's also a Chinese/Sichuan side (Chuan Yu). Menus for both are printed together in one booklet. I was a bit overwhelmed by the menu as there were so many options. Decided to keep it easy for myself and get a 3-item bento box ($19.95) for the variety. I got it with beef teriyaki, California roll, and chicken katsu. I thought everything in the bento was super solid. The beef teriyaki came with a lot of sauce which went well with the rice, and I particularly enjoyed the California rolls, which tasted a bit creamier than usual. It was a ton of food and I wasn't able to finish everything, so I brought the chicken katsu home for dinner later.

    Chicken Katsu 炸鸡排饭
    Celia K.

    Salmon hamachi lover roll was amazing. All the fish (for all rolls) were nice and fatty and were pretty substantial pieces. The chicken katsu was also nice and crispy and not too oily. The prices were very reasonable too I think, especially with the amount and quality of fish. I wasn't a huge fan of the sauce on the ruby fat roll

    M2 Spicy Dry Pot
    Jenny H.

    The spicy dried pot was absolutely flavorful, the right kick of spice, and delicious. You can pick a base meat, then four sides in there. The beef intestine was a great one to have as a base. The chicken gizzard is a good choice too. We had a type of veggie, beef, and shrimp. You cannot go wrong becuase the flavor is PERFECT. The three item bento was a good choice. It comes with rice and soup. The salad is your standard salad - very fresh veggies. The sake maki was good. The salmon teriyaki- I wish was bigger because it was nice and crispy. The tempura is good too! Service is great but if they are busy don't hesitate to flag them down. Will always be back!

    Happy hour menu
    Karen S.

    My son and I got together for dinner tonight and decided on sushi. This spot seems to be the closest and most popular place near his work. Super convenient and only a few blocks away and opens early at 4:30pm. Sam the sushi chef was very friendly and let my son choose the tv channel. We ordered Happy Hour items and a lot of other sushi items and the bill was amazingly reasonable! The sushi was exceptional and very tasty. We enjoyed the beautiful decor and atmosphere. Will definitely come back soon!

    We've been here several times over the span of a few years now, and it's been a great experience every time. The quality of food is great, prices are reasonable, and the service is always friendly. The option to order Szechuan or Japanese food is awesome, considering that they do both well. Stand outs are the speciality rolls and malatang.

    Nigiri was so fresh!
    Lionel C.

    It seems the sushi has gotten even better. It was always good for a non-Omakase-centric sushi bar, but somehow the fish seemed even more fresh than before. The fish slices on the nigiri were also satisfyingly large. The pricing remains very reasonable. The quality is there without the high-end prices. The Happy Hour menu, M - F, 4:30 - 6:30, has some great deals. From the HH menu, I ordered two Classic Rolls, California and Spicy Tuna, which are only $5, down from the dinner menu price of $8. They are decent-sized, too, not like the finger, tekka maki rolls some places offer. I'm not really a rolls guy, but I'll go for the steal anytime. Service was again very friendly and attentive. My water glass was rarely empty. Any requests were taken care of quickly. As often, I was there to watch the Warriors game. It's still one of the few places in Oaktown, where you can get good Japanese food and catch a game.

    Bento Box Lunch Special
    Cynthia P.

    I came with friends to try this place out for the first time. We had their lunch special bento boxes and some beers. Service was great and restaurant, itself, looked really nice and clean. I was not the biggest fan of the spicy tuna roll as it tasted a bit sour. But everything else was great!

    May Z.

    This place is a total hidden gem. Once you get to the plaza, go upstairs!!!! They have a fabulous happy hour, absolutely delicious fresh fish, and they have Chinese food also! The soup dumplings were top tier.

    Menu
    Gaston E.

    Sakura Bistro Oakland CA One of my go to sushi spots in Oakland, mainly because they actually do weekend happy hour starting at 2:30 pm. Four dollar hot sake, which I ran back twice, plus a floral sake that was ridiculously good. They had a Wagyu special that day and it was tender and sweet. The sashimi platter was fresh and clean, salmon fatty, tuna bright, all laid out on ice. I grabbed two happy hour rolls, spider and dragon, plus another one topped with yellowfin and salmon. All of them hit. Tried the chicken wings just for fun. Double fried and crispy, but a little too juicy inside for me. I like my wings cooked all the way through, so I probably wouldn't order those again. Total was around 120 and I tipped 20. For Oakland sushi, that's a win. Parking in Chinatown is the only headache, but the food and sake make it worth circling the block.

    2 bento boxes.
    Alicia A.

    Came by with the kids for lunch. Ordered the bento boxes and 2 rolls. The chicken katsu was pretty good, the batter was nice and crunchy, opted for the sashimi. 3 slices of thick cuts came with it. Impressed that the sashimi was nice and thick. The 2 rolls that we got was the Titanic roll and the salmon and Hamachi lover. The titanic roll had tons of flavors with the spicy crab mix on the top of the roll and the shrimp tempura inside. The salmon and Hamachi lover roll was very fresh. Definitely a must stop if in Chinatown, the servers were super friendly and very efficient in what they do.

    Pink Lady - in the shape of hearts. So cute

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    1 month ago

    Been here a couple of times, and all visits have been amazing! Food is great, service is great!

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    4 months ago

    Always good! Fresh sushi, tranquil setting and attentive staff that remembers you. We go for the Happy Hour buy one and get one half off.

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Love this place, I've been coming for years and the quality and service has been consistently great!

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    Page 1 of 9

    Sakura Bistro Tapas & Sake Bar Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Sakura Bistro Tapas & Sake Bar

    Is Kenny still the sushi chef?

    Sam is there now

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    Mensho

    Mensho

    4.5
    (653 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    Mensho is a very popular restaurant. This was my first time visiting, and I had a great experience…read more The food was delicious! The standout dishes for me were the Calamari, Karaage, and Daikon Salad. The Calamari was perfectly fried, and the seasoning was well-balanced. The Karaage was also perfectly fried, and the sauce was flavorful. The Daikon Salad was light and refreshing. I would like to thank our server, Noah, for his helpfulness in choosing our dishes and for the prompt service. I highly recommend it!

    Unpopular opinion: wasn't my favorite. But that's all due to personal preference (aside from…read moreservice and a rocky start). The good: fresh, quality ingredients The bad: started with the host/wait list. I accidentally added my name twice for a solo diner. Host thought it was a mistake and completely removed me from the wait list and seated other parties that came in after me. Thoroughly confused - she didn't even call my name to confirm so I had to go up to her and ask. No apology either. Was seated at the counter where solo diners usually sit. Service was non existent. Server came up to me and ask "what would you like to order?" I've never been there before. No "hi my name is ... I'll be your server" nada. They're just a machine - people in people out. The ramen - broth was fine. The squiggly noodles aren't my favorite. Expected to have kernel corn but had corn ribs instead (good thing I'm good with chopsticks!) The charshu was just okay. Enoki topping was just ... aight. The nice touch was that they didn't put it in the ramen and served it on the side to preserve its crunchiness because it definitely needed the texture! It was loud, busy, and nothing spectacular about the dining scene here. $55 dollars later (ramen, 2 additional toppings, one box of sake) ... I sadly don't think it was worth it.

    Photos
    Waiting area
    Waiting area
    Spicy garlic karaage fried chicken
    Spicy garlic karaage fried chicken
    Hokkaido Uni Mini Rice Bowl

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    Hokkaido Uni Mini Rice Bowl
    Mujiri

    Mujiri

    4.5
    (608 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $$$

    Delicious little Sushi bar! I was craving some good fish in an intimate setting and I found it at…read moreMujiri. Arrived on time for my 8:30am reservation and of course had to sit at the welcoming bar. Thank goodness I made a reservation because there were walk ups that were waiting outside for a seat. Started off strong eith a good ole bottle of Sake and its rare i find a place that carries one of my favorites (Kurosawa) so i was a hapy camper there. I had the sashimi combo and the Nigiri combo. Both were great and lovingly made by the pros at the bar. It was great seeing them take great care with the fish and forming the nigiri. Everything was so so so good! I totally understand the hype of this spot and I know ill be back again very soon.

    Tried Mujiri in Oakland and it was so good. The vibe is chill and you can tell they really care…read moreabout the quality of their food. 2 co workers and I got seated right away at the bar with no wait whatsoever. I ordered the chef's special nigiri and every piece was delicious. Super fresh, great flavor, and really well put together. The chefs were very attentive and made the experience even better.My buddy asked the chef on what his favorite fish to eat was and while they didn't currently have it in the menu . The manager who was right next to him said they if we called in advance they would source it and be able to prepare it for us if we liked .Definitely a spot I'd come back to if you're into good sushi.

    Photos
    Sake flight
    Sake flight
    Chefs choice omakase
    Chefs choice omakase
    Nigiri Combo

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    Nigiri Combo
    Oken

    Oken

    4.5
    (61 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    Came here on a Friday night and had to wait over an hour to get seated at a table. Highly recommend…read moremaking reservations ahead of time if you don't want to wait. We ended up seating at a shared communal table for dinner. We ordered maguro tuna carpaccio and hamachi hand roll set as appetizers to start. Carpaccio was very thinly sliced with interesting Asian fusion flavors. I loved the hamachi handroll set; well seasoned thick cuts of fish. We also shared the ocean trout and mentaiko pasta for entrees and both were good. Crispy skin on the fish was excellent. The pasta was buttery but felt like it was missing something. We got yogurt soju and Sauvignon blanc wine, both were really good. Small restaurant with small tapa style plates. Great vibes and suitable for date night. Prices were high for the amount of food but amazing service!

    Planned a friend date and suddenly I knew what it felt like to be a guy…read more With no context of what the girl likes, and judging by her taste in make up, catalog of stamps from around the world, and a diverse palette Bob Ross could paint with, I provided two options. Oken was 1st choice while the 2nd choice was somewhat more casual. MAGURO CARPACCIO - FRESH MAITAKE TEMPURA - Great texture, not greasy BAECHU SALAD - lots of flavor and love a crispy topping WAGYU KALBI SHORT RIB SSAM - TENDER af, great flavor STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE - subtle, not too sweet Asian fusion can sometimes be a hit or miss but Oken executed every dish beautifully. Make reservations because this place fills up quick. Good date spot. Great service. Amazing food.

    Photos
    I just remember the Claremont Diner and their trains
    I just remember the Claremont Diner and their trains
    Oken
    Oken

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    Khatan Sushi

    Khatan Sushi

    4.4
    (72 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    It's nice to see a great new option for sushi in Oakland. It's vey convenient to get to from BART…read more The interior is nice, and the seats are comfortable. Service was friendly when I was there. I tried the Lake Merritt roll and some ribeye skewers (a special that day). It hit the spot and I would definitely come here again for more sushi cravings.

    Was craving sushi/omakase and found this spot on Yelp. Came on a weekday and was able to find…read moreparking on the same street. It wasn't busy during the time I came which was nice. Server and Chef were super friendly and welcoming. While I waited, the chef brought me a nice little sample to try. Really refreshing and delicious. I ordered a lychee lemonade and edamame to start. Both really good. I had to refrain from drinking and eating it all so I didn't get full before my food came. Would order both again. (Maybe add some liquor in the lemonade lol ) For my main dish, I went with the 10 piece nigiri omakase and upgraded $10 to include toro. Pieces of fish were huge and delicious. Surprisingly the toro wasn't my favorite but still was really good! The shrimp head was a nice treat! I ordered dessert even though I was stuffed cause I couldn't help myself: matcha tres leche (which I was told was their most popular dessert). It didn't disappoint! Restaurant was clean and well taken care of. They were updating the signs on the window as well which I'm sure is going to look great. If you're in the area, give them a try. Already looking forward to my next visit!

    Photos
    Dining area.
    Dining area.
    Khatan Sushi
    Chirachi bowl

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    Chirachi bowl
    Sushi Salon

    Sushi Salon

    4.9
    (36 reviews)
    2.0 mi

    This is an omakase where you can get a more unique variety of fish than what is typical in Bay…read morearea. The price is reasonable for the variety, for the bay, and the sushi is fresh and tasted great. The restaurant itself is elegant and cute. Highlights for me were all the Japanese fish, which are specially curated and killed with a technique to reduce fish stress. The taste was close to what I got in Japan, and each coming piece was exciting. The sashimi courses at the beginning were also amazingly crafted, especially the first tuna course. Where it lost a star for me was 1) the amount of food was quite small. In total it was about 17 courses, but each is essentially one small piece of sushi. They did give a large hand roll at the end but I still didn't feel full. I did order one supplemental piece, but the other two options weren't interesting to me. Anyway for $300 a head after tip and tax I was not expecting to want to grab another bite after. 2) you have to go to some sketchy pizza place next door for the bathroom. Again, when you charge a premium price, you should deliver a premium experience

    Wow. Sushi Salon was easily one of the best omakase experiences I've ever had and absolutely worth…read morethe trip from San Francisco. What makes this place so special is their fish supplier, famed Japanese fish concierge Hiroshi Hasegawa. He's known for sourcing rare and unusual fish that are rarely sold commercially, and he sometimes even free-dives to catch them himself. Sushi Salon is currently the only restaurant in the United States that he supplies, which means you truly won't get this exact experience anywhere else. The rice alone deserves its own praise. The vinegar they use is only supplied to a select few in the U.S., and in my opinion, it was the best sushi rice I've ever had. I could honestly eat the rice on its own. The space is incredibly intimate, with only seven seats per seating at 5:00pm and 7:30pm. Watching each course being prepared right in front of us made the entire experience feel personal and immersive. Every piece of fish was excellent, but the standouts for me were the saba, uni, medai, ninjin, and kegani. Joji Nonaka and Anna Osawa were wonderful hosts. They engaged with guests throughout the evening and shared thoughtful insights and history behind the fish and techniques, which made the meal even more meaningful. Parking was surprisingly easy with street parking nearby, though the surrounding area feels a bit gritty, so I wouldn't leave anything visible in your car. At the end of the omakase, you're given the option to order additional pieces or specialty items not included in the set menu. I highly recommend taking advantage of that and trying as much as you can. Overall, if you're looking to splurge on a truly unique and elevated omakase experience, Sushi Salon is absolutely worth it. It's special, intimate, and unforgettable.

    Photos
    Sushi Salon
    Ankimo with takuan
    Ankimo with takuan
    Tres leches cake with matcha mascarpone

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    Tres leches cake with matcha mascarpone
    Yonsei Handrolls

    Yonsei Handrolls

    4.4
    (396 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    The restaurant was absolutely packed when I arrived, but luckily I was able to get squeezed in as a…read morewalk-in. While I waited, I hung out at their sister ramen restaurant next door, where Lia, the bartender, was fantastic and made the wait enjoyable. That said, reservations are definitely a good idea for my next visit! I ordered the OG Omakase set, which featured all the tried-and-true classics, and every course was beautifully prepared. My standout favorite of the night was the black cod with truffle butter, it was absolutely incredible. I also started with the miso soup, which was the perfect way to begin the meal. The cocktails were sensational. They have such a wide variety, and although I can't remember the names of the ones I ordered, my server was incredibly knowledgeable and helped me choose drinks that paired perfectly with each course. His recommendations really elevated the entire dining experience. Unfortunately, I had a show to catch across the street at the Fox Theater, so I found myself rushing through the end of my meal. The silver lining is that Yonsei is literally just steps away from the venue, making it a perfect dinner spot before a show. I'll definitely be back not only because the food and cocktails were outstanding, but because I want to fully savor the experience next time without watching the clock. Highly recommend!

    Super friendly service and a great selection of tasty rolls. Each roll comes out one at a time to…read moreensure the roasted seaweed doesn't get soggy. They have hand roll flights that are fully customizable and an option to add additional rolls if you want. 6-7 rolls was a good amount for me without being overly stuffed. Faves were def the snow crab and chive, Calabrian chili ebi (some heat to this one), the toro caviar and the miso butter cod. A little fun and interactivity rolling the hand rolls yourself and easily instagrammable. It's a small spot so our party of 11 was split between two tables but they did a great job of keeping us taken care of. They share the bathrooms with the ramen spot next door, which looks like an equally good spot to check out next time.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Eggplant
    Eggplant
    Black cod with truffle butter (AMAZING)

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    Black cod with truffle butter (AMAZING)

    Sakura Bistro Tapas & Sake Bar - sushi - Updated June 2026

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