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    Sakura Japanese Restaurant

    3.9 (368 reviews)
    ModerateSushi Bars, Japanese

    Sakura Japanese Restaurant Photos

    SAKURA JAPANESE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Sakura Japanese Restaurant

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    Sushi and nigiri combo - huge portions at a reasonable price!!
    Wendy T.

    Kazu was always so friendly and just a sweet man! We got the sushi and nigiri combination to share. It was a LOT at a very reasonable price and we loved the hamachi toro and unagi nigiri! The rice was a bit too sour and since I'm not eating much rice, I would probably ask him to cut the rice next time. I love the yellow tail and next time I'm going to have the scallop, rainbow roll with tempura, and their other variety. Met Josh, another friendly customer who is like a son to kazu And it was a very nice and great experience! We also bought more California roll to go for on the road back to the Bay area :) He's open everyday from 5:00 to 11:00 but he will be closing for a day or two or when he has corporate big orders for catering. So best to call first before coming in.

    Rainbow roll, Philadelphia rolls and negihama roll.
    Tiffany S.

    If you want sushi after 9pm your options are very limited. We went to a movie and hubby wanted sushi after. I had been here eons ago. Tonight we arrived about 8:30? Definitely a local spot. I think the sushi chef and the waitress gal are the owners- which is pretty cool. We ordered a Rainbow roll, 2 Philadelphia rolls and a negihama roll. All was tasty. The green tea is HOT. I mean borderline scalding, so watch out for that. Service was slow, but honesty I didn't mind one bit. This place just feels cozy and a spot you could linger over some rolls, some beverages and good company.

    shirts!
    Maikayeng V.

    My boyfriend and I are visiting from Chicago and we came here after reading the reviews. There is a sushi place very close to here but we are SO glad we came here instead. The reviews are right- this restaurant is ran entirely by an elderly Japanese couple. They are so hard working and welcoming and the vibes in here are immaculate. We seated ourselves near the sushi bar. I highly recommend sitting by the boats especially if it isn't busy. It was a pleasure chatting with the owner and he sent our orders down the boats which was entertaining in itself haha. We enjoyed the atmosphere so much we stayed and had a couple Sapporo beers, which they served us with chilled glasses. Before we left, the owner brought out a giant bottle of sake and gave us and another couple sake glasses and we all drank together and toasted! He even asked us all of our shirt sizes and made sure we left with merch! We love the shirts we got and will cherish our memories here. I cannot recommend this place enough. If you're looking for an authentic, friendly experience as well as fresh sushi you MUST come visit Sakura.

    Rainbow and #5. Sooooo good
    Jeremy N.

    So here is what I care about when it comes to sushi; fresh seafood that smells good; more protein than rice; good flavor. This place checks all my boxes. It was dead quite when we got there, which scared me, but it turned out amazing. Chef came out and chatted with us and is just so awesome. Knew the sushi place in our town (auburn) and was just so personable. Really enjoyed our dinner.

    Outside
    Janelle N.

    Sakura Japanese Restaurant is owned and run by a cute elderly couple. They literally do everything at the restaurant from making the food, to serving, and to cleaning the tables! The entire time we were there, the couple was so busy making the orders from dine in and take out orders they had to sadly turn down customers ): While the wait was long, it was totally worth it. The tempura and teriyaki combo was crazy good with the perfect portion. The rainbow tempura roll had a good amount of sashimi as well and was plated in a cute mini boat. We made sure to not leave any food to waste (: You can really tell how much effort this couple takes to run their restaurant. I will definitely be back to support them the next time I'm in Monterey!

    Sushi & sashimi combo
    Ashley C.

    If you're in the area, please give this place a try. We ended up choosing this spot because it happened to be one of the only nearby places by our hotel that were open late on a Monday night. We ordered the salmon sashimi app, the sushi & sashimi combo, and Sakura special roll #5. The sushi and sashimi combo alone was filling, but glad we got to try a roll. It was such quality food for a price you can't beat! Staff here was so sweet & we definitely enjoyed our visit.

    Chef's Choice Sashimi Platter
    Angela L.

    We were dying of hunger at 9pm and were looking for a quick bite when we saw this little, warmly lit place. We walked in and were greeted with a wave of warmth from inside, both physically and by the smiles of the owners, a cute elderly Japanese couple. We sat at the bar and had a great conversation with the owner/sushi chef who boasted over 36+ years of perfecting the sushi craft! He even showed us the fresh catch of the day "toro" tuna, which is locally sourced! Good we ordered was the Sashimi Platter which came with a house salad + ginger vinaigrette and miso soup. Be mindful, the owners also are the only staff so add some time to your restaurant-ing plans (they are meticulous, really 'take their time'). Overall great experience and would love to visit again when we vacation in the area. TLDR: Highly recommend, great atmosphere, authentic cuisine, lovely owners!

    Unagi roll and ume kyu (I think?)
    Evany W.

    I heard good things about this restaurant from a colleague and what sold me was that this place is Japanese owned and operated with a reasonable standard price. I loved the "hole-in-the-wall" vibe I got from this place. And loved that the chef/owner was really upfront about the back up they were having from a party of 10+ ppl. Seeing as how he was the only chef there, I wanted to be patient and wait for it. The restaurant is dimly lit from little lanterns and had an authentic feel to it. Service was still pretty good for how busy they were and we were taken care of and checked in on. At some point, the chef himself came to deliver updates on our orders whenever he delivered a part of our order. The staff was overall pretty engaging. Head chef was like seeing my own grandpa working in his old chefs attire. Quite heartwarming. The rolls were really simple and really yum. The sashimi tasted fresh and cool which was really refreshing during a heat wave. I would definitely come back for the vibes again.

    Sushi Combination
    Debbie L.

    My husband read good reviews about this place. It seems that it is run by an elderly Japanese couple and they do everything! The husband is the sushi chef. The wife takes orders and does the cooking in the back. I only have a photo of the sushi combination platter. We had also ordered a side of tempura. Every thing was delicious and the sashimi very fresh! We would definitely go back. But as there are only two people doing all the cooking and serving, it was definitely a leisurely meal. The food is worth the wait!

    Kid friendly restaurant
    Alberto W.

    The restaurant was empty when we came in. We were greeted by an elderly lady. We thought she was taking care of the restaurant by herself. We ordered all the nigiri options they had and others. After she finished writing down everything, she called another elderly man to make the sushi. The sushi was good and fresh. We decided to buy 4 shirts to support the 2 elders, and to my surprise, the man gave one little shirt free to my daughter. OMG, I was so moved by their generosity. Not only did they filled my stomach, they also filled our hearts. We left a pretty nice tip, but we also want to recommend this place to everyone to fill both your stomach and heart. Great place to think about life.

    Ricky C.

    We are two east coasters on a west coast trip and were craving some sushi. We came in this place for the reviews and I can't recommend it enough! Both the food and the atmosphere are awesome. Definitely recommend dine in instead of take out. The place has been (34 years) and continues to be ran by a man and his wife (owners) who are such hard workers and so passionate. The food might take a little longer than usual if it's busy or a big order but you can tell it's authentic and prepared so genuine. I highly recommend sitting near the chefs table at the sushi bar and definitely talk to the owners. The man sat down with us for a good 30 minutes after our meal and it was so great hearing his story and learning about the area.

    HIDDEN GEM!!!! (Front of restaurant)
    Rebecca C.

    Sakura is a hidden gem! The owners/staff are absolutely delightful. My cousin is a frequent customer and couldn't wait to share this charming sushi restaurant with us. Everything we tried was super good and you could taste the quality of the fish in the freshness. This is very much a go-with-the flow type of dining experience. Don't be in a hurry if you plan to stop here. It can take a while for food to come out but never fear, you will be quite pleased with the flavor and quality of your order once it arrives. I recommend ordering some sake and settling in. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that it's not exactly pristine. The cleanliness leaves a little to be desired, but overall, Sakura is a treasure. We bought some sweatshirts to commemorate the experience and I can't wait to go back!

    Ama Ebi - YUMMY
    Marco S.

    In town for a conference and decided to have dinner here again last night. Place is busy for a Monday evening. Ordered an Ama Ebi and Chirashi. Food is still fantastic, Ama Ebi is fresh as can be, fried prawn head is nice and crunchy and prawn it self is nice and sweet! Chirashi is much much better than the one I had at Morimoto's in Napa, fish is fresher (hamachi is one of the best I had), portion larger and sushi rice is spot on! After dining, I chatted with the chef/owner. What a delightful guy! I mentioned to him that he gave my son a shirt 7 months ago, he got super excited and handed me another shirt for me this time! This will definitely be a go to when in town!

    the interior of the restaurant

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    7 months ago

    Just moved here and the locals suggested. Was not disappointed. Friendly staff and food was pretty Japanese-ish

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    3 years ago

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    5 months ago

    Excellent food... I had sushi rolls and my friend had ramen, with an array of appetizers. All was excellent. Friendly staff, fast service.

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    2 years ago

    We love this place! Always a good meal here! Golden roll is my favorite. We have tried almost everything on the menu and everything is good.

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    3 years ago

    Great family owned restaurant. Loved sushi sashimi combo. Priced very reasonably.Sashimi Combo

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    Ask the Community - Sakura Japanese Restaurant

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    4.1(1.5k reviews)
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    Legit . I'm sitting…read morehere right now writing this review because it is SO good!! The fish is so fresh, it's so smooth, it's so EVERYTHING you want sushi to be! I added cream cheese and macadamia nuts to my roll and it's just amazing. Quick friendly service. My food came out fast! The combo of the lemon and cilantro is killer! Can't wait to come back

    ***TO GO ORDER*** First time visit to Crystal Fish and it…read morewas a solid experience. Highlights: 1. Service - Despite being a to go order, service was still first class. Order was double checked, chopsticks, napkins, wasabi, ginger, all the sauces were packed nicely Order was prepared in about 18 minutes, which was 2 mins faster than the expected 20 mins. Perfect! 2. Hot Food - Chicken Katsu, Salmon Bento box - Both were huge, cooked well, and held up on our walk back to our hotel where we ate on the patio. Expect being full!!!! 3. Salmon Salad - Solid set of lettuce and a generous portion of fresh salmon, highly recommend if you like fresh greens + salmon 4. Side Salad - Not only a solid serving of greens, but cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and a bunch of other nice finds completed the salad Room for improvement: 1. Chirashi - Rice was bland and the cuts of fish were 1/4" thick, which is not a great way to enjoy sashimi 2. Sushi Dinner - Overall, solid, except for the hamachi. It was rancid. I hope this was a one off. NOTE - The CA Roll and other fish were fine, but the hamachi had gone bad Overall, I'd go back, but focus on the hot food.

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    Toribashi - Tonkotsu Ramen

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    Perfect for those chilly coastal nights! We gave this spot a chance again and definitely a better…read moreexperience than my last! Great vegetarian options. Creamy ramen was recommended and it was good! 4.5/5. I ordered the spice on the side and that complimented the ramen very well. I also love that chili oil they have on the table. It's really good! The jammy egg is perfect. Honey got tonkatsu spicy ramen: 4/5. Solid ramen. Would return when around the area to warm up our bones!

    The food was amazing, but what truly made our experience unforgettable was the kindness and…read morecompassion of one of the waitresses. Right before we arrived at the restaurant, my 3-year-old daughter had fallen and hit her head on the cement. Unfortunately, I didn't get the name of the wonderful older Asian woman who helped us, but I hope she somehow sees this review. She was incredibly attentive and kind. She had us sit down while we waited, brought my daughter ice and bandaids for her head, and continued to check on her throughout our time there. Before we left, she even came back to check on my daughter one more time. It may have seemed like a small gesture to her, but in that moment, it meant so much to us. It's the kind of kindness you don't forget. The food was delicious and the service was wonderful. If she happens to read this, thank you so much for taking care of my daughter and for being so incredibly kind to us. We truly appreciate you.

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    The staff seemed super friendly and were able to get my drink out quick despite it being a busy…read moretime. The ambiance was quite interesting. You're hit with the smell of ramen the moment you walk in and it's a bit loud. I ordered to-go so I can't say much about the dine-in experience but it was nice that they had seating both inside and outside. I got the Mango Matcha Latte with soy milk which was great! The purée was sweet but not overly sweet and balanced out the matcha. I'm not a matcha snob so I can't tell you if it's high quality but I loved the color and it tasted rich. My only complaints are that the matcha was a bit bitter and this drink was $10. They charge $1 for soy or almond milk substitution so keep that in mind if you don't drink cow milk! Overall, I think it taste great but I feel like it should be around the $7-8 range instead of $10-11. This is definitely a touristy area so I was expecting higher prices.

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    Kafe Toribashi - Lovely place to stay

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    Kafe Toribashi - Ramen with a view at the patio

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    Toro - Tuna, albacore, halibut sashimi and Carmel roll

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    After taking my pup to the beach, we decided to have lunch here at Toro. We were promptly greeted…read moreby the hostess and seated immediately in their pleasant patio area. Our server James was amazing. He had great knowledge of the menu and recommended a sushi roll they had on special. He was even super cool with my dog, Cash. I had the Tuna Togarashi roll, along with some nigiri. Sushi was delicious, and it tasted fresh. My boy Cash had the chicken & rice bowl off their dog menu. He scarfed it down in seconds! I was expecting a generic sushi experience, but got great food, impeccable service, all while sitting in a beautiful patio area. I will definitely be back in the near future, and so will Cash!

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    Sakura Japanese Restaurant - sushi - Updated September 2026

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