SanSai is like Japanese fast food. I like coming here since my office isn't too far away, and I always order the same thing: Chicken Udon (under $8 with tax) I love the flavor of the broth, and the noodles are always cooked perfectly. The chicken is grilled, not with much flavor, and I always end up with tons of pieces of chicken leftover because they fill the bowl up to the brim. The mushrooms are never cooked, which is the one bummer thing about the udon soup, because raw mushrooms just don't quite taste right in udon. My friend religiously orders the Hand Roll Combo with 2 Philadelphia Rolls & 1 Eel. She switches up the different types of side salads, I've liked them all except the one made of cabbage. The sushi is surprisingly fresh, and tasty. I've never had a bad meal here, but you have to keep in mind that you get what you pay for. Nothing here is gourmet, but it's affordable, good quality Japanese grub. read more

why is this fast food sushi joint so expensive? came here for a quick bite on a lazy sunday. I got a tempura roll and "sashimi" salad (which i could tell was really just minced up leftover fish) for $18. i could have eaten a handful of real sushi at a REAL restaurant for that price. Additionally, the booth seating along the wall was vibrating so much (from the refrigerated drink machine i think) that i got nauseous and had to move to the other side of the restaurant. someone should fix that. On a positive note, the staff was friendly. read more

SanSai - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I love this place. They're close to home, and they have good food. I often wind up getting the same dish, even though I spend a good five minutes looking over the menu. Decent service, clean premises, and friendly staff. The one thing I wonder about.... Why do the chopsticks have "Good Luck" pinted on the wrapper? read more

SanSai - SanSai SaMo - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Food is OK if stick with salads., but selection is small and prices are higher than needed. Atmosphere is casual, bright but it's cafeteria lighting , business like. Good place if you are in a hurry for fresh Japanese style salads but no place to take a date . Be careful of the seafood and ask them if it's fresh or frozen and if they microwave it. Don't eat frozen microwave seafood, it's not healthful and you will be dissappinted with the poor taste. read more

SanSai - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I have tried this place at least 6 times when I send out for to go food and finally walked in to have lunch at the restaurant and it's great.Plenty I f items to choose from and very tasty.If your on lunch break don't worry they get your order to you quick enough to have to S to set down and enjoy your food.Plenty of parking ,nice and clean read more

Take away the plastic disposable plates and put Sansai's food on a nice ceramic plate and I'd challenge anyone to tell the difference between them and their competitors. Solid menu with ample selections/portions. $10 gets you a sushi roll, tempura, soup, rice, salad, and a drink. It's not a nice place -- just another strip mall chain with excellent food for a quick and easy lunch. read more

SanSai - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Rainbow roll , salmon and tuna only. Excellent, Salmon and Tuna really fresh. Rice perfect , soft and melts in your mouth. read more

not good sushi. Do not recommend their sushi to anyone. It was missing ingredients in both sushi rolls I ordered and they gave me a salad w no dressing ... and also none of the requested sauces.. I'm sure their bowls might be good but I do not recommend their sushi at all... read more

Looks are deceiving...although it looks good in the picture and all that only cost $10 (Hand Roll Combo), see cons below: - Vegetables in Salad soggy - Miso Soup tastes like the powder in a bag kind - I got 2 Spicy Tuna and 1 Salmon rolls, they tasted bland, had no flavor - The soy sauce, even the low sodium green one, is extremely salty The only reason this gets 2 stars is because of its big portion size for the price...Unless its the last place on earth serving sushi, avoid, specially this location. I've tried Sansai at another location and had a better experience. read more

SanSai - Hand Roll Combo $9.50....Not anywhere near as good as it looks - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Overall I thought the sushi was good and the prices we right for me! I ordered the cucumber sushi and crab sushi roles with a side of coleslaw. The cucumber was fresh and crunchy. The crab and cucumber sushi tasted fresh for the prices I paid so that was a plus. I will definitely be coming back for more. read more

Food is great 5 stars for that. But when it comes to service its ridiculous. 1 star for service. I placed an order to go. Im waiting for over 25 mins for my food(there was two orders ahead of me) I went up to ask...when i realized that everyone that placed orders after me got their food. I went up to asked what was going on?? The gentleman asked his lady coworker with reading glasses about my order (she was rude while i was placing my order). I come to find out that it was sitting there for a while. His response was " oh.. we've been calling out your order number" i clearly didn't here my order number being called out. Now, they saw me there waiting for my order. So why could they tell me "hey, your order is ready. Since they claimed that they've been calling out my number. That's pretty ridiculous. If you ask me!! read more

San sayonara! I had a CA roll and steak combo plate and my gf had the wonton soup. Now my steak was as if had been grilled previously and sitting out just waiting to be served. The wonton soup is something you should stay away from. Have a really great wonton soup experience by going to a Thai or Chinese restaurant. Or if you want to make Sansai's wonton soup at home, just get some veggie stock, bring it to a boil, add soy sauce, dried seaweed, fish cake, and frozen packaged gyozas in it and bam! You have their wonton soup. It shouldn't be on the menu at all. I had to add more soy sauce and sriracha just to make it palatable but nothing could save the freezer burnt, mushy, wontons. I only had a few sips of it and half a wonton. A meal that was rather expensive for what it was, when you can have something far greater from a mom and pop joint for the same price; just skip this place as you'll leave just as hungry as when you came in from not having eaten much of their food. BLEH! read more

I love this place. I usually order delivery from the one in Sherman Oaks which always delivers early. The food is always fresh & delicious. My only glitch today is I wanted salmon salad with just Kale, but the guy at the counter seemed confused about what I was asking for & insisted I had to get Kale & the mixed green salad too. OK, fine, maybe it's a rule. But I asked for a drink & he forgot to charge it. When I asked about it, he said he'd have to charge me for the drink. I would have been a much happier customer if he just comped me the drink since he didn't include it initially. That's what I would have done. Anyway, I'm not so happy now. LOL. read more

Yummy! Best California rolls around they are always fresh. Also love the teriyaki chicken bowls.

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! DISAPPOINTING! I ordered my lunch, the Salmon Plate, side of Edamame, and a bottled Vitamin water. While my food was being prepared I asked the cashier who took my order, if I could have my vitamin water (which cost $3+) and a to-go cup for some ice, the cashier said he will need to charge me for the cup, I said that's fine, he then said "$2.21", I was shocked! I said , how in the world could a cup and ice cost $2 and change, I just paid for a bottled beverage that cost more than $3, why in the world would I give you $2 more dollars!? ...according to my math, that beverage is $5 and some change! Now keep in mind, I already spent close to $20 ($19.60 to be exact) for my lunch, and you want to charge me an ADDITIONAL $$2.21 for a to-go cup and ice?! The cashier was dry and abrupt, he said "that's the cost, do you want it?" I said NO! I said I want a to-go cup with ice for the bottled beverage that I have paid for, he said "I know your order, do you want to pay for it or not?" I gave him my receipt and told him to give me back my money. Here's where he TOPPED his lack of people skills, while he was tapping keys on the register to give me my money back, I said, look for my Yelp review, he replied so nonchalantly, shrugged his shoulders and said "okay". WHO DOES THAT! I wish there was an option to REJECT giving even 1 star! read more

First time here! Food is delicious! Highly recommend to others! Customer service is great. I was craving Asian/Japanese food. Perfect spot to grab a quick bite! read more

SanSai - Food was delicious! Highly recommend to others! - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I came in as my fav thai place closed, down the street. Ordered shrimp tem. and orange salad. I was greeted by a friendly gal Nora Benavernte as I entered and my order was taken by an equally nice and friendly gal, Lupe Ramirez. I must say these girls run a super clean, well run happy store and the food was excellent!! I could tell the deep fry oil was fresh, (I commented and was told they change it every day) The glass separating us from the salads was super clean, as were the floors, tables, and the rest rooms were beautifully kept. The girls went out of their to make sure I had everything I needed. At one point as I was speaking to Lupe I noticed she was cleaning the trays. (I mean really cleaning the trays) I get the creeps other places from sticky trays and tables. Thank you for a very nice dining experience Nora and Lupe!! Donna read more

If you want the best place to get affordable sushi try this place out. The veggie spring rolls are actually good too. Shrimp tempura roll and cooked salmon roll was enjoyable. I don't eat raw meat because it will make me sick and they accommodated to my need by making sure everything would be cooked. They have an oriental salad that tastes juicy good read more

SanSai - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Really delicious sumi salad!!! I know no one really cares about the salad, but still....delicious!! Also love the Redbull roll!!! Service is fast and friendly, the inside seems fairly clean... I haven't actually eaten in, I always takeout, read more

SanSai - Redbull roll - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Came here for lunch today with my colleagues since we were in the mood for a meal with rice. I would say that this place puts forth an effort to deliver as fresh as possible. Especially with a menu containing fresh sushi and salads on display, I would say you should make that effort. Anyhoo, a combo plate can range from $7-$12 here where you would get a vegetable skewer, rice, 2 salads and a protein of choice. I went with the steak and chicken sansai plate with the above mentioned and it was okay. The steak was a bit chewy but the chicken was on point! The salads are good and the veggie skewer compliments everything. The rice comes as its own side dish and not on the plate which was nice if you were trying to watch your carb count. Place is clean but it does fill up fast during the lunch hour so it's best to arrive early so you can grab a seat. Free refills on beverages as it is self serve but I opted for H2O which is free anyway. It's an okay spot, I have no major complaints or praise. read more

I can appreciate good, cheap teriyaki, but even if we set the bar very low at Yoshinoya I can't find anything to like about Sansai. I got the tempura and teriyaki chicken plate, and both were underwhelming. The chicken is dry and the tempura falls apart against gravity. The sumi salad and oriental (really?) salad are both pretty bland, although the latter is more palatable. I feel a little silly ragging on an Asian fast food chain, but for $10 - $12 a meal I don't want anyone to spend another dollar here. read more

for being a somewhat fast food joint, this place isn't too bad... I stopped by today for lunch and ordered the tempura Udon and spicy tuna roll. although the sushi wasn't as good as going to a sushi bar, it was decent, especially if you have been craving it for a while... or if your like me and crave it all the time... and 10 spicy tuna rolls for $6, pretty sweet deal... read more

I'm not happy after my visit to here. I was interested in so cheap price for a lot of food..bad idea. The soup was sweet and disgusting. My rolls were not tasty at all. Better to pay more at another place. read more

Okay this is a bitter sweet review. I've been coming to this SanSai for about 3 years now. Pretty regularly in 2008-2009 and randomonly during 2010-2011. For the price/value I love the salmon lunch with side salads. It's quick, healthy, and satisfying for a fast food restaurant. Always flavorful and always very fresh. Problem is the wokers who are constantly bad mouthing each other and the customers. They can be extremely rude and foul mouthed. It is just unecessary and takes away from the dining experience. Very cynical and negative and lots of curse words. Its a shame because they are actually good workers but it definitely feels like the inmates run the asylum. I hope they can change this sometime soon. read more

not my best sushi. Fish wasn't really fresh and chief's work also dissapointed. I've been here once and I don't think will come back again... Sorry... read more

The food is pretty decent and cheap. I usually get the salmon bowl or plate with lots of veggies. It's so much better than Panda Express, that's for sure. The inside is also very clean with a big flatscreen TV. read more

I would call this the Japanese version of Panda Express. If you're craving some cheap, Japanese-inspired fast food and not willing to risk trying out a seedy hole-in-the-wall-joint, then SanSai is a safe choice. The chicken bowl is decently priced and comes with a choice of salad, which is nice if you need to fill your veggie quota for the day. read more

This is a great place to stop when you're in a time crunch and want slightly higher quality and healthier fast food. Granted, there's not much ambience and there's something that feels especially sellout-ish about going to a chain sushi place, but if you think about it in raw numbers, SanSai makes sense. All of the sushi there is cheaper than you'd find at any other small sushi joint, plus it comes with a side salad. (My all-time fave is the sumi salad, like an Asian cole slaw.) The other offerings have also been great - be warned: if you get the combo deals, it's a TON of food because it comes with two choices of side salads. I've enjoyed the tempura bowl and ahi salad. One of the places I keep in my back pocket for when I'm dashing to an appointment or am feeling super duper lazy! read more

Great, reasonably priced take-out spot. With plenty of seating indoors... the service is very solid, and the food quality is very, very consistent. The wait is never long, they really handle the rush well. I am certain that countless people in the area depend on this place for healthy, reasonably priced lunches and dinners. I myself come here a few times a week. read more

I'm gonna go ahead and completely concur with the whole "you know, for sushi fast food, it's pri-tee darn good" take... The pieces are good enough - a clear half-step up from say a Whole Foods caliber sushi. The tuna holds its own (and also stars in a mighty fine salad), the salmon is more than passable and the yellowtail was surprising. Rolls are reasonably good as well. You can eat pretty well for less than $10 per person. Look at it this way - can you think of another place where you can get pretty decent sushi and a self-serve fountain beverage at the same time? I rest my case. read more

Average Japanese fast food. Only been here once, haven't been back. Not because it was bad. It's just, this isn't very far from Sawtelle, which has some of the best Japanese restaurants in the country so unlikely to come back unless I'm going to CVS and have literally no time to grab a bite. read more

This particular one is kind of ghetto, but generally, San Sai is pretty good. Its like Japanese fast food, but more healthy. The salmon plate with the miso soup, and option of salads - - totally does the job. Its better when the salads are freshly made, because sometimes it'll be a bad day, and you'll get the ones that have been sitting out to soak & be saturated in sauce. UGH. Rough. Again, its not top o' the line cookin' but its a great Japanese food fix. The price is cheap, and the locations area usually quite spacious. This particular one is in a shopping area with a big pharmacy and other random shops, so be weary of the solicitors & bums. ;) read more

This place is tucked away in the mini-mall on the corner of 26th and Santa Monica Blvd where the CVS store is. If you are just looking for a quick bite, or a quick take out place, this beats Maya my miles. Now I understand that is not a high hurdle to achieve, but finding a quick, decent chicken, tempura and rice dish is a pleasant surprise. The seared tuna salad was satisfying too. Overall, a no-frills, clean place with fresh ingredients. read more

The food is tastes good, is fairly nutritious, and reasonably priced. The restaurant seems clean. My only drawback is the counter staff seems surly and unhelpful read more

Had a good lunch here. Had the chicken bowl with field greens. Good, affordable and quick. Not much else to say. read more

SanSai - Chicken bowl with field greens. - Japanese Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I buy my dinner here at least three times a week. Not only is the staff here very cordial, especially the man who runs the register in the evenings, but their sashimi is one of the freshest I've had--despite living next to some of the best Japanese restaurants in L.A. For being a chain, you can't beat the price and quality and friendly service you'll find at this San Sai. read more

Hot and tasty food ! Always fresh! Tempura plates are top notch and the poke also! I have to come here at least once a week! Well worth the price! read more

Hail to Kids meals! In My Stomach - Salmon Bowl (Pretty good!) - Kids Meal w/ Tempera and rice ( decent! ) - comes with fried dumplings and a drink In my Mind: If i have no particular cravings, i would swing by this place and grab a kids meal or a bowl. The meals are around $6-10. The kids meal is more than enough food. If you want to save some money, go for the kids meal... it'll be enough. read more

Well, this ain't half bad! I was actually pretty surprised with the quality of the food here. I've been sick (a New Year's tradition dating back to 1986) this week, so I figured a bowl of udon would hit the spot. Having not eaten much food this week on account of aforementioned illness, I also got the potstickers.Coupled with a fountain drink, it was about $12 for my lunch. I am not a huge fan of deep fried potstickers/gyoza, so I'll skip them next time (the menu didn't specify and I was too lazy to ask). They're served with a sweet chili oil/sauce thing that didn't seem super authentic and was basically like orange jello water + chili flakes. Not too tasty, but I'm sure some people love it. The udon was good! It even came with the kamaboko slices I grew accustomed to eating with my noodle soups back when I lived in Japan. They seem to have omitted the mushrooms from my soup, which was kind of a bummer, as I love mushrooms. Ah well. The chicken was good, grilled, with no overpowering flavors. The little packets of shichimi togarashi were much appreciated as well. While I wouldn't necessarily call this place incredibly authentic, it's clean, fast, and the foods is solid. Next time I need soup but don't want to brave the restaurants on Sawtelle, I'll be at SanSai. read more

I love SanSai. Their staff and chicken teriyaki is really good, quality chicken and sauce is really good. I recommend this place for a quick, cheap Japanese fix. read more