I recently had the privilege of dining at Sarku Japan, discreetly located within the refined culinary enclave known as the Citrus Park Mall food court. From the moment I arrived, the atmosphere struck a delicate balance between contemporary chaos and suburban elegance, underscored beautifully by the distant hum of children near the arcade and the occasional announcement about lost shoppers. For my entrée, I selected the chicken teriyaki accompanied by white rice, a composition that demonstrated admirable restraint while still delivering remarkable depth. The chicken possessed a glistening lacquer of teriyaki sauce that clung to each bite with intention and grace. The rice served as a humble yet effective canvas upon which the richer notes of the dish could fully express themselves. To elevate the experience further, I paired the meal with a peach lemonade from neighboring Charleys Cheesesteaks, whose bright citrus profile and delicate sweetness provided a surprisingly sophisticated counterbalance. What truly makes this location exceptional, however, is its refusal to be constrained by traditional fine dining conventions. Where lesser establishments rely on waterfront views or candlelight, Sarku Japan is confident within eyesight of a coin operated kiddie ride. It is bold. It is fearless. It is, quite frankly, one of the most emotionally complex dining experiences available in Tampa. read more

Sarku Japan - CHICKEN TERIYAKI - Japanese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The service was good from taking the order, to the food preparer asking if we'd like more sauce in our entree. Nice touch! The food was average mall Japanese food... tasted good! Ambiance was good and they had plenty of workers hustling, as this was one of the longest lines at the food court. So to answer the magic question, would we return? If I was in the mood yes but with so many options at the food court, it's good to know what really is good. And this is :) read more

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Chicken teriyaki uber eats buy one get one bonus!! with the noodles today I usually get it with the fried rice always hot and fresh every time I get it I also tried the eggrolls today but I didn't take a picture.. so good. Lol gone instantly read more

Sarku Japan - Japanese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Sarku is definitely the top choice amongst the other Asian quick-bites at the mall food court. You watch them cook the chicken so your meal arrives piping hot. The service is fairly quick for being freshly made. However the Beef bento did take longer than the chicken teriyaki. Probably because they serve chicken more often. The ambiance is to be expected in a food court. read more

Sarku Japan - CHICKEN TERIYAKI - Japanese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I always order the chicken teriyaki and sub for noodles. It is a great meal and the price seems to match it well enough. The quality is a little inconsistent, it is always good but sometimes it is great, if it were always great it would easily be a 5/5, but for this reason it is a 4/5 for me. We also get sushi here and that is always good, although I recommend checking it when you get it as there have been mistakes in the past, they are happy to remake it in those cases. The service is good and quick, they will make accommodations like extra sauce on top of your meal (always opt for the extra sauce - so good!) The atmosphere is average and what you would expect from any mall food court, this is not really determined by Sarku but more-so by citrus park mall. Overall this is a spot I recommend to anyone looking for something in the food court. I will even go out of my way for lunch here sometimes, as a bonus it is one of the cleanest and well kept food establishments in the mall (only rivaled by chick fil a) read more

When everything else fails you at least Sarku is there with the same good old chicken teriyaki.

Great food for great prices. Sarku Japan is definitely a staple for me when I'm on my lunch break. The food is always hot, fresh, and flavorful, and the portions are generous for what you pay. Service is quick even when the mall is busy, and the staff is friendly and keeps the line moving. My order is consistently correct, and the place stays clean. If you want a fast, filling lunch that doesn't break the bank, this is an easy recommendation. read more

I travel around the country during my military service, and I eat at the Sarku Japan locations in different cities. I never had any issues until June 14, 2026, when employees refused to serve me as a paying customer. (1) Let me start by expressing that Jovanna is an outstanding employee. Jovanna tried to serve me when I initially arrived within 10 minutes before closing. However, the cook, Jose, said, "we are closed." I asked Jose what time did the business close and he did not respond. (2) I asked for the manager, and I was told the manager was not there. (3) After asking for the manager 3 times, Sophia came from the back of the business. Sophia initially told me that "Sarku Japan ran out of food", but the cook was cooking 3 orders as I watched. Next, Sophia said, "the manager allows the employees to close earlier than 1800hrs on Sundays." When I asked to speak with the manager again, Sophia implied the manager did not speak English and Sophia gave me her cell phone with google translation. (4) I expressed to Sophia that all of these were bogus reasons and I needed to speak with the manager. Finally, I would like to give this service a 0 out of 5 but Jovanna was the only employee that was very professional. Jovanna apologized to me 3 times and I am grateful for her professionalism and I thank Jovanna for her service. read more

The workers were nice ,i got my food quick, it was a good experience the food tasted , and the food was amazing

As far as mall food goes I just love their chicken teriyaki, gotta have extra sauce. I have never ordered anything else so I can just review the chicken teriyaki and it is great. It is a large portion which should leave you full and satisfied. If you have a bigger appetite then order extra meat and that should do it. I rarely go to malls anymore so I miss my Sarku lunches. read more

Sarku Japan - The line to pick up your food was 10 people deep. Ugh.... - Japanese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

If I'm going to eat in a mall food court this is my go to. I can watch my food being prepared, fresh, the vegetables have a little crunch, the rice is good and the chicken is flavorful. The Teriyaki Chicken is only $7 ish and you cant beat the value. I can never finish it all. They give you the option of noodles and extra teriyaki sauce on request. They offer beef and shrimp and sides also. The best part is that Yum Yum sauce is only .50 extra read more

Sarku Japan - Japanese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

For $9 I got a bento box which had chicken teriyaki, a California roll, salad and dumplings. I chose to sub the rice for veggies. This was perfect!! First time I had the bento box and I can definitely say this will be my go to from now on. I like the variety when eating rather than just the container of veggies with chicken. There was a line when we arrived however they got everyone thru pretty quick. Staff was super friendly. If you need chopsticks or soy sauce just ask! read more

Sarku Japan - Chicken bento box - Japanese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I actually come here often! The chicken teriyaki and shrimp is always consistent. Customer service is five stars perfect. Overall always highly satisfied to get their to go. This location is inside the mall. read more

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Three similar options in this food court and this one is the only one with a line at 2:30 p.m. on a Saturday. We went at a non prime time and there was still a line. In fact, this was the only food court option that even seemed to have more than one person wanting to grab food from it. I tend to agree with the masses - which is why I use Yelp - and also this is my husband's favorite food court option. It did take longer than normal because they had to keep making more teriyaki chicken for the line of hungry people. But we didn't wait an unreasonable amount of time, and I just made my husband stand in line. He always gets teriyaki chicken with fried rice and a side of lo mein. If I honestly had a choice in the matter, I would probably never choose to eat here. It's kind of a poor imitation of the real thing. However, my husband enjoys it and I don't dislike it enough to not munch on it when he gets it (how's that for a double negative). It might not be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it's fine for what it is. Even though this isn't a rousing endorsement of this business, I wouldn't give it less than three stars because it is always dependable and tastes the same. Also, out of love for my husband I won't give one of his favorite food places low marks. If you are a foodie, I would opt somewhere else, but if you want something cheap, fast, and all in all not unappetizing, this is an ok choice. read more

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Ordered a bento box, and didn't receive my California roll with it. I asked for the rolls, but I guess they got my order wrong on the receipt. Guy who took my order told me I ordered a number two even though a specifically asked for a bento. Told me I had to pay more, but I said I'm not paying more if you got my order wrong. Instead of just fixing my order, he just said I could only have a refund and took my food from me. Horrible service, extremely dissatisfied. read more

This place gave me serious food poisoning. They leave the meat out until someone orders it and then puts it on the stove to heat up. God knows how long that meat has been sitting there. Unless you want stomach cramps and bubble guts I recommend not going here read more

what can I say about this place. it looks dirty and everyone behind serving you treat people poorly. in addition a food spot that try's their hardest to give you the least amount of food is the worst. save your money and eat red robins. better food better treatment read more

Really delicious. I love that they cook in front of you, I order DoorDash through them often. It's inexpensive and good(quality) you can't beat the portion sizes either:) read more

This is different than the other two Asian entree locations in the food court. It serves similar food but they cook the meat and sides, expect for a few, on spot. For the few premade options - sushi and dumplings - it could be a bit fresher. The line during lunch was long but the cooks work quickly to get the orders done. So if you are in a rush I would suggest going to one of the other places that serve the same cuisine. I recommend the Bento Box because it gives you the most for what you spend. I ordered the Chicken Teryiaki Bento Box which include sushi, dumplings, and a salad - I was stuffed so the portion was great. read more

This was yet another interesting experience to find sushi in Tampa Bay. I started off mildly impressed and found it trailed down with each individual experience I had today. The packaging and pricing was good for delivery, but once I tried the dumplings I found them to be cold and hard on the outside. Unfortunately, the sauce provided did not offer much to help but I got through them okay. The Shrimp Tempura both raised and lowered expectations, it was better than the gyoza and the California roll but still not great as several rolls had broken apart. Usually the tail pieces are the biggest and I found them to be mostly tail (which I never eat but I've heard you can.) The California roll was off putting with weird and unusual textures, and I've had my fair share of them over the years. I'm not sure if something was bad or low quality (like the krab) but I ended up not finishing that roll due to the weird taste and texture. I would not revisit this location, but ultimately I ended up finishing most of what I ordered so clearly it wasn't THAT bad. I'd definitely look at some other locations if you want some good sushi. read more

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While shopping at Citrus Park Mall we decided to try the food court. They were giving samples of chicken teriyaki and it tasted great so I ordered it. They gave a large portion. I ordered it with noodles instead of rice for a $0.50 upcharge. I really enjoyed it. It came with vegetables too. It was delicious and very filling. They also give a card and each time you order it you get a stamp and then a free dinner. It was a good choice. Brought home leftovers! read more

Sarku Japan - Japanese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I ordered the chicken bento box on Uber eats. Big mistake. Food was gross and I woke up with food poisoning. DONT go here...

Decent food. Cheap price. Freshly cooked. How anyone thinks this place is overpriced for mall food is beyond me. You can get a meal for just over $5. A very large meal and drink for under $10. They cook the food fresh when you order and make it any way you want it. Plus after 5 meals, they give you one free. Pretty hard to beat that in my opinion. If you're looking for fancy Japanese food, what are you doing in a mall??? read more

OMG Love this place . I ate lunch here yesterday and I had to come back again today . My new favorite place. Chicken teriyaki is incredible ! Love it read more

Cheap & fast. It may be somewhat healthy or Maybe I'm just lying to myself because it has vegetables in it. read more

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Food is good if they get your order correct! I'm not sure why they ask what type of rice and if you want veggies and then put whatever they feel in the box. This is the third time my order is incorrect. The line is always congested I cannot stand and watch to make sure the employees are doing their job correctly. Last time, my shrimp was not in my order but I paid for it. This time they asked if I wanted veggies and I said yes. The person proceeded to put no veggies. If I'm asked what I'd like I expect for the order to be correct. There was nothing special about this order. They do not answer the phone. I will not go back anymore since in total in the last 6 months this is the 3rd time they have messed up my order. read more

Since my husband and Our family moved to Tampa we always went to Saki endless sushi for Japanese food and sushi. Until we were at the mall one day and decided to try Sarku. Sarku is now our go to favorite place. It doesn't have that dine in experience because it is in the middle of the mall, but we usually take it home now. We will drive 20 mins to go get it, it's that good. They give you huge portions. My husband and I will get 1 meal and share it, we also get 2 orders of tempura shrimp (3) pieces per order, and 1 order of Tempura sushi. You have to make sure you ask for the white sauce (aka yum yum sauce) for your tempura shrimp. For our meal we will get the teriyaki Beef with shrimp or without shrimp ( if we get shrimp I let him have it all because I get most of the sushi ) and we have had the teriyaki Chicken also. This place is my favorite. read more

Wasn't an exceptional experience. Wife is a diabetic, so she attempted to avoid the ingredients that would cause issues. So she went the "steamed" route. The grill hadn't been cleaned between courses, and there was a palatable taste that just seemed incorrect. All in all, we won't be going back. read more

Food is always fresh and quality is consistent. Their prices have gone up a bit over the years. The chicken teriyaki is good.

Very convenient to get to on my quick lunch break. Food always taste fresh! Staff is super friendly and facility is clean! Love their lunch specials! read more

It's really good. My boyfriend and I really like the food. The only thing I notice is that when my boyfriend is next to me, they serve me less. But when my boyfriend is not with me, they serve me more food. This doesn't happen to me only, it happened to my step sister too. And somehow the employees that's cooks the food knows I speak Spanish. They look like they are from South America. They start to speak Spanish to me. I guess I look very Hispanic. read more

A bit pricey for food court fare. Gives Chick Fil A a run for its money in this department. Not really what I was expecting especially compared to the new noodle bar down the road inside the Seminole Hard Rock Casino (Tampa). read more

Like their competitor a few stalls down, they give out free samples. UNlike their competitor the chicken is actually edible and tastes pretty good. Now for the bad. The noodles are infused with a strange, very unpleasant taste. And watch out for the fried rice; I thought I was going break a tooth!! Had TWO small portions that were VERY hard, but the rest was good. Would give 2 1/2 stars if I could. read more

Great food and sevice.. line was a little long but great food! Great place to eat had chicken and steak with rice and noodles

Good food but not a pleasant surprise in my salad 2 hairs lost my appetite they took care of me and offer another plate I'm hesitant to take it now read more