Unfortunately food has gone down hill :( used to love this place!!! Hope they get a better chef

Slow Monday night but the vibe was still great. Had 5 people and our group so there was a wide variety of menu options that we ordered. Skirt steak and the Dragon, Rainbow, Spider and Sasa roll were all good but didn't hit the mark like the rest of the food. The Pork-belly Bao was amazing! Shrimp tempura spring roll/taco was amazing! Riblets, garlic rice and molten cake were amazing as well. The service was good. Again a slower night so I'm not sure how it is when it's busy. But our service was on top of everything until the end. We put in a beer, the beers never came and the next time he visited the table he asked if we wanted dessert. When we said oh we're still waiting for the beers he said oh did you still want them? So we decided to skip the beers as it was already 8:45pm and they close at 9. Honest mistake but I have to give an honest review. Overall, food, vibe and service was good, we'll be back. read more

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Terrible experience for Valentine's Day prix fixe dinner. Service, food, value, and ambiance were all inexcusable. We waited 40 minutes before anyone even took our drink orders or gave us a glass of water and staff remained inattentive all night. The room was overcrowded and loud, yet also somehow too cold. The food was the biggest disappointment: each "course" was laughably small - edible in a single bite - then wait 15 minutes for the next morsel. First was a spoonful of clam soup that was lukewarm and bland. Most portions were just basic nigiri sushi offerings with nothing unique or creative except their fanciful descriptions on the menu. The mandatory 22% "Valentine's Day surcharge" was insulting and unjustified. After almost 3 hours we left still hungry and $335 poorer, then got a parking ticket to top it off because it too so long to get our check. We want our money and our evening back. Sasa used to be a favorite spot of ours but has fallen far. They should be ashamed. read more

it used to be my weekly favorite. since it's been sold going downhill. tonight my cauliflower arrived cold, no matcha and thick awful and greasy coating. The Sasa roll - old tuna, no sauce. I got a refund from DoorDash and I will NEVER go back. Sasa is dead to me! read more

Food was delicious but it did take a while for drinks to come out, some of our food came out first. Nonetheless it was a great atmosphere and I'd definitely go back! read more

Sasa - Spicy Tuna , N. Main* , Kara-Age - Japanese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

The food was delicious and fresh. Pricing was pretty standard for this type of dining. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly. The atmosphere was modern and casual. Truly had an amazing experience! Highly recommend!!! read more

Sasa... Not quite what it used to be. From inconsistent service, to them not processing takeout because they are short staffed ... ?? I've supported them throughout the pandemic, despite shortcomings. My last few dine in experiences weren't impressive either. A few months ago my sister in law & I dined on their patio, the entire patio area was vacant, not a person in sight but no heaters were turned on. Also the staff locked out server out and the team members got into it in front of us. Sasa is a better option than Oyama which is across the street, but other than that it's completely lost it's flare read more

Sasa - Japanese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Came for the first time on Friday and it will be my last. My friend and I wanted to get drinks and sushi and the drinks were better than the food. We ordered the tuna parfait, beef skewers, duck buns, and salmon melt roll. We were off to a good start with the drinks and tuna parfait. The fish was fresh but I was thrown off finding cream cheese in it and the rice was weirdly sweet. The duck buns were highly recommended by the waiter but were very dry; it desperately needed more sauce. It was like they bought roasted duck from a Chinese restaurant and just shredded it. The beef skewers didn't taste like anything special. The salmon melt roll was basically their skinny version of a lion king but the rice was undercooked that it was crunchy.. The place is cute but the food was mediocre...and the prices were steep. read more

Sasa - Japanese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Under new management and ownership, this restaurant is even better than before. Hamachi so fresh, tuna sashimi so perfectly soft and delicate deliciousness! Cian and Joe and staff are so friendly and awesome people. We are super excited to return. read more

Friday night we got in on the couch by the window with the street view that was really nice. Pleasant greeting of welcoming hosts and polite service explain the delay due to order backup. You can try some unite rolls here like "Walnut Creek" or casual but not "Dragon". Inspiring interior design gives you that cool lounge vibe. Thanks for the good times and will see you soon. read more

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This review is a culmination of 5 experiences at Sasa. I've had 3 fantastic experiences at this establishment and 2 experiences that were terrible. First the best experience - anniversary dinner - made reservations - got a table near the kitchen and sushi chef - they had our anniversary printed out on the menu and champagne flutes waiting for us at arrival. It was a great touch to an amazing night. The chef brought us Toro with gold foil and all of the food we had was amazing. It was a night to remember. The other two experiences that were good were just solid service and great food that you would expect from a restaurant such as Sasa. The bad experiences are interesting. The first one I came in for lunch and mentioned I was on a time crunch and could order to go, eat in, at the bar, or outside. I waited 30 minutes on the couch inside the door and no one helped me at all, I left. I figured this was an anomaly since the previous three times at the restaurant the service was exceptional. The second bad experience was last night for Mother's Day. When I arrived - a few minutes early of my party I was told we only had 90 minutes for our reservation at 630pm on a Sunday. Not sure how many tables you plan on rotating after 8pm, but okay. On the way to the table I notice the ground around where we were sitting was filthy. Empty chopstick wrappers, napkins, menus, garbage and food from the prior guests. I pulled out all the chairs and swept everything over with my feet. Not once did anyone ask if I needed help or offer to clean up the area. It gets better I promise ... the Server brings out 3 place settings even though we have 5 menus and 5 water glasses. We order drinks and edamame ... 20 minutes into sitting down and just getting helped. Not great ... the drinks and edamame take an additional 20 minutes to get ... so you're telling me we have 50 minutes left to order our food and eat. Our server comes by 20 minutes after we got our drinks after we flag them down to tell them we are ready to order. We now have 30 minutes left to eat based on the original expectations set by the hostess. The food starts to arrive in waves. The duck buns had bones in them. No citrus hamachi brought to the table, but hamachi nigiri ... not ordered. We get a tray with three rolls but one is not something we ordered and we are missing one we did order. After flagging down our server again we mention that the food came wrong, and we are still expecting two more dishes. We do finally get those dishes - at 8pm ... we are supposed to be out now. We finish dinner around 830, the server asks if we want our Bill ... my mom wanted dessert, it was not offered ... but we ordered it. The donuts came with our Bill. There was a Positive - we got everything we ordered and were not charged for the food we did not order. The food was delicious as always, but the service did not live up to the expectations - or previous interactions with the restaurant. Here's to hoping they can pick it up and provide the service associated with a $27 piece of tuna and a $46 neat whiskey. read more

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Food was delicious, quality was there and to add that customer service was amazing! Brandon our server was attentive and friendly, he assisted our group in professional manner. Every appetizer, dish, and dessert exceeded beyond expectation! Would highly recommend Sasa. read more

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Ambiance is amazing! Love the backdrop of the bar. Food and service always great. One of our favorite WC destinations.

Celebrated a friend's birthday here. Rey attentive and friendly staff. We had a couple of rolls and tataki. Prices are a bit higher than other sushi restaurants but it clean, noise level is decent and staff are great. They brought out a birthday dessert which was nice. read more

I was so looking forward to eating here, but unfortunately that didn't happen...So I arrived 5 minutes prior to my reservation time and was seated promptly by two very nice attentive hostesses. I mentioned that I was waiting on my daughters to join me, and I was hoping to have a nice cocktail to kill the time (they are teens so who knows how long they would be). After their arrival, I waited another 13 minutes and there was still no service!! So obviously I left. Ridiculous. I won't return. read more

Very good food and service. Fun cocktails! Nice atmosphere. Will definitely try again!

Amazing food and beautiful large brick and timber interior. Very good service and ambiance. This hidden jewel that is a Walnut Creek institution and must visit. Best sushi and saki selection in the area. Toro sushi and other dishes like braised short rib and duck buns are amazing. read more

Sasa - Braised short rib - Japanese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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GNO. Our order: blue fin tuna don, kaarage, silenced melon, tatsurita, grilled octopus. Food and atmosphere was amazing. We were seated at the bar and entertained throughout the night by the chatter, music and interior decor. We were most impressed by the grilled octopus - juicy and tender, elevated by its paired tomato purée, parsley and olive oil mixture. Creamy filling in the croquette and we enjoyed the play of textures in our mouths. The kaarage is fun but more like Taiwanese popcorn chicken. Don - soft bed of sushi rice paired with a good variety and quality of tunas. The libations were not too strong, silenced melon was smoky and tasturita tasted a bit like sweet tea. Very busy on a Friday night! They have both indoor and outdoor seating. Highly recommend reservations, we were lucky they had their last open spots at the bar. Will be back. read more

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Amazing food , amazing service !!! Amazing location! The food is so tasty and no wait time on drinks or food , it comes fast!!!

Let me first say that I really had high hopes for this place as it was highly recommended to me but this not your ordinary Japanese restaurant so don't expect your usual chicken katsudon or tempura bento box. Everything here is pretty much appetizer portions and family style. It also had the atmosphere and food presentation of that trying to be an Asian-fusion upscale restaurant but I really wasn't impressed. Their pork belly on skewers were really dry and rubbery with little flavor. Their nigiri Omakase Sushi was just OK nothing to write home about although they had a good assortment of rolls that I did not try. I'm really not a roll girl. We also got the agedashi tofu and the presentation was nice, but really needed more sauce as there was barely any on it. The garlic rice was not as I had expected other than white rice with some toasted minced garlic as a garnish on top. The only thing I really liked as far as flavor but it wasn't worth the cost of the presentation was the beef steak you cooked yourself on this hot rock. Great gimmick and flavor but didn't make up for the overall disappointment! Most of all... I don't really like places where you had to use your flashlight on your phone to see the menu! read more

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What a great experience I had last night at SASA! The drinks were made perfectly. I change my drink every time to see how the bartender can adapt. It was phenomenal. The atmosphere and Look o really complemented the restaurant. Everything I tasted good. The miso soup and edamame are great way to start the meal. I had the Riblets as my main course. They are to DIE FOR. Honestly I was so sad when I finished them. I wanted to have more. Over all a great experiences The only complaint I had was the time it took to order. It took about 30 minutes to get someone to come take our order for food. But we were able to order our drinks within five minutes of sitting down. Be back soon! read more

Sasa - Riblets & amaretto sour - Japanese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Finally tried this place last night for Valentine's Day! Such a cute vibe! Love the outdoor area and love the bar. I'm surprised it does not have more stars. The service was a little on the slow side, but I think it was because of the holiday, but food made up for it! Appetizers were yummy, and rolls were super fresh, we also got some drinks. They were great as we ordered multiple rounds! The sushi chef @ the bar were we were sitting was super nice. I would definitely return and try different roles next time! read more

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The tempura sweet potato was amazing! We ordered one for the table and one to go at the end of the night. Staff were accommodating with Baby. Music was trendy like a club but not too loud. I was able to have a conversation and hear the murmurs of the guests at nearby tables. The lights were dim making the place feel intimate and calm. Not too large of selection for bubbly by the glass but I was able to snag a Rose which did not disappoint. Paired well with all the dishes. Scotch salmon had decent flavor but mushy Brussels sprouts were shredded not halved and unfortunately my salmon was overcooked. Baby loved it all! read more

Sasa - Japanese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Saturday Night service was awesome Seating for 6 was immediately available. Ambiance is intimate. Dim lights, old school jams, bar seating, booths, high table seating . Very modern. Definitely a place to take photos . Chicken Kar-age was delicious fried perfectly. Best describes as lemon pepper chicken bites (kid friendly). Beet Salad was nice Salmon melt was delicious. Just look at the photos. They were absolutely perfect. The Dragon was a crowd favorite. Steak on the stone absolutely melted in my mouth Looking forward to our next visit read more

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This is always my go to place after a day of shopping in WC. The food is fresh, tasty and always consistent. The service is impeccable and the ambiance is nice. The beautiful full bar has two TVs always playing sports and they have dim lighting and nice music playing, not to loud. It's great for a date night, or a girls night out. read more

Duck buns, sushi, lamb is really good! If you want the best lamb or delicatessen tey this restaurant, its the best! read more

The food was decent but the service and atmosphere were very disappointing. Service was slow and we didn't get checked on. No refills on water, how is everything tasting, nothing. When we asked for the check we were told "let me grab all of your plates first" and then the man began reaching over the table to grab the rice from infront of my daughter. read more

What a disappointment for such a pricey place. The food is ok - not the best. The place itself is very nice and makes you feel like you're in a swanky spot. I haven't been in awhile and last night's experience won't have me going back. Unfortunately the staff doesn't give you the vibe to rush back anytime soon if at all. Justina was the waitress last night and she did not behave as if she wanted to be there. She didn't engage with the group. In fact, a person from the party had to get up and go ask someone if they could order drinks. This was after sitting and waiting for a good while and it was not busy. Everything was very slow. I get having a nice evening where you aren't feeling rushed but Justina gave the vibe that we weren't welcome with her absence physically and emotionally. Just no interaction, never checking on the table. A lot was ordered ($700+ before tip) and excellent service is not a lot to expect spending that kind of money for a group of 5 or even at all. I hope nothing bad was happening in her life to be this way but she might've considered not working if it was that bad. If she was having a bad day which we all do, I hope it's a better day. read more

Delightful menu, imaginative combinations, comfortable seating in modest size restaurant. 2nd floor of Japan town East Mall, elevator available. Seems to have a good following. read more

No complaints about the food here but the prices are a little steep. The fried chicken was perfectly crunchy and seasoned so well. My favorite were the candied walnuts in the tempura shrimp lettuce roll. The rolls were nice but they weren't anything mind blowing, just pretty average sushi. The desserts were fine as well. Service was great, the food didn't take too long to come out and our waiter was kind. The outdoor area where we sat had a heater and the vibe was modern and nice. Just not too sure if it's worth the price. read more

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Went here on a Friday night with 30 minutes before they close. I was pretty surprised they were able to accommodate us with half an hour to spare before closing. We ordered two maki mono (specialty sushi rolls): the Geisha and Walnut Creek. Both rolls were pretty flavorful and were good enough to serve three people. I would have appreciated if our meal had more appetizers due to the price of the rolls. It came with pickled ginger and a pretty small dab of wasabi. We also ordered three 4 oz. glasses of Sohomare Karakuchi, which was one of their chilled sakes. It had a nice and smooth flavor. Honestly, the service was pretty good. Our server was very efficient and honest. She was able to accommodate us just before closing. I wished that I would have had more with my food. Maybe a free tea or free salad to make my meal more amazing. read more

Sasa - Geisha and Walnut Creek - Japanese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

This restaurant deserves nothing less than 5 stars. I drive over 80 miles to eat here. And every time my experience here is suburb. The best service, the best preparation of food, the best ambiance, the best drinks. I recommend all my clients to try Sasa! It's a great date night restaurant and they always deliver the best. This is honestly my favorite sushi restaurant in the whole Bay Area, maybe the best in all of California. read more

We made reservations at SASA Japanese restaurant to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Upon arriving, we were greeted by the manager, Ann who welcomed us and showed us to the booth of our choice. We've dined at SASA several times and we always choose this restaurant for special occasions. The ambience is inviting especially in the Bar area where we usually sit. The blue waterfall is an eye-catcher, and the music quite entertaining. Ann congratulated us and thanked us for choosing SASA for our special day. The service was impeccable--our servers were attentive to our needs-- friendly, informative about the variety of menu selections, and even helped us take a few photos to commemorate our special anniversary. We spent about 2 hours enjoying several small plates including Roasted Brussel Sprouts, California Roll, Soft Crab Bao buns, Tempura Shrimp Lettuce Wraps, Sashimi, and Grilled Spanish Octopus. The cocktail selections were amazing especially the Cadillac Margaritas. We ended our dinner with the Coconut, and the complimentary Bourbon Pecan Gelato with a lit candle. We thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant. As usual, we felt so special and will continue to return here. read more

I used to really love this place years ago and things have gone steadily downhill except for the service which is why I got two stars. The place is always kept clean with a pleasant decor. I understand that costs are going up, but their costs are going way up and their portions are quite a bit smaller. I took a picture of the nigiri next to my wife's tiny finger and as you can see the serving size is exceptionally small for the exorbitant price they charge. I ordered a roll and asked to have no spicy relish or any other spice put on the roll, and upon my first bite, I realized nobody was listening because my mouth was on fire for a majority of the meal which ruined my last few bites of sushi. You can see the red pepper inside the role was quite evident, and I will not be patronizing Sossa any longer. read more

Sasa - An extremely small portion of bluefin tuna - Japanese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Food is good and pretty reliable. My issue is with their ordering. I mean what the heck is going on w/ this place? They are on Doordash, they are NEVER open. They open their ordering on Doordash at 4:50. What time do they shut it off? FIVE!! It's so bizarre. Then if you try to call on the phone to order pick up, the staff will tell you that the kitchen is too busy... from what?? I literally will call at five on a random Tuesday, you can't be that busy already. But, this is only if you get them to pick up the phone. It just rings most of the time. Service in store is really bad too. I once waited twenty minutes for an order that I had placed forty minutes before that. I genuinely don't know how this place is still in business. read more

Have I never written a review for Sasa?! It's one of my family's to-go spots for celebration meals. The decor and ambiance are so calm and lovely. The serving team is great, balancing enough service but not too hovering. Drink selection is good with a Pinot that didn't overpower sashimi. My husband liked the whiskey selection. We always get one or two of the Omakase sashimi dishes. I can't skip the cauliflower tempura (dusted with a little green tea and cones with an aioli dip). There are two raw dishes with sauces that we like ... especial one with truffle oil (truffle is my special weakness). Hot rock Kobe is maybe gimmicky-seeming but fun .... and yu We got a few meals during Covid, as we wanted to be sure to support places we treasured. Even to go, the presentation is top notch. We've been back since and still good service, food and ambiance. We will be back. read more

We had a reservation and were promptly taken care of as we entered. The place was hella packed and we got the outdoor seatings. The place was warm, cozy and the servers were friendly. Perfect friday night date spot here in East bay. We ordered their hot sake. The beef skewers, chicken meatballs and cauliflower tempura for appetizers. The beef skewers were fantastic. It just melted in my mouth- so JUICYYY! The cauliflower tempura was something different to me- as I normally go for Shrimp tempura. This was good as well. The chicken meatballs were so-so. Prolly because the rest of the food was AWWWMAZING! For the main course I went with the garlic beef steak and she went with sushi's - Sasa and Tuna tempura. The steak was again ***** amaazing. She liked the Sasa much better than the Tuna tempura. Our overall experience was very good and would definitely be back. The vibe here is amazing!! Must try read more

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Had a great meals with friends. The guys shared some sake and the ladies had a spicy margarita and wine. We decided we were going to share a few things. Eggplant - skip it. Pretty bland Tuna Parfait - So good. Pictures on yelp make it look bigger than it is. Just wish there was more of it. Pork Belly skewers - melted in our mouths. Again the pictures posted make them look bigger. Garlic Rice - Was pretty good. Miso Black Cod - Get this, it's so good. Sashimi - The fish was so fresh and flavorful. The waiter was great. Very professional. He reminded everyone to drink their water. We did uber there so didn't have to worry about driving, but appreciated the reminder. read more

When I walked in, I was stunned by the environment and the decoration. We were seated quickly, and the server was very kind. However, I was very disappointed by the food. The spicy edamame was not spicy at all. I thought maybe it was my spice tolerance being too high, but the table agreed with me. The edamame was not seasoned at all either, and I almost asked for salt but resorted to dipping it in the provided soy sauce. I also got the chicken skewers, which one of the skewers was a little more pink than I would like. Others at my table either enjoyed their food a lot or didn't finish it. Service was pretty good, but I definitely wouldn't come back or recommend just because of how much I paid for my food. read more

Probably the best Sushi I have had. Cameron the bartender was very personable and attentive (just the right amount) even with a bit of a busy bar. The miso soup was packed with flavor. The presentation of the rolls was absolutely on par with the flavor. The restaurant itself is lower lit making it great for a date night! Overall it was great dining experience, 10/10 would recommend. read more

Sasa - Geisha* and Hokkaido* - Japanese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California