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    Waka Sakura

    4.1 (250 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Waka Sakura Photos

    Business Info

    WAKA SAKURA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    amy h.

    I like this place! The rice is different from most sushi places which is unique however, it can be a hit or miss some days. I love the sea bream and their salmon party platter!

    Michelle K.

    I came here with a friend back in late November 2025 on a Wednesday evening for the first time - we were promptly seated. We ended up ordering the salmon set and the tuna set. The fish was freshly prepared and the flavors were quite delicious as well. I typically cannot eat too much in one go so I believe that, for the price and amount, this is a fairly reasonable deal, especially for those who crave salmon sushi like I do. I did like the friendliness of the servers and the vibe was nice inside. I hope to come back sometime!

    Salmon skin salad
    Heather C.

    What I love about this place is that they are very kid friendly. They have cute coloring pages and the food comes out fast. The sushi is fresh and you order on a touchscreen. My kids enjoy seeing the food come out on the belt and they also have signs up saying that you can join their rewards program for discounts. I love places with discounts !!! If I'm going to dine somewhere, I'd rather go to a place that gives me rewards so I'm incentivized to come back.

    Miso
    Thomas M.

    Stopped into Waka Sakura for lunch and I was not disappointed! The service was fast and friendly in a clean spacious environment. I ordered the salmon lunch set, which came with miso soup, salad, and various salmon sushi - yum! Highlight was the piece with spicy sauce on top, gimme more of that! Also, the side of takoyaki was excellent. Enjoy!

    Salmon Avocado Handroll
    Roger L.

    Wanted something hot for the evening and the Tokyo central next door was closed so I decided to try this restaurant after passing by it for so long. Was greeted by friendly staff and the interior was very clean. We were shown to our booth and given an explanation on how to order. The ordering system was simple and easy to understand. Ordered the miso clam soup with a few other sushi bites. The soup and hand roll was fresh, however I noticed a lot of sinew coming out of my tuna roll, which took me some time to remove. Not all of it was shown in the picture. It was interesting that they charge for certain condiments that are normally free. I felt the price was a bit high for the small portions that they give you. But the rice quality really good and had a real unique flavor to it.

    Nancy L.

    I came here during off peak hour so there was no wait. The sushi was really great quality for Kaiten sushi, you def get a good value for the price. I really liked the wagyu beef trio and the tuna belly was delicious. The place is spacious and you order through an electronic board and the food will be delivered to your table. Service was great, I will definitely visit again!

    Vanessa T.

    I came with a friend on a weekday for dinner and there was surprisingly no wait. You order from an ipad and the food comes out on a conveyor belt. They have somewhat a variety of items such as nigiri, rolls, etc. We ordered the salmon plate and the tuna handroll. I really enjoyed the handroll and the salmon plate. The handroll seemed fresh and paired well with the green onions. They also use seasoned rice which gives it great flavor without overpowering the fish. I believe its seasoned with vinegar and some kind of umami soup. The salmon plate came with 6 different types of salmon variation nigiri. It was actually very filling and was delicious. The service was nice and friendly. I wouldnt say their reasonably priced, it might be on the pricier side but for the quality...its not that bad.

    Salmon
    Wendy C.

    The prices were fair for the quality and portions. This spot is better than some other revolving sushi restaurants I've been to. I wouldn't say it's top tier sushi quality but definitely worth visiting if you want sushi with good service and affordable prices. The waitresses were friendly which is a plus. The shishito peppers were surprisingly delicious but towards the bottom of the bowl it can get salty. I really liked how they gave us a whole container of ginger rather than just a spoonful.

    Kami H.

    Parking - While there are plenty of parking spaces, it can be difficult to pull into the lot. There is a 3-way stop that gets pretty congested so you may have to wait through multiple signals to get in. Service - The host employee was very nice and explained how everything worked. You order via the tablet and then the food comes out on conveyor belts. Drinks are brought to you by the staff. Food - We tried a few different rolls. They were all pretty decent, but nothing really stood out. It can get pricey, so I recommend pacing yourself to make sure you don't order too much food.

    inside | tiktok & insta: @trinhiesworld
    Trinh T.

    Food: Overall, the food was just okay and nothing really stood out, especially for the price. It felt a bit expensive for what you get, and the selection wasn't very wide. I wouldn't say it was bad, but it just wasn't memorable. My favorite was the salmon party since I love salmon, and I appreciated that some of the pieces were nicely seared. The takoyaki and calamari came out hot and crispy. I especially enjoyed the calamari because it had a great crunch and paired well with the spicy mayo. There weren't many roll options, but the crunch roll was a solid choice. It was pretty basic but had a nice crisp texture. The sashimi tasted relatively fresh, though nothing was particularly mind blowing. The steamed egg was interesting and had a shrimp hidden in it. Tuna lovers was also decent. Service: The service was attentive. The staff consistently cleared used plates and are helpful whenever needed. The food on the conveyor belt comes out pretty quick Ambiance: The inside is super cute with a calm atmosphere. It has a very chill and relaxed vibe.

    Salmon combo
    Chanson Z.

    Rating: 7.5/10 You order directly at the table kiosk and the sushi gets delivered to you on a belt that shoots the plates out to your seat. Pretty fun setup and everything arrived quickly. They have a full range of options from hand rolls, to cut rolls, to nigiri, to sashimi. Overall fish quality was solid for the price. Nothing ultra high-end, but the fish was fresh and the portions were fair. Overall, a good value sushi spot. Not the place for premium omakase, but a fun and convenient option when you want decent sushi without spending too much.

    Menu Price Feb 2026
    Christina T.

    I have been eyeing this place ever since the Torrance location opened. Overall friendly and attentive service. There was a bit of wait when I arrived on a Saturday night. It was roughly 45 minutes at around 7pm. You can signup for the waitlist on the kiosk near the entrance when you walk in. The fish was very fresh and flavorful. Definitely liked the flavor profile of the rice. I would definitely recommend getting the yuzu cheesecake it was a very good way to end the meal. It is typically more expensive than other revolving sushi places like Kura. However the quality is a little bit better so I think it's worth the price if you factor that in. The one roll I felt was alittle too heavy with its execution was the Spicy Tuna topped Seared Bluefin Tuna. Inside was pretty clean and modern looking. Alittle bit more upscale in the appearance of booths and tables. Overall not too loud inside. There were about three sections of tables. Parking can be alittle difficult in this plaza since it is near multiple restaurants and supermarkets. There is more parking on the other side near the Mitsuwa but it is a bit of a walk if you decide to park there.

    Sara W.

    Super yummy! The wasabi is great. As a vegetarian I found it hard to get good sushi options but they even had a corn role!

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    14 days ago

    The ambience is great. The food is average. The service is average. Could improve the sashimi and the sushi quality and taste.

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    Page 2 of 7

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    Kaisen Kaiten Sushi Bar

    Kaisen Kaiten Sushi Bar

    3.4
    (2k reviews)
    5.9 mi
    $$

    Kaisen is fun and delicious. It's easy on the wallet and the people who work there are friendly and…read morehelpful. There are a couple or 3 booths for parties larger than 3. Watching the belt motivate past you is relaxing and enjoyable. Their cut rolls are great and the ingredients are fresh. I love this place!

    Came here for the first time and had seemingly high expectations. This place was always packed,…read morewhich averted me from coming since I never wanted to wait. We were seated promptly, my friend took on the obligation of explaining me how it all worked. The first issue I ran into was that the service in the shopping center is notoriously slow, and unfortunately the restaurant didn't offer any WiFi for customers, making it so that we kind of had to just juggle between grabbing whatever room temperature sushi came to us via conveyor belt (which was only salmon sushi, nothing else) or waiting for our phones to load up the ordering platform which let us do maybe 3 orders before completely crashing. I have been to kura a couple of times, and I liked their system of discarding the plates and counting as you go, Kaisen kind of just expects you to let your old plates pile up and they count them at the end. The employees were practically useless, you didn't get your water filled up, it had to be ordered on the system for them to acknowledge you. I am fine with modernity, but I feel that this place is picking and choosing very poorly what they "update". Would I come back? Maybe, but not my by own doing.

    Photos
    7/23/22 (sat): Entrance to bar seating area. Only 3 table seating to the right
    7/23/22 (sat): Entrance to bar seating area. Only 3 table seating to the right
    Salmon Sashimi (x2) and Yellowtail Sashimi (x2). The Yellowtail was really good!
    Salmon Sashimi (x2) and Yellowtail Sashimi (x2). The Yellowtail was really good!
    Sashimi salad

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    Sashimi salad
    Sushi Bear

    Sushi Bear

    4.2
    (1.5k reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    We were actually at Ayer next door when we wanted to try something new to eat. We aren't the most…read morefamiliar with the area, but we noticed this sushi place next door and decided to give it a try when we saw they had lunch specials. We ordered the following: Agedashi Tofu: This was honestly the highlight of the meal. I have been craving this appetizer, but not many places around here actually offer it. The last place I tried this was at Haku, and I was not impressed by it. However, the tofu here was really good! It was hot, crispy, and the sauce was perfectly sweet and salty. It comes with 4 larger sized pieces of tofu, which I thought was great, but could have been more for the price. Stir Fry Udon: This dish was advertised outside on one of their stand up signs by the front door. This is part of what brought us in, but upon receiving it, I was not too impressed. The sauce was extremely dark and it already looked salty. When I actually tasted it, I was not surprised that it tasted exactly how it looked. It was way too salty and saucey to the point, we were eating one bite then drinking water right after. It was a pretty simple dish with what looked like frozen carrots and peas and some cut up chicken. Lunch Bento Box Option 2: We opted in for the teriyaki salmon, gyoza, and salmon roll. It came with a side of salad and miso soup. The salmon was cut very thin and it did not have enough teriyaki sauce on it. It was on the dry side. The gyoza was nothing too special. Just felt frozen then dried with gyoza sauce. Miso soup and salad were also just decent. The best part of this meal probably had to be the salmon roll. I liked the big portions of salmon and the little rice on the outside. This was the perfect balance instead of just getting a mouthful of rice each bit like most other sushi places do. I think this place was decent, overall. The prices were definitely on the higher side for what you get. Nothing too much to rave about other than the agedashi tofu, so I will be by for that again, but not sure if I would necessarily get anything else. Service was attentive and great. Just know, not all their offerings are actually listed on the menu, so we did not even know how much the stir fry udon was until we got charged for it.

    This place was just okay overall. We stopped by early in the day while looking for somewhere to…read moreeat. We were craving agedashi tofu, and that ended up being the highlight, it was really good. We tried a few other items as well, but they didn't quite stand out and were a bit on the salty side for my taste. On the plus side, their sushi rolls had a great balance, not too much rice compared to the amount of fish, which I appreciated. They also offer some solid lunch specials, which is a nice option if you're stopping by during the day. It was very quiet when we visited, we were actually the only ones there, so I'm curious to see if it gets more lively at other times. I'd be open to giving it another try in the future.

    Photos
    Sushi Bear
    Burning Sensation
    Burning Sensation
    Sayuri Sake.

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    Sayuri Sake.
    Uroko Poke

    Uroko Poke

    4.3
    (2k reviews)
    6.2 mi
    $$

    Been coming to uroko poke for years now. We were on our way to a show at the orange coast college…read moreplanterium and wanted a quick dinner before we went to the show. Uroko poke was close by with good food. I like their program of having people write their orders on the check sheet so that everyone gets exactly what they want. You hand the preparer your sheet and they create your bowl to order. Walk down the preparation line while your bowl is prepared and pay at the end of the line. Take your food to your table and enjoy. Restaurant is clean and airy. Lots of tables and seating options. I'll definitely be back

    Stopped by on a Sunday around 7 PM and was in and out of the ordering line in about 10 minutes,…read morewhich was impressive considering how busy it was. I built my bowl with a half white rice, half salad base and chose crab, spicy crab, avocado, white onion, cucumber, and corn for the toppings. I appreciated that avocado didn't cost extra. For protein, I went with double salmon and eel. The salmon tasted fresh and was easily the best part of the bowl. The eel was fine, but nothing particularly memorable. I had it all with the Wasapon sauce, which added a nice creamy kick without overpowering everything else. I also added green onions, fried onions, garlic chips, and masago. The only thing I'd point out is that the masago portion was pretty small, and extra costs more. We didn't try any of the drinks, although they had a decent selection available. The total was a little pricier than I'd usually like for poke, but signing up for their rewards brought the price down enough that it felt more reasonable. Parking was easier than expected. The lot was almost full, but we still found a spot without much trouble. Service was friendly and efficient throughout. Overall, it's a solid poke spot with fresh fish, plenty of customization options, and quick service. Not the cheapest bowl you'll find, but I'd come back, especially for the salmon.

    Photos
    Ordering line
    Ordering line
    3 scoop 2 salmon and 1 spicy tuna - eel sauce, sesame oil, spicy sauce
    3 scoop 2 salmon and 1 spicy tuna - eel sauce, sesame oil, spicy sauce
    Same time!

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    Same time!
    Oishi Shabu & Sushi

    Oishi Shabu & Sushi

    4.3
    (1.6k reviews)
    4.9 mi
    $$$

    We chose the all-you-can-eat option, and everything was fresh and delicious. The highlight for me…read morewas definitely the Wagyu beef, premium beef, and lamb. The meat quality was amazing--tender, flavorful, and melted in your mouth after just a few seconds in the hot pot. We kept ordering more because it was that good! Besides the meat, they also have a great selection of fresh seafood, vegetables, sushi, fruit, desserts, and drinks all included in the price. Everyone in our family found something they loved. The service was friendly and attentive, and food came out quickly throughout our meal. This place is cleaned and nice vibe. Another big plus is the free garage parking, which made the whole experience even more convenient. Great food, great service, and great value. Highly recommend if you're looking for a quality AYCE hot pot and sushi spot in Irvine!

    They have now updated their ordering system! You order broths with them and order on online menu…read more My favorite meats are the beef belly and rib eye! I also LOVE the spicy miso broth and have been getting it every time I come, which is like one or twice a month, however, I went there yesterday and the spicy miso did not smell like it usually does nor did it taste like it. It had a different base flavor and I couldn't figure out what it was. I brought it up to my servers attention and they said nothing changed. I really hope it was just a weird batch and hope they haven't changed any of the ingredients ! Also, the last couple of times I came the white rice tasted weird but it looks like whatever the issue was got fixed! The white rice is back to normal.

    Photos
    Oishi Shabu & Sushi
    Tonkatsu broth
    Tonkatsu broth
    The set up

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    The set up

    Waka Sakura - conveyorsushi - Updated July 2026

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