I happened to be passing by Sakura and noticed it was new, so I decided to stop in. It was new and…read morevery clean. They offer pho, but I'm very particular about pho and prefer more authentic options with different cuts of meat. Since their pho only appeared to come with one type of beef, I decided to try the Chipotle-style hibachi bowl instead.
I ordered the two-meat combo with chicken and beef. The meat selection was somewhat limited mostly chicken, beef, spicy versions of both, and possibly shrimp,but that's still a decent variety for a quick hibachi spot. The service was quick. I asked to sample the spicy beef before ordering, but they don't offer samples. I think allowing a small taste would be helpful, especially when customers are trying to judge the spice level, so I played it safe and ordered the regular beef.
You start with rice or noodles, but they let me mix both since it was my first visit and I wanted to try everything. The vegetables were a little underwhelming and limited to options such as broccoli, onions, and cabbage. Some of them looked like they had been sitting out for a while, so I only chose the onions because they looked the freshest.
The additional toppings were interesting. They had cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, tortilla strips, and even shredded imitation crab. I chose the cucumbers and imitation crab, which gave the bowl a different twist. I skipped the tomatoes and cheese because I wasn't quite sure how those fit into hibachi. They also offer the standard sauces, including yum yum, teriyaki, and spicy teriyaki.
My bowl was around $15 with tax, and the portion was decent. Since everything is served from warmers, it isn't going to taste as fresh as hibachi cooked directly on the grill. However, for a quick lunch where you can mix and match your ingredients, the flavor was good and the price felt fair.
I also ordered a large peach lemonade, and the cup was absolutely huge! The lemonade was really good and definitely worth trying.
Overall, I would return when I want a quick and customizable lunch. It probably wouldn't replace traditional, freshly cooked hibachi for me, but it's a solid, convenient option with good portions and plenty of ways to build your own bowl.