This has got to be one of my favorite spots for fresh, perfectly cooked katsu!…read more I love pairing mine with their spicy curry, but be careful if you're sensitive to spice because it definitely has a kick! Portion sizes are generous, and prices are very reasonable, especially considering the Irvine area. Service is quick, and although there's almost always a long wait, the crew does a fantastic job of keeping things moving and getting people seated efficiently. My recommendation is to come early to avoid a lengthy wait. Definitely worth checking out if you're craving some delicious, crispy, perfectly cooked katsu!

Been craving Japanese katsu from a place that specializes in it, so I just had to stop by Hako!…read more The Love Dragon Roll was flavorful. I loved that the salmon was torched on top, giving it a nice smoky flavor. I just wish the piece of salmon was a bit bigger for an $18 roll. The cheese tonkatsu was my go-to choice, and it didn't disappoint. The pork was super crispy and light, covered in gooey cheese. I especially enjoyed the pickled veggies, particularly the jalapeños. They were perfectly salty with a nice kick of heat. Everything else was pretty standard. The miso soup was a bit disappointing since it tasted watered down and lacked flavor. The katsu sauce was also on the sweeter side. Overall, I'd definitely come back. Hako is my favorite katsu spot in the area!

I absolutely love the Crunchy Scallop Roll! It's seriously so delicious and one of my favorites…read more The combination of the crispy topping, creamy sauce, and scallops is just perfect. Every bite is so satisfying! Definitely something I'll be coming back for. Highly recommend trying it if you love sushi!

Excellent japanese food as good as sushi from our time in japan. The service was superb and i loved…read morethe ambiance

Honestly, this is our go to Ramen spot. They have some of the best tasting broth I have ever had…read more The seating is a bit limited, and it's one of those hidden gems you don't want everyone to find out about, but enough to make sure the business is successful and stays open! Service is solid, usually one lady who's hustles from table to table.

TLDR: Decent Japanese food at a decent price…read more Chicken Terriyaki Bowl: The portion size is okay. You get boiled veggies to fill up the bowl, well made Japanese rice, and a chicken terriyaki that's... just average or even slightly below average. I'd only get it when there is a promo, but the bowl is more than the sum of its parts. California Roll: Stock standard roll from a small to medium sized Japanese restaurant. Portion size was fine, and the rice was done well. The filling was average at best. California roll is a basic western Japanese classic, and there's nothing wrong with getting the basics right. Not amazing, but not bad. Service: I ordered to go, but the staff inside were nice. Ambiance: The restaurant seats 30-40 people and it's located in a nice area. It's clean and is a nice place to have a quick lunch or casual dinner after a workday.

We came here with my family a few days ago during their happy hour and tried the all-you-can-eat…read moremenu for around $30 per person. We were honestly really impressed! The food was fresh and really good quality, especially for an all-you-can-eat place. Usually places with a similar concept sacrifice a little on quality, but definitely not here. Everything we tried was delicious, and the lower happy hour price made it even better. My whole family really enjoyed the experience. Great food, great concept, and great value. We'll definitely be back. 5 stars!

Unfortunately, I had a very disappointing experience. The staff seemed poorly trained and lacked…read morebasic customer service skills. I understand that employees can make mistakes, but proper training makes a big difference in how customers are treated and how the business is represented. I really hope the management takes this feedback seriously and provides better training for the staff. Hopefully, my next visit will be a much better experience.

Everything was very delicious. Pavi was so sweet and helpful! Loved a lot of the songs they were…read moreplaying too.

So glad we made a reservation because they became busy during dinner time super quickly!…read more We were able to get a room in the back since we were a large party of 7. It came with two large hot pot containers but each pot could hold 2 flavors. So we were able to get 4 soup flavors total for our party. Otherwise if you're a smaller party, seems the normal tables accommodate everyone having their own hotpot station instead of a communal one for larger parties. My favorite was the tom yum which definitely has a spicy kick to it. This is a self serve style AYCE including the meats and drinks. Appetizers and dessert is self serve too! I actually loved the wagyu fried rice and was amazed because usually appetizers aren't too good at AYCE places. They even have dim sum and sushi you can grab! We were all thoroughly impressed and wish a NorCal location will open up close to us back home since we were just in town visiting. Evelyn was wonderful with her customer service and did not pressure us with the dining membership and even turned down the music when we asked.

A staple in the Tustin community that I've personally been enjoying since 2008; this gem for…read moreOkinawan dishes is still consistent in their approach on serving fresh and delicious dishes in a setting that always feels grounded and local. I always tend to gravitate more towards their seafood offerings and this time is no different as I enjoyed the fried squid, grilled mackerel, tuna cheek and shrimp musubi but what I love about this place is its constant new offerings and this time, they were offering fried chicken skin, so of course, had to give that a go as well and it was DAMN delicious with its savory bursts of flavor that was seasoned well. This place is small and cozy with a great artist, almost punk rock vibe that I've always loved and the staff, especially the owner feels more like relatives serving you food rather than employees so that's what separates a corporation from a local gem, Support your local businesses folks and enjoy this treasure of a restaurant!

I really wanted to love this place because I enjoy the food and atmosphere, but the owner's…read moreattitude has ruined the experience every time I've come in. The woman with blonde hair has consistently been rude to me, and I'm tired of leaving feeling frustrated after spending my money here. Good food only goes so far when you feel unwelcome. There are too many great options in Orange County to keep coming back and getting treated this way. I've given this place multiple chances, but I won't be returning.

Establishment is clean with a fair amount of seating. Staff was professional, courteous, and…read moreattentive. 1. Hanabi monster fries: tasty fries with generous toppings, basically an entree on its own 2. Deluxe nagoya mazesoba: rich, delicious mixed noodles TLDR: Excellent service, excellent food, excellent establishment, good value. Would recommend!

Mazesoba (brothless ramen): spurned by ramen purists but raved by flavor bombers. It had been on…read moreour list of must-try foods for the longest time, so we stopped by the restaurant while visiting Irvine. Inside, with a large infographic mural on the right wall describing its history and how-to guide, was casual and spacious enough for 50 guests. The menu was simple and orders could be placed via a QR code on each table. We ordered their Deluxe Nagoya Mazesoba (the original with chashu and ajitama), and they arrived in 10 minutes. Visually, the ramen was quite interesting, with ingredients like minced pork, green onions, poached egg, garlic, and chives beautifully arranged across the bowl, and the noodles buried underneath. After taking my first bite, I immediately understood why the restaurant is called Hanabi (which means "firework" in Japanese). Wow! What an explosion of flavors. The garlicky umami sauce blended with the richness of minced pork fat hit my palate like a train. The emulsified sauce also perfectly coated the slightly al dente noodles. For those who prefer less richness, you can add a splash of vinegar to counterbalance the richness. If you have leftover sauce in your bowl after finishing the noodles, they will give you a complimentary scoop of steamed white rice. An offer we enthusiastically accepted. Mixing the steamed rice into the sauce created a transcendent culinary journey of its own. Regardless of your ramen preference, Mazesoba is a dining experience worthy of repeating. Highly recommended.

I can't believe I've been coming here for so long and never left a review! This is hands down my…read morefavorite restaurant. The food is always perfect, every dish is full of flavor, and the service is consistently excellent. Whenever I feel like eating out, this is always my first choice. And honestly, every time I decide to try somewhere else, I end up regretting it and wishing I had come here instead! Everything is just consistently amazing. Highly recommend!

Fish was OK Some had a fishy smell…read more The seaweed was soggy after one bite Rice was over cooked For the price not worth it

Sushi Omakase 10/10 GREAT. Every piece was melt-in-your-mouth good…read more Hokkaido Gurume roll 8/10 good! Green tea tempura ice cream 8/10 good! Service was nice and fast

Came here on a Saturday for late lunch. We were seated straight away…read more We ordered an assortment of dishes and loved the food. It was fresh and crisp. The only dish I personally didn't love was the soft shell crab. It was made well but lacked flavor without the sauce. Service was great and quick.

To be honest, up until the exact moment we sat down, we actually had no idea that Waka Sakura was a…read moreconveyor belt sushi spot. For us, just how bright and modern it looks was enough to pique our curiosity, so, it was definitely unexpected to almost immediately see a "train" shoot right past us. Not that we minded, as conveyor belt sushi spots are a bit of a guilty pleasure, but it also didn't hurt that the food we saw go by us from the kitchen looked great! While conveyor belt sushi spots (somewhat deservedly) aren't known for having high quality sushi, Waka Sakura isn't like most of the ones I've been to. For one, it looks a whole lot nicer, but also, they don't have a loop that circles their sushi around endlessly. Instead, you order through your table's tablet and it gets delivered via "trains" on said belt, so it's more made-to-order. What's more, both the quality of their sushi and their menu are pretty impressive, as they have a wide variety of sashimi, nigiri, rolls, cooked items, sides, and salads to choose from. Plus, it goes beyond just the basics, too, with offerings like wagyu nigiri, clam miso soup, and mehikari karaage. -- CHAWANMUSHI Not quite as loaded as I would've liked, but still better than others I've had. While it may have been a little light on seafood, the custard was silky smooth. -- SPICY GARLIC EDAMAME So much better than regular edamame! I loved the spicy garlic on this and how well the edamame was cooked (still had just a slight bite). -- SALMON SKIN HAND ROLL This was pretty straightforward, but no less impressive! The hand roll was fairly packed and the salmon skin itself was equally crispy and oh so tasty. -- SPICY TUNA HAND ROLL I'm not big on spicy tuna, but this wasn't too shabby. The tuna wasn't overly mashed up and you could actually taste it, instead of just getting a mouthful of spice. -- TAKOYAKI Pretty standard, but not necessarily in a bad way. Although the pieces of octopus weren't very big, they weren't tiny either and I liked how the dough was crispy on the outside yet not too wet/soggy on the inside. -- FRIED SALMON BELLY I was worried when I saw "fried", but this was delicious! Each piece of salmon was meaty, moist, and just slightly fatty. Plus, it wasn't at all greasy. So good! -- SEARED SCALLOP NIGIRI WITH TERIYAKI Of all of the nigiri we had, my gf enjoyed this one the most. The teriyaki sauce added a nice sweetness that contrasted nicely against the slight char on the scallop. -- WAGYU BEEF TRIO - Teriyaki, Onion Mayo, Salt Sauce I don't often get wagyu sushi, but this was terrific! All three types were juicy and flavorful, but I liked the Onion Mayo the best with the Salt Sauce a close second. -- SALMON PARTY COMBO - Fresh Salmon, With Salmon Roe, Onion Mayo, Seared, Teriyaki, Spicy Mayo My favorite of all of the nigiri combos we had. Across every type (half were raw, half were seared), the cuts were all thick and flavorful, but I especially liked the Seared, Onion Mayo, and the one with Roe. -- SCALLOP LOVERS COMBO - Fresh Scallop, Seared, Teriyaki, Spicy Mayo I love scallops, so all of these were great, but I actually thought the plain one was the best followed by the seared one. Regardless, each of the cuts were fresh, sweet, and decently meaty. -- TUNA (BLUEFIN) LOVERS COMBO - Medium Fatty, Fresh Tuna, Seared Tuna, Tuna Tataki This may have been a last second add, but it was no less delicious! All four pieces were awesome, but I loved the Chutoro (medium fatty) and the tataki the most. In addition to how much we enjoyed everything we had, the thing that surprised us most was how reasonable Waka Sakura's prices felt for what you get. While the quality you'd get at a legit sushi restaurant is still likely to be better, what you get here is nothing to scoff at, as it's better than your average, generic neighborhood spot, let alone lesser conveyor belt joints, like Kura Revolving Sushi. Plus, their sushi rice is so good! Flavorful and cooked really well. Although conveyor belt sushi joints are undoubtedly just as much of a novelty as they are sushi restaurants, it's awesome how you can get the best of both worlds at Waka Sakura. On top of all of that, the line for a table here isn't nearly as long as at the likes of Kura. I just hope the masses don't find out, though some would be okay just to make sure this place sticks around!

I'm don't normally have any expectations for conveyor belt sushi spots, but Waka Sakura changed my…read moremind! I believe they recently opened in Irvine and there was virtually no wait when we dropped by for dinner on a Friday night. The staff was friendly, the interior was modern and clean, and the fish was so yummy and fresh! The dining experience is pretty customizable and self-paced. You order on an iPad and everything comes out rather quickly on the belt. They had all the classics in regards to rolls, sashimi, and small bites. Very solid experience!