This is by FAR my favorite sushi spot in all of Southern California. The sushi is always incredibly…read morefresh and delicious, and the service is consistently top-notch. I also love that it's located above Tokyo Central; it's perfect for taking a break before or after a shopping trip!! Some of my go-to items are the yuzu cheesecake with vanilla ice cream (so good!) and the tuna hand roll. On this visit, my boyfriend and I ordered a variety of dishes to share, and everything was fantastic. The atmosphere really adds to the experience. The lighting is warm and cozy, and the space feels both clean and authentic. They also serve really flavorful wasabi, which is a nice touch. I keep coming back to Waka Sakura again and again bc it NEVER disappoints.

I had a really fun experience at Waka Sakura in Gardena. It's a conveyor-style sushi spot, but you…read moredon't actually grab anything off the belt. Everything is ordered from the iPad at your table, and your dishes get delivered right to you on the belt system. It's quick, smooth, and honestly pretty entertaining to watch. It is a bit on the pricey side for what you get but if you're looking for a lighter meal or want to control exactly how much you eat, it actually works really well. Service is minimal since everything is automated, but the system is easy to use and food comes out fast. The place was also clean and well organized. Overall, a fun, modern sushi experience!

Amazing 14 course omakase deal for $63!…read more Tucked away in a plaza this place is a hidden gem. We made a reservation for Friday night and were seated at the counter. It's super lively when we went with customers drinking with the sushi chefs. Only thing for me was sitting at the counter was a bit squishy and my shoulders were very close to the next person, other than that service and food were great. 14 course comes with chawanmushi, different fish varieties with interesting sauce pairings, unagi, tamago, miso with shrimp head, and ice cream at the end. My favorite was the fatty toro - it melted in our mouths! We also ordered a hamachi cama which was grilled nicely and ankimo was very fresh. Highly reco and I'll be back!

Bang for your buck omakase…read more Went for a weekday lunch with a few friends. There was free parking in the strip mall lot. Walked in and was sat immediately. Ordered the omakase for $63~ per person. Comes with 14 pieces plus miso soup, chawanmushi, and choice of red bean or black sesame ice cream. Dishes came out fairly quickly. The miso soup was exactly that and the chawanmushi was piping hot - was pretty good. The sushi pieces came out and were all very good. Your normal pieces, along with things like toro, uni, and ikura. Was all very good. Would def come back - hard to beat the price with what you get!

KenScale: 8.5/10 Visit: December 2025…read more Before we headed off to Los Angeles, my wife Jun and I debated where to take out our longtime friend and her husband the night before our trip together to the Santa Barbara wine country. We knew her friend loves sushi but it also happened that we had visited Sushi Sho in New York in the fall that we were afraid we might be too spoiled to enjoy another sushi restaurant. At the end, we decided to focus on treating our friend and booked a reservation to Sushi Sonagi, located inside a strip mall in Gardena outside LA. At the end of the night, Jun and I were surprised just how much we loved our experience at this sushi restaurant. The chef Daniel Son, a second-generation chef, is in charge of all of the dishes at Sushi Sonagi, which has a single counter table with two shifts per night. What really stood out about the omakase at Sushi Sonagi (the menu costs $250 per person) is chef Daniel's openness to experimenting with ingredients not typically used at a sushi restaurant, as well as the overall balance in flavor of all the dishes. The opening dishes featured a super delicious chawanmushi with snow crab and (unexpectedly) sweet corn. The fried green eyes fish was also another delightful item on the course, as well the mackerel sandwich that Jun really enjoyed even though mackerel is not her favorite fish. My two favorite dishes before the nigiri section were the black abalone (sourced from Korea's Jeju Island) with liver sauce - this is one delicacy that I won't stop thinking about for a while - and monkfish liver (which had a bit of wasabi on top to a surprising effect) that would've held its own against ankimo at other top-end sushi restaurants. The nigiris coming from chef Daniel's magical touch were also of consistently high quality; Jun and I were especially impressed with how each piece wasn't overly seasoned to maximize the texture of the fish. Some of the standout pieces wowed us with ingredients we had not encountered before, like the baby green onions that complemented beautifully with spotted skipjack tuna, or the seared flounder fin that was exceptional for its textural complexity. I certainly don't recall having many langoustine nigiri at sushi restaurants before, and after chef Daniel brought one (from New Zealand) with wonderfully crunchy texture, I wondered why other sushi restaurants don't try this ingredient more often. After a few more nigiri pieces and an aromatic soup of tofu, yuzu and chrysanthemum came the highlight of our dinner, a stone pot rice with female snow crab inside. The rice umami of this rice dish was so irresistible that even though I was pretty full by then, I felt compelled to ask for a second bowl. Even the tamago from Sushi Sonagi is not an ordinary egg custard, with miso butter that added an entirely different dimension to the dish. Getting a reservation at Sushi Sonagi, given its popularity in the LA dining scene and also limited seatings (the restaurant is only open Thursday through Saturday), will definitely require advance planning (plus $200 deposit per person, which will be fully refunded on the reservation day). Given that the reservation window opens 30 days prior at midnight Pacific Time, I was afraid I might miss the window but if you are able to wake up early Eastern Time the next day, most likely you will be able to snag a table. The modest and cozy setting of the counter gives a warm neighborhood restaurant vibe that belies the very high quality of dishes coming out of chef Daniel's hands. The restaurant does have a decent number of sakes and some limited wines on the beverage list; it also allows corkage for a fairly modest price of $45 / wine bottle so I brought a couple of champagnes from a wine shop in LA (I highly recommend Thatcher's Wine in Brentwood) to take advantage of the policy. At the end of the meal, we chatted for a bit with chef Daniel, who is a truly nice person that simply enjoys what he does and is eager to continue to improve upon his craft. I am so glad that there are still sushi restaurants out there that can wow us with an exceptional omakase meal and would gladly be back to visit Sushi Sonagi next time we are in LA.

chef daniel son comes as a second generation sushi chef, trained at some of the best michelin…read moregraced restaurants around the world. love the personality of chef son it compliments the dining experience not to mention the attentive staff who's literally a ninja when it comes to cleaning, refilling, and ensuring you have the best experience. note: $200 deposit per person is required and reserve in advance! autumn 2025 menu * miso butter atsuyaki tamago / miso butter jidori omelet - california = took 5 years to master and hours to make = it's delish! * chawanmushi, ikura shoyuzuke, snow crab, sweet corn * mehikari / green eyes - aichi * kuroawabi / black abalone - korea * shime saba sando / mackerel sandwich - oita * amadai / tilefish - tsushima * ankimo / monkfish liver - hokkaido * shima aji / striped jack - kagoshima * toro sawara / fatty king mackerel - mie * akamizuke / marinated bluefin tuna - ehime * toro / fatty tuna - ehime * sumagatsuo / spotted skipjack tuna - kagoshima * nodoguro / black throat perch - nagasaki * aburi engawa / seared flounder fin - korea * akaza ebi / g1 langsostino - new zealand * uni / sea urchin - hokkaido * anago / sea eel - korea * suimono, meiji tofu, yuzu, chrysanthemum - gardena * seikogani dolsot bap / female snow crab stone pot rice - hyogo * buttermilk pudding, yuzu ice - torrance parking 5/5 tons of parking south bay strip mall, had no issues at all

What a hidden gem if you like kicking it back with old school sushi.....Nothing fancy, no sauces…read moredripped all over the sushi....or sushi baked in the oven. Or a menu with a 100 different choices of speciality rolls. This place is all about going back to the basics with an extremely small menu focused on just a couple of items: Inari, California roll, mackrael, shrimp sushi and more. The sushi is authentic and yummy in the tummy! If you are deciding to stop in for some sushi- Make sure you order in advance as they do sell out. Call the shop to put your order in with pick up time. Note the shop is not open at night- best to call early in the morning before they sell out. The shop is just carry away. There are no places to sit and dine. You will find this shop within an apartment complex on the first floor around a courtyard. If nobody is at the window, ring the bell at your pick up time and a friendly person will attend to you. The ladies are so cute. And the to go boxes are so cute and perfect as well. Once you grab your box, you can enjoy it at home or take it to the park.... Don't forget to bring cash as this is a cash only place!!!!

This spot has been on my list for the longest time and I'm glad I got to try Sakae! Service is…read morequick and friendly. Hours see more limited and availability may vary if you don't order earlier. Take out and cash only! The food was very tasty and although the ingredients were simple, they paired very well. The ratio of rice is quite high although it is very high quality. The California Roll is my favorite and the most balanced piece so far. Ginger is included but not wasabi. I will definitely be back!

This place is so good. And Elite…read more Lunch is a phenomenal deal! Really amazing quality, and not too expensive So, I have a new rating system......I will write what I feel honestly about an establishment. The only ratings I will give are 5 stars, which is enjoyable, or 3 stars which is "needs work."

I really love this restaurant. The food is top notch and service is excellent. I haven't been here…read moreduring dinner hours but coming in for lunch, it hasn't been overly crowded and parking isn't a problem even though the lot isn't very big. They share the lot with a ramen shop and bar so I would think parking would be challenging at night. My wife ordered a lunch special that included tempura, chicken karaage, assorted rolls, and 3 pieces of nigiri sushi that was very reasonably priced. It also comes with an egg custard, salad and miso soup. I ordered an assortment of nigiri sushi that included salmon, tuna, sea urchin, mackerel, unagi and a negi toro hand roll. The sea urchin was some of the best I've ever had. The only one that disappointed me a bit was the hand roll. It wasn't bad but didn't match the level of the other sushi I ordered. Everything else was superb and we left very satisfied. I would come back more often but my wife always wants to try new places so it takes me a while to get back to places I really enjoyed previously. Hopefully, Toshi will be an exception so I can return very soon for another round of amazing sushi.

Great place for sushi. The sushi is fresh and price decently. The service is great. I've gone twice…read morewhich happened to be on Valentine's Day. I couldn't have picked a better spot. The vibes were it! Everyone was taking sake shots. Definitely made me love the place even more. I got the omasake sushi. Sooo good and the presentation is so cutesy. Both times I've been I didn't have to wait and was seated right away. It's a cute little spot. Child friendly with high chairs. This spot is located in a shopping center with a lot of parking. Will definitely keep returning.

So if you are looking for a small local Gardena sushi place this is it! The chefs greet you with…read moreamazing attitude and positive vibes. The sushi itself is really good, full of flavor and perfect with presentation. The only thing that I did not like what the service was not 100% there, they take the initial order and forget about you. We placed a order for more sushi and the waiter forgot to put the order in. Also we had so many plates on the table and they would not stop by to clean then up. I would still try it and it's still enjoyable but the little things are missing.

I literally picked this place as it was in the middle of who I was meeting. We've all never been…read morethere. Saw some pics via yelp and figured there was a lot to choose from. Parking: you can either park on the street, if there is parking; or park in the lot where h can enter from the back of the restaurant. Get there before 5 to grab a seat because the place fills up QUICK. Inside is small and narrow. If you're not a big eater, share a dish. Their portions are HUGE!! Biggest plates I've seen for a Japanese restaurant. The servers there work hard and try to be quick as possible. I would definitely come back here.

There is so much to choose from on their menu. I had the sashimi and croquette combo which was so…read moregood. Service was good too. I'm assuming they were busy prior to us arriving as the floor was still dirty with chopsticks and napkin still on the floor and there was rice on the chair.

Amazing service here! They always serve us so fast and they're always so attentive!…read more Always such yummy sushi!

Came here for lunch after arriving from LAX; it was on the way home and had good reviews. It's in a…read morelittle strip mall with a large parking lot. Staff were friendly and greeted us when we came in. While there were a few people I think we just missed the lunch rush and were seated right away. Inside was nicely decorated in Japanese theme and tables were spaced enough between patrons. I liked that there was a button on the table to call the server if you needed something. Food was really albeit a little expensive. Place settings were nicely presented. We ordered an iced matcha and some hot green tea. Started off with a couple of miso soups, followed by a couple of rolls to share. We also got 2 build your own bentos where we got more rolls, tempura, salad, katsu, and Takoyaki. The family enjoyed their meal and it was great meal to start our vacation. Staff were friendly and the place had nice decor. Despite the number of patrons it was not loud. Restrooms were clean.

Back again. I remembered they have a great BENTO BOX, so that's what I ordered again and…read morerecommended the same for my friend. We had a great time here on a Saturday afternoon. The food was as great as I remember and although the restaurant had plenty of people, we didn't feel rushed. Everything was delicious from the sashimi, tempura, fish, nishime and chicken karaage. The bento box also comes with potato salad, udon and gohan. When I'm in Gardena, this is my choice for Bento Box... You literally get a little of everything!

Kotohira was a little crowded when we got there at 5pm, Saturday for dinner but luckily we got…read moreseated right away. We haven't eaten there for a while, mostly ordered take out, so it was nice to sit inside and enjoy a good meal. We ordered the tenzaru set with soba noodles, somen salad and my father in law ordered the mini Tendon set with soba. Service was pleasant and the food delicious. Parking can be a challenge but if you get there early, you shouldn't have a problem.

Delicious sushi - a bit more expensive than sushi stop and kura. The rolls are inexpensive and if…read moreyou order with the chefs, they normally hook it up. We've loved coming here. They have a fun light and sound experience when folks order sake bombs. It's pretty adorable. For two people, expect to pay $60 + tip! Very short 20 minute wait on a busy Friday night at 6pm.

We were looking for a conveyor belt sushi place and saw Sushi Sumo pop up. We called and asked to…read moreconfirm if they had conveyor belt sushi and were told they did. We asked if reservations were needed and were told they weren't if we arrived within 30 minutes. We arrived and were promptly seated. We asked if we could sit at the conveyor belt bar but were told we could but that service was delayed and service would be faster, so we opted to sit at a table in the main dining area. The place was full but not overwhelmingly so. The ambiance was busy, which was fine. We ordered a couple of rolls, and I also ordered some uni. I wish I could say that the sushi was good but it honestly wasn't. There's a reason we haven't been back and have no plans to do so. The uni was old and fishy. The worst uni I've ever had.