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    Sakura Japanese Restaurant

    3.9 (369 reviews)
    ModerateSushi Bars, Japanese
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Sakura Japanese Restaurant Photos

    SAKURA JAPANESE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Sakura Japanese Restaurant

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    Rainbow and #5. Sooooo good
    Jeremy N.

    So here is what I care about when it comes to sushi; fresh seafood that smells good; more protein than rice; good flavor. This place checks all my boxes. It was dead quite when we got there, which scared me, but it turned out amazing. Chef came out and chatted with us and is just so awesome. Knew the sushi place in our town (auburn) and was just so personable. Really enjoyed our dinner.

    Rainbow roll, Philadelphia rolls and negihama roll.
    Tiffany S.

    If you want sushi after 9pm your options are very limited. We went to a movie and hubby wanted sushi after. I had been here eons ago. Tonight we arrived about 8:30? Definitely a local spot. I think the sushi chef and the waitress gal are the owners- which is pretty cool. We ordered a Rainbow roll, 2 Philadelphia rolls and a negihama roll. All was tasty. The green tea is HOT. I mean borderline scalding, so watch out for that. Service was slow, but honesty I didn't mind one bit. This place just feels cozy and a spot you could linger over some rolls, some beverages and good company.

    shirts!
    Maikayeng V.

    My boyfriend and I are visiting from Chicago and we came here after reading the reviews. There is a sushi place very close to here but we are SO glad we came here instead. The reviews are right- this restaurant is ran entirely by an elderly Japanese couple. They are so hard working and welcoming and the vibes in here are immaculate. We seated ourselves near the sushi bar. I highly recommend sitting by the boats especially if it isn't busy. It was a pleasure chatting with the owner and he sent our orders down the boats which was entertaining in itself haha. We enjoyed the atmosphere so much we stayed and had a couple Sapporo beers, which they served us with chilled glasses. Before we left, the owner brought out a giant bottle of sake and gave us and another couple sake glasses and we all drank together and toasted! He even asked us all of our shirt sizes and made sure we left with merch! We love the shirts we got and will cherish our memories here. I cannot recommend this place enough. If you're looking for an authentic, friendly experience as well as fresh sushi you MUST come visit Sakura.

    Outside
    Janelle N.

    Sakura Japanese Restaurant is owned and run by a cute elderly couple. They literally do everything at the restaurant from making the food, to serving, and to cleaning the tables! The entire time we were there, the couple was so busy making the orders from dine in and take out orders they had to sadly turn down customers ): While the wait was long, it was totally worth it. The tempura and teriyaki combo was crazy good with the perfect portion. The rainbow tempura roll had a good amount of sashimi as well and was plated in a cute mini boat. We made sure to not leave any food to waste (: You can really tell how much effort this couple takes to run their restaurant. I will definitely be back to support them the next time I'm in Monterey!

    Sushi and nigiri combo - huge portions at a reasonable price!!
    Wendy T.

    Kazu was always so friendly and just a sweet man! We got the sushi and nigiri combination to share. It was a LOT at a very reasonable price and we loved the hamachi toro and unagi nigiri! The rice was a bit too sour and since I'm not eating much rice, I would probably ask him to cut the rice next time. I love the yellow tail and next time I'm going to have the scallop, rainbow roll with tempura, and their other variety. Met Josh, another friendly customer who is like a son to kazu And it was a very nice and great experience! We also bought more California roll to go for on the road back to the Bay area :) He's open everyday from 5:00 to 11:00 but he will be closing for a day or two or when he has corporate big orders for catering. So best to call first before coming in.

    Chef's Choice Sashimi Platter
    Angela L.

    We were dying of hunger at 9pm and were looking for a quick bite when we saw this little, warmly lit place. We walked in and were greeted with a wave of warmth from inside, both physically and by the smiles of the owners, a cute elderly Japanese couple. We sat at the bar and had a great conversation with the owner/sushi chef who boasted over 36+ years of perfecting the sushi craft! He even showed us the fresh catch of the day "toro" tuna, which is locally sourced! Good we ordered was the Sashimi Platter which came with a house salad + ginger vinaigrette and miso soup. Be mindful, the owners also are the only staff so add some time to your restaurant-ing plans (they are meticulous, really 'take their time'). Overall great experience and would love to visit again when we vacation in the area. TLDR: Highly recommend, great atmosphere, authentic cuisine, lovely owners!

    Sushi & sashimi combo
    Ashley C.

    If you're in the area, please give this place a try. We ended up choosing this spot because it happened to be one of the only nearby places by our hotel that were open late on a Monday night. We ordered the salmon sashimi app, the sushi & sashimi combo, and Sakura special roll #5. The sushi and sashimi combo alone was filling, but glad we got to try a roll. It was such quality food for a price you can't beat! Staff here was so sweet & we definitely enjoyed our visit.

    Unagi roll and ume kyu (I think?)
    Evany W.

    I heard good things about this restaurant from a colleague and what sold me was that this place is Japanese owned and operated with a reasonable standard price. I loved the "hole-in-the-wall" vibe I got from this place. And loved that the chef/owner was really upfront about the back up they were having from a party of 10+ ppl. Seeing as how he was the only chef there, I wanted to be patient and wait for it. The restaurant is dimly lit from little lanterns and had an authentic feel to it. Service was still pretty good for how busy they were and we were taken care of and checked in on. At some point, the chef himself came to deliver updates on our orders whenever he delivered a part of our order. The staff was overall pretty engaging. Head chef was like seeing my own grandpa working in his old chefs attire. Quite heartwarming. The rolls were really simple and really yum. The sashimi tasted fresh and cool which was really refreshing during a heat wave. I would definitely come back for the vibes again.

    Sushi Combination
    Debbie L.

    My husband read good reviews about this place. It seems that it is run by an elderly Japanese couple and they do everything! The husband is the sushi chef. The wife takes orders and does the cooking in the back. I only have a photo of the sushi combination platter. We had also ordered a side of tempura. Every thing was delicious and the sashimi very fresh! We would definitely go back. But as there are only two people doing all the cooking and serving, it was definitely a leisurely meal. The food is worth the wait!

    Kid friendly restaurant
    Alberto W.

    The restaurant was empty when we came in. We were greeted by an elderly lady. We thought she was taking care of the restaurant by herself. We ordered all the nigiri options they had and others. After she finished writing down everything, she called another elderly man to make the sushi. The sushi was good and fresh. We decided to buy 4 shirts to support the 2 elders, and to my surprise, the man gave one little shirt free to my daughter. OMG, I was so moved by their generosity. Not only did they filled my stomach, they also filled our hearts. We left a pretty nice tip, but we also want to recommend this place to everyone to fill both your stomach and heart. Great place to think about life.

    Ricky C.

    We are two east coasters on a west coast trip and were craving some sushi. We came in this place for the reviews and I can't recommend it enough! Both the food and the atmosphere are awesome. Definitely recommend dine in instead of take out. The place has been (34 years) and continues to be ran by a man and his wife (owners) who are such hard workers and so passionate. The food might take a little longer than usual if it's busy or a big order but you can tell it's authentic and prepared so genuine. I highly recommend sitting near the chefs table at the sushi bar and definitely talk to the owners. The man sat down with us for a good 30 minutes after our meal and it was so great hearing his story and learning about the area.

    Ama Ebi - YUMMY
    Marco S.

    In town for a conference and decided to have dinner here again last night. Place is busy for a Monday evening. Ordered an Ama Ebi and Chirashi. Food is still fantastic, Ama Ebi is fresh as can be, fried prawn head is nice and crunchy and prawn it self is nice and sweet! Chirashi is much much better than the one I had at Morimoto's in Napa, fish is fresher (hamachi is one of the best I had), portion larger and sushi rice is spot on! After dining, I chatted with the chef/owner. What a delightful guy! I mentioned to him that he gave my son a shirt 7 months ago, he got super excited and handed me another shirt for me this time! This will definitely be a go to when in town!

    (in the front) bento box with beef teriyaki and tempura  (in the back) bento box with chicken teriyaki and tempura
    Jae I.

    A small, local restaurant that's open late to any travelers in the area. I would only come if I was really craving Japanese food, but other than that I wouldn't spend a meal here if there were other options available. The place was extremely dark when we came in. The lighting was super dim, which was unexpected because it was already so dark outside. There was a sushi chef behind the counter and one server working hard to attend to the other 4 tables. The place is definitely hole in the wall -- the menus had a smell and the walls were dirty. I know this is a gem for the locals because the sushi chef talked about his life for the entire hour of our meal; it was welcome for the first couple of minutes but his talk definitely slowed down his service. Everyone who ordered sushi (or a sushi combination) got their food much later than those who ordered food from the kitchen (tempura, beef, chicken, etc.). We ordered a bento box with beef teriyaki and tempura, a bento box with chicken teriyaki and tempura, and a maguro and hamachi donburi bowl. We all got miso soup as a result of our order and it was piping hot and filled to the brim. It was tasty but extremely salty. My friend couldn't finish hers because it was so salty. The bento boxes were huge and definitely felt justifiable for the price. The teriyaki sauce was delicious but, again, really salty. I finished all my rice and 2 glasses of water because of how salty it was. My friend wiped the sauce off half way through her meal because the sauce was so generously applied. The tempura was perfect -- the sauce was delicious and complimented the perfect fry on the tempura. The salad wasn't your typical Japanese-inspired salad; it had arugula and cherry tomatoes and was covered in this sweet and sour vinaigrette. The donburi was disappointing; it was $30 and had only a few pieces of sashimi over a huge mound of rice. The restaurant uses the same rice for all dishes so the donburi's "sushi rice" was really just white rice seasoned with rice vinegar and sugar. It was disappointing and something I wouldn't recommend ordering on your visit. At the end of our meal, they gave us almond cookies which were a nice touch. Overall, this place is generous in their servings (for the bento boxes) and a local favorite. It isn't touristy but that has its own charm. I wouldn't seek this restaurant out but it's a nice place to eat a meal late at night.

    HIDDEN GEM!!!! (Front of restaurant)

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    4 months ago

    Just moved here and the locals suggested. Was not disappointed. Friendly staff and food was pretty Japanese-ish

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    26 days ago

    Excellent food... I had sushi rolls and my friend had ramen, with an array of appetizers. All was excellent. Friendly staff, fast service.

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    2 years ago

    We love this place! Always a good meal here! Golden roll is my favorite. We have tried almost everything on the menu and everything is good.

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    3 years ago

    Great family owned restaurant. Loved sushi sashimi combo. Priced very reasonably.Sashimi Combo

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    Ask the Community - Sakura Japanese Restaurant

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    Crystal Fish

    Crystal Fish

    4.1(1.5k reviews)
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    Legit . I'm sitting…read morehere right now writing this review because it is SO good!! The fish is so fresh, it's so smooth, it's so EVERYTHING you want sushi to be! I added cream cheese and macadamia nuts to my roll and it's just amazing. Quick friendly service. My food came out fast! The combo of the lemon and cilantro is killer! Can't wait to come back

    IN THIS ECONOMY DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY…read more Every single roll tastes the same. The udon soups are bland. The teriyaki sauce is too sweet. The beef ribs and beef and chicken teriyaki came out cold. Makes you wonder if all they do is try to reheat it gross! The appetizers were also bland and full of soy sauce. You're better off going somewhere else to spend your money. The service was subpar. No one acknowledges you when you walk in the door. They make you stand there and wait to eventually get unflavored food and terrible service. This review is written in February 2026. There's better places in the area just go there. At the end after over a $350 bill they refused to give us a plastic bag to go home. I offered to pay for it, but they had an attitude about it. They don't even know how to make spicy edamame. It's just soy sauce and grilled onions. The only waitress that was actually helping people was the Hispanic lady. Everyone else just stands and stares at you like they are a statue. You're better off going to Kokoro in Salinas. At least they give you better service and some flavor.

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    Kuma - Apollo, Spicy Paula, California Roll

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    4.3(430 reviews)
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    I have been wanting to give this place a try and finally got the opportunity. Unfortunately I was…read morein the moment so I did not take any photos. Everything was really fresh and prepared well. The restaurant has beautiful vaulted ceilings and great vibes. Only note was the music was all over the place but not a big deal at all. We ordered a lot since we were both very hungry and left satisfied. Starters: Spicy garlic edamame - great flavor and not overly done (5/5) Shrimp & Veggie tempura- perfect amount of batter (5/5) Gyoza (5/5) Mains: Chicken Teriyaki served with miso soup, salad, and steamed rice. (4/5) only because the salad while good had a little too much dressing, not a deal breaker. Sake sashimi 5/5 Tiger roll 5/5 Would definitely recommend as a great sushi spot and will be back!

    Really good sushi in Monterey. This is located in downtown Monterey and we stopped in because our…read moreoriginal destination had a huge wait. Kuma had a few minute wait. This place is really family friendly, and there were a lot of people with loud kids on a Saturday night around 6. It was also really packed, so the servers were running around getting everyone everything pretty quickly. I thought they were very pleasant and energetic. They have an interesting variety of sushi rolls, including some vegetarian and vegan selections. I felt like the serving size was pretty large, and I ended up taking some home. All the fish was fresh and high quality. A very enjoyable dinner!

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    Toribashi - Tonkotsu Ramen

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    4.0(465 reviews)
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    We had a craving for ramen while on vacation in Monterey, and Toribashi came thru for us!…read more This restaurant was located in a downtown area, so there wasn't a dedicated parking lot, but it was fairly easy to find street parking. I ordered the Shoyu Ramen which was flavorful with a rich broth. I also know my kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves because there was nothing left in their bowls :) Thank you, Toribashi!

    Welp.. We finally had the chance to return to Monterey.. As we were squeezed for time, we chose to…read morecome to Toribashi tonight. Parking was only mildly challenging, as a space opened up after only a single lap around the block. Inside here, you'll find a busy place with a few tables and individual bar-style (partitioned!) paired seating along the walls adjacent to the kitchen in the middle part of the restaurant. Order up at the self-serve order kiosks, tap in your table/counter number, and they bring out your order in a couple of minutes. We had six of us in our party, and most of us kept it simple by ordering the default Tonkatsu Ramen with different customizable options. Most all of the ingredients in this order were on point - The Chasu Pork Belly was tender, thick and delicious, ramen noodles nothing special, but generally stil on point, as were the bamboo shoots. However, the co-star/centerpiece of the Tonkatsu Ramen other than the Chasu Pork slab should be the broth, but sadly the broth was far far TOO salty which overpowered the other flavors in the broth. Chasu Pork 4.8/5, Tonkatsu Ramen 3.1/5. Service was good as everyone was hustling hard in the kitchen, along with attentive bussers/waitstaff to quickly turn tables. They take good care in wiping down the tables here. If I return, I'll just get the Paitan Ramen like I did in years past, as that seemed less salty. Then again the Paitan soup base begins with the same chicken+pork soup base as the Tonkatsu Ramen. I hope Toribashi will step back up to their former glory.

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    Sakura Japanese Restaurant - sushi - Updated May 2026

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