Definitely the best conveyer belt sushi i've found. Im usually not a big fan of it but this place is cute, quick, I love the little booths and the setup. Warm and relatively cozy interior. The sushi was quite good! Not too expensive and small portions allowing to try more. Very convenient overall read more

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This is the second Waka Sushi chain that just opened in June/July. The original is in Torrance. The restaurant is neighbors to Tokyo Central, but does not connect to the market. If there is a wait, they will have a tablet out front for you to check in. The text messages are quick and accurate so when we checked in, the wait was 20 mins and I got 3 text total. First to confirm the wait-list, second to let me know I'm now 3rd in line (to start making your way over), and 3rd when your table is ready. We were shopping around the market to kill some time before hand so having an accurate texting system for the wait-list is perfect! Like the Torrance location, the menu is identical. We absolutely LOVE the salmon Trio plate!! Our favorite item is hands down their salmon nigiri with mayo onion! So good!!! Food comes out very quickly! Service was also quick! Compared to Torrance location, we felt the fish quality was amazingly fresh and delicious tonight! I couldn't think of anything bad or anything that needed improvement with the food. Rice wasn't hot nor cold, it was room temp but not hard, to just perfect! All the fish we had, salmon, tuna, and yellowtail were all so buttery and fresh!!! I really hope the quality stays the same always!! They are by far my favorite sushi restaurant now! Actually, improvement wise, I would like to see more options on the menu, maybe some carpacio, but I guess it's not really necessary. I can see the benefits of a smaller menu. read more

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Came here since it was one of the only places open on Thanksgiving day - though it did close at 7 with last call at 6:30pm. First thing's first: this place is an insanely good value, and the food is delivered crazy fast! As in, I actually wonder what their kitchen looks like - there must be some robots helping prepare this stuff. You order it from your smartphone (use a QR code) and it shows up at your booth via these express conveyor belt thingies like two minutes later. I didn't take the most detailed notes but some memorable things: - Winners: The scallops were BOSS. I don't usually wind up loving scallops from sushi restaurants but here they were great. Uni was also great! Somehow I didn't expect a place with this kind of "fun" vibe to have it but they did and it was a great value. In fact, it's worth coming here if you just need an uni fix. Oh, and the Ikura but that's great at lots of places. - Losers: There were a few items that offered a "salt" sauce but I think it was actually an onion sauce we got on those items, and it wasn't the best. Skip that one. The seared items were barely seared... like maybe they ran out of time searing things while trying to hit a 100 second long delivery window or something. Chutoro and "wagyu" were not the highest quality but they were very affordably priced. - Decent: everything else! salmon, hamachi, you know the drill. And they had a non-alcoholic beer (I think Sapporo) that was great. We ordered a ton of food, and got out of there for only about $30 per person though that included two kids. read more

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yeah this place was life changing.... the sushi was so smooth and fresh and for a valentine's day we only waited about 30 mins. there's no reservation but you there's many places to walk around in the area to pass the time. i was pleasantly surprised w all the rolls and nigiri. usually i get mostly eel but this time around salmon was my fave. also must get the steamed egg it was delicious read more

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Revolving sushi except it's more like on demand delivery. Prices are on the higher side compared to other revolving sushi places, but you also pay per plate. Everything feels super clean and service is pretty quick (but not as quick as revolving sushi). Cool gamified concept where you order on the ipad and it automatically gets delivered to your table. Everything tasted very fresh and the rice grains were cooked super well. Very kind service as well. For the price point I think I would rather go to a traditional sushi spot though! read more

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The food was amazing here! My favorites were the onion salmon and the medium fatty blue tuna. The fish was so fresh! I went in the morning, so there was no wait for a table. Everything is ordered on an iPad, so you can eat by yourself with no problem if you want. I'll be definitely coming back here! read more

Waka Sakura - blue tuna, scallop, and onion mayo salmon - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Irvine, California

Excellent sushi & sashimi dishes, great service but lacking in variety. Ambiance is good but not too busy @ late lunch as expected. read more

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Great customer service! The sushi was good. I liked everything I tried. Parking in this plaza was hard when Tokyo Central first opened but now, it's fine. I stopped by Sunday night for dinner and there was plenty of parking. Recommend you check out this place! read more

Haven't had such good sushi in a while. A friend recommended this place and I had to admit, every platter was a hit! Food came out in a conveyer belt and was prompt after a table iPad order. Very little interaction to staff so I can't say much about service but place was clean overall and I would easily come back! read more

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Food was all decently good. Service was prompt & the wait was short on a Sunday evening. Its clean & bright inside. Fun place to take the kids. read more

WAKA Sakura exceeded my expectations. I just came back from Japan and wanted to treat my partner to some of the Japanese experience I had. I was expecting the same quality of fish as Kura and other conveyer/revolving sushi restaurant but it was much higher quality. I think it's probably the best conveyer sushi I've had in the US. The rice is unique - I've never had red vinegar sushi rice. It was very tasty and it made me actually want to eat/have the rice in my nigiri and rolls. I don't normally like the lower quality of tuna here in the US, but the medium fatty tuna here was great! Definitely wanted to keep ordering. They have real wasabi here. They have some unique sauces as well for the seared fish. As for side dishes, the miso soup was quite large, making it pretty worth the price. The karaage was okay. Unfortunately, they were out of the steamed egg so we'll have to come back. The yuzu cheesecake was delicious and I should've gotten more. The service was quick. Only took around 15 minutes to get seated and you get to use the tablet or your phone to order. They were extremely quick to take away the empty plates as well. They played soft music the whole time and it was an overall pleasant experience. No one was too loud. 10/10 - will be back soon! read more

Waka Sakura - Outside - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Irvine, California

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Extremely long wait time even tho there were visible empty tables available. Their menu is quite limited compared to what I would expect from other revolving sushi restaurants, and it's made-to-order so no revolving sushi just rolling around. It felt overhyped with the Tokyo central opening next door. The ambiance wasn't anything crazy, just a few tables with separated dividers. iPad to order items read more

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Came here on a rainy Friday night at 6 pm and got seated right away! The sushi quality is fresh and buttery. Expect to spend a little bit more than other revolving sushi bars, but it will be worth it for the quality. The servers here were very attentive and constantly checked in on us and refilled the water multiple times. My favorite dishes probably had to be the salmon party and medium fat blue fin tuna. The hand roll was just okay because the seaweed wrap wasn't crispy. Overall a great place to dine in at with spacious seating. read more

Waka Sakura - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Irvine, California

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The best fast sit down sushi in Irvine! Love the sushi sampler platters, allowing you to try a variety. I've come twice (2pm and 5:45pm) and both times we walked right in. The wait staff was attentive and helpful and the restaurant was nice and clean. read more

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This is the best affordable sushi spot that is no frills. Rolls and nigiri are simple just like they make it in Japan. Prices are not bad considering the freshness of the salmon and tuna. The wasabi is real here too. You order on the tablet, and a the conveyor belt shoots your sushi when it's done. The servers were quick to refill the unlimited green tea. Definitely get the tuna lover, salmon lover, and wagyu here read more

Waka Sakura - Tuna and salmon lover - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Irvine, California

I can't stress enough how amazing this place is. For conveyor belt sushi, the quality is amazing! Everything was delicious, it's all served very fresh. Everything is made to order. You order off an iPad and then it'll be sent out to you as soon as it's ready via the conveyor belt. We came for dinner during the week and there was no wait. There is plenty of seating and it's very spacious so it's great for groups. I enjoyed everything we ordered, we kept getting seconds of each plate. PLEASE give this place a try!! You'll love it and I'm forever coming back!! read more

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Came on a weekday afterwork and the place was pretty empty, looked super clean inside and was greeted right away. Got seated and our server Risa helped us out with the menu. It's NOT a revolving sushi bar, but the food is served to you via conveyer belt. Cool concept. The plates were a bit expensive in my opinion, many ranging from $6-$12. Quality was good and the rice they used was interesting, at first it looks like brown rice, but it's white rice seasoned in a darker vinegar sauce, making it brown. Risa was really calm and knowledgeable about the food being served and I really appreciated her explaining dishes to us. Overall a good experience, would love to come back read more

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With this place next to Tokyo Central, there was a ton of hype. When this place first opened, you couldn't get a table, but now on a Monday night there's no line, and it's clear why. The store smells fishy, which is not normal for a sushi spot, indicating the fish is not fresh. Prices are way too high for what you get: three tiny pieces of sashimi for $8, hand rolls with nothing special (just brown rice and minced fish) for $4 each - u are better off going to ROL handbar in the same lot for better quality To make things worse, my water cup had a crack in it and was leaking all over the table. We kept wiping it down thinking it was condensation until halfway through the meal when we realized the cup itself was broken We tried an array of rolls, sashimi, handrolls but it was really nothing special unfortuantely. If you're looking for a deal, the salmon party is six pieces for $12--and while that's decent, you're honestly better off walking next door to Tokyo Central and grabbing your own sashimi. Irvine has many great sushi spots. Unfortunately this is not one of them read more

Excited to try this place since it's right next to the Tokyo Central (separate building right next door). Thought it'd be very busy on a weekend (it did get busy eventually) but we came a little after opening on a Sunday was a good 10-15min wait. The host was also very helpful, giving us great insight on when to come back since we were waiting for more people, when to put our names on the list again and was so gracious in seating us. The ambiance was great- bright and clean, and the conveyor belts were fast to bring orders and the booths were spacious for our party of 7 (including 3 kids). And the food was the best part- everything was well prepared, fresh and great portions. The salmon belly was so crisp and juicy too, we ordered more than once. Hope to come back again, it was a really great place for brunch with friends. read more

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This was our second time back the following week. The service here is impeccable and the staff is very friendly and happy. I like that I don't feel rushed like other conveyer sushi places. The food is cost a little more but the quality of food is much best and I would prefer this place over all the other ones with conveyer belt. I like that it's not loud and very calming. Will come back when I'm craving for conveyer belt sushi. read more

Waka Sakura - The goods - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Irvine, California

Waka Sakura has recently opened in Irvine. We went on Saturday night and arrived around 7:05 pm. The parking lot is brutally tight. I'm not sure who drew those parking spaces but there's barely any room for doors to open so watch out where you park. We went to put our names down on the waitlist inside. There is a stand outside but it was not functional when we went so I popped inside and found a working one. There were quite a few parties ahead of ours and we were quoted 1 hour and 20 minutes. We decided to kill time next door at Tokyo Central. After about 40ish minutes, I received a text message stating that we were the next parties to be called and to be close to the restaurant. Sure enough, within 5 minutes, I received an additional text to check in with the hostess. We were seated and given a quick spiel about the ordering process. You can use the iPad at the table or your phone via QR code. We used the iPad and ordered a Coke, iced green tea, tuna nigiri sampler, salmon nigiri sampler, spicy tuna handrolls (x2), bluefin topped spicy tuna rolls, spicy tuna shrimp tempura rolls, unagi nigiri, and yuzu cheesecake. Placing the orders either piecemeal or all at once, the food is prepared to order and delivered via conveyor belt. Other items like drinks and dessert come to you via one of the servers. Everything was streamlined as an experience. The ambiance was quiet and it was an interesting experience. My husband seemed to enjoy it and we liked the sushi that we got. Our favorites were the hand rolls, spicy bluefin rolls, and the novelty of the conveyor belt. It was about $35 per person after tax and tip so not too shabby for a dinner date, but obviously varies on how much you eat. If you're in the mood for conveyor belt sushi and want to chance the parking situation, check out Waka Sakura in Irvine. read more

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Loved the look of everything, it's very well done and clean. The restaurant isn't loud, so great for date night. If you like to order things without calling the waiter this is a great place, it's like revolving sushi where you order on a tablet and the food comes to you. Loved all the fish besides the albacore. Albacore was a bit tough which was surprising because it's my usual go to. However, everything was great and delicious. Would 100% come back. read more

Waka Sakura - Tuna, Salmon with salt sauce, Salmon, Albacore, Yellowtail - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Irvine, California

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didn't take picture of everything but i was impressed with this place! sushi super fresh and big piecesss! loved the sushi rice also! perfect blend of vinegars and kelp stock in the rice too! at first i was worried the rice was gonna be too sour! i also love how they use real wasabi! we also had the chawanmushi and it was pretty freaking good too! glad i got to come here this trip down to irvine :))) def would return again! read more

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Tucked away on the second floor of a Japanese market is a pleasant surprise -- a conveyor-belt sushi spot (not to be confused with rotating sushi). Here, your order is placed through a tablet at your table, and the food arrives via conveyor belt right to you -- efficient and fun to watch. Good selection of sushi combos, and I appreciated the little details -- the wasabi seems freshly ground rather than the usual powder mix, and the sushi rice has a darker hue, likely from a richer vinegar blend. You can really taste the difference. Service was quick, and the whole experience felt seamless and modern. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area and want a solid sushi fix without the fuss. read more

100 stars to this place!!!! I loved everything about it. It was so much fun to order on the iPad and watch our food being delivered on the conveyor belt. Every time I heard the bell I got excited about seeing our food travel to our table. The sushi is extremely fresh and flavorful and the price is very reasonable! Loved the experience and the ambiance. read more

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This was our first time trying this location. We had the wagyu sampler at the Gardena location - which we highly recommend here too, along with the salmon sampler. I really enjoyed the chawanmushi (silky tofu like steamed egg with a couple mushrooms and a shrimp) - make sure you get there early if you want to try it bc it sells out. The poke was not our favorite. The miso soup is bigger than expected. I'm a fan of the veggie hand roll just bc I love veggie rolls. You order most items from your table through the tablet. I like the brown rice they use for the sushi. This is a fun conveyer belt authentic sushi restaurant with quality food and service. This is a 4.5, if they had more quality non-sushi maybe more izakaya options it would be a 5. read more

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This place is a must-try! Such a cute spot, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out it's a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant (I hadn't read the reviews beforehand). We loved everything we tried -- from the clam miso soup and edamame to the yellowtail collar, scallop lovers, salmon, and even the poke salad. The waitresses were so sweet and attentive, and the food came out incredibly fast. I can't wait to come back and bring friends and family to enjoy this delicious place! read more

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Food: Hello foodies . Ok so the food was good but it wasn't oh my goodness it's amazing. It was fine. I truly believe they need more options for the prices they are charging. Again the prices wasn't to high but it wasn't low either. For the quality it was a little too high for the price in my opinion. Ambiance: It was really calm, cute music. Service: All the ladies were nice and welcoming Overall I love that you can order you own sushi right from your table but I really wish their menu would have a bit more options. read more

came here 5-10 minutes before opening and put our name down on the waitlist and we're seated promptly at opening. this is hands down the best "conveyer" sushi i've had!!! inside is very clean and they provide a qr code or the ipad to order from. service is prompt and they are so very nice got the salmon party and scallop lovers and they were divine. each piece is salmon was great quality and melted in my mouth. the scallops were also very large and flavorful. their seasoned rice is the best i've had around here. i could eat an infinite amount of these!! their wasabi is also in perfect little single serving containers and was very fresh. loved my experience with the conveyers and will definitely be back!!! read more

Waka Sakura - salmon party scallop lovers - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Irvine, California

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Shockingly the rice is so good . I am addicted to their beef sushi . It was tender and flavorful. The steamed eggs was also my favorite too ! The nigiri were pretty big but needs some work on the quality . read more

Waka Sakura - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Irvine, California

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Details.. .. Came here exactly at open on a Sunday. There was already a crowd of people (as we should've expected) & we were quoted about 45mins to an hour. Nbd as we killed time next door at the new Tokyo Central. prOs.. .. Sushi quality was good. .. Restaurant was clean. .. Food came out very quickly after we sent our order. .. Their sushi rice was not the norm & brought more umami to the dishes without overpowering the fish. .. Their wasabi is fresh. cOns.. .. Prices are decent, but adds up quickly. .. There isn't much service except for when you're being seated or when they bring you something from your order that cannot be sent via conveyor belt like a drink. .. The wait seems inflated because they were not at full capacity & had empty tables before, during, & as we were leaving. .. Some of the sushi we ordered was not well constructed & fell apart as we were trying to eat it. final thOughts.. .. Worth trying if you want a unique dining experience, but not worth a wait more than 20 ish minutes. .. While their sushi quality is good, for the price we spent I could've gone to a higher quality sushi restaurant, so you're definitely paying for the novelty. read more

I came here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon once the grand opening hype died down a bit and it was really yummy! Everything was very fresh and the fish was good quality :) Their spicy tuna hand rolls were especially good, love the rice and the crispy nori! read more

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I heard about waka because or their gardena location and promptly came here once it opened. I was able to come here during lunch time and there were plenty of seating with little to no wait. Environment - the restaurant is fairly large and clean with sounds kept to a minimum. It felt very light and airy inside. I can't say entirely this is a revolving sushi bar as opposed to a belt that being you your ordered dishes haha so if you're expecting to stare at dish in a merry-go-around status you're not at the right place Service - workers were great and answered any of our questions promptly. Food - the price is decent and it varied according to what we dish you for. It's moderately priced and the freshness is okay. I didn't opt for any of their non fish options and will probably not be back to try them. All in all, I would say I would get my fish from inside Tokyo central than here read more

Waka Sakura is connected to the Irvine Tokyo Central store and is part of the Tokyo Central umbrella. Plates are not revolving. You order from a device at the table. It does take longer to come out compared to its competitors but pretty sure there's a human making the nigiri versus a machine plopping out rice. FYI It's not brown rice. It's red vinegar rice, not made with traditional rice vinegar. Prices are affordable. I wish there was more variety though. read more

Very average sushi. Slightly overpriced for the quality and portion size. They even charge extra for all condiments, which feels unnecessary. The Philadelphia roll is pictured with avocado, but it doesn't actually come with any -- misleading and not typical for a Philly roll. The salmon also had a rubbery consistency The bluefin tuna sashimi was incredibly difficult to eat. It smelled incredibly fishy and had a sour taste. Never experienced something like that. I ordered a Coke Zero and received Diet Coke instead. On the positive side, the service was quick and the staff were very friendly. Overall, pretty underwhelming experience. I understand this is a new restaurant and there will be some issues, but I wouldn't recommend this place in the interim. read more

Waka Sakura - Philly roll doesn't come with avocado as illustrated in their photo - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Irvine, California

It was alright overall. The fish was fresh and some dishes were good, but nothing really wowed me. A few plates were solid, a few were just okay, so it felt a little hit or miss. Service was fine but kind of slow once it got busy. The conveyor belt idea is cool, but some items looked like they'd been sitting out a bit, which took away from it. Not bad, not amazing. I'd come back if I was already nearby, but probably wouldn't go out of my way for it. read more

New revolving sushi place right next to the new Tokyo Central by Culver / 5 fwy. The concept was pretty cool - you order on an iPad, and they "shoot" the sushi orders out to you on their conveyer belt. So the sushi doesn't revolve... it's more made to order. However, felt the quality wasn't that great and the items are kind of pricey for what you get. It all really adds up at the end. I also wasn't a fan of the ambiance - it gave me sterile cafeteria vibes. read more

For some reason I like the Waka Sakura better at the Gardenia location. Came here for lunch on a Saturday and only waited for 25 minutes. The parking spaces are all so narrow. Friendly staff. read more

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Arrived 10 minutes before opening time. Order a few dishes based on the pictures in the menu displayed outside the door. Everything tastes just alright, but the uni tastes unfresh with an odor. Definitely not fresh. When inside Tokyo central, bought a salmon roll for $13 which after an hour tasted exceptional compared to Waka. read more

Waka Sakura - Uni - doesn't look and taste good. - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here when they opened for lunch. Service was quick and efficient. Did not have to wait to be seated. Modern decor. Music was good with some city pop mixed in with American popular music. Food is not cheap for kaiten style sushi but the quality met my high expectations. I like their take on sushi rice. Quantity is also generous. If you know what nigiri/sushi you already enjoy and dont need some chef to impress you with an omakase this is the place to go to. I just personally would not wait more than 30 minutes to be seated here. read more

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