Sarku Japan

The food portions were inconsistent—my relative and I both ordered the same dish (#1), but her Chicken portion was about half the size of mine. The taste was bland, and the service left much to be desired. A note to the owner: this isn’t just about portion size; it’s about ensuring customers receive fair value for what they pay. Please, no more excuses.

TDLR: Average food, would recommend the Chicken Bento Box. Was shopping with a friend and decided to try something new. Saw the line and it was about 10 people or so in line, and the busiest on the floor, so naturally, thought, let's check the hype out. We ordered the Shrimp and Chicken Bento Boxes. Given the lady ahead of me ordered a Chicken Bento Box and Chicken Teriyaki, I should have known that the Chicken was the star show here. The Bento Box comes with California Roll (4 pcs), Dumplings (3 pcs) & Vegetables. As well as a choice of steamed rice, fried rice or noodles. The shrimp was a 2 out of 5, it tasted bland and was dry with the rice, would not recommend. The chicken was however much better, had a nice sauce with it and didn't taste rubbery like the shrimp. Would probably give the chicken a 3.5 out of 5, maybe even push it to a 4 as it was a nice novel try. The California Roll was bland, as were the dumplings, but the dumplings were cool and a nice bonus. Would I eat here again? Probably not. But if you want a fresh spot to try, go for the Chicken Bento Box!

About 80% of the time, the veggies are sour and not edible. Note to self: always order without veggies. We usually order with extra protein for a few more dollars. Today, box with beef and chicken had about half the amount of protein as box #2 with double chicken. Inconsistent and disappointing.

A favorite in Hillsdale Shopping Center, there is always a queue of people ordering at this outlet. The queue is fast though. Order yoir Japanese food from their menu. We like their chicken teriyaki with shrimp, rice & veggies, freshly cooked and delicious. They also serve sushis. Recommended 👍

It’s okay. Just made and warm is good part. Veggies are very plain taste so you can have full flavor of broccoli. Rolls are okay and teriyaki chicken with noodles are okay. I don’t have much expectations but it’s just okay food.

No thanks. Sure, Teriyaki Tuesday sounds like a bargain where everything else is well over-priced ... but, meh, no taste beef drowned in teriyaki sauce? C'mon. The brocolli salad, in theory, should be good, but it's just dried loose pieces ... Seemed more Chinese restaurant than Japanese influenced.

I ordered the chicken teriyaki, steamed rice and veges, food was great... just wish the veges can be steamed a bit more. waaay better than Kaz teriyaki.

The people that work are the worst. I've had so many issues when it comes to scanning the app for my rewards, for their Tuesday advertising for the 7$ that they'll have. They've even lied to me saying they don't honor the app, and to make matters worse, they won't even scan my app to get points. I've tried to call their customer service number, which is a fail, and I've even emailed them, and never have they tried to respond back or give me my money back. They added shrimp to my online order before, which we I'm allergic to, and they didn't try to make things right. Instead, they laughed about it and were not talking English, trying to tell me they didn't understand me. Don't get me wrong, the food is great, but as a whole with their service and advertising is a fraud and a fail. !!!

oh my gawd this was the worst meal I've had in a long time. Every single thing in the bento box was bland and lacked ANY flavor whatsoever. The California rolls were a joke, the vegetables were literally steamed and didn't event have salt, the teriyaki chicken was dry and I had to drench it in soy sauce to taste any flavor, and even the gyozas were somehow bland. I thought, "oh it's in a mall I'm sure it's good," WRONG! Just get Panda Express instead.

If I'm around the hillsdale Mall on a Tuesday chance I stop by at Sarku because it's the day they have their special their teriyaki plate for only $7.99 so it's not a bad deal. It's not the best food ever but my best option at the food court I think. A good portion of protein, with rice and some veggies I always request an extra teriyaki sauce in top. Service is fast they are cooking in front of you so that's a plus knowing that the food is not seating there for hours. Normally is always busy. Especially is you go at rushing time.

Whenever I see a Sarku at the mall, that's what I'll be getting as my meal. Sometimes I go to a mall FOR Sarku! I always get the Teriyaki Chicken and if I'm with my mom, she usually gets the Teriyaki Chicken bento box. I usually get no rice, veggies only and they will quick fry a nice portion of veggies on the grill before putting it in my tray. The chicken is juicy, with some crispy edges and it goes well with the veggies. I usually ask them for extra sauce at the end which they always obliged. One thing I have noticed is while the prices have been going up bit by bit, like everything else, their meat portions have also gotten smaller. Still I don't normally order double meat cause I'm full enough from the regular portion that I can get a milk tea afterwards xD haha The only con I can think of is their sushi isn't it. Sometimes they're pre-made so when they hand it to you it's been refrigerated making the rice a bit hard. The seafood is also a hit and miss. So I would definitely only recommend the cooked food over the sushi.

A classic staple in any mall, Sarku Japan is the thing I go for when I think I want to eat healthy bc their chicken teriyaki plate is only 640 calories. But let's be real I need extra sauce on everything so it's definitely higher. Located inside the hillsdale mall food court, this is one of the more popular spots bc it's a meal that checks boxes. Rice, protein, and veggies. Once you pick your meal, they'll load up your to go box and put the meats fresh off the grill into your box. I think for a meal for under $10, it's one of the most filling options in this particular food court. Is it the most flavorful, not really, but it does what it needs to do when you need a quick and filling meal. The portion sizes definitely have gotten smaller than in the past, so if you are extra hungry, go double protein.

Yup, definitely two stars awful. Super dry chicken and awful raw veggies with cold gyoza and fake tasteless California roll. Do yourself a favor and choose any other good court place!

Stop here to have a quick bite my coworker and I were starving from a long day of work! We both got the same thing I love siracha in mine! But overall the food was good and light on my stomach so that's always a plus for me! Definitely wouldn't mind stopping by here for a quick bite!

It was a busy Saturday but the line seemed to move quite quickly. First they were so slow to my second bento box (chicken). Then their bento box was really flimsy practically folding in half and spilling out half the chicken I ordered. Fortunately (or unfortunately), half of it fell into the tray. Good thing my son still ate it. He was quite hungry. I also ordered two pieces of shrimp tempura. Even under the heat lamp, they were cold. Waste of money. This place is the cheapest option in the mall but you will still regret saving money. Go to Tacos El Grullense instead. Or eat before coming to the mall, but don't waste your money here.

Let me start this review by reminding everyone this is a food stall at the mall food court. The portions are huge and can come with a variety of toppings. I tend to order the teriyaki chicken (double meat), noodles (extra $) and veggies. This meal generally lasts me two meals. The food is not authentic but the charbroiled chicken and sauce is tasty! I actually crave it frequently! The noodles and veggies can be hit or miss but solid choices. I'm not sure if I'd recommend the shrimp or beef due to price and the taste not being as good.

We eat here about once per month. Went today and suddenly the portions were literally cut in half. Very disappointing.

I placed my order on the app and arrived at the Hillsdale mall location for pick up at 8:30pm. However the place was already closed, well cleaned up with everyone gone. Its operating hour was supposed to be until 9pm. This is totally unacceptable! They took my money without fulfilling the order. The fact that they closed earlier without abiding by their own operating hours shows that the employees at this location did not give a damn about their jobs.

Only few customers but the staffs were very slow. The quality is not good either. Don't go here, try something else or go to Sarku in Westfield Mall (San Jose) they are much much better. Of course I never come back.

Cashier was handling money while grabbing open containers with his bare hands without washing them or wearing gloves. Oddly the woman preparing takeout orders was wearing gloves & a mask. But the cashier was barehanded handling cash, cooking food, and grabbing containers with his unwashed hands. Just unhygienic and a clear health violation.

U ever wanna hop over the counter and knock a rude person? Yeah this that place. The worst attitude ever. The whole staff. They are annoyed that you are there ordering food. Yelling. Obnoxious and rude. The food is the healthiest option in the food court, but the service is the absolute worse.

I always get the chicken teriyaki with the extra chicken and every time I ask for extra sauce they are so so rude. I don't understand. It makes me lose my appetite and wish I didn't buy no food from them. It's like they get offended when you ask for extra sauce like what is the deal?

Bad service ask for noodles instead of rice when I went back they want to charge me for the noodles

I usually do not make reviews for fast food chains as I typically try to focus more on creating reviews for more mom and pop places, but I will say that every once in awhile I can be a food court guy! And for this brief food court venture, I gave Sarku Japan a try in the Dining Terrace at the Hillsdale Mall. Being recently opened in 2020, the addition of the new Dining Terrace made Hillsdale more of a destination. I still remember the days where the food court options consisted of a Burger King, a panini place, Panda Express, Hana Grill, Hot Dog on a Stick, an ice cream place, etc. Those options weren't very popular, which is why the new food court really helps out in bringing the crowds out. On a Wednesday around 6:45 PM, I ventured into the food court to give them a run for my money. Because it was a weekday, the line wasn't particularly long, but there was a decent amount of people there. This is contrary to their weekend crowds, always being full to the brim. That must say the food they serve is pretty good right....? After looking at their menu for a period of time, I settled on a Chicken and Shrimp Combo Plate with extra chicken for 2 dollars. The initial price of this item is 11 dollars, plus the extra chicken which made it 14 dollars roughly after tax. After paying at the register, I was able to walk down to the right where you wait while they cook your food right in front of you. Boy the food smelled great just standing there, made my mouth water....it was pretty quick, around 3-5 minutes and I was out of there with my food. **Notes: 1) With any of the teriyaki plates, you can request for extra of the item for about 2 dollars more (3 dollars for more shrimp). 2) More about the general dining terrace itself, the seating is pretty sizable with different kinds of seating all around. From booths to tables with lamps to large lounge chairs, the seating seems to promote maximum comfort while eating. Some of these also have great views of the street right below or balcony seats overlooking the North Block. In terms of other amenities, the terrace also has exterior hand-washing stations, drink emptying stations, and fireplaces with heaters to name a few. ** I took a look at my food and pretty much expected what I was going to get from the get-go. There was a pretty sizable plate of chicken, which made sense since I purchased extra chicken. There were about 12 - 13 pieces of small shrimp, which actually exceeded my expectations for a food court. Underneath those were a small spread out medley of vegetables, most likely to pad the meats, and rice. For 14 dollars, you definitely could do better by going to an actual restaurant and picking up higher quality food. But for a food court standard, it was alright. The taste of the food was pretty good....most things considered. The chicken tasted grilled with a subtle sweetness from what tasted like agave, honey, or something similar. It was pretty moist with a mix of sauce and marinade. It tasted great for a what I would call a "basic chicken". The shrimp tasted similar with a sweet flavor and a decent amount of moisture inside. It was softer than the chicken though, which added differences in texture in the dish. The vegetables were pretty mediocre all around with little to no flavor at all, but these vegetables were more of a dividing layer as opposed to being a grilled salad, so it was fine. Rice was fluffy for the most part, pretty similar to your regular jasmine rice. I'd give Sarku Japan 3/5 for their Chicken and Shrimp Combo plate with EXTRA chicken. The quantity for 14 bucks at a food court was a bit steep, but it makes sense since food court food is meant to be more of a quick fill. The food quality was good for what it was worth, which is why I would give them three stars. If you're willing to pay a bit of a premium for a snack or a meal, I'd say this is a pretty good option.

I went to this place after work. I occasionally crave their grill chicken teriyaki with rice. I think the chicken has a good flavor and I love rice. Each time I have ordered at this San Mateo location in the Hillsdale Mall, I have yet to be disappointed. I even enjoy their fountain drinks a lot more than other restaurants. Their fountain coke just seems to taste better than some places. I am very particular about my soda. The service is very routine. They are not super friendly because they seem to be focused on quickly taking your order so that they can start making the order. I'm not saying they're rude, they seem to be strictly business and working hard on getting the food out fast and they do. I appreciate that. The service is fast and the food tastes good. From my observation this seems to be one of those popular food choices in the food court. The Hillsdale food court is nice. There is always plenty of seating and you have your choice of comfortable seats. You can seat where you have a nice view of the outside buildings, or in the terrace or you can sit facing the food court restaurants and people watch. I enjoy the ambiance and will return.

sarku being a mall food court staple...hillsdale mall having better restaurant options versus food court, but needing a quick bite for the kid before a movie...this mall is busier, so the food is cooking and in constant rotation...food isn't sitting as long just warming...teriyaki chicken is sauced heavy, so be specific about sauce or sauce on the side...noodles are dry and marginal...same for the rice or upgraded fried rice...kid ate the fried dumplings which was pre-fried and bagged already...$3.99 for 6 fried dumplings and kid approved...

This is a food court stall inside Hillsdale mall. My wife and I came here to have a quick bite and we were surprised with how good the food was. Customer service was solid as the whole staff was friendly. I ordered #4 (chicken & shrimp) and my wife ordered the shrimp option. Food came out within 5 minutes and was delicious. Also they were open about 30 minutes before everyone else.

Doordashed from here recently as I just needed something quick and decent enough while I was attending to other things. You get bang for your buck here. Generous portions. The chicken actually wasnt dry but rather tender. The noodles seemed kind of clumped together, but that didnt change the fact that it tasted pretty good overall. Sarku of course is not some nice sit down restaurant, so my opinions are based on the fact that at the end of the day, it is mall food... but given that, you shouldn't go hungry if you choose to eat here.

Terrible food. Avoid at all costs. I should have looked at the review before ordering. Ordered beef teriyaki and spicy tuna roll. Both were inedible and had to be tossed. The beef was very cheap cut that they soak in baking soda to make it more tender. The problem is that it becomes mush and tasteless. I'll add a picture. Spicy tuna roll just tasted like heat with no flavor. I highly doubt it was even tuna. Avoid this place like the plague. So gross.

Chicken & Shrimp Teriyaki (No teriyaki) - Today we had lunch from Sarku Japan at work. I ordered the Chicken & Shrimp Teriyaki without the teryaki sauce and extra chicken added to my order. Overall, the food is edible. My major gripe is the vegetables. I am not a fan of what they have going on there. With the chopped cabbage, broccoli and carrots. Very bland and the veggies tend to taste like it's right before the point of being overcooked. As far as the chicken goes, it's very average. They don't overcook the shrimp which is a positive. And the rice is fine. Nothing wrong with that. Would I ever go out of my way to choose this place to eat? Well it's not unhealthy, especially considering I omitted the teriyaki sauce. So possibly under certain circumstances. But if I wasn't having any restrictions this isn't where I'd think to choose.

This place is well known as a mall chain and they live up to that. The food here is ok, it's not the best but definitely not the worst. If you come here looking for 5 star dining in a mall food court, you will be sorely disappointed! Their staff definitely is not the friendliest, but they get my order right every time. I normally order the chicken teriyaki meal and I appreciate that it's always piping hot and fresh. I have tried other items and they are all in line with the typical mall food fare. There is a long line most days during peak hours, so plan to wait a bit. Overall, this place is ok. I wouldn't go out of my way to go to the mall for their food but if I am already shopping and need a bite to eat, sure why not.

You know when you get so excited to eat and then one bite and everything is just so disappointing. I ordered my food through doordash and the amount of money that id spend just to get the food and youll end up sooo disappointed is just saddening. Food is bland and food is cold. It is cold like this bento was pre made this morning and they would just heat the food in the microwave for one minute and ta dah! $20!

Food here's is very basic. Sushi it has no taste and it's hard as a rock. The veggies are awful.

For the many reason of why the star rating is so low. Service is not at all aim to care(forget the pleasing part) Their only goal is to crank out as many dishes as possible. Their main register girl have zero politeness. Have zero friendliness and definitely no manner. I only go here when I am limited on time and energy. Mexican food for husband with tea shop next door. Three birds with one stone and to be honest. Their food is not bad and price is cheap. Unfortunately like I said,better service will make this place a five stars. For now I am just going to rate it two with their cold ass attitude.

Came on a Sunday and it was busy. We got the teriyaki beef with extra meat & shrimp and a chicken teriyaki with extra meat. Chicken teriyaki was definitely better. While watching them make the food we thought the meat was a small portion but once the lady started to bag it, she had the cook add more meat to both. Fast and tasty lunch for a lazy Sunday.

Can't beat fresh cooked food for $10.40, tax included! Will definitely return. I have nothing bad to say so give it a try for a great deal with plenty of food.

5 stars. Place is amazing and a great price too. Get the chicken teriyaki with soba noodles.

Sarku has always been stable in malls and the portions are large!! I always order one portion and share with my significant other! Walk by to try a sample! They typically have someone giving samples for the teriyaki chicken. If there's a short line expect to get through relatively fast!! I even had an experience where the person in front of me took my meal and they whipped up a new order for me very quickly.

Sarku Japan is one of the few dining spots that shows calorie information, so that may be helpful for those who need to monitor their food intake. The prices are fairly reasonable - we got a chicken teriyaki roll for $5.09 (360 calories) and they made it fresh to order. The chicken terikyaki roll came with avocado and the chicken had a nice charred teriyaki flavor.

I love the portions of this Sarku Japan. I ordered the chicken teriyaki and got an amazing amount of rice, chicken, and greens. Definitely worth it.

This place has been my go to teriyaki chicken place. I specifically ordered chicken and veggie only. As I see the two containers being filled I noticed one guy started mounting white rice on both of my orders. I kept telling them "mine is only veggies and chicken only . ". Both male cooks kept nodding their heads "I know. I know""." With an attitude. So I repeated again, what number are you filling out ? " One cook said my number and I said "That's my order and I only one want veggies ". I raise my voice again because they don't seem to understand or hear me right , but the nerve of the cashier to interject and tell me not to yell at them. The manager stepped out and intervene calmly. And he told them to redo my order. I told the manager I hope you have the camera with the voice so you can realize who is at wrong. I've been going to this place since they opened and I have been highly recommending it. I only like the food but not the service I have been receiving. I'm just so glad the manager stepped in. Because the three employees are rude. I may not go back to this place again. I'll find another chicken teriyaki place somewhere else .

Ordered 4 different rolls plus shrimp tempura. The tempura tasted like it was frozen and was rough. The rice wasn't cooked and hard. The rolls were skimpy and had no flavor. We ordered a tuna roll and there was hardly any tuna. Wont ever come back. Waste of money!

I usually order the Teriyaki Chicken with extra chicken. The taste is decent. However, when you order extra (whatever that may be), you better make sure that they do give you the extra stuff. Recently, in two separate visits, I had to question and state to the person that places the food in the box that the amount given does not look like any extra portions were given. So make sure that if you are going to pay for that extra portion, you do get that extra portion.

This is a good place for quick and good food. The The price is good for the portion served. This always my go to at the mall.

We came here for dinner before a thanksgiving day. We arrived this place around 730pm. It is terrace inside Hillsdale mall. Great location and taste. We could go to shopping after dinner. It spent 20 minutes to getting our food ready. Must go!

First stall to open at the new Dining Terrace. Nothing to get too excited about. With so many restaurants in the San Mateo area, it's hard to compete. But if you're shopping here, convenience does help.

I asked for extra sauce on my chicken. I was told to wait one minute before the guy put sauce on my chicken. He deliberately took his time and made me wait instead of just putting a little sauce like I requested. I felt racially threatened by this man. I am just requesting something politely. I don't need to be treated rudely as a paying customer. I brought my mother with me and didn't appreciate the rude treatment from the Asian man with mustache and beard.

This is my second time eating chicken teriyaki bento. Nothing improved. So, i decided to write a review. OMG, the rice is terribly hard and bland. Im an Asian.I eat rice everyday, and my rice at home is soft and favorable. I will not eating there anymore. I also see the cook yelling at the next customer. The customer was just almost grabbing the wrong bento. The cook yelled at him. "This is not yours, take out your ear phone, do you hear me?" in a loud rude voice. OMG! I cannot believe that, no wonder all the review said they are rude. Its true.

I found the food here tasteless. Portion was generous though. 3.5 stars to be exact. They have daily specials and i ordered their thursday special, shrimp and chicken terriaky. Rice was really bland, terriaky saice too sweet. Shrimp was good.

I love Sarku since I was a kid and honestly to have found one so close to my home is amazing. But this location the staff suck honestly. The main cashier was rude and never is pleasant. She seems more annoyed by taking peoples orders, also lies about items not being available when in reality it's clearly available. Don't want to say too much but honestly I love Sarku but I'm really debating not coming here ever again until they actually change their staff or at least train them to be nicer.

Honestly, I don't understand the complaints on here. People stay expecting TOO much from mall food court food lol. The place is good. People are nice to you when you are nice to them. I've heard many people start by going up to the workers in a rude tone from the get go and then complain about how they can't understand them. The service is not super great, but can people remember you're literally in a MALL. FOOD. COURT. Yes, wait time is long especially on weekends because there's just not that many places to eat in this food court yet with all the new restaurants being under construction still. Honest review: bento boxes are 4/5 (great deal); sushi rolls are 3.5-4/5 depending on who makes them; service is 3.5/5. Left 5 stars because just tryna spread some love... I would recommend here if you're just looking for a quick bite! :)

Wherever there is sarku in a mall food court, 7/10 I'll be going there for my food. I love sarku it has been good to me at Oakridge mall (SJ) and at the great mall (Milpitas), but at Hillsdale mall (SM) somehow was unexpectedly not. I don't like basing my review off one encounter but after my meal I'm not sure I'll be back. They really revamped the food court to be fancy just how Hillsdale mall is and sarku is conveniently next door to Sharetea. I ordered a bento which comes with chicken, rice, salad, gyoza, and 4pcs of California rolls. The chicken meat was decent although the pieces were a little too small. The lettuce was a little brown and pretty wilted but the disappointing factor were the California rolls. They display two rolls facing you and the other two behind, and the ones behind had no avocado! Not sure if this was because they ran out on my pieces or on purpose but it's not a ca roll without the avocado. It's a small thing but at least their gyoza was good so that was a plus.

Bad food. Yech. Also, not environmentally responsible: cutlery is individually wrapped, and nothing is compost able. The food court should really make all its vendors use the same selection of compostable supplies. Also, their vegetable slaw was just a bag of the broccoli slaw from TJ's.

The new Hillsdale Mall food court in and of itself is a really nice space. - Not much to like about Sarku - the chicken is dark meat. HUGE PEEVE. - the rolls are low quality. High school kids don't know how to cook sushi rice. Cmon now. - Assembly Line Service. I have gotten more warmth from an airport vending machine. The space really is nice and it will be even nicer once the construction is complete & Warner months arrive. Won't be back here, might try other options.

I haven't been here in a very long time and it is always very refreshing too come back to a restaurant we're the food is so great and very fresh and the staff is very nice it's a must too come here and get the food here . You will never ever be disappointed.

Rude. All of them are rude. And no, I wasn't rude first. Food is just ok. The sushi is below average. Definitely had no flavor. If you like your food on the sweeter side, this is for you. I ordered the beef teriyaki with noodles and salmon avo roll.

So disappointed with the food. We order simple, almost basic, can't go wrong with California rolls and spicy tuna roll, so plain. Same with chicken teriyaki over rice. There was no sauce on the chicken teriyaki, looks like it was thrown on the grill and put it over rice without any sauce. They chopped some broccoli, mixed them with beans, both were served raw with no dressing. Can't believe they serve that kind of food to people.